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 practice fields while in MO. I am truly impressed with the gun and its capabilities. It "feels" good in your hands and points easily. Dennis Taylor, my cohort in mischief, and I shot it at 16 yards and Handicap. (27 yards). The IM choke vaporized the singles targets and the Full choke tube put the fine grind on the 27 yard clays. We were using Federal light 1 1/8 oz #8 for singles and Winchester Super Handicap 7 1/2's for the caps. I felt the recoil was light to average with the single barrel and Dennis agreed with me. My personal gun has a recoil system on it so I moan and groan about any gun with a wood stock...this one I could shoot though. Dennis, who says I am a wuss, felt the recoil was very manageable and felt about the same as his tricked up Caesar Guerini combo.
We didn't get the opportunity to shoot doubles with the gun... however we did do some pattern work with it and found the POI to be consistent with what the owners manual states and the patterns with the choke tubes were as good as any we have tested in the past...and better than some expensive guns. The Axis shares the "Tri-Bore" system with the XLR5 guns and they shoot very consistent patterns. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to shoot some doubles with the O/U at the Grand. We'll have some demos there so come and shoot one! We have some Axis guns in stock and they are ready to go! Call us for some great intro pricing!
Next came the NC State shoot. We had some great weather this year and the numbers were up a bit. Shooting at Bostic,NC was as good as ever. I managed a couple of doubles trophies for my efforts and am pleased with that! Dennis Taylor won a bunch of trophies too using his Caesar Guerini combo. I think he won about 6 Veteran titles...good shooting Dennis! We are shooters here at Target Shotguns. If you have a question about a gun, we can help. I have a former World Sporting Clays champion as an instructor here as well as an All American Skeet Team member to help with skeet questions. We want to sell you the right gun the first time! Call us and ask, we are here to help.
On to Minnesota... Why, you ask? I have been working with an electronics design engineer there on some completely new integrated voice release systems which can include wireless target management. These systems are ready to go for Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays, 5 Stand and FITASC Sporting and Super Sporting Clays. They can be used with or without a RFID Card reader system. Clubs needing complete target management systems now have a single source... Target Shotguns, Inc...US! We will have all the systems on display at the Grand American. Come visit and take a look at the future! Made in the USA!!
Now it just so happened,(my wife was not convinced of the coincedence...) that the Minnesota State Shoot was on the same weekend as my planned visit to Minneapolis! So, since we have many good customers in Minnesota, I felt obligated to attend the State Shoot in Alexandria. What a great shoot! The folks were friendly and the targets great. Mark Zuahar (sp?) an and his buddies cooked up some of the best food I've ever had, I even won a few bucks with a 50 straight in Sunday's handicap. If you haven't been to Minnesota, put it on your bucket list of places to go! Oh, one more thing. Innterstate 94 runs directly in front of the trap line, don't say "pull" when one of those orange Schneider trucks is coming by!!
My wife, Janet, and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this August 4th.... Which happens to be right before the AIM shoot at the Grand. OOPS... Now, I have been promising her I'd take her to Maine and eat all the lobster she wanted for a long time. Time to make good on my promise and go. We did and had a blast! I did get to visit our friends and customers at the South Berwick Rod & Gun Club.They were really suprised to see me, and I was delighted they were so pleased with their new Canterbury Wireless trap systems.
Leaving for Sparta for the Grand American this Saturday. Hard to believe this is my 35th Grand. Please come and say Hi if you are in Sparta! We'd love to see you. That's all for now, shoot well and thanks again for reading the blog and visiting our site.
-Bob