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Build your own Training Center!

10/9/2016

3 Comments

 
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Your Own Practice Field?



Why not?  We know that all shooters like the idea of doing whatever they need to to add more X’s to their score card.  We generally think about buying the effect shotgun, coupled with the best performance shells and invest in a lot of lessons.  For less than the cost of most good sporting clay shotguns, you really can set up your own practice area and actually save money in the long run on throwing lots of practice targets.  The average gun club cost per target is in the neighborhood of .37-.45 cents a target.  Targets, purchased in bulk, you can buy standard clays for less than 1/3 that cost.


With that said, have you ever considered doing just this? Just setting up your own practice field, and do it affordably?  It does not require the purchase of a bunch of machines, but maybe one or two machines that effectively could create a great practice area.  


Well folks, we think we have the answer for you. MEC Clay Target Machines and Long Range Target Release Systems have the products that allow you to do just this. You can set up virtually any target presentation you can think of on your own land, and use it on your own schedule, not being limited to a clubs availability.


From my experience putting together shooting fields, both for teaching and personal practice, I have learned the value of having your own clay target field.  Now I know not everyone has the land or can afford to do this on your own but consider getting a friend or two and invest together.  Perhaps you could strike a deal with a local hunting club if land is not readily available. I know several friends that have worked with gun clubs to have their own personal training areas. Use your imagination!


You can set the targets as hard or soft as you wish.  Have a target giving you trouble?  Then YOU can set it and practice all you want and think of the convenience of having it where you can shoot anytime you want and not on someone else time schedule.  Not to mention the significant savings in target fees.  More importantly, you can work on improving your abilities at your pace without the distractions from others on a course.


This folks is a GREAT way to improve your shooting at your own discretion and also build on lessons by being able to practice what you have learned.


Just a few options:


Consider the MEC 100 E Tilt Base machine or the 100 E Wobble Machine(pictured above).  Reasonably priced, very durable and easy to use, coupled with the Long Range (wireless voice release) would allow you to remotely move, and remotely, viva buttons or voice release your targets.  You can set the voice release to throw the same target over and over as well for shooting drills.  

Having your own field to practice on can be the ULTIMATE stepping stone in your pathway to greater performance. Do yourself a favor, and don't be afraid to take the journey. If we can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Best,

​Will 
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www.mecshootingsports.com/default.aspx
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www.longrangellc.com/



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3 Comments

There is a new Target coming!

6/30/2016

3 Comments

 
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The 70mm Target

In June, while we were in England, we shot our first 70mm target.  Yup, not a 60 or a 90, but in-between.  The difference in the target?  With a bit less dome and more heft, and it doesn't  slow down like a 60mm does, it keeps it’s speed fairly well, and can be thrown greater distances, creating an optical illusion of sorts.  You are looking at it thinking it is a mini but in fact, it “ain’t” slowing down like one!

So far the targets are only produced in Europe and Promatic is making the machine.  Don’t expect to see them available for sale in the US anytime soon, but they may make an appearance at a championship shoot or two.  

If available, they provide a much better alternative to the 60mm mini because of their shape and weight and feed through the machine more consistently and reliably.  Long term, this could be altogether a great alternative to the 60mm.  

Bring it on!

Best,

​Will

3 Comments

I'm Back!

5/2/2016

4 Comments

 
Well folks, its been 2 years since I left home in South Carolina and headed to Florida to work for duPont/Krieghoff. While I learned quite a bit, and made many new friends, but I missed the Carolina's, and I missed teaching and shooting. Well, I'm back at my Training Center in upstate SC, and I'm both teaching and shooting full time again! 
I have re-established my teaching field at the Training Center with all new MEC traps and LongRangeLLC wireless controls. I currently have 1 tower, and am working on a couple of more for the near future! I can work students from beginners, to wingshooters, to Pro's and US Team members with the format and presentations available. I have a full shotgun testing/fitting facility with pattern boards and stock measuring on hand. Lessons can be tailored to the students specific needs. 

I am also teaching on the road, and will be in my old stomping grounds like the Atlanta area quite a bit. Now we have not only great facility at Big Red Oak Plantation, but now that the Meadows Gun Club has been re-opened, I will be teaching there also. I plan to split my time between those 2 clubs when working the Atlanta metro area. 

Also I will be in Virginia, specifically Old Forge Sporting Clays outside of Richmond, quite a bit.

The new website will feature a calendar that will allow individuals to view available times/locations, and schedule there own time slots. Most will find this very user friendly and convenient, but if for any reason you are not comfortable, don't hesitate to contact me directly, and I will help you sort out what I can do to help. 

While at duPont/Krieghoff, I fell in love with my new gun, the Krieghoff K-80 Parcours. Though I left employment at duPont, I remain in close contact with Kemble duPont and her crew, and am still sponsored by Krieghoff International. If there is any questions I can answer regarding these fine shotguns, or if you are considering purchasing one and want to demo mine, don't hesitate to ask....I love sharing my knowledge of these fine guns!

Thats a mouthful for now.....but stay tuned....there is plenty more coming!

Best,
Will
4 Comments

this is when we win...a lesson learned from dan carlisle

3/30/2010

0 Comments

 
Folks,
This past weekend, I had a good shoot. I had not performed as well as I had wanted at my first 2 events this year, and I was determined to get my game together. I practiced....I worked on my mindset, and I was prepared. I went to the North American FITASC with my head on straight, and full of confidence that I had done what was needed to have a good weekend.

But there were doubts of another kind in the air even before I got to the shoot. The North American FITASC was to be held at a new club, and there were concerns that the club wasn't really ready for a big tournament. On top of that, the weather wasn't looking so good.....new club( fresh earth moving) + rain= MUD. As I drove to the shoot, I was starting to get apprehensive. I was talking on the cell phone to a buddy about this, and he mentioned that like business, sometimes you can snatch victory out of a chaotic situation. That comment reminded me of a shoot earlier in my career...

It was at the Seminole Cup back in the TM Ranch days. I was shooting the main event with my coach and friend, Dan Carlisle, and we were both shooting well....really well. We were pushing each other every stand, and the squad had a real positive vibe to it (anyone that has squadded with Dan knows what I'm talking about). Then, the storm to end all storms came over the horizon......I mean cold, harsh wind, and heavy, sideways rain. I dove into my well stocked range bag and came out with a nice rain suit, waterproof hat, gloves...the whole get up that an aspiring "top shooter" was supposed to have at hand.

Didn't matter....I was miserable ...cold, wet feet....it was awful, and what a shame, I had been shooting so well, but that was slipping away from me. I was standing around whining about being cold and wet. Then I looked over at Dan....he had on the same blue jeans and tshirt that he started the round with....he was laughing at the mud, making jokes about the rising water and getting the truck stuck on the way out of the club.....he was having fun.

That was when he grabbed me by my rain suit (might as well have been by the scruff of the neck) and pulled me behind the golf cart, and said "...listen Bubba, all these other shooters are bitchin' about the weather, and they aren't focused on SHOOTING and WINNING.....this is when we WIN!" Well, he was right of course.....all I needed to do was keep my wits about me for a couple of hours of rain, which I have done thousand of days in the duck blind or deer stand, and stay focused on the job at hand. A couple of hours of rain isn't going to kill you...you won''t melt. You can get dry and warm in the clubhouse or hotel.

I didn't win that Seminole Cup....I had let too many get away during the few stations that I had my little pity party..... but Dan did.....I finished up well behind Dan, but much better than if we hadn't had that talk. I've learned a lot from him, about how to handle a shotgun, and about how to win.

I stopped on the way to the club and got a new rain suit, I cleaned my DT10, and rubbed it down with plenty of rust preventative. When I started up the drive to the club, they were already cars stuck in the parking area.....I engaged the 4 wheel drive on my truck, telling myself that I would need to wash the mud out of my front hubs after the shoot was over, before I headed home. I was ready for the weather, and I was ready to make a run for the title when I got to the shoot. Thanks Dan.

Best,

Will
0 Comments

be a target shooter, not a target critic...and other lessons...

3/10/2010

3 Comments

 
So I'm helping a student, and we are trying to figure out why his performance wasn't up to par at his last major shoot. The good news was that I was in his squad at the shoot in question, so I already had a good idea.....

I sat through stories of all the reasons ...... problems at work, problems with others in the squad, the sun was in my eyes, I think my gun doesn't fit me anymore....maybe it was the new shells, my tummy didn't feel good...and oh yeah, I hated those targets, because you know SOandSO set them, and everybody knows his targets are terrible....

Oh Really? I ask....

Why did you think they weren't well set?

Well, there were too many quartering/crossing/incoming/outgoing round disc shaped birds, and they were either orange or black! what was the target setter thinking! Everybody knows that this guys sets terrible targets!

Oh Really? I ask.....

Well, I asked him if he had heard about this problem with the target setter before the shoot? and yes, of course, his other friends had filled him in....and sure enough, there were waaaay to many of some type of targets set and that confirmed that there was a problem.

And my student went into this shoot, convinced that the targets would not be to his liking,  and of course, they were not. He was convinced they were going to be "bad targets" before the weekend started. It was the topic of conversation before/during/ and after the shoot.....so much that he was not planning his next station while waiting to shoot, but stewing on these awful targets.....and you can imagine how that helps your score!

I shouldn't sound so pious....I have fallen victim to the same evil vice, that of being a Target Critic( the all knowing, wise to the ways of sporting clays) instead of the Target Shooter. The Target Critic may sound like he knows a lot about the game( and have a built in excuse for poor performance), but the target critic rarely performs well.....since, you know, it was the fault of the poorly set targets. This evil usually befalls a shooter after he has been to a few "great shoots" with "great targets", and suddenly finds himself not shooting up to his level of expectations. It certainly can't be the shooter's fault, it must be something else.....let's blame the target setter!

I got tired of letting my performance slip by having my own little pity party about the target quality, and decided that I have to play with what is set for me to shoot right now. I can decide whether I like them next week.

Look gang, when you went through registration, you signed up to enter a competition shooting targets, not showing your experience by criticizing them. You signed up to shoot the targets that were presented for that event....now quit talking( and whining ) about them, and set about killing them. I promise you will have more fun.

You can bitch about them Monday on the internet....

Best,

Will

PS, if you know the target setter for the upcoming shoot is famous for a particular style of target, and you haven't practiced that type of target until you can hammer them over and over again......then whose fault is it really?

My Momma drowned all the dumb babies.....
3 Comments

the devil made me do it...i had to order a new wilson combat 1911

3/4/2010

0 Comments

 
Folks,
I 'fessed up that I seriously love custom 1911 pattern handguns. I mean I really dig them. Well, I broke down and ordered a new custom carry gun today from my friends @ Wilson Combat. I ordered the new Ultralight Carry, which is a full size 1911, but with a lightweight aluminum alloy frame to save weight. Its about half a pound lighter on your belt than an all steel version of the same pistola.....here is a pic...
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I ordered the gun with several custom options including being chambered in the potent .38 Super chambering, with a spare fitted 9mm barrel( .38 Super for carry, and cheap 9mm for practice ). Also both barrels will be feature deep flutes to reduce weight( and look cool ). Gonna be a neat blaster.....delivery in about 5 -6 weeks....I"ll post pics when I get it!

Best,

Will
0 Comments

gamebore blue diamonds

3/4/2010

1 Comment

 
I got a chance to shoot some Gamebore Blue Diamond shells today, and I came away quite impressed! Same quality Diamond shot as the famous White Gold[ my go-to favorite shells], but with reduced recoil due to lower velocity( 1200 fps@ 3ft ) and quality Gordon System hulls, made famous by B&P. These hulls further reduce recoil by nature of a collapsing internal chamber in the base of the hull to help reduce pressure.

They were very soft on the shoulder, with a smooth recoil, and they smoked targets. I think these shells will be very popular.

Best,

Will
1 Comment

stories from the range

3/3/2010

1 Comment

 
So Sunday, I was giving a lesson to a young couple.....apparently they are “dating"....well, he was having a real hard time keeping his focus on the clay till the end of the shot. He was measuring lead, and missing behind. I explained to both of them that when the focus left the target to measure the lead, that the barrels slowed, and he was consistently behind the target. Even though he understood what was going on, he just couldn’t consistently keep his eyes locked on the bird….and he was getting frustrated.

So we took a break, and I told them a story of a 13 year old boy in my youth program that had the same problem. I told the young man to stare at the target like a cheerleader’s butt.....and after a few sheepish laughs and grins, the young shooter started busting targets. 

After this break, and moment of levity, I put the guy back in the shooting box, and he called for a bird[ the same one he had missed 10 times in a row]. He smoked the clay! Everyone was happy and congratulations were passed around. 

I then asked them what we learned…..before either could answer with something about focus.....I told the young lady the answer was that she is getting a short skirt and pom-poms for her birthday!

Sometimes, I’m sooooo witty, I amuse myself.


Best,

Will
1 Comment

please, tell yourself to focus on the target

2/3/2010

0 Comments

 
So,
I stop by the local range, Rocky Creek , to drop off some Gamebore shotshells today, and a good old friend asked me to help him with a pair of targets that way giving him trouble. He helped me unload the shells, and I helped him with the station....fair enough.

So, it was a realitively fast true pair, and he was swinging the gun with enough energy that if we could convert it to electricity, we could light Las Vegas......and not hitting anything. So we talked briefly about a plan...which one to shoot first and why.....and still nothing.....lost/lost. Ok, I asked him what he was focusing on regarding the first target. I get a blank stare..... So I suggested that he try to focus on where the black belly meets the orange rim on that target. He loads up, and call for the pair..... dead/lost. Well, we are making headway!

A couple of more pairs....still dead/lost. I'm thinking surely he gets it....? We picked out some detail to focus on the first bird, so that he had the target in focus as he stroked the bird, and he hit it.....maybe we should do that on the second bird also? Nope, he was soooo wrapped up in shooting fast enough to  have a chance at the second bird, he was not doing what was needed to break it. OK, lets take the next step...

I bring up that we hit the first bird by finding some detail to focus on, and he agrees....he understands that worked. So I bring up that maybe we should do that on the second bird [ok, I admit it, I used a bit of sarcasm at this point]. So we talk about the second bird, and decided on what was most visible on that bird in the area that he was going to engage it.....pull-DEAD PAIR.

Big Smile....and I got to see one of my favorite sights, the light bulb going off over his head. 


Best,

Will
0 Comments

setting goals for the upcoming clay shooting season

1/31/2010

0 Comments

 
Ok Folks,
Do you have this season's goals set? Often I hear that a student's goal is to move up in class....fair enough, I can see that......but realize, if that is the case, you need to plan your calender accordingly. If your goal is to move up, you have to not only improve your shooting ability [and of course yourcompeting ability], you have to go to where the punches can be earned. Drives me nuts when shooters go on and on about wanting to move up in class, but wonder why its not happening fast enough when they never go to any shoots of any size. The more shooters, the more punches available.

There is a whole world of sporting clays out there folks.....they don't just throw them at your home club. They even throw them in other states. Plan some trips....test yourself against new courses. To me, that is the real challenge in our sport.

Best Regards,

Will
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