HISTORY BUFF'S HALL OF FAME

History Buff.

Would you please keep us a running list of your "HISTORY BUFF'S HALL OF FAME" Please ?

I know Mr. Ford and others have been inducted, but it would be most helpful if you could. from time to time, update us on your selections.

Thanks, Dave

 

OK, I promise to continue to continue adding the names of old-time shooters who are members of the "History Buff Hall of Fame." There remain many who I personally believe are long-past-due for induction in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame, some of which have been nominated and passed over for years.

These folks deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments and contributions. I even have some who did not rack up a lot of trophy wins but still deserve enshrinement for the contributions they made to trap shooting.

Enjoy Our History !

The Buff

 

Thanks HB !

I suspect your list will grow to many deserving of this enshrinement.

I hope you will list them all, as some of us may not remember them all as time goes on.

Trophy wins are not the only important criteria as you mentioned.

Good old "contributions to the sport", and I don't mean cash wise either, are equally important to us.

Thanks !

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO HISTORY BUFF !!!

He will be inducted into the NJ State Trapshooting hall of Fame this summer.

You earned it old friend !!!

 

Good on you, You have contributed more to this sport than some of the inductees in the ATA hall of fame. Roger C.

 

Any of your latest updates HB ?

 

Hello HB... How bout Russ Elliott?

Trap3

 

Ah, Mr. Russell W. Elliott, son of "Uncle Bob" and nephew of the late great James Augustus Robert Elliott (J. A. R.). I do have a file of Russ Elliott. He's been nominated for the Trapshooting Hall of Fame for some time but not yet selected.

He was one of trapshooting's best promoters and since I failed to have his good name on my list of HB Hall of Famers, I have now corrected this oversight due to the credit of Trap3.

He was also another of Kansas City's crack shots winning many Grand and trophies from his home state of Missouri as well as out of state. I've always been interested in his over-all accomplishments. He seemed to be always among the top scores in the All-Around and Over-All events. Most people have never heard of the Jim Day Cup but it was a highly prized feature at the Grand American Handicap tournament and Mr. Elliott won it in 1932 with 476x500.

Russ placed in the nation's top 10 singles average leaders twice one of which (1936) he was 2nd with .9840.

An author (Your Shotgun vs. You), writer in Sportsmen's Review, gun club owner/manager, shooting coach, crack shot, organizer, charter member and secretary-treasurer of the Kansas City Trapshooters Association, secretary-treasurer of the Federation of Missouri Trapshooters, Missouri Trapshooting Hall of Fame enshrinee, and great gentleman.

His major accomplishments from my files:

RUSSELL W. ELLIOTT
Kansas City, Missouri
09MAR1899 – 27NOV1965, Kansas City, MO​

Father – Robert “Uncle Bob” Elliott
Uncle – J. A. R. Elliott

1900, Kansas City, Missouri – 28 NOV 1966, Kansas City, Missouri

Owner/Manager of Elliott’s Shooting Park, Raytown, Missouri

Missouri State Doubles Champion (1924) 44x50

Lost Shootoff for Missouri State Preliminary Singles (1926) 98x100

Missouri State All-Around Champion (1934) 325x350

Founder of Kansas City Trapshooters Association

Secretary of Kansas City Trapshooters Association

Interstate Live Bird Championship 2nd at Kansas City, MO (1931)

Missouri Central Zone High Gun – Not Eligible (1932) 101 straight & 374x400

Winner of Jim Day Cup – (present HAA) (1932) 476x500

Grand American Handicap High Over-All 3rd (1932) 965x1000

Missouri State All-Around Champion (1934) 325x350 + 47, 47 so at twins

Missouri State Open High Over-All 2nd to Joe Hiestand (1934) 570 to 578x600

Missouri Western Zone Class A Champion (1934) 99x100

Missouri Western Zone High All-Around Champion (1934) 388x400

Grand American Handicap 3rd (1934) 97x100

Missouri State Doubles Champion (1935) 88x100

Missouri State All-Around Champion (1935) 366x400

Missouri State Singles Runner-Up (1936) 195x200 + 23 so

Missouri State All-Around Champion (1936) 366x400

High Singles Average 2nd in Nation (1936) .9840

Missouri State Class AA Winner (1937) 97x100

Missouri State Singles Champion (1937) 197x200 + 25 so

Missouri State Doubles Champion (1937) 94x100

High Singles Average 8th in Nation (1938) .9823

Missouri State Doubles Champion (1939) 91x100

Missouri State Doubles Champion (1941) 93x100

North American Clay Target Champion (1941) 199 + 23,25 so

Member of All-America Team (1941)

Author of Your Shotgun vs. You

Missouri Trapshooting Hall of Fame Inductee ( 1979 )


Guns Used :
Winchester Model 12

Enjoy Our History !

 

HB... very nice research (file) on Russ Elliott...

Trap3

 

I was just provided a nice picture of Russ Elliott by a long-time collector friend who deserves all credit for this post. It is reportedly a picture from 1941 when Mr. Elliott won the North American Clay Target event at the Grand American. It's always nice to see pictures of old-time shooters.

It was reported in his Completed Careers that Mr. Elliott was born at the old Washington Park Gun Club in early March, 1899, however I have not yet been able to verify this myself.

Enjoy Our History !

​

 

Here's my list. The "Top Guns" c. 1895-1915
Gilbert, Heikes, Crosby, Herr, Elliott, Budd, Grimm &Young

 

Great list and I not only concur that they are "Top Guns" but will say that Billy Heer, Charles W. Budd and Charles M. Grimm should all be in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame.

CHARLES W. BUDD
DEC 1853 – 14 DEC 1931, Des Moines, Iowa Woodland Cemetery
Married Elizabeth ?? (1876)
Clear Lake, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Macomber Flying Target Co. Representative (1885)
Hazard Powder Co. Representative
Lefever Gun Representative
Remington Arms Co. Representative
Iowa State Sportsmen’s Association, Secretary
Champion Wing Shot of the United States (1887)
Du Pont Trophy Holder (1897)
Charter Member of Okoboji Indians (1897)
Treasurer of the Okoboji Indians​

Guns Used:

1895 L. C. Smith S. L. 18MAY1895p.27
1896 Parker S. L. 30MAY1896p.19
1897 Parker S. L. 03JUL1897p.29

CHARLES M. GRIMM
Sycamore, Illinois
Clear Lake, Iowa
April 29, 1856 – October 1, 1925
Won World’s Fair Trophy (1893)
L. C. Smith Cup & Iowa State Championship (1897)​

Guns Used:

1896 L. C. Smith S. L. 30MAY1896p.19
1897 L. C. Smith S. L. 02 JAN 1897p.17 12-bore, 7 ¾ lbs., 3 ¾ Schultze, 1 ¼ oz. 7
1897 L. C. Smith S. L.27MAR1897p.23

 

Not to wander OT, but Grimm's 3 3/4 Dr. Eq. (1330 fps) 1 1/4 oz. load in a 7 3/4# gun had about 30 ft/lbs. of free recoil.
1 oz. at 1180 fps (2 3/4 Dram) in a 7.5 pound shotgun = 17.3 ft/lbs

I don't have a period pressure report for that load, but 1 1/4 oz. 3 1/2 Dr. Eq. with Bulk Smokeless was about 11,750 psi. The modern SSAMI recommended limit is 11,500 psi.
The 12g ‘Super-X Field’ 2 3/4” 1 1/4 oz. 3 3/4 Dr. Equiv. with DuPont Progressive Burning Oval was just below 11,500 psi

So much for the "vintage light load" myth

 

More candidates



1893 Columbian Exposition Parker Trade Card
Per Ed Muderlak's Parker Guns, the Old Reliable, the shooter is Parker salesman A. W. Du Bray, the puller is Parker sales representative S.A. "Tuck" Tucker, and the man in the brown coat under the tent with his arms folded is C. W. Budd.
It is more likely, however, that the shooter is Frank S. Parmelee of Omaha, Neb. and Budd is seated and leaning forward.

 

More candidates; most already mentioned

March 19, 1898 Sporting Life “Men of Mark”
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026019.pdf
Milt and Mrs. “Wanda” Lindsley, Capt. A.W. Money
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026020.pdf
Harvey McMurchy (Hunter Arms Representative), John Fanning, Fred Gilbert
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026021.pdf
Chas. Budd, S.A. Tucker (Parker Bros. Representative), Capt. B.A. Bartlett, “Chan” Powers
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026022.pdf
Thos. A. Marshall, Sim Glover, O.R. Dickey
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026023.pdf
Rolla Heikes, J.A.R. Elliott, Tom Keller (Peters Representative)
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026024.pdf
Chas. Grimm, E.D. Fulford
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1898/VOL_30_NO_26/SL3026025.pdf

 

1903 "Captains of Shooting"
Sporting Life, January 17, 1903
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1903/VOL_40_NO_18/SL4018016.pdf

 

Interesting how Midwestern shooters dominated the traps at the turn-of-the-century.
In 1900, Iowa had 2.23M residents, Ill. 4.82M, Pennsylvania 6.3M, New York 7.27M.
Illinois
Captain Adam H. Bogardus (born in New York), “Doc” Carver, W.R. Crosby, Thomas A. Marshall, J.R. Graham, C.M. Powers, W.D. Stannard, F.G. Bills, George Roll, J.B. Barto, Homer Clark, Bart Lewis, Mark Arie
Iowa
Fred Gilbert “The Phantom of Spirit Lake”, Charles Grimm, Charles “Iowa Indian” Budd, William Ridley, Joe Kautzky, William Hoon, R.R. Barber & O.N. Ford
Nebraska
Frank Parmelee, George Maxwell, William Veach
Rolla Heikes moved from (near) Dayton, Ohio to Brownsville, Neb. in 1877 and on New Year's Day 1880, broke l00 straight Ligowsky clay targets, possibly the first time that feat was accomplished. He returned to Dayton in 1881.
Kansas
William Heer, Ed O'Brien, E.W. “Fatty” Arnold
Missouri
Dave and J.A.R. Elliott (originally from Brooklyn, N.Y.), Chris Gottlieb, Charles Spencer, S.A. Huntley (later Sioux City, Iowa), Harvey (or Harve) Dixon

Any others that should be on the list of "Top Guns"?

 

My opinion: Large game, buffalo, elk, antelope & deer were essentially removed from the eastern part of the Great Plains by the 1870s. The remaining game (source of protein) was shot on the wing; waterfowl, prairie grouse, and quail. A poor shot likely didn't keep his family fed, and the genetic advantage (and abundant opportunities) were passed on to sons and grandsons.

Theodore R. Davis in Harper's Weekly Dec. 21, 1867, "Prairie Chicken Shooting in Kansas"



The great Fred Gilbert was born December 18, 1865 in Dickinson County on the Minnesota line in northwest Iowa; the “Iowa Great Lakes” area with Okoboji, Milford, and Spirit lakes. According to an article by Charles B. Roth, “Fred Gilbert – Trapshooter”, in the December 1933 Field & Stream, by age seven Fred was hunting ducks, plover, and snipe in the wetlands and prairie chicken in the “Iowa Flatheads,” eventually hunting for the market.

 

1904 Year in Review
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1905/VOL_44_NO_17/SL4417012.pdf
High Average
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1905/VOL_44_NO_17/SL4417021.pdf
W. R. Crosby tied with F. Gilbert - .9508
Gilbert has broken 16,179 out of 17,015 targets, an average of 95.08 per cent. Crosby shot at 13,860 and broke 13,179. an average of 95.08.
W.H. Heer - .934
Walter Huff - .932
Charles G. Spencer - .928
J.A.R. Elliott - .927
Championship Trophies in 1904
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1905/VOL_44_NO_17/SL4417022.pdf
"E. C." cup (targets), Schmelzer cup (targets), DuPont cup (live birds), Hazard cup (live birds) – W.R. Crosby
Cast Iron medal (live birds) – J.A.R. Elliott.

1905 Review
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1906/VOL_46_NO_17/SL4617013.pdf
High Average
Gilbert - .956
Crosby - .955
W. H. Heer - .947
J. L. D. Morrison - .946
L. H. Reed - .945
Chas. G. Spencer - .944

1906 Review
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1907/VOL_48_NO_17/SL4817017.pdf
High Average -
W. H. Heer - 96.3 (Remington Hammerless)
W. R.Crosby - 95.9 (Now using a Parker)
C. G. Spencer - .957 (Winchester Repeater)
C. M. Powers - .954 (Parker)
Long run 1906 - 348 was made by W. D. Stannard with a Smith
Long run in a tournament - 256 made by W. H. Heer with a Remington hammerless double.



1907 in Review
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_50_NO_17/SL5017017.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_50_NO_17/SL5017027.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_50_NO_17/SL5017029.pdf
Charles Spencer - .949
Wm. Crosby - .948
Ed. O’Brien - .947
J. M. Hawkins - .945
J. R. Taylor - .943
Fred Gilbert - .958 (but not declared high average having shot at less than 10,000 targets.)

1908 Year in Review
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1909/VOL_52_NO_22/SL5222012.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1909/VOL_52_NO_22/SL5222025.pdf
High Professional Average
Spencer, Charles. G., St. Louis, Mo. - .9677
“Mr. Spencer used a $27.00 grade Winchester take-down shotgun and Winchester loaded "Leader" and "Repeater" shells with Dead Shot smokeless powder.”
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1909/VOL_52_NO_24/SL5224012.pdf
Heer, W. H., Concordia, Kansas. - .9667 (Remington double)
Hawkins, J. M., Baltimore, Md. - .9663 (Winchester 1897)
Crosby, W. R., O’Fallon, Ill. - .9601 (Parker)
Taylor, John R., Columbus, O. - .9528
Maxwell, G. W., Hastings, Neb. - .9518 (Remington double)
O’Brien, Ed., Florence, Kansas - .9517
Barkley, Lee R., Chicago, Ill. - .9506
Gilbert, Fred., Spirit Lake, Ia. - .9503 (Parker)
German, L. S., Aberdeen, Md. - .9468 (Parker)
High Amateur Averages for single targets shot from 16-yards
Powers, C. M., Decatur, Ill. - .9460
Veach, Wm., Falls City, Neb. - .9440
Holland, D. J., Moberly, Mo. - .9400 (Remington pump)
Huntley, S. A., Kansas City, Mo. - .9396
High Professional Run - 363 straight, made by W. H. Heer
The Highest Average Ever Made in Any Tournament - 595/600 by W. H. Heer at Arnold’s Park, Ia., August 25-27
200 Straight Runs:
W. H. Heer, Arnold’s Park, Ia., August 26
Fred Gilbert, Council Bluffs, Ia., November 17
Joe Kautzky, Jewell, Ia., November 28 (A.H. Fox)

 

A few of the shooters of that period... Taken at the Orlando Gun Club in Oklahoma

Trap3

 

More candidates - Jay R. Graham, H. D. Gibbs, Lester German, William H. Heer, and Charles G. Spencer




Peter P. Carney, Editor National Sports Syndicate
Winnipeg Free Press, March 25, 1918
When the Eastern Handicap Trapshooting tournament was staged in Wilmington, Del., in 1913, one of the squads that shot through the tournament was composed of Jay Graham, of Ingleside, Ill.; H. D. Gibbs, of Union City, Tenn.; Lester German, of Aberdeen, Md.; William H. Heer, of Guthrie, Okla., and Charles G. Spencer, of St. Louis, Mo. These names to trapshooters are what the name of Cobb, Speaker, Lajole et al. are to baseball fans. It’s doubtful if a greater squad of trap-shooters was ever gotten, together; and it would be a good wager that this squad could defeat any other five men at the traps.
Here are a few things that these men have done at the traps:
Beginning with Jay Graham, because he is the first one to greet you on the photograph it is nice to say that he won the Amateur Trapshooting Championship of the World in the Olympic games held at Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912. That in itself is a great honor —one that anyone should be proud of, but that was only an incident in the life of Graham. He is the holder of the amateur long-run record of 417 straight made at Chicago, Ill., August 30 and September 1, 1910; won the Columbus cup in the Southern Handicap in 1911; won the professional championship at doubles in 1913, and was also the high average doubles shooter of the year. He won the post-season tournament for amateurs in 1910 and 1911. These performances do Mr. Graham no injustice..
Next on the etching we have H. D. Gibbs. Mr. Gibbs as a professional has annexed an average of .9622 for the past five years which is evidence enough that he shoots with accuracy.
Lester (Long-Run) German is the center figure. German has compiled an average of .9652 for the last ten years, and shot at more than 50,000 targets. For the past three years he has averaged better than 97 per cent, and in 1917 was high average professional with .9764. He won the professional championship at singles and doubles in 1911 and led the professionals in high runs in 1914 with a string of 180 and id 1915 with 372. His best performance was at the Hogans tournament, in 1915, when he shattered 499x500 and 647x650.
William H. Heer is as good a trapshooter as ever held a trap gun. He showed the professionals the way in the averages in 1910 with .9775 and again in 1913 with .9730 and after three years layoff came back in 1917 and outclassed the amateurs with an average of .9741. He was the maker of the largest run in 1913 with 279.
Charles G. Spencer, the outside figure on the right has held his own in the fastest trapshooting company for these many years—in fact he has been a trifle ahead in a number of years. He has a grand average of .9677 for nine years and was the professional high average shooter in 1909 with .9720 and in 1916 .9759. He was also the high average leader in doubles in 1915 and 1916. In 1906 he won the Southern Handicap and in 1910 he was the professional championship at doubles. His record of 563 straight from 16 yards made at Viola, Ill., on September 16, 17 and 18 1909, will stand a lot of beating. He also put up the high run figures in 1912—309.

 

Les German is also not in the ATA HOF
“The Ty Cobb of Trapshooting”
http://pssatrap.org/HOF/german-lester-biography.htm
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/9e036cdf

German, of Maryland started competing about 1901 with a Parker double.
He entered the Professional ranks in the fall of 1906
https://books.google.com/books?id=r0gcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA588
https://books.google.com/books?id=r0gcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA628

Forest & Stream 4-24-1909



Sporting Life July 24, 1909



March 2, 1918 Arms and the Man
https://books.google.com/books?id=z44wAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA457&lpg



https://patch.com/maryland/aberdeen/the-wayback-machine-les-german-was-a-hot-shot

 

C M ( Chan ) Powers...

Trap3

 

Powers is also not in the HOF.
He was part of the 1901 Anglo-American team and almost died of Typhoid fever
1901 International Match; 1900, 1912 & 1920 Olympic Games

http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_51_NO_17/SL5117024.pdf

Top Guns of 1912 - Banks, Powers, Heikes, Gilbert, Crosby, Marshall

 

I gave a packet of information on Mr. German to the late Dick Baldwin and I know he's been nominated. I was told some years back that the committee didn't want to give too much credit to those great old-time shooters who at one time or another were employed by any of the manufacturers. I've been to the museum in Aberdeen, MD and spoke with Mr. German's ancestors. He is deserving of another review and if I were in charge, he, Chan Powers and a whole host of other forgotten greats would be enshrined.

My favorite story of Mr. German was about his good shooting only a few short months after he got shot in the back in Baltimore.

​

Now Lester Stanley German had been representing the Parker Gun, selling Parkers from his Aberdeen home/shop and a professional salesman-shooter for DuPont since the early 1900s.

​

So I ask you Mr. Drew Hause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . why do we also have advertisements of Mr. German shooting Winchester Shells???

​

HB

 

HB. From the beginning most of the “Top Guns” were representatives (paid agents) of powder, shell, or gun makers; and some, like NASCAR drivers, represented several companies -
Jan. 23 1897
J. “147” L. Winston "The Wizard of the West", St. Louis, defeated Geo. Mosher, of Syracuse. N. Y., in a match for the DuPont trophy at Zwerlein’s grounds, Yardville, N. J., on Jan 16, by killing 87 to 85 out of 100 live birds. Winston used an L.C. Smith gun 7 14/16 pounds. His load was 3 1/2 drams of DuPont smokeless, 1 1/4 ounce No. 7 shot in Winchester Leader shells, loaded by the Austin Cartridge Co.

The report in Sporting Life of the 1896 GAH at Live Birds listed the gun (sometimes with the weight), powder and Dr. Eq., case, and shot size used by the competitors. Sporting Life did that most of the major shoots until about 1902. That is one way to figure out what gun the "Top Guns" were shooting
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1896/VOL_27_NO_01/SL2701022.pdf

The shell makers sold "New Primed Empties" for loading, and would factory load whatever powder the buyer wanted.
The ‘machine loaded’ shells and components available in the 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog on p. 473
http://books.google.com/books?id=zWel51IwQ2AC
The “Trap Shooters Delight” could be ordered with “E.C.”, “Schultze”, S.S. (Smokeless Shot-gun Bulk), American Wood, Black Powder, Walsrode, Dupont Bulk Smokeless, or “Troisdorf” (marketed in the U.S. by Laflin & Rand).

Bulk and Dense Smokeless Powder option for Remington-U.M.C. “Nitro Club”

 

After Fred Gilbert left Hunter Arms in 1899, he was also a professional representative of DuPont, Winchester and Parker Bros.

 

BTW: Rolla Heikes probably takes the prize as the best shooter, with the most different guns, representing the most companies.
He was the first industry representatives in 1885, with the Lefever Gun Co. In 1895-96, Heikes participated in 67 tournaments (despite having malaria in the summer of 1895) and was high gun in 60 using a Winchester 1893 slide-action. He defeated Fred Gilbert in 1896 at the 2nd "E.C." Cup "Champion Inanimate Target Shot of the World" in New York and was 4th in the GAH at Live Birds. Prior to using the Winchester, he shot a L.C. Smith. He defeated Charles Grimm on Dec. 6 1897 for the Cast Iron Medal using a Winchester 1897. He defeated Fred Gilbert for the "E.C." Cup at Chicago, August 13, 1898 with a score of 140 to 137 out of 150 targets, then successfully defended the "Cast Iron Medal" against Fred Gilbert at Eau Claire, Wis., in August and W.R. Elliston in Nashville in October. In 1899 he used a Remington Hammerless Double to defeat E.D. Fulford for the "E.C." Cup in January and won the Sportsmen's Association Championship Trophy in the trapshooting tournament held on the roof of the Madison Square Garden in March. He used a Parker at the 1900 GAH at Live Birds, then went back to his Remington to win the first Grand American at Clay Targets held at Interstate Park in New York City June 12-15, 1900. In November 1900, he was using a new single trigger Remington hammerless double. He was part of the victorious American team in the June 1901 Anglo-American Clay Bird Match using a Parker. He started 1902 shooting the Remington single trigger hammerless, then used a L.C. Smith at the Ohio State shoot and to take 3rd in the last GAH at Live Birds in Kansas City. He came back from Typhoid Fever in 1904 to take HOA at the Dominion of Canada Exhibition Shoot in Winnipeg again shooting a Remington. In 1905 he began shooting a Remington Autoloading Shotgun and was 2nd High Professional at the 1906 GAH.



March 31, 1900 R. O. Heikes won the "Cast Iron Medal" from J.A.R. Elliott. at Yardville. N. J.. March 24. The men shot at 100 live birds. 30 yards’ rise and tied on 91. In a shoot-off at 25 birds Heikes killed 22 and Elliott 21. Heikes used a Parker hammerless gun, “E.C.” powder, loaded in U.M.C. Smokeless shells.

R. O. Heikes was high man at the Birmingham, Ala., shoot, August 12 - 13, 1902 scoring .968 per cent, for the two days on flying targets. Crosby broke two birds less than Heikes for the two days, and so close was the race that Heikes had to break the last 25 straight to win. Heikes was using his Smith gun, Schultze powder, U.M.C. combination.

Sept 20 1913 Sporting Life
The latest addition to the ranks of the representatives of the United States Cartridge Company is the veteran Rolla O. Heikes, of Dayton, O., known the country over for his shooting feats and still a 95 per cent. shot. The Black Shell; which Heikes will sell is not unfamiliar to him, for when the Climax shell was loaded with black powder, a quarter of a century ago, he made some remarkably good scores.

 

From a 1890`s advertising Scorecard showing Champion Loads...

Trap3

 

Winchester probably used that card for several years, but you'll see 5-06 at the bottom.

“New Schultze”, and “New E.C. No. 2” were advertised by the American "E.C." and "Schultize" Co. in 1902, and the company was purchased by DuPont in 1903.
In 1904, “New E.C. (Improved) No. 3” and “New Schultze” were listed as Laflin & Rand products.

 

Not to be nitpicky, but this may be a typo..."on New Year's Day 1880, broke l00 straight Ligowsky clay targets, possibly the first time that feat was accomplished." The Ligowsky target wasn't invented (or Patented) until Sept 7th, 1880. May have been 1881?

 

HB and Drew, I have said it before and probably will again, you guys are amazing. Amazing.

 

I just got Russ Elliott's book off of e-bay so I thought I'd bump this fine thread to the Top. The history you guys put on here is great. I love to read about all those old timers and wish I could have shot with and against them sometime. Again thanks for the reading and the history. Keep it up. Brad Dysinger

 

The history of Trap Shooting is being preserved, and this is proof of just that.

Thanks to all who are contributing to this thread, as I truly enjoy the reading.

I hope there is more to come.

 

I am looking forward to HB's next nomination!

 

Excellent history and great reading! Keep up the good work!

 

Hey HB, do you have any new people in line for your Hall of Fame, and for us to read about ?

 

Super interesting reading for sure. Love the stories of the men and women who shot trap and skeet so many years ago. You never see old pictures of young kids shooting, mostly adults. Drew and History Buff should publish a history book on these topics. I'd be in line for the very first copy too !!! Thanks for all the information and research !!!!