Dumbo's Magic Feather and other fairy tales...

Dumbo's Magic Feather and other fairy tales... As a specialty gun dealer I get to listen to a lot of interesting reasons to purchase a new target shotgun. Some...,few...,are willing to admit they just want a new toy. Others have had the old gun for so long its starting to have some reliability issues so rather than spend a ton of money on a rebuild they buy new. On the rare ocaision I change shotguns, I try and change when I'm shooting really well...the logic is I can determine if the new gun will perform equal to or better than the old one. Unfortunately, many shooters look for a new gun when they are in a significant slump.(That means shooting well below their normal scores, consistently.)  Although it might make you feel better p...  Read More

Break the target with your eyes!

Break the target with your eyes!   I was working with a student the other day and he was having issues with repeating a practice target after breaking it a couple of times. He would learn the lead and do it right 3 or 4 times then miss it once or twice... OK, we have all done it but the question is why? It took me a while observing my student when I finally noticed the difference. The intensity of his eyes changed dramatically once he felt he had the target presentation mastered. In other words he got lazy. It's hard sometimes to concentrate on practice targets...especially after you have broken it 3 or 4 times in a row. Your mind wanders a bit and your intensity level falls off and you end up missing.  Missing in itself is not the ...  Read More

RECOIL...YOUR ENEMY #1

RECOIL...YOUR ENEMY #1 After two weeks of sitting in our new display trailer just off the shooting line at the Southern Grand and the Florida state shoot, I was amazed at how many shooters were getting pounded by their shotguns. Their shoulders and heads were snapping back due to recoil....ouch! Today's shotgun games (trap,skeet and sporting clays) should not inflict pain and suffering!  Individual shots don't matter much, however like a boxer getting hit with little jab punches, the cumulative effect can be devastating to the shooter over a 100 or 200 target event. Sooner or later a gun that hurts you will begin to negatively effect your scores.  OK, how do you solve the problem? There are a couple of interesting solutions that I...  Read More

7 1/2's or 8's??...

7 1/2's or 8's? As we sell ammo in the shop, a lot of my customers, particularly newer shooters, ask me a lot of questions about ammo and shot size. What brands are better than others? What is "dram equivalent"? What speed shell should I use? And of course the ubiquitous question ..... 7 1/2's or 8's? There is a difference in ammo quality...but not so much between brands, more so within each brand name the type or quality of the ammo varies greatly. Premium target loads like Fiocchi White Rhinos, Remington STS, Winchester AA and Federal Premium are all superior performers. We have our personal preferences but on any given day they will all outperform us! They all contain hard shot, good wads, clean burning consistent  powder and ver...  Read More

Options, Purses and Trophies...

Options, Purses and Trophies... Bob  Read More

Sometimes having your head examined is a good thing

Sometimes having your head examined is a good thing! Bob  Read More

Fabarm XLR-5 Velocity

Fabarm XLR5 Adjustable rib/comb auto. Weight as tested (empty) 8.2 pounds.  No additional barrel weights were put on the test gun.Pull trigger, 3.7 lb. We have had the XLR5 guns from Fabarm for a couple weeks now and today was the first time I had the opportunity to take it to the gun club and run some shells through it. All I can say is WOW! First impressions are important. My thoughts, when assembling the gun, were that this gun is built like Fort Knox.  No stamped flimsy parts in the action.  Big, tough machined steel and alloy parts look like a target auto should. The action spring is in the front of the gun around the magazine tube so no issues with long spring tubes going through the stock! Cleaning is a snap as all the parts ...  Read More

Shoot like a politician...really!

Shoot like a Politician... I know most of you think "politician" is a dirty word...I happen to agree with you in most instances. However, as shooters we can always learn something new by observing folks who are good at their jobs and relating it's application to our shooting skills. I use pro basketball players as an example of a pre-shot routine... watch a good player before he makes a free throw. You can watch him shoot 20 times and the routine he uses never varies.  We should use the same discipline in our pre-shot routine. Back to our politicians. During the course of my conversations with shooters at our gun club or when visiting other clubs for competitions, I hear shooters talking (complaining) about things that interrupt them...  Read More

Time is of the essence...

Watching shooters practice...or rather observing them... can be a learning experience in itself. I spend a lot of time doing this in the hopes that some form of enlightenment will come and help me with my shooting and give me an inspiration for this blog. By the way, I really appreciate the comments from you, the readers, good or bad, it inspires me to continue and to do my best to improve the content so you, hopefully, benefit from my ruminations. Last week at the local club I was shooting practice with some folks I had never shot with before. Although they were all pretty good shooters, the pace was such that I felt if I dropped a shell I'd lose my turn! Pull-bang, Pull-bang, Pull-bang....  Then me............. Pull bang! I think...  Read More

So it's winter...

OK...So its Winter....Some folks look forward to winter...not me.  I don't really consider clay target shooting a winter sport. (Unless I'm in Florida or Arizona at one of the winter shoots there!) So what does a clay shooter do when the weather is cold and snowy outside? Well, I know some of you go shoot winter leagues etc.., we don't have any of those around here and the few nice days we get I'm out there shooting.All during the shooting season I do routine maintenance on my competition guns. They get cleaned and oiled between each shoot and wiped down before being cased. However, winter provides us with the time to really break down our guns and thoroughly clean and inspect them for any signs of wear and replace things like reco...  Read More

Punxsutawney Phil and getting ready for Spring shooting

Punxsutawney Phil,Unlike the Pennsylvania rodent who prognosticates weather, I'm just getting ready for the 2019 trapshooting season to begin. Ol' Phil has a batting average around .500 when it comes to predicting weather. I would rather be 100% certain that I'm ready for the spring season by doing some preparation now!Planning the shooting year. I'm fortunate as I'm able to head to Florida for the Bill Jacoblen Shoot in Mid January. This really gives me a head start on the shooting season with some interesting Florida (Silver Dollar) targets. I can get a feel for what I need to be working on for the upcoming season. I take some serious notes during this shoot so I can review my performances and remember any issues when I return home...  Read More

If you can't see it you can't hit it!

If you can't see it you can't hit it! All athletes understand the idea of fitness as it is the basic engine for any athletic endeavor. To be "fit" is a very different measurement in many sports and fitness can translate to a need for endurance, stamina, strength, mental focus, etc. When it comes to your eye, having a fit eye is the fundamental key to performance of eye function. A fit eye is the one that is capable of providing critical focus and attaining heightened visual aptitude for sporting performance. The eye  must be able to react quickly to register visual targets. The eye must be able to focus with critical accuracy. The eyes must be able to maintain focus without diminishing performance over time. Your glasses...  Read More

Reloads and other mysteries...

Reloads and other mysteries.... OK, ok I'll admit it, I like to reload. It's kind of like my wife Janet's crocheting...I relax while I reload and it helps me unwind after a busy day. That being said, should you consider reloading or not? It's a great hobby and if you have the time to devote, it can be productive, relaxing and rewarding. You also have to be a shopper and snatch up any deals on components and empty shotshells. If you wander into your average sports store the retail price of components (+ tax) will usually equal and sometimes exceed the cost of new shells. I go to a few large shoots where vendors have shot, powder, primers and wads at near wholesale pricing. I'll stock up on whatever they have that's a good deal. ...  Read More

On to Sparta Illinois

Missouri to Minnesota to Maine and on to Sparta...It's been a while since I have written a blog. Sorry to those who read them faithfully. I really do appreciate your comments and the fact you spend your valuable time reading my blogs. Thanks!Lots of new stuff happening since late spring, we were vending out at the Missouri State Shoot in Linn Creek in mid May. The numbers were down a little bit, however the weather was OK and the folks were friendly and happy as always. We cooked about 500 Hot dogs for the shooters on thursday night and they raised some more money for the youth program with the miss and out after the hot dog roast.  We got the first demo gun of the FABARM Axis trap combo and had an opportunity to shoot it on the pr...  Read More

5 Stand at your club?

5 Stand 5 Stand... In case you hadn't noticed...sporting clays and 5 stand have really taken off in the shotgun shooting community. I'm still a trap shooter first and foremost, however I really like the other games to help keep my gun handling skills sharp.  5 Stand, in particular, is not only a lot of fun and can have some very serious targets but it takes about the same amount of time as a round of trap. For me this means I can sneak out of the office for a couple hours and shoot and be back for the afternoon calls etc... I put one of our new EZPull 5 Stand controllers at my local club. WOW, what a cool thing! We can have true report pairs, following pairs and true pairs just like real sporting clays.  The built in programmable tim...  Read More

Terry Jordan's Wall chart

Time to dust off the Wall Chart... My old friend, Terry Jordan, makes one of the best practice tools in the shooting business. He makes a large banner like wall chart that allows you to practice trap shooting in your basement or garage by dry firing at the targets on the chart. It looks just like one of the trap fields at Sparta and allows you to swing to the target and "see" the lead and dry fire.  There are small dots to the left or right of the target to give you an approximation of the lead you'll see when shooting trap. Terry developed the chart while looking for a way to keep his trap shooting game sharp during the winter months in his native Ontario, Canada. It tends to be cold and nasty most of the winter and his shooting pra...  Read More

The Future of Gun Clubs...

The Future of Gun Clubs... There was a recent thread on Trapshooters.com about all the gun clubs which have closed in recent years.  I was somwhat amazed at the number.  Many, of course, closed due to urban sprawl. Others just seemed to fade away...sometimes not that they are not being used...they simply lost money and closed. I talk with all kinds of gun club owners and managers every day as part of my job here at Target Shotguns, Inc. We sell a lot of different equipment to them and service a lot of their equipment. During my discussions with them I ask some questions like "How many targets do you buy every year?" and " What is your target loss percentage?".  Inevitably, the most successful club managers can almost tell...  Read More

Part 2 - The Fabarm saga Continues

The saga continues... We left our heroine on the tracks of the B&O railroad with the train bearing ....oops wrong saga. The Fabarm Axis combo and I seem to be getting along nicely.  After checking the impact point on the O/U barrels and determining they both shoot to the same point, I set up the impact to 90/10 and have shot about 700 doubles targets with them so far. Scores have been from 94 to 98. I'm writing this from the Missouri Fall Handicap and managed a 96 yesterday including a 50 on the second trap. I like it! The gun moves very smoothly to both targets and the #2 (Light Mod) and the #7 (IMP Mod.) absolutely toasted the targets using light 1oz. 7 1/2's for both shots. At this point I think I'm just going to le...  Read More

A New Adventure begins...

A new adventure begins... I actually had  no intention of trying a new gun...really.  However,  I was thinking a little about my doubles shooting  and how my trusty MX-10 was working out and I thought maybe some changes to the balance point would help a bit as the gun always seemed a bit muzzle light. The simple solution  is some lead tape on the underside of the barrels and a little experimentation to find the right amount of weight and the best place to put it.  Basically an afternoon at the range with the lead tape and a field set up for doubles. With a barrel light or muzzle light gun, it's easy to get the gun going to the target...it's also easy to stop or slow down the barrel...and that's what  was happening. I was pushing the...  Read More

How to run a National Sporting Clays Championship:...

How to run a National Championship:... To digress from the saga of the Fabarm combo, I thought you might like some impressions from the Sporting Clays Nationals in San Antonio. David, our IT Manager and I went to San Antonio to  attend the NSCA Nationals.  Talk about an impressive shoot! Over 2300 registrants during the week long event, shooting Sporting Clays, FITASC, 5 Stand, Sub-gauge events and special gun events!  Non stop action from 7:30 am. until 6:00pm. every day!  The targets on the course were set to National Championship standards, which meant you have to bring your best "A" game if you expect to win a trophy or place in one of the many events. There were lots of shots 40 yards and further and the FITASC course was very...  Read More

Grease and oil, answers to some slippery questions....

Grease and oil, answers to some slippery questions.... I know, I know, it's a terrible pun and title for a blog...I just couldn't help myself! During the course of the year, we handle hundreds of shotguns belonging to us and our customers. Some are sent to us to sell on consignment and others for simple repairs or shipping to their respective manufacturers for updates or repair. While in our posession, we inspect them for obvious (and not so obvious...) flaws and items needing attention.  On of the most common issues, other than dirt and grime, we encounter is improper lubrication of the guns. In many instances I am looking for the grease fittings on the gun because there is so much grease packed in there I can't imagine any other way t...  Read More

Doubles Tips and Advice for Beginners

So you finally get serious about shooting doubles and get some instruction and begin a practice routine and all of a sudden your normally consistent singles game becomes erratic and somewhat unpredictable... I know this happens because it's happened to me and at least a few of my students and fellow shooters. So lets look at some of the probable causes and cures for this troubling symptom... The best singles shooters I know (I'm not one of them...) are very deliberate shooters. They have a disciplined setup and pre-shot routine and are not noted for shooting targets exceptionally fast. Which, in my opinion is the best possible way to shoot great singles scores! If you watch any of the All-American shooters (Like Harlan Campell, Kenny D...  Read More