Giving It My Best Shot
Written by Doug Goodnough
Full disclosure: I have never fired a gun. For years, I received the various mailings from the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center inviting me out for an event, and I was always intrigued. But I could never pull the trigger, so to speak. When my colleague Jeff Lantis invited me out to Halter as a guest during a recent Rotary event, my response was the same: “I have never fired a gun.”
“No problem,” was his answer. He had a plan. Before the event, he drove me out to Halter to learn from the best. Tom Crites, who is part of an outstanding staff of experts, was my initial instructor. With a soothing, calm tone, he walked me through the basics of shooting clays. I learned my “shooting” eye is my left eye, how to tuck the gun between my shoulder and collarbone to avoid any potential injury, and, most importantly, how to carry and display the gun to make sure I was safe—as well as everyone else.
When it came time to shoot, I have to admit I was a bit nervous. Firing a shotgun is a big deal, and when you throw a moving target into the mix, well, it made things a bit more harrowing. Thankfully, Crites and his reassuring way put me at ease.
“Pull!” I shouted.
The orange clay target came streaking through the sky. I aimed. I fired. I missed.
That happened quite a few times, and I was starting to wonder if I would ever find my target.
Finally, I regrouped, took a deep breath, and refocused.
“Pull!”
This time, I pulled the trigger and watched as the clay pigeon burst into little pieces before my eyes. I got it! I was more relieved than jubilant, and Crites was there to congratulate me. In fact, I went on to hit a few more clays and was starting to really enjoy myself.
The next day, at the actual Rotary event, Dale Royer, another member of the Halter staff and a member of USA Shooting, was my instructor. He gave me a few more tips and let me test fire a pretty fancy Winchester.
After I shot a few, I said, “OK, let’s see what you can do.” Royer handed me the clay target remote, grabbed his customized shotgun and told me, “When I tell you to pull, hit the button.”
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the old Rifleman TV show, but he did a full-on Chuck Connors display with his gun. Literally “shooting from the hip,” he blasted target after target, from every angle imaginable. Just amazing.
My first experience at the Halter Center was a memorable one, and I would encourage you to visit if you get the chance. The facility is impressive and will be getting even better (and bigger) now that it is a U.S. Olympic training center for shooting sports.
In fact, the annual Tom Klix Memorial Sporting Clays Classic is scheduled for September 24 at the Halter Center. Alumni and shooting aficionados get a chance to compete at a world-class venue while raising money for Hillsdale College shooting sports scholarships. There are also sponsorship opportunities at all levels as well as a silent auction that will feature an impressive array of items. To find out more about the Klix event, visit www.hillsdale.edu/sportingclays.
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s new director of Alumni Marketing. He’s looking forward to connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in July 2022