Looks like about 16 days until the start of the Grand American August 2-12. Folks are preparing to make that trip and make some memories. Locally CCLEOA shot Friday and Old Hickory at Rocky Mount shot Sunday. This week the Watauga Gun Club hosts a two-day shoot with an interesting program. Rockingham County shoots a typical 300 target program Saturday with an extra 100 handicap and Sunday at 2pm a BIG50 will be held.
Marty Hill posted the shoot report for Old Hickory and 14 hardy souls came out of the AC to play. Doyle Thigpen broke a 100 in that heat and great shooting. Greg High topped all handicap shooters with a 92 but not enough shooters for a punch. Tip Wight won the doubles with a 90 and Allan Davis took HOA with 86+87+86=269. Marty would like to thank everyone for attending and to all that pitched in to help!
I sent a text to Morgan Shaw to get the program for this weekend’s Tom Pitts Memorial shoot at Watauga. On Saturday they will shoot 200 singles and 100 handicap and on Sunday 150 pair of doubles, that is 300 targets of course. I also viewed pictures of efforts to revive the infamous trap 4 better known as the widow maker. It will not be available for this shoot but hopefully available for the fall events. If you have never experienced shooting the original trap at Watauga, you got a big treat coming.
Many of us in the trapshooting community were deeply saddened at the death of Tom Pitts. Tom was always upbeat and always willing to help and do it with a smile on his face. He hung around with another Tom named Shelley and they traveled and shot and had fun wherever they went. Not sure if you ever read the SPY vs SPY comic book with the two spies’ but I named them SPY1 Pitts and SPY2 Shelley. I wrote all kinds of crazy stories about these two guys, and it was all based around those two trying to outdo the other. Of course, they both found love and that curtailed their travel a little bit. I am not sure how many pictures I have taken of these two, but it must be over a hundred. There will never be another duo like these two in my lifetime and that is a fact.
The Rockingham County Gun Club will host a typical 300 target program Saturday. We will also offer an extra 100 handicap targets if interested. This is called the Firecracker shoot and it might be as hot as a firecracker Saturday. Temps will be in the mid-80’s as opposed to mid-90’s in case that makes you feel better. On Sunday RCGC will host a BIG50 with shooting to begin at 2PM. Come on out and join us in case you need some birds before the Grand in August.
Speaking of the Grand it is just around the corner. Folks are preparing for the BIG SHOW in Sparta Illinois. I shot there in 2006 and that was the last time I made it and maybe 2024 is my next visit. Right now, temps are mid 80’s and that is much cooler than some previous years with temps approaching 100 degrees. Not sure of everyone that is attending from NC but I will try to keep up with all of the NC winners along the way.
Anne Poole Mathews posted a memory of her son on Facebook. It was the Southern Zone several years ago and Brandon broke the lone 200 in Bostic but there were four more in Kentucky. Brandon wound up runner-up in the Southern Zone singles championship and that is quite an accomplishment.
The 2023 SCTP National Championship just wrapped up at the Cardinal Center in Marengo Ohio. 4000 youth competitors, 350 teams, 30 states represented, 12 semi-trucks of targets and 2.5 million rounds fired. That is a huge shooting event and congrats to all the winners and competitors.
That will do it for this week. It looks like a hot week for our area but not as hot as Las Vegas. I would say get out and shoot but do it early in the morning. Hello to Scott, Ronnie, Cowboy, Tim, Bobby, Phil, Thea and Anne and until next week……….smokem