16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

I had a rare Friday off work recently so I chilled with the happily retired Friday morning crowd at the local club where wisdom and knowledge abound and every topic under the sun may be discussed and pontificated upon. Any world problem is likely to be solved in addition to the neat guns that show up and the shooting that goes on. Oh If only our sport survives and I may live long enough to join them a regular!!

At one point we had a squad of three all shooting 16 ga. model 12s. each owned independently by the respective shooters. Between the three of us we had approx. 131 years of experience. One shooter commented that he'd never before experienced that.

On the next round were were joined by another great hand bringing our years of experience to about 185. He borrowed my gun for the four man round of 16's and commented how he had let his model 12 16 "get away" years ago, and decided just then to actively begin searching for a 16 ga. wingmaster to complete his current collection.

Nobody went straight but we shot a few 24's with a mixture of 3/4 and 7/8 recipes gleaned from this site and some RGL factories. Until recently I was the only regular 16 ga. shooter there. If it weren't for this site I would not be enjoying my go to gun as I do.

It was fun and a bittersweet taste of how good things once were in terms of what used to be available to us in both guns, and shells to shoot in them. With the tone of other topics and posts about costs, business, marketing and economics...frankly I'm getting scared that one of the things I enjoy the most will be lost now that I'm finally seeing retirement on the horizon after working all these years. It sounds like whining I guess, which it is not!! I'm thankful each and every day, shooting or not and mindful of the many troubled and suffering people in the world who would trade places with us in a heartbeat. I just hope the sport survives.

A staple and long running great sporting clays range in our area just advised that they will not be throwing regular walk through clays after the first of the year. I don't know why for sure but I'm guessing business may be way down. I heard somebody say that "nobody comes anymore". This is a nice place! They'll still do pheasant hunts and five stand (and trap?) I guess though.

I'm going to stay positive, shoot less if I have to, cut back somewhere else and try to adapt to change. We'll hope for the best!

Yes, some days like that can be unexpected fun. A few days ago I met Dr Drew at our local skeet range. He did some chamber and choke checking on my latest purchase, a Ithaca NID 16ga. After the technical aspects were over Doc Drew invited me to shoot a round of skeet with him. Now, I am terrible at skeet but I thought OK. A young lady walked up and asked to join. Those of you who know Doc Drew already know what a friendly gentleman he is. Doc was outshooting me big time and the girl only missed two, I think. But I still had a good time because of the personalities of my co-shooters. They were truly enjoyable company, and that's what sport shooting should always be about. Fellowship, not scores.

"Fellowship, not scores"
Amen brother, but my bad case of the 'covets' just got alot worse after hearing the steals you made on that sweet Sterly and NID! Rolling Eyes

BTW: Kim is a SCTP champion and wears a patch that says "Shoot like a girl" Laughing

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

I am the only active 16 shooter at our small club Shocked

While shooting at other clubs the response is usually--Do they still make shells for that Rolling Eyes

--However occasionally A shooter shows interest in the 16 .With the current price of shells,shot,etc. shooting is down anywhere form 20-60%.The ones not shooting are the weekend/part-time ones.The dedicated shooters are either wealthy enough to still shoot or are making sacrifices to still hit the club.

Sure hope you will join us at the 3rd Annual Sweet 16 Celebration to be scheduled for later this year in Ohio. Shooting is limited to 16 gauge guns only, and will consist of Trap, Skeet, and 5 Stand Events.

Hey Hal...thanks for the invite!

Sounds like a fun time for 16 nuts! Cool

Hope it is gonna be held after the weather gets warm...right now we are freezing even down here in Dixie. I don't often shoot clay birds in 20 degree weather with low teen windchills! Razz

BTW...what is the real story on the sting operation by the Columbus PD in the city parks with the half nude "bait woman"?? You were not one of the poor ENTRAPPED victims, I take it?!

OSL

Guess it's too cold for female flashers? Actually, hadn't heard about it.

Apparently some warmer unseasonable weather had hit the city one day in the recent past. The wire service story was that the PD set up a sting operation in a park featuring a topless young lady. Upon luring a man interested in a little "touchy feely" she would ask him to take out a part of his anatomy so she could reciprocate the touching. Upon doing so, the man would be arrested on the basis that local law does not forbid women unveiling their breasts in public, but strictly forbids any display of this sort by men.

Yikes! Shocked