Headed for the Grand

[John Davis]

Leave tomorrow for the Grand American. Very excited, as this will be my first trip. Planning on shooting in the ATA World Clay Target Championship on Thursday. It's a 16 yard, 200 bird event. I'll be shooting my SB. I suspect she may be the only Parker in Sparta, Illinois. Hopefully I want embarrass myself or the gun too bad.

[Randy G Roberts]

I used to go every other year when it was in Vandalia just to peruse the vendor tents but I have not made the trip to Sparta. Even though I am not a trap shooter it was something to behold. Good luck to you and your Parker John!

[Buddy Marson]

John, Best of luck. Have fun!!!
Buddy

[Gary Laudermilch]

Hope you enjoy your trip to Sparta. I was there once with kids shooting the Scholastic Clay Target program. It was one of the hottest places I have ever been and there is very little shade. I would take a beach umbrella if I were you. Good luck and have fun.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Go get them John, any Missouri boys going? gary

[Chuck Bishop]

Good luck John. I miss going to Vandalia every year. Won't ever go to Sparta for various reasons. Shoot well!

[CraigThompson]

Years ago I really wanted to do the Grand in Vandalia and the World in San Antonio but never did either !

Best of luck and get em all :cool:

[Tom Flanigan]

Good luck with your SB John. I shoot your SC Shelly Gitman gun three times a week and it draws attention. I love the gun and it fits me like a glove. Do you have any idea when Shelly bought this gun? Who did you buy it from? I'm hoping he used this gun in the Maccabi (sic) games in Isreal but I guess I'll never know. Any additional information you might have on the gun would be appreciated.

[Pat Dugan]

Have you ever posted pictures of your SB, how long are the Barells ???

[Jeff Christie]

John— was yours the only Parker SBT (or even a sxs Parker trap) at the Grand? I expect not. Even at our tiny little Ike Walton local range we frequently have two and sometimes three SCs. The kids look at them with quizzical smiles.

[John Davis]

As best as I could tell, mine was the only Parker SBT on the grounds except for those in the museum. Most the shooters didn't know what to make of her.

[Dean Romig]

John, did you shoot it well?





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[John Davis]

Dean:

I only shot in Event 21, 200 target Singles Championship. I shot 197 x 200. Ran 140 straight before I missed my first bird. Then ran another 44 before my next miss. Not good enough to make a shoot off but I was very pleased.

As an aside, about two weeks before I left for the Grand I lost the front bead sight on my Parker. Kept on shooting her and realized my scores were improving. I had Brian Dudley make me a plug screw and never looked back. I suspect I was shooting the only Parker at the Grand. I know I was shooting the only beadless Parker at the Grand.

[Dean Romig]

John - you hot shOt !!

What a great score! And 140 straight - whew!

We’ll start a new mantra...

“Beads on Parkers are overrated!”





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[Bill Murphy]

My friend and neighbor, Townsend Breeden, regularly shoots his graded Parker singles at big shoots. I don't think he attended this year's Grand though. Check out his articles on trap guns in Double Gun Journal and our collaborations on trap guns owned by John Phillip Sousa in Double Gun Journal and the Remington Society magazine. He is a very active ATA shooter, winding down a long career in trap shooting. His A-1 Special Runge gun is one of his favorites.

[Chuck Bishop]

John, many trapshooters shoot with the front sight either off or blacked out with a black marker. Helps to keep from aiming and looking at the sight instead of the target. Without the frontsight, the gun will shoot a little bit higher which you seem to like. Great shooting!

[J. Scott Hanes]

Most of the PGCA members likely don't know it, but there has been a "Nostalgia" shoot at the Grand over the past 5 years. Remington took over the sponsorship of the event this year to introduce the 'new' Peters target loads. In that event there is a restriction to shotguns that are no longer in production. The initial years, under Federal's sponsorship the Winchester M12, Remington M31 and Ithaca SB were allowed.

This year, Remington allowed the M10, M11, M29, M11-48 and M32. Also included were the Winchester M21 and M97 along with the prior guns (M12 and Ithaca SB)

So...I asked the man in charge: "Why no Parker shotguns?" The answer? "I goofed up!"

So...assuming that the shoot will be held and sponsored again by Remington (it is planned for), they should be including the Parkers.

Here is how the event works: [it is held on Tuesday of the main week]. Shooters must sign in and register at the Remington building between the prior Wednesday and the Monday before the shoot to shoot their qualification round to be one of the 100 finalists.

Qualification rounds are 25 targets from the 23 yard line. Q-rounds can be shot any of the 5 days prior to the finals on the practice fields in front of the permanent vendor buildings. Shooters are limited to only one Q-round and eligible guns can only be used for one Q-round.

The top 100 qualifiers will have their names, squad numbers and trap assignments posted in the Remington building Tuesday morning.

The top 100 will shoot off from the 23 yard line on 10 fields immediately following the day's program doubles event. Remington will furnish all Peters shells. The ATA will furnish all the shootoff targets. Each of the top 100 shooters will receive a free shooters gift pack from Remington.

The top 100 will be shooting off for 1. An 1100 Competition Shotgun (this may change) + 10 cases of Peters trap loads, 2. 8 cases, 3. 6 cases, 4. 4 cases, 5. 2 cases.

Most of the guns were, of course, Winchester M12's. However an Ithaca shooter did place this year. SO...if you have a suitable Parker shotgun [also assuming that they are included in 2020] and can make it to Sparta, get practiced up for next year. It is a lot of fun!!

Scott Hanes

[Dean Romig]

If Remington indeed sponsors it in 2020 it certainly can't be a true "Nostalgia" shoot if the Parker Shotgun, in name, owned by Remington, isn't included.






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[Paul Harm]

Or their model 1894 F grade SxS trap guns. Apparently the fellow from Remington knows nothing about old trap shotguns. Maybe I'll mosey over to the Remington web site and leave a message to try to correct the problem.

[Bill Murphy]

Don't wake anyone over there.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Just happened to catch this thread, sorry I didn't catch it sooner. I'd have had Dad catch up with you and buy you lunch.

Destry

[John Davis]

Big D, maybe next year.

[Bill Murphy]

Tom Flanigan, Shelly Gitman shot modern competition guns at trap, including the Macabee Games. The first time I met Shelly, decades ago at a West Virginia sporting clays competition, he was shooting a Diana or Grade 5 Superposed, in a driving rain. Kevin McCormack knows what Shelly shot at bunker trap. Kevin shot with Shelley's on Shelly's own bunker in PA. I shoot Shelly's SAA Parker. It is a beautiful Bob Runge engraved gun.

[George Davis]

Hope you took the L.C. Smith SBT along. Break them all!!!

[Tom Flanigan]

Tom Flanigan, Shelly Gitman shot modern competition guns at trap, including the Macabee Games. The first time I met Shelly, decades ago at a West Virginia sporting clays competition, he was shooting a Diana or Grade 5 Superposed, in a driving rain. Kevin McCormack knows what Shelly shot at bunker trap. Kevin shot with Shelley's on Shelly's own bunker in PA. I shoot Shelly's SAA Parker. It is a beautiful Bob Runge engraved gun.

Thanks for your response Bill. I'm just seeing this. I've spent the last few weeks deer hunting. I managed to take the second biggest rack of my 55 years of hunting. He was only beat by an 11 point monster I took in Saskatchewan. I saw many smaller bucks but we only shoot 3 1/2 year old deer or better on the property. I did have a shootable 9 pointer around my stand but I couldn't get the shot I wanted. I am very picky about the shots I'll take. All of the deer I took this year had stomachs filled with the sorghum we planted. The deer and pheasants love it. Now I'll be giving the pheasants and grouse a hard time with my little setter Jesse.

[Daniel B Sweet]

John,
Best of luck, show those fancy new guns what a very senior gun can still do.:rotf: