I live in central Missouri and wondering if anyone is going to this event from Missouri My hunting buddies are all working and cannot go. Looking to go with someone as opposed to going alone.

Please PM me if interested.

Hope you can find someone to go with you---- it's well worth the trip.

This is the most friendly shoot in the US following the demise of the Yoop Shoot. See you there.

I plan to be there, Lots of fun! Sorry, I can't help with the drive however.

Where do y'all stay when there?

Last year we stayed at the Quality Inn in Sanford. There was an 8 inch hole in the wall and the room was not made up the first day and we had to go to the office for soap and shampoo. The Vintigers got together a fund to hire a night watchman for the parking lot.

Judy and I always stay at the Hampton Inn and are never disappointed. We will be there this year. HI is our hotel of choice when we travel. Better call soon to reserve a room; may be too late already.
JR

There are quite a few of us who will be shooting at nearby Drakes Landing in Fuquay-Varnia. The Quality Inn there has/had rooms for $69/night. If you like to shoot Drakes is a MUCH BETTER venue than Deep River and far less costly. They will have two 100 bird SC courses plus 5 stand. You can Google Drake Landing and see for yourself.

There's just one small problem with your suggestion, Rich. The Southern SxS is at Deep River, not Drake Landing. Wtf?
JR

how did drakes landing get into the southern sxs? I live a couple miles from the southern sxs event and enjoy it every year I f it costs a few bucks to shoot and your looking for a bargain basement place to shoot go to drakes landing but that isn't what this event is all about. old and new friends and enjoying each others company trump the dollar.

There's just one small problem with your suggestion, Rich. The Southern SxS is at Deep River, not Drake Landing. Wtf?

Now that is good

Drakes is just an alternative place to shoot. DR is the same old targets they have had for years, limited stations, long lines and expensive. I enjoy the vendors and the Pasrker VS Smith challenge but will not shoot a target at DR. After several years of shooting at Drakes and enjoying their hospitality I would rather shoot there. I go to these events to have fun, burn powder ,look at nice guns (buy one or two) and see friends. I'm not out to try to win the Southern shoot just to have fun.
Drakes IS NOT a bargin basement place to shoot, it's one of the nicest sporting clays courses around. I must assume by your comment pod that you have never shot there. I drive from Mich for the Southern but just to look at guns and meet friends my shooting will be at Drakes

Have fun running the road all weekend.
JR

Yep Drake dudes have been whooping up on one of the collectopr web sites. I'm surprised the moderator thinks that's kosher cuz it's DR that sponsors the two collector groups Challenge. Drake dudes hang out at their DR collector tent and do the DR vendor row to buy and trade etc. and use the DR facilities but don't spend a penny on the DR courses. They shoot at Drake instead. Wtf indeed ! That's like guys that stay at ell cheap hotel and sashay in to get free guest breakfasts at the Hampton that's nearby. Then they write and brag about doing that on their collector web site.

I didn't plan on getting into this but in a lot of ways I agree with Rich, I've been going to DR for over nine years shoot there twice, six stations for sporting clays (CB that's a WtF ! ) waiting to shoot 15 to 25 minutes eight to ten shots per station, sorry not for me. Yes I go to see old friends and watch the Parker/LC challenge. Also if Bill didn't have the two "collector groups" how big would this shoot be? As Rich said I want to be able to shoot, Drakes Landing is a beautiful course, people are great and nice, so I go there and shoot a couple hundred rounds which I can't do at Deep River and then go back to DR to spend time with friends and spend money on food and drinks and spend money with the vendors that support DR. How is that wrong?

Quail Hunter O1:
As is often the case, the conversation here got a bit sideways; but in an effort to answer your question, I know that LCSCA Director Bruce Bonney will be traveling to the Southern from St. Louis. This may or may not work for you; but I do know Bruce is a real hoot and would be a fun companion to travel with. See if you can touch base with Bruce via the LCSCA forum (lcsca.org); and if you can't reach him there, send me a PM and I'll forward his email addy. Tom

Southern SxS is a lot of fun. Due to a host of considerations I can't go this year but I wish I could.

John the money I save shooting at Drakes vs Deep River will more than pay for gas. We are all double gun enthusiasts that want to shoot so i thought i would extend a friendly invatation to join like mineded individuals to join in the fun. If you would rather try your shooting at Deep River more power to you.

IMHO the course at Deep River isn't worth my time or my money to shoot. I travel to shoot first and formost and have been going to DR ever since the first Parker/Smith challenge. Like Eric said I'll buy food and guns from the vendors but I won't shoot there period!

Rich, what you fail to understand is this isn't about who has the best targets, it's about the event. Either you go to Deep River, rent a cart, pay the entry fees, compete in each chosen event to win it, enjoy the camaraderie, or you don't. Simple enough.

It's not about which range throws the best targets, it's about the overall experience, instead of the hassle and wasted time of frantically running up and down the road to make some kind of protest statement.
JR

I too have been attending Deep River (aka The Southern) since it's inception. Their course sucks. Period. It's my money, my time, and I'll spend it as I see fit. I can't understand why Cherry Bomb has to cast dispersions on people for wanting to do a little side shooting. On that "collector" site he refers to, behavior like this is never seen, nor tolerated. I shoot the challenge event and the hammergun event as does Rich A. and Eis and a number of other shooters who will be at Drake. The Southern is all about the Parker/LC challenge. Without it Deep River would be just another sporting clays shoot. If Bill K. wants our business, then he needs to improve the course. For you naysayers, comraderie is not limited to events at Deep River. At Drake,we are overloaded with it. CB and John R, you are welcome to join us if you think you can handle the stigma of enjoying yourself somewhere other than Deep River. Noone is trying to make some kind of protest statement John, we just like to shoot more than you do.

Nobody likes to shoot more than I do. Nobody. But you guys still don't get what I'm trying to point out here. Most of us realize the course at Deep River for the Southern is always the same, and that it needs to be changed. It's a fact.

What I'm saying is very few of us want to bother with all the trouble to go to another venue in the middle of a destination event in order to get more challenging targets.

I shoot competitive registered Sporting Clays and go to a lot of tournaments year round in order to shoot challenging targets and compete, in many different events. It's some pretty serious shooting. I'm not worried about trying to do the same when I come to the Southern, I just want to have a good time and shoot my best, regardless of what the course is. Don't have to be concerned with any "stigma" of shooting elsewhere for enjoyment either.

Judy and I enjoy socializing with old friends, especially the G.R.I.T.S., and taking our sweet time to stroll through the gun tents and relax a little. Judy is actually going to try her hand on the course this year.

And until I, or anyone else, shoot 50x50 or 80x80 on that same course, it's not something that I'm worried about being difficult enough.
JR

Also, if we were not so constrained by the time issue, I would love to come over to Drake Landing and shoot with you guys. It's just too much to fit in without feeling pushed, and especially after a 12 hour drive getting there..

I intend to see what I can do about getting DR to reset their entire course before this year's event. Change is good.
JR

John heres a thought for you. I drive 13+ hours to get there as well. Some of us arrive Wednesday and will shoot Drakes Thursday. You are welcome to come shoot either Thursday or Friday am and therefore will not miss any of your events at DR.

Good luck with getting Bill to improve the facility, I know others who have tried...and failed.

Sounds good, Rich. That could be a definite possibility.
JR

John hope you can make it Thursday (all day) or Friday morning, it would be fun to meet you Eric

John, let me know when you get Bill to improve the property or the course.

Well, the wheels of change may have been set in motion. I spoke today with the one person who is capable of getting BK to change the course. Let's hope he succeeds. It's needed and in the best interest of the Spring Southern SxS.
JR

I totally agree with you on that..! But for this year for me Thursday and Friday morning at Drakes just to shoot and have fun and then over to DR for the rest of the weekend meeting old friends and visiting the vendor tables, I am looking forward to it and please no "Snow"

Unfortunately, I started this forum to see if anyone was going from the Midwest, especially, Missouri but I have had not one reply from a Missouri. Thanks for all the comments about the actual shoot.

I had already made that observation, but did you read the post I made earlier regarding Bruce Bonney from St. Louis and the LCSCA? Bruce works nights in the avaiation industry and I doubt if he reads this forum (never seen him post anyway). Again you can reach him thru the LC Smith forum (lcsmith.org); or if asked, PM me and I'll forward his email addy. Also, I would encorage you not to draw any conclusions from some of the negative comments made in this thread as I don't know of anything/any event ever invented that was perfect and pleased everybody; but the Southern, in spite of its faults, is definately worth the trip. As FYI I was there 14 years ago to attend the very first Southern Side x Side; the evemt was sparsely attended and the single small exhibitors tent at that first event had about half the tables provided empty, and some that were occupied were donated; one of which went to the PGCA. That was my first experience with the PGCA, and eventually lead to the idea of creating the LC Smith vs. Parker Challenge; which event would not have happened without the support of Bill Kempfler, the owner of Deep River. But if the Southern wasn't special in the minds of so many people who make purposeful plans to attend this event each year, it could not have become the phenomenal success it has become today. As to the clays courses at Deep River I've yet to shoot any, other than the 5-stand (time constraints) layouts; but Bill and I did dicuss those courses a few years ago. I learned that bill only has a 60-acre facility, which facility is bordered by constantly complaining neighbors. The result is that Bill is forced to be very cautious in setting up his courses so that shot does not reign down on neighboring tracts; and still insure the safety of shooters in different areas of the property is protected. So unless the acreage of the Deep River faciltiy can be expanded, Bill will continue to be limited as to what he can do with the different sporting clays venues.
Just my thoughts
Tom

Thanks, Topgun. Good info. All Bill needs to do is tweak the course, not overhaul it. Doesn't take much to make it so those who get to shoot it every week before the competition (we all know who those guys are) don't have an unfair advantage over everyone else, not to mention having at least a few semi-different presentations. It's do-able with a little effort.
JR

I am a member of Deep River and have heard complaints about the course for years as it hardly ever changes. I think he is limited as to what he can do there and he does a fantastic job. One great thing about the course is it can be walked easily and no cart is needed. Not so much at Drakes.
Another great course that is real close to Deep River is Kidd's Place. The course has some great targets and the guy goes out of his way to make you feel at home. Plus he just put in a tower. It is just down the road from Deep River and if you are staying in the vicinity you can shoot both courses with very little travel.
See you all there!

Do you have an e-mail address for Kidds Place? I go there to shoot and perhaps adopt a fine shotgun (although I have bought some nice rifles there), it would be nice to find more venues.

A positive element of Drakes is that there is I believe 1000 acres there and now two SC courses.

You can Google Kidd's Place. It is just down the road from Deep River and real convenient to the Southern. Probably 20 -30 minutes from Deep River. It would be a great place to shoot on a Thursday before the event.
The owner is a super nice guy and really tries to make everyone feel at home. He has a nice course that can be walked as well.
Also has a five stand.

Here's the website for Kidd's Place www.kiddsplace.com

Both courses, Drake's and Kidd's are better than Deep River, mostly because they have more land to work with and can set up a variety of shots.

My wife and I have shot all three but during the Southern SxS we will do all of our shooting at Deep River because that's where the event is and our friends are.

In fact my wife and a group of her friends shot sporting at Drake's today and will shoot quail and pheasants there tomorrow.

I wish I didn't have this stupid job.... I'd love to come.I have heard nothing but good things. I told my wife I would give her all my winnings if she would cover for me but she has no confidence in my shooting ability.