RELOAD!

MAY 2002 NEWSLETTER
© Bruce Buck, editor

In Memoriam: BILL FUCINI

On April 5, 2002, Bill Fucini of Seaside Park, NJ lost his long
battle with leukemia. Bill was an avid sportsman who enjoyed skiing,
hunting, fishing and especially sporting clays. He loved shooting
with the Connecticut Travelers. Always a smile. Always in a good
mood. Always a pleasure to be around. We’ll miss him. Bill was one of
the good guys.

TAX TIME REVOLT
Newgate Coon Club, Winsted, CT
April 21, 2002
By Lans Christensen

The vicious IRS buzzards were drifting away having clawed and picked
away at whatever scraps of coin or cash they could find. Their annual
ravage comes with plenty of warning, but the cunning variety of their
attacks still leave us badly bent, but not broken. Undaunted, 104
happy Travelers reached under the mattress and found the filthy lucre
necessary to attend the Coon Club’s second annual revolting tax time
relief event. If taxes were not enough to bear, we also suffered
through a couple of 90(!) degree days preceding the shoot. In
nature’s irrational effort to balance the human condition, it should
be noted that it snowed in Norfolk the day after the event.

The Coon Club is fast becoming a favorite venue of the Travelers, and
not by accident. It has that “cozy, warm” thing going, with just the
right amount of stuffed critters, nostalgic photos, and honest charm
to make any visitor feel welcome. The shooting grounds, set in
Connecticut’s most rugged terrain, offer superb target setting
opportunity, and Bob Busha has taken advantage of every bit of the
landscape. Not enough can be said of the countless hours it took Bob,
Joe Gimelli, and their helpers to carve out the course we enjoyed.
Every Traveler that attended could have taken home a cord of firewood
that had been felled since our last shoot there. New signs hung by
new stands, new bridges built over wet areas, and new target
presentations are all part of the ongoing progress at the club.

We assembled at the clubhouse, a short walk from the course, and the
only hiccup in the day was a wait for the green light to head for the
course. When we decided to mobilize, the day progressed without flaw.
It took only 3 hours 20 minutes from first shot to last. That is a
well-orchestrated shoot by any standard. Nice targets! The whole
course should be on the highlight reel. Totally fair, but with
subtlety and nuance aplenty. As Joe Gimelli said, “They don’t have to
be long to be tough”, and often the “tough” isn’t the target itself,
but rather the shooter’s own mental discipline. You know what I mean-
“Oh, these are easy, they’re dead already. Darn! How’d I miss that?”

Like those settling incomers at #5 or the 90mm chandelles at #11. You
have to stay in focus for every single shot of the day no matter how
“easy” it appears. Rabbits are still Bob Busha’s trademark and
station #2 was actually titled “Kanga-Rabbits”. Get the picture?
Thrown uphill, R>L, they hit the ramp behind a hay bale and one,
both, or neither target would spring into a big lazy vulnerable arc.
Trouble was: if one jumped you couldn’t resist going for it,
meanwhile the other rabbit was scampering up and away while you went
for the decelerating jumper. Like ski racers, rabbits go faster on
the ground than in the air.

Station #4 got many votes for the toughest of the day. It had two
report and two true pairs thrown from high atop the bluff, R>L across
the sky, but a wind shift kept them a little lower than Bob had
designed and thus they wound up in the treetops ahead of schedule. At
best it’s a difficult target to read as to speed and line. The
battues at #7 were entertaining. Thrown almost as crossers, their
flat trajectory took them between two trees just after they showed
themselves, forcing the shooter just slightly out of the comfort
zone. The reward for breaks is even greater when you know you didn’t
let the course designer fool you. Of course, they’re trying to do
just that!

It was over too soon. We were sure we had missed some stations, but
took comfort in the thought of a Coon Club lunch in the offing.
Therese and Ed Kelley are running the kitchen and bar with
hospitality and efficiency. Delicious food, courteous staff and a
cheery bar all helped soothe the mind and body. Another 50/50 raffle
was held and generously supported for Chris Harvey’s family. The
Bruce & Al show was a sellout. An extra hearty handshake to Mike
Horodyski, who defended his win last year with a brilliant 92. Very
nice shooting, Mike! We can’t wait til next year.

HOA Mike Horodyski 92
I-1 Vin LaScalza 85*
I-2 Jim Muller 85
I-3 Jean Du Lau 81
II-1 Brian Flanagan 84
II-2 Jim Kline 79*
II-3 Vince Salvo 79
III-1 Fred Roesslein 77
III-2 George Parsons 74
III-3 Jasen Jasensky 70
IV-1 Kurt Willinger 71
IV-2 Bob Burgess 65
IV-3 Frank Krol 64*
V-1 Lewis Johnson 62
V-2 Lori Love 61
V-3 Terry Thomas 60
VI-1 Judy Walter 41
VI-2 Donna Galotto 38
VI-3 Jack Buchmiller 35
Lady-1 Anna Maria Collins 67
Lady-2 Ginny Tennison 66
Lady-3 Cyndi Dalena 62
Msdm Fran Gallogly 66
Vet-1 Ted Fedun 81
Vet-2 Butch Tennison 80
Vet-3 Peter McCree 77
SVet Martin Schroeder 70
Jr-1 Trevor Brunelle 40
Guest Charles Maglieri 69
* ties decided by tie-breaker stations

GETTING GALS SHOOTING
by Fran Gallogly

[This is the first of a multi-part series on introducing women to
sporting clays.]

Part 1: How to Beg, Plead, Cajole or Convince Your Favorite Gal to
Shoot So you have a wife or girlfriend who just hates shooting, and
you’ve done everything in your power to change her mind? You took her
out to the skeet field with your buddies on the weekend, lent her
your old 12-gauge trap gun, filled her pockets with reloads and threw
some crossers. She kept missing, stalked off and didn’t speak to you
for the rest of the day. What could you have possibly done wrong?
Just about everything, according to female members of Connecticut
Travelers. A better approach, says Danni Jesudowich, a former Orvis
instructor, is to first have your wife or girlfriend join you at a
shoot “just walking the grounds, getting a chance to see the social
aspect, the support of other shooters. No pressure.” Danni warns,
“Husbands teaching wives are like fathers teaching daughters to
drive- oil and water!” The other thing men do wrong is hand their
wives a 12-gauge gun to shoot. “They get pounded,” says Danni. “28s
are great starters or a 20 gauge semi-auto.”

Debbe Christensen would rather be at the beach, but that’s not where
Lans spends his one day off. “I gave in, but I did immediately feel
the warmth of the shooters. There is something very special about the
people.”

Maryjo Begbie used to sit in the car while George shot. When he
handed her a 20-gauge semi-auto, she didn’t like the weight or the
recoil. But once she broke her first bird, she was hooked. Women
should teach their daughters and get friends involved, she says.

Olive Lawlor started shooting on the skeet field with John. “If I
didn’t stop then, I’ll never stop”, she laughs. “I was all black and
blue, did everything wrong and still came back for more.”

Many women are put off by guns. It is important to make the first
experience fun and non-threatening. “A nice way to start is at one of
the Ladies Charity Classics,” says champion shooter Katy Skahill.
“The best thing you could do is get her a private lesson with a
competent instructor.”

A good instructor makes all the difference. Florence Solinski was
intimated at first by the gun, but she started shooting because she
wanted to see Bob on weekends. “I was terrible at it. There is
nothing worse than getting zeros.” Then an instructor noticed that
Florence had her face too far back on the stock. Moving her face up
three inches moved her scores up too.

A good way to get non-shooting spouses or friends on board, says
Donna Galotto, is to invite them to a friends and family day.
Rebecca Steinkraus advocates publicity. She suggests that flyers for
ladies-only shoots and clinics be placed in environments that attract
women with an interest in fitness and sports. Sue Uliano at most
women who do shoot, shoot handguns. Once women have enrolled in an
instructional program at the pistol range, perhaps we can interest
them in shotgun, as well.

Katy Skahill has long been an advocate of husband and wife trophies
at shoots. “Most women don’t aspire to being a national champion. But
being third place husband and wife during the fall league at your
local club would be great bragging rights, wouldn’t it?”

“Women learn differently,” explains Vicki Ash of the OSP/Optimum
Shotgun Performance Shooting School in Houston, TX. “Women like to
learn how it all works. Men want to hit targets immediately; women
will get around to it.” Cut open a shotgun shell. Shoot into the
water to demonstrate multiple pellets. “Women see lead differently
than men,” Vicki adds. “They see it as inches at the barrel, not feet
at the target. I try never to talk about lead, as that makes them
look at the barrel, not at the target.”

The first challenge in teaching a woman to shoot is the shotgun she
shows up with, says Traveler Bruce Galotto. In most cases it is a
man’s hand-me-down. “When left at its original length, the lesson is
down-right painful.” In addition, it seldom has enough height at the
comb. Bruce prefers that ladies use both earmuffs and foam plugs. “I
feel sound is a major contributor to perceived recoil.” Stance is
critical. Women tend to lean backward and place their legs too far
apart. “The coach should hold the shotgun for the beginner in-between
shots. Fatigue can cause increased recoil awareness.”

Men can best help the women in their lives by being empathetic.
Positively reinforce their efforts. Compliment what they do. Use
humor to make it enjoyable. Follow this advice, and you might even
end up commiserating with the following message, posted anonymously
on an internet forum: Been married 34 years, used to go shooting with
my buddies. My wife got started shooting and now I can’t get away
from her. Have tried sneaking magnum shells in her pouch to
discourage her but nothing seems to help. Any advice?

Signed: Miss my old pals

Next month- How to get single women shooting.

BEGINNERS CLINIC…

Newer shooter? Need some coaching? Traveler Jean de Lau, past member
of the French National Team, will host two free clinics on dates to
be determined. You just pay for your shells and targets. Contact Al
Anglace at <ctsca@email.com> if interested in participating. Later
we’ll have clinics for more advanced shooters.

NORTH/SOUTH SKIRMISH SPRING TRIP, April 12-14

The Travelers spring trips are just marvels. If you haven’t done one,
make a point to join us next year.

Sixty Travelers headed to Maryland. It wasn’t hard to spot some of
them. While tootling down the NJ Turnpike listening to alternative
disks of Little Richard and bagpipes, I passed a CT Saab with a
license plate reading “LANS”. Right in front was Alex and Danni
Jesudowich’s car. The spring showers stopped as we reached Delaware
and Mother Nature smiled on the Travelers the rest of the weekend.
Buds were out. Sky was blue. Taxes were done.

On Friday afternoon we shot the upper crust Pintail Point on
Maryland’s scenic Wye River. It was a gorgeous manicured course of
mostly 20 yard loopy floppers, much like ducks coming into the dekes.
More frustrating than challenging, but the club also threw a
seriously good dinner that night. We joined Bert Schmitz of the
Social Shooting Club <www.socialshootingclub.org> and about ten of
his extremely pleasant confederates.

Saturday AM we visited Alexander’s Farm. They threw softer targets
than we were used to on their flat land and didn’t seem fully
prepared for a group our size.

Saturday PM it was Chesapeake Club with over two dozen stations. It
was still flat, but our willing trapper gave us interesting targets
at two dozen stations. I wish we could have shot their 110 foot tower
a bit more. The club is for sale, so the future there is in doubt.
That night is was off to Annie’s Steak House for surf and turf.

Sunday morning we finished up at J&P. It had a manicured and well-run
12 station course that was fairly challenging.

In all the weekend was low key, low stress, high calorie, and lots of
fun. If you’re a traveling Traveler, next year this one’s a must.

TICK TIME…

Spring is serious tick time in the NorthEast. Please consider
spraying Permanone or Duranon on your clothing (not skin) when you
shoot in the woods. These sprays not only repel, but also kill the
little brutes. It’s good to get even.


DIMINISHING RETURNS…

The Technoid scraped the Twinkie crumbs off of the keyboard and
dabbed at the Jolt Cola (Twice the Caffeine!) puddle on his desk. He
loved his computer, but treated it like any of his other tools-
badly.

Though the computer gave rise to GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out), the
T-meister knows that there is a lot of good information out there.

One of his readers at www.ShotgunReport.com asked him to check out
the following address:
http://www.basc.org.uk/upload/tplt_pri_style_.asp?page=2100002264

On the site, esteemed British ballistician Roger Giblin supports the
argument that choke constriction much over .020” (Modified) often
doesn’t effectively further tighten the pattern.

Mr T wonders how that jibes with the turkey choke guys. We know that
the turkey hunters and “card shooters” are using 12 gauge choke
constrictions in the area of .065”. These constrictions win the
turkey shoots, so we know they work to produce the tightest possible
patterns.

.065” is a whole lot tighter than .020”. What gives? As to this and
the meaning of life, the Technoid doesn’t have a clue and isn’t
taking sides until a litle experimentation has been accomplished.

To that end, he’s waiting by the mailbox for his .665” turkey choke
to arrive for testing. If it works, he’ll use it for those loooong
shoot-off targets… if he ever gets into a shoot off. If not, he’s
going call his broker and sell short in the stocks of the choke
makers.




**** THE UPCOMING TRAVELERS FITASC SHOOT ****

FRIDAY MAY 31, SATURDAY JUNE1, SUNDAY JUNE 2
TRAVELERS FITASC CHAMPIONSHIP
PEACE DALE SHOOTING PRESERVE
PEACE DALE, RI

FITASC is the caviar of sporting clays and no one dishes out bigger
or better portions of it than Richie Frisella at Peace Dale Shooting
Preserve in Rhode Island.

Peace Dale is hosting the Connecticut Travelers Club FITASC
Championship. It’s a 75 bird event. Obviously, space is extremely
limited. It always is with FITASC. You can shoot at any ONE of the
following four times:

Friday May 31st, 1:30 PM- 18 guns Saturday, June 1st 9:30 AM- 18 guns
Saturday, June 1st 1:30 PM-18 guns Sunday, June 2nd 9:30 AM-18 guns

Cost: $70 (Juniors are $35) includes coffee, donuts, luncheon and
awards. Reservation and prepayment is required and must be received
by Tuesday, May 28. Slots not filled by that time will be
available to non-competition shooters. You can reserve and pay by
credit card by calling 401-789-3730 or cut a check to “Peace Dale
Shooting Preserve” and send it to:

CTSCA FITASC c/o Peace Dale Shooting Preserve 441 Rose Hill Road
Peace Dale, RI 02879

When you reserve, please indicate 1st and 2nd time preference.
Squadding with your buddies is OK if you all reserve together.

If you write in, please include your mailing address, telephone
number and email address. Peace Dale will get back to you to confirm
your time and date.

Guests are welcome, but only if there are openings after all
Travelers members have been accommodated. Call on Wednesday, May 29
to inquire for guests.

Open shooting will be available all three days so you will have
plenty to do both before and after your FITASC. Club prices for
Sporting will be $15/50 and a practice FITASC parcours for $8.00.

DIRECTIONS: I-95 to Rhode Island Exit 3A (Rte 138 East). Take 138
East towards Kingston for 11.7 miles. Turn Right onto Rose Hill Road.
Go 3/4 mile on Rose Hill to Peace Dale Shooting Preserve entrance on
Left. Club telephone is 401-789-3730 if you stray.

EYE AND EAR PROTECTION ARE MANDATORY AT TRAVELERS’ SHOOTS!



*** 2002 CONNECTICUT TRAVELERS SHOOT SCHEDULE ***

MAY 5 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-COURTING CLAYS
MAY 19 TAMARACK PRESERVE, NY-MAY MINUET
MY 31~JU2 PEACE DALE PRESERVE, RI-TRAVELERS FITASC CHAMPIONSHIPS
JUN 23 TAMARACK, NY-NAT’L WILD TURKEY FED CONCURRENT SHOOT
JUL 21 SANDANONA/ORVIS, NY-SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME
AUG 9~11 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI-GREAT EASTERN LOBSTER CLASSIC
SEP 15 FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G, CT-SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OCT 5~7* SITE PENDING-FALL TRIP
OCT 20 MILLBROOK ROD & GUN, NY- OKTOBERSCHUTZENFEST
NOV 17 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
DEC 1 EAST MOUNTAIN, NY-KOEHLER SOC. FUNDRAISER THREE SHOT
DEC 15 MID-COUNTY, NY-DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

*** OTHER SHOOTS OF INTEREST ***
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, CALL AHEAD TO CONFIRM

MAY 4,5 ADDIEVILLE EAST, RI (401-568-3185) RUGER ALL-AROUND
JUN 1 FAIRFIELD COUNTY F&G (203-531-4548) WOMEN’S DAY
JUN 2 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-455-9516) FUN SHOOT
JUN 5 PAWLING MTN, NY (203-452-1639) D.U. NEW ENGLAND SC CH
JUN 9 NEWGATE COON CLUB, CT (860-542-5028) THREE SHOT FUN SHOOT
JUN 15 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-429-6566) D.U. SPORTING FUN SHOOT
JUN 29 RICHFIELD SPRINGS SPORTSMEN, NY (315-853-7250) D.U. SHOOT
JUL 14 FIN, FUR, FEATHER, CT (860-455-9516) FUN SHOOT
JUL 28 WALLINGFORD R&G, CT (203-265-1012) 50 BIRD FUN SHOOT


HELP WANTED - Range Officer.

For Private trapshooting range in Newport, RI. To supervise 5-station
range on weekend mornings during the Summer and early Fall.
Experience with equipment helpful, commitment to safety a must. Call
Jim at 401.847.5237 for details.

For Sale: ACORN TRAPS, ten in stock, new, 270 target carousels, 12
volt. $1500 each. Call Richie Frisella, Jr at 401-789-3730.

*NOTE: There is no fee for placing an ad. Ads are run solely as a
service to our members. It is the responsibility of the buyer and
seller to see that all relevant laws are obeyed. Advertised items
must be related to sporting clays.

CONTACTING THE TRAVELERS...

CTSCA Home Office: Email <CTSCA@email.com> (by far the best way) or
telephone 860-354-9351 if you absolutely must.

Membership, Address Changes and Shooting Class status: Contact Cyndi
Dalena at 860-582-3142 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Leave message.
Or Email shotguncyndi@prodigy.net

To place an ad, post a shoot date in Reload! or simply heap abuse on
the editor, contact Bruce Buck at tel: 203-454-1080 (worst way), fax
to 707-215-0668 (adequate way) or email <bcb23@columbia.edu>
(marvelous way, you clever Traveler you!).


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

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2002
MAY MINUET
TAMARACK PRESERVE
MILLBROOK, NY

Ta dah! We have May’d it through the winter. It is time for our
annual May Minuet. This signals the beginning of the Good Times, so
let ‘em roll. Rollez les bonnes temps to you Cajuns out there.
There is gunning along with the gavottes, grins and garlands as we
turn that May pole into a smoke pole. Sweet spring air will be
redolent with the attar of progressive burning flake powders. The
happy chirps of fledgling robins will mingle with the majestic thumps
of the first really serious clay target shooting of the year. Be
there or be square.

In June our shoot is also at Tamarack, honoring the National Wild
Turkey Federation. In addition to the usual awards, there will be
prizes for the best combined scores at these two Tamarack shoots.
Make sure to shoot both. Minuet and turkey together? It's the Turkey
Trot!

The cost of your dance card will be $65. This will not only include
Bob Vanacek’s fiendishly delightful targets guaranteed to get you
spinning about with or without music. It also includes the usual
upper-middle class eats that Tamarack is so justly famous for. The
band cranks up at 9:00 AM. Be on the dance floor by 9:30. MEMBERS
ONLY PLEASE. NO GUESTS AT THIS SHOOT.

Directions to Tamarack Preserve, Millbrook, NY:

From the junction of US 84/US 684/NY 22 take NY 22 North to the
traffic light in Amenia. Go West on NY 44 for 2.9 miles to Turkey
Hollow Road on Left. Look for Tamarack sign.

From the Taconic Parkway, take the NY 44 exit. Go East on NY 44 for
1.7 miles. go Left onto NY 44-A heading East for 3.2 miles and then
back onto NY 44 East. Continue on NY 44 East for 6.7 miles to Turkey
Hollow Road on Right. Look for Tamarack sign.

If lost, strayed or stolen, the Tamarack Preserve number is
914-373-7084.

EYE AND EAR PROTECTION ARE MANDATORY AT TRAVELERS’ SHOOTS!

(Internet reades: the Connecticut Travelers are a private
organization and their shoots are not open to the public. If you wish
to attend an event, please contact a member.)