Well trap season started up again tonight. I'm capitan of our team, we're called The Source in hopes that the local gaming store will come through on the sponsorship deal. If they don't well then we'll just deal and be goofily named. We have some returning cast and some new shooters. Rebecca and Dave and Shaun are new. Back again we have myself and Erik of course, and Tony, Sigrid, Rob, Eric, and Deanna.

Also on the new list, is a new barrel on my shotgun. Dad got me a 28" barrel and so I swapped it out for my 24". It swings very much nicer now. Like a real trap gun. Quite pleasing.

Tonight I did something dumb. I shot AWESOME. Durring the handicapping phase. Oh well.. I guess that means I need an awesome season. I hit 20 and 21. Oh well. I am hoping we end up in the bottom division again as we have some new shooters with scores in the single digits. Not that it matters deeply to us if we win or lose, but it's nice to feel sort of competitive.

For those worried about Mort after my last post, getting his pain under control has done tons for him. He's back to his old self, he stole the leftover steak I was prepping for dinner the other night.

Well we're plodding along. I am way ahead in the books. Some of the team is done. The rest of us could finish in the next week or two. I didn't shoot any in the book last week. I shot one round of practice with two shotguns.. neither mine. I hit 10. Which sucks.. but it was just practice to fill out a squad.

Scores are posted through week three. We have 4 pts. Which means we won two weeks and lost one one week. That seems ok.

Well regular posting is likely to return as trap season has returned!

Hmm.. I don't think I posted that a week ago yesterday I got stung by a bunch of bees while cutting the grass. I still have big angry red welts. So 8 days, still itchy. (this comes into today later)

Work is chaotic, we're trying to implent software that I don't really think is ready for prime time.

Now to the important stuff... Trap! Well we're not the geek posse anymore because we got tired of being called Posey. Posse, Posey? one's a group of people, the other a flower. Maybe next season we'll be the buttercups or the bluebells, but for now we're geeks with shotguns. I thought briefly about calling us 9 shooters 6 guns, which is true, but might keep people from buying one. Anybody want to sponsor a trap team? Too late for this season but we're on the lookout for spring.

New team, some new people, we picked up Gary, a co-worker of mine (and by no small coincidence co-worker of Tony, Erik and Deanna). Also new to us...Steve who shot pistol with Erik and I last winter. And Sigrid, who didn't make it out this week but will next week. Odie shot his personal best ever as his handicap round, maybe not the best move on earth, but I'm happy for him anyhow. Deanna shot for crap with my 12ga, the 20ga being still broken. The scorer was crazy.. I shot 20, 21, 23. Gary shot well for a new guy! So all was ok.

Long long ago in a state quite a bit south of here my dad had a metal stein on his dresser. In it he put his pocket change. I don't know what became of it before my brother and I were old enough to count change. I have fond memories of after. Dad would let us count the change and roll it into rolls and divide it evenly between us. Even if only one of us did the counting and rolling the proceeds were always split. This led to little windfalls of cash for us when we were kids. We loved this. We'd sit and meticulously count it all, roll it all and then divide it in half. Remainders that didn't make rolls went back in the mug. So I was small when I learned that little mountains of change can be large quantities of money. Sometimes in High School he'd still let us have his change long after we'd gotten jobs of our own.

Long ago, but not quite so long as the afternoons on the living room floor with my brother, in college I decided I wanted a dog, so I got a little blue glass jar and stuck all my pocket change and spare money in it, so someday when I graduated I could get a dog. It became known as the "Dog Jar." When I graduated it had enough money to get a dog, so the plan worked. I never really gave up the habit you see. But since it was sort of undirected random savings and the cash had stopped going in, just the change it hadn't seemed important to cash it in at any point. Well recently somebody observed that I had a lot of change. That in fact I had overflowing coin containers in every room. So this weekend I rounded them all up and stripped all the tokens, screws, paper clips and other detritus from the pile. I tried containing it in several things, all too small. Eventually I found a winner in the empty gallon vinegar bottle abandoned in my utility room.

Today I took it to the bank. $239.33. Also they gave me $6 for the chewed up ones I had. I deposited $100, and the rest is going back in the jar, because I'm saving for a shotgun, my beloved BT-99 Micro.

Girls on Fire!

This morning we met at the gun club under light drizzle to finish the rained out rounds from Wednesday and shoot the ones we had to skip. Despite being rained out Rebecca came back and got her first crack at shooting trap, she hit 2 and 6. Those are pretty typical scores for a person on their first time shooting trap. She's no Matt, that's for sure, 7 and 14 on his first two rounds. He's a trap shooting machine in the making. I got 18 and 20, both on the practice sheet. Also it was odd during my final round women outnumbered men on the line 3 to 2.

Deanna however was totally on fire today. She hit 20. No kidding. Her average is like 9.6 or something. Sadly this one was also on a practice sheet. I don't know if it's having her husband and kids watch, or getting rained on or what, but I'd sure like to see more shooting like that from her. Woo! I then went and told her husband she needed a shotgun that wasn't my broken one.

Rained out. Last night Trap was rained out. Our first 4 shooters got about two stations in, maybe three. Then there was the raining. With lightening. Also the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi fell in the river. So we lollygagged a bit before starting or we might have gotten some shooting in. We're hoping for makeup shooting on Saturday.

Tonight is movie night with Heidi. Hmm.. my life it is dull

Well the whole Geek Posse showed up last night. Everybody did really well. Deanna was spotted shooting with her eyes open. Pretty much everyone except Chilly made their average. I shot 20 in practice and 19 in the book. This week I was all about consistency in mount. You know what? If you put the gun in the same place every time you almost can't help breaking birds even when you're pointing poorly. Ergonomics really is everything in a shotgun.

I suppose that's why the BT-99Micro with the 13.5" LOP that Charley loaned me forever ago when I was shooting 6s and 8s let me hit 20. Because it really fit me well. Fortunately for me the Mossberg also fits well and only cost me $200. Anyhow... I think the thing I need to do now is make mounting identical, repeatable, and thoughtless. I think that'll get me the next few birds to move up from moderately good punter with an average of 17 or so, to good shooter with an average in the low 20s.

Well it was the first hot week of summer trap. I was sweating, and missing my sunglasses. Also the first week without a jacket and it showed in my mount. I have a series of about 10 little bruises across my shoulder where I couldn't find the pocket without an extra half inch of coat.

First round wasn't so good for me, but the second round worked out well. I got 21 in the book. If I can keep this up I'll be really happy. Everyone else did really well too. Tonight I have three shotguns to clean though as we packed up and didn't clean before they all got loaded in the car to come home with me.

Afterwards Heidi and I watched Operation Petticoat. I forgot how much I like those old silly movies.

It's Wednesday, that means trap shooting. I shot 14 and 20 this week I think. I know the 20 for sure and I thnk I made my average, which means I needed the 14. The guys all did well too. We got stuck in the B-division. We're more of C-division team. Hopefully assignments to the leagues were random and we'll do ok, even if we don't it's not like it matters if we get smoked, as long as we have fun. For those who really care here is the link to the scores weekly. We're in the B division, Geek Posse.

The weather was lovely, a good time was had by all.

Last night was nuts at Metro. It was week 3, aka you must shoot your first three scores week, and the previous two weeks the weather had been crappy. So.. there were about a million people there. Well not really but they had all 14 fields running, all with waits.

I shot 16 and 18, which means I made my average. Chilly's having issues. Odie however is clearly hitting his stride. Yay we are a fine fine team. Odie bought sodas for those of us who wanted to hang out afterwards.

I stopped on the way home and bought fuel, soon I will get over the extra $.30 a gallon that the new cleaner standards are costing me. In the mean time I will be bitter about fuel costs. Then I hit the DQ and drove home to watch Sense and Sensibility with Heidi.

New Trap Season Begins

Last night we shot our first two rounds of trap for the season. I'm officially the captain of our squad apparently. That's what I get for being the one to pay the team fee, we're apparently the Geek Posse. Well last season the team I shot on was called Shooting Blanks, so I guess this is a step up. Back again for shooting hijinks are Deanna and Erik(hereafter called Chilly). We've added Ken who is Chilly's son; Tony who works with Erik, Deanna and me; Eric (aka Odie) who I've known for years and years, we went to GAC together; and Tony's friend "Creepy Gamer Scott" who doesn't seem so creepy actually.

I successfully forgot my plastic ammo can full of all my trap shooting essentials like my belt pouch and safety glasses, and earplugs. Scott loaned me earplugs and I went on with my day, fortunately my coat pocket will hold a box of shells. Since neither Odie or Scott had ever shot trap before we set it up with the four of the gang who have shot trap before going first and Odie, Scott and I going second. I spent the first round explaining the finer points of etiquette and logistics to them.

Everybody did pretty well, especially considering some of them had never shot a single round of trap before starting the league. I hit 15 and 11, which are fine fine rounds to have as contenders for handicapping. Ken shot 22 and beat his dad by 4 pts, which he was insufferably smug about. I don't remember anybody eles's score.

Today I went trap shooting for what might be the last time this year, as the end is nigh, and the weather won't be great. I hit 18 at trap and 9 at sporting clays.

Mort's pink leg is due to knee surgery. He tore the ACL in his left leg. He's feeling MUCH better today. Soon we'll be in the hard to keep him low activity. He made his first escape attempt today... got half way down the stairs.

Well last night I attended my first trap banquet. Chilly's description was apt, loud, smokey and we never win anything good. See at the banquet Rick gives away tons of prizes funded by league fees and the slightly higher cost we pay to shoot league rounds vs practice rounds. When I say tons, he generally tries to make sure that 1 in every two or three people gets something. It may not be good but something. The first prize he gives out is always a fancy shotgun. I didn't win it. I did get a Gander Mountain hat and a $10 gift certificate to Sportsman's Warehouse. So not too bad. Oh yeah and a big trophy for my team getting second place in the C division for Fall Trap. Also despite shooting so poorly after trying to cut off my trigger finger I got the High Lady average in the C division. It says so on my trophy! I guess it can sit next to my 2nd grade bowling trophy for 2nd place. I think that's the last trophy I ever recieved.

We're thinking pistol league for winter, because it is indoors and warmer.

I suppose I've been quiet of late. No posts in almost a month. Well not being able to type will do that to me I guess. My finger is mostly healed. I'm typing with it but the sense of touch while there is just wrong. Sort of pain/tingle rather than normal touch. Apparently this is a good sign and it will get better. It is getting better, much better in the last week and a half.

Trap shooting has sucked. If you must stick a finger in a table saw, make it not your trigger finger. That said I'm apparently getting over it. I finished out the league. My scores stunk. My average dropped 4 pts. Which is a long way for an average to move over 5 weeks. Shooting with your middle finger and basically no grip will do that. I'm not recording any of these scores. We're done with league trap for the year. I might shoot a few more times this winter, but I want to take a week or three off and see if I can get my finger back to working before I try again.

Tuesday while shooting our shootoff rounds, oh yeah our team made the shootoff rounds, I met a guy from Moss Optical. He was chatting me up about the tape on my glasses. Asking if I liked it, why I did it that sort of thing. I explained the seeing two barrels and three birds and his response "That's a prism problem, I know the best eye guys in the business. We can put new lenses in those frames." He was so helpful and knowledgeable, I am thinking I'll go there as soon as the new year hits and get a new prescription.

Also, today is a bad day, my best boss ever just left the university. For good. He's gone to somewhere, he doesn't have a job yet.

There's something interesting/odd about shooting in a league. It means I'm always shooting with the same guys. And we've moved to Wednesday nights instead of Erik and Deanna and I shooting on Sunday. There's a lot more hubbub about shooting. When it was just the three of us, or maybe with Erik's kid, we went we paid we shot, we waited for a field we shot again. That sort of thing, with a bit of thoughtful huh.. I think I was doing this thing or that other thing or whatever wrong this time.

The guys on the team on the whole don't seem to think about their shooting much. I think for most of them it's an excuse to go out drink beer and smoke cigars. Which is a fine fine thing, don't get me wrong, but my scores have been dropping. Last night I shot a 15 in practice and an 18 in the book. And despite the not too stellar rounds I managed to beat Erik. So he and I decided we needed more practice. Given that I have plans for the weekend, and so does he I suggested lunch on Friday, then it looked on our calendars like today would work better. I hit 17, but I think it was a better 17 than the 18 I hit last night.

Oh and we tried a round of sporting clays. Erik's right. That's a lot of fun. I only hit 7/25 but I didn't know where they were coming from really. Maybe we'll try that again some time soon.

Well I joined a trap league. Chilly's old co-workers had a team with space on it. We shot the first two rounds in the book last night 21 and 18. I may regret this as they're going to be my handicap rounds, but oh well. We shot at night, so I was wearing my regular glasses not my sunglasses, and we were shooting under the lights. I sort of like the lights. There's no visual distraction. Just glowing white bead and glowing orange clay. Put them together pull the trigger, make dust.

Also apparently most the guys don't shoot full chokes. Who knew? I figured all the trap guys used full chokes. Most of them were pretty well set on taking the slop that the modified chokes gave them. I have to say I like having a full choke, the sight picture is always the same when I break birds, it doesn't allow for much slop.

The other interesting thing is these guys let any bird they aren't on go. They just call for another one. That's against the rules, and yet, they do it quite brazenly, multiple times per round. Whatever. I guess the league is pretty loose about such things. It's not a habit I'd want to get into though.

Mechanical Meltdown

Well trap shooting yesterday was a disaster. Not that my scores were bad. 21 the first round and 14 the second. Which means I cleared my 17 average for the day, but still a disaster.

The first round was ok for a while, but I was never sure why I was hitting the ones I hit, and I hit some I clearly thought I should have missed.

The second round was worse, standing on station 3 (I was shooting leadoff) I missed the first three shots and I couldn't figure out why, then I looked at my feet. Hello! Pay attention to what you're doing. They were turned so I was standing almost perpendicular to the house. Which makes chasing anything to my right near impossible, also, not a good stance for a shotgunner at all, which explans why I got hit in the jaw by the shotgun because my mount was thusly screwed up.

I just totally spaced off all the mechanical basics of shooting. Put your feet in the right place, put your gun in the right place, put your head in the right place. These aren't rocket science, but if you're screwed up with those three all the talent or luck in the world won't get you anywhere.

Well today was more trap shooting, on a Saturday instead of Sunday because Erik has to work Sunday. I shot for crap. Well you know the scores were ok, but mentally I just didn't have it together at all. The first round I was above the bird, ahead of the bird, behind the bird wherever, anywhere but on it. The second round about at the third station I noticed that anything moving to my left I could see two barrels and two birds, which means my tape was in the wrong place or too small. The end result scores of 17 and 19. Which aren't bad but I can do better. My mount was all over the place too, so I've got two brusies in completely different spots that are both the wrong spot for having a shotgun. On the up side, my lifetime average is now up over 10! which I have been waiting a long time for. My actual average over say 10 rounds or so is something like 18.

Also I filled out the form to be called about trap lessons. Sadly the guy called me back while I was at work and I never got back to him. I'll have to try again. I think I'm finally to the point where some learning might do me soem good. I'm know what I'm doing most of the time. I can see mistakes when I make them. I can see most the birds break, or not.

busy busy busy, that's me of late.

This weekend was crazy, Friday night there was gaming. Saturday Toad and I left the house at 6:00 to drive to Coralville, IA. There we looked at the swank new hotel and covnention center. It was quite nice. Then we raced off to the AnimeIowa meeting in Cedar Rapids, where we had the last meeting before the con. It went great, and we found currents staffers who might be interested in Registration for 2007! Yay!

Sunday was change mangement, so I was at work at 7AM, then trap shooting with a whole bunch of folks, pair of 18s for those following along at home.

Then some shopping, then to Kerry and Jon's for dinner.

DeNae broke her arm last Sunday and it was change mangement, so no trap, and no blog update.


This week I left her home and went trap shooting. We took Deanna too. She shot the cursed 20ga. Not so cursed for her either she shot 16 both rounds. That's pretty darned amazing for her 2nd time shooting and her 3rd and 4th rounds ever.

I shot 21 and 19. We then hung out around the club and had a soda. I'm thinking I'm going to try and beat together a team for a fall league.

Well it was another busy Sunday here at Camp Beagle. The day started with the usual beagle feeding and rumpusing. Then some AI email. Then trap shooting with Erik. Another beautiful Sunday morning at the gun club. Which is good because once again we ended up sharing a field with the slowest squad of four in the history of the universe. But, to add to their slowness they added a fifth shooter. At least their manners are getting better. A few weeks back they weren't even taking turns so we were all stuck waiting, several squads of shooters, for them to poke their way through two rounds.

To make up for it our first round Erik and I shot with the fastest shooters in the west. Well probably not, but they were fast, almost too fast. But it was ok, and I hit 14. Some I missed for no reason I understand. Others at least I know why I missed them. The wind was really up too.

Then another round of the pokeist squad on earth, meanwhile Erik found us a couple of guys to give us a squad of 4. They were both shooting for league scores. I shot leadoff, which is sort of unusual for me. I guess it worked for me though I hit 20 that round. The dedicated amongst you will notice this is tying my highest score ever. The one shot with Charlie's gun. If you haven't read the story of me falling in love with a shotgun you can click here. That was just about a year ago, two weeks shy of a year, if my math is correct.

Then I drove home where Eric (not the Erik of above) was waiting. He and I tore out what was rest of the deck. Well really I wheezed and he tore out the deck. While I shuffled around the yard moving bits of debris into the garage. It's a good thing he was there. I am not strong enough to run a sawsall for very long. Now we're just down to the concrete pilings. He and I dug one out. I have this to say. They're going to stink! I guess I know what I'm doing after work every day this week.

the miracle of frosted tape

Well after I got off work this morning I met up with Erik. You my loyal readers will then be shocked to learn we went trap shooting. Once again I employed frosted tape over part of my right glasses lens. It's amazing how much easier it is to shoot when you only see one barrel. I really think I need to go talk to an opthamologist, or optometrist or somebody about getting the persrciption for my glasses fixed. Currently everything in my right eye is clear, and my left eye is slightly fuzzy. This doesn't work out so well for the left handed shooter. Also I seem to have drifted away from having any sort of eye dominance. Every eye dominance test I can find instructions on how to perform either result in me seeing two of both the near and far object or being able to make either eye dominant. Thusly scotch tape. I got the idea because Browning has these Magic Dots that are very expensive static cling circles of frosted plastic. They want $15 for 6 of them in all 6 shooting glasses colors, that's a lot of tape, or tape flags. I'm still working out how much tape is necessary. Because the less tape the better the peripheral vision which is handy for those targets that run to the right.


If the only eye that can see is the one over the barrel, good scores result. 16 and 15 today. And in the first round I know why I missed several of them. Including the nap at the thrid station where I missed them all, because as near as I can figure my mind was wandering in the critical seconds between calling for the target and shooting it. Really, once I realized I was thinking about cleaning the fish tank, and the next shot I was thinking about work. Dumb. Anyhow, if I can manage to get around to not having a third station stretch I might get some really presentable scores soon.

43: 16
44: 15

Well it's another trap update, since this is half knit blog, half trap blog, half wild idea blog. Yeah I know three halfs for an almost never updated blog. I'm just so intimidated by it being a three halved blog I can't manage.

Erik and Peter and I went shooting at lunch today, since we weren't going to get to go this Sunday, that being Mother's Day and all. Once again I had a full choke and tape over part of my right glasses lense. Hit 13 the first round and 10 the second round with a pretty strong gusty wind coming in from the left side of the field. I'm happy. I think the tape is bringing my scores up, and the choke probably bringing them down a bit. No little near breaks or chips for me, it's either dust or nothing right now. I am however getting a really good idea of what things should look like to get a break. I'm still shooting over the clay a lot. (Clay touching/behind the bead or barrel) Also I was falling behind on shots crossing to the right. I think that's probably enough boring trap blogging for you all.

On to knitting. The swift worked great last night, and breaks down for transport as expected. I'm working on the pirate hat at my desk, because it takes too much concentration to work on the heel of Mom's sock at work. And I can knit a hat and read techical documentation, but I can't do the same with a heel.

Oh and I sent flowers to Mom for Mother's Day.

41: 13
42: 10

You! There with the pitchfork, and Sparky! over there with the torch! Look see the blog now with more updates. I would post pictures of my adorable niece and nephews but my brother isn't sending me any. I'd post pictures of my knitting but... um well I don't have an excuse there, except that there's this sock I'm knitting for Mom, for Mother's Day. But well.. um.. yeah.. I'll post some soon.

Tomorrow more not too interesting trap shooting stuff.

I've sort of been sucked under by AI related stuff and bacon related stuff. Also work not the funnest thing ever right now.

This is what happens when I run back through my old posts and collect my trap scores. I get excited with excel and discover I suck and I might be getting worse!

I guess on the up side I bought a truck tonight. It was payday. Oh and I got ice cream. It's a four day weekend and I'm going to Minicon. Seems like a winner all around.

because I know you've missed it

More Trap Shooting! Erik and I went out again today. Spring has sprung! Short sleeved shooting has returned. And with it, scores at my average.

Also I noticed that I've been doing something stupid. I noticed it because we had to wait for the slowest five shooters on earth. During this time I was watching clays come out of the houses... and I noticed I was doing something dumb. Staring at the starting spot over the house until I lost sight of the clay and then chasing it down again. Sure enough it's exactly what I was doing when I was shooting. So I tried fixing that.

Anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.spell.gifd getting a more consistent forearm grip, since for the first time in months I had no gloves and it was safe to touch metal and not get frozen to it.

Also.. opened up my stance a bit towards the house. I think when I'm too closed to the house my right eye takes over (which is bad since it's not the one over the barrel).

Hmm maybe I should find more variables to change at once. I think I need to work pretty hard on the grip/mount part of things at home and on the looking at the moving object part when I'm at the range.

37: 9
38: 8

Well I've shot four rounds of trap since I last blogged about it. I just don't know what to say about it. I guess I can say that combined the four rounds make for a decent score. (6,7,6,2) It's been sucky. I don't know what's different or why I suddenly can't hit ANYTHING. Not even the few I thought "Wow everything just went so right!" about.

Maybe this is the universe's way of telling me to join a smallbore league instead.

tToday is a big blogging day with everybody talking about the New Year and remembrences goals and what not. Leave it to me not to follow along.

Erik and I went trap shooting today, because it's the big membership drive day at the club, they have a potluck thing, and membership sales, and today the Beretta factory rep. So I got to shoot the brand new Beretta 3901 Ladies/Youth adustable model. The way it was set up was a bit short and the comb was rolled over to the wrong side (set for a RH shooter not a LH shooter like me) Regardless I rather liked the gun. But I'm not sure it's the gun for me.

I have to wonder if the shotgun world is on the edge of another major shift. In the last 2-3 years a whole raft of over/under shotguns have come out at a varitey of price points, aimed at the casual/recreational/club shooter. For a long time there was this void between say $400 and $3000. Which is a big void. Well now, it seems that everyone is coming out with a model for smaller shooters. Browning has both Micro and Ladies models on a lot of their popular guns (not the over/unders though oddly enough). Berretta now has a few RL (reduced length) or youth/ladies guns. Mossberg has them too. It makes me wonder if I shouldn't get a gun this year like I was thinking, but instead should wait another year and see what the choices look like. Will Ruger come out with one? What about a Browning Cynergy or Citori? The Mossberg International O/Us while Turkish made and not in a class with the Brownings and Berettas are nice, and about 1/3 the cost, will they come out with a short stock/small grip option?

I also made cashew brittle today. It worked unlike yesterdays horribly awry attempt, and DeNae and I went to the movies.


27: 8
29: 9

Well Chilly and I went trap shooting again. This time we took along Shaun. I could not manage the miracle of last time, where I could clearly see the clay and not the sights. I was ALL about looking at the sights. Nothing, nothing would go right. I hit 8 both rounds.

I actually hit better when I called for the bird with my eyes closed then opened them and tried to find it in the sky somewhere. Maybe I'll try starting with the gun higher on the house next time.

tinker gnome or redneck?

Well today I went in to work because it was Change Management Sunday. I got to work a bit after 7am and left a bit after 1pm. This is especially sad we were supposed to go trap shooting after we got done at 11am. Note we didn't get done. Something didn't work with a MSSQL Server Service Pack, and a dependent set of servers couldn't come back up til it was fixed. Probably just as well we didn't go with the high wind advisories and all, the clays are hard enough to hit when the wind gusts aren't pushing them around.

So I get home to discover Ed's been a puke machine while I was gone. So.. after hanging a new shelf and clothing rod for toad in the laundry room. I went to cleaning
the carpets. I got this rug shampooer vacuum machine from Heidi when she moved out west. It works great except it has a tremendous leak, so if you put the tank of solution on you have to keep it moving until you're done, or if you stop you have to pull the tank out. Well after cleaning all of my room, except the one corner that will have to be done by hand I decided to try fixing the machine. I dismantled it so I could see where most of the tubing went and feel where it went when I couldn't see it. I dagnosed the problem as being related to the secondary tube out of the tank. The primary tube supplies the bit that sprays the floor when you push the lever on the handle.

The leak turns out to have been in the supply valve for the upholstry attachments. I don't know if Heidi ever had them, but I don't. The tubing all the way down from the tank appeared not to leak, but the valve wasn't shutting so solution (or water in my test case just poured out of it). I went looking around the hosue for something to plug the secondary outlet on the valve plate. Well I guess I must have been disappointed about not going shooting cause I sacrificed an ear plug. I have a handful of these coated plastic foam ones rather than the regular foam ones. Well now I have a handful minus one. Plugged it up and TA DA! I couldn't blow air out of the valve with my mouth. Then I test fit it to the water... still dry. So now the whole thing is reassembled with some dye in the water and sitting in the tub so we can look for leaks. It had held the water for 15 minutes last I checked. Which is like 13 minutes longer than when it was leaking.

So? does this make me a tinker gnome? or a redneck (who else would do appliance repair with shooting supplies?) or both?

six shooters three guns

Well today we went trap shooting again. This time in addition to Erik and myself, we had Toad, betsy, Tony and Aaron. Betsy did great. She hit it 11 her first round. I don't much remember what anybody else shot. DeNae got 3 on her first round ever if I remember right. I did ok. I spent a lot of time thinking about what people around me were doing and not paying attention to what I was doing.. So not great, but the stations I felt focused on I did pretty well at. The second round was like (1,4,3,1,0) I'm also beginning to think this might be like bowling. If I bowl with good bowlers I bowl high scores, if I bowl with bad bowlers I bowl low scores.

All in all I think that despite shooting sort of pookey introducing three new people to the game made it an up day. I'm definitely becoming a member next year, and I'll probably buy a punch card. Also I think I might try and sneak out and shoot during the weekdays a bit more often, those old duffers who shoot trap all day really know what they're doing.

Erik was also talking about seeing if he could get Rick (who owns Metro) to set up a class for like half a dozen or so people. Since none of us have had any formal instruction at this, and who knows we might accidentally learn something.

17: 6/25
18: 9/25

More trap shooting today. Erik and I went with Carolyn. She hadn't shot in a long time. She did pretty well 6/25 twice, with different guns both rounds my 20ga and a rental 20ga. I spent more time with the Mossberg. I did a bit better. I had problems with getting a good picture again. I think I need to be up higher cause I don't really see the rib at all. Did ok though, first time in double digits since the 20 I shot with the BT-99. Darned tree.. eating my shotgun.

15: 9/25
16: 10/25

Storm update

Well... Friday Toad's Dad and I hauled off the trailer of brush and unloaded it. Then Heidi came back with the kids, and we cleaned up the back yard the rest of the way. (well save the tree that needs professional help) It was then dropped in front of the second brush pile. Saturday we loaded that up, and Monday night Tony helped me haul it off and unload it. So Woo! that's all gone.

There was a moment of panic this morning when the city/county came by and started picking up storm debris of the curb. I was afraid I was going to have to pay extra to have my tree hauled away. Turns out Nope... they're coming back, just maybe not any time soon. Oh well. At least they're coming back.

Saturday I'll be having the tree removed. They want to work on it when they're less tired as it is apparently quite dangerous the way it's tipped but not fallen. That's why I was sad about the city/county coming by and hauling stuff off this morning.

Also taking a bunch of new people trap shooting this weekend. I just have to figure out when to schedule it. We were all thinking Saturday morning but that's when they're coming to get the tree.

Trap shooting

Today Erik and I went trap shooting again. This time we took betsy. Well really she brought her self, but we wooed her into coming. I loaned her the cursed 20ga without telling her it was cursed. She did amazingly well, and the shotgun doesn't appear to be cursed for her. She hit 8/25 her first round and 7/25 her second. If you've never tried trap shooting and you want to, and you know me, call. I'll take you. It's fun.

Erik shot a great first round, then we made him shoot the second round left handed, and he still beat us both. I was shooting my Mossberg 500. Have I told you all I bought a 12ga? I bought a 12ga Mossberg 500 bantam. I like it a lot, and it doesn't hate me the way the 20ga does. I haven't been hitting real well with it. First time I took it out I hit 3/25 and 5/25 (then I noticed I had the full choke tube in). Second time it was out 6/25 and 6/25, and I've been working on not getting bonked in the nose by my thumb. I have a very rifle shooter like stance, and it puts my nose too close to my thumb. This time, I got my stance straightened out, hit 6/25 the first round and 9/25 the second. Not great scores, but I know why I hit the ones I hit, and I know why I missed the ones I missed. Which is a massive improvement.

I am still looking past the edges of my glasses. Not quite sure how to fix it but it does make the clay mighty fuzzy and hard to hit. I've also ordered the stock drop spacers for the 12ga, because with them in it should be nearly exactly the same fit as the Browning BT-99Micro that guy loaned me a while ago, and it should get my head where it belongs without getting me bonked in the nose every time I fire. Cause really getting bonked in the nose every shot leads to flinching in even the most stalwart of shooters.

9: 3/25
10: 5/26
11: 6/25
12: 6/25
13: 6/25
14: 9/25

more

more trap shooting.

shot crappy
7: 9/25
8: 5/25

there was wind. That was different as the birds decellerated they changed directions. I'm still not sure where this gun is hitting, cause at least some of the ones I hit I thought I should have missed quite badly. Patterning is in my future I'm sure

more trap shooting. hit 7/25 and 8/28 today. not so good. I was using my 20ga again. right barrel. The guys we were with were really fast. really really fast. So I felt rushed a lot of the time. I think I might be bruise free though.

I noticed definately that if the shotgun is canted I miss. Also it's easy to sort of cant the shotgun to cause the front bead to follow crossing birds and have it come all out of line with the back bead, thusly leading to yet more missing.

I think I like midday shooting with the old duffers better.

Also a question to ponder.. why do none of these guys ever move back? Why isn't there a league of people shooting anywhere other than the 17 yd line? They don't miss. I saw the five guys on the field ahead of us miss a total of two birds of 125. You'd think it'd be more challenging if they backed up.

I don't need more challenge yet, clearly. Also... I miss that sweet BT-99 from last week a lot.


5:7/25
6:8/25
Average 10.1
61/150 lifetime

hot, sweaty, bruised and in love

I just got back from Metro Gun Club where I shot another two rounds of trap with Chilly. I shot the first round with my 20 ga that had been cut down and had the safety fixed but no recoil pad attached yet. Well at least the safety was predictable in the switch positioning thing(even if I wasn't always smart enough to make sure it was off). Also I think it partially engages when the gun fires, so I'm never quite sure if is off or on for the next shot. I just need to add fidgeting with it to my loading ritual. Anyhow, it was a touch short without the recoil pad. But I shot an 8, which is still a respectable score for a third round of trap ever.

Well there was this guy shooting with us, Charley, and after that round while the scorer was reloading the tower offered to let me shoot his shotgun for the next round while he went and paid for a few more, because he hated to see people fight their equipment. (and my shotgun looked especially sad with the tape around where it was cut off and no recoil pad installed yet) So with a few words of instruction about the use of his shotgun went off to the clubhouse. By the time he got back we hadn't started shooting yet, but we'd picked up another pair of shooters making us 5.

Charley said "Oh if you haven't started yet wait! I have another gun in storage here that you can shoot. I'll be back!" and trotted back down to the clubhouse. Back he comes, with another shotgun, which he hands to me and tells me has never been fired, besides the six proofing shots, and that I get to take it on it's first ride. A little examination shows that it's another Browning. Oh dear.. It feels SOOO nice. A bit stiffer than his which was broken in a bit. I confirm that he really does want me to shoot it. I borrow a box of shells from Chilly (cause I was shooting 20 ga and this gun was a 12 ga)

The round begins, and I miss the first clay out of the house. My ball cap was too far down and I couldn't see over the end of the longer barrel and out into the sky enough, so I reversed it, no sun protection but it'll keep the hair out of my eyes right? I feel a bit bad as I'm waiting my turn that such a fine shotgun got off to an inauspicious start. I'm up. I call for the bird, and powdered it. I grinned. Charley grinned back at me (I shoot left handed so I was facing him). I proceed to hit the next three at station 3, and 20 of the 25 total.

I thanked him profusely for letting me take the shotgun out for it's first round, and told him he was a bad bad man for leading me into wanting a much nicer shotgun. He pointed out that it was probably mostly fit, and that I should find something with a single visible barrel and 13.5" trigger pull. Well with the recoil pad in place the fit on my 20 ga is similar. Maybe I'll go get twin beads set in my rib, and try mine again.

But boy was that shotgun nice. Mine bruised up my shoulder pretty good again, I figure the recoil pad should fix that though. Want to see a picture? Here is the Browning page about the shotgun.

Those who worry about me and such things(this means you Mark).. No I'm not going to go drop $1200 on a shotgun. I'm not crazy. But apparently shotguns are like sewing machines; and Brownings are like Berninas.
h

3:8/25
4:20/25
Average 11.5
46/100 lifetime

update on my trap shooting experience. I hit 7 and 11 and bruised the holy heck out of my arm. I know when I did it. I just didn't think it would be this bad this fast. That'll teach me to unmount the gun from my shoulder half way through swinging...but OWIE! I've got at least 5 extra colors on my arm, including this lovely cadet blue. I mean I know you call bruises black and blue but this is probalby the first of mine that's ever been really blue. It's also pink, purple(dark and light), red and tinges of green. I expect it'll go away quickly.. but right now it's something to see.

Well I'm back from shooting my first two full rounds of trap. I shot 7/25 and 11/25. Not too shabby. I'll have to give it another try soon.

Also I replaced both headlights in my car today. One of them was burnt out. I expect that means the other one was due to go soon anyhow.

Tonight I'm going to go see Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy at midnight.