It was a fun day at PGC today, neither job needed me this Fed holiday and I had 100 rounds of trap loads just sitting there, so...
On arrival I headed up to range 10 for some singles practice and stress management.A couple of folks I didn't know were getting ready to shoot, and I joined in to fill up the stations.
There were a father and son team,using an old 1100 and one of the new 11-87 target models. These,I was informed,were their bird guns and the round was their first in two years.
Another gent of about my age and decrepitude was the proud owner of a Citori with extended chokes and gleaming wood. Not new, it was well cared for and indeed, was used to slay the occasional dove and quail. He had been trapshooting for a year, and highly enjoyed it.
Last gent was a hair younger,used a Miroku Daley, and didn't have the faintest idea of what he had.
Get this,he'd picked it up at a gun shop for $200. In near perfect shape, it has obviously been cherished and cared for. FWIW, it should go for about 1K more.He said it had been a couple years since he'd shot clays,admitting to riflery on a more regular basis.
Please note none of these were dedicated trap guns, just field guns. Good field guns, but not anything fancy.
So,we'd shoot a round,stand around shooting the bull,and then do another.We admired each other's shotguns, enjoyed the day, and by Godfrey, it felt pretty good.
Didn't shoot all that great, my high round was a 23, low 21. A little off for me, but with all the other stuff I've been doing, it was OK. I had fun, and that was the mission.
The gusty headwind may have had some minor part in the misses,but I refuse to look for excuses. I missed, not the equipment nor the conditions....
After, we were standing around when a guy I knew slightly showed up. Another Geezer In Training, he had left his usual Model 32 and/or BT99 at home and was toting a beautiful 870, circa 59. I asked permission, got it and handled it like it was Perlman's Strad.
This was a trap grade, gorgeous wood, sumptous blue you could stick your finger into up to the knuckle.Checkering done by someone who could cut diamonds in Amsterdam and not be more precise. Outstanding shape,only a couple honorable scars on the wood and a little wear on the mag tube's blue. The bbl seemed a twin of mine,long, light and tightasheck.Side by side,the two 870s seemed like mirror images.
I complimented the gent and told him to take it back before I yielded to temptation and tried to steal it. Talk turned to 870s, and it turned out each and every person there had at least one 870.
One guy used his for deer,father and son ducked and doved with theirs, and the gent with this marvelous 59 used his for everything but deer and HD.
Naturally, I found this interesting. All these folks were experienced shotgunners, average or better in skills,but not dedicated, or obsessed target shooters.All had 870s,used them with much enjoyment, and depended on them one way or another.
It was the finest endorsement I could imagine....
How about you?
On arrival I headed up to range 10 for some singles practice and stress management.A couple of folks I didn't know were getting ready to shoot, and I joined in to fill up the stations.
There were a father and son team,using an old 1100 and one of the new 11-87 target models. These,I was informed,were their bird guns and the round was their first in two years.
Another gent of about my age and decrepitude was the proud owner of a Citori with extended chokes and gleaming wood. Not new, it was well cared for and indeed, was used to slay the occasional dove and quail. He had been trapshooting for a year, and highly enjoyed it.
Last gent was a hair younger,used a Miroku Daley, and didn't have the faintest idea of what he had.
Get this,he'd picked it up at a gun shop for $200. In near perfect shape, it has obviously been cherished and cared for. FWIW, it should go for about 1K more.He said it had been a couple years since he'd shot clays,admitting to riflery on a more regular basis.
Please note none of these were dedicated trap guns, just field guns. Good field guns, but not anything fancy.
So,we'd shoot a round,stand around shooting the bull,and then do another.We admired each other's shotguns, enjoyed the day, and by Godfrey, it felt pretty good.
Didn't shoot all that great, my high round was a 23, low 21. A little off for me, but with all the other stuff I've been doing, it was OK. I had fun, and that was the mission.
The gusty headwind may have had some minor part in the misses,but I refuse to look for excuses. I missed, not the equipment nor the conditions....
After, we were standing around when a guy I knew slightly showed up. Another Geezer In Training, he had left his usual Model 32 and/or BT99 at home and was toting a beautiful 870, circa 59. I asked permission, got it and handled it like it was Perlman's Strad.
This was a trap grade, gorgeous wood, sumptous blue you could stick your finger into up to the knuckle.Checkering done by someone who could cut diamonds in Amsterdam and not be more precise. Outstanding shape,only a couple honorable scars on the wood and a little wear on the mag tube's blue. The bbl seemed a twin of mine,long, light and tightasheck.Side by side,the two 870s seemed like mirror images.
I complimented the gent and told him to take it back before I yielded to temptation and tried to steal it. Talk turned to 870s, and it turned out each and every person there had at least one 870.
One guy used his for deer,father and son ducked and doved with theirs, and the gent with this marvelous 59 used his for everything but deer and HD.
Naturally, I found this interesting. All these folks were experienced shotgunners, average or better in skills,but not dedicated, or obsessed target shooters.All had 870s,used them with much enjoyment, and depended on them one way or another.
It was the finest endorsement I could imagine....
How about you?