Reload!

OCTOBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

© Phil Steinkraus, Editor

Mugged Again in Millbrook

By Lans Christensen

The first clue about the shoot’s success was easily read when we
headed back to the club after the last station was shot: Everyone we
met just shrugged, shook their head and stumbled along in an advanced
state of bewilderment. It looked like a well-armed, bobble-head
convention. Once again, Millbrook Rod and Gun had fought the good
fight and left the Travelers badly bent if not entirely broken. Only
fifty-two shooters attended, so my first question begs: Where were all
of you? Only a few attended the Nationals in Texas, and probably one
or two opted for Novocain-free oral surgery, but the rest of you must
have known something was up.

Actually, things haven’t changed much over the last few years: This
remains a “woods” course and this event marked prime-time for all that
autumn splendor stuff. Though we were a month earlier than usual, and
not in the height of colorful target disguise, it was still the
sun/shadow, disco-ball lighting scene: By now we should all know what
to expect! This is particularly true because the course was pretty
much unchanged from last year.

The pond one usually encounters upon entering the woodsy section has
thankfully dried up, sparing us an early station frustration. But many
of the “signature” presentations were still in place. The hyper,
simo-rabbits at four are still followed by the driven overheads at
five. The pair of battues at seven became mirrors just as they turned
and only reappeared as swift droppers. In contrast, a following pair
of gravity rabbits at number nine tormented with their leisurely pace.
The monster teal at fifteen just seems to get higher and farther every
year. And so it went: We’ve all shot harder courses with better
results, so it boils down to an unusual course at a specific time of
year, producing unique conditions and results.

“It is what it is--you get what you get.” How’s that for a couple of
moronic platitudes to justify your unworthy score.

Departing from our normal results format, I remember the good old days
of the hand-printed bulletin showing all the shooters results, and
everyone could find in it some little victory of their own. Congrats
to Russ Tagliareni who wrestled the only 80+ score out of the miserly
Millbrook course. Better yet, congrats to all of us for turning up
lets all try to put those scores into some kind of grand
perspective—it’s only a game, remember?


HOA R. Tagliareni 81
Class 1 D. Moore 75
B. Galotto 74
Jim Kline 73
M. Canale 71
K. Goodspeed 68
J. Lachick 68
V. LaScalza 67
Ted Burke 66
P. Steinkraus 65
R. Leonardi 64
Al Anglace 63
M. Steiner 58
B. Flanagan 57
Class 2 K. Kruleski 61
P. Klein 53
E. Schine 52
Class 3 J. Lenhart 66
B. Litherland 64
E. Davies 58
C. Szabo 55
J. Henion 54
M. Szabo 53
D. Hutchinson 53
Class 4 K. Willinger 54
G. Bonaquisto 51
L. Christensen 49
J. Hachmann 47
B. Burgess 46
J. Sproviero 40
M. Yoder 39
Class 5 D. Galotto 37
C. Rosslein 32
V. Repaci 32
Class 6 G. Masek 61
G. Shawah 45
D. Willinger 28
R. Stimpson 22
Ladies S. Steinkraus 58
D. Christensen 25
D. Stimpson 24
Vet Ed Moritt 74
Joe Maresca 70
Sr Vet M. Schroeder 65
F. Rosslein 44
Junior M. Hachmann 53
K. Hachmann 37


EDITOR HAS POTTY-MOUTH

As some of you may have noticed, I can be fairly salty in my writing,
particularly in my use of vocabulary. While I’m very conscious of
gratuitous profanity in all of the arts, as a writer I believe that
cuss words serve an important purpose. It is not my objective to write
obscene articles for this newsletter, but if the vocabulary is the
writer’s quiver of arrows, an occasional cuss word is shot
specifically because it makes such an accurate, measured impact.
Cursing serves to “goose” the reader into paying attention to exactly
what’s being said. While I don’t ever foresee crossing the line to
using unabashed swear words in this forum, I do feel that as our
target audience is overwhelmingly adult and cursing is commonplace in
the regular press, an occasional crude word in Reload is
appropriate—especially if it’s funny!

I’ll also warn you that as I regard mankind a prisoner of his hopes,
dreams, lusts, bad-breath and bowel movements, there isn’t much
subject matter, which if relevant to our readership, I will shy away
from as editor. For this reason I hereby declare this publication now
carries a PG-13 rating, meaning it may be inappropriate reading for
impressionable young minds and adults of particularly genteel
sensibilities and moral constitutions.

TLC GOES ABROAD

By Henry Nachaj

You may have noticed I was missing in action for the last RELOAD. The
Travelers may have their spring and fall trips but I prefer my own big
summer trip to shoot competitions in Europe! While the Traveler’s
breakfast tradition of oily, high-test coffee and 20W50 donuts may
assist to center the gravity solidly around one’s belt, helping to
stabilize the shooter, it is not conducive to longevity. While the
French consume massive amounts of ink-black coffee, heart-clogging
butter, cheese and lighter-than-air croissants, they have one of the
lowest cholesterol levels and incidents of heart attacks. They say
it’s the red wine, but whatever the reason, when it comes to eating,
drinking, smoking and all the other high-risk activities that make
life worth living, it seems every frog gets a free pass just for doing
it on French soil! My wife Alda and I take in all this high living on
our travels to Europe and yet miraculously, we each return weighing a
few pounds less!

We arrived at the West London Shooting School only to discover we had
to shoot their fiber-wad, environment-friendly ammo, as well as hire a
guide/puller/instructor in order to shoot. Prince Charles is a regular
here and we were treated as nothing less than Canuck royalty!

We were intimidated at our first station by pairs of incoming targets;
their speed and ground-hugging abilities reminded me of cruise
missiles! Then they ratcheted it up a notch giving us a pair of
quartering, driven, downhill targets. Both targets flew headlong down
the slope, splitting and crossing in front of the box at about 30
yards. This station used terrain to great advantage and it took me a
full box of shells to figure it out. We were also introduced to the
joys of a 125-foot tower that threw even more driven birds. They had a
teal that soared to a measured 86-yard-apex--Thank God, I’ve never
been intimidated by distance! On a bet, I screwed in an I-mod and
nailed that teal every time winning myself a free brace of
single-malts!

The next station was a sink box with a splitting left and right driven
target. I’d hit one and then the other, but never both in the same
pair! A little tutoring by our guide/puller/porter allowed me to
finally kill both on a pair (I guess this North American has an
incomplete shooting education!) The good news is this sporting course
is a learning school not to be missed by any serious shooter. This
16-station West London course ate 400-rounds from this Quebecois, but
more importantly, thanks to the insightful instruction of our
guide/puller/porter/coach, I didn’t make a fool of myself at the World
FITASC Championship when I encountered similar targets. Regular
rounds at the shooting school will run you around $95US.

The World FITASC Championship, held at Southern Counties, was an
awe-inspiring experience. The practice parcours, set by our beloved
Cyber-Guru Cyril Jeffries, were exceptional. While perhaps not as
tough as his sets for the British GP, they were testy enough. He even
masterfully incorporated two errant cell-phone towers into his
layouts.

Most of the championship parcours were well done except for the three
layouts staged down in the valley that were very similar in theme. All
had quartering birds flying up or across the hills. They also
incorporated the toughest target on the parcour for pairs. Many shot
single digits on Eley, Hull and SIS. Krieghoff had great presentations
down in the same valley that had been used the previous year for the
British GP and long targets were a big factor there. Laporte sat
adjacent to Krieghoff and was also used last year. It was my favorite
parcour because it threw crossers and incomers below and above your
feet, all within the clear view of the small village and the rolling
hills of Dorset.

According to my sources on FITASC’s technical committee, several of
the championship parcours came up short. The absence of any
true-driven birds and tower shots were reportedly due to what was
regarded as excessive liability and risk to the shooter. Meanwhile,
both were readily presented in the shoot offs! Another perceived
slight was only flags of official senior teams were flown and not of
all those countries participating. The closing ceremonies were a case
of the Keystone Cops at work. In addition to all the delays, confusion
and misnaming – hey gave the wrong trophies away to the various
winners—I felt it was an award ceremony unworthy of a world
championship. My fellow Americans, let’s be sure to get this right in
Minnesota!

Entering England with a shotgun is a simple procedure. First off,
contact CPSA at www.cpsa.co.uk for a non-resident permit. Don’t forget
to take the “Clubman” option, as it will cover your liability
insurance. Driving on the wrong side of the road is no problem,
provided you’re doing it with a clear head. Just remember:
Round-abouts go counter clockwise! Free houses are cheaper than pubs
because the breweries don’t own them. What we pay in US Dollars seemed
to translate directly--even-Steven--into British Pounds. IE: a
hamburger and French fries costs $15 US or 6British Pounds. Wine
prices in restaurants are actually cheaper than in the US because they
include all taxes and service. The least expensive beverage is beer!
While most Americans don’t enjoy the full-flavor yeasty pudding that
is English and Irish beer, it’s nutritious and cheaper than American
plunk!

For 2006, I will shoot the European FITASC Championship in Italy and
the World FITASC Championship at Minnesota Horse and Hunt. But, as
soon as the British GP hits the schedule you can bet that I will book
that one regardless of the exchange rate!

The Lone Canadian

Club Historian

By John M. Hachmann

I’m back--Hope you missed me.

It was reported in last month’s newsletter that I was unable to submit
a column for the September issue of “Reload” due to the fact that I
was indisposed, enjoying some kind of fancy vacation. Unfortunately
that was somewhat stretching the truth. The truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth is I forgot my responsibilities as Club
Historian and neglected to write anything for the September issue. To
those faithful fans who anxiously await the arrival of the mailman so
you can read my column, I can only offer my sincerest apologies. For
those who never read it anyway--fear not. I read what Phil wrote and
you didn’t miss anything!

The Travelers Small-Gauge Championship is just around the corner.
Although I’m not really sure why, I’ve been looking forward to this
shoot for months. This October 16th Small Gauge Championship will be
only my second attempt at Sporties with a 20-gauge and it will be my
first at Fairfield Fish and Game. What the heck, they all say it’s
fun!

As I look back to 1998 I see attendances of between 110 and 150
shooters--nice turnouts indeed! Weather conditions have varied
substantially over the past years ranging from hot and humid to
surprisingly cool temperatures, from rain to clear-blue skies. At one
point or another, you name it--we had it! Just remember: October is
typically one of our nicest months so come on out and join your fellow
Travelers for this super event.

Let’s look at some past winners:

1996, Indian Mountain, HOA…Neil Chadwick with a score of 82
1997, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Lavert Cypher shooting a 20 Ga. with a score of 84
1998, Fairfield F&G, HOA…John Lawler shooting a .410 Ga. with a score of 86
1999, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Lavert Cypher shooting a 28 Ga. with a score of 102
2000, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Alex Kale with a score of 97
2001, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Jeremy Willinger shooting a 28 Ga. with a score of 90
2002, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Lou Cabassa shooting a 28 Ga. with a score of 98
2003, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Jean DuLau shooting a 28 Ga. with a score of 99
2004, Fairfield F&G, HOA…Jim Muller shooting a .410 Ga. with a score of 98

So there it is, 9 years of Small-Gauge Champions. Those scores are
truly amazing. (Especially the 102. I hope someone will someday
explain that one to me).

Here’s a quickie for those of us who do not usually place HOA or even
runner-up. Average score for 2nd Place, for the years of 2003, 2002,
2001 & 2000, in Class 1 was 91, Class 2 was 88, Class 3 was 83, Class
4 was 81 and Class 5 was 74. Once again these are 2nd Place averages!

Best of luck to everyone who will be shooting sub-gauges on the 16th.

First Impression

By Peter Hamilton

Most people play a game. Whether it resides in the selective memories
of your youth, inhabits your plans for the future, or is your current
favorite pastime, most of us have a recreational activity that we feel
suits us in some kind of familiar way. It can be meaningful or
completely pointless and talent doesn’t necessarily have to enter the
picture. Many years ago, I realized that shooting at flying targets
was my game.

My typical shooting day goes as follows: Running through the house in
search of boots, glasses and what else? “Daddy, where are you
going?” My five-year-old daughter Isabella asks, with a scornful
expression and arms sternly folded! “Uh, shooting honey.” Her
demeaner cracks. “Why can’t I go shooting?” You will someday (I hope).

There is a delicate balancing-act that constitutes a happy household:
Yes, the family needs their time but I haven’t shot in two weeks, and
can’t for the life of me remember the trick to taking a long, fast
outgoing, left-to-right crosser--most recently explained to me to
miraculous effect by one of the good folks up at Orvis Sandanona!

After three years of a clays-starved existence in Southern California,
we finally moved back East. Every hunting season I reminded myself it
was time to work on my shooting. Problem was, I’d never lived in
Fairfield County before, and had no idea where I could go to practice.
I’d shot skeet and trap (my Dad’s game) sporadically since I was
young, but had always pictured mastering those sports as an
excruciating mechanical exercise of maintaining strings of perfect and
near perfect runs, the psychological equivalent of batting 300 when
only 1000 is acceptable.

Because it provides more variety and requires less perfection,
Sporting clays seemed the perfect answer for me. As someone starting
out, I assured myself that being just an OK shooter would be OK for
quite some time. Time, on the other hand, remains an element in short
supply. With a wife and two young ones at home, I would have to force
my way out that front door and onto the sporting course, or it would
never happen… The months rolled by.

Finally, after missing my annual duck hunt in New Orleans because of a
snow-in at LaGuardia, I arrived red-faced and freezing at
Orvis-Sandanona to try their course. Fran Gallogly was on my squad
and I couldn’t have been luckier. Supplied with her years of
experience and wealth of knowledge, her advice allowed me to improve
marginally. She got me breaking targets and by the last station, I was
hooked! Fran’s enthusiasm was intoxicating and my newfound friend
made me feel I was home. This would be my game!

I say shooting is much more rewarding than golf. For one thing, it
takes less time. For another, you associate with a better crowd of
people--to my taste, anyway. We also enjoy the superior view spending
most of our time out in God’s country where there’s real upland
scenery to take in, and a few interesting gun stores usually nearby!

I’ve recently witnessed sporting’s dark side, but have chosen to
ignore it--I’m still having flashbacks of several odious presentations
at the Gator Shoot, compliments of Jean Du Lau! After shooting my
first FITASC with two good friends, one of them advised, “you’re
showing some improvement. I would say, with some lessons, by next
spring you’ll be ready to ruin your life on this stuff, too!”

It’ll probably be another ten years before I have enough time to
devote to this game to actually get good. Dropping a few bad habits is
my best hope for the future, but it doesn’t really matter. It may be a
very old saying: but “A bad day of shooting is still better than a
good day at doing almost anything else.”

THE 2005 VINTAGE CUP—MARK’S BIG MOMENT

By Phil Steinkraus

There is an often-repeated phrase from my childhood back in Fairfield
County that goes like this: “It isn’t important whether you win or
loose, just as long as you beat your best friend.” If you said it with
just the right prep-school sneer, people would believe you were only
half kidding.

The ninth annual Vintage Cup and World Side-By-Side Championships were
held at Orvis Sandanona in Millbrook, NY September 22nd-25th. Shooting
Sportsman magazine – the best publication of it’s kind in America,
Barbour, Inc. – manufacturers of the toughest clothing on the globe
and Krieghoff International – makers of the K-80, the gold standard
for competition guns world-wide, were just a few of the important
sponsors lending support to this prestigious event. There were nine or
ten tents set up selling thousands of fine guns, clothes and shooting
accoutrements. I could go on about what a great event this was, and
how Ray Poudrier has single handedly created an entirely new market
for clayshooting.

I could gush over this Damascus-barreled hammer-gun or that rare book
I saw but couldn’t afford. I could even give detailed descriptions of
guns exhibited and judged in the Concours d’Elegance, but I figure any
old-gun junkies interested in all that were probably at the event
anyway. Besides, if I wrote about that, I wouldn’t be able to recount
to you one of the most remarkable and poignant stories I’ve ever
witnessed in my 13 years of shooting. Most shooters have egos. We
believe on the right day and the right course, we could beat the best.
It’s a guilty pleasure – our dirty little secret – that we all believe
we’re better than we actually are. We never think we shot up to our
full potential—if we had, after all, we’d have won! What you hardly
ever hear of though is the truly magical moment when a shooter,
perhaps not even a great one, gets on a championship course that
really suits his game that allows him to transcend himself—and
proceeds to eat the competition alive!

Traveler Mark Marache is one of my best friends. I used to tease him
just a few short years ago that he was a country club shooter – that’s
where he first cut his teeth on clays and it showed. He was too quick
for his own good. He’d snapshoot everything and swing-through was his
sole answer for every target. He sure loved to shoot though and after
a couple of registered events, he was hooked and traveling the circuit
whenever time permitted. Mark’s game developed and he worked his way
through the classes to where he stands today, a competitive A-class
shooter, on the cusp of going to AA. The Vintage Cup would be a last
hurrah of sorts for him as his wife is due with their first baby just
two weeks after you receive this issue.

We arrived late as usual for the afternoon flight, Mark with his new
32-inch Winchester Model 21, me with my abortion of a Beretta
side-by-side. We threw our cards in with the “The Side-By-Side King,”
Lavert Cypher and his buddy, Tim Rice. Lavert and Mark gave us a horse
race right from the start, running neck and neck, never getting beyond
a target or two of each other. Light conditions were overcast, not
ideal for my blue eyes, but it seemed perfect for these two.

We shot six, then eight, then ten stations, and as I occasionally
glanced at their cards – having long since given up on my own – I
could see the long strings of straights developing. Hell, I thought:
If these two don’t let the wheels fall off on the remaining half-dozen
stations, one of them may very well win the whole thing! Former World
FITASC Champion Mick Howells was on the squad directly behind us and
as we chatted casually, Mick started quizzing me on Mark and Lavert’s
scores. When you’ve got a World Champion sweating, you know you’re
really shooting well.

I will note here, however, that this course was very straightforward.
The Vintage Cup attracts every type of shooter, so the targets are
always set for the novice. There were very few technical challenges
and because of this, the trick became more a question of continually
running straights whereas less disciplined shooters might drop one or
two. This was also a perfect culmination for Mark applying
hard-learned lessons from competition to this particular challenge.
He’d had been burned so many times for being quick that he very
deliberately took his time here. He also didn’t over-think the targets
or brood on the score – he was on a roll and just went with it.

Superstition says you never talk to a pitcher who’s working a
no-hitter, so when Tim Rice told Mark he might win, I told him to shut
the hell up!

We got to our last station, fifteen—a true pair of left-to-right,
quartering outgoers. You took your first shot at probably 35 yards and
your second at 40. This pair was a simple, bang-bang-timing,
shoot-em-when-they’re-flat proposition. The problem was Mark knew
exactly where he stood and what he needed to do.

Few people will ever know the stress of being in contention for a
major championship. Sure the targets were easy to kill – but they were
also just as easy to miss. I dispatched Tim and Lavert to halt any ATV
and cart traffic while Mark was in the box—I’d be damned if a
distraction this late in the game would take him out. One dead pair
“That’s you.” two dead pairs “Smoke.” Dead-lost “Get it back.”
Dead-lost “Put ‘em together.” Dead pair “Great shooting!”

I totaled the card and double-checked it. Down twelve: 118 out of 130
targets. I didn’t know if it would win, but Lavert is the best
side-by-side shooter I’ve ever seen and it bettered his score by one.
We turned in our cards just as Chuck Devinne was doing the same. Chuck
is a nationally competitive shooter, a veterinarian and consultant to
this publication. Chuck finished on 122. Then I bumped into Mick again
who’d come off with a 121. Mark Marache had finished third overall in
the Vintage Cup—one of the most prestigious championships in the
country!

If you watch golf on TV, occasionally you’ll see the dark horse win.
They have a complete game and play a course that jibes well with it.
They get on a roll and just play it out, one hole at a time. Maybe
they win the British Open, or the Masters, and maybe that’s the start
of a string of big victories, or maybe you never hear from them again.
That’s all unimportant, though. They won—they were champions once. If
I were Mark Marache, I believe I’d have “2005 Vintage Cup World
Side-By-Side Championship Third Place” tattooed in Technicolor on my
left butt-cheek, and any time I lost a shoot-off or got razzed for a
bad score, I’d drop my trousers and show my rivals I once was a
champion!

It was the great Chuck Devinne who took the Championship trophy home
with his HOA score of 122. Chuck is now almost exclusively a
side-by-side specialist, so there is no doubt we’ll be seeing his name
engraved on that prize many more times in years to come. Our old
friend, Mick Howells – the 1997 World FITASC Champion – finished
second, Mark came third. Lavert “King of the Side-By-Side” Cypher was
fourth with a score of 117.

5th Mal Macgregar 114
6th Lou Jacobs 113
7th Will Hill 109
8th Robert Moran 109
Lady 1st Susie Clark 101
Vets 1st Frank Srebro 115
Junior 1st Conor Curtain 104

IT’S TIME TO RENEW YOUR CTSCA MEMBERSHIP. IF PAYMENT ISN’T RECEIVED BY
YEAR’S END, YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE MEMBERSHIP ROLLS AND
WAITLISTED IF YOU REAPPLY!

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.


*** 2005 CTSCA SHOOTING CALENDAR ***

OCT. 16 SMALL GAUGE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS – Fairfield County Fish &
Game Club, Newtown, CT.
NOV. 13 Venue to be announced in September Reload.
NOV. 27 Harold Koehler Society Fundraiser – Venue to be announced in September
Reload.
DEC. 18 DICK LOSEE MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS PARTY SHOOT – Mid County
Rod and Gun Club, LaGrangeville, NY.


OTHER 2005 SHOOTS OF INTEREST
-Always call ahead to confirm –

OCT. 8 Three Shot Tournament – Addieville East Farm, Mapleville, RI –
401 568-3185.
OCT. 9 WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS COUPLES SHOOT – Addieville East
Farm, Mapleville, RI – 401 568-3185.
OCT. 23 The Fall Blast S/C Charity Fun Shoot. Miele Field, Britten Road, Green
Village (Chatham Township), NJ. Info.: Steve Roman 973 808-1580 –
kobrom@rcn.com.
NOV. 6 “BUSHWACKER BOB’S” THREE SHOT SHOOT OUT – 180 Sporting Clays - Old Newgate Coon Club, Norfolk, CT. coonclubclays@earthlink.net.



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

2005 CONNNECTICUT TRAVELERS
SMALL GAUGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fairfield County Fish & Game Protective Assoc.
Hammertown Road, Monroe, CT.
Sunday, October 16, 2005

Did you know that The Travelers, who held the first Small Gauge
Sporting Clays Championships, is celebrating our 9th Anniversary of
this innovative event. Congratulations to all who have made it one of
our most successful fun shoots of the year. And, our good friends at
Fairfield County, where this all started, have been at our side to
accomplish this tenure with all of the cooperation and great luncheons
anyone can ask for. For that we express a sincere “thank you” to all
of the fine members that make it possible.

It is an opportunity for all Travelers to enjoy not only the fastest
growing segment of our great Sporting Clays game, but to engage your
talents within the magnificent colors that mother nature provides for
us at this time of year. We must mention, you will enjoy the
entertaining target presentations set especially for the small bores.
Giggles and frowns will abound but at the end of the day you will wear
a grand smile for being a part of this special event. The fabulous
luncheon that the Fairfield club members present will assure a grand
smile even if your shooting may have been sub par.

If you don’t have a small bore gun, our members are always welcome to
shoot the twelve gauges for targets only, don’t stay home and miss
this event because you don’t have a small bore. If noted on the
reservation form, we will squad you with a member that will share a
gun, or we will try to furnish you with a small bore. If you have not
given yourself an opportunity to find out just how much fun the little
guns are, tuck your ego away and be a part of this real fun day.