JAMES A. BELLOWS
James A Bellows’ competitive skeet career was relatively short. It spanned only the years of 1963 to 1969; but during those six years, he engaged in active participation as he made his presence known. He won title after title as a junior shooter, as a military shooter and in open events.
Jim is the only shooter in history at that time to win the World Shoot High Overall Championship in two consecutive years. He almost made it four‑ina‑row for these record breaking back‑to‑back championships were won at the 1967 and 1968 World Skeet Championships after having won his first High Overall World Championship in 1965 and narrowly missing in 1966.
Starting as a junior shooter in 1963, Jim wasted no time in putting his name on the World Shoot winners’ list. At the 1963 championship, he won four of the five junior titles, out‑shot some of the greatest skeet shooters of the era to win the Open 12 gauge Championship. He also won championships in California, was named to the Junior All America Skeet Team, and headed the high average list for juniors with a .9542 average. During his six‑year career, he was named to six All America Skeet Teams, was captain or Co‑Captain four times, and was a renowned member of the United States Air Force Blues team ‑ ‑ which broke the first perfect 12 gauge five‑man team score at the 1968 World shoot.
Even though Jim has retired from competitive shooting, his achievements will never be forgotten.