Hello:
I went to my local gun club yesterday to shoot the 30 bird event. While at the club I heard a conversation about something that neither shooter or myself ever witnessed at a tournament shoot.
None of us ever witnessed anyone ever challenging someones shells and the club actually checking that persons shells to inspect them.
When I first got into trapshooting I always heard that if a club wants to check your loads they can take two shells but they have to replace the shells with new shells. Is this true, and if it is, has anyone ever been to a shoot that this actually happened to you or another shooter?
Steve Balistreri
I've never seen it either but I know a guy who used to shoot Remington Nitro Gold at ATA shoots, said right on the box that they weren't ATA legal but he got away with it anyway?
I had my empties checked at The Grand maybe 20 years ago. A little different than actually checking the shells. Back when this occurred, the ATA officials actually spent time on the fields looking for things and keeping the shoot running. I had been shooting different brands of shells for different events and had torn up a Remington box and put Rem shells in a Federal box. I had shot a field and when I came off the field a line referee asked to see my shells. He had noticed the box and the empties did not match. He did check to make sure the empties were new. Back in that era, a Mr. P from Ohio was involved in a singles shoot off at the Grand. During the shoot off he was using reloads and was disqualified, his excuse was he shot new shells during the event but did not realize he was required to use new shells in a shoot off.
If this was ever enforced most people shooting reclaimed shot would be in violation and disqualified. There always seems to be some #6 shot mixed in from hunters practicing and some of the long range games played at many clubs. Years ago a shooter here us to shoot International loads with nickel plated shot at the handicap events. The shooters themselves confronted him and told him to leave and he did because he knew he was cheating.
Back in the 80's I was shooting at the Grand and on one of my handicap events there were some reloads on the ground from a previous squad.
I asked Vic Reinders one time why we had to purchase new shells at the grand? He told me part of the reason is that was a money maker for them.
I have not shot the grand in Sparta yet, do you still have to shoot new shells that are purchased on Grounds? Also do they still allow you to purchase once fired hulls for $3.00 a case?
Steve
For clarification sake, the Mr. P. that jt27 maybe refering to is not this Mr.P. Sucks, I'm so legal that I still have those tags on my pillows that say, "Do not remove under penality of law."
Yes, we had a guy that was shooting reloads that were just chest thumping loud. He was taking aside by shoot mgmt and asked to keep his shells to ATA legal specs. He was not in contention to win anything anyway.
BTW, interesting note on the international shells. Not all 24grm shells have copper coated shot, but some certainly do. I hadn't thought of that, but it certainly is in the rule book.
Circa 1976 I saw the ATA Line Referee, during a handicap, (I can't remember his name but it was something like Cliff or Cletus) and he noticed a guy on the squad ahead of me was shucking out some pretty burned up old paper reloads to the ground. He let him finish the round and then took him aside and told his squad to continue without him. I never found out what happened to the shooter.
I guess that it might be really hard to "Verify" a shell unless you knew what kind of powder he is using and you have a scale to weigh the powder and the shot. It has been a rule for a long long time but I have never seen it enforced. Motordoc
I know of an all American that used 1 1/4 oz reloads when he had trouble competing at the newly installed 27 yd. line? He is still shooting (legal loads) today.
Clyde
At the Grand American, you can shoot reloads now. With the Martin's $100,000 challenge, you had to shoot factory ammo for the handicap events and shoot offs, it did not matter where you purchased. With the money most likely not there this year I would guess that you could shoot reloads again for everything. You need to check the program when it comes out, because I don't think it is final until it is published.
As to the sale of hulls, I do not know. But now days there will be a lot of the cheaper straight wall hulls ie Top Gun and Chedite type, especially from the singles and doubles events.
seen this rule enforced years ago at the 100th grand in vandalia when a fella was escorted of the line after the second trap when his windjammer wads landing on the trap house drew the attention of a passing line judge. I was told later that he had shot early in the week to get hulls for the championship events so he would have reloads for those days. He was rewarded for his efforts by being locked into AA 25 AA for the next 3 years with out chance of reduction.
Vic Reinders told me he use to use size 7 shot for handicap years ago. I think they were Blue Remington papers if my memory serves me right? Have no idea when size 7 shot was no longer allowed. Vic also used that same shell for hunting as he said it was a great load.
Steve
I wan to know what the prize was for a 30 target event that would even make someone want to challenge this.
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