My Top 10 clubs that are no more 5 to 1

Here is the last of my top 10 clubs that aren't around anymore numbers 5 to 1

5. Troy, OH - Camp Troy Gun Club - Dave Berlet wrote a piece about this club in the Shotgun Sports magazine. I shot some ATA targets there but mainly the non registered derby shoots they had during the grand and Ohio state shoots. I can't remember my high scores but can remember winning a
Sunday handicap in 1975 before going to the Ohio State shoot and winning the state handicap. This was one day after my 21st birthday. Camp Troy was all about the money, hard targets and low scores, my kind of place.

4. Walnut Creek, OH - Great Eastern Gun Club - I shot many targets here and broke my 1st registered 100 from 27 in 1977. It gave me the grand slam, a big deal back then. Great Eastern was run by Aden and Sue Kaufman and is the place I met my wife Ann. We had lots of fun for many years here and I also won a pigeon shoot there back in the day. High handicap 100, high singles 200, high doubles 100.

3. Reno, NV - Harold's Club - This is where the Golden West Grand was held for years, an old club with lots of history. I remember there was slots, gaming tables and even a crap table. Great Place. The wind seemed to always be blowing and it was dirty. The practice traps used to face the opposite direction from the program traps. I shot with Dan Orlick there in 1985 and broke a 100 in caps the one and only time I shot with him. This is a personal highlight for me. Reno's shoots meant one thing, BIG money. The trap help was usually bad, but fair for everyone. High handicap 100, high singles 200, high doubles 98.

2. Las Vegas, NV - Bob Taylor's Ranch - Bob was the home of the 100,000 dollar shoot, an NFL players pro am shoot and many other money shoots. Bob was famous for his steak house and made the best steak in Vegas. I can remember shooting practice right in front of the Ranch House that was the restraint and smelling his rib eyes on the outside grill. Bob always gave gold coins for trophies, this club had the best money shoots that I can remember day in and day out. I broke my first 100 from 27 there but it was in a non registered handicap event. High handicap (ATA) 99, high singles 199, high doubles 98.

1. Vandalia, Oh - ATA home grounds - How could I have any other favorite club that's gone. Between Grands and Ohio State shoots I spent about a year and a half on the Vandalia grounds. You could say I grew up there. I would say that 90% of my best wins came on those grounds. Those of you that never experienced an August evening at the shoot offs during the Grand will never know what you missed. As close to a religious experience as a trap shooter could have. I love history and the history of trap shooting was right there. When they closed Vandalia it was like the death of member of my family, I'll never get over it and I'll never forget the people and the fun I had there. High handicap 100, high singles 200, high doubles 100.

I miss all these clubs and many more, I want to thank them all for the good times. Brad

 

Thanks for the list.

Doesn't the "Grand" deserve it's own list. A list by itself. A list of gun venues that disappeared in the name of greed.

 

Troy, between events or after the Grand was finished for the day.
Gentlemen , the man knoweth what he speaks when it comes to shooting for money and what it took to win it.
Troy would give you the money. They just weren't going to GIVE you the money.
I would say the targets at Troy were "a little different" than even those 3 hole 50 yarders they were throwing down the road at Vandalia.
If, yeah I know so don't say it, the Grand was still at Vandalia I would already have my reservations made for the week. Me and the other 30-40 people that went JUST FROM MY CLUB ALONE.

Flyers

 

Why did the Great Eastern close?

 

Very impressive list of clubs and scores shot at them ... The first time I went over to the Troy shoot after shooting at Vandalia all day was like walking into another world ... I didn't shoot all that well but due to conditions it paid really good ... Met and made a friend at the Grand named Bob Tucker from Anandale, Virginia who insisted we go and shoot at Troy after shooting all day ... Thanks Brad for the memories, long time ago but seems like yesterday ... wpt ...(yac) ...

 

Thanks for the list. I have shot at some but not all. Thanks again.

 

Brad I made $1,000s at Camp Troy money shoots, I remember one specifically, I had just picked up my Photo Gray Shooting glasses that a fellow shooter talked me into buying, Trapshooting glasses, he took me to the office and took my eye readings, he went a step farther/took me to the squareschart, he concentrated on me seeing the lines, vertical/horizontal. The sharpness of the lines, he spent 15/20 minutes there, he had my eyes to 20/10-20/10 after correction. He took me to Union Health Ctr. in Dayton where they ground my lenses. In about 4 hours total time I had my completed Shooting Glasses.

Now on with the story, I was on squad 1 post 1 and my best friend Jerry Shockcor was on post 5. He and I were both shooting Green Dot shells, same loads, 7.5 shot, AA wad, AA hull, I broke all 50 targets, on my buddies last target he looked at me shrugged his shoulders like should I break the last target, he did not want to fall in on my score, I nodded yes to break that last target. WE had the only 50 straight that night and we won over $3500 each that night, when we got to the motel room we were figuring where we were going to spend it using a bar of soap on the Bathroom Mirror.

We bought a hell of a lot of shot, wads, powder, primers, and I bought a pair of NOCONA BOOTS made from Water Buffalo which I still have 45 years later that have been re-soled 3 times, I also bought a White Genuine Stetson Hat which I also still have yet today, they don't wear out, either one of them, if it were not for my swollen ankle I could wear those boots today and would.

That was the first of many $1,ooo of dollars I won at Camp Troy Gun club, one other thing we always ordered 2 Strawberry Pies at the Restruant in front of the club for that night, They held them for us and our friends for that night we got a lot of " Hey where's our's" Waitress would say they had their order in this morning for them.
Gary Bryant, Dr.longshot

 

Brad I know a couple more for your list you shot at: Missouri Fall Handicap that Steve Carmichael and you shot at, he talked about all the money you guys including Leo used to win there, When we talked at his last Fall Handicap when I was there at the old Las Vegas Gun Club.
How about the Car Shoots? And the Las Vegas Gun Club shoots Brad. Brad I know you relish those good ole money days like I do, you had a lot more of them Lots. I wish the shooters of today could be having shoots like we used to have, it's totally unbelievable to them, the wau it used to be, and the competition, competitive targets, everybody shot the same shells/different brand/ FEDERAL PAPERS.

 

Gary, I'm talking about the Physical Trap Club that is gone and not a money shoot. Hope this clears up any confusion. I'm starting to put to together a list of all the clubs, small or large, that I can remember shooting at that have closed. It will take me sometime to get it done.

 

a few ohio favorites
dover bay in bay village
fennwood near Sandusky
Rt 58 in Amherst
Winchester in chardon
Great eastern in walnut creek---on brad's list
Winchester club in Columbus

Just a few that I miss Motordoctor

 

Brad, you should add mason to your list, you took soo much cash out of that state they about went broke. LOL Zimmie
,

 

Mason is one of my favorite places to shoot, I'm glad they are making some headway. I hope I don't have to add it too my top 10 list. Is it true the food is back, they used to have the best eats in trap shooting. Brad

 

At Mason the food is back (Nip&Sip) as good if not better than you remember. Their smoked roast beef is as good as it gets!

 

Good list Brad, I enjoyed the education as I have shot at a lot of them over the years.

 

Well I guess you can add jaquas to the list

 

Sad to say it. Every club that I broke a 100 handicap is now closed. Jaqua's was only an hour from my house, my Aunt lived just across the tracks from the club and I can remember watching people shoot there when it was Fisher Brothers in the early 60's. Brad

 

You could walk across the street to get a release trigger from Mr. Schwaab.