Uxbridge Shooting Sports Newsletter -
January/07
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
Saturday: Last Saturday of each month only
10AM - 4PM
Lessons and Coaching only
Skeet and Trap only
To do your own coaching:
fields, including unlimited targets,
are for rent at only $15. per
hour per person (minimum 2 persons)
Kitchen closed
Please call
Doug Baker
to book fields: (905) 852-5907
2. News
- Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held
Sunday December 3. Following the Directors' reports many of those attending
commented that they were well pleased with the state of our club and with how it
was being run.
Summary: The facilities are being steadily
improved, there's money in the bank, and membership is at an all-time high.
- The raffle for the Beretta 391 camo was held
during the AGM, and the winner was
Ian Hitchens,
of Sutton, Ontario.
- Have you checked out our new website yet?
Thanks to the efforts of
Steve Mickeler,
www.uxbridgess.ca
is now up and running (and to use it, you get to give yourself a cool log-in
name!). Steve is looking for feedback re content and features (photos, for
example) so please visit the website and make your comments and contributions
through the "Contact Us" link.
- "Training Days" (last Saturday of each month)
is starting up again this month, but with two important new rules:
1. You must book in advance.
2. Anyone who fails to cancel a
booking by the end of the Wednesday before Training Day will be charged for the
time booked.
- Membership fees are now long overdue. Those
members who were not paid up by November 1 must pay visitors' rates to shoot,
and are not be allowed to buy shooting cards. Memberships including CSSA fees
increased 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. Steve Malcolm............Vice President plus
Shooting Committee
3. Al Piette......................Secretary/Treasurer
4. Andy Gatlin.................Membership
5. Cam Todd...................Grounds and
Equipment
6. Doug Baker.................Steward, plus
Grounds and Equipment
7. Phil Dimitrovski...........Shooting Committee
8. Rick Ingham................Shooting Committee
9. Richard Pearce...........Health and Safety
10. Kathy Little.................Marketing and
Fundraising
11. David Brewer..............IT and Automation
12. Chuck Catherwood......Director at Large
13. 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!)
Still needed - a couple of "decent" (i.e. not the
ones your dog peed on) office chairs for our front desk.
7. Upcoming Events
January 27 (Saturday): Training Day
June 13 (Wednesday): NSSA 4X50 Skeet Shoot
July 28,29 (Saturday, Sunday): International
Skeet Shoot plus camping weekend with BBQ
August 18,19 (Saturday, Sunday): Annual NSSA
"Orange Blast" Skeet Shoot
September 30 (Sunday): NSSA Doubles Marathon
Skeet Shoot
8. 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.
.................................
November 19, 2006: Club Sporting Clay
Championship
Champion -
Simon Cassidy
Runner Up -
Dan McCormack
.................................
9. Technical Questions And Answers
Please e-mail questions to:
rob_ricciatti@kelk.com.
Q. I've been using "clone" wads for reloading,
but have read that they're not as good as the factory wads they copy. Why not?
Reloading manuals say you can substitute the clones for the originals in any
recipe, so what's the difference?
A. In a word, the difference is "consistency",
especially in cold weather. The performance of a wad depends upon not only its
basic design, but also the material from which it is made, and how that material
is processed during wad manufacture.
Clone wads are cheaper simply because they are
made from less expensive plastic material, and, in some cases, from plastic not
further softened to the same degree as factory wads.
In cold weather, clone wads may stiffen to the
point of allowing exploding gases to leak past the obturating (How's that for a
ten dollar word!) skirt, resulting in a large reduction in pressure and,
ultimately, muzzle velocity. And when muzzle velocity varies, so does the
quality of the resulting pattern, which is what we really want to
optimize.
In warm weather, the performance of clone wads in
"heavy" reload recipes is, on average, perfectly acceptable, with a variation in
muzzle velocity shell-to-shell that is the same as for factory wads, and which
approaches that of factory loads - typically about 10 feet per second. However,
with "light" reloads, the difference is always much greater, due not only to
the stiffness of the clone wads, but also to the inability of reloaders (at
least most of us!) to reproduce the very deep factory crimps that are essential
for consistent performance. Factory wads will improve the consistency of "light"
reloads, but crimp depth is still a major factor.
So there you have it - reloads made with factory
wads do outperform those with clone wads in cold weather, but factory
competition target loads are still best in all weather conditions - especially
if you prefer "light" loads.
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 prices equal to reloads, 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: Whenever an
Uxbridge member has a shotgun problem or needs special work done, the automatic
recommendation of those in the know is: "Take it to Stelios!". Not many
gunsmiths have achieved the reputation for superb quality and workmanship
attributed to Stelios Chrysochou and his crew. He's always busy, so call for an
appointment.
West Luther Gun Repairs (519) 848-6260:
Wayne Hendry used to work for Remington, but has been on his own for a while
now. He's the man to contact for Remington parts, and an expert on all things
Remington: He can tell you which models to look for, and which to avoid - how
useful is that?!!
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. 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