Guess I must be missing something... IMHO that was not even close to being 'fast'... We had a guy around here on our skeet range who was so fast on the second shot that I doubt there was more than 1/10 second between shot #1 and #2.. I'd never seen anyone that fast before with a pump..
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69 Pro-Constitution. LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
He may not be the fastest, and the video may have overrated the concept. I’ve watched Mayer often and would say for pure quick, he beats this guy. He also is a better shot. Nick Berry just never saw him.
Then there is fast, and great and fast. I would bet on Mayer against any here who claimed to be faster, better, or know someone they think may be. 😉
Unfortunately, Herb Parsons and Tom Knapp are dead but the guy who took over for Tom is probably faster than Mayer with a pump gun. I'll grant these guys aren't as accomplished at reading targets as Mayer but for speed I'm pretty sure any of them as well as numerous others will do as well or better.
Even Mayer seemed to recognize this in himself as I recall he carried a Beretta O/U on his cart to use for certain presentations. I'm not downplaying Mayer's shooting skill overall but that he is not some rare maestro using a pump gun.
The video was mislabeled no doubt, and for myself anyway admitted i thought that was the case. But if fast is where it is at, then whomever others think is faster, then so be it. Subjective opinion and little more.
Info. Mayer most often used the 870 with a 34 inch Hastings barrel for most of his stations. (May have even been longer.) He used the Beretta O/U for quick presentations in the woods. Was the 870 barrel a tight fixed and the O/U gave him the option of more open chokes? I'll ask him the next time we cross paths.
In addition, the game has changed since Bill ruled Ohio and a few other places. The targets are more technical than when he was winning big. The presentations are more complex and target setters are more into illusions. Digweed won a World shoot a couple years ago in Fla and said they were the toughest targets he has ever shot. Coming from England, that says something. Shooters were getting zero's and 1's on more than a few stations. Some just walked off the course and quit. Combined with the fact age is creeping up on him, Bill no longer is the top gun he once was.
However, I looked at the video in its whole, and found appreciation for an individual who uses a pump shotgun well, in a game dominated by easer to use semi-autos and O/U's. Those who can only appreciate how fast one may be missed the bigger picture.
However, I'll still take Mayer over any other mentioned when it comes to using a pump and marking up XXXXX's on the card.
Addition: Perhaps it wasn't mislabeled. "World's fastest sporting clay shooter with a pump." Mentioned nothing about the worlds fastest trick shot. I still think Mayer is faster than this guy. but again it is subjective and proves nothing. Nor is he a trick shot he seems being judged against.
As far as being rare, name me another who has won 7 or 8 State Sporting Clay Championships with a pump?
"Rudy’s pet Amateur Trap Association (ATA) event was Doubles. He will remembered in history as forever being the first person to ever break 100 straight in Doubles at the Grand American Tournament. He did this in 1950 with a brand new Remington model 870 pump action shotgun. Uniquely 32 years later he did this again at the Louisiana State Shoot with the same pump gun. Rudy used this shotgun for the remainder of his trap career. He was known as “Mr Pumpgun”. "
As far as being rare, name me another who has won 7 or 8 State Sporting Clay Championships with a pump? NOBODY!
I believe Mark Helmick (spelling maybe wrong) tried to make a run using a pump a while back. He was good in the Pump events but never could keep up in the main events!
Rudy Etchen was the best pump gunner this country has ever seen.....
No doubt Rudy was great at Trap, but hardly the best this country has ever seen. Trap is more a mental game than shooting. Seeing back then there were no sporting clays courses it would be really hard to even consider him for the best this country has ever seen. Skeet takes more shooting ability than Trap. I would guess to say he could shoot skeet, how well would be a wild guess. But his game was Trap.
Rudy shot a Purdey SxS for boxed Birds and a Parker SxS for thrown. (Colombraire sp?) He won the World Championship, and a lot of money, in both.
His Father, Fred, made him stay on station one and run a flat straight before he could move to station 2. And then the same to 3-4-5. And then it started over on 1.
Rudy shot a Purdey SxS for boxed Birds and a Parker SxS for thrown. (Colombraire sp?) He won the World Championship, and a lot of money, in both.
His Father, Fred, made him stay on station one and run a flat straight before he could move to station 2. And then the same to 3-4-5. And then it started over on 1.
No doubt he was a great shot Battue but the best this country has ever seen is a little far reaching. You know well no F.I.T.A.S.C. and no Sporting clays back then. Yes Box Birds are very tough. The new breed has more time, more money, more resources than ever before. Not only the level of competition but the age at which they are starting is ridiculous. Another thing to take into account now is that everyone that is good is trying to find that niche that they can excel at and be the ONE.
It isn't just happening in shotgun sports it is happening across the boards in all sports.
The best keep raising the standard...the best is yet to come....
Rudy had all the advantages at a young age as any kid today....A Father who was one of the best of his day and unlimited shells with first class instruction....
Joel said Rudy told him he would help him in every way, he could shoot as much as he wanted, but he wouldn't be as demanding as Fred was with him....
The best keep raising the standard...the best is yet to come....
No Doubt!
Rudy had all the advantages at a young age as any kid today....A Father who was one of the best of his day and unlimited shells with first class instruction....
True but the resources these kids have today and into the future are light years ahead of what Rudy had available.
Few will excel at all of the games like Rudy, and none yet have. Mataresse gave it a go at International Bunker. Rudy excelled at American trap, Olympic trap, skeet and international combined with live Birds. He was a known legend of his time. Not only in shooting circles, like most of the best of today, but he was known and respected by the business leaders of his day. And not only those of the shooting industry. Along with some of the most famous movie stars of his time. The best is always relative, however in the shooting sports, I know of none that have yet to rise to the heights of Rudy Etchen.
Little reason to believe he wouldn't have done the same in Sporting.
Hell, I bet he could have even hung with Flave....
Few will excel at all of the games like Rudy, and none yet have. Mataresse gave it a go at International Bunker. Rudy excelled at American trap, Olympic trap, skeet and international combined with live Birds. He was a known legend of his time. Not only in shooting circles, like most of the best of today, but he was known and respected by the business leaders of his day. And not only those of the shooting industry. Along with some of the most famous movie stars of his time. The best is always relative, however in the shooting sports, I know of none that have yet to rise to the heights of Rudy Etchen.
Little reason to believe he wouldn't have done the same in Sporting.
Hell, I bet he could have even hung with Flave....
Is Anthony done trying the Bunker? Man he spent so much on that!
Don't know, but people pay to shoot his bunker and he makes money teaching off of it....As far as money, It will end up paying for itself....
For sure. I have paid to shoot it. My point isn't that he lost money, just that he put so much into it to just walk away. He is still plenty young enough to chase it.
