Results team match--click to enlargeThe Week ahead -- competitions
Shooters
Next weekend I show little on my schedule locally for Rifle matches. However, a short drive to Eau Claire National Rifle Club will offer 2 matches to prevent shooting withdrawal symptoms (SWS). Saturday (9/26) is the usual 600 prone match and there will be an Over the Course match on Sunday. Other than the GRRC Service rifle Leg Match on Oct 4th, these will be the last OTC and MR matches within easy driving distances. I suspect there will be a great turnout. You've seen the pics on the shooting blog, Eau Claire is a very nice range to shoot at.
Last Weekend
Talk about a way to wind up the High Power shooting season with a bang --just schedule the NRA Champ match and the all important Club vs. Club championship match on the same weekend in September.
NorthStar Rifle Club near Red Wing, Mn was the place to be last Sat and Sunday. The rescheduled NRA Regional Championship match on Saturday saw Kevin Bangen complete his sweep of the Over the Course Minnesota championships, this year by firing a 783-26x to take the Gold Medal. I remember Rudy Wadekamper saying that if you shoot 25Xs that's a good days shooting, so congratulations to Kevin for a good days shooting and that Gold Medal. Silver Medal to Omer Hamer, and Bronze to Steve Erickson who overcame equipment problems to take that medal. Other Class winners were Mark Havlik - master, Don Mastro - Expert, and Lisa Johnson -Sharpshooter. A gentle breeze and Fall colors appearing made this a fine day to pull some triggers. Mike May match director-- great job!
The Big Match
It was the Big Match -- all the marbles were on the table, the bragging rights were up for grabs, it was the Club vs Club shoot-off and the State's top rifle clubs sent their best shooters to contest for honors. This would be a prone match at 300 yds to 600yds. There would be three 20 shot matches with irons and one 600 yd match with any sights to test the shooting skills, and the wind coaching skills of the each team.
After years of dwindling participation in Team Matches, this year would be different. All Star teams of open associations would be discouraged, and shooters would be encouraged to shoot for the Home club. Club championships would mean something again. The challenge was issued and the Clubs answered that challenge.
Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club would send 3 complete sling shooter teams and one F-class team under team captian Kurt Borlaug. Elk River Sportsman's Club sends both an F team and a Sling team led by Tim Thole. North Star Rifle Club under Dbl. Distinguished Capt. Bob Peasley, also fields a team in each division -- a High Master Sling Team, and the F-Team to be anchored by Ken Erickson - former NRA National Champion in 1960, and celebrating his 85th Birthday today. LaCrosse Rifle Club sent US Palma team shooters, Sandy Pagel (capt) and Bill Lair to bolster their teams chances. Air Force Rifle Team shooter Matt Griffen, HM Elliot Zunich--NWGC, would form an Assoc. pickup team with Elk River prone masters Mark Rohrman, and Phill Klandurd. And if you think that even one of these hard holding teams would have a lock on the trophy -- Forget It! Minneapolis Rifle Club was also sending current members of the US Palma team, Stacy Tamulinas, and Steve Knutson, International 300 m shooter Erhard Bruderer, and he who wins most every type of shooting event he participates in--Kurt Kisch. Minneapolis Rifle club came to play.
The day was gorgeous, 75 deg, blue sky, and light fishtailing wind that would come into play later at the 500 yd line.
Mpls Rifle club (MRC) started right out at the 300 yd iron sight match with two clean scores from Stacey T., and Kurt Kisch (16Xs), coming off the line only 4 pts. down. The LaCrosse Rifle team also benifited from two clean targets fired by their Palma experts, B. Lair, and Sandy Pagel-(11x) and went to the 500 yd line 5pts down. MRRA assoc team hung in there and but had dropped
9pts. Unforced errors by Gopher shooters took the pressure off that team early.
At the 500 yd line MRC did well with Steve K. on the scope and turning the knobs for his shooters. Stacy T. again cleaned the target- (17Xs !), but with the 6 range flags now all pointing different directions, and the breeze getting stiffer, MRC lost 17 pts and would have to suck it up to have any chance of final victory. On the other hand Northstar, and MRRA teams had all shooters firing solid 198s or 197s, losing only 10 pts per team. Even with Sandy Pagel turning the knobs, the LaCrosse team lost 16 for their 4 shooters.
The 600 yd line -- MRRA assoc. team was in the lead by 3 pts, two matches to go. Matt Griffen started things out for those guys with a 199 but it wasn't enough to keep them in front. They have their worst match and go down 21 pts. Fishtailing wind also confounds LaCrosse, and Northstar who average 4 pts lost per shooter, but not MRC and Kurt Kisch again shoots clean, while the others only lose 8 total, and MRC goes into the scope match, now ahead by 7 pts--not necessarily comfortable with that slim margin.
The Scope Match. The pressure is on. Steve Erickson of NorthStar, Stacey. T of MRC, and Matt Griffen of MRRA hold hard, losing no pts for their teams. Even with local knowledge, the home team NorthStar, loses 16 in the difficult conditions. LaCrosse also suffers a couple unforced errors and loses their chance to win by losing 24 pts in that match. However its those 300 m and Plama experts from MRC that shine in this final match, only losing 13 team pts. They hold on to their lead and win the match.
Congratulations to Minneapolis Rifle Club -- winners of the 2009 upper midwest Club Championship. NorthStar Rifle club --2nd, and Lacrosse 3rd. Top Individual shooters in the Team Match was Stacey Tamulinas who lost only 3pts the whole match -- 797-45x, and Sandy Pagle with a 795-42x --- That's fine shooting.
F-Class champs are NorthStar Rifle club, with Jerry Johnson, Ken Erickson, Bruce cotton, and Ben Winget. 2nd place to the new team of shooters from GRRC -- S. Hoskins, Collin Mitchell, Greg Wahistrom, and G. Mitchell. They did very well for their first match as a team. Ben Winget turned in the top F Score with an astounding 792-39x -- whew!
This was the best team match we have had in many years. 11 club teams from around the state and Wisc. participated. It would have been nice to have seen a team from Northwestern Gun Club (frozen in already or what?), and Eau Claire Nat. Rifle club. They can both field powerful teams but chose to rest on the laurels of their past triumphs and did not contest for honors this year. Next year maybe they will answer the Challenge. We hope so.
Last weeks 50m Free Pistol match at MRC-- no News
Copper Fouling problems ? -- See Blue Goop recipe at: http://minnesotarifleshooting.blogspot.com/
The Week Ahead
Saturday Sept 26 -- Mid Range 600 yd 80 shot match -- Eau Claire Rifle Club
Program: http://www.wrpa.com/2009_Match_Programs/090926-27_EauClaire.pdf
Saturday Sept 26 -- 50 m Free Pistol at Oakdale
Sunday Sept 27 -- 80 shot OTC match -- Eau claire Rifle club
Program: http://www.wrpa.com/2009_Match_Programs/090926-27_EauClaire.pdf
Take care
Hawkeye
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