To Whom it May Benefit: The value of attending an event like the Southern SxS
 

If you have never been to a major event like the Southern SxS, the NE SxS at Hausmann's, The Vintage Cup, or the shoot at Rock Mountain, you stand to gain a very valuable education by simply listening to, participating in, or eavesdropping on the endless conversations between people who have come to buy, sell, or simply learn about guns.

The sheer breadth and depth of knowledge and experience shared at these events is a priceless inventory of "lessons learned" in the SxS gun world. To wit, where would one go for a cocking slide lever for a 20 ga. A.H. Fox? Or a return spring for a 28 gauge Parker top lever? How about a forend latch return spring for 20 gauge L.C. Smith?

Similarly, bargains surface from the depths of dealers tables as they sell off the "cream" of their offerings and replace them with their "also rans". How about a 20 ga. A.H. Fox A grade 28" ejector gun with about 80% overall finish for$2300? Or a 28" 16 gauge Parker VH 0 frame with good dimensions and clean as a pin for the same money? Or the BE Fox 12 ga. that showed up with great wood and lots of original color and blue for $3200?? What about the ultra-rare A.H. Fox "The Sterlingworth Co." 'Pin Gun' with great colors and wood with ejectors for $1900???

Like Vegas. auctions, and the lotteries, you've got to play to win. BE THERE!!!

Okay, now I'm going to try to find you and follow you around.:)

It was indeed a great event. I always learn much, mostly about my own changing tastes, but Kevin, you are correct -- there are some interesting new things to learn and see.

Some of those target presentations were from Satan himself.

Rick Hemingway doesn’t pull any punches

Those#6 crossers i missed are probably still in flight

I shot 38/50 in the 2021 qualifier and 28/50 in 2022. I don't think it was just because I downgraded from an 8 gauge to a 12 gauge

I watched the shoot off from near the tree line on the right side of the course looking out and 3 of the targets looked brutal from there. The #1 target looked like an SR71 Blackbird going out. The target quartering away right to left also looked like a rocket and if you couldn't tak it early it started to arc down and the slower looping left to right target from the middle of the field was fine as a report pair but combined with one of the rocket targets in a true pair looked really challenging as well because it just wasn't in the air very long. It took great shooting by all of the participants in the event.

This year was my first experience in the main challenge event . My performance wasn’t great and wasn’t horrendous. But like anything else , I’m never really satisfied .

PHOTOS
 

Here are some photos from the weekend

https://parkerguns.org/forums/album.php?albumid=1035