OCR Text |
Show PL i II SHOOT FOR VETERAN SPORTSMEN Men Who Have Competed at Traps Fifteen Years Are Eligible. By PETER P. CANNBY. The trapshooting c-lemJar offers something some-thing new this year in the "old-timers' " -hoots. These "old-timers' " shoots will be staged by the gun clubs of this broad land during the months of May and June and will in a way take the place of the beginners' day shoots, which were so successfully staged the past two years. The purpose of the old-timers' shoots is to get together at least once each year the "old-time" t'rapshooters, and as many others as care to attend, and hold a shoot in honor of the veterans. It is a reunion event which deserves to be encouraged. en-couraged. An "old-timer" doesn't necessarily mean an old man. The definition of an old-timer in trapshooting as a person who has been shooting, at the traps for fifteen fif-teen years or more. Veterans in Club. Every gun club and every localitj-where localitj-where there has ever been a gun club have their "old-time" trapshooters pioneers pio-neers in the clay target game, veterans of the best of outdoor pastimes. For several years "old-timers' " shoots have been staged by a number of clubs, and have proven very successful and the success of these shoots prompted the idea of making the "old-timers' " shoots a national na-tional proposition. Whether the shoots will he handicap events is a matter of the clubs conducting conduct-ing same to decide. The contestants are to shoot at fifty targets. Every entrant in the various shoots will receive a bronze "old-timers' shoot" lapel button. The old-timer who makes the be3t score will be given a gold lapel button in addition. addi-tion. The shooter who makes the beat score and has not been shooting fifteen years will get a silver lapel button. Indications are that there will be 600 of these shoots held. There are more veterans in trapshooting than in any other sport. Trapshooting has fewer backsliders back-sliders than anv other pastime. There is a saying which we believe is true that "once a trapshooter, always a trap-shooter." trap-shooter." The Sport of the Nation. Trapshooting is the sport of the nation. na-tion. If any sport should be encouraged, that sport is trapshooting. It behooves everyone in these times to know how to shoot. Everyone who can shoot is of help to his country. If American fighting fight-ing men are to live up to the reputation of their forefathers, it will be due in a measure to their shooting ability. During recent years trapshooting has been the greatest single factor in keeping keep-ing alive the interest in firearms and their effective use and in maintaining the deadly aim of Americans. More than 1 00,000 men who learned to shoot over the traps are wearing khaki, and. knowing know-ing how to shoot, they were invaluable in forming the new national army. There are thousands of men who have been shooting over the traps for fifteen years or more and, therefore, are known as old-timers. The oldest trapshooter we know of Is Uncle Jo Helneman of Wausau, Ind. He shoots occasionally at the Wausau Gun club, and on his ninety-first ninety-first birthday broke more than ninety targets in one hundred. The oldest active ac-tive trapshooter Is Andy Meaders of Nashville, Tenn. Captain Meaders broke eighty-nine targets from eighteen yards In the Grand American Handicap last August. Captain .T. F. Brietenstein of Burlington, Bur-lington, Iowa, is two years younger than Captain Headers. |