Fox Collectors

FIVE SWEATY HEADS NEEDED!!
This is your wake up call Team Fox to get off your collective arrrsses and get to Hopkins for Saturday's Fox vs. Parker Challenge at the Vintage Gunner's Cup.

Team Parker is stacked with talent this year and rumor has it, the match has already been decided with the Philly Fab Five suffering their first loss in six starts. My thoughts on their obvious delirium are outlined below. Your commander-in-chief will be with you in spirit, sidelined on the "DL" with little to do but prance around the oval office in his control-top compression hose. Yes indeed, this week Victoria has one less secret!!

C'mon guys, let's try to keep this streak alive. Hand those Matrons of Meriden another heartbreak!! Good Shooting!!! ...and never, ever forget the words of our leader:

It never ceases to amaze me, how gents will haunt the tables at S x S events looking for the next Fox, Parker, etc. but many of them don't/won't shoot while there even if invited to join in with a group. Actually this seems to be especially prevalent with Fox enthusiasts in recent years and I don't know why that is. Man, it wasn't that many years ago that Fox members would fly or drive many miles for a shot at a trophy or chance at making the team. Hopefully we can reverse that trend for this event?

frank

I can offer this perspective that might apply to only a few, or maybe quite a few, who attend these events.

I really enjoy the socialization, the atmosphere and the abundance of a lot of nice doubles to look at and handle and great people to talk to. I think most who attend might share that reason.

As for the shooting and the possibility of making the team, I don't shoot well enough but I do like to shoot the course but at 50 bucks to shoot for score, I'll save my self 10 bucks and shoot for fun. Use the 10 bucks for Bo Whoop to shoot for fun, not for score

If it was $25 or $30 per round, I'd probably shoot it every day, maybe even twice if it didn't become too crowded at the stations. That might be part of it, higher price, less back up. Law of Diminishing Returns or something like that.

What I'm saying is that I'm frugal, call me cheap, and others may feel the same way. I'm used to shooting a great course here at home for $12.00 (senior, members rate).

It would be interesting to hear others thoughts.

I'm looking forward to Ernie's next year. Mostly for the social part and less for shooting.

By the way, next year's Northeast Side by Side Shoot is Thursday, Friday and Saturday; June 7, 8 and 9, 2018.

El Cheapo Jolly.

I can see those relatively minor differences making all the difference in participation for some people, and would hope socialization is a big part of attandance for each of them. My view of any individual type or make of firearm has always originated with interest in actually shooting them, and collectors initially baffled me. I now see the attraction of just being around like-minded enthusiasts no matter their level of participation or motivation. These are inanimate objects, after all, and we each see in them what we personally see.

Surely a percentage of our members are mainly collectors who don't shoot often enough to be good shots and maybe some of them don't even want to be. That's their choice and I'll be the first to say I enjoy talking/spending time with everyone while at S x S events. But come on now, why fret over paying a premium per clay to shoot at a tournament type event with free parking, free admission, clean rest room facilities, paid staffers, score keepers, decent food vendor on site, tents to keep them dry if it rains, insurance coverage while on the grounds, and even being able to scrounge short/desirable hulls left by others or putting out your personal guns and accouterments for sale openly or by stealth at these "high priced" events ..... basically just show up for a cheap or even a free ride? I'll say, give the club and the shoot organizers a break.

I've been involved in the Association since day-one and my earlier post wasn't intended to convert anyone to become an avid Fox shooter; rather I was writing to a declining percentage of members who've enjoyed shooting their Foxes at clays while at large S x S events in the past whether for fun or for the rush of competition or to get in tune to be good shots and humane when shooting at live game. And although somewhat subjective, I've seen what seems to be declining enthusiasm by Fox shooters as compared with other makers like Parker, Smith and Lefever. I wonder why that is and hope the Association can evaluate why and reverse that trend.

frank

Silvers wrote:Surely a percentage of our members are mainly collectors who don't shoot often enough to be good shots and maybe some of them don't even want to be. That's their choice and I'll be the first to say I enjoy talking/spending time with everyone while at S x S events. But come on now, why fret over paying a premium per clay to shoot at a tournament type event with free parking, free admission, clean rest room facilities, paid staffers, score keepers, decent food vendor on site, tents to keep them dry if it rains, insurance coverage while on the grounds, and even being able to scrounge short/desirable hulls left by others or putting out your personal guns and accouterments for sale openly or by stealth at these "high priced" events ..... basically just show up for a cheap or even a free ride? I'll say, give the club and the shoot organizers a break.

frank

I cannot disagree.

I’m sure major expense is involved in putting the event together and I sincerely thank Ernie and Morris for stepping up and getting it done and hope at the very end, the books show a healthy plus sign for all what they do.

For me, I am not much of a competitor so shooting for score is not important and I don’t hunt anymore so no impact there. I do like being in the presence of like minded people who enjoy the guns and all what goes with it. And yes, for many being a good wing shot is significant and I applaud them for that.

And I do scrounge the hull buckets for those 2 ½” 12 gauge RST hulls that shooters throw away. I get some 2 ½” 20’s also. I use some and give many of them away to people who can’t find a good source for same.

I guess I’m one of the ones who minimally support the event with just a round of clays or Mad Jack or 5 Stand.

I don’t go to shoot is what I’m saying I guess. And I look forward to next June.

Jolly

Part of the problem is the same small number of excellent shooter always qualify for trophies and representation of squads shooting factory events. Some of us are average shooters, 80% of the attendees. I come to shoot although it is not my prime objective, however, I do shoot my Foxes twice a week year round. I come to see friends made in the SxS world and be with buddies for a few days. Why try to qualify, too much stress for me and many average shooters. Shooting for score is not fun for me, shooting for fun with friends brings me satisfaction. Different strokes I guess.

I'm very much with Craig on this. I can do plenty of shooting close to home. Also, over 45 years of NSSA style Skeet shooting hasn't done much to help my sporting clays efforts!! I come to these events to socialize and see the great walk-ins!! I attended every Vintage Cup from Sandanona in 1999 to Addieville in 2013 except for 2004. Mostly I was with Kevin manning the PGCA booth and later at the Fox booth. As I recall I shot the 28-gauge course at Sandanona once and shot a few rounds of 5-stand. Don't think I ever fired a shot at Pintail Pointe. Paul did manage to get me out on the course at Addieville and more recently at Ernie's.

Hate not being on hand for those walk-ins!!

Great discussion and very good points from everyone. On September 8th I proudly wore my A. H. Fox hat to the "Tunnel of Trees" event held at the Emmet County Sportsman's club. Beautiful 72 shot clays course, and I really enjoyed the "incoming flurry". I hope I represented the organization appropriately, but I had to shoot "unregistered" because I couldn't attend the entire event. I would love to head "East" and participate in this week's competition, but my 24 year old daughter is getting married. It might not look good if I wasn't there to walk her down the aisle. Maybe next time.....

Jeff, you get a pass this year!!! Congrats and enjoy the special occasion. As to shooting at these events. I don't make many of the SxS events due to work travel, occasional gun shows, etc. I have shot at a couple in MI for the fun of it as I don't shoot enough to be competitive and I would bring the team average down way to low! That said, to each his own and don't belittle the person that attends but doesn't shoot. You all do a great job of representing the Fox Fraternity in your own way!!

I think many of us are OK with being an average shot. We enjoy watching the top shooters compete, but being average is OK and not having a shelf full of trophies is not an desire. The group I travel with are all avid vintage shotgun guys and frequent buyers but traveling to more than a couple of shooting events per year is not a priority. Many of my good friends would rather spend there shooting entertainment dollars and vacation time on travel to hunt wild birds. It was much more exciting when the number of shooting events was limited to the Vinagers and Hausmann's. They were can't miss events. The internet has also changed the marketplace for double guns, when you attend a event most if not all of the guns have already been posted on the for sale sites, little chance finding a gem at a event unless it is a walk-in.

Only 2 Fox Shooters thus far, qualifying for the Fox-Parker Challenge Round????

WTF??????

If we have to forfeit this match (our inaugural running at the Vintage Cup) it will be an embarrassment beyond words!!

I wish I could take the time off from the restaurant to do so. I have a 16 imp cyl and full that would love to play

It was fun shooting but I am confused did anyone keep the scores?

Final score was Team Parker 86, Team Fox 83.