GUNS Magazine March 1958

"FLYER" SHOOTS
are familiar with "Flyer matches"
shotgun match shooting with
pigeons as targets-yet it was the
first and is very probably the
world's toughest shotgun competi-
tion, and it is certainly one of the
most popular of the shooting sports
in Europe.
The average pigeon ring is a
semi-circular arena with five traps,
set five yards apart, from which
the birds are released. The shooter
stands on a walk which is gradu-
ated in yards so that handicaps can
be set up. Distances of shooter
from traps range from about 28
to 35 yards. The shooter is allowed
two shots (if the second shot is
needed) at each bird. He must
drop the bird inside the fence
which surrounds the shooting area
and which is never less than 16
yards from the traps. The average
match is a 10. 20. or 25-bird
"race," and typical winning scores
are 23 or 24 out of 25. Scores of
25 x 25 are rare. An average of
90 per cent is very good.
In the European Live Bird Cham-
pionships held between September
14th and 23rd at the Lido Venice.
Italy, Giovanni Bodini, Italian, was
the only one of 208 shooters to
kill 20 x 20 and thus won alone.
Lindsay Donaldson, U. S. A., was
one of 12 shooters with 19 x 20 to
tie for 2nd through 13th place, and
Homer Clark, U. S. A., with 18 x 20
divided the rest of the prize money
with fifteen others.
.. ,
In the Women's ~dropean
Championship, five women tied
with 9x10 at the end of the
regular event, which necessitated
a five bird shoot-off. Despite
having shot 20 birds with the U. S.
team that finished fourth in the
Match of Nations. Carola Mandel.
U. S. A., went five birds straight
in the Barrage to win alone, 14 x 15.
Maeve Wallis, France, present
Women's World's Champion, was
second with 13 x 15.
This final victory over most of
the best women shots in the world
culminates an amazingly successful
European trip for Carola Mandel.
She has won six major men's
championships, shared in the top
prizes over twenty times, and won
the women's prizes nearly every-
where she has competed.
. .
Dapper Count de Talhouet used side-
by double to win Prix de Trouville
at Deauville, southern France, shoot.
Gala day of flyer shoot at Venice club finds the
spectators lining the balcony of club .restaurant.
Big shell in background is pavilion for betters.
Pigeons are kept in roosts
at Deauville Club until put
in traps at time of shoot.