DECEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER
© Phil Steinkraus, Editor
NEWGATE NIRVANA
By Phil Steinkraus
When it comes to weather, the only advantage to living in the Northeast
is when we get a nice day that’s out of character for the season we know
how to enjoy it. Our first week of October may have been a complete
rain-out but just like the total stranger who suddenly hands you a pair
of theater tickets he has no use for, so the Good Lord gave us a
spectacular November 13th for our monthly shoot At Ye Olde Newgate Coon
Club in Norfolk, CT. The last golden vestiges of leaves were on the
trees, there was the snap of autumnal chill in the air, and one could
almost taste the turkey with cranberry sauce of thanksgiving lunch, just
weeks off.
It may be true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I like
Newgate for a lot more reasons than just the fact we only get to shoot
it once or twice a year. First off, there’s the drive to get there that
takes you through a veritable snow-globe, diarama of Norman Rockwell,
New England villages so picturesque and unspoiled, I had to lock the car
doors to prevent my wife from making a run for it at the first realtor’s
Open House sign! Secondly, the Newgate clubhouse is in my mind’s eye
exactly what a clubhouse for a gun club aught to be. It’s stately, and
not too new. It has history, architecture, stature, an upstairs bathroom
and a down stairs bar with a full liquor license. If every club had such
amenities, I’m quite sure a lot fewer of us would be allowed to attend
Travelers events, so let’s enjoy this special club on the Sundays we’re
invited—and please keep the full bar thing under your hat!
An early morning visit from our friends in uniform at the Connecticut
State Police confirmed that while shooting sporting clays would be fine,
driving clays carts and ATV’s on public roads would not—seems reasonable
to me, but then again I didn’t drag a cart to this shoot!
Let me start by saying those beautiful leaves I was just gushing about
made a lot of targets damned near impossible to see. We’re not talking
difficult backgrounds, we’re talking “Where’s Waldo” with a 110. Add to
this a variable wind and the one pair rule when viewing targets and a
lot of times, I thought I knew what to expect when I called for a pair,
only to be caught with my proverbial pants down when the clays finally
showed themselves. Some of this, I’m sorry to report was also down to an
over reliance on true pairs. Course designers like true pairs because
when they fly correctly, you can run a lot of shooters through a station
quickly. When they don’t fly correctly however, they actually take
longer to shoot than a report pair. That was the case on one of my three
favorites of this event. The presentation gave us a true pair of a high,
arching chandelle and a climbing stalling standard both from the left.
Wind was a big problem here. When the air was dead still, the targets
gave enough time so if you were quick, you could kill the chandelle, and
then come back to the stalling standard. When the wind was up, however,
the order was reversed: You wade a long shot stab all the staller and
then rushed the gun over to the chandelle—of course you never knew what
the wind was doing until the targets were in the air!
Another favorite gave us a simple presentation of two report pairs,
followed by a final true pair from the left. One target was high and one
was low, and I always find ingenious about this type of presentation
just is how precise you need to be to kill those targets. We had a very
accomplished shooter on our squad goose egg this and I missed my fair
share here too. I know how to kill trap shots and I know how to kill
outgoers, but these course designer brain teasers seem to get me every
time. (If anyone has a theory on why these targets are so difficult,
send me a detailed E-mail and if we print it, we’ll send you a free
Traveler’s shirt.
My star station for this course has to be our last station, two, which
gave us two 40-yard-long, left-to-right, two-shot crossers, which then
became a report pair of a diving standard launched from directly behind
your head, followed by this long crosser. What I admired about his
station was the illusion of extreme distance combined with the constant
pressure of killing that diver first. How many of you missed the first
only to kill the second? The best part about shooting at Newgate Coon
Club is no matter how badly you emberassed yourself out on the course,
you’ve got that nice lunch to look forward to and this year they outdid
themselves serving--dare I say—an elegant banquet of nature’s bounties.
The dictionary tells us a gourmond is simply a more glutinous and rotund
gourmet—So trust me I’m qualified when I recommend that, by all means
enjoy the targets, but don’t let the waitress go until you get second
helpings of everything!
The king of the side-by-side slew all comers once again besting his next
closest rival by seven targets. The question Lavert will answer for the
January issue will be how many HOA and RU’s he took for the whole
season, including non-Travelers events, as well as which version of his
verable Model-21 side-by-side (he has several) he won the most with.
George Ostrander finished RU with an excellent 84.
MID-HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS CHANGES HANDS
Clayshooters dodged a bullet when Rich Lanzilotta, Joe Maresca and Steve
Smith stepped up to plate to purchase Mid-Hudson Sporting Grounds in New
Paltz, NY. The recent run up in real estate value in the Hudson Valley
made this particular gun club very attractive to the developer’s
bulldozer. Shooters far and wide should thank their lucky stars that we
have friends with the vision and resources to ensure we all keep pulling
the trigger. Thanks to Rich, Joe and Steve—the entire clayshooting
community owes you a debt that can never be repaid.
COMING TO YOUR MAILBOX SOON: CLAYSHOOTING USA
My boss—or rather my other boss after Al Anglace is Michael Brunton,
publisher of Clayshooting in England and Clayshooting USA in this
country. Mr. Brunton has generously agreed to send all Traveler members
a couple of complimetary issues of the mag which will be accompanied
with an offer of a substantially discounted rate for a subscription.
Forgetting for a moment that I write for them, I fell I can make a solid
argument that it’s the best publication of its kind in this country.
It’s informative, entertaining and doesn’t shy away from controversy. If
you want the straight poop on sporting clays and FITASC nationally, this
excellent publication is the only game in town.
THINK GLOBAL--BUY LOCAL
While we’re on the subject of commerce, It’s the holidays which means
we’re all about be doing a lot of shopping. In this day of bulk
purchases at Costco and E-bay auctions, it’s easy to forget that while
low prices are a wonderful thing, they aren’t the only thing. Travelers
has a lot of friends in the gun business who have been awfully good to
us over the years. They’re not always the cheapest and they may not
carry every obscure bit of merchandise, but they are us: members of our
clubs and citizens in our communities. Perhaps they can’t beat the
chains on price for a flat of shells or an autoloader, but they’re word
is their bond stand behind the products they sell. Just ask that
pimply-faced clerk at Gander Mountain to take delivery of the new
Perazzi you just bought out of state: He’ll probably give you the same
expression my Brittany reserves for me when I try to speak French to
her!
These merchants don’t charge for the handshake, the bull session, the
advice or the coffee. They’re all experts in the shooting sports and we
owe them our undying gratitude. Please visit these friends to our sport:
North Atlantic Sportsman 600 Main Street, Monroe CT 06468 (203)
268-7879 Owner Joe Cimino announces that he is in the process of opening
a sportsman’s consignment shop next door to his shop that will deal in
used hunting and fishing equipment and apparel, so if you’ve outgrown
that clays vest or are browsing for vintage collectables, pay him a
visit.
Charles and Margaret Schneible at British Sporting Arms P.O. Box 193A,
Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-8303. Charles has stunning country
clothing for both ladies and gents and has a shop full of consignment
guns in addition to being an authorized Kreighoff and Blaser dealer.
Niles and Kim Wheeler at Safari Outfitters, LTD. RT. 44, Salt Point, NY
12578 (845) 677-5444: Whether it’s a Purdey for the price of a Florida
condominium or a collectable book or duck print, this shop has long set
the gold standard for having examples of the best makers in stock.
Safari is also an authorized Caesare Guerini dealer.
Joe Maresca is now dealing exclusively in Clever-Mirage shotgun shells,
the dominant name in European FITASC and Olympic clays disciplines (845)
928-6407.
CLUB HISTORIAN
By John M. Hachmann
Sleigh bells ringing. Are you listening? Can you believe it, Christmas
is just around the corner and reservations for our Christmas party shoot
have been made. Our hosts will be the Mid-County Rod and Gun Club in
LaGrangeville, NY on December 18, 2005.
The Christmas Shoot is also known as the Dick Losee Memorial Shoot. To
have your name live on after your demise is an honor that is reserved
for a person who achieves a certain level of greatness. Unfortunately I
did not know Dick Losee, he passed before I became of a member of the
Travelers.
Christmas is a time for giving and for sharing but more than anything it
is a time for the children. El Presidente, Al Anglace mentioned at last
months shoot that we will be collecting gifts for less fortunate
children in December. Please help make Christmas a very special day for
these children. Remember one thing, no matter who they are or where
they are from, they are children, and children are pure and innocent no
matter what! Please bring your unwrapped donation on December 18th.
Looking back, I see that Mid-County Rod & Gun Club has hosted our
Christmas Shoot exclusively since 1995. Records show that as many as
206 guns participated in 1997. This year we will be limited to 150
shooters. In 1998 and 1999 we saw temps in the 50’s, in 2003 it was in
the 20’s and snowing. Worse yet, in 2000 the shoot was canceled
altogether due to horrendous weather conditions so be prepared and dress
accordingly!
Let’s look at some HOA Champions and Junior Champions from years past.
2004 – HOA Bob Repella, 92—JR. 1st Ben Slome, 72.
2003 – HOA Preston Moore, 87—JR. 1st Jason Lenhart, 68.
2002 – Bruce Galatto, 82
2001 – HOA Mike Horodyski, 85—JR. 1st Mike Soltes, 49.
2000 – The wind and rain won the shoot.
1999 – HOA Mike Grecco, 93—JR. 1st Paul Hughes 53.
Congratulations to the champions and I hope to see you all in December. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
BLAZER F-3 GUN REVIEW
By Phil Steinkraus
It’s an unfortunate aspect of human nature that if we hear a falsehood
repeated often enough, it begins to take on the sheen of truth:
Communism, Marxism and socialism aren’t even remotely the same concepts;
Madonna is the most influential cultural icon of the 20-th century; size
doesn’t matter!
Like everyone else, I’d heard the Blaser F-3 kicked like a mule. Charles
Schneible of British Sporting Arms in Millbrook is a Blazer dealer who
pleaded for me to write this review because he feels the guns are being
unfairly demonized by second-hand heresay and uniformed rumor. “Shoot
the gun and write what you will.” He urged.
I first saw the Blaser F-3 at the world FITASC championship in France in
2004. Blaser frontman Bernhart Knobel took the gun apart and showed me
the innovative engineering that went into this dedicated target gun.
First off, the hammer and pin mechanism is not on a pivot, it’s on
sliding tracks, which means they can build one of the shallowest
receivers I’ve ever seen--when you pick one up, you’ll swear it’s a
twenty! Secondly, the gun is designed to have an alterable point of
balance. Some shooters want the weight up front, others prefer it
further back. The adjustable, weighted stockbolt changes the balance of
the gun incrementally giving huge flexibility in custom tailoring the
gun’s feel. Add to this an internal ejector system that hides inside the
barrels solid mono-block and cock each time the triggers are pulled as
well as replaceable hinge pins and breach face and you’ve a got a gun
that will last a lifetime. The standard stock dimension for the sporting
clay model is 14 9/16 LOP and a 1 1/2 X 2 1/16 drop at comb. I also
found the radius curve and palm swell of this pistol grip to be very
well suited to my small hands.
This is a plain-Jane, purpose built, target-breaking machine. That’s not
to say it’s ugly, it’s just wonderfully utilitarian in design. In the
same way you feel like you’d take your thumb off if you ever slammed it
in the door of a Mercedes Benz, the Blazer has the feeling of eternal
solidity and workmanship that inspires confidence. Sure, there’s not
much handwork in this gun; there’s no engraving on the standard model
and the checkering could be regarded as Spartan at best. Wood varies
from very straight grained and boring to stunning figure, that verges on
employee grade: It all depends on the individual gun. My experience was
limited solely to the standard grade model. The only higher grade gun I
saw, while commanding a much steeper price, was such a significant step
up aesthetically in terms of wood and hand cut engraving that you’d
think you were holding a different model of firearm altogether. This gun
is also produced in varying different trims for skeet, trap, and field
shooting. Barrel lengths run from 27—32 inches and stocks are available
with different lengths, comb heights and drop dimensions as well as a
clump trap forend in addition to the standard slim schnoble.
I’ll confess I’ve always preferred the feel of the lighter guns. I look
for the balance between a gun with enough recoil-absorbing weight, that
is still light enough to whip around for FITASC. I can’t handle many of
the standard 30-inch guns—they’re just too heavy for me, but I’m sure
that given the time and proper alterations I could eventually shoot the
hell of the 8.4 pound Blazer.
How did it shoot? I had a 30-inch example that nearly had the correct
stock length for me, but the comb was a tad high. The triggers are
excellent for right from the factor. The standard recoil pad which while
adequate could be improved upon. I broke targets and generally liked the
feel of the gun and can report it didn’t kick me any worse than my
30-inch Beretta 682-Gold. Having said that, I know this gun was
thoroughly sorted for its new owner both for fit and balance. My wife
observed me when I was shooting and noted the recoil was dispersed
directly and straight back with nearly no muzzle flip. Perhaps this has
contributed to all the confusion? At any rate, this gun (at least this
particular example) isn’t the widow-maker the rumors would have you
believe. I liked it and would seriously consider purchasing one were I
switching guns—which I’m not. Special thanks to Eldrid Carhart for
the use of his gun for this review.
CONTACTING THE TRAVELERS...
CTSCA Home Office: Al Anglace, email <aaa738@aol.com> (by far the best
way) or telephone 860-354-9351 if you absolutely must.
Editor: Phil Steinkraus, email philistein@aol.com
Membership, Address Changes and Shooting Class status: Contact Cyndi
Dalena at Email <shotguncyndi@prodigy.net>.
Guide Book questions, Dick Orenstein <oren@umich.edu> or call
203-226-5251.
Past issues of “Reload!" are available online at www.ShotgunReport.com.
- - - 2006 CTSCA SHOOTING CALENDAR - - -
JAN. 15 – MID HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS, New Paltz, NY
FEB. 19 – 2006 ANNUAL MEETING – MID HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS –New Paltz, NY
MAR. 19 – MID HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS – New Paltz, NY
APR. 7, 8 & 9 – SPRING TRIP TO THE EASTERN SHORE – Pintail Point and two other venues to be announced.
APR. 23 – “TAX TIME REVOLT” – YE OLDE NEWGATE COON CLUB- Norfolk, CT.
MAY 21 – “MAY MINUET” – TAMARACK PRESERVE-Millbrook, NY
JUN. 10 & 11 – CLUB FITASC CHAMPIONSHIPS – MID HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS–New Paltz, NY
JUN. 12 – CLUB SPORTING CHAMPIONSHIPS – MID HUDSON SPORTING GROUNDS–New Paltz, NY
JUL. 16 – “SUMMERTIME SUMMERTIME” – ORVIS/SANDANONA- Millbrook, NY
AUG. 11, 12 & 13 – “GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC” ADDIEVILLE EAST FARM-Mapleville, RI
SEP. 17 – “SEPTEMBERSHUTZENFEST” – MILLBROOK ROD & GUN CLUB, Millbrook, NY
SEP. 28, 29 & OCT 1 – ANNUAL FALL TRIP – Venue to be announced
OCT. 15 – “SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS” – FAIRFIELD COUNTY FISH & GAME , Monroe, CT.
NOV. 19 – “SALUTE THE COLORS” – YE OLDE NEWGATE COON CLUB , Norfolk, CT.
DEC. 17 – DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY SHOOT – MID COUNTY ROD & GUN CLUB – LaGrangeville, NY
THIS IS A TENTITIVE CALENDAR AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE OUR
HOST RANGES CALENDAR.