Scottish Clay Target Association

Dear shooters – a message from Norrie

This rearranged South Area Championship was a cancelled shoot originally proposed for May 29^th 2021. This cancellation was due to a couple of factors , 1 - there was a shoot in North Wales which was cancelled from April 1^st because of Covid and rearranged clashing with the 29^th of May so there was ten Scottish shooters booked in for that. The second was lack of bodies in pre-booking and as mentioned in despatches on DTL group the ground will not hold the shoot unless they have at least 4 squads. This is totally understandable as referees and now hopefully catering cost money.

I have had several calls about the lack of shoots in the central belt and yet NSC had only 4 x shooters booked in for May 29^th.  As you note  We have 2 shoots arranged for the 17^th & 18^th July . If you want to shoot the South Area pre-booking will commence on the 3^rd / 4^th July .  Depending on the turn out there may be food available however the numbers would need to be decent. In checking back the records and paying attention to trap from the past the ground formerly known as Central produced some huge scores.  A certain Willie Lamont shot a 300 and there were many scores in the nineties from other old codgers. Same SKY same Clouds same back ground as we have to-day.

The late great Mr Michael Milne passed some good advice to a novice like me, if you shoot more clays than anybody else on the day you will win . Mon Guys – nae excuses

National Sporting World Sporting Team Selection Update

The final 2 World Sporting Qualifiers will be:

• Bywell shooting Ground - 29/30th May 2021, first score to count
• Highland Shooting Centre - 5th June 2021

This makes a total of 5 shoots, the 3 best scores from the 5 shoots will be counted. At least 1 of the 3 scores to be counted has to be an Area Championship (either the 2/5/21 or the 9/5/21).

Any questions please get in touch with Pete Cairney, best of luck.

After a wee chat with Norrie the other day, I've put together a short appreciation of the shooting career of the late Michael (Mike) J Milne.

Because of Mike's huge breadth of achievements and individual triumphs across the spectrum of clay target disciplines I'm sure to miss something out in error, which I apologise for in advance.

I first came up against Mike in shooting at Kildrummy gun club in October 1986. It was a small re entry 30 target sporting shoot, I spent far too much on re entry trying to catch him. I still have the runner up trophy in the house somewhere. I should have known better.

Mike first shot in the DTL team in 1985 at the Kippen international. All in Mike had @ 22 DTL international caps.

DTL was his main discipline but not his only one.

Mike won the Scottish DTL championship in 1999, 2001, 2008. The Tom Sim trophy in 1993, 2014. Plus Scottish single barrel in 1994, 2012.

He became the British DTL champion in 1998 at Bywell. The weekend also included winning Scottish high gun over the two days and overall high gun over the two days. International match and British open combined.

He also won the first Krieghoff DTL shoot in Wales in 1999.

In 2000 Tommy Allen, Gerard Mccoy, John Stafford, Robert Ward and Mike won the Dewar shield for the five man team competition at the English open DTL weekend. In 2001 they successfully defended the trophy.

Mike has also won the Subaru/Browning trophy at the English DTL weekend and at one time the much coveted Dougall memorial competition.

I notice that Mike won European DTL super vets at one point and in 2019 wiped out the super vets awards at the DTL international including the super vets captain's trophy.

Mike shot 100/300s well into his mid to late sixties. Including one at GSG in 2016. I strongly suspect that he shot more 100/300s at Loch Ness/GSG (or Inverness as he called it) than anyone. Last time I was speaking with him at GSG I asked him how many 100/300s he had shot in his career. No bloody idea, was the reply. It was a lot though.

Mike represented Scotland at Skeet, ABT, OT and Sporting as well as his beloved DTL. I believe he was R/U high gun at the skeet international in Ireland.

He represented Scotland at the CSF euro division and Shot OT in Europe. He shot ATA in the USA and competed in the 100th Grand American.

Mike also did a stint on the SCTA board.

Not only could a reasoned argument be made supporting the view that Mike Milne was Scotland's greatest ever DTL shooter, a case could be made that he was also our greatest multi discipline shooter.

Mike was a man who could divide opinion and held strong views, but was one hell of a tough and ruthless competitor.

Across the clay target disciplines I'm not sure we will see his equal again.

WJL

Chair GSG.

During an ICTSC meeting in 2019, it was requested that all Associations hosting a Home International should have a defibrillator available at events, taking this idea forward the SCTA has purchased a number of defibrillators which can now be found at the following grounds:

• Armadale GC
• Auchterhouse CS
• Auldgirth Shooting Ground
• Cairndow Clay Target Club
• County Clays
• Glenmoriston SG
• Harris Gun Club
• Highland Deephaven CPC
• Highland SC
• Kippen GC
• Lindertis Wood SG
• Morton Clay Targets
• Orkney Clay Pigeon Club
• Scottish Clay Shooting Centre
• Shetland Clay Target Club
• Strathyre GC
• North Ayrshire SG

The situation continues to be reviewed on a monthly basis and following any update from the Scottish Government, and and any changes will be communicated as quickly as possible

12 May Update

Good Afternoon Lads and Lassies

Hope your all well and getting positive about us moving forward and out of this horrible pandemic . As my last post intimated a number of date changes have already taken place . There was one omitted, the East area championship has been moved from May to July 31st still at Auchterhouse .

As we hope to get registered shoots moving next weekend wish to reiterate that whilst this is exciting we must adhere to rules . There is no easy way to skirt around this as progress for the future of shooting is down to everybody involved in the sport .

First and foremost Safety , please take care and check everything especially after shooting a line just double check cartridges are removed etc - I know you know . It has been a long time since we have been involved in competition so just take your time to settle back .

control and sensibility - the shooting grounds had a big financial hit amidst covid19 and will be delighted to welcome us back . Please adhere to their rules and apply all the guidelines set . Things have changed and for the foreseeable future my friends culminating in what we can and cannot do . Please do not handle score cards after you have completed a line or have any query on the scorecard. This is very important for keeping the ground in control of the rules  . The referee will answer any relative questions but this is a rule which has been advised by STS  and must be followed .

We as shooters must accept things have changed for now . The grounds will have sanitiser and don't be shy to use it . In most cases unless informed otherwise take your own food and drink , clearly if your driving a distance you will need something . The sensibility is down to us,  keep 2m apart basically and that more or less is that . Just be sensible, adhere to the instruction from the grounds and let's get going . It has been so long since we have enjoyed our sport and been back to the comradeship with friends around the country  .

The emphasis is to get back in the groove , let's all work together and we will get to where we need to be in a month or two . It is exciting to know we are starting again and I look forward to seeing you all soon .

For the grounds I will be handing out membership leaflets to grounds shortly and would appreciate if you can place them where they can be easily seen .