RELOAD!

FEBRUARY 2001 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

MID-WINTER MARTYRDOM …
(by Howdy Breakmore)

Anticipation…it hung heavy in the air as Travelers gathered at East
Mountain on January 21. Our no-shoot Christmas shoot combined with
the very real threat of being snowed out, gave the eager group a
touch of edgy itches. It had snowed Saturday night leaving a fluffy,
fresh eight inches and some challenging early AM driving conditions.
Doubts about the day actually happening made the drive even more
troublesome.

Of the 100 pre-registered shooters, 53 Very Ready Travelers arrived
and hooked up to the IV coffee drip. Thanks to a hardy group of
Saturday volunteers, remnants of the previous blizzard were erased,
targets distributed, and preparations made for the new snowfall. An
early Sunday run with snow blowers etc. had the course groomed better
than Vail on world-cup weekend. Travel delays were given
consideration and at 11am, with smiles of relief, squads hit the
stands to face the first targets of the 21st century.

East Mountain is one of our most frequently visited venues, but can
always surprise and should never be taken for granted. Move a stand a
couple of feet, torque a few traps, tweak here and there, and you
have a whole new game. A good example was a station #8: the
chiropractor’s delight. The usual driven pair was still there, but
this time both birds were on the same line with the rear-most bird
overtaking and passing the front bird just as you wanted to pull the
trigger. Very tempting to double up, and many shooters did so...many
others fell for the lure, shot between the targets and left the stand
with dark thoughts. Going to the faster bird left one in good
position to crush the second ...that was the plan anyway.

Throughout the day I heard more than the usual questions about which
bird first. This is tribute to the course setter bringing subtlety to
true pairs. One station left no question or ambiguity..#6 the fast l
to r uphill and away pair. HOA John Mohler proclaimed it the most
testing stand of the day, saying it demanded the shooter challenge
the first bird with a committed and positive move, hopefully giving
time for the second bird before it hid behind a large ash tree. By
the way, he also screwed in a pretty tight ( IM ) choke.

#13 was a totally new presentation: A true pair rising up out of the
brush to your left, showing themselves nicely against the bright blue
sky and just when you were really feeling good about yourself and
your perfect mount, the targets stalled with a huge maple as the
background. What had been visual clarity became flickering and
tentative. I sure don't go from f32 to f1.4 quite like I used to.
Nice target.

A true treat awaited the gang at shoot's end. Lunch, inviting and
hot, was prepared by Chef Mark D'Andrea, C.D.M.C.F.P.P. (means "very
fine"). A last minute find by Al, Chef Mark got a huge Travelers’
ovation for his work and some legal documents to sign indenturing him
to us for the season. Mark wants to shoot too, but he must be
convinced that the noise is harmful, the recoil painful, and the
shooters a surly group...at least until he gets his sous chef up to
speed. Printed menus, centerpiece with candlelight, superb roasted
beef and pork, and patisserie level desserts...Nice Job !

We finished by awarding tons of ammo to deserving winners and Al
hinted that the annual meeting (Feb 18, East Mtn.) might hold some
surprises ...so show up and vote early and often. We departed under
sunny skies...another of those rare and delightful days that happen
monthly for the CTSCA. If the day was any indication, the next
millennium of sporting clays will be even better than the last.

HOA John Mohler 83
I-1 Kevin Goodspeed 79
I-2 Bob Mastroianni 78*
I-3 Gabe D'Arco 78
II-1 Ed Moritt 73
II-2 Bruce Buck 71
II-3 Richard Cook 70
III-1 James Vaden 61
III-2 Jim Collins 59
III-3 Frank Bareis 58
IV-1 Don Hutchinson 58
IV-2 Lans Christensen 57
IV-3 Frank Krol 53
V-1 Chris Harvey 51
V-2 Liz Lockyer
VI-1 Debbie Christensen 29
VI-2 Eileen Lambert 26
Ldy-1 Patti Wight 58*
Ldy-2 Paula Moore 58
Ldy-3 Cyndi Dalena 52
Vet-1 Joe Maresca 74
Vet-2 Al Anglace 71
Vet-3 John Lawlor 69
Jr-1 Jacob Herrick 47
*ties decided by tie-breaker station

SHOOT REPORTS…

Mr. Breakmore for doing this month’s shoot report. Are you Seymour
Leed’s close personal friend? Related to Miss Byamile? Reload! is
always looking for volunteers, nom d’ plume or not, to write a
monthly shoot report. There’s no long term commitment or obligation.
Contact us at the massive Reload! complex by calling 203-454-1080 or
by emailing <bbuck@juno.com>. Remember, Hemingway started as a
journalist.

We are looking for shoot reports and any other articles of interest.
Feel the urge? Give it a try. Either you write the stuff or you have
to put up with the same old drivel from Miss Manners, the Technoid
and the Judge. You might consider submitting an article as an act of
self-defense.


SOCIAL SHOOTING CLUB BRETHREN…

Bert Schmitz of the Social Shooting Club of Georgia was just named
The Clay Pigeon’s "Sportsman of the Year". It couldn’t’ happen to a
more deserving person. He’s done so much for sporting clays in his
part of the country. The SSCG works pretty much the same way the
CTSCA does. If you are down South, give them a call at 770-253-0489
to hook up.

SPRING TRIP.

March 30, 31, April 1. In addition to the flyer that ought to be
included in this issue of Reload!, Danni Jesudowich (head tour guide
and gruppenfuhrer of the trip) has asked me to re-emphasize a few
points.

If you would like to dine with the group, you WILL (puleez!) make
your meal reservations with Danni (jesudowich@earthlink.net or
203-783-3932) as early as possible. A day or two before is NOT
sufficient. Meal reservations must be in by March 23. Go spoon your
thin watery gruel in some cold lonely garret by yourself if you don’t
want to give her more ample warning. So there! It is embarrassing to
ask a popular restaurant to change group size more often than an
amoeba splits. On the other hand, if you do make a reservation by
March 23, you will be ensured of a delightful prix-fixe repast in
splendid company. So, which is it? Gay chatter among friends and a
delightful dinner near a cheery warming fire or cold soup in a cold
room with a cold heart? How Dickensian!

Now that we have convinced you to join us for dinner by making early
reservations (and not canceling them after you do make them), the
same holds true for the shooting and hotels. The ranges have to know
how many people are coming in order to get ready for our group of
Connecticut clay crushers. It wouldn’t do to run out of targets, now
would it? As to the hotel reservations, we suggest that sleeping in a
warm comfy bed beats two inches of muddy water in a ditch, but that’s
up to you. So, don’t be so reserved. Reserve!


FRESH START…

As a reminder to all, every six months (January 1 and July 1) we
reclassify all our shooters. Cyndi Dalena <shotguncyndi@prodigy.net>
is in charge of the CTICS (Connecticut Travelers Incomprehensible
Classification Scheme).

CTICS works more or less, vaguely, like this. Every six months all
the shooters are ranked by average. The top 10% go into class I. The
next 20% go into class II, next 20% into III, 20% into IV, 20% into V
and then 10% into VI. Note that Classes I and VI have 10%, while all
others have 20%. This keeps Class I exclusive and gives more people
in Class VI a chance to win something.

During the six month period, you move up (never down) in class when
you accumulate three points. Three points are awarded for a class
win, two for second, one for third. At the beginning of each six
month period, everything gets readjusted and you go to the class
dictated by your average.

Basically, we have structured our classification system so that you
have absolutely no chance of winning anything ever. If, by chance, we
slip up and you do win something, the class system self-corrects in
such a way that you will never win anything ever again. Isn’t math
great! Total equality. We have this thing down right.

MISS MANNERS AND DELAY OF GAME...

There they were, all happily ensconced ten minutes early in their
fourth row aisle seats as the house lights dimmed. Miss Manners had
long been looking forward to this play, Waiting for Godot. It was
one of her favorites. A little pre-theater aperitif at Sardi's had
gotten her into just the right mood. She savored the anticipation as
she eased back into the red velour seat. The curtain rose and she
was plunged into the nether world of Genet.

"Scuse me!" "Scuse me." "Ooops, pardon me." "Sorry there." "Damn."
"Ooops!" "Dammit it." "Sorry, sorry." "Pardon." Across the row of
seats struggled the latecomers. Stumbling, bumping, treading on feet
they approached Miss Manners seat like the herd of cattle shunted off
into a bar room in that Western movie. People tried to half stand in
their seats to let them pass, but the interlopers were large, clumsy
people and the only thing that standing up did was to permit the well
meaning soul to fall further when he was pushed over. Broad,
spatulate feet trod upon polished Fendi pumps. Massive backsides
loomed menacingly in the faces of paralyzed seat holders.

Miss Manners saw the late comers pushing in towards the empty seats
next to her with much the same emotion as Indiana Jones viewed the
rock rolling down the tunnel of doom. Escape seemed impossible. Our
bespectacled General of Gentility had left her favorite bullwhip at
home. No deus ex machina for her this evening. What to do?

As we momentarily leave our prim little Colonel of Conduct in this
Saturday afternoon serial cliff hanger, we turn to the real world of
sporting clays. Latecomers in sporting can also be as disrupting as
they are in the theater. Certainly, the tardy sporting clays shooter
is not going to trample us (we are armed, after all), but the amount
of inconvenience caused will be similar. Latecomers basically feel
that their time is more valuable than yours. Instead of leaving ten
minutes early to ensure timely arrival (and a few extra doughnuts),
they choose to cut things close and take their chances. Well, they
are taking their chances with your time, not just theirs.

One late arrival, pleading for inclusion in the shoot, will delay the
start for everyone by a minute or two. If there are 150 guns, that
little delay multiplies out to two and one half to five man-hours!
The growing size of our shoots is about to make the Travelers much
stricter about latecomers and walk-ins. We think of ourselves as a
pretty laid-back bunch of clay killers, but we no longer have a
choice. Please arrive on time.

Now, back to our Majorette of Morals and her thundering herd. How
does one extract herself from this dilemma with social elegance?

Miss M may be small and slight, but that starched lace collar hides
sinews of steel and the aggressive mentality of a Jack Russell. With
the agility of a cat on a backyard fence she hiked up her skirts and
leapt up onto the back of her theater seat where she began to lay
about the heads of the offending oafs with her best British 'brolly.
Avaunt! Thrust and parry, thrust and parry. Then a devastating
Nastasi-like back hand smash. "To me! To me! All hark, to me!" she
cried as she smote them hip and thigh.

The other down trodden seat holders, taking heart from her feisty
resistance, also began to strike back. The meek and passive arose
from their velour cushions and loosed the whirlwind.

The lady with the abused Fendi pumps introduced one of the
interloper's broad backsides to the curative powers of hatpin
acupuncture. The elderly man, who had been cow-tipped as he stood to
let them pass, braced his back against his seat and pushed out hard
with his legs at one of the latecomers "certain places". This
produced a bellow and roar that was soon echoed in brass by an
excited tuba player in the orchestra pit. The piccolo followed,
squeaking in wild accord. The conductor got into the act by leaning
forward and actually flicking one of the tardy miscreants with his
baton. One actor moved to center stage front and, pointing down at
the beset latecomers, intoned "Je acuse!". (Wrong play, but right
moment.) In short, it was an immensely satisfying general lusty
riot.

Riot is not a tool Miss Manners normally employs in difficult social
situations, but extreme circumstances require access to every arrow
in the quiver of politesse.

Moral? Mess not with Miss Manners and be on time. If not, wear
armor.



THE TECHNOID CHOKES…

There are all sorts of opinions on what choke dimension stands for
what choke and what it all means.

Briley works it in .005" increments. Their numbers and names for a
non-backbored 12 gauge are:

.000" Cylinder bore .005" Skeet (or Skeet 1) .010" Improved
Cylinder .015" Light Modified (or Skeet 2) .020" Modified
.025" Improved Modified .030" Light Full .035" Full .040"
Extra Full

This method of designating every 5 thou as a different choke is very
convenient for marketing purposes and is certainly as good as any
other method.

What does this all really mean in terms of your pattern? Well, look
at it this way, in theory a cylinder bore pattern size at 20 yards
will equal a full choke pattern at 40 yards. Sort of. More or less.
Both should be something around 70~75% in a 30" circle.

If there are ten choke designations from Cylinder to Full that fit in
between the 20 yard spread between 20~40 yards, it means that each
choke change is worth about 2.5 yards of distance. That’s if the
choke constrictions produce linear increments- which they don’t. But
you get the idea.

Making the earth-shaking decision to change your choke from Light Mod
to Mod for a particular presentation means that you can judge
distance down to 2.5 yards and that it really matters. Gimme a
break! Not even a true Junior Technoid, coked up on Jolt Cola and
Twinkies brainfood can judge distance that well.

For all practical purposes, Sporting Clays has only three distances:
Near (25 yards and under), Normal (25~35 yards) and Far (over 35
yards). You ought to be able to handle everything with Skeet, Light
Mod or Mod, and Full. What! You have more? Me too.



*** 2001 CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SHOOT SCHEDULE ***

FEB 18 EAST MOUNTAIN- ANNUAL MEETING
MAR 18* MID-HUDSON-MARCH MADNESS
MAR 30-APR 1 MARYLAND SPRING TRIP-NORTH~SOUTH SKIRMISH
APR 22* PECONIC-TAX TIME REVOLT
MAY 6 EAST MOUNTAIN- COURTING CLAYS
MAY 20* TAMARACK-MAY MINUET
JUN 1-3 PEACE DALE- CLUB FITASC CHAMPIONSHIPS
JUN * TAMARACK-NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION
JUL 15* ORVIS SANDANONA-SUMMER TIME, SUMMER TIME
JUL 28* MID-COUNTY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CLAMBAKE
AUG 10-12 ADDIEVILLE EAST-GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEP 16 FAIRFIELD COUNTY- CLUB SUBGAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OCT 5-7 FALL TRIP
OCT 21* MILLBROOK ROD & GUN-OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 18 EAST MOUNTAIN-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOV 25 EAST MOUNTAIN-KOEHLER SOCIETY FUNDRAISER
DEC 16* MID-COUNTY-CHRISTMAS PARTY SHOOT
* date pending





CONTACTING THE TRAVELERS...

CTSCA Home Office: Email <CTSCA@email.com> (by far the best way) or
telephone 860-354-9351 if you absolutely must. Shoot reservations
are mailed to CTSCA, 91 Park Lane Road, New Milford, CT 06776.

Membership, Address Changes and Shooting Class status: Contact Cyndi
Dalena at 860-584-1083 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Leave message.
Or Email <shotguncyndi@prodigy.net>.

Reload! To place an ad or post a shoot date, contact Bruce Buck at
203-454-1080 or <bbuck@juno.com>. The current and previous issues of
Reload! are posted on the internet at <www.ShotgunReport.com>.

Travelers Guide Book and Membership Directory contact Danni
Jesudowich at <jesudowich@earthlink.net>.


**** THE UPCOMING TRAVELERS MONTHLY SHOOT ****

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2001
ANNUAL MEETING AND FUN SHOOT
EAST MOUNTAIN PRESERVE
DOVER PLAINS, NY

Our Annual Meeting, always held in February, is not really a shoot,
but naturally, being Travelers, when the meeting is over you’ll have
the chance to yank the trigger and watch 'em smoke. The Annual
Meeting will start in the clubhouse at East Mountain at 9:00 AM
sharp. Please try to be on time or come a little early to lobby for
your favorite projects and scarf up some of those doughnuts and high
test coffee (two of the recommended basic five food groups- beer,
pizza and Haagen Daz being the other three). The meeting will last
until about noon. We will hear from President Anglace about how
magnificently the Travelers did in 2000, elect the usual suspects to
office and then discuss where we will go in the first year of the
real new millennium. Member participation is highly encouraged. If
you don’t vote now, you can’t whine later. Well, actually it’s
Travelers’ policy that all whiners automatically become committee
heads, so silence is golden.

A mid-day catered luncheon will be served to the survivors and
thereafter we will break up into squads and shoot a friendly round of
non-competitive sporting. If you would like some coaching, we will
squad you with other shooters of equal ability and send along an
experienced Travelers Mentor coach to help you out. It is a nice
chance to get in a little shooting and perhaps improve your game. The
fee for luncheon and the shooting (formal course, informal
scorekeeping) is $40. Please consider attending and send in your paid
reservation so that it arrives by Thursday, February 15.

As a member-run club the Travelers have been very, very successful.
We want to make sure that we continue to do what you want us to do.
We can’t do that unless you come and share your thoughts. THE ANNUAL
MEETING AND SHOOTING IS FOR MEMBERS ONLY. Please, no guests this
month.

Directions to East Mountain Preserve, Dover Plains, NY:

At the junction of Rte 84 and NY Rte 22, take Rte 22 North for about
27 miles to the town of Dover Plains. Turn Right at the first
traffic light in Dover Plains and go straight for one mile directly
into the East Mountain driveway. If lost, strayed or stolen call
East Mountain Preserve at 845-877-6274.

REMEMBER, EYE PROTECTION IS MANDATORY AT TRAVELERS’ SHOOTS!