Milestones

[John Davis]

I shot ATA style trap for the first time in March of 2018. It was at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Dept. charity trap shoot. Joined the ATA and built my own trap field in June of 2018. Shot my first 25 straight on July 14, 2018. Since then I’ve kept a record of every straight I’ve shot in Singles, Handicap and Doubles, as well as the guns I shot them with. Today I reached another milestone at the Griffin Gun Club. On November 7, 2023, I shot my 500th 25 straight in trap. And I've done it 465 times with a Parker.

[Dean Romig]

You make all of us proud John. You are my hero and I’m not fooling when I say that. You are the pride of the PGCA!





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[Bruce Hering]

Congrats John. Thats some shooting.... Keep it up.

[Garry L Gordon]

Wow! Your focus and dedication are amazing. What a wonderful accomplishment.

[Daryl Corona]

Your dedication and ability is admirable John. Keep up the good work with your Parkers.:bowdown:

[Reggie Bishop]

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

[Stan Hillis]

Congratulations, John. I've no doubt that your 500th straight with a Parker will be coming around soon.

Well done!

[Randy G Roberts]

Congrats John, way to go !!:bowdown:

[Mike Koneski]

OUTSTANDING!! Well done John!! Sometimes it's the arrow, but it's always the Indian.

[CraigThompson]

Congratulations and many more to follow !

[Bill Murphy]

Congratulations, John. Tell us more about your trap field, brand of trap, controls, etc.

[William Woods]

Congratulations Mr. Davis.

[John Davis]

Bill, the trap field was built in an old borrow pit near I-75. Rather than going down with the trap machine, I went up with the shooting posts. Sixteen yard posts are permanent, handicap posts are wooden stools one yard square that can be moved to the appropriate yardage mark. There are actually two trap machines. An Atlas AT-250 on an oscillator for singles and handicap and a Champion Doubles trap machine. Both are triggered with a foot petal. These are some old pics.

[Bill Murphy]

John, I have to think that your scores would go up if you changed the foot pedal for a voice release.

[John Davis]

Bill, you may be right. However, it's all just practice on my field and none of it counts towards my ATA yearly averages. My singles/handicap machine does throw a harder left and right target than ATA dictates. My theory has been that practice should be more difficult than competition and I really haven't felt much of a disadvantage with the foot pedal but who knows.

As an aside, the Parkers finished the 2023 ATA target year with a Singles average of 97.13% out of 2650 registered targets, a Handicap average of 90.29% out of 2100 registered targets and a Doubles average of 91.95% out of 2000 registered targets. This left me at number 3 in the State for the second year in a row. And I owe it all to Parker Brothers of Meriden, Ct. and a little practice.

[CraigThompson]

Bill, you may be right. However, it's all just practice on my field and none of it counts towards my ATA yearly averages. My singles/handicap machine does throw a harder left and right target than ATA dictates. My theory has been that practice should be more difficult than competition and I really haven't felt much of a disadvantage with the foot pedal but who knows.

As an aside, the Parkers finished the 2023 ATA target year with a Singles average of 97.13% out of 2650 registered targets, a Handicap average of 90.29% out of 2100 registered targets and a Doubles average of 91.95% out of 2000 registered targets. This left me at number 3 in the State for the second year in a row. And I owe it all to Parker Brothers of Meriden, Ct. and a little practice.

I go along with practicing at a wider arc then necessary . It also reminds me of stories about the hotdogs of the time when everyone was still using White Flyer traps , seems those guys wouldn’t shoot if the WIN traps were in the hole that allowed movement out to the legal arc so to speak . These guys wanted the arc lessened .

[Jim DiSpagno]

Outstanding John. You humble us mere mortals. Keep up the good shooting.

[Randy G Roberts]

Neil Chadwick and or one of his associates from Long Range will make you up a voice controller for a few hundred bucks that you would like. Transmitter would clip on your belt while the microphone can be clipped to your vest or t-shirt. They work, and it would be a lot easier than dragging a foot controller around.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Brilliant set up on your range, John!! I have traveled around the country to all sorts of clubs but have NEVER seen a trap range setup like yours. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense; easier to load and work on the machine. I have seen a few "private" clubs that set up their field just like the "standard", recommended setup; a lot of time and $$ to do it.

I am blown away by the ingenuity! Well done.

[Stan Hillis]

John, while I've never competed in trap at all I did spend a considerable part of my life actively competing in NSCA events, and working hard to improve through "home practice". I was loaned an old Comet brand automatic trap and wireless remote. The machine could be set for a time delayed release. I would clip the remote on my shirt, position myself at the predetermined location, to get the presentation I wanted to work on, then press the button. I had sufficient time to mount my gun with my usual pre-shot routine before the machine threw the bird. I would dearly love to get that machine back from him and make it my own by purchase. It's the only one I've ever seen.

I practice I would set it up in the field somewhere on my place, then begin walking in a big circle, as if "running the bases" on a ballfield, only with many more locations than 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This way I would see all the normal presentations (except vertical and rabbit) ....... L to R crosser, quartering at all angles, incoming, R to L crosser, and going away. I'd shoot four shots at each location. If I ran all four I'd move to the next station. If I missed I'd stay and keep shooting until I ran four straight.

The confidence I'd carry away with me to a big tournament was well worth the trouble, and I punched into Master class at the 2010 U.S. Open by using this practice technique. I no longer pursue the big shoots because of the time away from home, and the desire to spend more time at home with family (read grandkids :)). But I can appreciate the effort and time you put into being a winner. Well done!

[Arthur Shaffer]

I just finished reading "The Road to Yesterday". One of the historical shoot discussed by Baldwing was a shoot that had mixed fields in which some had a normal setup and some had a field set up such as this, with tall traphouses and elevated shooting platforms. Apparently not popular with the shppters, but in the old picture the stands seemed to resemble tall foot stools.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

John, You must buy your ammo by the container, How many rounds do you shoot in a year for practice, Gary

[John Davis]

John, You must buy your ammo by the container, How many rounds do you shoot in a year for practice, Gary

Gary, I shoot about 7,000 registered targets a year and another 15,000 or so practice targets. Those are spread around 3 or 4 guns and a couple of different credit cards :rolleyes:

[Brian Hornacek]

Very nice John!

[Mike Franzen]

My God …. FIVE HUNDRED 25 straight! That’s a lot of good shooting young man. I think the greatest shot I ever saw was the double you made on Snipe. I’m sure Fred Is proud of you too.

[John Davis]

June 9, 2024. 600th cumulative 25 straight. 565 times with a Parker. Best run on ATA registered 16 yard singles targets, April 13, 2024 through May 31, 2024, 793 out of 800, with Parker SA, serial no. 235793, straight grip, 32 inch barrel, choked Full.

[Jim DiSpagno]

John, you will never cease to amaze me with your shooting prowess.

[John Davis]

Thanks but it’s definitely the gun.

[William Woods]

Thanks but it’s definitely the gun.

Mr. Davis,

I would respectively disagree. I appreciate your humble statement, but the facts would dispute you.

I have never been a competitive shooter, unless you count my NSTRA competition, but I can appreciate the effort you have put forth.

Congratulations.

[Garry L Gordon]

John, I’m in awe(!)

[Bill Davis]

From one Davis to another, well done my friend! I always enjoy hearing about your exploits!

[Phil Yearout]

From a guy who's happy at 20+ in a round...wow!

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Unreal!