The "Cool Factor" -- Target Gun Category

[PJR]

Dave's post on serious shotguns and the cool factor caused me to start thinking.

There's as much faddishness in target guns as anything else. Here's my completely subjective take on what's cool and what's not.

Cool
Long, light barrels, fitted stocks, Kick-eez pads, Briley thin walls (or Teagues), crisp triggers, wood upgrades, lengthened forcing cones, subgauge tubes, detachable triggers (except on K-guns), Americases, Wild Hare accessories, Storm shooting coats, Decot shooting glasses, cold beer on a hot day after the shooting is done, 7/8's ounce 12 gauge, the pressure of shoot off, Peltor electronic earmuffs, shooting skeet with an HD gun and the really old guy wearing thick glasses who runs 'em straight at trap with a worn Model 12.

Uncool
Ported choke tubes, ported barrels, Precision fit stocks (yes I know they work but they are so darn ugly), semi shooters without shell catchers on my left at trap, mercury recoil reducers that make every gun butt heavy, manufacturers decals on guns, flourescent front beads, people who can't shut up while you are shooting, free advice when you don't want it, snobs, crybabies who think buying a top dollar gun should automatically give you top dollar scores.

This is my partial list. Agree? Disagree? Additions?

Paul

 

[HSMITH]

One disagreement here on what is uncool, and it was the straw that broke the camels back for me and trapshooting. My issue is talking while you are shooting should not be a problem, if YOU concentrate MY talking would never enter into your shooting. I think "talking while I was shooting" is a crutch at best, and nothing but an excuse. When I shoot I concentrate, you can be looking down the rib with me talking into my ear without bothering me, if I miss it is because I did not direct the shot where it needed to go and that is that. Shell catchers fall into much the same category IMO so long as the shooter to the right does not get hit with a hull, if I keep the hulls short of you there is no problem.

The whiny piddle and moan of "serious" trapshooters over every tiny thing irritates me to no end. I have shot with hundreds of people at a dozen clubs, and it is the same old song and dance. If you were not talking the targets were too low or too high, or the hulls bouncing distracted someone. You shoot too slow or too fast, it broke the rhythm. Wind is blowing too hard, not a normal direction, or not at all. It is too hot, or too cold. I had 5 slow pulls, and one fast pull, BLAH BLAH BLAH

Now that I have offended most trap shooters I will tell you that I have met and shot with some that are likeminded and don't mind talking or hulls and make no excuses. They are a tiny minority. Lack of concentration and poor shooting should be called just that and not blamed on something else. Sporting clays shooters are getting nearly as bad these days it seems. Seems like skeet is the only "social" shotgun game left.......

 

[PJR]

HSMITH:

Both fair points. People talking while I shoot trap doesn't bother however it's a different issue with sporting. It helps me on certain presentations to hear the trap release and it's harder to do so when the rest of the squad is talking. I agree that providing the hulls don't hit me while shooting trap a shell catcher isn't needed. Hulls hitting me is another matter. Definitely uncool.

Thanks for the addition of phoney excuses to the list of uncool.

And any trapshooter who complains about a slow or fast pull has only himself to blame. You shot; you bought it.

Paul

 

[Dave McCracken]

Dinging empties off me doesn't bother me all that much, but dinging them off my shotgun does.

Cool, those who practice good range manners.

Uncool, those who get upset over trifles.

 

[JohnRov]

There's a guy I shoot with who can figure out a million reasons why he misses. He'll ask the guy next to him, "Why did you hesitate on that last one? That made me miss!" = Uncool

People talking, eh, I have no idea if people are talking while I am shooting so it doesn't bother me.

Unsolicited advice is annoying.

I don't worry about other peoples' guns so that doesn't bother me either.

 

[sm]

" The Cool Factor" for me consisted of some qualities I admired, respected, and emulated.

Courtesy, concentration, mutual respect, humility, team player, attitude, sense of humor [laugh at himself], the ability to listen and accept critisim.

4 rules always , they lead by example, new shooters felt relaxed and learned/practiced quickly.

 

[themic]

i'm not sure if i've ever heard people talking around me. either they're all real polite, or i'm not listening.

i do prefer a group rhythm, cause i just like it. i don't need it; i simply like it. and talking may prevent a group rhythm from happening.

 

[BigG]

Snotty attitude: uncool
Whatever gun: cool, so long as attitude is jovial