Illinois shooters 465. Worse than sad @ Grand Trapshoot

Ohio will have more shooters in the prelims of the Cardinal Classic. I am not knocking any of you personally but cripes. PA has had that many in a Easter Meat shoot.

 

I'm not surprised. I wonder how many are repeat vs new shooters.
My honest opinion is trapshooting is alot like benchrest shooting. Less and less shooters every year .Kelbys have had the supershoot for benchrest for years. 2020 is there last year .not enough shooters and they don't get any paying work done in the shop for a couple of weeks .

 

Time off from work, fuel costs to get there. 20 hour drive? $1,000 in fees for the full event. Another $1,000 for ammo. Meals, Lodging, etc. Add it up. When it's over, post what it cost you to attend the Grand, and how many events you entered.

Close to no chance of winning, I'm not even a chihuahua, let alone a terrier.
Instead we can stay home, shoot the local big shoots, get into T&F once or twice a year and have lots of fun.

If the Grand were held in Ohio, I would be there now. If it were held at the Cardinal Center, I'd think about moving to Ohio! (Well, Southern MI, I'd never actually live in OH).

 

I think bsd speaks for a lot of us.
Travel is getting prohibitive with lodging, shells, fuel etc.
I constantly hear Grand is "In the middle of nowhere"
If you think about it " Nowhere " is a good place for a Gun club.
The problem is what it takes to get to Nowhere.
Cardinal is 21Mi. from my front door. I can handle that.


Regards....Gerald

 

Those Barthalow (sp?) Boys is having a field day, every time they swing the bat they get a home run ... Shooting lights out, making Browning Proud ... Hope they keep it up ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I haven't gone to the Grand, however I have a friend that does and he's there now. He keeps very accurate accounts of his spending. He tells me he allocates $6000 to shoot the whole program. I don't know if this is accurate for everyone as he bets on everything. But, I would be interested in know how much other people spend shooting the full program plus all additional costs.

 

The variables would be endless depending on what you play, where you stay, where you eat, how much shopping you do, and so forth … To each their own but think the days of going to the grand on the cheap are long gone unless your part of the Good Ol' Boys Club and you get your expenses covered … WPT … (YAC) …

 

Good for him. But I'd like to know his accounts recievable on, let's say the last 3 years of spending $18,000.

 

He is a very wealthy man.

 

And One would hope a very good shooter .....

Heck, I can take 6k to a Casino and be treated like Royalty for my donation ..... A 6k donation at the grand and you are still a third class member .....

 

Or, you can take 6K to any one of 7 or 8 casinos that you have the highest rating and NOT donate but hit a quarter
Quick Hit machine on a max bet of $1.25 and win $5,116.50
Or, a 3 Amigos 2 cent machine with a max bet of $3.00 and hit the Major for $3,600.00.
Or a 3 reel Double Diamond $5.00 machine for one credit and win $4,000
Or a Lighting Link nickel credit machine with a bet of $5.00 and hit the Major for $1,803
Or a Cleopatra ll penny machine with a $5.00 bet and hit the bonus for $2,951
Or,well, you get the picture.

We haven't paid for a room, food, drinks, top act shows, fights, and some airfare ANYWHERE in the states or the Bahamas where we played for the last 30+ YEARS.

Somebody hurry up and tell me why I should drive to that place in IL.

 

I believe I said total costs. Perhaps, you think he was donating to a motel, restaurant, or gas station?

 

I take, "to shoot the whole program" to exclude "a motel", "restaurant", "or gas station" ..... but, YMMV ..... to each their own .....

 

Trapshooting is an enjoyable sport. Most, if not all sports, cost money to participate. Very few will make a living from it. Shoot and enjoy the competition and fellowship.

 

The best post here by a longshot!

 

Gris,
I doubt you will get many to argue the points you made about trap shooting, can get just as much enjoyment for a lot less money and still maintain the fellowship and competition by going to the club and shooting with a bunch of friends … Hell, we used to go up there and shoot for quarters, had a ball and didn't have to sit and wait all day … Then there is always the fresh burgers and a beer or Pop at the Wild Horse on the way home … WPT … (YAC) …

 

I checked shoot scoreboard dot com for the number of IL shooters at the IL State Shoot. The total was 464 for the week.The way I understand the figure is at least one event.

http://shootscoreboard.com/entrys.cfm?shootid=683

 

I guess if you want to go to a casino and make some tribe rich go for it. Doesn't take a lot of training to play those machines I think a monkey could be taught to do that easily enough course they are a few of them on here.

 

And here you are posting. Where do you want your banana sent? That place in IL.?
And if you let those airplanes bother you and blamed them on your poor scores maybe you weren't quite ready to shoot the big events there.
Myself, I never noticed them.

 

Where in my post did I mention airplanes

 

Flyer very good at reading between the lines...
Even if there's nothing there!

 

8/15/15
Remember this little gem you posted?

"I will take cornfields for background over planes any day."

 

OOPS! Look like there might have been a little something there huh?

 

When you mention monkeys don't forget to include the good ole boys that brought you softer targets, reductions, extra classes so you feel good on the way home AND keep coming back and paying the fees, and the all time winner, PULL LLC.

A fantastic direction I tell you!

 

How about you 101, banana for you or just the daily Kool-Aid ration?

 

I like bananas ( lots of potassium) and Kool-Aid ( cherry is my favorite flavor)!
Not too often, though. Pretty sweet.

 

Yes I said that a couple of years back so what I don't believe it cost me targets just not very pleasant and if you claim you didn't see the planes you are windbag.

 

I just met them and watched them shoot a bit. They are really big strong guys. With great personalities!

 

Well yeah, I said that but forgot I said it. I didn't think anyone would search my old posts and call me on it. Sorry 101

There you go 88 from the 20. I fixed your post for you.

YOU SAID IT BUT YOU FORGOT? You got so excited when you thought you were going to take a swipe at me that you FORGOT that you had said something. THAT is a perfect example of a "windbag". Before you post the next time you might want to go back and read your old posts first. It could prevent that, "damn I feel dumb" feeling you had when you saw it in my reply.

You said it but you forgot? I won't even bother with the SO WHAT part.
That should be the ata motto.

Yes we screwed the pooch by moving to that place in IL.
But SO WHAT!

 

So you never noticed the planes or the noise from them when the pullers were trying to here our calls or tell us our scores on changing posts. I find that hard to believe and I will take cornfields or the background at the Grand anytime over that old place anytime. Oh and good luck on todays big one are you shooting. I am having a great time here broke a 94 yesterday from the 25 not good enough for anything but feels good. Hope to do a little better today.

 

We stopped shooting one day as a courtesy to Hal DuPont (Kreigoff ) to walk over from his Lear jet at the end of the run way … Got picked up at the same spot later in the day so he could go home and sleep in his own bed … The people who were there and shot it appreciate it for what it was and had been for many years. the others will never know … Trying to explain it to those who were not there would be kind of like talking to a Toaster … WPT … (YAC) …

 

jd8820.....I never was bothered by the planes. Cripes, I was at the greatest trapshooting venue ever. How the hell could you notice the planes sitting on a runway when you were shooting for enough money to buy a really nice house or two. I can only guess you were never there. A statement of ignorance I am sure, thrown out to make a few chuckle.

I earned enough money to go to college at the that place, beer money, .and monies to pay for some nice guns. Were planes there? Gosh what a view!!!!

I am not knocking your chance to shoot in Sparta. Good luck with that. Why don't shooters support it? Could be it isn't so grand?

 

As the OP I should re-visit the number of Illinois shooters. For reference this is Sat the11th. Original post was Tues 7th. In that gap 4 more shooters from Illinois made their way to Sparta. Congratulations Illinois. You have made the shoot what it is today.

469 shooters

 

No I was never bothered by anything when I was on the line at VANDALIA. You apparently let things "bother" you. Maybe that is why you are breaking 94's and getting NOTHING but a warm and fuzzy feeling. If we didn't hear the puller, for whatever reason, we did what anyone with any common sense did. We asked if she would please say it again.
Holy S*^t,, if that little thing bothered you no wonder you never had your picture in Trap & Field or collected a check for thousands of dollars. That was the goal then you know. To WIN MONEY! The picture was just a little bonus.

I guess you can be happy with making yourself feel good but remember that old saying, you keep doing that and you're going to go blind.

The puller didn't hear me call. (CALL LOUDER) The airplane bothered me (LEARN TO CONSENTRATE ON THE FRIGGIN TARGET) I couldn't hear the puller when they said move.(LEARN TO COUNT TO 5) Nothing but excuses.

Hell, if that bothers you I would hate to see what someone yelling at the top of their lungs from 10 feet away did to you. Yeah that's right, you have over $600.00 invested, you're 20 straight in the last ring and a chance to win THOUSANDS of dollars, and some guy with a few too many Yinglings in him decides he is going to rattle you and see if you have rabbit ears.

I didn't. Never did. So a girl not calling out the scores or changes and an airplane off in the distance didn't really bother me at all. You? Sounds like it bothered the hell out of you.

I hope you look at those cornfields for the rest of your shooting life. I said it before and I'll tell you in case you missed it.
I hope that shoot NEVER leaves that place in IL. No matter what it costs

 

Perhaps there is more reader interest in the many thread comments here about bed bugs and why the ATA left that place in Ohio over 13 years ago. Who cares about how many Illinois shooters attending some shoot? Flame away... Ed

---------
Ed- this an open forum. Posting that you object to the topic is taboo. joe

 

Ed,

It doesn't keep me up at night but I would be interested in knowing why the attendance number is relatively small. Illinois was once one of the States with high ATA membership and I would have expected double the number of shooters over present competitors.

Who should care is ATA leadership. Perhaps they might consider asking shooters from Illinos and western States why they do not attend the GAH. Knowing the reason might be helpful in evaluating ways to increase attendance. Just my thought on the subject.

I'm not qualified to speak on the subject of bed bugs, nor is it of interest to me, so I'll stay silent on the issue.

HB

 

I never said it cost me targets I said it was easy to be distracted if you didn't stay focused. In 1995 I won more money in the Bud Handicap then your so called live event which you claim you handled with ease. The way I have got you hot and bothered on this thread pretty much confirms you are not as cool as you think Have a nice day I am.

 

HB,
I can only speak for myself .I started shooting in 1986 .My first year at the state shoot I just made the target cut off .I was a d class shooter and started to shoot alittle better. I broke a 193 in d class and thought I had a good chance to win d class. Along comes a d class shooter/ sandbagger by the name of Bob Davis. Low and behold Bob breaks a 198 or a 199 in d class .By 1990 I'm shooting better and got a couple of punches to the 22 yard line. I'm feeling better and getting more comfortable .along comes our state shoot. I shot so bad that I was too embarrassed to hang around. I walked straight to my car from the last trap loaded my stuff up and left. After a couple of years layoffs I decide to shoot again .I went to the fall handicap shoot at the frontier gun club in indiana. It was still a decent shoot that paid good .I signed up for the handicap and player everything. I wrote them out a check for it .I break a 97 and win the shoot by myself. I go to collect on winnings and all they have me down for is targets .I made them get my check out and look at it .they didnt have a explaination for it .I got tired of arguing with Steve and veldon Smith and left. I think since that time in 93 or 94 I've shot maybe 5 or 600 targets .lol I still don't have any plans to start up again .I think that veldon is dead now and his son Steve Smith is in prison,right where he belongs.

 

Mr. Kennedy,

We all make mistakes occasionally, but its all in how we recover.

They should have made it right, acknowledging you as the handicap champion and paid you.

Shame on them and those lacking appropriate character to truly belong to our trapshooting sport. Integrity is everything . . . in trap shooting and in life. We should all make every attempt to drive cheaters out.

I'm sorry this happened to you and can only hope you continue shooting and enjoy the great fellowship.

As for me, I lost the passion to shoot and don't know why. Sure hope it comes back someday soon. I pushed myself to go to my old club last evening. Left the gun in the car and just shot the bull with old and new friends. Perhaps on my next visit I'll take an old trap or two and give them a little history lesson.

This is one great sport so keep shooting as long as the spirit moves you. Feel free to send a little spirit my way if you've a mind to. I sure could use some.

HB

 

I was never a threat and I knew that. I broke 100 straight once and since that time I think maybe I've broke a few 93-94s .lol I guess you could say,I was never good enough to have been a has been .lol .

 

On your best day you couldn't get me"hot OR bothered", you're not that bright.

You said? It's easy to be distracted if you didn't stay focused?

YA THINK ? What a revelation. I'm sure that all of us that started over 40 years ago never realized that.

Since I never said the amount of money I won how in the hell can you claim you won more? Just what is a " so called live event"?

Maybe just a reflex answer because you didn't think it through first? THAT could be a sign that someone is hot and bothered.

 

HB,

I still enjoy hearing the gun go bang, and smelling the powder at our LOCAL club but NOT ATA shooting any more.

Not only would I have to travel 50 miles to get to the closest ATA shoot, but my BIG reason for not registering targets any more is because of what I have found out about how the EC and others have run the organization.

If I hadn't found so much information out, and was oblivious to the Back Room deals that take place, who knows ? I may still be an ATA member shooting for trinkets.

I certainly enjoy the small group of trap shooters at my local club, and still get to shoot the bull about the old days with some of them.

Hoping you get your "Spirit to Shoot" back soon...We all know how much you enjoyed shooting Registered, Practice, and the Bull. From what you have told me, your local gang loves to see you coming, so you know you would be a welcomed sight with your Gun in hand.

Thanks for all you have provided for us on here !