The Southern Side by Side event starts today. I will be there Friday through Sunday. Hope to find a hidden treasure among the tables.

I’m going tomorrow. Traveling from Hickory NC. Do you have a table or just “floating” as I will be?

Picking up a new 16 English hammer and may take it on a trial run around the course. Also picking up a check from a gun I consigned pre-pandemic. The last couple of purchases have been justified by saying I will apply this sale proceeds from this consignment to them. It is entirely possible that I might forget that pledge walking around all the tents with cash in hand. Going to try and make the 8ga shoot in the AM. I have absolutely no chance of winning anything but I am quite excited to go and see all of vendors and friends.

Whine, whine, whine!! I'm recovering from a shoulder replacement surgery and will be unable to attend.

Three days down, one to go. I must say I have never seen so many shooters at this event, particularly station #1. I had 38 shooters ahead of me when I tried to shoot this stand Saturday morning. This is good for the sport, but they need to go to flights or a time slot arrangement to avoid these lengthy waits. The little hammer 16 didn’t disappoint.

There was a flurry of inter-dealer purchasing on Wednesday ahead of the opening shot on Thursday, I understand. Many attendee acquisitions occurred on Thursday with good activity occurring mid day Saturday. It was so fun to see folks who were unable to attend last year and catch up.

Anyone wind up with something interesting or unusual?

I missed out on a Cashmore hammergun in 20 gauge with 32” barrels. Coolest gun I saw there. Hope whoever bought it enjoys it for a long time.

The lines to shoot are a problem. Station one was a traffic jam. The gauges were all combined at one station so big bore shooters were in line with small bore shooters. There have always been lines of some degree there, but separate stations moved it along more. What they have done is limit shooting opportunities by throwing everyone in together. It will cost them. I’m sure there are guys who signed up for multiple gauge events who never got to shoot what they paid for.

Had fun there Thursday and Friday. Dropped off a really worn out Ithaca Flues that belonged to my grandfather with Bill Graham of Nice Old Double Gunworks. Doubt it has been shot in 75 years. Told him this would be the poorest conditioned gun he'd ever taken on. He at first doubted that before giving me that award... Still to be determined if it will be worth it to me to bring that gun back to life.
Also worked out a 20 gauge that I started looking at when I was there last year. Found the dealer and consignor a little more willing to negotiate this time around. Looking forward to picking it up in-state up this week.

Every shooter that I talked to (while waiting in line to shoot) was upset with the problem and said they would not come back. I know the facility was having a hard time finding help to work the event because they were looking for volunteers. The results of combining small bore and big bore to the same fields but using different traps created in a mess that upset all of us. My group that has our annual meeting there discussed changing to a different location next year.

Was there any ammunition available for sale ? It doesn't appear, from what I'm hearing, that attendance suffered due to the shortage.

Deep River had some for sale, all 2 3/4" stuff. CSMC brought shells, a lot of stuff you could not shoot. They did bring ten or more cases of RST, 3/4 OUNCE 2 1/2" shells. Was selling them at $185 a case.