Clay Target Nation

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

Blue Nose Open

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Headlines were just reporting the contagion in China, but 30 healthy shooters came out to the Blue Nose Open at Fairfax Rod and Gun Club (Manassas, Virginia) on the morning of January 25 under warming skies and still air. With near-record warmth, it was one of the best shooting days of the year so far – but more great days have been pre-ordered. However, it was still cool enough to justify a fire in the pavilion, augmented by fresh, hot coffee and even fresher Krispy Kreme donuts made just a couple of hours before. This shoot attracted four brand new shooters into our great world of registered skeet competition.

Gun Champion was captured by Col. T.W. Williams with a solid 98. Runner-up was Spence Miller, and third was awarded to Craig Childress. Winning the classes were Bob Myers (A1), Winston Huang, at his first registered skeet shoot (B1), Collin Christopherson (C1), Kevin Baker (D1) and Becky Myers (E1). No shoot-offs were required. Garrett Baisey captured the Junior Champion spot for his second consecutive shoot. Collegiate Champion went to Adam Bradford, one of our local George Mason University shooters. One interesting result was posted in the options: only one shooter won the Handicap Option with a 100 and took all the handicap money. Consider participating in the options because these side events add another fun dimension to the competitions.

– Contributed by Jeff Bond

 

Oregon’s Inaugural Hall of Fame Inductees

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Last September at the Fall Classic event held at Mid-Valley Clays, an appreciative crowd of shooters and family members celebrated the inaugural Oregon NSCA Hall of Fame (HOF) induction of three icons of the sport. It was exactly two months to the day since the topic of creating a potential HOF was discussed at the State Championships awards dinner. Although Oregon doesn’t have an official NSCA Association, the question was asked, “Why can’t we create a Hall of Fame program?” Well, we did just that, and a program was crafted, vetted by HOF Committee members, and nominations were received and voted upon.

 

The votes were unanimous, and there are now three inductees initiated into the newly created Oregon NSCA Hall of Fame. The 2019 inductees are Carl “Skip” Zapffe, Achievement Award; Walt Badorek (posthumously), Service Award; and Beverly Zapffe, Service/Achievement Award. Congratulations to our inaugural inductees.

 

Skip’s achievements are well documented: 23 continuous years as an All-American Team member, captain in five of those years, plus 50+ various other trophies within the Western U.S., usually earning three or more per event.

 

Beverly, too, has amassed many national, regional and state awards, however, many of today’s shooters aren’t aware that she was Oregon’s first National Delegate during NSCA’s initial 10 years of development. She emphasized communication and participation by all members and clubs joining the NSCA movement in the early years. Skip and Beverly were among the initial shooters to start sporting clays in their home state of Oregon. They have become beloved fixtures at all our sporting events locally, regionally and nationally.

 

On a national level, soon after sporting clays became a division of NSSA, Walt Badorek from Klamath Falls served as NSSA President (1990-1992) and helped create a solid foundation of the sport we love today. His induction into Oregon’s HOF completes the recognition of Walt’s previous NSSA and NSCA Hall of Fame honors.

 

All three have unofficially served as Oregon’s ambassadors of the sport and have represented the state well on the local and national stage. Visit the Oregon Sporting Clays website, www.ornsca.org, and the tab “Oregon Hall of Fame” to learn more of these folks’ accomplishments.

 

– Contributed by Tom Jones

      

Comstock Open

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This year’s Comstock, hosted by Vegas Skeet Association, was a great event attended by shooters from as far away as New Zealand, Canada, Massachusetts and at least eight other states.

With the impending coronavirus scenario threatening to close the county-owned facility, we managed to finish the shoot just under the wire.

Friday’s doubles event was in doubt due to rain early in the day, but the weather cleared up by shoot time. With overcast skies, the shooters were challenged. John Lyman bucked the weather to take the doubles with a score of 99, with James Murphy taking runner-up at 97.

On Saturday, the skies cleared and the wind pick up slightly. Neal Whitney and Sean MacWalter each shot a 99, with Neal Whitney victorious. MacWalter kept shooting well and broke 100 straight to take the 20-gauge title, with Randy Gutirrez taking runner-up with a score of 98.

Sunday brought about good weather with a slight breeze. Neal Whitney followed up on the previous day’s score with a 100 straight in 28-gauge for the championship, and Victor Cordova scored a 99 for runner-up. The .410 event proved to be tight, with Neal Whitney and Mark Saussure taking champ and runner-up. 

Neal secured the HOA title with a score of 390, and John Imbt claimed runner-up with a 380.

The annual $500 Bender BCDE Challenge shoot-off came down to four shooters: B-class Larry Miranda and Gary Richter (with two misses allowed), C-class Aden Wyckoff (three misses) and E-class Jeff Galliher, with six misses. The shoot-off lasted a while, with Larry Miranda holding on to win the event and Aden Wyckoff and Jeff Galliher taking runner-up and third, respectively. 

Thanks to Todd Bender for his generous support of the Vegas Skeet Association and the Comstock. 

The fabulous Clark County Shooting Complex is where Vegas Skeet Association hosts their 11 annual events and multiple leagues. If you’re ever in Las Vegas or wish to attend one of their events, contact them at vegasskeet@gmail.com or visit nevadaskeet.com.

– Contributed by Bob Donovan

Red Nose Open

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At zero dark thirty, the roads were clear, the sky overcast and the air temperature a brisk 26 degrees. An hour later, a quick-moving band of rain/sleet/snow dusted the area, but none of this dampened or deterred 18 brave and hearty shooters from coming out to the Red Nose Open at Fairfax Rod and Gun Club in Manassas, Virginia, on the morning of January 18. A week before, we had clear skies, still air, and 70 degrees – weather we ordered for the Red Nose Open but delivered a week too soon. Shoot management has spoken to the provider and requested that our preference is for our solicited weather to be delivered on the exact date. Cold weather and less than ideal conditions on this morning probably prompted some to stay in their warm beds and hibernate a little bit longer, but they missed the roaring fire, hot coffee and fresh Krispy Kreme donuts served up in the pavilion.

After noses warmed and fingers thawed, Jonathan Honey captured the gun championship with a solid 99, missing only one target by a single millimeter. Runner-up was Jason Armstrong, and third was Col. T.W. Williams. Class firsts, with no shoot-offs required, were Bob Myers (B), Garret Baisey (C), Sam Rathbone (D) and Mike Osgood (E). Some interesting results were posted in our options: only one shooter won the handicap option with a 99 and took all the handicap money. Sometimes it really pays to participate in the option events.

Starting with the Red Nose Open, Fairfax has a registered skeet event every two weeks into mid-March. These early shoots at Fairfax focus on getting new shooters involved, introducing shooters from our two winter leagues into registered skeet and showing both of these groups of shooters how much fun we all have coming out, breaking targets and making smoke. The newer shooters today become the experienced shooters of tomorrow.

We had one honey of a squad participate in challenging conditions, but all participants had a good time catching up with shooters that they had not seen since last year. Everyone is looking forward to all the other 12 planned shoots at Fairfax later in the year.

Thank you to our club manager Jamie Martin for getting up with us and to the referees for performing their duties on such a chilly day.

– Contributed by Jeff Bond

Indiana State Championships

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The crowning of the 2019 Indiana State Skeet Champion, Owen Knight, was the end of a shooting season of many firsts for him. The skeet shooting season began with the announcement that Owen made the 2019 NSSA Sub-Junior All-American First Team. In May, when the shooting season was just getting underway for most of us in the Midwest, Owen traveled to the Detroit Gun Club in Walled Lake, Michigan, to shoot the Lou Raden Open, where he posted his first 100 straight in the 12-gauge event and won his first High Over All title. The following weekend, he entered the 3-I skeet championships held at Peoria Trap and Skeet Club in Peoria, Illinois. Another first was posted as he shot his first 100 straight in the doubles event.

By mid-summer, Owen had won many individual gun championships and HOA championships. He then traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home to the 2019 Junior World Skeet Championships, and accomplished another first: He shot his first 100 straight in the .410 event, earning him the Junior World .410 championship and contributing to his High Over All runner-up finish.

This achievement, as well as being the 2019 Indiana State Championship, contributed to a year that included 16 100 straights, eight High Over All championships, and 14 event championships for Owen.

– Contributed by Mike Kick

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