Parker Wins Challenge

[Stan Hoover]

Originally Posted by Mike Koneski

Imagine the scores Shane could shoot using a Parker!!! WOW!!

Mike,

I was going to say, You should see him with an Ithaca in his hands, but I suppose you seen that already

[J.B. Books]

The team against team shoots are side events at these shoots, trying or making the team is optional as you don't have to turn your card in for consideration. In order to field a five man team it has to be a bigger shoot and there are not that many big ones. No matter how the teams are picked there will be unhappy people. Since many really good shooters will jump on the team they qualify for brand loyalty is questionable. Picking names out of a hat might be more a test of the gun rather than people. Normally you can shoot just for fun, but this year the Vintagers did not offer a discounted round for no score as they did in '19 and is done at the June shoot at Hausmann's. Although it's billed as the World Side by Side Championship not everybody there is trying for or able to land in the trophys. I think the lack of having a discounted round for no score is self defeating for the club as I think it leads to less shooting overall. Breakdown of equipment such as the pigeon ring not being available for most of the shoot affects participation as well. I think with the ammo shortage people are more careful/choosy about where they burn their powder so if something is more expensive or not available they may not use those shells elsewhere. Just my .02, we live in strange times, Covid has made a mess of things in many ways.

[Kevin McCormack]

[QUOTE=Pete Lester;344366][SIZE="4"] " No matter how the teams are picked there will be unhappy people. Since many really good shooters will jump on the team they qualify for brand loyalty is questionable...

.... this year the Vintagers did not offer a discounted round for no score as they did in '19 and is done at the June shoot at Hausmann's...... I think the lack of having a discounted round for no score is self defeating for the club as I think it leads to less shooting overall.

... Breakdown of equipment such as the pigeon ring not being available for most of the shoot affects participation as well. "

Now this really gets to the heart of the matter....Thanks, Pete!!!

[J.B. Books]

PS. Another question I ask myself, are people aging out of participating as time goes on? It's pretty much all familiar faces at these events, people we have seen there before for many years. There are not too many people participating who are under 50. I think we all ask the question of where is so and so who is not there and the number of people who use to go but are not there seems to be increasing each year.

[Dean Romig]

It's a fact Pete...





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[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

I sure hope it will be a long time before I " Age Out ", but one thing I know for sure is that, in the future, I'll be renting a cart instead of pushing my gun caddy up Ernie's hills.

[Double Lab]

As I read all the comments on the challenge events, the good, bad and ugly of it all I believe in the past two challenge events (Fox/LeFever in June and Fox/Parker last week) the Fox BOD, with yours truly and Toolman spearheading the effort, have made this event more accessible to the average shooter.

Chuck Bishop's post earlier in this thread concerning the P/LCS challenge at the Southern outlined the feelings of many who shot but had a snowballs chance in hell to make the team. Same old faces in all the same places. I've always wanted to level the playing field and I think we are on the right path.

Evidence: In June at the F/L challenge we had, for the first time on the national stage, a 14yr old and his dad on the same team. At last weeks event we had our first woman and his excellency the "Bishop" on the line shooting for their respective makers.

These challenge events are not to prove which gun is better. We know they are all great guns and many of us own and shoot one or more of each. If these events are to continue and be successful we need to return to the original premise of like minded individuals gathering to shoot their favorite guns and have an equitable chance of "making the team and getting the hat'' IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. If not, can't we just get together and have fun?

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

These challenge events are not to prove which gun is better. We know they are all great guns and many of us own and shoot one or more of each. If these events are to continue and be successful we need to return to the original premise of like minded individuals gathering to shoot their favorite guns and have an equitable chance of "making the team”?

Agreed Daryl, and I think we should endeavor to stick to this premise. However, even in the 1880’s, and later, in the pigeon shoots of yore it was always about the expertise of the shooter and not so much the gun, but if you are a religious reader of John Davis’ quarterly column “Parkers In Pulp” (as I am.) the gun always got billing after the shoot and the respective manufacturers were very quick to claim victory for their “brand.”





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[Double Lab]

I've told John that the "Parkers in Pulp" series is my favorite read.

Yes, way back then Dean, those shooters were like the athlete "superstars" of today hawking their sponsored products.
The top clay shooters of today are sponsored by the various ammo and gun manufactures as they were back then. Hit a Titlelist3 and you could be just as good as Arnie Palmer.

In most cases the age old axiom "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian" holds true.
Just because Parker, Fox, LCSmith or Lefever wins a challenge event we all understand that they are all great guns but not the best in the field.

So come to these events with your favorite piece or pieces, shoot your best, and feel good that you don't have to shoot like Digweed or Koneski to make the team. Just keep in mind that there will always be a #3 crosser that will level the playing field.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

So come to these events with your favorite piece or pieces, shoot your best, and feel good that you don't have to shoot like Digweed or Koneski to make the team. Just keep in mind that there will always be a #3 crosser that will level the playing field.

Geez, ya miss 5 targets with 4 of them being a simple r to l crosser and you become a has been!!!! Trust me, anyone can be "stuck on stupid"!!