I've been shooting at the local trap and skeet clubs for about 20 years now. Some things have changed, some have stayed pretty much the same. Mostly it's a great bunch of fellows who genuinely enjoy the fellowship and the shooting sports. Sometimes, I do wonder about some of the things I observe. See if you agree . . . .

Why do people attempt to shoot clay targets with a carrying sling attached to their shotgun? A "quick detachable" sling no less. Slings belong on rifles not shotguns, with the possible exception of one's waterfowl gun. Even then, anyone who wants to shoot accurately takes the sling off the gun. That's why they have the little snap hook gizmos on them. A sling destroys the balance of a gun and may actually be dangerous if it hooks on your belt buckle while attempting to mount the gun. The sling does not look cool. It looks stupid.

Why do people attempt to shoot skeet with full choke shotguns? A skeet tube is available for every screw-in choke system. They cost about 20 bucks. Tight chokes are for the trap range, no? Do you bowl with a golf ball?

What seems to be the problem with cleaning an autoloading shotgun once or twice a year so that it doesn't quit working in the middle of the game, causing everyone delay and annoyance? And how come these same folks can't strip their own guns without a lot of guesswork, or a roadmap, or a big hammer?

How come when a guy has his third dud out of a box of shells he loaded with the power flask running on empty he still insists upon trying to use them? Why am I always shooting on the same squad as this guy?

Why is it that a sport who buys 25 targets for the price set by the club, which is essentially non-profit, then expects to shoot a few extra? "Let me shoot that one again." No, pal, hit the thing the first time or buy another round and hit it then.

Why are the gun racks empty and the tables full of guns? Isn't your K-80 safer in the rack than on the table? I might bump that pretty stock with my fat behind the next time I pass your table. Ah, the sound of fine engraving.

Finally, why is it that some shooters complain about the background? "The background at such and such a club is really bad." You're supposed to be looking at that big blaze-orange thing up in the sky. That's called a target. You look at that, and you shoot that. You should see nothing but target, and only target. Good shooters couldn't describe the background at a club they have been shooting at for a whole week. They never saw the stinkin' background, but they did see lots of targets and broke almost all of them.

The same shooters who talk about backgrounds often seem to have overlarge, day-glow, fiber optic things attached to the muzzles of their guns. Maybe it's not the background that's distracting them, but rather the foreground? Ya think?