Fox Collectors

[quote="Big Friend Ten"]Below are a few photos of our Parker group shooting.

Great shots Mark! I will be sure to share them with the family.

Thanks,
Jonathan

Stan, start a new thread to tell us about the U.S. Open at Rick's place.

Ah, Mark, how I'd love to! This time of year is just impossible for me to be gone for any length of time. We rush the whole month of May to get all the cotton and peanuts planted on time. We will be finishing up the cotton about the end of this month. Break all of them for me!

Bill, I hate to start a thread here about the Open, since I wasn't shooting a Fox! Let me just say that Charlie and I rode over to shoot the S x S on Tuesday. Rick had done a fabulous job, just as I expected him to. It was my second Open, and this one was much classier and nicer than the 2010 in Tunica, IMO.

We shot at 11 a.m. and both shot fair. We both struggled with the "onesies", dropping one bird each on too many stations. Charlie shot a 94, ended up at M3, and won the Super Vet concurrent. I had a 93, took M4, and RU in the Veteran concurrent. We both were thoroughly disgusted with our shooting and felt we really should have shot a 98 or 99, each. I was beat in Veteran by one bird.

I really need to get my "new" 32" BE Fox to Keith to get a couple minor issues straightened out so that I can shoot it at Rick's in September. Remember, Bill, the Fall Classic has been moved up from October to September. Sure wish several of our Fox members could be there so we could compete against the Smith and Parker boys.

Stan

I've attached a sampling of photos that I took this past weekend, mainly of the grounds at Prospect Hall, and our time on the Hunters Clays course. Mark took some great photos of us on the main course, and I tried to do the same on the Hunters course on Saturday. I drove up from NC and stayed the whole weekend from start to finish and had a blast. There were so many highlights that it's hard to mention them all. I shot the 50 round course on Thursday and Friday in 12ga, 16ga and 20ga and shot the Hunters Clays course (40 clays) and the Main Event (85 clays) on Saturday as well. I shot Trap for the first time this weekend, as part of the WV Cup, which was 25 birds from the 27 Yard Line. Thanks to Chuck Brunner for the crash course and to Roger Bain for letting me borrow his Winchester Trap gun for the shoot. Breaking 13 out of 25 with a borrowed gun from that distance, I was pretty happy, and it makes me wish there was a place to shoot Trap where I live. I want to thank Chuck Brunner and all those involved for putting on an amazing event. The course was challenging with some presentations that I've personally never shot before (Poison Birds for instance), and was made even more so for the main event. Jent Mitchell and the Virginia Vintagers put out quite the spread on Friday night, and thanks to George Calomaris for bringing that Palmetto Moonshine! My jar is already half gone. It was great to see and shoot with old friends, and to meet and spend time with new friends like Harold Pickens, Fred Very, Jonathan Engle, etc. This is all about SxS guns, and we sure got to see some fine one's this weekend. Many thanks to Jonathan Engle for sharing his outstanding Fox Collection with us, and that incredible 8ga B Grade Parker Hammer Gun. I seem to recall a few gems from Mr. Murphy too, including the only 30" 8ga Parker made, a "Try Gun" and a very nice high grade double trap. This one is going on the calendar next year for sure, and I hope to see more of you guys there!

Mike


Prospect Hall


Prospect Hall - View from the 5 Stand


Vendors Tent


Prospect Hall - Main House, Check in for shooting




Five Stand


Hunters Clays Course


Trap Field


Barn & Mamma's Caboose


The Sunset House


Mark & Harold making rounds in the tent




Daryl and Rich hanging out between shoots


The levels a man will stoop too in order to suck up to Chuck Brunner....and somehow you still didn't go home with that CHE Rich. :rotf:


Main Event Trophy's


Early Morning in the Vendor Tent


Hunters Clays Course - L to R - Harold Pickens, Mike Smith, Rich Anderson, Daryl Carona, Mark Oullette, Chuck Bishop


Chuck shooting Station 1 - Left high and right low crossers




Rich on Station 1




Mark, the only person man enough to shoot sporting clays with a 36" 10ga Parker!


Daryl on the birds with his 32" DHE 20ga


Harold swinging his 16ga Fox Sterlingworth




Thanks to Mark for making sure there were photos of me as well.


Shooting my 12ga Sterlingworth Skeet & Upland (before the forearm wood came loose :crying:)


Enjoying some good shooting and smack talking


Concentration


Chuck at Station 2


Rich Wielding his 12ga Hammer Gun


More left & right crossers at the second station, simo(true) pairs.


Daryl on Station 2


Harold feeding his Fox




Station 3, shooting from the back seat of a canoe!






Mark shooting and Jimmy (Manager of Prospect Hall) pulling targets and scoring.


Daryl on the Wobble Trap at the Trap Field


15 Yard Line?


Nice shot Harold!


The Peanut Gallery


Your Overall Winner, Britton Condon, who was having so much fun we had to drag him off the course to accept his trophy!


JD Shank receiving his trophy from Jent Mitchell of the Virginia Vintagers.


Jimmy standing in with Jent to accept the other awards, both of which went to the same person, but their name escapes me. Chuck, any help there?

We should all thank Mike Smith for these pictures since he is the only AHFCA member other than myself who chose to attend this shoot and report on it. This was a great shoot and we should support it next year if possible. Jonathan Engle has offered to participate, so we should reciprocate and give him our support.

Great photos, Mike. That is a beautiful place, thanks for posting.

Stan

Hey Eightbore!

It might not be "reporting" but what do you call my post with the photos?

Mark

Big Friend Ten wrote:Below are a few photos of our Parker group shooting. There was me, who you do not see as I had the camera, and Jonathan Engle shooting a Becker built Fox, Mike Smith shooting a Fox Skeet and Upland, Rich Anderson, Daryl Corona, and Chuck Bishop.

Photo #2 shows Mike Smith, Chuck Bishop, a great trapper, Jonathan Engle, and Rich Anderson.
Photo #5 shows Daryl Corona watching Mike Smith shoot.
Photo #8 shows my 36" Parker DH 10, Jonathan's Becker built Fox CE, and Mike's Fox Skeet and Upland.

Thank you for the pictures and description. It was like being there.
Best,
Mike

Thanks to all for the excellent photos and info. Just a little too far from MS for me to make the trip. See that Daryl's a lefty also. Mike, what happened to the FE on the S & U gun?

Mike

Mike, I just purchased this gun about a week before heading to the shoot in WV. I hadn't even had a chance to photograph it and post any pictures on the site. It's a great example of a 12ga Skeet & Upland in wonderful condition. The first time I shot it was on the sporting clays course on Thursday, and I shot lights out with it. It fits me like a glove, but after a few stations I noticed that the forearm was coming loose. I had my screwdrivers with me, so I tried tightening the screw in the back of the forearm iron, only to have it just spin freely in the hole. The other screw on top of the plate was also loose, and tightening that seemed to hold it for the rest of the round. I broke it out again for the Hunters Clays course on Saturday and after the second station it was loose again. This time I separated the iron from the wood and found that this gun has been repaired before. In fact, the slot where the iron fits has been channeled and there is a new piece of wood glued in place. The screw that comes through the back of the forearm iron hits right where the two pieces of wood come together, so it was never going to hold. The top screw also now turns in the slot, so neither are holding. I'm sure I could make an attempt at fixing it myself, but I'd rather send it to someone who would do it right. Not sure who that's going to be yet. I guess the positive side is that I don't have to send the whole gun, just the forearm.

Wonderful photos....thanks to both of you for posting. Boy.....Chuck Bishop never looked smoother swinging that hinge-pin Sterly!!! (wink---wink)