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The story of a girl on fire.

Gillian, recently 19,  started clay pigeon shooting in June 2017.  She is a member of the Wattle Springs Sport Shooting Club and the Clay Target Shooting Association of South Africa (CTSASA).

Gillian’s parents said “she took naturally to the sport in which we participated and after becoming reasonably proficient in the sport shooting discipline, she challenged herself at NSSA SKEET in December 2017. Her first score was a 4/25; this somehow drove her to perfect the discipline”.

Look into the eyes of Gillian and you know you are looking at a future world champion.  The humility of Gillian and her preparedness to keep sacrificing will get her to the top of the global stage and ensure that she stays there for a long time.

The Maistry family bond is beautifully evident in the support of Gillian, this surely was the foundation of her self confidence.  Gillian is hugely talented, but without the support and encouragement of a family unit, her talent could easily have gone undetected or wasted.  Gillian will make her parents and South Africa proud.

 

In April 2018, after only 4 months of experience in Skeet, Gillian’s talent was noticed and she began formal coaching with the view of participating in the South African Grand in May 2018.

At the 2018 Grand Gillian shot 169/200. This achievement (described as modest by her parents), earned her bronze in the Junior category and bronze in the Team category.

Gillian’s first 12 months results strengthened her resolve to excel in the sport and she decided to shoot the circuit (all provincial standard championships) in order to have the best chance of progressing to the highest level.

Shooting in the CTSASA Standard Championships (internationally recognised) forms the basis of trials for South African Colours in NSSA Skeet.

The South African Grand is the final National competition and completes the season after the various Provincial Standard Competitions.  To achieve Protea Colours in Skeet you have to shoot 92/100 as an average over 10 best scores, so 920/1000 as a minimum to qualify.

Below is a summary of Gillian’s results obtained over the season; a testament to her hard work, focus and determination to be the best.

Gillian’s incredible 2018 / 2019 achievements summarised:

  • SA 2019 Grand, scored 189/200:
    • Junior Gold medallist – Skeet (Overall Junior champion in South Africa),
    • Silver Team Medal for Central Gauteng,
    • Most improved Skeet shooter over the season, improving her average over 11% in 12 Months.
  • Needing 94/100 to achieve Protea colours, achieved this on the first day. Her final score was 925/1000.
  • Only the third female to achieve Protea Colours in Skeet and the first Junior female.
  • One of a few competitors to achieve South African Colours in the first season of participation.
  • Awarded Full South African colours and not only Junior Colours by achieving the minimum qualifying score for senior ladies.
  • Represented South Africa at the World Skeet Championships in San Antonio in September/October 2019, shooting 136/150 on debut.
  • Qualified for Provincial Colours and represented Central Gauteng in NSSA Skeet at the Chairman’s Cup. Gillian ended with a 139/150, improving her score from the World Championship. Recipient of a team Bronze Medal and shot her first 50 straight.

 

The Powder Keg has been pioneering in the space of getting new shooters taking up shooting;  having Gillian choose Huglu was a perfect fit and privilege for us.  Many shooters simply don’t try clay pigeon shooting because of an imaginary perception of high costs. The sport is not cheap, however “branded” shotguns the quality of a Huglu were only previously available in South Africa for 3 x the price.  Huglu pricing makes shotgun shooting more affordable, and Huglu quality gets you competing at the highest level.

Below, gunsmith Craig Klintworth taking measurements to adapt the Huglu stock to perfectly fit Gillian in the discipline of NSSA Skeet.

 

“Shooters” of South Africa need ambassadors that will take the sport of shooting to all corners of our beautiful country, and to all persons irrespective of race or gender.  Winning RWC 2019 proved again the bonds created in sport.  Shooting, almost more than any other activity, needs more South Africans unified in the struggle against the non-logical application of gun laws and licensing inefficiencies.  Don’t even venture into hunting where the ignorant, funded by lobbyists, will continue to have negative consequences over time.

Thanks Gillian for being the Ambassador that South African shooting desperately needs.  

 

Briefly about Huglu. Over 100 years of building quality shotguns.  95% of the workers are shareholders in Huglu, and this shows in their quality.  Huglu exports to over 50 countries (more than 20 countries in Europe).  The majority of CZ branded shotguns in the USA are sourced from Huglu.  The Powder Keg partnered with Huglu about 4 years ago when both parties recognised in each other common values and entered mutual exclusivity.  Huglu fits perfectly into The Powder Keg strategy of wholesaling the highest value price-to-performance gear.

Together Huglu and The Powder Keg are proud sponsors of Gillian; we will continue to support South Africa’s future world champion in the Skeet discipline.

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Africa MAN GUN

Ron Spomer writings inspired me to write about the newest addition to The Powder Keg AFRICA COLLECTION, a custom break-down with Mauser action in calibres 338 Laupa Magnum and 416 Rigby. I have immense respect for Ron, and seldom disagree with his writing, BUT

Ron is big on choosing light recoiling calibres for hunting over heavier recoiling calibres because he says you shoot more accurately with less recoil and shot placement is more important than the bullet energy.

My response to Ron’s blog about “the best deer rifle is the rifle that you have”, was never published. I agreed that shot placement is a critical factor in clean kills but my point is that few hunters practice sufficiently, or have enough field experience to shoot precisely in the moment every time.

Flinching is more mental than the result of physical discomfort. Those who flinch with large calibres are likely to flinch with smaller calibres also because of the anticipation of noise and recoil. I personally choose larger calibres for hunting because I shoot equally well (or badly) with more recoil and a bigger bullet diameter (higher energy) gives me greater certainty of a clean kill.

Shooters that are averse to recoil are potentially better equipped choosing a larger calibre for hunting and fitting a silencer in countries where this is permitted or a brake where silencers are not allowed.  For the Ales Spendal break-down gun we chose a 338 for large plains game hunting and a 416 for dangerous game. These calibres share the same family of case, important in such a build.

Passion and attention to detail is evident in every Ales Spendal custom build. I am yet to see a gun from another gun maker of such high functional quality, and art to lovers and collectors of fine guns. This gun has beautiful elephant theme engravings.

The Powder Keg wanted a break-down gun with the proven Mauser action for dangerous game situations and a double square bridge to ensure the gun, mount and optic are one.  Lower cost Blaser and Mauser Mo3 break-downs are available but when choosing that one bolt action gun we chose the Mauser action.

This break-down is easily transported because it can be fit into a smaller carry case, similar to shotguns. Barrels are easily and quickly screwed in with a distinct “click” when the barrel is locked into place.

Shooters concerned about recoil google comparison values of recoil for the different calibres. Felt recoil is largely influenced by the build and stock design. The 416 barrel was fitted with a break but after shooting without the brake we were so astonished by the low felt recoil that we cut the barrel thread off.  This also eliminated any risk to mistakenly fit the 338 brake to the 416 barrel.

The Powder Keg is proud to have this Ales Spendal fine gun in our offer for high discerning customers. Perfect in the field and later an heirloom that will ensures legacies live on.  Cars and property inherited are sold over time but fine guns stay in families for many generations.

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Wild Boar Hunt Pakrac Croatia

We departed Ljubljana 3 am and arrived in Pakrac (150 km south of Zagreb) well ahead of our 7 am schedule. This gave us time to enjoy a cheese Burek at a local bakery which is eaten in combination with a yogurt to help digest the cheese Burek (oily).  Maybe my age but I find one Burek enough to last me a few months.  The picture below is the main building of the hunting family we were hunting with.

A driven hunt in Autumn is unusual, hot for beaters and dogs and the forests still dense with leaves.  We were asked to help cull pigs because the hunting family was incurring escalating farmer damages.  The hunt was planned for 16 of us from Slovenia with each of us contributing Euro 100 to the hunting family.

Typically the area where pigs hold up in is thicker bush areas, often separated by a dust road and more open forest on the other side of the road. When I first hunted pigs I was too slow, distracted by the amount of trees in your field of view as the pigs ran. The right advice I got was “there is more open space than trees so follow and shoot”.

Knowing that visibility in the forests would be far worse than in winter I gave greater care to my own visibility.  Blaze orange or reflective green are compulsory for visibility but I found the green much less suitable given the summer conditions of leaves.  At times it was hot, forcing us to take jackets and hats off and placing them on high branches to increase visibility.

The success of our hunt was impacted by many locals searching mushrooms in nearby forest areas. After weeks of rain the conditions were perfect for mushrooms and the locals were having a “feast” of a time.

The hunt for the day consisted of 3 driven hunts, meaning we would travel to 3 separate areas and each time we were set-up in a line with beaters and hunters driving the pigs out. There is a lot of luck involved because pigs group and if they are not in the hunted block then that drive yields no pigs.

Waking up at 2 am was fair reason for a nap in the forest, but keeping your visibility never compromised.

The hunt yielded fewer pigs than normally. I never saw a pig but that did not distract from my enjoyment of the nature and the camaraderie. The wealth and fame of Zagreb is only a 90 minute drive north yet many villages such as Pakrac are poorer. There are reminders everywhere of the fierce fighting between Croats and Serbs 18 years ago; houses remain with bullet holes and many homes owned by Serbs are still abandoned. A stark reminder that there are no winners in war.

After every hunt it is customary to meet back at the hunting family premises where shot animals are laid out and various thanks expressed. The tradition here is that every hunter who shot a boar buys a case of beer; the reason that you see the beer placed in front of each boar. Hanging up and out of picture was another big boar shot earlier in the morning.

A contrast I find hunting in Croatia is that there is ZERO woman involvement. I believe differently, but then who am I to express a view on other nations cultures and practices; suffice to say that in my opinion and in order for responsible and ethical hunting to prosper we must be open to positive influences and change. I do believe that woman are fundamental to the future of hunting and shooting.

You only have to live in Shanghai to witness how a male dominated culture is now being reversed by a new generation of woman and China will be much better for that.

The hunt for the day ends with the local hunting family members serving a spicy meat soup and cooked wild boar. The locals of Pakrac are incredibly hospitable; this was my highlight of the day and making 7 hours of driving worthwhile.

In every collective hunt there is bound to be some incident that creates tensions. This day it was about a hunter accused of moving forward of his line thereby encroaching on the shooting area of hunters on his flanks. I notice that hunters familiar with the territory get themselves into the most favorable positions; something I consider selfish and not sporting.

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