Why I like the ATA

Here's a few reasons why I like the ATA.
Competition with other trapshooters.
Watching a kid have a great day shooting and win his class.
Watching a kid beat a bunch of seasoned shooters(including me)
Winning my class.
Meeting other trapshooters from all over the country.
Listening to oldtimers telling stories from the old days of shooting.

Sure, you can get all this without the ATA, but would there be so many places to shoot all over the country if the ATA wasn't around?

What do you think?

 

Sounds like something from a cyber-land Troll with too much time on their hands.

Do tell about all the States you have traveled, and thousands of your dollars in "entry fees", to have your ass handed to you by full-time shooters.

A "local" shooter has NO IDEA what it is all about ..... Spend YOUR time and money ON THE ROAD, then post about your many victories telling how great the "ATA" is for the AVERAGE shooter .....

Until YOU invest the many dollars, much time away from home/job/family, save the Trolling for Kool Aid Land .....

FWIW ..... There are many MORE non-"ATA" Clubs, than "ATA" only Clubs .....

 

Wow!

You guys sure are good at seeing words I didn't type in my message. How do you do it?

 

ok ...where is the pic of the popcorn......this could get interesting...LOL

 

Sure, you can get all this without the ATA, but would there be so many places to shoot all over the country if the ATA wasn't around?

YES!

I didn't leave the ata, the ata left me

 

You started a thread "Why I like the ATA", so put your big girl panties on and Troll away .....

Seems "your message" has "bait", so now you have a bite, let's see what you do with it .....

 

I'm not saying any of you are wrong in your feelings about the ATA.
Why am I wrong?

All games be it baseball, basketball, football and yes, trapshooting have changed since their inception.

Trapshooting went from live birds and muzzle-loading guns and no concrete to what it is today.

I've seen a few changes since I started in the late 70's. Setting targets on the old Western throwers and hand pulling the targets and full 20 box cases of shells you could buy all day for $40.

I travel for work. I take my gun wherever I go. I've shot in my home state of Missouri,Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Registered targets in all those states except Colorado and Maryland.

I don't agree with all the changes but I still enjoy the game.
It was, to me, adapt and play the game the way it is or stay home.I prefer to be at the gun club whenever and wherever I can.

I'm not going to apologize that I don't share your sentiments about the ATA, the WSRC or anything else it seems.

I just know I'm still having fun shooting the registered shoots, leagues, meat shoots and coaching kids whenever and wherever I want.

 

Win 101,
Opinions are like, you know ...!
Point out something good and for the benefit of the membership of the ATA , that is not self serving to the "Good Ol' Boys" club, if you know of anything ... The WSRC has proven to be a LOSER for the State of Illinois (added 23 million plus in loss's to the States deficit in 11 years ) as well as for the ATA now that the State no long assumes any cost associated with the grand and or WSRC other than having people there to maintain the grounds to a minimal standard ... The total number from the last grand have not been published so one can only guess that the generated income from that shoot was how you say ..? PATHETIC or it would of been posted as an I showed you to anyone who speaks facts about the generated income, not what the Talking Head (Lynn Gipson) from the ATA says about 20 /30 million generated in the area in and around the WSRC ... Last year it was stated that there was 15,000 people staying in the camp grounds which has 1000 camping sites ... (easy math says 15 people per spot ? ) plus an other 15,000 staying in and around the general area of the WSRC , yet they could not and did not get 2,000 entry's for the Biggest Handicap Event in the world of trapshooting "the grand American Handicap Championship" ... I do not and have never lived in Mo. But show me and I'm betting you can't ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

The ATA has always been a good old boys club.
That's nothing new.

 

"It was, to me, adapt and play the game the way it is or stay home."

Do tell about the "game" you "play", and WHY you play it .....

It sounds like you are happy being a squad filler, and just want to be a EXTRA in the crowd to pass time on the road.

Someone who "started in the late 70's", and shot in 10 different states, must have won many things to tell about ..... do tell, so new "ATA" members will be inspired to do the same.

Your thread title says "Why I like the ATA" ..... NOT why I like, "leagues, meat shoots and coaching kids whenever and wherever I want". The "ATA" SHOULD GET NO CREDIT for those things.

 

I don't think "New" ATA members are on this forum.
If they are, they were smarter than me, they haven't posted anything yet!

 

Many people READ and do not post.

Your thread about your topic ..... tell those too shy to post WHY they should support the "ATA" like you may.

A "local ATA shoot" can rely on "local shooters" ..... A "large ATA shoot" needs people to travel ..... so if you share more than "talking points" it may inspire others.

Almost 40 years in 10 different States must have had "glory and gold" ..... don't be shy .....

 

Not shy. Just see no reason to reveal anything to you.

You'll just call BS and dispute it anyway.

 

I have been a Life Member of the ATA since 1975 ... 17-62225 NRA, also ... Next Question ..? WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

How can I "dispute" FACTS ?????

The "ATA" is mainly a record keeper ..... your "ATA" glory would be "on record", and it's hard to "dispute" anything like that .....

 

Win 101,
There is probably not one single or married for that matter shooter/member who at one time or another did not think of the ATA as the place to be and they wanted to be a part of it because of the way it was run, by those who truly cared for the Members, /Shooters ... Those thing have changed dramatically over the years and the ATA has become a "Cash Cow" for many (EC, ED, some of the BOD) as well as a means to attend shoots they would not normally attend but do because its on our dime ... I had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with them up close and person when i was involved as the President of one of the Trap Clubs that hosted one of the Major shoots ...They make demands like they are "Rock Stars" and want to be catered to like they are truly someone or something special ...Talking ATA to me, you got the wrong person from experience ... Personally, I will not support the State of Illinois by spend any of my shooting dollars in the State which I resided in until I was 47 years old, by the way which kind of leads you to realize I will neveras in EVER attend the grand unless I am passing through and stop to meet or see and of the friends I made over the years ... I do not fault you for what you think or believe in, you do not have the right to fault anyone else for their opinions and feeling about the organization and what it has become ... The WSRC is an entire other story but if you read some of the older threads you can get a boat load of information that you might just find interesting, or maybe not ... Have a day ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I was always an average Joe "Nobody" in the trapshooting game, BUT I do have to say that my wife and I have made some strong, lifetime friendships from traveling around the Northeast and Canada.

I learned early on NOT to play the money games for that ONE time I "May" get lucky...My loses far outpaced my winnings...LOL

Today I go to shoots primarily to see our friends, and sometimes I want to spend so much time with them, I leave my gun at home, and just sit and watch them shoot...I get just as much pleasure out of that, as I do shooting any more.

I need to agree with 101, ATA did indeed give me a chance to meet and become friends with some of the nicest people in the world.

Had I stuck to local leagues, I would have never had that opportunity.

And Gee guys, where would these trapshooting forums be if it weren't for the ATA ?

Probably just a lot of talk about local leagues, if anything.

ATA talk keeps these sites lively, you have to admit that.

 

WPT describes what many of us experienced in the 70s-80s.
Some would call it the heyday of Trapshooting; it was for me.
ATA shooting now, is what it is, so if you're enjoying it go for it.

Regards.....Gerald

 

ATA shooting and Trapshooting are two distinct animals. I live in NW Ohio and have about 15 trap clubs within an hour drive of my house, of these clubs only 2 or 3 shoot ATA targets and those infrequently. Take this week at Moulton, a club that will draw 35 to 45 squads for their New Year's day sausage shoot (Non Registered, Non ATA) will struggle to get 5 squads for ATA. In fact after the two two yards off debacle of a few years ago they may not have 2 squads of handicap, it depends on the weather. Back in the day Moulton would have 20 to 25 ATA squads for both 16's and caps. All of this beginning said Lepsic, Continental, Cloverdale, Paulding, will have between 10 and 20 squads all winter shooting non ATA Lewis class meat shoots. Now tell me 101 how does anything the ATA does impact my ability to enjoy everything you mentioned.

I have shot ATA targets in 38 states for over 30 years, since the ATA moved to Illinois the most anti gun state in the midwest I have not traveled and for the last 4 years haven't shot any ATA, News flash I don't miss it. I'm sick of the old boys club and the self serving EC. In 2000 I was very proud to be in the trap shooting HOF. With the resumes of the HOF ers who preceded me I considered it the greatest honor a trap shooter could receive.. Now the HOF has been diluted and cheapened to the point that it now means little to me.

I've shot in a grand that had 5000 entrees, I've won shoot offs against Leo, Frank, Dan, Ray, Kiner, Kay and a host of truly other good shoots and they've all beaten me more times than I care to admit but I knew I was shooting against the best. I miss those days, but what is truly sad, is that any shooter that had been around in the 70's and 80's would say the things you did, 1745 Says it all.

What me, WPT and the other nay sayers are trying to tell the new shotgunner that wants to shoot Trap that the ATA is far from the only avenue, and in fact in our vast years of experience and expertise not the way to go. I've taken to spending my time with the SCTP kids and frankly I enjoy them much more than the average ATA shooter of today.

Brad Dysinger

 

The Club I belong to, Hocking Valley Sportsman had a shoot Last Sunday with Kids shooting Annie Oakleys, those kids could shoot, and they were the Happiest Shooters I ever saw, I hope we have many more events for them to shoot.

Shoots like this are drawing in KIDS TO SHOOT. The parking Lot was full, and Parents were so Proud watching their kids shoot.

GB..................................................DLS

 

I started shooting trap two years ago at the ripe age of 46, and it disappoints me I missed the good ol days in the 70's and 80's. I was quick to join the ATA since I was advised by many at the local club to join. It took me about two shoots to understand, "what really is the ATA doing....or why is it needed?" Unfortunately I'm not from an area that has a lot of local clubs, so if I ever want to experience a "big shoot", I will have to shoot registered targets. Honestly, I have more fun shooting leagues at my local club.

 

ATA: easy to spell ... WPT ... (YAC) ...