Success for the Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders at the
2008 MLAGB Spring National Sporting Shoot.

Four members of the Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders, namely David Ellis, Nobby Clarke, Clare Mills & Martin Crix, made the long trip up to Yorkshire to compete in the MLAGB Spring National Muzzle Loading Sporting Championships held on 27th April 2008. The event was hosted by the Yorkshire Powder Burners at Carleton Gun Club just outside Skipton & attracts muzzle loading shooters from all over the country.
 
The shooting ground is in an old quarry overlooking the Yorkshire Dales & this provided an ideal venue in which to provide a wide variety of targets with stunning scenery. The weather was appalling to start with due to persistent rain. This however did not dampen our spirits & the Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders shot well. Eventually, after lunch the rain stopped & we were really able to enjoy the day fully. The event, although competitive, is very relaxed & provides ample opportunity to chat away with other enthusiasts about old guns & shooting. Not surprising to those who know him, Nobby had a grand time yarning away with the other competitors & made several new friends on his first visit ever to Yorkshire.
 
David Ellis, on his first black powder sporting competition, shot his hammer gun extremely well to win the gold in the hammer gun doubles with a score of 21/30. David was also involved in a 3 way shoot off for silver & bronze in the hammer singles competition after posting a score of 12/20. Alan Wellings, another Lakenheath regular, won this shoot off with David taking bronze.
 
Clare Mills shot 11/20 to win the Ladies Medal by one clay. Well done Clare!
 
Clare also shot a personal best sporting score of 16/20 to tie with Martin Crix for an all Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders shoot off for the North of England Muzzle Loading Champion. This competition is open, & so is not an MLAGB event. It has the wonderful prize of an engraved glass tankard, a case of beer & 30 guineas! The shoot off had a delayed start as Martin's gun had become waterlogged & when loading for the first time a jet of water shot out of the nipple! Eventually the shoot off got underway. The trap, over a bank had been moved further out to provide a rangy quartering going away bird. Clare, being a little on the short side, couldn't see the clay over the bank so the shooters were moved a little further along to the side of the bank. Clare shot first, but missed & Martin hit his to win.
 
Martin had a good day by winning gold in the Percussion Doubles with a score of 24/30, gold in the Big Bore (or guns 10 bore and bigger) with 18/20 & silver in the Percussion Singles with 16/20.
 
All in all the Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders had a fantastically successful shoot with 5 gold medals from 9 competitions. This is all down to the experience we get on the monthly Lakenheath muzzle loading shoots. The fast driven stand at Lakenheath shot during the April shoot was deemed by some to be too difficult. However, the Yorkshire driven bird was even faster! Thus, we were at some advantage having learnt how to tackle this type of target.
 
Thanks go to the Ladies & Gents that make up the Yorkshire Powder Burners. They put on a great shoot with hospitality second to none. We look forward to welcoming them to the National Muzzle Loading Skeet Championships in September.
 
Martin Crix
Lakenheath Muzzle Loaders,

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