July Newsletter

DeVault Industries LLC
July 1, 2011
Custom Engineered Shooting Solutions
Inside Information
Page 2& 3 World According to Me
Page 4 DD Shooting Clinics
Page 5 Wood Sales LLC
Page 6 DeVault Winners Box
Page 7 Cindy’s Corner
Page 8 Closing Page
Just a little report on my Mom. She was in the hospital last month for a 3 way by-pass and she is
now home and getting better every day. She is feeling stronger and just as sassy as always. She said she
cannot go to the YMCA until August. She looks forward to seeing all of her friends there and just misses
the workouts. I think I have been blessed with good blood and I hope I can get around as good as her if I
ever reach 81 years young.
That food was sooo good just got to get
that one last lick. Dogs are just a hoot and
you have to laugh and give them lots of
love. I just wish I was still that flexible.
The World According to Me ~ “ D e n n i s D e V a u l t ”
Wow, the months just seem to fly by and time is getting tighter all the time. Last month I discussed the eye hold subject and I received a lot of response about the subject and that lets me know
that you shooters are reading. This month I had a birthday and I took a couple of days for myself and
two of my close friends took me on a two day fishing trip. We went to Lake Chautauqua in New York
and what a great time. It has been 20 years since I had a wet line. It felt good to be back in the boat.
We caught about 300 bluegills and perch to bring home and they were very good. I would like to
thank my friends, Jim & Ed, for dragging my butt out to take a little time for myself. I am 57 years
young this month.
Last month we talked about eyes and this month we have received many e-mails asking to
talk about the current high rib guns that are becoming very popular in todays shooting disciplines. Is
the high rib here to stay or is it just a fad? My opinion, it is here to stay.
In 1995, we started doing Delrin Add-On ribs for many top shooters around the country. The
idea was to allow your head to come up and allow the eyes to set in their neutral position instead of
looking out of the top of your eye sockets.
Try to sit in your chair and keep your head in a normal level position. Next, without moving
your head, lift your eyes upward as far as you can and hold your eyes in that position for 30 seconds. This is a little rough and soon becomes very uncomfortable. This is what you do when you
mash your head down into a stock and lift your eyes up to try and see a target. Many shooters ask
me, “Why do I lift my head?” Answer is quite simple. When you have your head tilted down and the
eyes in a strained position, the eyes are screaming at the brain to make the muscles lift the head
and allow the eyes to relax and relieve the strain of looking up. The body does not like to be
stressed and the mind will do all that it can to accommodate the body when it keeps screaming for
relief from an uncomfortable position.
The next question, does everyone have to shoot with a high rib? Answer, “No.” We are all individuals and we are all built differently. The height of the rib required is proportionate to the distance between the pocket of your shoulder and the cheekbone of your face. If you have very high
cheek bones and a long neck you may need a higher rib than your buddy.
Another thing to consider is the stock fit. I know, here we go again with that nasty stock fit
stuff. The stock has to fit you if you are going to shoot to your full potential. One method that can be
performed is to lower the drop at the heel and form a deeper Monte -Carlo style of stock. By lowering
the heel, you raise the body of the stock up and that straightens the head. The limitation to this is the
position of the stock bolt and you can only deepen the drop as far as the through bolt hole will allow.
The other item to consider is the line of recoil. If the gun sits too high, the line of recoil
passes the shoulder and can cause tremendous face slap. When the line of recoil is too far above
the shoulder there is nothing to prevent the gun from going back and rotating up in the face. The rib
height and the stock go hand in hand. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.
Cause and effect are a part of the natural order of things.
Back in the day when I shot as a child, I have told the story before of how I took a beating
from my old Model 12. Back then we did what we had to do in order to make the gun we bought
work. Today we have options and it is difficult to decide what option will work for you and who you
can trust to give you a proper evaluation and then give a solution to the fix the problem.
Our first elevated or higher rib came from an unlikely source back in 1994. I was shooting live
pigeons at the time and was at a shoot with my old Perazzi Comp-One over/under. I had put on a
DB-81 stock that was very high so that I could get the gun to shoot higher. I finally got the height I
was after and then went to a shoot down South. I didn’t do too badly on the calm days, but when it
got windy and the birds got a little crazy, I just couldn’t tell where I needed to be to make the proper
shot. On the last day, Jon Kruger came to the practice ring and asked if he could look at my gun.
When he shouldered it, he asked how I could hit anything with that much space between the beads.
That got me to thinking. I returned home and in the following week the Delrin Add-On rib was created. I did the math to figure the slope necessary to make the gun shoot where I needed it to shoot. I
installed the rib and went to the pattern board to be sure of my math and sure enough the barrels
shot perfectly. I proceeded to attend another shoot and Jon was there. I asked Jon to look at my
new gun and when he looked down the barrel the beads were stacked in a nice figure 8 and he said
that he could shoot this one. He then took 5 practice shots and hit everything. I asked Jon how high
he thought the gun was shooting and he told me pretty flat because he was looking down the rib perfectly. When I told him where it really shot, he didn’t believe it.
Jon became my first Delrin Rib customer and the first sporting clays shooter to try the heads
up style of shooting. I did his barrel and sent it to him just before the DU shoot in Georgia. I was a bit
nervous as I wanted him to shoot the new set-up well. Jon called me on Monday. I asked how he
did. He replied that he missed some and he wasn’t sure if it was going to work. Then he laughed and
told me he broke back to back 99’s and won the shoot.
We did many more barrels for Jon and his customers and then the process started to become
known and other shooters began to inquire. Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays all began to call and ask
if they could have this done to their barrel. After Jon, the next shooter was Robbie Purser and then
Bill McGuire. Today we do ribs every week for all disciplines and we are constantly working to improve our process to make it better.
My attorney is an avid skeet shooter and he recently added a Delrin rib to his skeet barrel and
he couldn’t believe how pleasant it was to shoot with his head totally upright. I had built a custom
stock for him two years ago and wanted to do the rib then, but he wasn’t ready for the change at that
time. Now we have many shooters that are using higher ribs for skeet and sporting clays. It always
makes me chuckle when I go to a sporting clays shoot and shooters will see Bill McGuire or me and
comment that these guys are shooting trap guns. I tell them there is no such thing as a trap gun;
they are shotguns and they are made to fit that specific shooter and no one else.
In conclusion, are the higher ribs here to stay? Yes, they are. Are they for everyone? Maybe not.
But if you ever have the chance to try one out, give it a test drive and judge for yourself before casting a final verdict. Remember also that the rib has to be done in conjunction with a proper stock fit or
the experience may not be what you were expecting.
This has been a fun topic and if our readers have a subject that they would like me to write about,
send me an e-mail and I will try and write about your topic in an upcoming letter.
Until next month, shoot as often as you can and introduce a friend to our sport. We need all
the support we can get.
Rodeo Man Out
We are starting to Schedule dates for 2011. If anyone wants to schedule a
clinic at their favorite club let Dean or Dennis know so we can put you in the
schedule. Watch the web site for dates and locations as we post the schedule
www.ddshooting.com Contact Dean @ 270-886-2095 or Dennis @ 330-4566070. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2011.
July 9th & 10th ~ Christian County Quail Club, Hopkinsville, KY
July 23rd & 24th ~ North Side Sportsman’s, Pa.
October 8th & 9th ~ Coon Creek Trap & Skeet Club, California
Check back at the web site to see our schedule for 2011
We are proud to announce the opening of our newest Company
Wood Sales LLC
This company has been set up to offer hard to find large blanks
that will accommodate the new High Rib guns that have dominated the market for the past few years. If you are in the market for a good piece of wood that is dry and ready to carve have
a look and come back from time to time to find your dream
piece for your next project. The site can be found at
http://www.customwoodblanks.com
Bastogne Walnut
English Walnut
DeVault Winners Box
Bill McGuire ~ Blaser Luxus ~ DeVault Custom Stock & High Rib ~ Georgia State Shoot Sporting ~ Prelim 5
stand Champion 49 x 50, Prelim Sporting Champion in Shoot-Off 95 x 100 ~ 7 of 8 in shoot-off, Main Event
Champion 185 x 200 ~
Industry Championship Shoot - Four
manufacturers put their best shooters
against one another in a 2 day Fitasc &
Sporting event, 400 targets 200 in each
category. The Blaser 4 man Team was the
winner 1501 x 1600 Bill was second high
for the two days with a 383 x 400
Lisa Sowell ~ 390 Diamond Grade ~ DeVault Custom Stock ~ Georgia State Sporting Fitasc Class A Champion 84 x 100
Joe Zmuda ~ Perazzi MX-2005 ~ DeVault Custom Stock ~ Buckeye Classic Class C HOA, Keystone Open
Class HAA & HOA, Attorney General Classic Pa. State Shoot Champion Class C
Scott McKinnon ~ Double D Shooting Clinic ~ Vernal Utah, Long yardage Champion 99 x 100
Barry Clute ~ Krieghoff K-80 Sporter ~ DeVault Custom Stock, Michigan State Sporting 5 stand AA Champion 48 x 50
Gary Waalkes ~ Infinity SBT ~ Maryland State Shoot ~ Open Handicap Champion 97 x 100
Bobby Fowler ~ Double D Shooting Clinic,
Great Lakes Grand 200 singles- Sub Jr. runner up-197/200 US Open- 3rd place class D doubles Music
City Open Nashville Tenn.- 21-23 yardage champion Music City Doubles- Sub Jr. champion KTL Western
Zone Championships- Sub Jr. champion 197/200 KTL doubles Sub Jr. champion-89 x 100 KTL HandicapsSub Jr. champion-92 Made KTL Western Zone Team for Ky. State Shoot age 13 yrs. old Tennessee State
Shoot- Sub Jr. Handicap-94 Tenn. state Shoot- 100 singles -Sub Jr. champion 99/100 Tenn. State Shoot 200 singles-Sub Jr. champion 197/200 Jackson Purchase Gun Club -100 singles Sub Jr. champion 97/100
Jackson Purchase Gun Club- Doubles Champion-91
Krista Mellum ~ Double D Shooting Clinic ~ Minnesota State High School Trapshooting Tournament, First
Place Varsity Female Class Congratulations that is tremendous and Dean & I are very proud of your accomplishments.
Jean McCord ~ Infinity ~ MachOne, Ohio State Handicap Lady Out of State Runner-up 93 x 100
Hi Everyone,
These months are just flying by and although I was on vacation the first week of
June, I am definitely ready for another one. My son Paul and I took a week together with some other family members and went to Hilton Head Island. I love
the ocean and I can just sit there all day with a good book, and that is exactly
what I did. If it’s an ocean trip I take I just leave Dennis behind. He is not one
for the sand and to relax all day, he can’t sit still long enough to get any sun on
those white legs plus he goes crazy if he doesn’t see a shotgun in any length of
time. Maybe he should just bring one along and fondle it while he lays on the
beach, that might work! I had a wonderful time but my tan is fading so I think I
need another trip here real soon. I have had weddings this month and numerous
graduation parties that I attended and also baked bushels of cookies for so I am
hoping the month of July sticks around a little longer than June did with a few
less obligations.
This is the season for picnics and barbeques so I am giving you my recipe for
Trucker’s Beans. Although there is a warning that comes with the recipe because I don’t want to be held liable….. A few hours after consumption DO NOT
stand or sit anywhere close to an open fire or flame for fear of a flash fire!!!
Enjoy because they are yummy.
Trucker’s Beans
1 lb. Hamburger (brown in 1/2 cup water and drain)
Mix all together with hamburger:
1 large can pork and beans - do not drain
1 small can kidney beans - do not drain
1 small can lima beans - drained
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Tblsp prepared mustard
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can mushrooms (whole or sliced) - drained
Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours
I normally put this in my crock pot and cook it all day. I have also added and/or
substituted other different kinds of beans like pinto, butter beans, navy beans or
whatever you like. More sliced mushrooms than one can is also good.
Thought that I would share this photo. Behind our shop near
town we have a couple of Mallards nesting in the swamp. I
can’t believe the hen let me get to about 6 feet from the little
ones but they are in the grass feeding to the left of Mom.
DeVault Industries LLC
3500 12th Street NW
Canton, Ohio 44708
Voice 330-456-6070
Fax 330-456-5742
e-mail: [email protected]
on the web: http://www.devaultind.com
on the web: http://www.ddshooting.com
on the web: http://www.customwoodblanks.com