Clay Target Nation

The official magazine of the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association

Tarentum District Sportsmen’s Club Spring Opening

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We may have called this our Spring Opening, but the weather was cold, not above 35 degrees, and the winds were blowing. This event was a 100-bird, 20-gauge event hosted by Tarentum District Sportsmen’s Club. Most of the 10 participants had a chance to shoot before the skies went gray and the snow began to fall again.

The gun champ was Josh Croffett (A1) with 98. Michael Rykaczewski Jr. (A2) was runner-up with 97. David Cominsky (B1) came in third with a 95. Other class winners included Mike Rykaczewski Sr. (D1) with 93 (D1), Murry Gerber (A3) at 92, Ross (Paul) Carney (D2) with 91, Scott Hazlett (B2) at 91, Marie Palmer (D3) at 87, Robert Waite (C1) with 86, and Andrew Hazlett (D4) at 75.

Despite the cold weather and the winds, everyone had a great time shooting. Afterwards, the shooters enjoyed a taco lunch provided by Dave and Deb Cominsky, and Marie Palmer provided some homemade soup and freshly made bread, in keeping up with the tradition of the late Nick Sisley.

The club invites shooters to visit their Facebook page at Tarentum District Sportsmen’s Club for info on all registered shoots, or they can be found on the NSSA website. For out-of-towners, there are hotels just 15 minutes away.

– Contributed by Marie Palmer

Cabin Fever at Tarentum Club

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Tarentum District Sportsmen’s Club hosted a 100-bird 12-gauge shoot, Cabin Fever, on February 17.  Ten brave shooters showed up in the 29-degree weather, with rain, sleet, snow, and 20 mph winds that whipped right through you and tossed clay birds around as if they were leaves falling from the trees.

The champion was Josh Crofutt with a 99, only missing a windblown high 5 in the last round. David Schadel was runner-up with a 96, and Dave Cominsky came in third with a 94. Class winners included Scott Hazlett, A1 with a 92; Ernie Anderson, B1 with an 88; Ross (Paul) Carney, D1 with 87; Marie Palmer, D1 at 86; Bob Waite, E1 with 83; and Andrew Hazlett, E2 with 78.

Thanks to everyone for their participation and for the fantastic lunch that was served.

The Cabin Fever shoot is just the start of monthly registered shoots that will be held at TDSC in 2019. You’re invited to join us in making TDSC “the best little skeet club in the USA.” You can stay up-to-date on all planned events at www.mytdsc.org  or join us on Facebook.

– Contributed by Marie Palmer

Salisbury Gun Club Celebrates Rick Fears with 28-Gauge Shoot

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Friends and family gathered at the Salisbury Gun Club recently in honor of Rick Fears, a member of the Salisbury Gun Club since 1965. The celebration kicked off with a 50-bird, 28-gauge shoot won by Don Handy. The shoot was named “The Rick Fears 28-Gauge Classic” because over Rick’s long skeet shooting career, he fell in love with the little 28 gauge and shot it in the 12, 20 and 28-gauge events. Following the shoot, participants gathered with Rick and his family, plus a host of both old and new friends to enjoy lunch and fellowship.

After lunch, the crowd was treated to a good-natured roast of Rick and a brief summary of Rick’s long skeet shooting career. Rick earned places on 18 All-American Teams from 1985 through 2009 and 36 Maryland State Teams. He was inducted into the Maryland Skeet Hall of Fame in 1998. He has recorded 136 100-straights in registered competition, including 10 in the .410 bore. During Rick’s long career, he has registered more than 255,000 targets, shooting in events in 37 states. He has been a perennial club champion at Salisbury Gun Club, maintaining an event average of 98.3.

– Contributed by Norman Bunting

 

Gil Rodler Memorial

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Memorial skeet shoots are all about remembering and memorializing some of our greatest shooters. That’s the case with the Gil Rodler Memorial. He attended every Pennsylvania State Skeet Championship from 1954 until 2013. Further, he won more of those PA Championship titles than just about anyone. But the longevity of his year-after-year PA State Championship attendance does set him apart – 60 straight years.

But there’s more. He won national titles like the U.S. Open Doubles Championship. While Gil shot a Krieghoff Model 32 for most of his 4-gun career, he shot Doubles with a Perazzi MT6 with a Modified choke in the second barrel. He was noted for shooting the second doubles target way, way out there and smashing it. Gil was also well known as not only a serious competitor, but one with grim determination that showed on his face, his body, his every muscle. These days we’re told to relax while shooting. Rodler never shot relaxed.

September 3, 2018, was the fourth annual Gil Rodler Memorial. It takes place at the Tarentum District Sportsman’s Club near Sarver, PA. Our tradition for this shoot is always Labor Day – as well as 50 targets in the .410, 28, 20 and 12 gauge – in that order – so a one-day shoot. With the club’s three fields we are limited to 30 4-gun shooters (four flights), and this year’s shoot was filled within 24 hours of announcement – testimony to local shooters who have such respect for Gil Rodler, and to the Tarentum District Sportsmen’s Club as well, with its totally renovated clubhouse and all new Lincoln skeet, trap, 5-stand and sporting clays traps.

Well-known Pennsylvania shooter Roy Holtz won the High Overall Championship with a 195. Josh Crofutt was only one target behind for runner-up. Crofutt also won the .410. Tom Shields was 28-gauge champ, Josh Crofutt the 20-gauge, and Tim Holtz won the 12-gauge.

The club always puts out a great lunch spread, and this year’s Rodler Memorial was no exception. Kudos to kitchen help Regina Nemergut, Marie Palmer (who also shot the full program) and all the others who helped. Running the shoot was Dave Cominsky, using the NSSA skeet shoot software.

This club intends to keep the Rodler memory alive with a Labor Day shoot for years to come. The 50-target, 4-gun format has been very popular with our local shooters. We shoot the 12-gauge last to eliminate the need for cleaning barrels by tube-set shooters. We shoot 50 .410s first. Shooters bring their 28-gauge guns or tubes and shells. Consequently, immediately following the 50 .410 targets, we’re able to start the 28-gauge with no delay. Same with the 20- and 12-gauge events: shoot the 20 first and go right into the 12-gauge with no time lost. We find this an efficient way for each competitor to get in 200 targets in the day. We try to finish shoot-offs early enough that shooters can get back to their families for the rest of the Labor Day holiday.

– Contributed by Nick Sisley

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