Sporting Clays

I decided to take a break from Trap & Skeet on Sunday morning and went over to Tucson Trap & Skeet for a round of Sporting Clays. It is understood that I have a strange idea of taking a break.

Sporting Clays was developed from Trap and Skeet, but it is a completely different game. The game is played in a more natural setting(s) which with several different target presentations from different locations with varying flight paths. Sporting Clays was originally designed to emulate small game hunting. Targets can be thrown as single targets, simultaneous pairs, or report pairs. There are a variety of targets in addition to the standard clay bird. These include small targets, very small targets, "rabbits" that roll and bounce on edge across the ground, arcing birds, and some heavy rockets that are very fast and maintain speed. Targets are launched from one side to the other, quartering away, quartering in, inbound, outbound, overhead, underfoot, or straight up in the air. You get the idea - every whichway.

A round of Sporting Clays will require 100 shots. I did not do all that good but better than my companions. My score was 54 with the others at 34 & 35. People that shoot this competitively will be in the 80-90 range. There are different classifications for the competition. I may have to give one a try in the newbe class. Throwing lead downrange is fun!

Trap & Skeet

Someday I will shoot a straight round. It was not to be yesterday. I usually shoot a couple of round of skeet then a couple of trap. Skeet - 21 & 23 which seems to be about as good as I get. Trap - 24 & 24. 48 out of 50 but I have failed to put 25 in the same round. It will come, eventually!

Steelworkers Shoot

Someone (Kevin) remembered to bring a camera so we could film some of the shoot. I valiantly defended my postion within the ranks although there is little desire for my last place spot by the other shooters. There seems to be a little improvement at each match which is of some benefit. The main thing is that this is FUN!

Boy is this guy slow.

Celebrating the 4th

I was trying to get a few friends and family together to celebrate the 4th. Everyone was sent invitation that informed of fun to be had with games and barbecue with Southwest themes. We even went so far as to have a schedule of events.

Games:

1 - Snake Hunt & Pull - kind of like tug-of-war - great fun for everyone. Team with the largest pieces of snake are declared winners. Caution is required for snake selection. Leave the Diamondbacks alone. Picture added for clarification.

Good snake.

Bad snake.

2 - Javelina Toss - self explanatory. How far can you throw that pig?

Oops - wrong picture

Better.

3 - Roadrunner Race - Catch the Roadrunner

I hope you have better luck than Wiley E.

4 - It's time to cool down before dinner so it is time for one of my favorites - Bobbing for Bobcats!The tough part is getting them in the tub.

Food:

Appetizer - Steamed Skunk Chunks

I actually have a recipe for steamed skunk. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Soup - Pygmy Owl Soup

Have a recipe for this also but it calls for Rat Cheese. Not sure where to find it so I always substitute goat.

Barbecue - Rocky Mountain Oyster Kabobs and Red Squirrel On-A-Stick

Yup - got these recipes too.

Dessert - Chilled Condor Gizzards

Sure are ugly buzzards - no pun intended.

Drink - Coyote Whiz Beer

Like my Daddy always said, "Son, its in the water. That's why its yellow."

After Dinner Games and Papa's favorite - Playing Possum.

Not quite Southwest but who cares.

Quando omni flunkus moritati.

So far - no takers. I guess that I will go shoot a couple of rounds of trap & skeet as the range is open. One of my favorite kinds of aerial booms! Go find something to make noise with! Happy 4th!

16 Accidentally Wounded by French Military in Shooting Demo

Alright - Who is the imbecile that gave the French live ammo?

Skeet Surfing Safari

What could be better than a day at the beach shooting skeet?

Heller 5, Losers 4

What is it about these four losers that they find it so difficult to discover what the 2nd means? Please don't try to explain it as I fully understand that these justices view all items as their politics dictate without regard to their oaths of office.

Every honest constitutional scholar will agree on what the framers meant. Not all like it, but do come to the same conclusion that the 2nd is an individual right.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson

The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.
--- Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution

That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United states who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms...
--- Samuel Adams

The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
--- James Madison, The Federalist No. 46

Arms in the hands of citizens (may) be used at individual discression... in private self-defense...
--- John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions of the Governments of the UAS, 471 (1788)

This can go on and on and on...........

SCOTUS Rejects Death Penalty for Raping Children

Decides that the Judas Chair is adequate.

Bill Clinton Offers Support to Obama

Just exactly what kind of helpful support could Bill offer Obama?

Is that an African or European Pigeon?

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A sharp increase in drugs and cellphones found inside a Brazilian prison mystified officials -- until guards spotted some distressed pigeons struggling to stay airborne.

Steel Workers Shoot

I enjoyed myself at another shoot last weekend. This makes the third event I have attended and still failed to take a camera so that a few candid shots can be posted. My event planning needs to be modified slightly. The day before the shoot in May was backyard fence day. Oh joy! Take the old one down and get new posts set. My helpers were wore out by the end of the day and were begging to not have to get up early the next day. (You would think that I was a slave driver or something) I thought this was a great idea. I will go shoot and get everyone up afterwards. I was sore the next morning. I shot a little better than before but I am sure that my times were slower. My speed from station to station would only have impressed a snail.

There was also some error in one station's setup. The wall was upside down placing the shooting window at ankle height! I informed the RM of this mistake and was told that this was correct. It was purposely done to aggravate sore, tall people. I hate kneeling in the gravel especially since I had shorts on, stiff, sore, and knees trashed from years of basketball. I needed all the reasons I could find to account for my normal performance so that my shooting companions would not actually realize my dismal capabilities. For some reason this never seems to work. It did provide entertainment and provoked many kind comments. "Think you can get up? Hahaha!" "Maybe you should lay down and then roll over to the next window." Someday, I hope that they set one high enough to suit me. I would enjoy seeing the others try to jump and shoot at the same time. I had a great time in reality! Then it was off to the house to awake the fence crew. There was also a necessity to convince everyone that applying water seal and erecting fence rails/slats is fun!

I decided to reload 20 gauge shells the day before the June shoot. 500 rounds on a MEC 600Jr. is 3,000 pulls of the lever. Sidenote - I have come to dislike single stage presses. I actually did a little better at the shoot. I do not know if it is due to practice or just getting more comfortable on this type range. Perhaps it is only a mental image of improvement and I am getting more comfortable at being slow! I really don't know as times have never been posted for any of the shoots.

Bikini Atoll's Nuked Coral Reef Bounces Back to Life

"Half a century after the atomic blasts that devastated Bikini Atoll, vast expanses of corals in the area seem to be flourishing once again, much to the surprise of scientists."

Also of great surprise to the scientist was the discovery a very large reptile roaming the area which resulted in the scientists immediate evacuation. Some of the Japanese members of the expedition were excitedly exclaiming, "Oh no, there goes Tokyo!".

Our Presidential Candidates

The Good
"It's been a great ride. But I know how quickly these fads can pass. You all remember the pet rock, the mood ring, Howard Dean."

Hopefully, you will fly away also.




The Bad
"We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."


Wonder who the commoners are that get the goods?



The Ugly
"Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid."

Looks like it tastes great.

My Choice POTUS
"You morons"

Great evaluation of his political opponents.

VP
I couldn't find a quote that hadn't already been done by John Dingell

Marines in Berkeley

I can't say that I am a big fan of the Daily Show but even a blind squirrel........

Boards!

Reno 911 D&D

This is just unbelievable. I actually lol when the officer said, "I hope you've got a magic potion for hot lead".

NHRA

We went to the trials on Saturday at Firebird. I do like to watch just about anything but bracket racing. My favorites are the Pro-Stock, Funny Cars, and Top Fuel. I did not take a camera this year - oops. I took one last year and was challenged to get the perspective on film that I desired. Trying to take pictures starts to take away from the fun of watching the drags.

There is nothing like being close to a top fuel dragster when the tree goes green!

This weekend was just something else. Drag races on Saturday and then a steel pistol match on Sunday makes for a full couple of days. Gee - drag racin and shootin - almost sounds like it should be a regular.

Steel Match

We went over to Pima Pistol Club to shoot a steel match. I have seen one shot before but this was my first match. My hat's off to PPC and the shooters there. The people were professional and friendly. It was no problem for a first time steel shooter to feel comfortable. I will get my score later after posting but will only use this as a benchmark for future improvement. I did not expect to do well as I am no pistolero but I was pleased in that I did better than anticpated.

Kevin did quite well for a first shoot. He may have other thoughts but I know that he shot at least 30 rounds less than me.

What FUN! We will take some photos and post them the next time. One of the stages had a building facade with windows and door as shooting stations. There were a few comments admiring my form when I needed to crouch down to shoot through the windows. I am a little on the tall side and that window came about to my bellybutton when standing. I thought I had fine form for my squatshot. I know that the snickers I heard from behind me were just from being jealous of my fine form.

The Knack

Head over to The Smallest Minority to watch a great clip of Dilbert.

Space Cowboy!

Space Station Crew Can Access Gun

The article indicates that this is a piece (pun intended) of survival gear for a crash landing. I find this interesting from the aspect that there would probably be very little left intact of the space station after atmosphere re-entry, much less the spectacular surface impact.

Hmmm - wonder if there have been any tests measuring the recoil effect of different ammo in space?

Do Not Run, We Are You Friends!

Look into my eyes, you are getting sleepy, you WILL be my Valentine.

I must put some of the political pictures up as this is just too good to pass on. The semblance is almost scarey. Let me rephrase that as it is definitely scarey. Clinton fans should not be too concerned as I will most likely pick on everyone.