NWTF's shoot offers great time, Southern style
FORSYTH, Ga. — Sporting clays expert Alex Clark from Alamo, Ga., shattered an impressive 97 out of 100 targets during the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) preliminaries Friday at the National Wild Turkey Federation's 15th annual Turkey Shoot, held at The Meadows National Gun Club in Forsyth, Ga.
|
Nipping at Clark's heels were Brad Ramsey of Benton, Tenn., last year's overall champion Bill McGuire of Charlestown, Tenn., and Rick Hemingway of Georgetown, S.C., with scores of 96, 95 and 94, respectively.
In the Hunter division preliminaries, Ray Ricketson of Douglas, Ga., stood atop Class 1 with a score of 92, while Stan Latham of Knoxville, Tenn., was close behind with an 87.
"The weather is unseasonably cool in middle Georgia this weekend, but the action at The Meadows remains red hot," said Rhett Simmons, NWTF special events coordinator. "Competitors are taking their best shots at more than $100,000 in prizes at one of the largest sporting clays events in the country."
Sporting clays, often referred to as "golf with a shotgun," is a fast-paced, challenging sport that draws competitors from the casual to the extreme. Shooters attempt to shatter as many clay targets as possible that are thrown from a variety of angles and speeds that vary from station to station.
Excellent hand-to-eye coordination is essential, and decisions must be made within a fraction of a second.
It's all for a great cause as well. Proceeds from the Turkey Shoot benefits Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF, an outreach program that helps provide outdoor recreational opportunities to those with disabilities.
"This is a fun and safe family event that just seems to get better each year," said Simmons. "We welcome anyone who wants to come out and join us in the fun as we help NWTF Wheelin' Sportsmen provide opportunities like this for everyone."
For many, the NWTF's Turkey Shoot isn't about the shooting — it's more about the people. The social interaction is a very big part of the appeal of the sport, according to its participants. If a shooter crushes a set of especially difficult targets, others in the group offer handshakes, fist bumps and healthy doses of praise. But if a shooter misses an especially easy target, good-natured ribbing and heckling from the peanut gallery are sure to follow.
At the end of the preliminaries, Morgan stood atop Class 3 of the Hunter division with a score of 54.
"In this sport, you're competing against yourself and sometimes, it's like you are your own worst enemy," said Morgan. "You really have to stay focused and get in that 'zone' in order to shoot consistently well."
As more than 500 shooters from across the country make their way through the course with their 12, 20, 28 and .410-gauge shotguns, gunshots and laughter echo across the southern pines. Some shooters carry good luck charms, while others go through a certain routine before entering each shooting station, like a batter entering the batter's box.
Throughout the weekend, the action will continue just as fast as the machines can throw the fluorescent orange clay discs. More than a quarter of a million of them will be thrown this weekend. Wisps of smoke roll out of the end of shotgun barrels, as well as the end of cigars.
Old friends reunite and new friends are made over plates of barbeque and bowls of homemade peach ice cream. And after the smoke clears, shooters will anxiously gather around the leaderboards to see how they fared.
Despite the hurried pace of today's world, sporting clays hearkens back to a simpler time, when a shotgun, some ammo and some clay targets were all you needed to have a great time. It's a tradition that the NWTF is helping to keep thriving, all while protecting America's outdoor heritage and benefiting wildlife conservation.
Next year's 16th annual Turkey Shoot will be held at The Meadows National Gun Club in Forsyth, Ga., Aug. 14-16, 2009. For more information about the NWTF and the Turkey Shoot, visit www.nwtf.org or call (803) 637-3106.
