[PaShooter]

http://www.trapshooters.com/cfpages/sthread.cfm?threadid=317746

Just have been informed of Robert "Bat"Thomas passing and saw it is being discussed in the above thread. Thought he deserved his name on top one more time. You may not have known Bat, but once you saw one of his guns in the rack you would never forget him. Another good guy gone....RIP Bat

Paul H
Imperial, PA

 

[SPACE GUN]

Robert

I watched Bat many times, Special man! I talked to him one day about his (I believe) 50 inch barrel, he took real pride in his Lujtic's and was really good with them. When I saw him he was a 27 yard shooter. That was from a wheel chair with the stock mounted on a pad in the center of his chest. I never heard why he was in the wheel chair, or why he mounted his gun like he did but he made it work for him. I can close my eyes and see him moving down the line moving his wheel chair with his feet. R.I.P. job well done

 

[pyrdek]

Robert

Just read about Bat's passing. He was one great guy. And he had a sense of humor. Once, when I was just starting at the White Oak (Greenville Pa) he asked me if I would hand him his LOOOOONG barreled gun that was in the rack. I went to get it and my first thought was that somebody glued that thing to the rack. It took two hands just to lift it. Only after did he tell me about the 23 lbs of carbide he had in the stock to reduce the recoil! I think he got a good chuckle out of the look on my face when i first tried to lift that gun.

Like has been mentioned, his guns had a unique sound signature. On the line at Vandlia you would hear something like Boom- Boom- Boom- Pfft- Boom. When you heard it you knew Bat was on the line. I kidded him that he would have to put a red light on the end of the barrel when he was rolling around the grounds as a warning to landing aircraft!

He let me keep my guns and ammo in his van when I was at the (Ohio) Grand American. I knew they would be safe and close to the line when I needed them.

I also shot with him at the, now gone, Valleyview in Boyers, PA. There were a small group of guys and gals and most weekends I was there you could easily get in three or four hundred targets. Bat and the others had a marathon a lot of weekends there. When they saw me pull in in late June or July, someone would yell out, How many this time. I would hold up four or five fingers for the number of hundreds I needed to avoid penalty yardage at the Grand.

My condolences to Rosie. You might know she worked at one of the vendors at the Vandalia grounds during the grand.

Bat had to pretty much give up shooting because of bad eyes, arthritis in his spine and a few other problems but I still would see him around. Eventually even that seemed to become too much for him. I am sorry to hear he has gone to the Gun Club in the Sky.

 

[crusha]

Robert

One of the most interesting guys at the Grand, probably that I ever saw. There would always be a small gaggle of people around him when he shot, usually on the bank near the practice traps in Vandalia. They would look at his gun, ask in hushed tones, "Is he really gonna shoot that?"...then shake their heads in amazement when they saw him shoot targets basically from the hip with that incredibly long-barreled gun, sitting in his wheelchair, and hit them.


I saw some unusual stuff in Vandalia...guys shooting with scopes (the old kind, crosshairs, not red dot), one-armed shooters who shot really well, etc....but this guy about took the cake.

 

[smsnyder]

Robert

Sorry hear the Bat is gone. What a nice gentleman. It was something seeing him shoot that super long barrel Ljutic from a wheel chair. He will me missed in the trap world. Bat was Legend and his gun belongs in the HOF

 

[Release Trigger]

Robert

Paul H Imperial,

Bat was truly a class act and a very close friend, even though we lived a half a world away frome each other we were in regular contact up until his health became to much for him. (we had 11 unforgetable Summers together)

Rosie would then keep me informed of his health, unfortunately it all became to much for him, the Trapshooting world has lost a great character and ambassador.

Pyrdek, Rosie worked for Doris Shyda of Shydas Clothing Barn Lebanon PA. @ Vandalia for many years.

Rest in peace mate,

Release Trigger....AKA Gary Kennerson.

 

[alf174]

Robert

I remember watching him shoot in Vandalia - he was a legend. RIP.

 

[Grade VI]

Robert

I knew him and shot with him many times at White Oak Gun Club.(Greenville, PA) I was new to trap shooting and watching him shoot was a lesson in it's self. He helped me with some gunsmithing on one of my early trap guns. He was always very interesting to talk to. He was a legend in our area as well as the Grand American. Tom

 

[Release Trigger]

Robert

Tom,

In the summer of 2006 we were visiting Bat and Rose at their home in Greenville when he told us we are off to White Oaks for a shot (we had just flown direct from Sydney Australia to LA and then onto Pittsburgh PA. picked up a hire car and driven straight to Bats home, we were somewhat tired some 30 hours from door to door).

A quick cup of coffee and off to the Club for a shot, what a great night we had meeting all his friends and even got to shoot a little.

Bat had pre squaded us (3 of us) along with two other of his wheelchair mates, Charlie Smyth (Butters)from Florida and Tim Doyle from PA. for the PA State shoot, Bat was not well enough to shoot but he made sure we had the time of our lives.

I would give anything to be able to re-live those couple of weeks again, but just the same are very grateful to have been able to have that very special friendship with such a great guy.

Regards, Gary Kennerson.

 

[FLIP]

Robert

my favorite bat story,,, Question to him ,hay bat whats the rubber band around your gun for??? so i can find it in the gun rack!!( he had a 58" barrel it was just a bit longer then any gun in the country) people like bat make this game fun,he will be missed

 

[crusha]

Robert

I just have to know...does anybody know who made that ARTILLERY PIECE for him?

 

[Release Trigger]

Robert

Buzz Gun,

My understanding it was both Bat and Al Ljutic that designed and built it, as it was with most his guns, Bat himself was an accomplished Gunsmith.

My last visit with him he showed me a 22 Mag revolver that he had jewelled himself it was a work of art.



Release.

 

[Danny B]

Robert

LJUTIC

 

[1oldtimer]

Robert

If I remember right,when I talked to him at the Grand,he was not a long yardage
shooter. He requested to the ATA long yardage becausee it suited his dissability better?
Clyde