Uxbridge Shooting Sports Newsletter -
December/06
Uxbridge Shooting Sports
5700 Concession 4, Uxbridge
Mail: PO Box 101, Goodwood, Ontario, L0A 1C0
Phone: (905) 852-5907
Website: www.uxbridgess.ca
1. Current Hours Of Operation
Sunday: 10AM - 4PM
Skeet, Trap, 5-Stand,
Sporting Clays
Kitchen open 9AM - 3PM
Wednesday: 10AM - 1/2 hour before dusk
Skeet and 5-Stand
5 stations of Sporting Clays
(self pull) - check for
availability
Kitchen closed, but snacks
and drinks available
2. News
- Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held
Sunday December 3 beginning at 11 AM. The traditional will follow.
Note: No shooting allowed during the
meeting!!
- The raffle for the Beretta 391 camo will be
held during the AGM, so please return ticket stubs if you still have any.
- Holiday hours: Our steward expects to open the
club as normal on Sunday December 24, Wednesday December 27, and Sunday December
31, but to close early on the 24th and 31st. Trappers may not be available on
those days, so check first if you are expecting to shoot Sporting Clays.
- We have a new website! Thanks to the efforts
of Steve Mickeler,
we can now log in to
www.uxbridgess.ca to keep up to date
with current and past club events as often as we want. Steve is looking for
feedback re content and features so please visit the website and make your
comments through the "Contact Us" link. Good job, Steve!
- "Training Days" (last Saturday of each month)
will start up again in January.
- Membership fees are now officially overdue.
Those members not paid up by November 1 will be charged visitors' rates to
shoot, and will not be allowed to buy shooting cards. Memberships including CSSA
fees will increase by $5. on December 13, due to a CSSA increase.
- OFSC snowmobile trail permits are available at
the club from our steward, Doug Baker.
3. Guest Policy
Paid-up members of any shooting club, globally,
are welcome to shoot at visitors' rates any number of times per year upon
production of their current membership badges.
Guests who are not already a member of another
club are welcome to enjoy our facilities and shoot at guest rates, up to 3 times
per year, under the supervision of a member.
Youngsters may be coached by members, but are not
allowed to carry shotguns to or from the skeet/trap fields.
Names of all guests must be registered at the
desk.
Shells must be #7 1/2 to #9 shot only - suitable
shells can be purchased at the desk.
All shooters must wear eye and ear protection.
All guest shooters who are not
C.S.S.A. members must pay an insurance fee of $2 per person per visit.
4. Reciprocal Privileges
Uxbridge members in good standing are allowed to
shoot "occasionally" (not more than once per week) at Oshawa Skeet and Gun (905
985-7763) at members' rates (But If you shoot there too regularly you may be
asked to join!).
The Hamilton Gun Club (905 692-4224) welcomes
Uxbridge members to shoot trap, skeet or sporting clays at members' rates.
5. Board of Directors
Our Directors are interested in your input!
Please do not hesitate to forward your ideas to them via e-mail (reply to this
newsletter) or in writing via the suggestion box on the wall just inside the
clubhouse door.
1. Ed Holder.............President
2. Vic Bergman.........Vice President
3. Al Piette................Secretary/Treasurer
4. Andy Gatlin...........Membership
5. Richard Pearce.....Shoot Director
6. Steve Malcolm......Skeet
7. Phil Dimitrovski.....Sporting Clays
8. Cam Todd.............Grounds and Equipment
9. Doug Baker...........Steward, plus assists re
Grounds and Equipment
10. Rick Ingham.........Director at Large
(assists re Sporting Clays and Shoots)
11. Kathy Little...........Marketing and
Fundraising
12. David Brewer........IT and Automation
+ Rob Wilkinson.......Past President
6. Members' Help Wanted (and very much
appreciated!)
We have been blessed with an outpouring of
volunteer help, as well as equipment loans and donations, to assist in both our
ongoing renovations and in our routine operations. If you have skills,
abilities, or access to equipment that you would like to donate in order to help
improve our club in any way, please leave your name with our Steward.
Many thanks to several generous members
who answered the call for contributions towards deep cycle batteries for our new
12V Sporting Clays trap machines. We now have all the equipment we need to allow
us to set up a full "self-pull" course. (The next challenge will be finding the
time to get it all installed!)
Needed - a couple of "decent" office chairs for
our front desk.
7. Recent Events
November 19, 2006: Club Sporting Clay
Championship
Champion -
Simon Cassidy (86)
Runner Up -
Dan McCormack (73)
Lewis Class Winners: B (tie) -
Ed Holder and Greg Forsyth (67)
C -
Rob Wilkinson (49)
8. Upcoming Events
December 3 (Sunday): Uxbridge SS
Annual General Meeting - 11AM - lunch to follow
January 27 (Saturday): Training Day
9. Past Events
June 18, 2006: "Full Choke" Sporting Clays
Shoot
Champion -
Dan McCormack
Runner Up -
Peter Taws
...............................
July 23, 2006: Senior and Junior Shoot
Champions -
Don and Donald Emerson
Junior Champion -
Phil Hunter
...............................
August 19-20, 2006: NSSA "Orange Blast" Open
12 Gauge:
B2 - Sam Barbetta, E1 - Stewart
Kirby, E2 - Dave Brewer
20 Gauge:
B2 - Sam Barbetta
28 Gauge:
A2 - Steve Malcolm
.410 Bore:
RU - Steve Malcolm
High Overall:
A1 - Steve Malcolm
..............................
September 10, 2006: Club Championships
Skeet: Champion -
Steve Malcolm
Runner Up (tie) -
Dave Brewer, Richard Pearce, and
Chris Stratagakis
Intermerican Skeet: Champion -
Steve Malcolm
Runner Up -
Chris Stratagakis
Skrap: Champion -
Dan Steward
Runner Up (tie) -
John Bradley and Sam Ghazy
5-Stand: Champion -
Dan Steward
Runner Up -
Richard Pearce
High Overall: Champion -
Dan Steward
Runner
Up - Steve Malcolm
................................
October 22,2006: Buddy "Best Ball" Sporting
Clays Shoot
- Rained out. New date still to be decided.
.................................
10. Retail Therapy
Upset by low scores? Why not buy something?!! It
may not help you improve, but you're sure to feel better just knowing you've got
the latest whatsit or thingamabob! The following merchants are eager to help:
A. J. Hobbs Enterprises (905) 884-3027: Al
Hobbs is a well known gunsmith and custom rifle and handgun builder in Richmond
Hill. He also deals in new and used shotguns - give him a call if you're looking
for something special.
Al Flaherty's (416) 651-6436: Features
Winchester promo loads in both 12 and 20 gauge at really low prices, and carries
a full range of Winchester AA competition loads for skeet, trap, and sporting
clays.
Bass Pro Shops (905) 761-4000: Located in
the Vaughn Mills supermall, our Bass Pro carries the same complete line of
hunting and shooting equipment as the US chain, but at (lower) Canadian prices.
Long time Uxbridge member and instructor Bill
Jackson works there part time, so don't forget to ask for him in the hunting
department when you visit or call.
Gagnon Sports (905) 725-5798: Has
re-opened with a new, improved layout, and carries everything you can think of
(and lots of stuff you didn't even know you needed) for hunting and clay target
shooting.
Giovanni's (416) 633-7597: features promo
shotshells from Rio, Fiocchi and Federal, but not usually in shot sizes smaller
than #8. They do however carry Lawrence high-antimony shot in all sizes as well
as a good range of other reloading supplies and replacement parts.
Hummason (905) 648-3430: manufactures and
sells "Extra-Hard" shot (1.5% antimony) in all sizes and "Premium" shot (3%
antimony) in size 7.5 and 8 only.
Most local gun-shops carry their "Extra Hard"
stuff but if you want to try the "Premium" you'll have to drive to Hummason in
Ancaster to get some.
Irv's Shooting Supplies (905) 436-2046:
Lloyd Irvine's "store" is a large trailer stocked with all manner of wonderful
things which he hauls up to Oshawa Skeet and Gun every Saturday (unless he's
taken it to another club during special competitions).
Lloyd is currently the only local source for
Remington 209 STS primers, as well as for Winchester reloading powders in 8 lb.
containers. He carries MEC reloader parts and Remington 1100 and 11-87 parts
too.
During the week, you can pick up your orders from
Lloyd at his place in Courtice, or he'll happily bring what you want up to
Oshawa S&G on a Wednesday or Sunday.
Lawry (877) 705-0008: imports, sells and
distributes Lawrence "Magnum" shot (6% antimony) in our area. High-antimony
shot is used in expensive factory target loads such as Winchester AA and
Remington STS. Because it is harder it doesn't deform as much as "chilled" or
soft shot, which means patterns will be tighter and more uniform.
Lawry's has Federal "Top Gun" shells in 12 and 20
gauge at under $40. per flat, and carries the complete line of Claybuster wads
as well as Alliant, Hodgdon and IMR powders in economically priced large
containers.
Le Baron (905) 944-0682: The Le Baron Club
Card costs $25. per year and gives you a 7% discount on all regularly priced
merchandise as well as free home delivery of their catalogs. The printed and
on-line catalogs include an amazing range of shooting-related products and
ammunition, but the stores are restricted to a more limited selection, so call
first to confirm that what you want is in stock.
S. C. Gunworks (905) 513-8880: Not many
gunsmiths have achieved the reputation for superb quality that has been earned
by Stelios Chrysochou. That's why he's so often recommended by Uxbridge members.
He's always busy, so call for an appointment.
Williams' Arms (1-877) 833-2634: Located
in Port Perry, Williams' Arms is the closest dealer to our club, making it
possible to shoot on a Wednesday or Training Day Saturday morning, zip over to
Williams' to pick up whatever you found was missing from your shooting bag (or
just a look-see), grab lunch nearby, and then return for more shooting in the
afternoon.
Williams' maintains a great website with useful
links to manufacturers (www.williamsarms.net), stocks some unique products (such
as Uni-Dot sights for cross-dominant shooters), has a good supply of books and
catalogs, and will order in whatever cleaning supplies or new gizmos you've read
about but can't find anywhere else.
11. Technical Questions And Answers
Please e-mail questions to:
rob_ricciatti@kelk.com.
Q. One of my semi-autos ejects hulls a long way -
20 feet! - while another barely ejects at all, even when well lubricated. What's
optimum?
A. Experts say that hulls should be ejected
approximately 6 feet. Any less, and ejection will not be consistent, especially
in cold weather or if you shoot reloads. Any more, and you will be damaging
internal parts - especially the bolt link - through overloading.
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to adjust this
parameter.
First, choose a good lubricant and develop a
consistent method of application, especially with respect to your magazine tube.
Synthetic oil is good, powdered graphite even better, especially in winter.
Resist the temptation to use non-shooting lubricants such as WD-40 or Rust
Check, which are excellent penetrants but will lubricate only when wet (So will
urine!!). They are designed to evaporate and leave a protective coating that's
good for rust prevention during storage, but which unfortunately attracts dust
and dirt while shooting. (The shooting sports equivalents are compounds such as
Birchwood Casey's "Sheath", which acts in exactly the same way - it's an
excellent penetrant, but not recommended for high speed, high pressure
lubrication.)
Next, note the average ejection distance for your
"standard" lubrication and typical loads, and then consult your owners' manual
(or the internet) to find out how to either increase or decrease that distance
as required. Recoil-operated semi-autos employ a series of rings and washers
that can be easily installed in a different (but specific) order to reduce or
increase internal friction. Gas-operated guns use replacable or sometimes
reversible gas cylinders to switch from "light" to "heavy" load operation. Also,
a set of aftermarket gas-valve springs are available for 390 series Berettas
that can be easily interchanged with the factory spring to really "fine tune"
ejection distance.
If after all this your ejection distance is still
too great, you may need to replace a mainspring (they weaken with use, and are
intended to be replaced regularly). Consult your manual or a gunsmith.
12. Classified
If you have something to sell, or are looking for
something to buy, please e-mail;
rob_ricciatti@kelk.com
(And please let us know when to stop the listing!)
For Sale:
Alpine compound bow with case, arrows and quiver
- Bob: (905) 727-1653
Beretta AL391 Urika field, 12g, with extras -
Chris: (416) 871-0245
Beretta 682X Mono Trap gun, 34", adjustable comb
- Stelios: (905) 513-8880
Browning A5 semi-auto, 12g magnum, plus extra
(rifled) barrel - Peter: (416) 487-7859
Browning BT-99 - Al: (905) 884-3027
Browning Citori "Plus" Trap gun - Peter: (416)
487-7859
Browning "Lightning" (Belgian), 12g, mod/mod -
Peter: (416) 487-7859
German Wirehair female, fully trained, 3 years
old - Adam: (705) 340-5058
Hulls for reloading, 12g, 20g, and .410 - Bill:
(905) 263-8174
IGA Condor 12g O/U with screw-in chokes - Saad:
(416) 562-9073
Labrador puppies - Anne: (613) 475-5097
Miroku 12g O/U - Al: (905) 884-3027
Remington 740 30-06 semi-auto with 2 magazines -
Dan: (905) 925-1756
Rizzini 2000 Sporting, 12g, 32" barrels - John:
(416) 265-6625
Russian 12g O/U with fixed chokes - Saad: (416)
562-9073
Tri-axle 16' x 8' utility trailer - Bob: (705)
325-1697
Triton ATV2 trailer: (905) 722-5839
Wanted:
Browning Double Automatic (12g), or barrel for
same - Rob: (416) 565-0537
Beretta or Remington 20g semi-auto suitable for
young shooters - carm.dan@rogers.com
Left handed 28g or 20g pump or semi-auto - Gary:
(613) 720-4325
FEEDBACK:
rob_ricciatti@kelk.com