The granddaddy of the target games was Trap Shooting, and that meant flyers. Our forefathers considered pigeon shooting senseless in the absence of stakes. There's no 'practice for hunting' involved, the shoot is for money and bragging rights.

It's possible that the first celebrity endorsement of a commercial product was in 1851 when noted player and author (and blowhard) Howard Staunton recommend a practical chess set design to the public. He received a piece of the action for lending his name to the 'Staunton pattern'. It's the standard set even today, but on it's own merits.

A few years later, the top shooters were backed by sporting arms makers and the trend snowballed from there. Trap shooters were famous back in the day, and their recommendation sold guns.

Perazzi got on the map due to Olympic success. Nobody ever heard of Perazzi before 1968.

People are impressionable and desire to project an image, and that image is sold to them. You need look no farther than Shooting Sportsman magazine to see the marketing of pretentiousness. The XX 'most interesting man in the world' ad campaign is a brilliant spoof on this basic human trait so we can laugh at it, but it does sell beer. Lots and lots of beer.

Remember 'stock car' races back when there was such a thing? The winning brand sold the most cars Monday morning. Because, of course, people want to be identified with a winner, the highest style, the 'hippest' thing.

The equipment you choose is a more complex decision than you probably even know. Why does a certain gun appeal to you? A little frank self analysis may prove insightful.

Me? I like them all. There is no cure and I am doomed.

"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble