Bailey wins Scatterguns' Ironman competition
<p>Five marksmen emerged from the recent Ironman competition sponsored by the Libby Scatterguns. From left, Dick Brown was recognized as skrap champion, Robert Soppe was skeet champ, Tom Bailey won the distinction as Ironman, who excelled in all phases. Dameon Kelch was the five-stand champ, and Mike Cirian was the trap champion for 2013.</p><div> </div>
Every marksman excels in one event, but then there are those who excel at all shotgun events, and that person for the Libby Scatterguns is Tom Bailey.
Bailey earned top honors for 2013 with the best composite score at four events during the club’s recent competition, thus earning the Ironman title.
“I’m happy to be this year’s Ironman,” Bailey said. “It’s an honor to be recognized on the same plaque that also recognizes my friend and mentor, Al Corda.”
The Ironman consists of four clay-target events including skeet, trap, five-stand and skrap, which is trap shot from the skeet course.
Contestants shot at 25 targets at each of the four stations for a total of 100 possible targets.
Skeet consists of eight stations in which stations No. 1 through No. 7 are arranged on a semicircle, and an eighth position halfway between the seven stations. There are two houses that launch the targets, one at each corner of the semicircle. One thrower launches targets from 10 feet above the ground, and the other launches targets from three feet above ground.
Contestants shoot one high target and one low target at each station and a pair of targets from stations Nos. 1, 2, 6, and 7.
This year’s Skeet Champion is Robert Soppe who shot a perfect 25-of-25 targets.
In trap, there are five targets at each of five posts shot from 16 yards to 27 yards behind the trap thrower. The Ironman trap targets were shot from the 21-yard line. The trap machine rotates back and forth within a 54-degree arch and the competitor does not know where in that arc the target will emerge. This year’s trap champion is Mike Cirian who shot all 25 possible targets.
Five-stand is a compact version of sporting clays. Five-stand has five positions with a more complex course including target thrown from many different locations. Some targets fly toward the shooter, some away, some rising and crossing. Damion Kelch fared better than all others to win the five-stand.
There are varying ways to shoot skrap, but the Scatterguns shot three targets from each of the eight skeet stations with one option shot from the shooters first miss to make up the 25th target. This year’s skrap champion is Dick Brown with a score of 21-of-25.
The Ironman winner is the shooter who finishes all four events with the highest combined score of all four events. Bailey accomplished this feat.
The Scatterguns sponsor a winter trap-shooting league, which begins the second week of January and runs about nine weeks. For more information, call 293-7743.