Shooters News for the Minn Area - July 11th, 2012

The Week Ahead
The weather forecast for this coming weekend is for warm temperatures in the low 90s. Fortunately, it's also supposed to be with Low humidity and that will make it tolerable to be outside for weekend activities.  On Sunday, July 15th, shooters will also have a chance to fire a prone match from the cool shade of the Sm Bore house at the Mpls Rifle Club.  George Minerich will be running this month's "conventional prone outdoor" Sm Bore 1600.  Shooters wanting to get in some prone practice will shoot 8 targets of 20 shots, at distances from 50 yds to 100 yds. I think that this is where I will be headed on Sunday -  if it isn't too hot for me to be out at the range.  This will be great practice for next weekends Long Range Championship at GRRC or the Mid Range matches at Eau Claire's Pig Roast weekend. Seniors are allowed to fire with Any Sights. 
           Click here for Match bulletin and entry info
  Note:  Last Saturday the Mpls Star and Trib newspaper featured a nice article on the recent visit to MRC's Sm Bore Range by some members of the US Olympic shooting team for a practice session before leaving for the London Olympics.  Click Here for a short Star and Tribune video of this practice session.

Brittany O

Saturday, July 14, I'll be up a GRRC for the CMP Games (Service Rifle), and a Vintage Sniper rifle match.  I've never been to one of these kind of matches, so this will be a new, and probably fun experience.  This event is also being run in conjunction with an "M-1 for Vets" program/match sponsored by the VFW and GRRC.  I know that this will be a good time and I'm looking forward to it. I must have an 'as issued' AR-15 in the gun safe somewhere          Click Here for match bulletin

Saturday July  14-15, there will be the Iowa State 300 yd Mid Range Championships at the River City Rifle and Pistol Club, just about 5 miles NW of Mason City, Iowa.  Saturday's event starts with a wind clinic for shooters, and then is followed by two 20 shot prone matches at 300 yds.  Sunday is the individual Championsip, and shooters will compete in 4  twenty shot matches.  Two are fired with Iron sights, and two with Any sights.
     Click Here for Match Bulletin, entry info, and Map to range  

Last Weekend 

Results

Erick Rhode came up out the Master Class this past weekend, and showed the High Masters how to win the State NRA Championship.  Erik started out the day by firing a 188 in the Standing Match and taking a 2nd place in that first match.  Dick Van Valkenberg, also a Master class shooter, won that match, and took the lead for the day by firing a rock steady 191-2x.  It was a different story in the Sitting Rapid Fire match, where Kevin Bangen, and Jim Biles both fired clean 200 point targets and the match win had to be decided by X count.  Jim Bile's 8 Xs  topped Kevins 6 Xs and Jim Wins the Sitting Rapid trophy.  Next up was the 300 yd Prone Rapid Fire match, and Kevin Bangen again fired a great score of 198, only to find that he was again beaten out for that trophy, this time by Capt. Bob, who had a convincing 12 tie breaking Xs, while Kevin had only 6.  Mark Rohmen and Erik Rhode were just one point back with 197s, and hanging in there after 3 matches. 

Click full screen and turn up the volume!

  By the time the shooters had moved back to the 600 yd line for the day's last match, the wind had settled down somewhat and the humidity had dropped to "tolerable". It was still "hot" but tolerable.  The 600 yd prone match showed us all that practice makes perfect.  Omer Hamer, who is a Grand Senior, has probably practiced (small bore and highpower) more than any of us over the years.  Omer's patience with the wind, paid off with the top score at mid range of 197-5x. Steve Erickson and Kevin B. were just a pt behind, and yours truly got a 4th with a 195.

Brian T. USN

 In the End, it was the steady high scores of Erik Rhode that topped the days aggregate.  Coming out of the Master class - Erik Rhode is the NRA OTC State Champion for 2012.  Erik's score of 775-24x is just a couple Xs higher than Kevin B's 775-22x, but that's enough for Erik's first State championship.   Jim Biles is 3rd overall with 771---not too shabby for a guy that only shoots one or two OTC matches per year.  Jim Schonke's 754 is good enough for 1st in the master Class.   

2012  Minn NRA OTC Champions

 
300 meter International
No results availiable from last weekends 300m match at MRC, but I'm sure that there was a good crowd shooting that match from the air conditioned comfort of the MRC 300m shooting house.

Notes:
From: Capt. Bob

"Minn. Wis. HP: Our friend Larry Miller from Iron River, Wisc. called this morning to say he was having back surgery next Tues. July 17 in Duluth. Apparently he has a small bone chip floating around causing mucho pain.  The doc says he will have a full recovery. If you feel like sending a card the address is:

Larry Miller,   64630 McCarry  Lake Rd., Iron River, Wis. 54847"

Bob

From: George Minerich - MRRA pres.

"Hi Jim:   Please find attached the links to the stories and videos about members of the US 
Shooting Teams Minnesota visit to the Minneapolis Rifle Club this week to train for the London 
Olympics. The Minneapolis Startribune video is great. It is hard to believe they printed 
this stuff.  Best Wishes,
George"
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/161635255.html
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_21023646/home-range?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com
 

From: Morgan Dietrich  

"Jim: Here is the final agg for the Firecracker 4800 (sm bore prone in Raton, NM) that Eric (Hazleton) and I attended.  Great match (YOU SHOULD GO NEXT YEAR), tough shooters and variable winds from both directions.  You had to pay attention! 

I had a poor 50M the first day and lost 5 points, but only 4 the last 3 days.  I actually won the day 3+4 agg with a 2397-?  Not too shabby, added a 1200 the last day, which was good enough for 3rd place!  I needed WAY more x's.  Eric shot well all week, and should have all issues figured out for Perry, he will do great.  All in all, great match, plan on attending in 2013 !   - Morgen"

Morgan--Wow, that's some great scores !  Only dropping 4 pts in 3 days !  I usually lose that many on every target!!

Two Weeks Out  

July 21-22         Minn State Long Range Champ at GRRC -- Match program click here
July 21-22         Pig Roast matches at Eau Claire  -  Match program click here

That's All Folks !  We will see you prone shooters at MRC on Sunday
Hawkeye