November 8, 2009 Clays Match Report

16 Guns Entered        8 Open Guns             8 Limited Guns

 

Class Winners:

 

In the Open Class  1) Chuck Treat with a score of 46

                              2) Ken Bagley Sr.  with a score of 44

   and a tie for 3rd  3) Darren Foreman with a score of 43

                              3) Hal Hansen with a score of 43

 

In the limited Class  1) Loren DeShon with a score of 42

                                 2) Jim Skedd with a score of 38

                                 3) Brigetta Anable with a score of 29

 

     It's November in the Pacific Northwest, and the weather well reflects it.  The day was cold, rainy, dark (though not as dark as the black objective micros ) and a very cool 50degrees.  It felt colder than that.  No doubt our heaters warmed the range building sufficiently to make the thermometer read warmer than it was. 

     Many thanks today to all the shooters who pitched in to keep the target screens fresh.  Even with 16 guns entered and shooting, the match moved right along.  Thanks to Match Director Chuck Nicodemus who did double duty today as he also ran the scoresheet and the microphone in Doug's absence.  Thanks to our Arrays Impressario, Chuck Treat as he presented target array series "F" today, and what a challenge it was.  On a dark November day like today, all the clay targets showed up well, except for the black micros in the middle of the arrays.  They just virtually disappeared.  Some time back mention was made of Chuck Nicodemus' (and now Chuck Treat's) apparent interest in Astronomy;  specifically the study of Black Holes throughout our Solar System.  In this case, all the really black holes were on our target screens, right in the middle.  When mention was made of the difficulty in seeing the black micros in the middle, and the need for colored middle objective clays, green for instance, the response was concern that everyone would be shooting perfect scores of 50 all the time.

Personally, I doubt it!!

     In round 1 we saw 3 Large Green Standards in line, topped with an orange micro between standard Green Clay 1 & 2.  All the shooter had to do was vary his speed and care of aim between 2 vastly different sized clays, in a real hurry, and then do it again prior to crossing the event horizon and entering the black hole in search of the black micro in the middle.

     Round 2 saw 2 standard green clays flanking 2 stacked orange micros.  Having figured out some sort of order in which to engage that foursome, the shooter, if successful, then crossed the event horizon, and again entered the black hole in search of the black micro in the middle.

     Round 3 saw the last of the Green Standards, the only standard clay remaining was as black as the center micro, just a Lot bigger.  Having engaged and, hopefully, broken the black standard, one finds 3 orange micros in a triangle, the lead micro pointing to the event horizon.  Once having crossed the event horizon the black micro in the middle lay hidden, waiting.

     Round 4.  No more standard sized clay targets of any color.  From here on in its all micros.  In round 4 we see the Orange Arc.  4 orange micros shaped like a rainbow.  The pot of GOLD for this rainbow however lay across the event horizon in the form of a tiny black 

micro clay, virtually invisible to a clays shooter in a hurry. 

     Round 5.  A straight line of 4 Orange micros on either side of the black micro in the middle.  Both sides of the target array had it's own event horizon, and both sides led to the Black Hole hiding the Black micro in the middle.

 

     At the end of regulation play we have 2 class winners.  In the Open Class, with a score of 46 is our Arrays Impressario, Chuck Treat.  I guess no one except this reporter gets to complain about the targets when our Arrays Impressario sets the example and leads from the front of the pack.  Good shooting Chuck.

     In the Limited Class, with a score of 42, is Loren DeShon.  Loren is, while an experienced shooter, a relative newcomer to the Clays Matches.  Loren is not, however, inexperience in winning the Limited Class in our clays matches, having done so quite regularly lately.  As you may know, Loren DeShon is an airline Pilot, holding the rank of Captain, and from the left seat shepherds one of the great silver birds for Alaska Airlines.

We were honored with Loren's attendance today, probably since it was raining and we all know Alaska Airlines doesn't like to get it's birds wet.  Well done Loren, and we'll look up from time to time and see you enjoying the Friendly Skies.

     OK folks.  that's it for this week. We'll see you right here next Sunday at 4PM and maybe the sun will be out and we can all even see the black micro targets.  Maybe!

Hal