Author Archives: Hap Rocketto

by Hap Rocketto It really does seem unfair. In my 25 trips to Camp Perry I have won exactly one match and placed second or third several times. I guess that is pretty heady stuff for a journeyman shooter such … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto Shooting should be fun. The reason most of us shoot is because we want to do something that is both relaxing and rewarding. However, there are times when we go overboard and transform a labor of love … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto When I was a kid the circus always came to town on a Thursday in early September and spread its huge canvas tent and midway in Caulkin’s Park, which was right across the street from my classroom … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto A shooting match is a two way street that is traveled by the sponsor and the competitor. Each has goals and each has responsibilities to insure safe travel. The responsibilities are laid out in the rules books … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto Hockey fever was sweeping New England in the late spring of 2011 as the Boston Bruins battled it out for the National Hockey League Championship and the honor of hoisting the Stanley Cup. It was mentioned that … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto There are several never ending debates in the shooting world. The first is the .45 ACP verses Nine Millimeter for self defense argument. This is probably the hoariest of all. In itself it may be responsible for … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto One of the great weights that have been lifted from my shoulders since I retired from the National Guard and left the All Guard Shooting program is the need for excuses. It seemed you always had to … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto When I was a young cub chasing Distinguished there were many of my fellow shooters who looked upon my quest as a life misspent. One who would give me an occasional good natured jab about the barbaric … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto My wife Margaret and I pried ourselves out of the vintage and uncomfortable seats that fill Ward High School’s overused, undersized, and outdated auditorium. We very much like the local productions and attend them with regularity and … Continue reading →

by Hap Rockettto Years ago at the start of my first war, I was a Naval Aviation Officer Candidate. I was much younger, somewhat slimmer, and, in the words of Roberto Valdez, “I didn’t know no better.” Under the tender … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto Much of the world unfortunately, and incorrectly, views shooters in a less than a favorable stereotypical light. Popular culture and political correctness paint an image of criminals, and knuckle dragging, tobacco chewing, illiterate troglodytes armed to the … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto I married into a Rhode Island family that is loaded with male sports fans. Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, golf, hockey, tennis, lacrosse; you name it and their huge plasma TVs blare it forth almost 24 hours a … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto One of the great pleasures of the annual sojourn to Camp Perry is visiting both the National Rifle Association and the Civilian Marksmanship Program Trophy Rooms. It is a bit sad that more people do not visit … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto It was towards the end of a quarter and I was conducting a review for my junior Physics class. There are two types of science; qualitative, which is the science taught to elementary school-naming the season or … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto As a pair of retired gentlemen my brother and I occasionally enjoy a convivial day together in which we spend the morning shooting, enjoy a good lunch, and then spend the balance of the afternoon enveloped in … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto In my most grandiose daydreams about my writing I like to reflect that Mark Twain, one of my favorite authors, and I have much in common. We both lived in Connecticut, were educated in Missouri, we both … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto As the supervisor of a high school academic department, which includes both chemical labs and art supplies, I find safety an issue that is always in the back of my mind. In the 18 years since my … Continue reading →

by Hap Rocketto The Lord Roberts Centre at Bisley Camp is the home of the National Smallbore Rifle Association of Great Britain. It is a very tidy building that was erected for the Commonwealth Games and houses the offices of … Continue reading →