Clay Target Nation

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

Port City Open at Buccaneer Gun Club

By

On May 18-20, championship skeet returned to southeastern North Carolina for the first time since 2014, and man, was it exciting.

The most exciting part was the number of Junior shooters making the trek to the John Scott Skeet and Trap Fields at Buccaneer Gun Club, no doubt at a financial sacrifice to many of the Junior shooters’ families traveling to and from skeet tournaments.

With a grant from Friends of the NRA and a generous donation from Sportsman’s Warehouse manager Bill Colvard, the Port City Open provided Junior shooters free ammo for all four events, 12 gauge through .410, helping to promote the sport to these young people who are the future of our sport.

The festivities began with Doubles on Friday afternoon. Doubles shooters gave chase to White Flyers most of the afternoon, with Scott Graham winning with a fine score of 96. Intermittent showers tried to interfere with the Doubles event, but these folks are used to it.

Foul and ugly weather greeted shooters Saturday morning. Heavy rains plagued 12- and 20- gauge shooters all day. Even with a brief stoppage for lightning, the shooters persevered, and Scott Graham again showed his mettle with a smooth 100 in the rain to take the 12-gauge event after a shoot-off with Chip Simmons and Jay Bunting, neither a stranger to Doubles at 3, 4 and 5 after 100 straights.

Justin Haddle, with his first 100 ever, was not alone in 20-gauge straights. Larson Harkins had his first 20-gauge straight, and Mark Smith’s perfect score landed him in the shoot-off with Justin and Larson. Mark outlasted these sharp shooters to become 20-gauge gun champ. Any 100 straight is impressive, but Justin Haddle accomplished something special; he was on station 8 of his last box when the lightning horn blew. After an hour wait, he stepped back on station 8 and calmly finished his 100 straight.

The 20-gauge Special Handicap event Saturday afternoon sparked a lot of interest. Junior shooter Larson Harkins walked away with a little extra shotshell money. Young eyes and young reflexes told the tale here.

Saturday night’s dinner was steak, baked potato, and green beans prepared cowboy-style by True Grits Chuck Wagon. Everything was cooked on open grills and in Dutch ovens. The peach cobbler slow-cooked in a Dutch oven did not last very long. Chuck Wagon Bill’s profits and donations support the “Easy Does It Ranch,” a free summer camp for recovering teens. 

After this palate-pleasing dinner, the shooters were still not ready to kennel the Kolars and Krieghoffs. A friendly game of Scrap under the lights broke out. For the uninitiated, Scrap uses the trap machine overlay to throw targets to be shot at from the skeet stations. Needless to say, the choke wrenches were busy. When the smoke and the “pull, bang, dammits” cleared, Justin Haddle and Kevin Hostinsky eased away with a little more jingle in their pockets.

We all went to bed with visions of broken targets dancing in our heads.

Sunday’s weather found the 28-gauge and .410 shooters apprehensive about the weather forecast: more showers. Nevertheless, 28-gauge scores were mighty impressive, with Marquis Williams besting Noah Dove in a shoot-off for 28-gauge gun champ honors. Marquis’ 100 was his first in 28 gauge.

All in all, there were eight 100 straights in our skeet-o-rama.

Someone opened a box of .410’s Sunday afternoon. As soon as it was opened, the typical breeze kicked in. Jay Bunting out-maneuvered the wind and pulled past the field with a smooth 99 to take .410 gun champ honors.

Jay Bunting was also the tournament HOA with a cool 396. Riley Dellinger was Junior HOA with a 392. Corrie Cloninger was Ladies champ, carding a 379. Trace Davis finished the tournament as Sub-Junior winner with a nice score of 377.

The Port City Open HOA shooter, Jay Bunting, was presented a tailgate quilt constructed of Sportsman’s Warehouse canvas shot bags. Riley Dellinger, Junior HOA with a smooth 392, was also presented a tailgate quilt. Bill Colvard, manager of Sportsman’s Warehouse, furnished the shot bags, and Jane Hassell did the quilting. This is a fine way to protect a quality shotgun while it rests on the tailgate of a pickup or SUV.

Thanks to all the referees who controlled the event and turned in a weekend of masterful scorekeeping and refereeing. Special thanks go to Patty Walton and Jane Hassell for keeping everything running smoothly. Thanks to all the shooters and their families who enthusiastically complimented our targets, staff, food and shoot presentation.

Thanks to this year’s Tournament Committee: Tom Smith, Hart Stuehmer, Jeff DeSantis, Peter Ruffin, Cosby Thomas, David Ruehle and Frank Hassell. Thanks to our officers, Dave Ernst – president; Jim Caison – treasurer; and Ray Campbell – past president, for your input and dedication to the Port City Open.

David Ruehle and his ground crew did a masterful job of keeping the machines full, water coolers full, trash removed, empty hulls picked up and targets flying smoothly all three days. Special thanks go to the Buccaneer Gun Club members who came early and stayed late days and weeks before the tournament, working together to make the Port City Open a rousing success.

A very special thank-you goes to our sponsors: Bill Colvard and John Clark of Sportsman’s Warehouse, Cox Industries, Michael Davis and Party Suppliers of Wilmington, and Jim Davis.

Join us for our next event, the Fall “No Frills” Open, on November 16-18.

– Contributed by Frank Hassell

Jesse Geddes Memorial Shoot

By

Phil Strelau, HOA Champion

Missoula Trap and Skeet Club in Missoula, Montana, hosted the Jesse Geddes Memorial Shoot on May 25-27. The shoot has been held annually in honor of Jesse Geddes, who passed away in 2010. He was not only an avid skeet shooter but also served as a board member at MTSC and was involved in various capacities.

Congratulations to Phillip Strelau, who came away with the HOA victory!

 

 

 

 

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

2018 Zone 7 Skeet Championships

By

HOA Winners: Steven Bivins (center), Nick Ballentine (left) and Phillip Strelau

The 2018 Zone 7 Skeet Championships were held the last weekend of April at the Kern County Gun Club in Bakersfield, California. This was the third time that the KCGC had hosted the Zone 7 shoot since joining the Zone 7 shoot rotation and the first time they hosted it in the spring.

Zone 7 shooters showed up in full force with 11 of the 13 Zone 7 states represented – so full that some shooters showed up hoping to luck out on an open spot from a late withdrawal when word of a waitlist began to circulate. There were 16 Sub-Junior and Junior shooters who were treated to special goody bags put together by Katie Fry on the KCGC shoot committee.

As the Doubles competition started to heat up Friday morning, Mother Nature decided to treat shooters to a cool, comfortable weekend. Tanner Bissell won the shoot-off for champ over Jack Garner (runner-up and Junior champion), and Nick Ballentine claimed third after a shoot-off against Brett McLaughlin (A1) and Aris Melonas (B1).

The 2018 Zone 7 All-Star Team awards were handed out during the Friday night social at the club. It was a fun-filled, relaxing evening. Thanks go out to White Flyer for helping sponsor the two social events.

The 12-gauge event had its usual showing of 100s. Robbie Lopez claimed gun champ, Nick Ballentine edged close as runner-up and Ryan Meger came in third. From there, 99s took class first spots for Rick Curtin (AAA1), Phillip Strelau (AA1), Tanner Bissell (A1) and Wayne Cagle (B1). The Rookie concurrent proved to be a close race all weekend, with Teresa Buckner taking rookie champion for the 12-gauge event.

Lopez returned to the champ spot on the podium with a 100 in the 20-gauge event, beating Cash Farnworth, who turned in his first 100 straight. Matt Rittman bested the crowd of 99s for third. Kaitlyn Koenig was Lady champion, and Buckner took the Rookie championship by one bird over Chanson Yang.

Nick Ballentine continued to step up on the podium, this time as 28-gauge champion, followed by Jack Bernardi (runner-up) and Billy D. Williams (third). The Junior concurrent is always impressive to watch, and this time, local shooter Joe Fry finished as champion over Ryan Meger and Steven Bivins. The Sub-Junior race was tight all weekend as Stephen Hendrix finished as champion with his 93, followed by Tais Perunova (92), Lola Fitzgerald (91) and Zyler Thomas (90).

All eyes were on the scoreboard as the .410 scores began to come in. Phil Strelau posted a 98 and a shoot-off win for champ over Jordon Hirschi (runner-up) and Steven Bivins (third). This set up the HOA championship shoot-off between Bivins, who prevailed to win the championship, Ballentine (runner-up) and Strelau (third). The Sub-Juniors continued to make their mark with Stephen Hendrix as Sub-Junior champ, Lola Fitzgerald collecting a D1 award and Tais Perunova the E1 spot. Kaitlyn Koenig took Lady champion honors, and Chanson Yang was Rookie Champ.

The Zone 7 Skeet Association would like to thank the KCGC staff and shoot committee for their efforts in ensuring a great shooting venue.

– Contributed by Gail Lambrecht

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Dess Ivanov Wins WorldWide Electric Spring Classic

By

(L-R) Shoot Sponsor Rick Simmons of WorldWide Electric, 12 Ga. A-Class Champ Rick Ayers, HOA Champ Dess Ivanov, HOA RU Steve Wood, HOA A-Class Champ Dan Walker, and Shoot Sponsor Fred Rosen of WorldWide Electric.

Victor Rod and Gun Club hosted the third annual WorldWide Electric Spring Classic, the “Richest Little Shoot in New York State,” on April 29. This 12-gauge and Doubles one-day event kicks off the registered skeet season in western New York. Enticed by $2000 in added money, 43 shooters took to the fields to test their skeet shooting skills. In addition to the added money, the owners of WorldWide Electric also provided complimentary polar fleece jackets for the shooters. Needless to say, the shooters were in very good spirits as they gathered in the clubhouse in anticipation of the day’s events.

After a long winter, the shooters were hoping for a nice spring day. But it was not to be had as a nice little dusting of snow welcomed the shooters. Shooters from this region are a hearty bunch though, so the weather was not a deterrent, just something to joke about. More importantly, the shooters were able to meet and catch up with old friends. The clubhouse was very quickly engulfed in the camaraderie that comes with skeet tournaments. The club was in excellent shape, and the shooters were delighted with the newest capital improvements to the facilities and fields that enhance the shooting experience.

The morning started with the 12-gauge event. Although this is one of the first registered shoots of the year in western New York, the shooters were ready to post mid-season scores as evidenced by two 100s and four 99s in the 12-gauge event. Squad mates Dess Ivanov and Steve Wood took their 100s to the shoot-offs. Dess prevailed as 12-gauge champ in a lengthy shoot-off, with Steve being the runner-up. Four more shoot-offs were required to decide the class champions. Other 12-gauge winners included Mat Kelley (AA), Rick Ayers (A), John Mutchler (B), Victoria Barner (C), Victor Stirpe (D) and Joe Messineo (E). By the way, 12-gauge E class champ Joe Messineo was shooting in his first registered skeet event! We look forward at seeing Joe at future skeet tournaments.

At midday, the shooters were drawn to the clubhouse for a delicious lunch. The snow and light rain that adorned the morning had stopped and the weather turned pleasant, at least by western New York standards. The afternoon was devoted to Doubles. Dess Ivanov bested the field with a fine 98, claiming the Doubles champion title. Scott Janowski and Steve Wood posted 97s in Doubles, and after a short shoot-off, Scott emerged as the Doubles runner-up, with Steve Wood claiming A1. Other winners were Don Lewandoski (AA), Ricky Laurito Jr. (B), John Quealy (C) and Doug Goodman (E).

For the fifth year in a row, a shoot-off was not required to crown the HOA champ. Dess Ivanov’s excellent 198×200 bested the field of shooters by one target over runner-up Steve Wood. Dess has been working very hard to hone his skeet skills. He has made himself into a force to be reckoned with on the skeet fields. A shoot-off of three shooters was required to determine the AA class champion. Rick Ayers came out on top to become the AA Doubles champ. Other HOA class winners were Dan Walker (A), Victoria Barner (B) and Doug Goodman (C).

Like so many other clubs, Victor Rod and Gun Club is an all-volunteer organization. The club’s mission is to provide a safe, recreational shooting experience for its members and guests. The club members did a great job of preparing for the shoot and working during the day of the shoot. Everything ran smoothly from registration through shoot-offs. Special thanks go to shoot chairman, Andy Nolan, and his team for their efforts to make the administration process efficient. The shooters and referees noticed the effort and were appreciative.

We cannot thank enough Fred Rosen and Rick Simmonds, owners of WorldWide Electric Corporation, for their generosity in sponsoring this shoot. WorldWide Electric Corporation is a domestic importer of electric motors, drives, and speed reducers.

We also want to thank Chief Referee Dan Caryl and his crew of referees. The referees did a fantastic job as always. Most importantly, we would like to thank the shooters. Without shooters willing to travel from across the region to participate, we could not have a successful shoot. We are very fortunate to have such a passionate group of skeet shooters in this part of the country. We hope to see them all again in 2019!

– Contributed by Wes Bailey

Photo by Jim Spotts

Jim Hart Wins the Virginia Open at Fairfax Rod & Gun

By

Fairfax Rod & Gun Club, located in Manassas, Virginia, hosted its first 4-gun shoot of the 2018 season during the weekend of April 20. The competition included 66 shooters, several of which were new shooters and new to the 4-gun format.

Jim Hart shot amazingly across all events during the weekend to take HOA Champion. Clay Gormish finished as HOA runner-up, with the legendary Bob Myers finishing up third overall.

Jeff Bond, a long-time member of Fairfax Rod & Gun, recently took over responsibilities for managing NSSA shoots at Fairfax and he is off to a great start. Jeff worked to recruit several new shooters, including many club shooters who had previously shot only a 50-target format during the Thursday night club league. 

Due to Jeff’s efforts to revitalize the Fairfax skeet community and grow the sport, he was able to recruit six new shooters who joined the NSSA over the weekend, receiving a one-year complimentary membership to the association. Kudos to Jeff! While the shoot wascomprised mostly of local Virginia shooters, the Virginia Open also hosted several visitors from New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Transitioning out of what was a very cold winter in the Mid-Atlantic, shooters were blessed with wonderful weather conditions. In the Doubles event, Jim Hickerson was gun champion, with Jon Honey earning the runner-up position and Dick Weinley finishing up in the third place. Cynthia Yellen (who also happens to be Jon Honey’s amazing mother) earned the Ladies Champion title.

In the 12-gauge event, Jim Hart shot his first 100 of the year to claim gun champion. Alan Gale earned runner-up and Mike Ramsey took third, beating out three others in a shoot-off on Saturday evening. Meredith Tunick was Ladies Champion. 

John Snyder shot a perfect 100 during the 20-gauge event and took the gun champion title, with Brian Platt taking the runner-up spot after beating a competitor in a shoot-off. Bob Myers claimed third for the 20 gauge, and Meredith Tunick was the Ladies Champion.

Fairfax Rod & Gun Club members hosted the shooters and their guests for dinner on Saturday night, providing a traditional meal which featured steaks and several accoutrements. The club takes great pride in continuing to offer competitors a delicious meal as part of the competition, as it promotes community, fellowship, and a friendly environment to re-live all of the missed targets of the day.

In the 28-gauge event, Clay Gormish took the top spot as gun champion, with Dick Weinley earning the runner-up spot and John Snyder finishing up in the third position after a hard-fought shoot-off. Ladies Champion was Meredith Tunick.

Jim Hart earned gun champion in the .410 event, with Dick Weinley coming in as runner-up, and Fairfax Rod & Gun Club President Jeff Bolster claiming third. Meredith Tunick was Ladies Champion.

With all of the side bets and side games (including the 3-Man Blind, which was split between two teams), 31 shooters in total received money back. The Virginia Open also incorporated the B-C-D-E 12-gauge option, in which eight shooters participated.

A huge thanks to club manager Jamie Martin who does more work in a shoot weekend than most of us do in a month. Thanks also to all the referees, cooks and volunteers that helped to make it all come together.

– Contributed by Meredith Tunick

Skeet

Sporting Clays

National Shooting
Complex

Museum &
Hall of Fame

About