I've shown up at some higher end shoots with my old stevens SxS, gets lots of looks and the odd comment, but never rude. Had a few guys comment after watching me shoot, that they'd like to see me with a "real gun", but I always took them comments in jest, as I'm sure they were intended in my case.
I got laughed at the other day...
- Thread starter Dynamite Monkey
- Start date
Not only were they snobs, but obviously not very good skeet shooters if they let a 23 beat em
Shot clay's for the first time last weekend. I brought my Mossberg 590 SP and borrowed a family heirloom Browning over/under. I was really bad at first particularily with the tactical shotgun. I imporved a lot in a short time, it was super fun. I'm kind of in love with the Browning.
I went and put some 12Ga holes through some pistol targets at 60 yards when I was done to regain my confidence with the Mossy
I got some comments about my "trench clearer" and such, but it was all in good fun. I bought a launcher and I'm hooked.
I'm a little suspicious of some of the stories though... reminds me of the guys on forums who have beat BMW M3's in their Accord...
and borrowed a family heirloom Browning over/under. I was really bad at first particularily with the tactical shotgun. I imporved a lot in a short time, it was super fun. I'm kind of in love with the Browning.I went and put some 12Ga holes through some pistol targets at 60 yards when I was done to regain my confidence with the Mossy
I got some comments about my "trench clearer" and such, but it was all in good fun. I bought a launcher and I'm hooked.
I'm a little suspicious of some of the stories though... reminds me of the guys on forums who have beat BMW M3's in their Accord...
Oh I don't doubt their existence. I was just afraid that the original comment would put people off of going to a trap/skeet club, thinking that it's like some expensive snooty country club. The parking lot at the WTSC is mostly trucks, not BMW or Mercedes. Aside from the shooting practise, I've been given so much good advice about footwork and body position when shooting I should write an article on it. To NOT go to a trap & skeet club because you're afraid of being embarassed is both unlikely and a lost opportunity.
The snobs are out there, but I think they are far fewer than the stories would have us believe, just like the duck hunter in jeans and the old 870 beating the locals. May happen a few times, but odds are it's a rare occurence. Truth be told, most of the shooters who I can identify as hunters don't shoot very well. Mainly because they only shoot 4 or 5 boxes a year at game, and maybe 2 boxes practising.
It's not what you shoot, it's how much you shoot that makes the difference.
The snobs are out there, but I think they are far fewer than the stories would have us believe, just like the duck hunter in jeans and the old 870 beating the locals. May happen a few times, but odds are it's a rare occurence. Truth be told, most of the shooters who I can identify as hunters don't shoot very well. Mainly because they only shoot 4 or 5 boxes a year at game, and maybe 2 boxes practising.
It's not what you shoot, it's how much you shoot that makes the difference.
I have never found trap guys to be that stuffy. Now if you show up with "I'm gonna whip all you perazzi guys with my 12 inch norinco" attitude than I can see why they may not greet you with open arms.
I would try to be nice about it but if I had to wait for you to load each shot I would get a little impatient also.
25/25 is a good score for sure but 99/100 may not get you in a shoot off.
I would try to be nice about it but if I had to wait for you to load each shot I would get a little impatient also.
25/25 is a good score for sure but 99/100 may not get you in a shoot off.
Not all trap ranges are full of perazzi's either. At our club I've seen a merkel or two, maybe had a perazzi there once. The most common guns there are 1100/1187's and winchester model 12's or 870's. O/U's would be next in line, but the ruger red label that shows up occasionally is the highest end one of them. Next would be the old SxS's, but most of them are cheaper guns. Probably one of the most expensive guns there is when I try to shoot trap with my greener sxs 10 gauge. I've shot trap there with a sxs blackpowder 10, they all love when I bring it out. Of course as serious trap shooters can tell we are a bit of a hillbilly gun club, we get lots of 25's shot, but not many 50's, not sure if any of us have done 100 straight yet, not while I was there, but we have fun and shoot lots. Well maybe not lots, I know serious trap shooters shoot hundreds if not thousands of rounds a week. While occasionally we do more generally 200 rounds is a busy week, we only shoot twice a week.
You get that kind of crowd in EVERY shooting discipline. Often they are middle of the road in the skill department, and try to make up with it with higher end gear and technobabble jargon, and won't hesitate to impress you with it.
Don't judge an entire group over one set of @$$holes.
Most shooters I've met in the various disciplines are good ambassadors for their sport and are more than happy to help you out.
Any lead going down range is good lead going down range...
Brad.
Don't judge an entire group over one set of @$$holes.
Most shooters I've met in the various disciplines are good ambassadors for their sport and are more than happy to help you out.
Any lead going down range is good lead going down range...
Brad.
As for snooty shooters, our trap club is as down to earth as you can get. I could care a less what people come to shoot thier targets with. I do however like to help new shooters try to improve their score, with some coaching. This I can not do when they are using a riot gun. First of all I don"t know what to tell them. I couldn't hit anything with that gun either.
I have found that most times these people don't want to be coached anyway. They are not that serious, and just what to bang off some shells. Nothing wrong with that, all in the name of fun.
I have found that most times these people don't want to be coached anyway. They are not that serious, and just what to bang off some shells. Nothing wrong with that, all in the name of fun.
Same here, we had a guy show up one night with one of these
We spent most of the night passing the guys gun around so we could all shoot a few stations of skeet with it. Not conventional, but still fun.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
You're fortunate, the clay shooters at my club are the most pretentious bunch we've got, one tried to give me grief for shooting a Winchester Defender, to quote him "a god damn defender". I quickly put a stop to that BS but had he been free to continue he would have nattered and nagged all day. I'm all for anyone being able to enjoy any shooting sport they wish, and have nothing personal against the clay folk at my range, though I will readily agree there's a bunch of strange attitudes and customs in that bunch.
Keebler750
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta!!!
Is this the same as me showing up with my Winchester 270WSM hunting rifle for a precision match?
The only person that was amazed when I hit a 22" target three times out of five at 1000M with that rifle was me. Everyone else said "I knew you could."
Real shooters just get the job done and I can appreciate skill no matter WHO shows up with what.
No one laughed when a shooter showed up at a Service Rifle match populated by AR15s and C7s with a Norinco M14 and broke 500 points.
Then again, real shooters aren't snooty.
The only person that was amazed when I hit a 22" target three times out of five at 1000M with that rifle was me. Everyone else said "I knew you could."
Real shooters just get the job done and I can appreciate skill no matter WHO shows up with what.
No one laughed when a shooter showed up at a Service Rifle match populated by AR15s and C7s with a Norinco M14 and broke 500 points.
Then again, real shooters aren't snooty.
skeet folks are funny that way
I have had my fair share of encounters of a snobbish kind.
Life goes on
Robert
I have had my fair share of encounters of a snobbish kind.
Life goes on
Robert
MauserMike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
- Location
- Lloydminster SK
I'm glad that you find the history and reverence for tradition in trapshooting so entertaining.
I am proud to be a trapshooter and an active member in my shooting community.
I am sure you are very proud of every inch you have gained with EESA, as you should be.
I can only think that a man such as yourself, who has consistently tooted the horn touting acceptance and understanding of all shooting sports, had a momentary lapse of sanity to infer that trapshooters are generally jerks.
Bill
- Location
- Lloydminster SK
Just because someone has a trapgun does not make them a trapshooter.
An a**hole with a trapgun is still an a**hole after he puts away his trapgun.
Feel free to insert any other item you wish to generalize about.
By no means am I claiming there are not a**holes in the sport of trapshooting.
However, if you think about it, a**holes by nature are outspoken people that like to share their opinions (however misguided) with anyone and everyone that will listen. Thus, they may be the first ones to greet you at the club if they have a differing opinion regarding the suitability of a particular firearm that you may want to use for your clay target smashing enjoyment.
The common a**hole will also be the one #####ing that targets are soft, hard, low, high, too wide, too narrow, bad color, complex background, too bright, too dim, or any other excuse you could possibly dream of to offset the fact they did not perform to the standard that they wanted.
You will hear his complaining from up to 200m, and if he see's that you may have the slightest indication you may listen to his sob story you can expect an "expert lecture" on how it could have been better.
As you can tell, I have dealt with these folks before, albeit few and far between. Perhaps my glasses may be a bit too rose colored, but I like to be on the positive side to try to entice new shooters into clays.
By claiming that all clay shooters are pretentious puts a rather pale light on yourself as a backer of all shooting sports.
Peace, love and gunpowder. That's all we really need.
Bill
Hmmm.
I was welcomed with open arms at our club (Calgary)
Seen all sorts of guns over the past couple of years and I havent heard any negative comments.
Guys show up at our club with jeans/shorts/shooting vests/winter coats.. Whatever..
HOWEVER those that win big trophys have the proper equipment and yes for the most part they shoot Trap guns. Usually expensive trap guns.
If you really wish to play at the top levels of this sport, you do need the proper equipment. If your happy in the D,C,B classes most anything will do.
But I still had to shoot a 95/100 and 99/100 to win "C" class provincials in trap. I also practiced very hard and made a (for me) major comitment to concentrating.
Any thing that goes BANG is great fun
Jamie
I was welcomed with open arms at our club (Calgary)
Seen all sorts of guns over the past couple of years and I havent heard any negative comments.
Guys show up at our club with jeans/shorts/shooting vests/winter coats.. Whatever..
HOWEVER those that win big trophys have the proper equipment and yes for the most part they shoot Trap guns. Usually expensive trap guns.
If you really wish to play at the top levels of this sport, you do need the proper equipment. If your happy in the D,C,B classes most anything will do.
But I still had to shoot a 95/100 and 99/100 to win "C" class provincials in trap. I also practiced very hard and made a (for me) major comitment to concentrating.
Any thing that goes BANG is great fun
Jamie
I'm glad that you find the history and reverence for tradition in trapshooting so entertaining.
I am proud to be a trapshooter and an active member in my shooting community.
I am sure you are very proud of every inch you have gained with EESA, as you should be.
I can only think that a man such as yourself, who has consistently tooted the horn touting acceptance and understanding of all shooting sports, had a momentary lapse of sanity to infer that trapshooters are generally jerks.
Bill
Well said!
BTW I would not always welcome the BLACK CLOUD MAKER on my squad. Like him or not, or like his smoke pole or not, the situation would be disruptive and distracting to many who are trying to shoot their best. I think with me the novelty would soon wear off and besides when I am on the line I am interested in shooting and not waiting for the sky to clear or an unusal amount time and activity while someone reloads. If he has been invited to shoot he should be accomodated on a squad who do not object and placed in a squad sequence that will not delay the others who wish to shoot. I guess I am pretentious!
