The Ligowsky targets were made entirely of clay, baked like bricks in an oven to become extremely hard. The target would ring like a bell when hit, but was almost impossible to break. Fortunately Ligowsky eventually gave up using clay and tried limestone and pitch, but the misnomer "clay" stuck. The first public appearance of the Ligowsky targets was at the New York State live-bird championships at Coney Island in , at the largest live-bird shoot held to that date. This is known as sporting clays, with the first championship held in Sporting clays aimed to simulate the unpredictability of live-quarry and included a variety of trajectories, angles, speed, target size and distance.
The terminology used by clay shooters relates to when live-pigeon shooting competitions were held. These competitions were made illegal in the UK in , but the terms remained. As clay pigeon shooting became popular with a variety of shotgun enthusiasts, the shotguns used do not fit an exact standard. However, shotgun used for shooting clays must be capable of shooting two cartridges of 12 gauge or smaller.
Eye and ear protection for clay shooting is mandatory, and firearms safety procedures must be followed. Tinnitus is one of the main health issues caused from shooting sports. Gazaur Mars Review. Identification the Object before Shooting. Exploring Bird Watching Binoculars. Guide on How to Go Deer Hunting. Shooting Position during Hunting.
Finding The Best Knife Makers. Art Deco Auctions. How To Value Collectible Coins. How Porcelain Spread in France. The other great shooter to emerge in the glass ball era was W. Unlike Bogardus, he was a very modest man; yet he was considered by some to he the greatest commercial buffalo hunter of all time. Shooting events in those days were conducted in a different manner than matches of today. Challenges were usually issued by either participant or a third party interested in promoting a match.
All types of shooting were included in these challenges and large amounts of money were laid on the line. Cast iron three-legged target ball trap embossed: "M. Offered were matches such as who could break balls in the shortest period of time, as well as who could break the most balls out of with rifles or shotguns. Carver and Bogardus first met in competition in a live pigeon match in Louisville in , and Bogardus was beaten by the slim margin of ONE target.
The second and third matches between them were held in St. Louis and Chicago, using clay pigeons. Again, Carver won. George Ligowsky , the inventor of the clay pigeon and the clay pigeon trap, wished topromote his new invention patented in and made an offer too good to be refused by these two shooters. The offer consisted of of Ligowsky's targets to be shot on five traps.
Each match was to be conducted in one of 25 different cities. Bogardus and Carver jumped at the chance and, since each had tremendous confidence in their respective abilities, agreed that they would shoot on a winner-take-all basis! Carver proceeded to prove that he was by far the better shot of the two by winning all of the matches except six. Bogardus won only three and tied in three others. Ligowsky accomplished what he wanted, which was the establishment of the clay pigeon as a suitable target that did not leave broken glass lying around.
Clay pigeons, however, did not immediately replace the glass balls, but just added this type of competition to live bird and glass ball shooting. Clay pigeons did gradually ease glass balls out of the picture in competitive trap shooting.
Not so, however, in the Wild West shows. Shattering glass balls was far more spectacular for show business, and balls were manufactured until the 's. Glass target balls were made in England, Canada and the United States. This target ball thrower has no markings but is similar to traps made by Caption Bogardus for his patented glass target balls.
The trap swivels on a wooden base, its movement controlled by hand lines attached to the wooden cross piece. Fortunately, many of these balls have survived to remind us of the early days of competitive shooting.
The above story — an in-depth look at the history of target balls — was originally printed in Peterson Publishing Co. Some of the photographs above were added.
Target balls are a form of the glassblower's art that does not under any classification of collecting, as we know it today. They are not bottles of any type yet they were produced in almost the same manner.
I know of no other type of glass articles, which is as difficult to locate. In seeking them out I have ended up with offers of lightning rod balls, Japanese fishing floats, Christmas tree ornaments, witches' balls, dentists alcohol lamps and even a few bottles.
This situation exists because about 99 percent of those people who have a target ball do not know what it really is. Fortunately, most of them were attractive enough to be kept. Many ended up where lots of people thought they belonged — on Christmas trees. I have received many throughout the years with hairpins or other pieces of wire inserted into them in order to form necessary loop to use them as a tree decoration.
Trying to research the makers of these items is one of the most difficult tasks of all.
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