Tactical Shotgun shoot Sunday

Many people have shotguns in their home (under the bed?) for personal protection. Yet how comfortable are you if you needed to use it within the confines of your home?

This Sunday, February 28, the Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club continues its tactical shotgun shoot that is held regularly every other Sunday. Sign-up begins at noon at the far end of the range just past the rifle/pistol complex, and the shooting starts at 12:30 p.m.

Cost is just $2 per gun, and non-members are also welcome.

Shooters may shoot one or two guns per round, with four rounds of six shells each. Regular bird shot only – 7, 71/2 or 8 shot size. You'll be shooting at a combination of ground poppers, metal plates and stationary clay birds.

This is an non-timed and non-scoring shoot. Different scenarios are presented for you to become familiar with shooting your tactical shotgun while becoming more proficient. But mostly it's fun!

While many of our shooters have 18-20" tactical shotguns, any shotgun is welcome, plus extra shotguns are available to borrow.

If you haven't tried our tactical shotgun shoot, come out this Sunday or any or the scheduled Sundays as indicated on your club calendar.

-Mike Blondin & Matthew Seagraves
tactical shotgun co-chairs

February 21, 2010 Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club Clays Match Report

 

16 Guns Entered

 

8 in Open Class    Class won by Jay Schoonmaker  Score 49

     3 way tie for 2nd Open, all with scores of 46

           Darren Foreman

           Chuck Treat

           Mathew Reid

     2 way tie for 3rd Open - both with scores of 43

             David Lee

             Hal Hansen

 

8 in Limited Class, Class won by Loren DeShon with a score of 45

       2nd Limited - Mike (sorry didn't get your last name) - 30

       3rd Limited - Grant - (sorry didn't get your last name) - 28

 

Many thanks to our Clays Match Staff:

 

     Chuck Nicodemus, our Match Director

 

     Doug McLean, our announcer, scorekeeper, & DJ

 

      Chuck Treat, our Arrays Impressario, for bringing us Target Array Series "J" today, a target array series "with a Twist".

 

     Welcome back Clays Match Competitors, to a bright sunny Sunday afternoon.  We're looking at target array series "J" today, and our Array Impressario, Chuck Treat, has promised to throw in a "twist" today, to liven up the action, and ramp up the challenge.  So let's see what tricks Chuck has up his sleeve today.  At first glance, we seem to be looking at a series of parrellograms in all the rounds.  We have a combination of Green & Black Standards, Orange Midis, & orange micros in target array series "J",

 

Round 1

     We see 2 Green Standards on the top row, and 2 orange micros on the second row, offset to from 2 parrellograms bracketing the omnipresent black micro in the middle.

 

Round 2

     We see on the top row, first a Green standard, and a black standard, and on the second row, offset and forming the geometric design, 2 orange micros.  Hit all those, then proceed to engage the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 3

     On the top row we see an orange micro, and a black standard.  On the second row we see 2 orange midis.  Engage and hit those and then engage and break the black micro in the middle.  It was in Round 3 where we see the "twist"  One of the orange minis was replaced by a black mini, with a red center.  It was still light enough outside that the entire black mini could be seen, but  the red center became the functonal visible target, said target being about an inch wide.  When one is in a hurry, a one inch wide target, red or not, isn't very big.  To hit a target that size requires knowing your sight picture, excellent trigger control, a good solid grip on the handgun, and being able to have the confidence to throw caution to the wind, have faith in your abilities, and just "go for it".  Funny, those are the fundamentals of technique taught to shooters by the pros.  Chuck, well done.  This lets shooters know just how good they are.  Well done.  Now, having outdone yourself, we'll all be waiting for another "twist".  And I already know, it's coming next week.  Stay tuned.  

 

Round 4

     Say goodbye to the standard sized clays. No Mo.. for this match.  Now it's an orange

micro and an orange midi on the top row, and an orange micro and midi on the second row.  Break all those and then it's on to the black micro in the middle.  Don't forget, one of the orange minis, is now a black mini with a bright red center.  All the better to mock you, diligent clays shooter.

 

Round 5

     It's all orange micros in this round.  2 orange micro parrellograms bracketing the

black micro in the middle.  And hanging on the outside top corner is the black micro with the red center.  Kinda stands out, doesn't it?

 

     Match Results :  Jay Schoonmaker continues his dominance of the Open Class with another win.  One of the features of a good quality handgun competition is seeing exactly what "Good" really looks like.  Jay has exhibited a mastery of all of the fundamentals necessary to truly excell at our Clays matches.  One inadvertant downside to his display of excellence is that now he is the DeFacto target of everyone who enters the match.  This is good, as striving to equal or exceed his abilities will make each and every shooter in the match better.  We're Coming Jay.  Don't let up.

     Loren DeShon contined his Dominance of the Limited Class again today, this time with a score of 45.  Loren, you can't hit a perfect 50 every time, especially when going head to head with shooters of the quality we have on Sunday afternoons at Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club.  You shot real well today, and between you & Jay, the goals of all the other shooters is very clear indeed.  Well done, both of you.

 

Final Match Notes

     Out of 16 guns entered in todays Clays Match, 7 shooters got scores of 40 or more.  It appears our Arrays Impressario, Chuck Treat, has come to the conclusion that there are entirely too many high scores on the board after each match lately.  Further, targets that are challenging for center fire Limited guns, are not challenging enough for .22LR Open Class guns.  Therefore, next week Chuck will introduce a match this reporter has named:

                                "THE GREAT EQUALIZER"

     Next week on each screen there will be two rows of clays.  On the top row we will see a straight line of orange minis, 4 in number, and on the bottom row we will see a straight row of Green & Black Standards.  In the middle will be the usual black micro in the middle.

And here is the catch.  For the orange minis, if a shooter is shooting an Open gun, those are your targets.  If you are shooting a Limited gun, the row of green and/or black standards awaits. 

     And Shooters, be further advised, sizes of targets will probably stay the same, subject to updates from our Arrays Impressario, Chuck Treat.  However, colors, formations of clays, and other "twists" are to be expected.  This reporter would expect to see a whole new arrays catalog published before long.  Shooters, I wouldn't expect to see the arrays we have been used to seeing for so long, remain around for long.  Chuck has turned a new, more equal, and more challenging page in the Gig Harbor Sportsmans Club Clays Matches.

Now, it's up to each and every clays shooter to come along and meet the challenges that will be new to all of us.  The one guarantee I will make is that, by virtue of the new challenges,

our shooting will take a step up as well.  So practice hard folks.  Make sure your fundamentals are sound.  Then, next Sunday at 4PM come out and see how much progress you have made.  In the meantime, always remember:

 

         "SPEED IS FINE, BUT ACCURACY IS FINAL" 

 

Hal

    

  

    

    

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 14, 2010 GHSC Clays Match

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY  glad to see everyone took their pet pistol, Fluffy, out for a walk.

 

10 Guns Entered

 

                3 Open Guns,  Class won by Jay Schoonmaker  with a score of 49. 

                        2nd Open, Chuck Treat with a score of 44

                        3rd Open, Robert Pollack with a score of 11

 

                 7 Limited Guns, Class won by Loren DeShon with a perfect score of 50.  

Somebody go and wake up Hotshot!!

                        2nd Limited, Steve Tinner with a score of 33

                        3rd Limited, Darren Foreman with a score of 23   

 

Weather & Temperature - Light overcast, not raining, and not even particularly cold.

At gametime the temperature in the Range Bldg was 52, plummeting to 51 by the end of the match.

 

Thanks to Match Staff

      Match Director - Chuck Nicodemus

 

      Scorekeeper & DJ - Doug Mclean

 

      Arrays Impressario - Chuck Treat, bringing us Target Array Series "I"

           Welcome back to Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club on this very pleasant Sunday afternoon, and it was warm enough today that we didn't even fire up the heaters.  The quality of the shooting kept us all warm today, and wow!! did we have some scores.  

     In the Open Class, with a score of 49, Jay Schoonmaker made it 5 in a row today.

Just one target away from a perfect 50, Jay.  Don't worry though, Hotshot got his exercise today, by virtue of 

     Loren DeShon's perfect score of 50, with a Limited pistol.  Loren had his Ruger Mk II .22cal pistol at the top of it's game today, and accomplished his goal of attaining a higher score than Jay Schoonmaker, shooting his Open Class pistol, albeit by only 1 target.  is that close, or what??

     So, loren DeShon go a victory lap on GHSCs mascot Unicorn, Hotshot immediately after the match.  The victory lap was a thing of beauty to rival Loren's shooting.  Loren gently mounted Hotshot just adjacent to the range building, then walked him out to the shotgun field, settling into the saddle and adjusting the stirrups to a perfect length.  As he turned in the direction of the clubhouse, he walked Hotshot a few feet until, with a toss of his head, Hotshot said he was ready to rock.  At that point Loren eased Hotshot into a trot, got in time with Hotshot's rythm, and then, with a touch of his heel, eased Hotshot into a posting trot, on the left diagonal in keeping with his counterclockwise path around the trap fields.  Hotshot actually took a couple of canter steps as he descended the drops from one field to another, and then once in front of the clubhouse eased into a canter, again on the left lead.  Once the turn had been made in front of the woods, loren eased Hotshot into a hand gallop, and as they sped along the edge of the woods, it was hard to tell who was having the most fun, Loren or Hotshot.  As they approached the uphills Loren leaned forward slightly, tightened his knees against the saddle, and Hotshot took the rises in one stride apiece. 

     Because the ground was wet and therefore slick, Loren reined Hotshot into a lope, made the turns at the end of the top trap field, then resumed a posting trot back to the range building.  As they got straightened out in the last few yards, Loren settled Hotshot back into a walk.Then they marched back to the range building with all the pomp and ceremony as though they were in a parade.  Nice ride Loren.  And nice ride Hotshot. 

     Once back at the range building, Loren dismounted, gave Hotshot an appreciative pat on the neck, then handed him off to the groom to take him back to the stable for a well-deserved evening meal.  "Be sure to give Hotshot an extra handful or two of oats, Groom".

     That's the action for this week, folks.  We'll see you right here next Sunday @ 4PM for another Clays Match.  Loren has attained his goal of beating Jay's Open gun with his limited Gun, both pistols being in .22LR caliber.  I would not expect Loren's shooting to ease off much, nor Jay's, but I believe it is time for the rest of us to take the competition to both Jay and Loren.  Using Gig Harbor Sportsman's Club's Clays Matches as practice for our Carry guns may have to go on the back burner for awhile.  This reporter believes it may be time to once again match the equipment to the task and bring our "real" clays guns out of mothballs.  5 wins in a row for Jay, and a string of at least several wins for Loren

may well indicate that maybe the competition at the top is having it's own way a bit too easily.  This reporter will bring his Open gun next week, and attempt to make the Open Class leaders work a bit harder for their victories.  What say folks, this is getting out of hand.  See you next week.

 

Round 1 - 

     We see 4 black Standards in a diamond intermixed with 4 orange minis in a square configuration.  Pick 4 to engage and break, then head for the black micro in the middle,

replete with a shining white dot in the middle.

 

Round 2 -

     Now it's 2 Green standards and 1 Black standard, mixed with 5 orange micros, all forming a rough circle.  Pick 4, engage and break them, then go to the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 3 -

     We're down to 1 black standard, and 1 Green standard, stacked with 3 orange micros on either side forming half a diamond.  The innermost orange micro is pointing at the ultimate objective, the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 4 -  Say good bye to the Standards, now it's all orange micros.  The good news is, there are lots of orange micros, six to be exact, and they are laid out in a circle.  Pick 4, break them, then head in to the black micro in the middle.  And now it's on to Round 5

 

Round 5

     4 orange micros for a square.  So few clay targets, but so small.  Break them, engage and break the black micro in the middle, and let's see how this match is turning out.

 

Final Notes:  Well, that's what target array series "I" brought us today.  Next week is target array series "J", and then the following week we start over with "A" again.  By now I'm sure everyone has practiced and attained perfection.  No more excuse for missed targets during the next cycle.  And if you believe that, Let Me Tell You Another.  See you next week for target array series "J".  We'll see you all then, and until then remember:

 

             "SPEED IS FINE, BUT ACCURACY IS FINAL"

 

Hal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

Sunday February 7, 2010 GHSC Clays Match Report

Super Bowl Sunday & Many of our Clays Shooters were at home in front of the tube.

 

6 Guns Entered

 

   2 Guns in Open Class - Class won by Jay Schoonmaker with a score of 47 

             2nd Open Rob Pollack with a Score of 31

                       

         4 Guns in Limited Class - Class won by Steve Tinner with a Score of 42

              2nd Limited, Chuck Treat with a Score of 28

              3rd Limited, Hal Hansen with a Score of 19, & lucky to get that

 

Weather was overcast and warmer, but dry.  The temperature at gametime was 50degrees.  No heaters, and shirtsleeves.  It feels like early spring.

 

Thanks to Doug McLean for playing Match Director in Chuck's absence.  Chuck Nicodemus is celebrating another in a long series of Birthdays today with his wife Caroline.  I'm sure the fact of the Super Bowl had nothing to do with his decision to stay home.   Happy Birthday Chuck.

     in addition to playing Match Director, Doug ran the scoresheet, the mic and the firing line.  What did you do in your spare time, Doug?

     Thanks to our Arrays Impressario, Chuck Treat, for bringing us target array series "H" today.  Let's follow along as the competitors engage this series of targets.

 

Round 1

     Round 1 sees a green standard holding up the arm of an "N"  comprised of 1 orange midi,  4 orange micros.  Pick 4, successfully break them and then engage the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 2

     Round 2 sees the green standard clay being the base of the "N", anchoring the 1 orange midi, & 3 orange micros.  Again, pick 4, successfully break them and then engage the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 3

     Say goodbye to any standard or midi clays in this match.  Now it's all orange micros, still in the same "N" design, both Ns bracketing the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 4

     4 orange micros, either describing an "N" or 2 offset stacked orange micros.  In either case, engage and break the 4 orange micros and then engage the black micro in the middle.

 

Round 5

     4 orange micros, all in a row.  Engage them successfully, and then engage and break the black micro in the middle, and you're done, maybe.

 

     In the Open Class, making it 4 in a row, was Jay Schoonmaker with a score in the very high 40s.  This reporter (?) forgot to write down your score Jay, but it was in the very high 40s.  

     In the Limited Class, Steve Tinner took the honors with a score of 42.  It should be noted that 4 of the 6 guns entered today shot Carry guns, not ideally suited for Clays Match competition, and the scores certainly reflected it.  The Clays Match today provided extremely beneficial training, but it sure was hard on the shooters Egos.  I suspect this week will be at least partially dedicated to becoming more familiar with the guns shot today, and in some cases the shooters will be experimenting with different guns to be carried and used in next weeks match.  If it was easy, anyone could do it.  We are all just very fortunate to have a venue such as GHSCs Clays Matches to use for our research and development of our handgun skill. 

 

Final Match Notes.................

     As you clays match competitors saw today, target array series "H" is an accuracy match.  There were only 2 Standard & 2 Midi sized clays on each side displayed for the entire match.  Precision, Patience, and Concentration were necessary, and for those whose skills weren't up to speed today, now you know where you need improvement.  Shoot, Dry Fire, and then do them some more.  Marksmanship is a skill in which the need for improvement never ends.  It will always be a work in progress.  We'll see you next week, and in the meantime always remember:

 

     It's all about sight alignment and trigger control.  All the rest is just there to confuse you.

 

Hal