Winchester Skeet Choke Anyone?

This morning marked the halfway point of our skeet season league and I continue to improve as I "lit up the sky" crushing 6 clay pigeons.  However I am improving and that is encouraging.  My buddies on my team told me to stop messing around and invest in a skeet choke tube to improve my scores.  This would of course require a trip to Black Sheep or Cabela's.  While I much prefer Black Sheep, because of their friendly staff, low prices, etc.  my girls really wanted to go to Cabela's and I had time to kill so we headed out there.  Who can turn down their daughter's request to go to Cabela's?  

However as I drove out there, I was faced with an uncomfortable decision that seems to haunt me as I continue in this sport.  Is this something I can afford to continue doing?  I know my wife's wonders if I can find anymore expensive hobbies.  God bless her for letting me try new outdoor pursuits.  Did I mention I am taking a free flying lesson in a week or two?

Today was my sister-in-law's baby shower so I limited my stays in the house prior to this event to the bare necessities and if we still lived out in Athol, ID I could have taken care of at least one of those things off the back porch :).  So my younger two girls and I headed out to Cabela's in search of a skeet choke and it was tough to tell who was more excited, myself or my daughters.  They were so excited to be there that they were on their best behavior.  After looking at their skeet choke tubes, I thought $17.99 was a little high for the Carlson model, pictured below, so I thought I would try my luck at Black Sheep only to later find out they only carry parts for Remington.  More on this later.

My girls loved seeing the animals in the African trophy display as well as the Aquarium (see pic above, left) and most of all the mountain of animals displayed in the center of the store.  We must have spent an hour looking at animals.  We all loved every minute of it. 

A trip to McDonald's may have been my only way to coax them out of the store and to keep me from going in debt buying one of the used shotguns calling my name.  My 6 year old told me she thought all of the shotguns were pretty cool, I had to agree with her.  After dropping them off at the baby shower and evacuating as quickly as possible, I was off to Black Sheep Sporting Goods.   I met their Gun department manager Jason, he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.  He explained that they don't carry Winchester parts because they don't have many people in the region shooting Winchester's because they are expensive.  I appreciated his candor and time spent with me.  His recommendation of a Remington 870 Express was appealing and is the gun I most often hear suggested as a great starter gun.

My goal is to hit at least 10 clay pigeons in league this year.  I try not to let my low scores get me down.  I just need to stick with it and as Jason said, "get a cheap gun and spend your money on ammunition and rounds of practice at the gun club."  Wise words from a man I admire because of his honesty, knowledge and experience handling firearms.  If I decide to go with a brand new gun, it would probably be a Remington 870 Express and I won't hesitate on where to buy it.  I would go straight to Black Sheep.

Mariners FanFest 2010

This past weekend we packed up the girls and headed to spend some time with family and the real reason, to go to Mariners FanFest.  We had a great time!  I was able to "surprise" my wife with a Mariner's jersey as an early Valentine's Day gift.  I say "surprise" because I had to shamelessly consult with her on sizes to make sure I got her the right one.

That is us on the left, one of the highlights was being able to "run" around the bases. (click here to see my slide into 3rd)  This year, attendance was doubled and unfortunately everything had a long line.  Towards the end of the day, when my parents graciously took our three girls home, Jamara and I were able to run around the bases and snap our traditional picture in the visitors dugout.

After last year's team pulled together to win 85 games last year and some key off-season acquisitions (Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley and Eric Brynes), attendance doubled this year with twice as many people on Saturday, the day we went, compared to all of last year.  I knew it would be a special day when I saw former Seahawk and Husky QB great Brock Huard in the parking garage.  He was very gracious as we took a couple minutes to discuss the latest potential gem, Eric Byrnes.  We both agreed this could be a great pick up if Eric remains healthy.

This year we also brought our youngest daughter, she is 3 1/2 and my Mom with us to enjoy the festivities.  After lunch, it was straight over to the face painting booth to get ready for all of the festivities.  Next it was time for some hot chocolate as the wind coming off Puget Sound made for a chilly afternoon.

My Dad took the girls over to get balloon animals and I listened to "Dugout Dialogue" with one of my Mariners heroes - Jay Buhner.  It was hard not be optimistic hearing Jay talk about how excited he is for this year's team.  He is one of the last good guys that still gives his time during Spring Training to spend time with the young guys, teaching them about how to play the game.

Our day concluded with the magic of touring the Mariner's clubhouse.  This was the main reason my Mom wanted to come and I think it was worth the wait.  While the lockers weren't set up like they will be during the season, it was exciting to get an inside glimpse of where these guys get ready to play.

It is only 14 days until Valentine's Day, or as my wife will tell you, "it's the day that Pitchers & Catchers report".  I am so thankful God blessed me with such an amazing wife, mom and Mariners fan!

Swing and A Miss

This morning marked my fourth and fifth times ever shooting skeet.  My scores would look great on a golf card, but not so well on my skeet score card.  I am averaging a robust 3 targets hit out of 24.  While I find myself enjoying this, it parallels my feelings about golf, an expensive hobby that I could enjoy if I didn't suck at it.

Since so much of my week is consumed with work, whether at the office or at home in my "off" hours, I try to focus my weekends on my family.  In keeping with that tradition, I brought my girls out with me to the Coeur d'Alene Skeet and Trap Club this morning to watch me shoot (and hopefully hit a few clay pigeons).

My 8 and 6 year old were excited to put on some ear muffs and eye protection and watch Daddy shoot, from a safe distance of course.  Thanks to JD, who works out at the club, for making this an enjoyable experience for my girls.

I asked my girls what they thought of it and they said they thought it was cool and want to try it some day when they are older.  

I shot two rounds today to make up for missing last week since I was out of town on business.  I will miss again this weekend because we will be in Seattle for the Seattle Mariners Fan Fest!  Can't wait to run around the bases and play catch with my Dad and wife in right field.

As I continue to shoot, I learn that I need to just breathe, relax, stop thinking and point and shoot.  I also realized this a sport that takes an immense amount of practice.  The seasoned veterans also make it look really easy.  While I am not a very good shot now, I know that with practice I'll improve.

I am grateful to my friend Jamie's dad Ed for loaning me his 12 gauge and for the patience of everyone on my team as I strive to get better.  Sitting at home sipping hot chocolate with my girls talking about their experience at the club this morning, I realize it is the experience and time with my girls, not the number on my score card that really matters.



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Benelli Nova Pump or Remington 870 Express?

I wish you all a safe and Happy New Year!  I am thankful for the many blessings we experienced in 2009.  However, I have my fingers crossed that I don't see an operating room anytime soon, 2 surgeries in past 15 months is enough for me.

I've decided to take up hunting in 2010 and my first step is joining a skeet shooting league.  For this I am borrowing my friend's Winchester 1300, which has been a great shotgun to shoot, but I honestly haven't shot much to have anything to compare it to.

That being said, I would like to purchase either a Remington 870 Express or a Benelli Nova pump shotgun for some duck and turkey hunting next season.  I would say my budget is under $400.  What thoughts do you have on these two shotguns?  I've heard rave reviews for the 870 Express, but I checked out a buddy's Nova pump and really like it as well.

I would appreciate any thoughts/comments you have on which shotgun you would suggest, doesn't have to be either of the two models mentioned above.  Any thoughts on synthetic vs. wood stock would also be great.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you and your family have a safe and Happy New Year!



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Merry CHRISTmas from TackleboxTalk!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a Merry CHRISTmas!  I put an emphasis on Christ since I continue to see a world that has more and more wishes of "Merry Xmas".  Ironically, this holiday wouldn't exist without the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We struggled with how much hype to give Santa this year to our girls since this holiday has strayed so far from the true meaning of Christmas, however we also don't want to completely isolate them from the real world.  I think we've found a pretty good balance.  Whether you believe or not, and I am not talking about Santa, I wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you get to spend it with your family and loved ones.

Look for my New's Year resolutions sometime next week....


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Clay Pigeons 24, me 1 - My First Skeet Shooting Practice

Driving rain and chilly temperatures couldn't keep me away from my first round of shooting skeet, or mostly just shooting in my case.  Yesterday morning I went out skeet shooting for the first time at the Coeur d'Alene Skeet and Trap club.   I am joining our church Skeet shooting league and since I've never gone skeet shooting before, I thought it was worth practicing.  

Since I've never been to a gun range, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very impressed with the friendly atmosphere.  Everyone was there to have fun and it seemed like a family friendly environment.  A large clubhouse with views of the gun range was a great place to get an idea of what skeet shooting was all about.  You can check out this video to learn more about this sport.   I was pleased to see that safety was definitely not something to take lightly as shotguns had to have the action open and were only loaded out on the range prior to shooting.

A little background here, I've only shot a shotgun a handful of times with my buddies, never at a moving target.  A special thanks to my new shooting buddy Tim McPhee, who was willing to take the time to show me the ropes of skeet shooting.  His patience and laid back demeanor really set me at ease, I hope this sounds more like gratitude and not a budding man crush :).

I was trembling with a mix of fear (of not hitting anything) and excitement as I loaded my shotgun for the first time.  I missed my first 21 clay pigeons by a country mile, save for one that I was pretty sure I took some paint off of :).  As we moved from station to station, Tim was blasting clay pigeons with ease, I have to admit I sighed a sigh of relief when he finally missed one.  My concentration on keeping my action open and trying to hit a target led to a spilled box of shells.  Perhaps a canvas mesh hull pouch like this one found at Cabela's would be a great last minute gift idea. 

I finally found success and hit my one only only clay pigeon from station 7, a straight shot from the "low house".  I am very grateful to Tim for his patience with me and also to my good buddy Jamie from the use of his shotgun.  I look forward to the league starting after the New Year and many more practice rounds at the range. 

A call to my buddy Chad on the way home confirmed that shooting with accuracy takes a lot of time, patience and practice.  Sounds like more time on the range is needed:)  I have the option to shoot trap or skeet, but only had time to shoot skeet yesterday.  I would like to get MUCH better on the range as I plan to go duck hunting next year.  I would be curious to hear any suggestions/recommendations on Skeet vs. Trap to get ready for hunting.  You are welcome to share any of your favorite skeet or trap shooting stories here. 

If you are interested in joining our Skeet and Trap shooting league, email Tim McCormick and he will get you all set up.  

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Ice Fishing Anyone?

I have never actually been ice fishing, but it has always fascinated me.  How do those hardy anglers really know that ice is thick enough to walk on, not to mention fish on?  Once those brave souls are on the water, how they know where to go or what to use?  I've linked to a recent article from our local paper with some tips for ice fishing on our local area lakes. 

The article highlights the importance of safety while ice fishing, including these two important points:

• Double check before drilling every two feet
• Be careful of "honeycombs," or the dangerous ice conditions that occur when air ice thaws, then re-freezes

It looks like ice fishing takes a completely different set up of poles, bait and equipment.   A quick glance of the ice fishing section at Bass Pro Shops shows tons of gear to use for this winter sport.  If you are into ice fishing and would be kind enough to share some pictures or provide a guest post,  please email me and let me know. 

Finally, here's a clip from one of my favorite fishing movies, Grumpy Old Men.  I apologize for some of the language in the first part of the clip, my video editing skills from a You Tube clip aren't that great yet.  


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