Drakes Landing
 

As plans are getting made for the Southern don't forget to schedule a little shooting time at nearby Drakes Landing. Several of us will shoot all day Thursday some on Friday and Saturday as well. There's still plenty of time to enjoy the fine guns and vendors at Deep River as well as the Challenge.

Drakes has two 100 target courses so there is never a line. If the interest is there we can put together a small bore event and a hammer gun event as we have done in the past. IF you want to burn some powder this is the place to do it and the staff is absolutely wonderful.

Our pre Southern shoot has grown considerably over the last couple of years and it's due to the great targets and fine hospitality offered at Drakes.

i have scheduled the time off, and will even have my own hammer gun to shoot this year. Are you staying at the same hotel, The QI at Fuquay-Varina again? if so , I will call and make reservations tonight

Rich
Some of us are arriving mid day Wed to also shoot Wed afternoon. Looking forward to another great time at both Drakes and Deep River!
David

Our group of 6 from Rochester is looking forward to Drakes---the parking lot gun show, great targets, nice people and great food. We stay in Apex (20 minutes)which has some very nice restaurants and very nice shopping for the non-shooting spouses. Craig

Harold we are staying at the same place. I have been loading shells for two days. I almost have enough 3/4oz 20's to go then on to the 16's.

Craig I enjoy the gun show as well and will have a few that are in need of a new home and some that are for drooling only:rotf:

Who's up for a small bore event??? 20,28 &410. Anyone want to do just a 410 or 28 event??

David we will leave Wed am and should be there for refreshments Wed evening. Looking forward to it.

Craig
Where in Apex are y'all staying? My all time favorite Italian restaurant moved from Fuquay to Apex and staying there might be a better idea?

Rich- I think sticking to the 20 & 16 ga events will allow more people to play. JMHO

Sticking with 20 and up might not be a bad idea, the gun list was getting pretty long:rotf:

Is the Italian place the one we ate at a couple of years ago and first hatched the idea for the Quail hunt at Morrison Pines?

We stay at the Holiday Inn Express on Marco Dr.

Craig
Did you get a group rate?
D

Rick
Yes, that is the one. With it gone we had a hard time finding a good place to eat this fall.
David

Wow! This Drake place sounds really nice. Mind if I join you all?:whistle:

Daryl" There may be some cigar smoking and alcohol consumption involved so you may want to avoid the event since I know you disapprove of those activities.:rotf:

Thanks for the reminder Craig. My therapist says that I need to loosen up more. If you guys promise not to get me drunk and then try to sell me one of those dangerous damascus guns you guys shoot, I'll get a weekend pass from my probation officer.:rotf:

Daryl
It would be great for you to join us!! This is a shooters paradise with two great courses and working on a third. The Andrews family has owned it for generations and are just good people. They cater to our needs, cook us great meals, and throw good varied targets. See you there.
David

It turns out the fantastic Italian restaurant we all love ,Bellini, moved to Carry not Apex. It is a short drive from Fuqua so I am back at the Quailty Inn, F-V. and will be visiting Bellini often. We again have a group rate at the Quality Inn so be sure to ask for it.
David

Rich maybe we should leave a day earlier.....To the members that have not shot at Drakes, please give it a try, I can promise you that you will shoot great targets, meet some of the nicest people and have an overall great time. When you come out don't be shy, introduce yourself and partake in the fun. I have not heard of one person that had a bad experience at Drakes ! So come join us.

I look forward to being at Drakes again but must say I was surprised at the cost last year. The non member rate was $50.00/100 clays. That compares with $35 to 40 NM rate at most of the sporting places I know up north. Also, I saw some non-shooting personalities at lunch; they must have been checking out Drakes and may have thought the lunch was complimentary. Actually I did too but found out it wasn't gratis when I paid my bill that was something like $135.00 for 2 rounds to include lunch. I kind of expected Drakes to do a special pricing for the shooting, considering all the hoopla on this and other sites that brought in a great number of shooters. I must say the lunch was excellent but come on now, we weren't eating at the 21 Club in Manhattan.

I asked someone who knows the Drakes gent to see if he could do a group rate or such this year in light of the extra SxS shooters he gets, but so far I haven't heard anything on that.

Daryl, Drake's is top drawer. I shot there last year (Wednesday & Thursday) and am planning to do the same this year. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I'll be at Deep River.
Come and join us. Lots of fun!
Buddy

Thanks for the invite Dave and Buddy but my post was tongue in cheek. Rich, Eric and I have been doing the Southern SxS diversion shoot for a number of years and I only missed it last year because of a torn quad in my right leg. God willing and if the creek don't rise I'll be there for all the festivities this year.

I come down there to shoot and you just can't get enough at Deep River to satisfy my trigger finger.:)

Only if you leave that synthetic stocked Mossberg at home:)

OK, but it's become my go to gun as of late. It's 1 of only 4, 28ga, underlever, hammer gun prototypes that Mossberg produced. It's got a sling and swivels with fiber optic sights and a compartment in the butt that will hold 4 miniatures of Jack Daniels and two Partegas Churchills. Still want me to leave it at home???:whistle:

Bring the Jack Daniels and the Churchill's but leave the Mossberg behind the closet door where it belongs.

The group rate at the Quality Inn, Furquay is $59/night.
David

Looking forward to shooting with yinz on Thursday!! "Fox Universe" rolling south again!!!

Hey Frank, I totally agree with you. Hunting Hills in Waynesburg, Pa is as nice as any place you can find to shoot. They charge $30 for the first hundred and $20 if you want to shoot another hundred. They have 3 courses and one called Black Ice is very challenging with the last half of the course being all black targets. It is about an hour from me and a great place to shoot. The owner Roy Sisler will be at the Southern--and he hosts a couple SXS shoots each year. Would like to get your input on my new little A grade 20.

Harold, I've shot sporting at Hunting Hills a number of times; an excellent club and so nice to hear it's still charging moderate prices. HH hosted the PA State Sporting Clays Championship at least twice as I recall. Yes I look forward to seeing your new Fox while in NC.

Let's put this in the event forum with all the Shooting events.. ;)

Now - that being said - a couple of you had better post some pics for the rest of us!!

My best to all,

John D.

Who would have thought that a couple of "shooters" who got together at another club during the southern to actually shoot targets would turn into an "event":)

Well - let me know if no one shows up to your planned shoot/event - and I'll move it into the "Non-Event" forum for ya', Rich.

:)

Your all heart John, that's why we love ya so much. There will be plenty of shooters there you should come and join us. Try it you'll like it, i know you would.

I'm in for Drakes again this year for sure!! Great course and great guys to shoot with, I'm looking forward to it. I nearly ran out of ammo last year but that won't happen again, I've already started loading for this event. I'll run the same plan as last year and roll in first thing Thursday morning and catch up with you guys for sure. Hotel room is already booked so see you guys there. Jim

Who is going to be there noon Wed?
David

Myself, Eric, Daryl and Mike Smith will be there.

I plan on being there at noon on Wednesday.
Buddy

Great start to a great "event" Two squads so anyone else
manages to make it can fit in? Diner at Bellini that evening?
David

That works for me and therefore for Eric by default:rotf:

Dave guess Rich already answered for me........!

I know of at least one maybe two more for Wed
This is turning into an EVENT::clap::clap::clap:
David

It's the Southern Shooting Event of the year. It just goes to show you that if you have good targets fairly priced and good people behind them then the shooters will come.

Deep River is a fine gun show:whistle:

I should be there around noon Wednesday. Should be a great "event". I'm really looking forward to it. Cheers, Tom

So what is the event ? which gun do I come with?