Pigeon Ring at Yooper

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

If you have never seen a modern Pigeon Ring I hope these few shots will convey what this fast moving shoot it is all about.
1. Shooters call for the bird which is thrown with up to a 3 second delay
2. The trap is in a pit and unseen by the shooters
3. The trap rotates 360 degrees
4. The shooter has no idea if the bird will be a high loaping "in your face" target or a going directly away screamer! Then there are those left and right long range skeet targets
5. The trap is about 27 yards from the shooter
6. There is a orange ribbon taped inside each bird
7. After the bird is broken the orange ribbon must fall within the appoximately 35 yard wide and 45 yard long fenced "ring"

Now, let's have some fun!

Editors note: These photos will be replaced by the same in a larger format.


Approaching one of the 2 pigeon rings








The trap rotates in that 10' wide hole unseen by the shooters! That small orange thing is a ribbon falling inside the ring!


Look close and you will see an orange ribbon taped inside a clay pigeon


Eric Eis swings at a fast rising bird






Now, it that orange ribbon will land in the ring. The wind would often blow a ribbon out or even into the ring!


Rich Anderson about to dust a orange bearing bird!










Read the scores and weep!

27 yards from each shooting stand to the center of the pit where the trap is hidden- Wow-ee- thanks the max. Handicap yardage at ATA Trapshoots- so if you get a going away straight on or quartering target- it could be 40 yards out when you get off the first shot-

This was my favorite of all the events at my first Yooper Shoot-at least they were std. targets which you could see- the grouse hunters probably did best on the stations 5-8 on the SC course- but I have never seen a teal spring up like those small rockets, nor a woodcock twist and turn like those flying razor blades-

I used my Smith 2E with the 32" Nitro barrels and .040 choke in each tube-and Mark you are right, the incomers- an open choke or a spreader load, but the outgoers- Full choke for me- RST was out of spreader loads when I shot this event on Sunday- I hit 17/30 on the first ring in our squad, as did another squad member- and 19/30 on the second ring- BUT didn't win place or show because only about half of those I shattered had the ribbon land in the fenced ring- just as I have read about the real deal, if the bird drops out of the fence or the wind carries it over- LOST-

I remembered to use the second tube on about half of my shots- not a problem when shooting Tower birds with that big cannon Elsie I am rather fond of--now I know you can actually use that second tube to smash the ribbon and drive it back inside the radius of the fence- next year

I also liked the wobble traps and the pairs- didn't get to shoot 5 stand practice, always a big line waiting for that- now the two man hurry shoot- to my mind, that is like the Massachusetts Balloon Blast Sat before the fish and goose soire- fun and a lot of Bang-Bang but practical for real afield shooting conditions- Huum-- I had to use the 2E cannon there, as both my 12 GHE and 3E crapped out on me- a beavertail forearm would have been good, even with a heavy glove on my left hand, really warm barrels- I got off 51 shots in the 2.5 minute time frame and hit 37- tricky- practice with your loader/stuffer first- if the GHE and the 3E were functional I was going to try them as a "unmatched pair"- but after seeing the "Charlie-Foxtrot" number done on that peg by others trying that for the first time- well, the Keystone Kops came to mind-

The best shoot since the MI Side-by-Side in April at Lapeer- great crowd, lotsa high end doubles from some fine and friendly vendors (Steve Cobb let me handle a MINT 12 Churchill XXV) and I am about as ready to finance a gun in that quality sphere as I am to kiss Hanoi Jane Fondle at the next VFW conclave--Jon Hosford was helping all that asked with his state-of-the art barrel wall gauging set-up, Jack Jansma donated the dinner award gun- a Spanish .410 ejector gun, an Ithaca collector had a oustanding display of the guns that made Walter Snyder famous-great food, fine weather, even the Sunday freight train(s) didn't delay things too much- Outstanding!!

[Dean Romig]

Okay, educate me please... what, pray tell, is a "Massachusetts Balloon Blast"??


.... just remember - 'there's no such thing as a stupid question - but, ...'

[Dave Miles]

I don't know what a "Massachusetts Balloon Blast" is.
But the U.P. releases a bunch of balloons from behind a berm, and everyone lines up to shoot them.

[C.O.B.]

Mark thanks for the great pictures.

After dusting that target it's hard to believe the ribbon fell just outside of the ring....but it did.

[Opening Day]

"Now, it that orange ribbon will land in the ring. The wind would often blow a ribbon out or even into the ring!"

And that is exactly what happened.....

[Craig Larter]

What is the orange ribbon made of? Is it that 1" surveyors tape? How large was the piece. Thanks Craig

[Paul Harm]

Richard, maybe it's because you " just dusted it " as usual, instead of hitting it solid.

[Dave Miles]

Originally Posted by Paul Harm

Richard, maybe it's because you " just dusted it " as usual, instead of hitting it solid.

Maybe he should have stated "Smoked It"

[Paul Harm]

I'm glad Mark made the shoot and took some pictures of the pigeon ring. I've been trying to set one up for the Lapeer Shoot [ next one is July 17th ] . We have one, but it doesn't work reliable enough to use at a shoot. Hopefully I'll get some good ideas. Paul