A big reason for the popularity of the Spring Classic held at Deep River Sporting Clays and Shooting School in Sanford is the relaxed atmosphere. There are no Tiger Woods types around, making other competitors feel like third-rate duffers, and there are no cash prizes to tempt professionals. There are, of course, some pretty fair shots who bear watching, but many of the entrants are there only because of their love of these beautiful guns and the company of others who share their passion. Call it show-and-tell for double fanatics, with some entrants so much into the spirit of it all that they dress in classic English shooting attire.

Another reason for the prevailing “Sign me up next year” attitude is the informal scheduling. There are some forty classifications in which trophies can be won, ranging from events for oddballs like 24- and 32-gauge guns up to 10 bores. You can enter as many categories as you have, or can borrow, guns for. This year I signed up for the .410, 28-gauge, and 12-gauge hammerless categories plus the 12-gauge hammer event, spreading them out over the first two days of the affair, taking to the fifty shot courses whenever the mood was upon me. You can shoot in any order you wish, starting, for example, at a stand you’re comfortable with before moving on to stands that offer more of a challenge.

In addition to some 1,400 entrants at the Spring Classic, hundreds more came just to watch events like the L.C. Smith vs. Parker shootout, or to fondle, buy, or just drool over the hundreds of shotguns offered for sale or trade by such big-name makers and dealers as Connecticut Shotgun, Holland and Holland, Steve Barnett, and Griffin & Howe. There is even a shooting stand where you can try the guns that strike your fancy. You can be measured for a bespoke shooting outfit by a London tailor, get measured for custom boots, or watch an engraver perform his art in gun steel—all this and no admission charge. Just leave your modern guns at home.