past Sanford SXS
 

I have become more of a shooter than a collector and as such was really dissapointed this past April. They eliminated one 5 stand so they could sell more tables,the lines to shoot the sporting clays were sometimes 15-20 long and the wait for the practice 5 stand was over an hour. Anyone else feel as I do?
David

David, that's been an issue for quite a few years. The UP, Duluth/Puglisi, Hausman's, the South Carolina, etc side by side shoots did not exist until people saw a need for them. To be fair to Bill Kuempfer, his Deep River event has become so popular that its overcrowded if a person wants to shoot. Still, it has the best vendor attendence outside Vintagers and the PGCA makes it one of its two recurrent official annual events. I suppose it depends what interests a person the most. I don't like buying guns in a crowd and I'm generally out of the gun market anyway, don't know what more I would want, and I like to shoot. I'm not a good enough shooter to make the Parker team, and its a long way to come.....but maybe next year I can make it back to see old friends. Just my view.

If I went to Sanford to shoot, I would be disturbed at long lines on the course, because that is a years old problem and should have been solved by now. Oddly, I have seen one station attendant cause a long backup singlehanded. I think some of us know who he is. There are many ways to streamline a crowded course. One way I have seen used successfully is to eliminate singles. Another is to add more birds to stations that go fast and take birds away from stations that are known problem areas. The simplest way to streamline a course is to use all stations, not just a few. Of course, Bill would have to man additional stations with volunteers if he feels the payroll is out of control.

Bill Murphy is more optimistic than me that the shooting waits can be lessened. Its such an old problem, its been discussed so many times. To me, the Southern remains a great venue to greet old friends, meet new ones, get a little shooting done and look at guns, books, stuff. If a person really wants to burn powder, stay at your local club or if you live close by, join me at the same time in Nebraska at the Flatwater where you can shoot until your shoulder is sore for an inexpensive flat fee. Yes, you might not be in the station cage, but a person can be part of the line of shooters who will shoot a lost bird, or the bird at the next station. Bring your overalls, Hawaiian shirts, whatever but not tweeds or ties and you'll fit right in. Turn off the road at the fertilizer dealer, go past the cattle lot, down the muddy road, and you'll be there when you start seeing the Purdeys, Hollands, high grade Parkers, and bolt action Marlins.

Automated traps
Four man squad
Shotgun start (10 stations with a squad on each shooting one single and two report pairs or two true pair)
A new group every one to one and a half hours

This eliminate the trappers and runs between 280 to 400 hundred shooters through the course if you started at 0800 and ended at 1800 (that's 8 AM to 6 PM). It almost took 10 hours to shoot 100 clays (two events) in a day the year I was fortunate enough to attend. The Southern is a wonderful event and I would come every year, shooting or no shooting, if things were a little better on this end. With a little work on Bill's part and commitment by the participants the Southern would run smooth as silk with only an hours or so per 50 bird event rather than half a day.

Harry

Bill Kempfler is a friend, and I would be glad to assist him in streamlining his course for the Southern. However, I assume he has NSCA shooters and promoters assisting him already, and I have not been involved in NSCA for several years. What I find strange is that the Southern is a business for Bill, and the money is leaking badly from the "course".

Southern
 

The first year I went to the Southern I talked to a good friend who said he had to wait over two hours at one station to shoot. Others said the same. I physically cannot stand around over two hours waiting to shoot at just one station. I don't know how many stations they shoot but I would be carried off the course on a stretcher. My body can't handle that type of physical punishment so all I shoot is the challenge and hammer event. This year I waited over an hour to shoot a practice round prior to the qualifying round and did not get to shoot the practice round. I also tried to shoot a practice round prior to the hammer event and did not because of the wait. Bill is loosing revenue and I think he knows it but he does not seem to mind. Happy shooters and selling targets does not appear to be a priority. My attendance fits into Bruce's catergory of a social event, which I enjoy greatly, and I will continue to socialize with all my many old, and I hope many new friends I meet there. But I won't try to shoot any of the events except the challenge and hammer event, with or without a practice round. Cheers, Tom

The Southern....Event of Last Choice.....
 

The Southern has one goal for Bill; that is to make money. He obviously feels he can make more money from vendor tables than from shooters. I attended for several years; had a vendor table for one of those years. Found Bill's attitude one I could get along without, so I stopped attending. His targets never change; took along time to get him to add the second 5 stand and now you're saying he's discontinued it? Why am I not surprised. The Southern is a social event rather than a shooting event; I've found other places to interact with SxS enthusiasts and from visiting with recent Southern attendees I think many SxS folks are looking for other venues as well. It happens to fall right in the middle of turkey season and I find the woods much more enjoyable than Deep River....just my thoughts......Carl Beers

Thanks guys...I find all this conversation very interesting. For me I have wanted to attend for years but the feedback that I got from guys who have attended was just what you all have enforced. I want to shoot...When I attend the Vintagers I shoot...When I attend Hausmanns I shoot all I can.In fact I just now got a call from Anderson and the Michigan boys and they are having a great time at the UP Shoot.

Don,t get me wrong I really enjoy seeing old friends and making new ones and checking out great guns at these events but if I couldn,t shoot at least a little I would be left wanting.

I'm stunned, on this very rare occasion I actually agree with something Bruce has to say. If you want to burn powder don't go to the Southern, it's not worth the pain.

DLH