Brings back memories of old long gone shooters. Fred Misseldine, Ed Calhoun, Dick Shaughnessy, Harry Stillwell, George Lerh, Harry Wright, John C. Dalton Jr., to name a few. I shot with them all and they all showed me a little about shooting, or life. They also could out shoot a youngster even when they are my grandfathers age or plus. Talent did not go away with age. Back then most shoot events were won with high score, maybe a short shoot off, not 100's straights. Shoot events, in the late 1950's often were 250 target events with 50 .410, 100 20 and 100 12 targets being shot in the same day. Few regular shooters had a 28. Often shooter would borrow small gauge guns if they did not have their own. If an event had a 28 event they would shoot 3" sells, with 3/4 ounce load in their .410 guns if they did not have a 28. Watched many shooter shoot a .410 in a 28 gauge state championship event. All they had. There were always rich shooter who had all the fine guns, in every gauge, but most shooters did not and competed with what they had. Equipment was what they owned, not some dialed in type stuff we take for granted. But I am old. I predate Briley tubes and chokes. Top "equipment" was four barreled sets on Remington 32's and Browning Supers, barrels by Simmons or Larry Del Grego Sr., four Winchester pumps with Cutts or a Cutts on anything. Then four 1100's closed the gap and then tube sets came into extensive use.
Harry Stillwell I think was the last man to win a National Skeet Championship title with a pump gun. He won the 20 gauge in 1970 with a Hi-Standard pump. He was also a 20 gauge High Average Leader in 1970 and 1971 using that gun. Had one of the weirdest shooting style on low six. Ran his gun back and waved it back and fourth instead of having a still hold point. Called for the bird with his gun moving towards the house sometimes and away from it others. Called it his active gun shooting style. Ed was a great .410 shooter with a 42 pump gun with the standard Cutts comp on the end like 90% of the rest of the shooter in that period. Ed won all six events at the Blue Mountain Open in 1959, which was the first time one shooter won all six events, at what then was a major event. I shot with them all. I wish I paid more attention back then. Just took it all for granted, like most kids. Still remember shooting with those old men, many who wore a tie while they shot, or shot with a cigar or cigarette hanging out of their mouth. Still love shooting because they taught me a lot and not about just shooting.
