Another
fine day to shoot. We have been very fortunate so far this year with
good shooting weather. Although there was only a little wind until
about 11AM when it picked up a bit, it was still a day where skill was
involved.
Chuck
Diehl took me up on the statement I made in the email announcing the
match and came with his dear gun, a 300 Win Mag! He did not finish the
match but I think he accomplished what he wanted to do. He has other
shoulder fired cannons for larger game.
Greg
Meller shot above his average and took first place in F class with a
595. SecondPlace was 8 points back with third another point back and 4th place another one point back.
The
most impressive shooter was Dick Nelson’s grandson, 11 year old Jake
Olson who shot Dick’s competition AR15 with a bipod. In addition to
Dick and his wife, Jake’s parents were there, too; Jake handles pressure
pretty well.
The 300 meter match for October will be on the 14th. I will send email as the date approaches.
Service Rifle Leg Match at Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club
On Saturday, Sept 22nd,
GRRC hosted a Beginners 50 shot service rifle match. Kurt Borlaug and Tom Toberg introduced a few new shooters to the sport of Highpower shooting, while a number of other folks used this opportunity to get in some needed practice for Sunday's upcoming Leg Match. Everyone got a lot of practice reading the wind as the peak gusts were up to 30 mph, and 20 mph gusts were common all day.
Click Here for Mark Havlik's excellent slide show of Sunday's Leg Match (with music!)
Sunday dawned cold (34deg), but light wind and bright sunny sky's for the all important Leg Match. Since the match started at the 'reasonable' hour of 10:00, I knew that it would warm up to a really nice sunny fall day, and I headed up to GRRC. It would be just a 'fun' match for me as I got all my Leg points some years ago, and now I could just enjoy the day with maybe the hope of a Medal if my shooting went well. I do like Leg matches, as it's a chance to shoot the service rifle (my favorite) and it's only 50 shots, so us old guys don't get too tired, and we only have to shoot 10 shots standing. I was squaded with Britanny O. and David Ronning, and since they were really going for Leg points, I said I would take 3rd Relay and go to the pits first to pull targets while they shot in the calm conditions. Standing Match -- Nine shooters fired in the 90s for off hand scores with Carl Haagenson taking the match win with a 95-0x. No Xs? No problem-- 95 still won the match. Kurt Borlaug was 2nd with a 94-3. As a matter of fact there were only 15 Xs total fired by the whole group. I got a 91-2x, which was much better than I expected having not shot standing all summer and I started the Sitting Rapid Fire match still thinking I would be competitive for the day. Well, that didn't last too long as I shot all over the target and got only a 94-4x. Mark Havlik dominated the match with a 99-2x and took over the lead for the day with George Cwach just behind. The 300 yd Prone Rapid Fire match put me out of contention, but Larry Weidell got to do the 'happy dance' after firing a clean target with 5 Xs and 5 tens to win that match. SSgt. Al Schneider was 2nd with 99-2x.
Moving back to the 600 yd line for the Prone Slow Fire match, It was George Cwach in the lead, down just 13 pts for theday, with Larry Weidell and Tim Thole just a couple pts back.
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| Complete Results |
Now the pressure was on. An 8pt, and a 6 pt leg were on the table. The scores were close, and the wind was gusting to 19 mph. When it was my turn, I put on 6 clicks of left windage and fired the first shot into the 10 ring. Yes! With no sighters in a leg match, its important to get that first shot in the middle or you could be out of it right away. I took a little time watching the wind to get the next shot off. It looked good through the sights, but came up a 7, straight out the left on the water line. The wind had dropped while I was on the gun. As I looked in the scope, I could see that all the shot spotters on the other targets were either up-wind or down-wind. The wind gusts were making us all humble. All of us except
Tim Thole. Tim played the wind gusts like a fine violin and put every shot in the 10s and Xs except for 4 nines. His 196-5x was 8 pts higher than the best that Matt Cwach could do for 2nd in the match, or
Ross Opsahl's 186 for 3rd.
Click Here for 1080 HD Video of this Match. Select HD, full screen, and turn up the volume!
When the scores were added up, It was Tim Thole who would be the Match Winner, with a great score of 480-8x. No cheap Leg Points here! Tim wins the 8pt Leg and that brings him up to (I think) 20 pts total. George Cwach (471-9x) won the 6 pt leg and is now up to 22 pts, on his way to a Distinguished Rifleman's badge with Tim T. First Leather goes to Matt Cwach -465-10x.
Congratulations to Tim T. and George C. --- Great Shooting!
Small Bore
Last week we shot a prone 1600 at the little used, but very nice Elk River Sportsman's Club Sm Bore Range. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the range sign and get a picture of it. this range is named after club member and long time shooter Ed Hassig.
From Leo Huhta:
Lest We Forget---
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| ED Hassig - 3rd from Rt |
Ed Hassig was Born Oct 10, 1910 In Devils Lake No Dakota
He entered the Marines in 1929 and retired 27 1/2 years
later as a Warrant Officer
Prior to WW2 Ed shot rifle competition in the Philippines
He was stationed for a number of years at Wake Island and
was part of the troops
establishing defenses on Wilkes Island one of three islets
forming Wake Island.
2 days after Pearl Harbor was attacked Wake Island was also
attacked. After 13 days of attacks by
the Japanese, Major James Devereux Commanding officer of the Wake Island
detachment of the Wake Island troops was forced to surrender on Dec 22 1941.
Ed spent the remaining 4 years of WW2 at a POW camp in China
called Woo Sung Forest south of Shanghi close to Manchuria
Ed’s brother was also killed in Europe during these 4 years.
While in the POW camp our troops learned of the end of the
war by listening to a contraband radio.
Ed mentioned that the Formosan troops guarding the POW camp were good
people and that our men were not treated badly.
After the war Ed stayed in the Marines and was stationed in
the Hawaiian Islands for 8 years and continued to shoot both Rifle and pistol
competitively. Earning Distinguished badges in the 50’s in both events. His
rifle shooting was with a 03 Springfield NRA Match Rifle and said that the
Garand wasn’t as good as the Springfield at longer distances.
Ed started shooting NRA registered matches in 1956 and began
attending 2 or 3 per year.
While still in the service Ed meet his wife in San Diego and
they married in 1950. After 53 years of marriage, his wife passed away in 2003.
After retiring from the Marines in 1957 Ed and his wife
moved to Minneapolis where they joined family members.
Ed joined the NorthStar rifle
range, which was later
closed and merged with the St Louis Park sportsman’s club,
now the Elk River Sportsman’s club.
At that time the Elk River sportsman’s club property was a
bit bare, however with the help of the Minnesota National guard who also needed
a range to shoot. Equipment was brought
in and helped our members prepare most of the ranges on the club property
helping to build berms and the individual ranges.
Ed was responsible for hauling dirt, and grass along the
small bore firing line, setting the firing lines, and continued to haul water
and maintain the range to it current shape with the threes being planted in
approx 1990. After getting the current range up and running many regional and
sectional matches were held here at the Elk River club. In later years, with
the help of John Erickson who also took care of the range but did a lot with a
major junior shooting program.
Ed continued to shoot rifle matches in the area, especially
at the University of Minnesota, various matches in Wisconsin and also at the
Nationals in Camp Perry.
He also held many regional and sectional matches here at the
Elk River Sportsman’s club.
He continuing to be involved in both Hi power and smallbore
matches helping out in the running of both for a number of years.
By listening to Ed and seeing the trophies dating back to
the 50’s in his living room
There is proof he has attended more than a few matches in
his days.
Ed said that a Springfield or a Mod70 Win is his preferred
Hi Power rifle and he shoots an Anschutz for a small bore rifle.
When I asked him about air rifle shooting he commented it’s
not the same as shooting good ammunition because an air rifle is like eating
chocolate cake without frosting on it.
Ed’s other hobbies have been building beautiful tables from
wood he shipped over from Hawaii. Ed has created checkerboards from veneer
woods and many other wood working projects All finished to look like fine rifle stocks.
Since the death of his wife in 2003 he now has a 10-mile
driving restriction, so it’s difficult for him to get to the range. Any
volunteers available to get Ed to the range from Crystal might be very welcome
in the future.
Semper Fi, Ed. It was men like you who drove me to become a Marine. You guys were my hero's! -- and still are today.
Notes:
When the shooting season is over and you have too much time on your hands, you can build this Lego sniper rifle-- Click here
Two Weeks Out
Oct 6,7 Full Bore and Long Range at GRRC -
Click Here for Match bulletin
That's All Folks
Hawkeye
Sun – 2/17 SB 1600 Any’s Metric/Prone 
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