Abilene Clay Sports

06/15/2026

This rare photo is probably the greatest collective picture of early day s***t shooters ever assembled of that era. Taken on August 31, 1937, it includes some of the best clay target shooters in America. Note the early low gun s***t stance and gun position used by competitive shooters at that time. These legends set impressive records in the days of early paper and fiber wad cartridges, and no compensators which in just a few years would revolutionize s***t.

Two of the names of those shown include Jules P. Cuenin, and Milo Nueschwander, the first shooter to ever achieve a perfect 100 to win the National Telegraphic Shoot. The National Telegraphic S***t Shoot was a major, multi-club postal competition popular in the 1930s and 1940s, hosted by the ⁠National S***t Shooting Association. In these tournaments, local teams and individuals shot at their home ranges, and their scores were telegraphed to the national headquarters to determine countrywide champions. The telegraphic format was a defining staple of American s***t during the sport’s formative years, allowing clubs from coast to coast to compete concurrently against one another.

The National Telegraphic classification was dropped from the Lordship program to not detract from the regular NSSA National Championship. These Clay Target Legends were taking part in a shoot at California’s Pacific Rod and Gun Club, which threw 50,000 targets, the largest s***t, trap, and tower shoot ever held in America at that time.

Steve Ellinger

06/14/2026

I have mentioned previously that trap shooting used to occur on the roof of the Grand Central Palace, which was New York City’s premier exhibition hall, located on the west side of Lexington Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets, about 600 feet from today’s Grand Central Station. This 13-story Beaux-Arts building, which opened in 1911 was home to some extraordinary trap shoots on the roof, as shown here in 1915. It was designed by the same architects behind the adjacent Grand Central Terminal and was in fact designed to accommodate trap shooting. It was eventually demolished in 1964 to make room for the 47-story office tower now known as 245 Park Avenue.

While the main exhibition floors inside the Palace hosted auto and other substantial exhibitions, the roof was utilized for “outdoor” sports including clay target shooting. Competitions took place 250 feet above street level. The roof was described as an “unobstructed field” covering an entire city block, with the building’s high walls acting as a wind shield for the shooters. To ensure the safety of the crowds on Lexington Avenue, several specific measures were in place. The Palace was designed with high masonry walls around its roof, providing an unobstructed field while essentially creating a “bowl” that prevented spent shot or clay fragments from reaching the street. Shooters were positioned to fire toward the center of the roof rather than outward toward the street. The roof was large enough to accommodate this “inward facing” layout.

It was not without complaints however (some things never change). Despite these design features, the events were not without controversy. Residents in the surrounding “Terminal City” apartments complained about the noise of the constant gunfire, though the tournaments were generally allowed to continue as long as no physical debris hit the ground.

Steve Ellinger

06/12/2026

In his very stylish hat is 15-year-old F. Lutcher Brown of San Antonio after winning the Junior National Title at the 13th Annual Great Eastern at the Lordship Gun Club in 1941. Brown rose to national fame in the early 1940s alongside his father, H. Lutcher Brown. During the same 1941 competition, his father, H. Lutcher Brown, set a new record in the .410 competition. The pair was frequently recognized in the sport as a top-tier parent-and-child team. He was a frequent competitor and winner at the Alamo S***t Shoot in San Antonio. The Lutcher family created quite a reputation and following as the Brown family is noted in Texas sports history as part of a significant "Lutcher-Stark-Brown" dynasty.

F. Lutcher Brown’s success continued and just a year later at 16 years-old, he reached elite competitive levels, winning the 1941 Junior National Title. The Lutcher family was quite well off. Their wealth was tied to his family’s timber and paper mill enterprises, notably the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company. The family lived in a grand estate, Known as "Oak Court," the spectacular 20,000-square-foot American Colonial Revival mansion is located at 636 Ivy Lane in the Terrell Hills neighborhood of San Antonio and remains today.

This local environment provided them with access to top-tier facilities and regional competitions like the Alamo S***t Shoot. The duo was so successful that they won the prestigious Field & Stream Challenge Trophy for three consecutive years (1940–1942), cementing their legacy as a dominant family force in American s***t shooting.

Steve Ellinger

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

My latest article in Trap and Field! This is a fun article.

Steve Ellinger

06/10/2026

Fashionably standing in front of her 1941 Ford is Laura Peace Echols DuPont, the wife of Eugene DuPont III. Residing in the Greenville area of South Carolina, Laura was a very successful s***t shooter who won the South Carolina State S***t Shooting Championship in the 1960’s. Laura DuPont's competitive success in the 1960s solidified her reputation as a prominent figure in South Carolina s***t shooting.

The DuPont family name is well known in the clay target shooting sport. Laura’s husband’s cousin was the legendary Hal DuPont of the prestigious Krieghoff line of competition shotguns in the United States. Laura’s s***t shooting career was part of a larger lifestyle as an "avid outdoorswoman", who loved hunting and fishing. DuPont passed away in 2017 at the age of 92. Photo is from October 18, 1941

Steve Ellinger

06/09/2026

Coming June 17th on Clay Target Legends! Trap and Field Magazine’s Elissa Harding!

Steve Ellinger

06/08/2026

Enjoying the day on the s***t field in 1948 is shooter Tim Holt. Holt was not a serious s***t competitor but was primarily a legendary Hollywood Western star and decorated World War II bombardier, but he was also a highly skilled s***t shooter off-screen. He was widely known for his real-life firearm expertise, and target shooting with good friend John Wayne. Following his retirement, Holt collaborated with the National Rifle Association, where he produced a series of educational films titled Shooting Straight with Tim Holt, teaching young people about gun safety, and target practice.

Enjoying the day of s***t was his wife and actress Alice Harrison. Alongside her acting career in films like The Tioga Kid (1948), she headed the drama department at the Patricia Stevens Career Agency in Chicago. She gained significant recognition for her role as “Aunt Judy” on the children’s television program The Adventures of Uncle Mistletoe. Tim Holt passed away in 1973. Harrison passed away in 2011 at the age of 88.
Steve Ellinger

06/07/2026

Due to the extremely wet conditions, ACS will be closed Sunday