SSSF Staff, Author at Scholastic Clay Target Program

Amateur Trapshooting Association and Scholastic Clay Target Program Announce Partnership

Written on January 5, 2015.

SCTP National Director, Tom Wondrash, and Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) Executive Director, Lynn Gipson, have announced that the executive committees of both organizations have approved a plan to unify the youth shooting sports efforts of both entities, beginning immediately.

ATA membership will be required of all SCTP State and National Championship Singles participants beginning in 2015. These State Championship tournaments, along with the SCTP National Singles Trapshooting Championship, will be registered with the ATA. SCTP members will be encouraged to join the ATA through the SCTP via its online registration system, SHOT v5.

“This isn’t a new concept,” stated Tom Wondrash. “Event registration and membership with national governing bodies has been required for many years for the SCTP’s skeet (NSSA) and sporting clays (NSCA) national events, as well as USA Shooting’s (USAS) international events. This will be both beneficial and crucial to the growth of the SCTP and youth shooting sports. We look forward to working with the ATA.”

Another feature of the partnership will be funding to the SCTP by the ATA for scholarships and program operating costs.

“Not only is this a landmark partnership for the promotion of youth shotgun target sports, it’s also a unique win-win-win situation,” reported Lynn Gipson. “Both organizations benefit from membership and funding, and the student athletes benefit from having their championship scores become a national governing body permanent record for use by coaches and others in the future. We look forward to a long relationship, beneficial to everyone involved.”

For more information on the ATA, visit www.shootata.com.

CZ-USA’s Dave Miller Attempting Guinness Record

Written on December 29, 2014.

Exhibition shooter Dave Miller of CZ-USA has his sights on setting a Guinness World Record and promoting youth shooting education on May 16, as he attempts to shoot the most clay targets ever shot in one hour.

Miller represented CZ-USA at SSSF’s 2014 National Championships in Sparta, Illinois last July, putting on shotgunning exhibitions in which he shot various targets from unusual positions and at high speed. That speed will be essential in his world-record attempt, as he will need to shoot almost one target per second to reach his goal.

According to the Democrat Missourian newspaper, Miller will need to break 3001 clay targets in an hour to set the Guinness record, although his goal is 3500. Since there was previously no category for this feat, Guinness arrived at the number of 3001 to declare a record after consulting with the clay target governing associations.

The record attempt on May 16 will be a fundraiser for Pheasants Forever to promote youth shooting education through the No Child Left Indoors program. A team of volunteers will help Miller in his attempt by loading guns and having them standing by for his use.

Good luck, Dave Miller! We’ll be watching!

You can read more about Dave Miller’s Guinness World Record attempt at the Democrat Missourian.

Coach, State Advisor Mark Burgess Passes

Written on December 18, 2014.

We regret to report the passing of longtime SCTP coach and state advisor for Indiana, Mark Burgess, on Monday, December 15. Burgess was active in the shooting sports in Indiana and coach of the Hoosier Daddys shooting team.

Burgess was recently instrumental in helping to facilitate and encourage the formation of the new Indiana SCTP league.

“Mark was a very nice guy, always making jokes and laughing,” said Tom Wondrash, SCTP Director. “He will be sadly missed from our program, his team, and his family.”

On the team’s Facebook page, another of the team’s coaches commented, “He was a great man who would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it, and he was an embodiment of the ROOTS program we preach as coaches. He would gladly drop what he was doing to help someone in need and he always did the job right.”

Burgess’ son Jeffrey posted a loving tribute to his father about his passion for coaching. “Each and every one of you brought so much joy to my father and he looked forward to seeing you all continue to grow in the sport that he loved so much. We all will miss him very much. Please continue to think about all the lessons and advice he gave. It truly was his honor to be your coach. The next time you are out on the field, you call for your bird, pull the trigger just an instant before you think you should and magically that target rises up enough to knock a chip off of it, just know it was probably my Dad, your coach, and your shooting angel giving you just that last bit of help. God bless you all and thank you for filling my Dad’s heart with so much joy while he was your coach.”

Mark Burgess was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Jo Burgess. Survivors include children Jeffrey Burgess and Stephani (Allen) Burgess.

A visitation will be held this Friday, December 19 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Wilson St. Pierre in Greenwood, IN, with a funeral at the same location on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Indiana Forms Youth Clay Target Shooting League

Written on December 12, 2014.

December 6 was an historic day for clay target shooting in Indiana. A youth trap shooting league was formed for the state, with 14 youth shooting teams meeting at the historic Kingen Gun Club to plan the 2015 season for the new league, which will utilize SCTP rules and guidelines for its shoots.

Ten competitions are scheduled in 2015 for the Hoosier youth shooters, including an SCTP State Championship and the SCTP National Championship.

Among the attendees at the formative meeting were Mark Burgess, SCTP State Director, and Chet Tuinstra, SCTP Regional Field Representative.

Formation of the league was due to the efforts of Derek Marshall, Superintendent of Attica Consolidated School Corporation in Attica, Indiana, who started by contacting every youth trap shooting program and every gun club in the state with the goal of organizing the people in Indiana shooting sports to create a statewide trap shooting league for youth.

Student shooters will compete in one of five divisions according to SCTP rules, and awards will be presented at each event. In the future, the Hoosier Clay Target Association hopes to expand to encompass skeet and sporting clays.

Randolph Engineering: How to Choose the Right Tint for Shooting Glasses

Written on December 4, 2014.

There is probably no type of shooting equipment that provokes more questions than colored shooting glasses. With so many choices, how do you know which colors to buy?

In this interview by Field & Stream‘s Phil Bourjaily, Frank Robertson of Randolph Engineering, maker of the exceptional Randolph Ranger shooting glasses which are offered in numerous colors, explains how to choose the right lens tints for different lighting conditions.

Cyber Monday Is Coming! Support SSSF with Your Amazon and SSSF Store Purchases

Written on November 26, 2014.

Black Friday is in just two days, and that means Cyber Monday is close behind, kicking off the online holiday shopping season. You can support SSSF with all your Amazon purchases just by using a special link, smile.amazon.com, and designating SSSF as the recipient of a donation from Amazon, based on a percentage of your purchase price. It doesn’t cost you a cent! Get started.

You can also find just the right holiday gift for the shooter in your life by shopping at the SSSF online store! Shop there for shooting gear and SCTP and SPP logo items like hats, shirts, gun cases, shooting glasses, and much more. Visit the SSSF Store.

SCTP’s Myles Walker Takes Gold at USA Shooting’s Fall Selection Match

Written on November 26, 2014.

SCTP shooter Myles Walker from Burlington, Wisconsin has won the gold medal for bunker trap in USA Shooting’s Fall Selection Match. The match was held November 6-11 at the Delta Resort and Spa in Tillar, Arkansas.

Myles was one of four athletes awarded a spot on USA Shooting’s National Team as a result of his performance at the SCTP National Championship for international disciplines held in July in Colorado Springs. Hank Garvey and Nic Moscetti, who also earned their National Team spots at the SCTP Nationals, placed 4th and 5th, respectively, at the Fall Selection Match.

Six bunker trap competitors withstood the intensity of 500 targets and four finals matches to emerge as 2015 World Cup selections for the USA Shooting Team as a result of the four-day competition. The Fall Selection Match served as the second phase of selection for the first three upcoming World Cup competitions to begin 2015, including events in Acapulco, Mexico and Al Ain, UAE in March and Laranaca, Cypress in late April where the top three athletes will compete.

Fall Selection Match is also serving as the first of a two-part selection process for the Pan American Games (July), the last World Cup of 2015 in Gabala, Azerbaijan (August) and the 2015 World Clay Target Championships (September).

Myles, a sophomore at Lindenwood University, participates in SCTP as a member of his college team’s shotgun sports team. The win in Tillar places Myles in a great position to earn USA Shooting Team status come Spring Selection in April.

“SCTP has provided me with the opportunity to flourish both as an athlete and an individual,” Myles commented. “The benefit of the experience I have had surpasses any other activity I have been involved with.”

Congratulations to Myles, Hank, and Nic for earning their National Team positions and representing SCTP well!

Firearms Safety Depends on You

Written on November 21, 2014.

From the time you pick up a firearm, you become part of a system over which you have complete control. You are the only part of the system that can make a gun safe — or unsafe.

Here are 10 basics of gun handling that you must know, courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF):

1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
2. Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use.
3. Don’t rely on your gun’s “Safety.”
4. Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
5. Use correct ammunition.
6. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle with care!
7. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
8. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting.
9. Don’t alter or modify your gun, and have guns serviced regularly.
10. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the firearm you are using.

NSSF has developed a booklet that explains each of these gun safety rules in detail. You can view or download it here.

NSSF also offers other safety literature for use by individuals, families, or shooting teams. You can find it at www.nssf.org/safety/lit/.

Give Your Input on Possible Ammunition Orders

Written on November 21, 2014.

MidwayUSA Foundation is working with Winchester Ammunition to provide shotgun ammunition direct from the distributor to your youth shooting teams. They need your help in determining the potential quantity to order.

Should they move forward, this program will be offered in 2015 and be limited to the amount agreed upon with Winchester. By answering one quick question, you’ll help MidwayUSA Foundation gather information to make this program a success.

Here’s what the program would offer:

Each order will contain 104 cases (10 boxes/250 rounds @ $59 per case) of Winchester Super Target 12 ga. 1 oz, #8. Total cost, including shipping, would be $6,136. Order MUST be placed by January 1, 2015.
Orders MUST be placed in bulk (pallets only).
Shipments will start in March and run through June and must be delivered directly to a location that is capable of receiving pallets.
MidwayUSA Foundation will provide an order form on its website.

Click here to give your input. By participating in this survey, you are NOT obligated to purchase. If you have already participated in this survey, please disregard.

Activate Your Team in SHOT V.5

Written on November 14, 2014.

A new version of SSSF’s online SHOT registration and scoring system is now online, and if you haven’t yet activated your team in the system, you should do so soon.

Start by clicking on the Coaches Login link to reach the registration page. Then look for this:

That’s where you start the registration process. You will only have to do this once. Once you’ve registered, you can simply login with the credentials you set up.

Coaches who have previously had multiple logins for multiple teams will now have just one login, to simplify team management.

On the registration page, you’ll find a list of tutorials on using the SHOT system. If you run into problems, we’re ready to help. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the link to SHOT support.

Learn more about the benefits of the new SHOT V.5 system.

Author: SSSF Staff