404 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
[Mat 18, 189S. 
Growth of Target Shooting in England. 
The invitation issued by the Inanimate Bird Shooting Association of 
Great Britain, which was published last week.in these columns, was one 
which many Americans would be pleased to accept; it is to be hoped 
that one or two citizens of this republic, out of the vast crowds who 
go to Europe every year, will find it possible to put in an appearance 
at Wembley Park on June 6-8. We may then be able to form some 
opinion as to the condition of trap shooting affairs in England, at 
least in so far as it relates to what we term "target'" or "clay-bird" 
shooting. The progress made in this line of sport in England during 
the past few years has been considerable, and it is pleasant to note 
from the following extract from the London Field that it Is likely to 
become one of the "permanent outdoor recreations" of the old 
country: 
"Since the formation of the Inanimate Bird Shooting Association in 
the year 1892, clay-bird shooting has made considerable progress in 
this country, and clubs have sprung up in various parts of the 
kingdom. Whether its popularity here is destined to equal that at- 
tained in America may perhaps be open to question; but that shooting 
at inanimate objects has taken a firm foothold among our permanent 
outdoor recreations appears now to be beyond dispute. 
"One of the principal reasons conducing to this is no doubt the im- 
provement that has taken place in the manufacture of the traps. The 
birds thrown from the traps formerly in use had an apex or culmin- 
ating point that was well within the range of the pun; and when pro- 
ficiency was attained in finding this point, the whole affair resolved it- 
self more or leas into a kind of trick shooting. 
"Now, however, this condition of things has been done away with, 
and the artifical bird soars away in ore long sweep that renders break- 
ing, with a waiting shot, 1 very much a matter of chance; and it is a 
golden rule with the present-day clay-bird shooter that to be success- 
ful one must not only have correct alignment, but, what is equally im- 
portant, must be quickly on the bird. So that now, while the pastime 
cannot be said to provide an equivalent for game shooting, still there 
is no doubt that anyone who had attained proficiency at clay birds 
would, unless suffering from nervousness, acquit himself creditably 
even on his first day's shooting at game. 
"The association has spent much time in framing rules under which 
club shooting can be carried on, and also ia devising an efficient system 
of putting the inferior shot on a fair footing with the expert. In doing 
this they had to decide between the two general systems of handi- 
capping in use, viz., that by distance, where the individual judgment 
of the handicapper is called into play, and he places shooters tothe 
best of his ability, at distances to put them on an equality; and the 
other, in whicttthe best shots have to concede points, based upon the 
results of previous performances— that is to say, that if A shoots at 
fifty birds and kills tbirty-flve, and B shoots at fifty and kills thirty, A 
should give B one bird in every ten-bird competition. Bound this 
latter principle the association have organized a system of handi- 
capping that appears to work well and give general satisfaction, though 
doubtless further experience will suggest improvements and modi- 
fications 
"Handicapping by distance would also have the serious objection 
that it wffluld be impossible to shoot in teams. There are now five 
traps used, numbered 1 to 5; No. 1 being on the extreme left, and No. 
5 on the extreme right; to these traps there are six shooters, No. 6 
standing behind No. 1, waiting his turn. After the first round, No. 5 
takes the place of No. 6 shooter, and becomes the man in waiting, the 
remainder eacn moving down one trap, and so on, until ever> shooter 
has fired at five birds. Team shooting has proved so popular with 
clay-bird clubs, that it may be said practically to be the only one now 
in use. 
'■In aidition to framing rules and a system of handicapping, the 
association also instituted a clay- bird championship, and undertook to 
hold a yearly meeting for that purpose. The first meeting, held at 
Wimbledon JPark in 1892, was of modest dimensions; the number of 
competitors only reached a total of sixty-six, and the whole pro- 
ceedings lasted but a few hours. For the succeeding meeting Wemb- 
ley Park was secured, and the pastime had then so developed that 
two days barely sufficed for getting through the advertised events, 
and shooting had to be carried on from 10 o'clock until dusk. The 
number of entries, moreover, went up to 333. For tiie third annua\ 
reunion (which has been fixed for June 6, 7 and 8) Wembley Park has 
again been secured, and, in addition to prizes amounting to several 
hundred pounds being offered for competition, the association have 
added an International Shield, for the possession of which teams from 
England, Scotland and Irelaud will compete; and it looks as though 
that meeting will show a rate of increase even greater than the former 
one. 
"Any club of ten members and upward can become affiliated upon 
the payment of Is. per member, and, in addition to the members 
being eligible to enter for all prizes at the championship meeting, the 
club has presented to it the Association Jewel for competition amongst 
its members. The Challenge Shield (which is at present in the pos- 
session of the Wealdstone Club) can also be competed for by all affi- 
liated clubs. This trophy, in the course of its wanderings from one 
club to another, has been the means of creating intercourse between 
clay-bird shooters and promoting an esprit de corps which has done 
much toward raising inanimate bird shooting to its present popular- 
ity. The association hope very shortly to be able to divide the United 
Kingdom into districts, and to present to each its own particular 
challenge shield. The conditions are, that a club must hold the Bhield 
for twelve months for it to become its absolute property. The address 
of the association, we may add, is 224 Piccadilly, London, W., where 
further particulars as to the objects and rules of the association can 
be obtained." 
From the above it will be seen that trap-shooters in the British Isles 
have not been idle during the past three years. The institution of a 
"clay-bird championship" is an important feature of the work of the 
Inanimate Bird Shooting Association, as it thereby does away with all 
chance of that country being saddled with a dozen champions, after 
the manner of the United States. The wording of the paragraph 
which tells of this championship is somewhat ambiguous from an 
American point of view. Are we to understand that there were 66 
competitors for championship honorR in '92, and 333 entries for the 
name event in the succeeding contest? "The first meeting, held at 
Wimbledon Park in 1892, was of modest dimensions; the number of 
competitors only reached a total of 66, and the whole proceedings 
lasted but a few hours." "Sixty-six competitors" is looked upon here 
as something decidedly of the common. It is true that at the Atchi- 
son, Kan., shoot of a fortnight or so ago there was an average entry 
of almost 70 competitors in the 17 events programmed for the tourna- 
ment. The Knoxville, Tenn., shoot, which will take place on May 21- 
24, will surpass the above in number of entries, while it is confidently ' 
expected that the tournament to be given by the Memphis, Tenn., Gun 1 
Club, on June 11-13, will give tlie Atchison shoot a close rub. But 
such shoots are rare exceptions, and "target" or "clay-bird" shooters 
in this country outnumber their brethren in the old country by possi- 
bly 600 or 1,000 to 1 ! Over here the sport is in its prime; in England it 
is in its very infancy. It would be interesting, therefore, to know 
whether there were actually 66 competitors for championship honors 
in '92, or whether the total number of entries in all events "only 
reached a total of 66." 
Tne system of handicapping adopted by the British organization is 
one which it is well nigh impossible to carry out in this country, except 
in club competitions for club prizes. Where the number of devotees 
of the sport is comparatively limited, it is possible to keep track of 
each man's record. Where the number runs into the hundreds of 
thousands, as in the United States, such a system is absolutely impos- 
sible. 
THE CHALLENGE SHIELDS AND THE ASSOCIATION. 
Jewels are capital ideas and will unquestionably foster the growth 
of the uport in a satisfactory manner. There are one or two points in 
the article quoted above which are commended to the notice of the 
newly-orgauized American Trap-Shooters' League, particularly the 
regulating of championships. The plethora of live-bird champions 
floating around the United States at the present moment is calculated 
to produce "that tired feeling" in any well-regulated mind. 
Edward Banks. 
Trenton Gun Club. 
Trenton, N. J., May 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: The regular 
monthly shoot of the Trenton Gun Club was held at its grounds to- 
day. Shooting all done from five traps ; the club contest was for two 
badges — first and second. The conditions were 30 targets per man, 
each man first shooting at 15 for place, the men breaking 11 and over 
being in the first class, the men breaking under 11 in the second class. 
C. H. Allen, the only one breaking over 11, won the gold badge; Hicks 
and Hutchinson tied for second badge ; they shot the tie off at 10 tar- 
gets each and Hutchinson won. 
Thomas, who won the gold badge last month, was very much dis 
appointed, as he had made several bets that he would win it again 
this month. 
After the regular shoot a team shoot took place; one side, cap- 
tained by Hutchinson, won over the team under Hicks by a score uf 
43 to 36. Conditions: 10 targets per man. 
C H Allen 110111011111111-13 W Taylor 110001001010110— 7 
G N Thomas. . ..010111111101010— 10 
HBumhough... 11100111001 0110— 9 
E Carson 001011011111001— 9 
W Sogers 001101001111001— 8 
WMickel 110111010100001— 8 
For badges: 
C H Allen 111111101100111—12 
M D Hicks 111011111101110-12 
E C Hutchinson.1011110111 11011— 12 
G N Thomas. . ..111100110101111— 11 
W Taylor,, 110111110101010—10 
H Bumbough. ..101011011111001-10 
Tie shot off: 
Hutchinson 1110011111—8 
Team shoot: 
Hicks 1101111111—9 
Bumbough 1111100111-8 
Taylor 0111010110—6 
Harper 1100100011—5 
Home 0110000011—4 
Mickel 0110000101—4—36 
ECHutchinson00l01 0010111010— 7 
H Harper 111000100110100— 7 
E Wilson 000110001011011— 7 
D Williams 100000011010101— 6 
M D Hieki 001001011000010— 5 
E Wilson 111011000110101— 9 
W Mickel 101010001110110— 8 
E Carson 011101001100011— 8 
H Harper 011010100000001— 5 
D Williams 001101001000001— 5 
Hicks 1110111001-7 
Hutchinson 0011101101-6 
Thomas 1111111101-9 
Wilson 1111101101—8 
Allen 0110111111-8 
Rogers 1001110111—7 
McCabe 0010010111-5-43 
Endeavor Gun Club. 
Jersey City, N. J., May 11.— The members of the Endeavor Gun Club, 
of Jersey City, held their semi-monthly practice shoot this afternoon 
on the club grounds at Marion, N. J. The scores were: 
No. 1, 15 targets, unknown angles: Creveling 15, Piercy 12, Corson 12, 
Strader 9, Seeley 9. 
No. 2, 10 targets, unknown angles: Creveling 9, Corson 7, Piercy 6, 
Strader 6. 
- No. 3, 50 targets per man, 30 singles, expert rules, and 10 pairs: 
Collins 100111111110111111111111111111 
11 11 01 11 11 11 11 10 11 10—44 
Creveling 110011111101111111111101111111 
11 10 11 11 U 11 11 01 01 00-41 
Piercy 01100010011101111111110001 1011 
11 00 10 11 11 10 10 11 It 10-33 
Polhemus 111100001001101110110111111011 
00 11 10 00 01 11 11 10 10 11 -32 
Strader 11000001111101101101 10001 11010 
10 11 01 10 11 11 00 11 10 11-31 
Fletcher 000110110011000101011101000001 
00 10 11 10 10 00 10 00 00 11—21 
Ingram 000010000101000100000110100000 
10 00 10 11 11 00 10 00 00 00-14 
No. 4, 25 targets, unknown angles: Creveling 21, Polhemus 20, Corson 
14, Fletcher 14, Piercy 13, Fletcher 13, Ingram 12. 
No. 5, 15 targets, unknown angles: Creveling 14, Fletcher 12. Piercy 
11, Polhemus 8, Corson 7, Ingram 3. J. A. Ckevelins. 
Meadville Gun Club. 
MEADvrLLB, Pa. — Twenty-five targets unknown angles: H. A. John- 
son 22, Ehrgott 20, See 20, Gundaker 20, Beisinger 19, Hayes 19, Clark 
19, Lashells 18, Holton 18, Prenatt 17, Hamman 16, E. L. Affantranger 
12, Barackman 12, Krueger 9, Thompson 9, N. Affantranger 6. 
Choke Bore. 
it will give us great pleasure to forward a copy of our catalogue to anp 
one who "goes a-fishing." Some people charge for their catalogues, some 
charge for the postage, some charge for both. We are more than willing to 
give away our catalogues and prepay pDstage on them. No angler, after 
looking at the catalogue, can resist buying from us or from our trade - 
customers all the fishing-tackle he can afford to pay for. That is where ws 
get back a good deal more than cost of catalogue and postage. 
ABBEY & IMBRIE, 
1 8 Vesey Street, New York City 
Notice to Rod 'Makers. 
PRICES FOR 1895. 
It win pay you to buy yoar Mountings in Brooklyn 
Swelled Brass Ferrules, all sizes 3-16 to 7-8, 5c. a pair up. Nickel, 7c. a pair up. G-erman Silver, 15c. a pair up. All kinds and sizes 
of Rod Tips, 3c each up. Dowels, 3c. up. Reel Seats, 25c up. Rod Checks, 12c up. Butt Caps, 5c up. Raised Guides, 15c doz. up. 
Antifriction Guides, Trumpet Guides, 2 Ring Guides, Agate Guides and Tips, Rod Rings and Keepers, 10c doz. Double Hole Tips, 
all sizes, Nickel Plated, 15c. each. I have all the above goods illustrated in my catalogue, besides a special sheet of special prices of Rods, Reels, 
Lines, Spoons, Flies, Etc., which you can have by sending 2c. stamp to pay postage. All mountings can be sent by mail. 
J. f . MARSTERS, 51 tO 55 Coat! Street, Between City Hall and Livingston Street, BfOOklyfl, N. Y. 
THE 
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Send for 96 Page Catalogue of 
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Mitldlefield, Conn. 
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