Clay Bird Thrower

[Briar Lee]

Today at a thrift shop I bought a pristine Outer’s (now Champion brand) clay bird thrower for $20.



I already have one mounted on an old car tire at deer camp but a land owner cannot have too many of these.

The advantages of this style thrower are even a child can operate it, the targets are easy to hit thrown from it, and it’s not deadly dangerous to the operator, as more powerful throwers are. Now we can shoot clay birds by the house place or I can carry it to the woods.

And, if somebody steals it, another one is $20 used or $40 new, plus an old tire.

I remember loading and throwing targets with one of these about sixty years ago for my father and his friends.

There are some products that were born perfect and stay that way.

This is one of those.

 

[BingBong]

The ideal launcher for lurking outside Parliament with a box of custard pies. Debag the rotters!

 

[huntertrw]

Briar Lee:

I have one similar to yours, and also two old Western hand-held throwers. The latter work surprisingly well and with practice a variety of target presentations (rising, straight, right, left, high, low, and something approximating a sporting-clays running rabbit) may be achieved:

 

[makhorkasmoker]

I haven’t shot clay birds in decades. I remember we used a machine much like Mr Lee’s, but also long sticks with a bit of flex to them

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Today at a thrift shop I bought a pristine Outer’s (now Champion brand) clay bird thrower for $20.

View attachment 337855

I already have one mounted on an old car tire at deer camp but a land owner cannot have too many of these.

The advantages of this style thrower are even a child can operate it, the targets are easy to hit thrown from it, and it’s not deadly dangerous to the operator, as more powerful throwers are. Now we can shoot clay birds by the house place or I can carry it to the woods.

And, if somebody steals it, another one is $20 used or $40 new, plus an old tire.

I remember loading and throwing targets with one of these about sixty years ago for my father and his friends.

There are some products that were born perfect and stay that way.

This is one of those.

That's the classic! I had one many years ago and between that and handheld were good for getting on some "birds" for fun and a bit of a tuneup and getting my girls some experience shooting. Then I discovered sporting clays when it was becoming more of a thing and we had a course nearby (sadly gone) and that was a lot more fun and challenging. There was a now (and then) legendary sporting clays shooter named Jon Kruger who was living in northeast Iowa at the time and he would supplement his income with giving lessons, so I took a flat of 20 gauge ACTIV and made the trek and spent a wonderful day with him - learned a lot. His right hand was nearly destroyed in a fireworks mishap (related to trick shooting he was practicing) in his early days and he went on to fame having adapted - it was something just to watch his easy looking mount and shooting style - but experts always make it look easy. My dogs are itching to get out and in a couple weeks we'll have cool enough weather for some good practice - the 17 month old pup is reliable on retrieving (and pointing, she's a pointing lab) including planted and shot chukars and dead, thrown pheasants but it's been too hot for "real" practice" - anxious for some work other than yard work! Here she is 15 months ago having just come home - always love seeing the "promise" of things to come.

 

[troutface]

My best friend gave me that thrower for Christmas maybe 25 years ago. A little weak for throwing doubles, but that lets hacks like me build confidence. Also looking forward to pheasant season, although the last two years has been terrible here in Colorado.

 

[huntertrw]

...but also long sticks with a bit of flex to them.

In this image of the Western Hand Trap, the black area at the top of the wooden handle is a spring:

 

[krizzose]

I’m way overdue for a round of sporting clays

 

[warren]

I yell "pull" and the disk miraculously appears, soaring through the air.

 

[danimalia]

That's the classic! I had one many years ago and between that and handheld were good for getting on some "birds" for fun and a bit of a tuneup and getting my girls some experience shooting. Then I discovered sporting clays when it was becoming more of a thing and we had a course nearby (sadly gone) and that was a lot more fun and challenging. There was a now (and then) legendary sporting clays shooter named Jon Kruger who was living in northeast Iowa at the time and he would supplement his income with giving lessons, so I took a flat of 20 gauge ACTIV and made the trek and spent a wonderful day with him - learned a lot. His right hand was nearly destroyed in a fireworks mishap (related to trick shooting he was practicing) in his early days and he went on to fame having adapted - it was something just to watch his easy looking mount and shooting style - but experts always make it look easy. My dogs are itching to get out and in a couple weeks we'll have cool enough weather for some good practice - the 17 month old pup is reliable on retrieving (and pointing, she's a pointing lab) including planted and shot chukars and dead, thrown pheasants but it's been too hot for "real" practice" - anxious for some work other than yard work! Here she is 15 months ago having just come home - always love seeing the "promise" of things to come.

View attachment 337874

Pointers are always so cute with their raised, tucked paws, but it's somehow even more adorable when it's a puppy.

I used to enjoy shooting trap, and doing some pheasant hunting, but it's been years. I did see that the women's gold medalist in trap was from Guatemala, and was the country's first gold medalist ever at the Olympics, so that's rad.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Pointers are always so cute with their raised, tucked paws, but it's somehow even more adorable when it's a puppy.

I used to enjoy shooting trap, and doing some pheasant hunting, but it's been years. I did see that the women's gold medalist in trap was from Guatemala, and was the country's first gold medalist ever at the Olympics, so that's rad.

I happened on the medal round by accident when it was televised and watched. I enjoyed it but the TV coverage was pretty bad - even with the different color on the clay birds you could hardly see or not see the breaks the way the cameras were being used - but again, still enjoyed it and a great story.