What’s Our Vector, Victor?

Lately, I have really gotten into shooting clay pigeons.  There is a place I love that is about forty-five minutes north of where I live that takes you up a long winding gravel road.  It makes me feel like I’m up north at our cabin (kind of).  The only difference being the banjo music I hear and the 4-wheeler Polaris Ranger vehicles the members unload that cost more than my truck.

Shooting skeet.  That’s what they call it.  Or at least that is what I call it (and then I spit some tobacco juice for good measure).  It’s not really redneck like you might think.  The over/under shotguns these guys use can run you in the thousands of dollars.  I looked online when I got home Sunday and had thought I had to have one.  Well, maybe some other life.  What could possibly be so special about a gun that would take it north of what I just paid for my son’s braces?  But they do last 50,000 rounds or so the guy at the place told me.  (It would be another lifetime until I used that up so maybe I can start to rationalize this…)  What the guy also told me is his son shoots around 250 rounds a week up there.  He can hit 95+ out of a 100 rounds.  That is impressive.   But instead of being impressed I just thought to myself what is this kid doing shooting skeet 5 or 6 days a week.  “Mom, I’m going up the street to shoot my 12 gauge.  See you later.”  “Ok Jimmy.  Dinner is at 5:00.  Love you.”  America.

A little education for you non-gun people.  An over/under is a shotgun that has two barrels but one over the other.  Get it?  When you look down the barrel it appears to be a single barrel.  And when you yell “pull” you can shoot two clay pigeons without any effort at all.  It is supposed to simulate bird hunting.  So even if you think this is just another hunter thing you’re wrong.  I’m trying to protect those cute little grouse and will just pretend with the blaze orange clay disks…until this fall.

So besides the $2,000 gun what else do I need to buy to become a real Skeetsman?  (I’m not sure if that is a word or not but I’m going with it.)  I need a Polaris Ranger Crew 800 EPS.  This is like bonus info day for you blog readers.  I bet you didn’t even know these existed.  These things are incredible.  You see that tail gate area?  It is actually a power dump truck.  Awesome, right?  And standard with this beast is the Certified Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS).  Yes, they gave it an acronym of ROPS.  I think that is also awesome.  And if you want to spend just a few more bucks you can get the winch system, snow plow and gun carry system.  Only limitation – one color option – Polaris Pursuit Camo.  I can live with that.

Running Update:  Ok, I know you didn’t sign up for this blog to read about clay pigeons and 4-wheelers but that’s what is on my mind so that is what you get to read.  Sorry about that.  You can look smart to your friends now.  As for running, just the normal stuff these days.  I’m still training for the end of April half marathon in Nashville.  But before then I run the Silver Comet 10K this Saturday.  The only blip with the training will be in a few weeks when I venture southeast a bit (India) and say hello to my little friend – the treadmill.  I’ll keep this post short and write some more from there.

Only 37 months and 26.2 miles to go…

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