2008 Bo-Whoop Trophy Winner Announced

[Silvers]

On behalf of the A H Fox Collectors Association I am announcing our 2008 Bo-Whoop Trophy winner for "Excellence in Long Range Shooting" at the Northeast Classic Side by Side Event held May 16-18 at Hausmann's Hidden Hollow in PA.

Mike Campbell of western New York bested all other contestants in our first annual Bo Whoop Trophy Challenge, with 9 of 10 targets broken. Five simultaneous pairs were thrown. The presentation consisted of a deep quartering standard target and a batteau. Mike was shooting a 32" Sterlingworth that was custom stocked by himself.

Paul Plunkett III of New Jersey was named Runner Up with 8 of 10 targets broken. Paul shot a 32" Trap Sterlingworth in factory configuration.

Congratulations are extended to Mike and Paul for their excellent shooting under difficult weather conditions. A pic showing the Trophy presentation is attached here.

Frank Srebro for the AHFCA

Left to right: Morris Baker, Doug Gray (target setter), Ernie Hausmann (Club Host), Mike Campbell (2008 Bo-Whoop Trophy Winner), Bill Murphy, Frank Srebro, Craig Larter (Fox Exec. Dir.), Boyd Corliss, Paul Plunkett III (Runner Up)

[fullchoke16]

Congrats. Mike. Good to see that a guy that does nice work can shoot 'em too. How many guns participated in the event?

[Mike Krol]

Nice job Campbell... glad to see Anna Nicole didn't let you down - congrats, my friend!

Matic

[bbman3]

Congratulations Mike! Great shooting! Bobby

[Silvers]

(FYI - copy of an answer to a question on our Bo-Whoop Trophy targets posted on doublegunshop this morning)

If you are familiar with NSCA shooting the Bo-Whoop targets were a simultaneous pair, so called "simo" or "true pair". Both traps were fired at the same time with an electronic switch. One trap was to the left, about 30 yards from the shooter, hidden by a stake barrier, and its standard 120mm target was launched at a quartering angle to the front of the shooter. Another trap was slightly right of the shooter, about 40 yards away. That trap launched a batteau target, rising and falling in an arc, again in front of the shooter. Almost every shooter engaged the left quartering target first, quicker shooters firing at maybe 50-55 yards. The batteau arced and dropped at possibly 45 yards from the shooter. Wind did play a bit with the targets at times however they were both in reasonable range if you had some choke, hardly in the next county.

Quite a variety of Foxes were out of the den for the event. Three HE Super Foxes pranced out to the butt, also Sterlingworths through C grades, all three gauges were represented. One 20 gauge shooter did pretty well with (I believe) a 30" SW. Likewise another gent with a 30" 16-gauge SW. I did a lot of the target pulling and I also saw Parker, Winchester, RBL's shooting practice. There may have been others when my cohort Steve was pulling. Frank

[fox-admin]

Thanks everyone who attended and shot for your support and encouragement. Special thanks to Silvers and his team for planning and putting on a great event, and congratulations to Mike and Paul on great scores. It was truly a super fun weekend that I am looking forward to next year. The club signed up many new members and we made many new friends. It is clear we have a variety of members with different interests in the world of Fox guns. Some members are shooters, casual and competive: some are primarily collectors, and some are interested in "project guns". I would like to assure everyone that we will do our best to include all groups as we move the Association forward. Thanks again. Craig Larter

[trkline]

Thank you Frank, Craig, Paul, et al. for your time and effort in organizing this event. Congrats to Mike and Paul - amazing. It was very nice to put a few faces to the helpful postings I see on this site. Travis

[Dick Baum]

Frank: Bo-Whoop was truly an outstanding shoot. Very well thought out and included non-members as well as non-Fox shooters. Congratulations to Mike and Paul who shot really great scores. This shoot should be a main stay at Ernie's Hidden Hollow for years to come. Well done! Dick Baum

[mike campbell]

Thanks for the nod, Everybody!

I have some thanks to extend as well...to Ernie Hausmann for providing such a beautiful and interesting venue to enjoy doubleguns and to Craig, Frank, Paul and all the rest who are contributing to the growth and recognition of the Fox Association.

I'd like to encourage all Fox owners..collectors, shooters and hunters alike...to bring those oldtimers out and bust some clays. It really adds to your enjoyment and appreciation of this great Americana to see them in action, burning powder as they were meant to.

While I'm thrilled to be getting my name on the innaugural Bo-Whoop trophy, I really have to acknowledge Paul's shooting. I came to Hidden Hollow this past weekned as a person whose #1 hobby for the past 20 years has been sporting clays, with a serious dose of competition. I've owned Foxes for the duration, and have used them heavily for clays the last 3-4 years. With all the targets I've shot, as well as a pretty solid understanding of gun fit and stockmaking, I was pretty well equipped to tackle the Bo-Whoop targets.

But I got to meet Paul Plunkett and chat extensively with him, as well as watch him shoot another long-bird game, and I have to say I'm very impressed.
Here's a grouse hunter with very limited exposure to complex clay targets, who shot a new-to-him Fox with the original dimensions so many target shooters would struggle with, and hammered 8 of those tough targets! He modestly (and honestly) suggested it was a fluke....don't believe it. I watched him shoot and Paul has talent and great potential. There have to be other bird hunters out there who haven't tapped their potential at sporting clays. With Paul and another half dozen Fox fans I can think of, I give high odds to seeing a Fox team make a strong showing in years to come. How could we not? we're using "The Finest Gun in the World."

[Silvers]

Well, I just returned home from Hidden Hollow after picking up the Fox Collector rain canopy and some other stuff I left there yesterday. I had to leave right after the Bo-Whoop trophy presentation to attend to some family things. Thus I missed the recognition ceremonies for the other venues.

Anyway this guy was blown out of the water when I got to the HH clubhouse today and learned that none other than Fox member Mike Campbell tied for high gun on the Main Event on Sunday. Mike shot a 74 (of 80) and tied Dave De Fernelmont whom I also know. Dave won out on the "long run". Dave is a Master Class sporting clays shooter who was shooting a Win 21 Vent rib Trap gun. Mike told me on Sunday that he started out with his 12 gauge "Anna Nicole" sporting clays gun and came back to the car part way around the course and switched to his 16 gauge gun for the rest of the event. Sorry Mike, I don't know the name of the 16 gauger. Congrats again Mike on your excellent shooting with two different guns at one event! I heard you won some other venues but I don't have the details myself so I'll leave it at that.

I know Mike wouldn't write this up himself but I do think it's outstanding shooting and it begs mentioning. Frank

[mike campbell]

Frank,

Thanks again for the compliments and thanks also for all you've done so far as a director, especially the hand you had in Bo-Whoop! I know how much you enjoy shooting and I appreciate the sacrifice.

"Mike told me on Sunday that he started out with his 12 gauge "Anna Nicole" sporting clays gun and came back to the car part way around the course and switched to his 16 gauge gun for the rest of the event."

There's a story here and I'm sure a few others would like to hear the ending.

It started when I was attempting the Bo-Whoop targets ( I think Steve was pulling for me) and I had a "slam-fire"....Big Ann went off when I closed the barrels and blew a divit in Ernie's nice lawn about 15 yds in front of the stand. Scary! (not to mention a little embarassing). I told the gallery I must have laid my finger alongside the trigger as I was closing the gun. Then I told them it was only the second time that had ever happened and that, fortunately, the first time (years ago) was also while shooting targets with the muzzles pointed in a safe direction. It also happend to have been with a Fox, but at the time I didn't connect the two incidents at all. Glad that it was apparently a 1/100,000 occurenece, I put it out of my mind.

On Sunday morning, I had shot about 15 rounds in the main event when my left hammer failed to cock. So I put Ann away and finished with my first target Fox, a 30" 16ga SW. Afterwards, I put on some reading glasses and examined the 12 closer. After opening and closing it a few times, it suddenly cocked! It continued to work for several dry-firings, so I set out to shoot the 5-stand event. About half way through, it malfunctioned again and I finished by sharing Paul Heppner's Parker. Afterwards, while brainstorming the problem with Paul Plunkett, Bill Murphy and others, I told them about the old incident with another Fox in which case I found the little press-fit stud that aligns the safety slide had fallen out and was interfering with the sears. During that discussion, she started working again and then prevailed in a shoot-off against a Parker!

Well, I opened her up today and this is what I found....



It was actually wedged in the inletting cutout between the triggers and safety leg and I had to pry it out with a little difficulty. I love happy endings.

[bamboozler]

Congratulations to all involved, from the organizers to the promoters to those shooting Fox guns---you make all of us Fox owners out here in the hinterlands proud!

[Silvers]

Mike, when you told me about it while at the HH shoot I thought it was the cross pin that holds the safety spring. After seeing your pic I understand now it's the stud that goes in the underside of the tang to position the slide. My thoughts - if it came out once it will probably come out again because the "interference fit" is looser than it should be. I know Anna N's tang is already finished so high temp silver soldering won't do. Regular lead/tin solder will work if you're careful with the torch, or maybe it would be best to put the right loctite product on it. Well, you know what you're doing so I'm sure you'll fix her right. Frank

[TOOL MAN]

Personally, I think a great deal of praise should be heaped upon the "trappers" of said event......who through several fast-moving squall lines of high wind/rain, kept those wet, sticky targets, flying perfectly downrange.

As for the owner of that "metro-hottie" , aka "Anna-Nicole"....Ernie Haussman is, as we speak, making out an invoice for the 2x2' square of Kentucky Blue-Grass, that was erroneously transplanted, a few feet upwind, by 28 G's of Nitro 27's..........Hooooooo-haaaaaaaaaa

TOOL