LAND UPDATE
As reported last month, the property to the east of the existing ranges had been listed for sale and CRC was pursuing the options to obtain this section of land. At a meeting on July 4, the Board of Directors approved a contract to purchase the property and to obtain a loan to cover part of the cost. The club cash reserves will cover the bulk of the price.
We have started talks with the owner of the half section of land which borders our north section. After we secure title to the property to our east, we will try to negotiate an exchange of the east half of that section for the west half of the section immediately north. This would then give us an additional buffer along our east side, one half mile wide stretching the whole two miles of our properties. At the present time, our silhouette range is close to our east fence and while we observed the NRA recommendations for safety spacing, it is very close to the limits recommended. Addition of this new land will give us almost complete safety from shots getting off our property to the east or northeast.
While the price of $500 per acre was at the high end of the appraisal which we commissioned, we were constrained by needing that one particular piece of land and not some other similar land nearby. The Board considered the pace of development between the range and Byers in the nearly 15 years since our original purchase and was concerned that another 15 years will see housing and farmette development close to us. While there is a law which is supposed to protect airports, rifle ranges and other facilities potentially incompatible with later housing developments, the majority of the Board felt that protection has to begin with us. Acquisition of a half mile buffer along our east side will protect our operations for many years to come from development and population encroachment that WILL come. There may be space as well for some kinds of range expansion using part of the new land. We don’t have the option to decide to the purchase a piece of property when it suits us, but rather when we have a chance to get it.
The property is currently being leased to a local rancher who has planted the land in wheat and sunflowers. We plan to continue this arrangement until the land can be placed in the CRP program which will give us a greater return than farming rental. The proceeds from farming or the CRP program will help greatly to pay for the cost of the loan. We do not plan a
dues increase for 2005, but funds for other developments such as an equipment shed probably will be delayed.
We owe a lot of thanks to Lowell Higgins for his management of the club resources since selling our old Morrison Road property, so that about 60% of the cost of this land is available in club reserves. While assuming a long term debt is not desirable, the Board feels that we will be able to handle it without much trouble and the long term benefits to the club are too great to pass up.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
There are two interesting shooting events that our members might wish to compete in scheduled for the same date, so be prepared to make a tough decision. On August 28th, the Colorado Biathlon Club has scheduled the 2004 Summer Biathlon at Snow Mountain Ranch. The Summer Biathlon is the warm-weather version of the Winter Olympic sport of biathlon. It combines running or mountain biking with rifle marksmanship. The running or cycling course includes two shooting bouts using a .22 rifle. Competitors under 15 years of age use air (pellet) rifles. Rifles, ammunition, and instruction are provided for all competitors who need them. The rifle is not carried in summer events. For information, contact Julia Collins (303-946-5298, info AT coloradobiathlon.org) or go to www.coloradobiathlon.org. for details.
For those not wanting to run or bicycle before shooting, Frontier Gun Club of Colorado Springs has scheduled a 50 yard rimfire bench rest match on the same date, Saturday, August 28th. This match consists of shooting a smallbore rimfire rifle from a bench at the BR 50 Target. There will be five stages with each stage consisting of 25 bullseyes, one shot per bullseye for a total of 125 record shots for the five matches.
This competition can be a lot of fun for anyone with a .22 and bench rest equipment. For information, contact Lones Wigger at 719-488-0369, Lwigger AT pcisys.net
THE NRA COMMITMENT TO COMPETITIVE SHOOTING
Excerpts from NRA’s CLUB CONNECTION
The NRA has been active in promoting competitive shooting since it’s founding in 1871. When the NRA was first formed by a group of Union Army officers to train civilians in the use of military arms so that they might one day serve in the defense of our country, competitive shooting was recognized as a safe and viable means of promoting interest and competency. That tradition is still at the heart of the many NRA programs available to NRA members and the general public.
Competitive shooters may be the most active segment of the gun owning community. Competitive shooters spend heavily on firearms, ammunition and equipment, and spend more time actually firing guns, both in training and in matches than any other group in the shooting community.
The NRA is the reason competitors are able to shoot so much because of the large number of matches that are sanctioned, sponsored or supported by the NRA. The NRA currently conducts 28 national championships and sanctions more than 10,000 tournaments a year which is more than any other governing body. The NRA also maintains the classification records for the thousands of shooters in 56 separate competitive disciplines.
In addition, the NRA manages 220 leagues and 26 postal matches, many of which have been set up for major youth groups which give many youngsters the opportunity of competitive shooting. Independent youth groups that currently conduct NRA supported programs include: 4-H, Boy Scouts, Venturing, American Legion, U.S. Jaycees, the National Guard, JROTC, and the Order of DeMolay. NRA youth programs provide a path from the first gun safety lessons of a youth to the highest levels of competitive shooting.
Competitive shooting has been at the core of NRA’s mission since its founding. It is today and will continue in the future with the support of the active NRA affiliated clubs.
And Speaking of Competitive Shooting...
ATHENS
The Summer Olympic Games are almost here, and though shooting sports don’t get a lot of attention from the media, they have been a part of the Olympics since the modern revival of the games in 1896. Also – though it’s little celebrated – the U.S. has its third largest total medal count in Shooting events. Only track & field and swimming athletes have won more medals for the U.S. than its shooters. (And given those sports have so many more events than shooting – I’d say we fare even better in the big picture!) This year 21 men and women from the U.S. will compete in the 17 events held in four different shooting disciplines: Rifle, Shotgun, Pistol and Running Target. And one of them, 27 year old Women’s Sport Pistol Shooter and two-time Olympian, Rebecca Snyder, is from Grand Junction, Colorado!
Other Americans to watch in the games include: Todd Graves, Men’s Skeet shooter. Todd is back for his fourth Olympic games and was a bronze medalist in 2000.
Kim Rhode, Womens Double Trap. This is Kim’s third Olympics. She holds the honor of being the youngest shooter ever to win gold, for her performance at age 17 in the 1996 games – both she and the women’s double trap event made their Olympic debut that year! Sadly – this year is the last Olympic Women’s double trap event.
Matt Emmons: The first American ever to qualify for all 3 rifle events - air, prone and 3-position. This 23 year old phenom is the current World Champion in Prone, and his former coach at UAF, Dave Johnson, is also the National Team Coach -so he’ll be well prepared.
Jason Turner and Darrly Szarenski: Men’s Air Pistol. The air pistol event had an extremely long qualifying process that actually started with a competition in 2003. Both men held the lead at one time or another this year, and the pistol field was so deep, that earning team spots came down to the last shot in the final match! Turner qualified by one-fifth of a point.
Koby Holland and Adam Saathoff. Save your loudest cheers for the Running Target Team! This will be the final appearance of Running Target in an Olympic Games, and it’d be nice for the record books if the American men went one - two on the medal podium!
Other Olympic Shooting facts (The editor claims no responsibility for lost bets you make with the wealth of trivia I’m about to supply!)
The shooting event in the 1900 Paris Olympics - Live Pigeon shooting. It was quickly replaced with clay pigeons in the following games of 1904.
The oldest Medalist in Olympic History? A shooter from Sweden - Oscar Swahn. He was 72 in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, where his career peaked with his winning 3 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze in shooting events.
And the first Woman Shooter to win an Olympic medal may also qualify as part of the Best Sportsmanship Honors. In the Montreal Games in 1976, U.S. Shooters Margaret Murdock and Lanny Bassham both score 1162 in the 3 position rifle event. The tie was broken by the number of 100’s scored, and the Gold went to Lanny Bassham. But Lanny disagreed with the tie-breaking procedure, and he pulled Margaret up on the gold medal podium to join him during the National Anthem. Shooters – the true Olympic Spirit in action!
GO TEAM USA!
RANGE REMINDERS
When entering or leaving the range, leave the gate the way you found it. On the weekends, if there is a match scheduled, the Match Director will open the gate and leave it unlocked for the competitors. If no match is scheduled for either day of the weekend, the gate should remain locked to prevent non-members from entering and using our ranges. People who are not members have not been oriented in proper safety procedures for our ranges and could cause serious safety issues on the ranges plus create insurance problems if there is an accident by a non-member who is an uninvited guest.
Conversely, on weekdays the gate is usually left locked unless there is a contractor or other special situation to meet someone on the property.
PISTOL RANGE
Remember, pistols and revolvers only on the pistol range. Rifles are prohibited.
Center fire, bottle-neck rifle cartridges are not allowed on the pistol range. These are considered rifles for our purposes as they have the range to carry well beyond the safety zones that have been established for the pistol range. Guns that fire these types of cartridges can be safely fired on the Schutzen, high power, and silhouette ranges. Always make sure that your shots impact into the backstops and don’t shoot at the target stands.
SILHOUETTE RANGE
Remember to shoot only at approved paper and silhouette targets. Don’t shoot at target numbers or target frames. And don’t use the wind flags on any of the ranges as targets – no matter how challenging and tempting they seem to be. Holes in the flag standards and mounts destroy their usefulness to the shooter who relies on them for wind doping.
CHERRY CREEK REOPENS
The Cherry Creek Shooting Park at Cherry Creek State Park has reopened after a closure of several weeks for renovation. The facility, operating under new management, has a 12 position, 100 yard rifle range and a 10 position hand-thrown shotgun range. Additional facilities will open as the range is rebuilt. Baffles are being built to separate the rifle range from the soon to open pistol facility. There is a small retail building with targets and ammunition. The facility is open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily. Call 303-791-1686 for their information line.
RANGE EQUIPMENT USE
You’re welcome to take things from one range to use on another, but if you do PLEASE PLEASE PUT IT BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM AT THE END OF EACH DAY! We’ve had a rash of wandering range items lately and it makes for a real headache the morning of a match! Thank you.
We hear that member Randy Swan is running for the CU Board of Regents. His website address is swan-sight.org As a CRC member, Randy is a good guy so you might want to give him a look.
FREE TO A GOOD HOME
About 40 years of American Rifleman Magazines. Call Martin Everitt, 303 425-4450.
THE WINNERS CIRCLE
The Colorado State 1000 yard Bench Rest Championships were fired between thunderstorms on the weekend of June 25 & 26. The storms always seemed to wait till the
CRC Member Fred Baker at his firing was done for the Heavy rifle waiting for conditions day, so the competitors were able to shoot in good conditions. Richard Schatz from North Dakota set a NBRSA World Record in light gun with his 6 target aggregate group of 6.125 inches beating the old record by more than an inch!
The winner of the longest travel was Chris Pylyser who came from De Panne, Belgium to pick up the rifle built for him by CRC member Dave Sullivan of Westwind Rifles in Erie, CO. Dave has built several rifles for Chris and others in Belgium. Chris made this trip to try out his new rifle in a type of competition that was new to him. With just four rounds through the new rifle, Chris and Dave came out on Saturday to try it out. Chris, being new to the sport, had to borrow some equipment to be able to compete but still did all right. Chris and Dave spent Saturday evening reloading and on Sunday Chris was in the groove and did quite well. We expect to see him back with his Chris Pylyser of DePanne Belgium firing his new
Belgian friends to rifle, built by CRC member Dave Sullivan, center.
shoot the rest of the rifles that Dave Sullivan built. Dave also ran the firing line and his help was much appreciated.
Second in the distance contest was John Ferri of Cape Canaveral, Florida. John is now looking in the area to relocate. The results of the shooting competition are: Bud Schalles, Two Gun 12 Target Agg Score, 749. Bud Schalles, Heavy Gun 6 Target Agg Score, 489. Richard Schatz, Light Gun 6 Target Score, 276. George Tompkins, Two Gun 12 Target Agg Group, 9.3892 inches. Bud Schalles, Heavy Gun 6 Target Agg Group, 10.953 inches. Richard Schatz, Light Gun 6 Target Agg Group 6.125 inches. NBRAS World Record
Schuetzen
On Saturday July 17th, the Schuetzen shooters held a 4x20 National’s Warm-Up Schuetzen Match. They had a nice day for shooting (meaning the temperature never got above 98 degrees!). Jack Odor was the big winner for the day. He took first place in the Iron Sight Benchrest and Offhand Matches and the Scope Offhand Match. But Joan Fabrizio kept him from sweeping the entire day. Joan earned first place in the Scope Benchrest match! Shooters Marty Everitt, Don Fabrizio, Rick Moritz and John Steinke traded the remaining spots between themselves throughout the match. Good shooting all! The next Schuetzen Match is a Black Powder Match on Saturday, September 18th. Call Jack Odor at (970) 867-8655 for more information.
Pistol
The CRC Pistol Range hosted the Colorado Eastern Regional Pistol Championship June 5th and 6th. There was an AMAZING turnout. 24 shooters from all parts of Colorado, as well as competitors from Wyoming and Utah came out for this match. The match had .22, Center-fire, and.45 phases with Slow, NMC, Timed and Rapid fire segments in each phase. In the Grand Aggregate, the match winner was Master Class shooter Steve Locatelli. Steve had a great competition, sweeping match winner in each of the discipline’s aggregate matches. Second place in the grand aggregate was Doug Maxwell and Third was earned by Curt Lackey. Several shooters distinguished themselves with very consistent performances. Experts Paul Figlia and Ken Giesen; Sharpshooters Bret Barnes, Marita Keeling and Charles Reed; and Marksman Bill Driver all placed in several of the individual disciplines and phases. And FIVE teams participated in the team match. The “Arvada Gold” four person team of Janet Asper, Curtis Lackey, Steve Locatelli and Doug Maxwell took First in the .22 and Center-Fire team matches, and the “Arvada Blue” team with Bret Barnes, Paul Figlia, Robert Gilman and Wayne Harris won the forty-five match. The other three teams, “CSSA”, “Cherry Creek” and “eWORLD”, placed a consistent 3rd, 4th, and 5th place in all the matches. A great turnout and a great match! Upcoming Pistol matches are the Late Summer 2700 match Sunday August 8th and an ISSF Match Saturday, August 28th. Call Wayne Harris at (303) 431-4009 or Doug Maxwell at (303) 431-1420 respectively for more information.
HIGHPOWER
There was an 80 Shot Regional Course New Shooter match shot May 2nd. This was a chance for new highpower shooters to come out and give a match course a try. They shoot a 200 yard slow fire, 200 yard rapid fire, 300 yard rapid fire and 600 yard slow fire course. 10 shooters who don’t have an official classification from the NRA, as well as 8 classified shooters, participated. The Experts and Sharpshooters of the group also served as shooting coaches and their scores were for reporting purposes only. The new shooters proved you don’t have to have a classification card to shoot well! The Match Winner was Jesse Stamper, who had very consistent 200 yard slow file, 300 and 600 yard match, and an excellent score on the 200 yard rapid fire match, to come out with 712-5x aggregate score. Second place also went to an unclassified shooter Mike Victoroff. Marksman Robert Bird redeemed the classified shooters and took 3rd place. He actually got the same score as Mike, but the tie breaker gave Mike the second spot over Robert. Guy Pease, Douglas Ruegg and Darel Billings served as Officers and helped Match Director Jerry Davidson.
This match served as a good warm up to the 80 Regional Highpower Match on May 29th. 30 Shooters came out for this event. High Master Shawn McKenna carried the day, and was match winner in all but the 300 yard stage. His Aggregate score was 786-24x. Good Shooting Shawn! Master Shooters Jerry Douthit, Jon Sutter, Roy Bane, Ron Porter, Paul Rademaker and Douglas Ruegg all placed as first or second masters in various matches throughout the day, but First Master honors finally went to Roy Bane and Second was Jon Sutter.
The Sharpshooters and Experts were combined into one scoring group and the victories were equally spread in that class as well, and there were enough shooters to have 3 place winners in each match. Gary Young, Richard Tauche, David Barr, David Struckman, Alden Lewis, Dan Scott and Ron Hendrickson all placed in various matches, but David Struckman took First Expert. Gary Young was Second Expert and Richard Tauche took Third.
Shooter Laura Monturi won First Marksman in all but the 600 yard phase, where she placed second. That consistent day earned her First Marksman in the Aggregate. Mike Leake took second Marksman in the first match, but shooter Pete Jund had the score that topped Laura’s in the 600 yard, and he was second in the other phases, so his aggregate score took Second Marksman.
Vincent Carroll and Alden Lewis served as Officers for Match Director Jerry Davidson.
The next new shooter 80 Shot match is Saturday August 7th and the Long Range Highpower State Championships are August 21 and 22nd. Contact Dave Jennings at (303) 393-1001 for more information on the State Championships.
Junior Olympics Shine!
The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs recently hosted the 2004 National Junior Olympic Championships, March 13-17th. There were matches for 50 meter 3-position and 10 meter air rifle for men and women. The Juniors are divided by age into one of three groups; J1, J2 and J3.
Some members of the junior team from the Arvada Rifle and Pistol Club really showed their talent. Greg Youngs, Kyle Youngs, Harry Gauthier, Taylor Beard, Sarah Havens and Cherry Creek shooter Samantha Trisdale all competed REALLY well. Greg Youngs won second place in the J2 group in both the Air and 3-Position matches. WOW!!! Harry Gauthier was right in the hunt too and was 9th overall in the Air. Taylor Beard has only been shooting for a couple years now, but her scores show she’s one to watch! Already rubbing elbows with shooters like Olympian Sarah Blakeslee – not bad for a rookie! Great Shooting EVERYBODY! (for more of their results, and some good pictures go to www.usashooting.com/results)
Newsletter coding by James Speed Hensinger jhensinger5 AT comcast.net
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