By John Rossiter

Marietta, GA. —  As the morning air carries a sharper edge across the Georgia trap fields this month, autumn has clearly arrived. Leaves drift along the edges of the trap houses, and the heavy summer humidity has given way to clearer skies and a steady breeze that can nudge a target just enough to demand a shooter's full attention. While clubs farther north begin thinking about packing their guns away for the season, Georgia shooters keep the machines running, the squads full, and the scoreboards active.

On September 12 at South River Gun Club in Conyers, the 33rd Annual Hall of Fame Classic drew competitors for a full day of Singles, Handicap, and Doubles. The same weekend marked a quiet milestone for the Georgia Trapshooting Association: the induction of Bob Boswell Jr. into the Georgia Trapshooting Hall of Fame.

Boswell, a shooter out of Lilburn, GA whose career began around 2007 after a friend suggested practicing for quail season at Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds, accepted the honor with characteristic restraint. He described the induction as “unexpected and deeply humbling.” Over nearly two decades he won the Georgia State Singles Championship in 2011 and again in 2013, captured the Dixie Grand American Singles title, earned the AA-27-AA pin, and made All-American teams in 2015 and 2017. He joins longtime squad mates Boone Butler, Michael Wasielewski, Mike Reed, and Mike Bolling in the Hall. “I didn’t expect it and never shot to get inducted,” Boswell said. “It’s a recognition of my shooting career and the friendships I’ve made.”

On the line that day, John Davis broke 100 targets to lead the Singles Championship. Joseph O’Leary, Jamie Preskitt, and Boone Butler each scored 99. In Handicap, John Kuntz posted a 97 from the 22-yard line to take high honors, followed by Edwin Wolfe and Jamie Preskitt at 96. Doubles saw Joseph O’Leary and Ethan Ledford share the high score of 97. Jamie Preskitt claimed High Over All with 290.

A week later, on September 19, Griffin Gun Club hosted its Singles Marathon under beautiful Georgia autumn skies. Jamie Preskitt led the first 100 with a 99. Joseph O’Leary and Christopher Burrows each scored 97. In the second 100, O’Leary returned to the top with another 99, while Keith Crabb and John Rossiter finished at 98.

The month closed on September 26 at Cherokee Gun Club with the John Hiter Memorial Trapshoot, an event that annually remembers a shooter who helped shape the sport in Georgia. John D. Hiter (1937–2010), inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, registered more than 273,000 targets over 23 years. He won the 1990 State Doubles Championship and open High All Around, claimed multiple Veterans titles after 2003, served as Georgia ATA Delegate for more than a decade, and was named to the State Team sixteen consecutive years. The memorial shoot keeps his name and the memory of his ability alive for current and future generations.

At Cherokee, Michael Wasielewski and Joseph O’Leary tied for Singles high gun with 99s. Chet Hendrickson and Mike Schildgen scored 98, and Georgia shooter Kohlton Hamann broke his first 25-straight in the last round of Singles. In Handicap, Mike Schildgen led with a 95 from 23.5 yards, followed by Bill Fahrlender at 92 and Joseph O’Leary at 91.

Across three weekends and three clubs, the scores reflected the steady work of regular competitors who treat the cooler months the same as any other. The targets continue to fly, the squads remain full, and Georgia trapshooting moves forward under autumn skies.