Three officers, six members, five guests, and three youth (seventeen participants) endured the high humidity and heat at the 6/9/07 Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Range (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707). We had a enough people to divide up into three groups to expedite the flow.
We shot the corporate (hunter) course. It was more challenging than usual, especially traps four and five. Station one features a high left to right bird that was fairly easy. It was followed by a right to left low screamer that you had to lead a bunch. Station two feature two incoming teal with the second bird higher than the first. Station three featured a left to right low screamer that you had to get before you lost it behind a big cedar tree. The second bird was a right to left floater that was dropping steadily. Station four featured a right to left outgoing bird that was dropping. This one gave stumped me; I went 0/4 on it. The second bird was an outgoing high bird that was angled to the right. It wasn't easy either. The fifth station feature a ridiculous rabbit that either hopped high or rolled down a little hill. Either way it was trouble. It was followed by a very slow right to left bird that was a slight incomer. You had to be a good foot under it. The last station feature two high right to left birds that flew almost identically (when they were thrown as true pairs they were less than five feet apart). After we shot our five report pairs some of us shot true pairs and two of us got both birds with one shot!
Joe Schram can in first place with 39/50 (his third best score). Richard Corbin came in second place with 33/50 (his second best score). Kenneth Kidd came in third place with 31/50. He was followed by Richard Garrett and I (Randy Rowley) with 30/50 (by far Richard's best score), Ken Miller and Ryan Rowley with 29/50 (Ryan's third best score), Bret Mercer and first time guest Perry Barrow with 28/50 (Bret's second best score), first time guest Barry Williamson with 24/50, Regina Kidd with 23/50 (her second best score), Tim Drell and first time guest Sean Cassidy with 19/50 (Tim's second best score), first time guest Mark Hejl with 17/50, and first time guest Austin Williamson with 11/50. Emily Corbin shot 9/28 (equivalent of 16/50). The combined group shot 399/778 (.513). Joe is now a member of the 500 Club (he has broken over 500 targets).
Kenneth, Richard Garrett, and Ken had a close competition. Ken went up by one bird over Richard and two birds over Kenneth on their first station. On their second station Kenneth took a one bird lead over Ken and Richard. On their third station he maintained his lead over Richard but Ken fell two birds behind Richard. On their fourth station Kenneth took a two bird lead over Richard and Ken gained one on Richard and now was only one back. On their fifth station Richard gained one on Kenneth and now was only one back. He also gained one on Ken who was again two behind Richard. On their last station Ken gained one on Kenneth and Richard but few short of tying Richard by one bird.
Bret, Perry, and I also had a close competition. On the first station I jumped out to a two bird lead over both Bret and Perry. On the second station I maintained my two bird lead over Perry but Bret fell five back. On the third station I went up by another three birds and now was five birds ahead of Perry and eight ahead of Bret. On the fourth station Perry caught me one and now was four birds behind. Bret remained eight behind me and four behind Perry. On the fifth station Bret caught me by two and Perry by one. Perry was now only three behind me and Bret was six behind. On the last station Bret went 10/10 but fell short of me by two. Perry caught me by one and also fell short by two.
Tim, Sean, and Mark also had a good competition. On the first station Sean took a one bird lead over Mark and a two bird lead over Tim. On the second station Mark went up by two over both Sean and Tim, who tied up Sean. On the third station Sean caught up with Mark and Tim fell one behind. On the fourth and fifth stations nothing changed. On the sixth station Tim caught Sean and tied him and Mark finished two behind.
Six shooters came early to warm up on the skeet field before shooting sporting clays.
Check out the Clay Target Shoots Scorecard for history, finishes, and averages.