Join us June 10th at the Northeast Kingdom Skeet & Sporting Clays Club in Burke, VT for our first registered shoot of the season,
The John Smedley Memorial Shoot. 100 Sporting Clays, 50 Super Sporting, 50 5-Stand. Lunch will be served from 11:00 - 1:00.
Never seen anything like it. Coffee and oven baked pizza served on the course (free). They would box the pizza for delivery to a station.
North Country Sportsman's Club (Williston) - Father's Day 5 Stand, Sat June 17th
Registration is now open for our next NSCA registered 5 Stand shoot, being held on Saturday June 17th.
We will again have a 100-target main event (shot on 2 fields) and a 50 target "Fluff" side event.
The main event will be squadded, with assigned start times. The "Fluff" event can be shot as spaces are available. When registering for the main event, please note slight shifts in start times.
We've been moving shooters through our main events pretty efficiently and, unfortunately, having to turn a few shooters away because of our limited capacity. We hope to be able to host another full squad with the new schedule.
A link to the Scorechaser registration is below.
https://app.scorechaser.com/tournament-G0VNPKQMOL0YG7
If you have any questions about the shoot or registration or are not seeing your squadding confirmed, please give me a few days to respond. I will be away for the Memorial Day weekend, with limited access to email and registrations.
Art will again be on the grill, providing burgers and dogs for lunch.
We hope to see you on the 17th!
Bob Otty otty.robert@gmail.com
NSCA reportedly had test run on Air-pods and found by themselves they do not protect hearing protection. They must be custom molded to offer adequate protection or designed in manufacturing to offer hearing protection. At big ATA shoots you find people who do mold work
It's common to see people listening to music on the trap range shooting. Not an ATA rule but the ones I've seen used were fitted to the shooter and thus provid protection.
Thinking about it I see a lot of young sporting refs wearing the Air-pods and didn't give it a second thought. When I was attending a shoot in Florida about ten years ago, I refused to shoot until the young lady pulling targets put in her ear plugs. I do take ear and eye protection seriously. In skeet common to be hit by pellets. Knock you to your knees...
Haven't been paying attention to what people are using for protection. Just saw they had their "ears" on.
NSCA Sporting Clays
8.9 Hearing protection
Hearing protection is compulsory for all shooters, referees, staff and members of the public on or in the proximity of a layout. Any shooter on a stand without hearing protection is considered absent and Article 16.7 applies. In all circumstances outside the clubhouse, children present on a range must wear hearing protection.
2. Mandatory Eye and Ear Protection—All persons, spectators, shooters, field judges and trap personnel, must wear eye and ear protection on the course at a tournament sanctioned by NSCA. Apple Air-pods and similar earbuds are not adequate ear protection unless custom molded to provide hearing protection. Earbuds specifically designed to offer hearing protection are acceptable.
NSSA Skeet
1. Eye and Ear Protection
a. All persons (including shooters, referees and trap personnel) must wear adequate some form of eye and ear protection on a skeet range at a shoot sanctioned by NSSA.
b. Apple Air-pods and similar earbuds are not adequate ear protection unless custom molded to provide hearing protection. Earbuds specifically designed to offer hearing protection are acceptable.
c. While on the skeet field, the referee must wear adequate eye and ear protection, and is prohibited from using any type of listening device "earbuds” or “earphones” in lieu of standard hearing protection.
We shot Remington 1100's for over thirty years. Some sporting, mostly trap.
My wife bought her's used around 1969. Was her skeet gun until she moved to an over and under. Then her sporting/trap gun. We put a trap barrel on it for trap.
Name a part and we most likely broke it. Even broke a barrel weld and a magazine tube. I carried enough spares to rebuild a 1100 at a shoot. Always carried a bolt assembly with firing pin and extractor installed. Upgraded parts through the years as soon as Remington make them available.
Some weeks I put three-four hundred shells through the gun. Practice and Registered.
Replaced the action spring (in the stock) each, yearly (Remington gunsmith recommendation).
If I shot more than 150 shells, I start having issues. Tear it down and give a quick cleaning. I'd do that in-between the 100's at trap shoots. I used BreakFree to clean, nothing else. Cleaned after every visit to the range.
Can't say we had many failures to feed through the years if we get them clean but some brands of shells not Remington friendly. Back in the day I had four (4) reloaders and happy with the results.
Shotguns breaking down more and more frequently. Always buying parts. Basically, guns worn out.
Ordered a 1100 sporting model. Had a blemish on the forearm. Asked for a replacement and was told it was how they were being produced. Say what?
Long story short, sold all the 1100's.
I shoot a Beretta A400 and the wife shoots a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Sporting. Neither has the KO recoil pad. She had the stock shortened and added an adjustable comb. Fits her like a glove. Shoots it for skeet, sporting and trap.
We can shoot them all day, two-three hundred shells. No issues.
The A300 initially had few brands of shells it didn't care for, but we recently used those shells and no problems.
Installed a COLE oversize magazine release on both. I had to use a YouTube video for guidance.
Wipe down after a visit to the club and that's about it. Put it away. Talking practice.
Going to a shoot, clean the gun.
I've found this is the one part you need to keep clean. The Piston Assembly (Underside of the barrel).
Yea, die hard Remington fans out there, but did that and done with it.
2023 Northwest Vermont Ducks Unlimited Layout Blind Skeet Shoot
Franklin County Sportsmen's Club (Saint Albans, Vermont)
Shooters used the same target presentation format as seen at a NSSA Skeet shoot. Station 8 did not have a blind or require sitting.
Impressions. The fields were in excellent condition. A good number of volunteers on hand. Desk ran smoothly. Shooters were quick to lend a gun if someone was having gun issues. Everyone had a good time.
A link to the Shoot Video and Photos.
That time of the year. Either being annoyed or bitten.
As a minimum I spray my legs when clay target shooting or hiking using a DEET product. Discourage ticks!
I also use it to keep away black flies and annoying gnats. In the woods even DEET at times doesn't keep away the black flies and I had to resort to the use of a Mosquito Head Net Mesh when hiking.
Black flies like to take bites out of my legs when getting ready to call for a target. One club in Vermont I seem to always get bitten.
I've been swarmed by gnats when the wind wasn't blowing. And of course, we have the ever-present mosquito, especially shooting sporting in the woods.
Besides my legs and arms, I squirt some into my hand and rub my neck and cheeks with it (wash hands) or just spray my hat to protect the head when shooting.
I don't use anything less than 25% DEET and been eaten alive using anything less. Maybe the lesser percentage wore off, but that's my buying practice.
There are non-DEET products in the marketplace, but I have no experience using them.
* DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many repellent products. It is widely used to repel biting pests such as mosquitoes and ticks. Every year, an estimated one-third of the U.S. population use DEET to protect them from mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus, the Zika virus or malaria and tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved DEET for use in people of all ages, including children.
* What are the CDC guidelines for DEET?
Do not allow children under 10 years of age to apply repellent themselves. Do not apply to young children's hands or around eyes and mouth. Do not breathe in, swallow, or get into the eyes (DEET is toxic if swallowed.) Do not put repellent on wounds or broken skin.
* Products containing DEET should be used only once per day on children.
* Citing human health reasons, Health Canada barred the sale of insect repellents for human use that contained more than 30% DEET in a 2002 re-evaluation "based on a human health risk assessment that considered daily application of DEET over a prolonged period of time". I didn't come across any US restrictions for adults.
May 17, 2023 headline "Texas preschooler, 4, shoots ‘unsecured’ pistol at 1-year-old sibling: cops". A second headline, "Mother charged with child abuse after second grader brought gun to Michigan elementary school". I see such headlines four or five times a month in some form or another.
Addressing handguns as you do have trigger locks or locked gun cases for every long gun in the home.
If the handgun is not on your person, highly recommended it be stored in a Fingerprint/Full-digital Keypad if quick access is required. Samples.
Listing of Handgun Safes sold on Amazon.
When your child reaches the age of understanding I recommend you take the child to the range and go over gun safety rules and demonstrate firing the gun. Remove the curiosity factor that all children have. The child understands what happens whenthe trigger is pulled when pointed at someone.
I'm a clay target shooter and this is from my perspective. A hunter with a rifle and or shotgun would follow the same procedure.
Handguns have to be pre-approved. Don't show up at the border with a handgun without pre-approval. Unless going to an official event you most likely won't be approved. Heading to Alaska? Ship the handgun!
Visiting Canada with a Firearm.
Passport required (driving or flying) or Passport Card (Driving Only) or enhanced state driver’s license (driving only) required to re-enter the USA.
A stop by USA customs to list your firearm on a Form 4457 is required. Can be done at any time, to include the day of your trip. If you happen to live near an airport that does international flights, they can complete your form at any time. The form is good forever, unless it's no longer readable. The form allows you to re-turn with the firearm to the USA without hassle. They do need to see the firearm(s) when completing the form, just don't bring it in the building unless directed to do so. At USA/Canada land crossings they check serial number(s) at your vehicle.
Canada allows long guns and ammo to be brought in for 60 days on permit. Cost $25 (Canadian) for the permit (credit card accepted).
Application is available for download (recommended). You can fill it out prior to travel, however, do not sign the application. If no application, you will fill one out at the crossing. One per individual.
I put together a video that provides step by step guidance (links provided).
I received an email from the Flagler Gun Club that I belong in Florida. Training classes for the clubs ShotMaker? Took a look, wow! You can skip through the provided video as rather long. At the end of the day, you have a professional setup for little outlay. No more scoping the target or using a spotter to see where the bullet hit.
A Nikon Z50 was my Christmas present this past year. Mirrorless camera came with NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR & NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm F/4.5-6.3 VR lenses.
What I wanted to happen is one camera with a larger sensor would replace two. A dedicated video camera and an older model digital camera.
My first outing with the camera this past weekend at the Underhill sporting clays shoot. One camera for both video and photos.
Used the 16-50mm lens.
No issues with photos:
Shot video at 120fps.
Was easy to go from photo to video as is most cameras. For slow motion had to move a lever.
Have to have more practical experience with setting up shooting close to far rapidly (looking for the target), as the auto focusing couldn't keep up in a few shots. Could be as simple as changing a setting. But I suspect I also have to think through the camera shot in regard to camera placement.
For as many years I have been shooting this topic comes up every couple of months. Person with a semi-automatic ejected hulls are hitting the shooter to the right or the shotgun. You have Defenders who justify and the upset shooters who shotgun got dinged.
Usually, the scenario is the shooters is at the first shoot at another club and has no idea what the etiquette is. Been shooting with buddies or the home club not saying anything, happy to see new shooters but not doing the shooter any favors when he/she eventually visits another club.
What the ATA rulebook has to say.
J. SAFETY
Shoot Management may disqualify a contestant for violation of these Rules, and violations may also result in further disciplinary action.
15.All guns used by contestants must be equipped, fitted and utilized so as not to eject empty shells in a manner that substantially disturbs or interferes with other contestants.
//////
I've seen a semi-auto shooter moved to another squad who could live with it or the person with the hulls being bounced off the shotgun moved. Usually, it's the semi-auto shooter who is moved as it's not people the shooter normally shoots with.
Might not seem like a big issue but do you really want spent hulls bouncing off your shotgun or head while you're trying to concentrate on your shooting? If it hits a speaker could make a target go off.
My wife and I both shoot a semi. I have a shell catcher and she doesn't. We agreed I would always shoot to the right of her. Turns out her Beretta 300 Sporting does not eject hulls directly to the right, but outward. No where close to the shooter/pad to the right of her. Always into the grass.
A shell catcher is the answer if your hulls are an issue. If you're lucky you can find an older one that fits your shotgun, and if not.
You may have to move the plate or bend the wire a few times before your satisfied (Birchwood Casey Save it Shell Catcher).
You can try a rubber band. Note the thickness.
Or you can try Nylon Cable Ties or a Ponytail Tie (never tried it myself):
May 6 - Cabin Fever Open Sporting Clays - Underhill
May 13 - Shooting Party SXS Fun Shoot - NEK
May 20 - DU Fun Shoot - SCFC
May 20 - Bulls Eye Sporting Clays
May 27/28 - ATA Trap - Montpelier
Jun 3 - Bulls Eye Sporting Clays
Jun 10 - John Smedley Memorial Shoot - NEK
June 11 - Fun Trap Shoot - Derby
Jun 11 - 2nd Amendment Fun Skeet Shoot - Barre
Jun 16/18 - State Trap Shoot - Montpelier
Jun 17 - 5-Stand - NCSC
"The United States will end its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors, and international air travelers on May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, the White House said on Monday."
Three field club with skeet, trap and 5-stand.
Shoots are normally 5-stand type setups over two or three fields. If I remember correctly the Waterfowl Warmup, has you shooting from the sitting position on one of the fields. Two-man teams. They will find you a partner if you don't have one.
Many local hunters take part in the shoots.
Heritage Shoot - Sunday May 28th
Waterfowl Warmup - Sunday August 27th
In the past, 75 target events.
Always a good turnout. Well run. Buffet of some type included in the price of the shoot. A nice selection of random draw prizes.
The Golden Triangle is in Brockville, maybe 15 minutes off the 401. GPS will bring right to the club.
As I haven't seen a flyer it's advised you contact the club before travel to confirm any and all information.
Plan on attending the August shoot. Most likely just to take video/photos. Back surgery coming up and limited physical activity for a period of time.
