Pigeons.....

[Bill Murphy]

Parker pigeon guns are a strange lot. No safety is the main feature. Then you have "no extension rib", then the flat rib, but it is a rare gun that has all of these features. I've had most of them on one gun, but never all.

[John Davis]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

Shooting trap over the Detroit river at the Bayview yacht club requires that you shoot steel shot

We were required to shoot nontoxic which was provided by the club, at a cost. Not an inexpensive endeavor.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by John Davis

We were required to shoot nontoxic which was provided by the club, at a cost. Not an inexpensive endeavor.

I inquired about getting an invite to the Philadelphia club with some of the guys I shoot with in WVA and it didn’t sound like a very viable option . John correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the dress code there for a boxbird shoot require you to wear a tie ?

[John Davis]

It does. And they had them available for purchase as well.

[MarketHunter]

Shooting at Philly with John was one of the highlights of my "career" as well. I've also shot off the dock at Bayview Yacht Club! It's good to know people who have the money to be members of these institutions so they can invite us poor folks.

John I'll continue to keep you posted on the shoot schedule at this new ring. My shooting has fallen off so badly in the past few years that I'm almost embarrased to pull trigger in front of anybody anymore, but I'd shoot with you anytime as long as there wasn't money involved. Hah!

Destry

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Destry L. Hoffard

Shooting at Philly with John was one of the highlights of my "career" as well. I've also shot off the dock at Bayview Yacht Club! It's good to know people who have the money to be members of these institutions so they can invite us poor folks.

I was also told at Philly during any match the members recieve two mulligans and guests got one mulligan . Was this the case when you guys were there ?

[John Davis]

No mulligans were offered when we shot there.

[John Davis]

When Destry and I were at the Philadelphia Gun Club we shot under the nom de plumes Fred Kimble (me) and Captain A. H. Bogardus (Destry). When you toed the line, they would announce over a loud speaker, "Fred Kimble now at post." The following is an account of the match as published in Parker Pages.


"Philadelphia, Penn., January 10, 2009. Editor Parker Pages: - Epic struggles deserve chronicling, and the battles between Captain A. H. Bogardus and Mr. Fred Kimble are no exception. The story began some three years ago when these two shootists first met on the fields of glory in Sanford, North Carolina. In their initial contest, the good Captain was victorious over a very green Kimble by only a very narrow margin. Their second meeting occurred once again in the spring and on southern grounds. And once again Captain Bogardus proved to be the champion wing shot he claimed to be. The third meeting was a different story, as Kimble managed to best Bogardus by a single clay target after two grueling days toeing the line.

Now a fourth match has taken place. But this time north of the Mason-Dixon line, and with live pigeons. The contest occurred on January 10th last and the purse was $100 and an engraved, sterling silver pocket watch. The match was hosted by the old and venerable Philadelphia Gun Club of that Quaker City and our brothers in arms were the guests of the ever genial Mr. Kaas. The day proved cold and snowy, and the sky gray and heavy.

Both of our heroes were sporting Parker shotguns. Bogardus was shooting a weighty DHE with 32 inch tubes choked improved cylinder and fuller, while Kimble shot his BH, sporting thirty inch barrels choked modified and full. Stationed at the thirty-one yard mark, each pigeon popper faced five traps which overlooked the great Delaware River. This was originally slated as a thirty bird race but was cut to twenty-seven when the pigeons ran short. Kimble led off the match and managed to go five straight before losing his sixth bird, dead, but out of bounds, followed shortly thereafter with a clean miss on number nine. Bogardus placed himself at an immediate disadvantage when he missed his first and third birds, but in true champion form the Captain proceeded to kill his next seventeen straight before missing his twenty-first feathered target. Kimble’s next misses came on birds twenty-two and twenty-three, both being screamers straight out of the box. All was even after Bogardus tripped on his twenty-fourth bird, each man being down four. And even it would stay until the final bird. Kimble finished his round with a clean kill on twenty-seven. It was now Bogardus’ turn at the line. A dead bird would leave the match at a tie; a miss would send Kimble home with the watch and the money. The good Captain called, “Trapper! Ready?” The trapper replied, “Ready.” “Pull,” shouted Bogardus and the bird sprung from the trap. The Captain fired twice and as the smoke cleared the unfortunate pigeon fell dead but out of bounds. Such is life in this game we call pigeon shooting. But there’s always next time, my good Captain. Gaucho"

[Mike of the Mountain]

Todd, my go to clays gun is a Parker VHE live bird gun, 32", high vent rib and choked F/IC, no safety. It is by far my favorite target gun. I never shot pigeons with it yet but it did do me well on Helice. I also had a 32" Lefever LBG, Damascus, choked F/F, no safety. That gun turned targets into dust clouds. Sold it to a good friend and he enjoys it now.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

I inquired about getting an invite to the Philadelphia club with some of the guys I shoot with in WVA and it didn’t sound like a very viable option . John correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the dress code there for a boxbird shoot require you to wear a tie ?

Oh well, count me out!!