Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Not much going on

There's just not much to write about lately.

As far as the upcoming team 3 gun goes I can report that: I haven't done any confirmations yet if you're wondering, as I've been really busy with work. I intend to start on those tomorrow. We are up to about 17 teams now and still have room for a few more.

Also, the stages are done. I am getting questions about round counts, and it is a reasonable question, but is very hard to answer. They depend on your role within your team, and can very greatly depending on division, and ability.

A rough estimate for round counts: Rifle 40-140 rounds, Pistol 24-120 rounds, and shotgun 12 or so slugs minimum and 35 or so birdshot (7.5 or smaller). Keep in mind if you're shooting more of one gun than you're shooting less of the others. Like I said it's very hard to put a number on. Bring plenty.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Top ten reasons to come to set-up

The set-up for the May USPSA match will be Saturday, May 3rd at 11:00am. Please attend if possible. The are many advantages to helping witht the advance set-up.

10. More help = less burnout for the guys who are always there.
9. It's a good workout.
8. You get to preview the stages.
7. Match discounts and other advantages only the workers get.
6. Your input might allow us to make important changes to the stages before it is too late.
5. You could earn a nickname.
4. Early match sign-up at every set-up.
3. You get to play with power tools.
2. Your help is appreciated.
1. You never know what Frank will say or do next.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Funshoot fun!

Today's funshoot had good weather, good shooting, good fellow (and lady) ship, and a generally good time was had by all. Thanks to the 26 or so that played with us today, and I hope to see more of you next month. Next month the gloves come off, we will not be shooting steel, so there is no caliber limitations. If it fits in a pistol, you can shoot it, email formore info iwlafunshoot1@comcast.net Score will be sent to shooters tonight, and posted on the york pistol website ( http://yorkiwlaipsc.org/matches08.htm ) in a couple of days.

Those pesky pins, why won't they just fall off the table?


Baby bullets? Well, we got baby pins!


Choose your own claybirds, inconceivably difficult. This stage can make or break you total shoot score, but of course, this is a non conpetative shoot.......

See them eyes from behind the hostage? And where did those clays come from?! This stage wasn't any where near as hard as I thought it would be, 75% of the shooters shot it clean, I am sure the other 25% had some kind of failure...



Steel any one?


Drawin' down on a baby IPSC, not as easy as it looks.



Thanks again for a good day!


next month.


g

Keep your camera handy

You never know what you're going to see at the club. Tuesday I was in pit 5 setting up some steel and I heard something rustling behind me. I turned around expecting to see a chipmunk or something and saw this Garter snake trying to eat a toad. The snake was about 2 feet long and the toad had puffed himself up to about 2.5 in in diameter so it was a real struggle. The two fought for at least 45 minutes that I know of with no decision by the time I left. I know that this is totally unrelated but it was weird enough to be intersting, maybe. Besides I am running out of things to post, as you can probably tell by the slowdown. If you have any ideas email me.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Campfire stories with Uncle Tino part 2

Put this on you calendar now!

The night following the Team 3 gun (May 10th) if the weather cooperates, we're going to go camping at my lot just across the Maryland Line. All are welcome. It is an unimproved piece of woods with no amenities, but it is secluded and I own it, so we can do anythig we please. Last year about a dozen of us dared to camp out there on the night between the rifle match and the pistol match. That was great fun, but didn't lend itself to shooting well on Sunday.

This year there is no match the next day, so we can stay up later, and don't have to worry about getting up and rushing off to the range. We will be able to hang out and have breakfast etc. before heading off to spend time with our mothers. (It is Mother's day after all)

You are welcome to join us even if you are not shooting the team three gun. You may bring friends or family, but be aware this is usually a PG-13 affair due to some language usage and alcohol consumption.

I will need to have some kind of count as to who is staying overnight, who will be with us for supper (probably burgers), and who will be there for breakfast in the morning. If you plan on coming just email me.

You should bring a tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, and your beverage of choice, as well as anything else you find useful for a night in the woods.

There is no admission although the entertainment last year was priceless. If you can't have a good time at this thing, you can't have a good time anywhere.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Team 3 gun

I have sent out the invite for the team 3 gun with additional info. If you haven't received it yet email me. This is a really fun time and you don't want to miss it.

A couple pertinent facts:
- This match is instead of the May pistol match. Sorry to the ballistically impaired. You may need to buy more guns.
- If you don't have teamates I can hook you up.
- Each team will only need 1 shotgun shooter, but may have more.
- It is on a Saturday, May 10th.
- It is a fast match. We'll start shooting at the regular time and likely be done in two hours.
- I will send out stage descriptions and /or drawings to those registered ahead of time, with round counts.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Still more match pics

Gary S. ROs new shooter Bill S. who had a very nice first match.
Mike H. shooting under the careful eye of Jim F. Between these two they probably have 30 years or more of USPSA experience, and they have done a lot to make the sport what it is today.
Paul S. looks over "The Parthenon" I shot with him yesterday at Southern Chester and was really impressed with the way he shot. The guys up here have really taken a liking to him. When a guy like Paul shows up and proves he has a little talent, some enthusiasm for our sport, and is not afraid to pull his weight when it comes to set-ups and such, then we can't help but do all we can to see he gets the encouragement, advice, and support he needs and deserves.

APRIL FUNSHOOT

FUNSHOOT!
FUNSHOOT!
FUNSHOOT!

SATURDAY!
SATURDAY!
SATURDAY!


Ok, so it's a bit silly.


This coming Saturday, April 26th, is our next funshoot. Setup at 8:30, registration at 9:30, shooting at 10:00 ish.

This is a low key, non competitive event, of 100 rounds or so, that anyone who can safely handle a pistol can shoot. Your pistol must be of pistol caliber (no .223 Kel-Teks please), and hold a minimum of 6 rounds. Cost is $15, $5 for the under 18 set. Minors must be accompanied by a major.

If you want to know more, drop a line to iwlafunshoot1@comcast.net and I will add you to the mailing list.

Come on out, and bring friends, wives, husbands or others for a relaxing day of shooting and camaraderie.

See you there.

g

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Time is flying

It occured to me today how fast time is moving by. We just shot our USPSA match last weekend. Our Fun shoot is next weekend (Saturday the 26th). Then the weekend after that we have set-up for the May match already (Saturday the 3rd). May 10th (yes, it's a Saturday too)we will have our team 3 gun.

More info on the team 3 gun soon.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Match pics part IV

Paul M. ROing Mark S. Check out that old school dot scope.
Jason F. looking for targets on "Arrowhead"
Bernie S. engaging targets the way it was meant to be done on "Eeyore's evil idea" Shoot'em from the hip, yeah baby!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Match pics part III

Dave D. sprints through "The Parthenon"
Kevin M. "Always on the move"
My brother Jon T. on "Medusa's path" being ROed by Greg J. Greg has now shot 6 club level matches and has won his division in 5 of them. His very first one he was 2nd. Sevigny better look out.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Part II

Andy S. shooting his Saiga on "4x4" This magazine fed shotgun may be the way to go. They're showing up at the big three gun matches now.
An aggressive Caring L. on "Space Invaders"
Bob P. reloads his scattergun on "Space Invaders"

Monday, April 14, 2008

April match pictures part 1

Dominatin' Dave A. checking target angles on one of the shotgun stages. He set up a very interesting shotgun match. I can't thank him enough.
Sean M. shooting one of his pistol stages. He did a great job designing this months pistol match. Everyone really enjoyed the varied difficulty and flavor of each stage.
Tino shooting the 50 yard slug stage. Boy am I glad I talked Dave in from 75 yards. And I know I'm not the only one.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Match results

The match results are posted at our website www.yorkiwlaipsc.org see link below and to the right. If you see any mistakes email me at hkbrt@verizon.net and I'll have them made as appropriate.

Thanks to all who attended the match today. Especially those who busted their humps and helped us run the thing. The weather held out for us once again and it was, by all accounts a great match. I couldn't agree more, even though by the end of the day I was worn out, and ready to quit running matches. (The more I recover the more I know that it's going to be OK)

Sean M. designed the pistol stages and I think I speak for all when I say: Great job Sean! That may be the best 5 stage pistol match ever ran at our club.

Dominatin' Dave A. was our shotgun course designer and I think he tested our scattergun skills in new and painful ways. He also deserves a big pat on the back.

I'm not posting much tonight as I am beat.

Look for lots of match pictures here in the next few days.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Sunday looks promising

There was some doubt as to what the weather will be for tomorrow, but the latest forecasts look uplifting. Most of what can be done is already done. We'll still need some help in the am. We've got a lot of steel to set and calibrate in the front pits. We'll start that at 8:30 am. The rain we've had up to this point has had no ill effects on the range. There is some mud, but it is avoidable.

If you've never been to a USPSA match you should come see it. Please wear eye and ear protection.

If you don't shoot shotgun yet you should set aside a few minutes to see what it's about. It's great fun.

Hope to see you in the am.

Friday, April 11, 2008

St. Charles is back!

Russell F. passed along this great news this morning:

"St. Charles Sportsmans Club will hold its first USPSA match on April 20th. There will be 4-5 stages with a round count around 100. We will set up at 8am but will be limited to 8 shooters to help. Please email me if you would like to help set up. There will be a new shooter breifing at around 9:30-9:45 and we will begin shooting at 10am. Please send me an email if you are planing to shoot. The match fee is $20.00. $10.00 if you help set-up or tear down, ladies, juniors, seniors and St. Charles club members.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at andrew_f_white@yahoo.com
Thanks, Andy White"

I've never been to St. Charles but it sounds like a great idea. Please support this club's return if you can. The reaffiliation of a USPSA club is a great thing. That's 2 more clubs in our Area in a month!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Shotgun related items for sale

Kevin S. is selling this rib mount for a Remington shotgun (fits any ribbed 1100, 11-87, or 870) with OKO 6moa red dot scope. I've used this kind of mount/ scope combo for 15 years+ with excellent results. Mount retails for around $80 and scope retails for about $215. He wants $165 for both, and he'll have them at the match Sunday for inspection and or pick-up. If you are serious email him at stipilot@hotmail.com
I am selling this Hastings Paradox fully rifled slug barrel for a Remington 11-87. It is the shiznit for MD deer hunting with slugs, which I no longer do. Just whip off your shot/practical shooting barrel, and you're ready to hunt. This is a 24" and will shoot 2.75 or 3" slugs extremely well. This barrel retails for over $300 if you can find them and is barely used in excellent condition. I will take $175 for it. If you're serious about it email me at hkbrt@verizon.net The scope is a Leupold 2x extended eye relief (about $300 new)and I don't really care to sell it, but if you really want to keep the set together I'll take $400 for the complete rig. As it sits I can shoot 3" groups at 100 yards all day long with a wide variety of saboted slugs.

If you have items you would like to sell on our blog email me and I will post them for you.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

3D archery

The juniors at York Izaak Walton will be hosting their first 3D archery shoot of the year on Sunday April 27th. These shoots feature hunting situations with a wide variety of life-like foam animals, and are open to members and non-members. They start at 7:00am (I didn't even know there was such a thing) and the sign-up ends at 1:00pm. Food and drinks are available. $7 for adults and $4 for 15 and under.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Practical shotgun

With our shotgun match coming up this weekend I've been thinking shotgun shooting. Shooting shotgun is not much different than shooting pistol with one big exception: reloading is going to make or break you with a shotgun. Reloading is an important skill with pistol, but it has nowhere near the impact that it does in practical shotgun.

For instance, a close simple 12 round pistol stage may take the average C class production shooter 6 seconds to complete, even with a 2 second reload. A 12 round close simple shotgun stage will take that same shooter about the same amount of time to shoot, but when the time of the reload doubles if it's good and triples or more if not, that 6 second stage becomes 12 seconds or maybe 16 or more with a shotgun.

Essential to the reload is a good place to store your spare ammo. Figure that out well ahead of time. There are a variety of products available that put shells on the gun in different places, your arms, or your belt. Watch what the big dogs are using and research them. Find something that works for your technique.

Practice the reload. A lot. It is really hard to gain seconds shooting. It is easy to gain seconds reloading. I shoot few rounds practicing shotgun, but I reload at real speed a lot. This is where shotgun stages and matches are won and lost.

One last tip: Avoid reloads whenever posssible. You can do this by missing less and by finding the places you can get multiple targets with one shot. Use your pattern wisely.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Early warning

I'm going to give all my faithful readers a little head start in signing up for the April match. It is going to fill up very quickly.

On Sunday, April 13th, we'll be hosting 2 USPSA matches.

One is a shotgun match, with 4 stages designed by Dave A. The round count is 49 Min. Consisting of 41 birdshot 7.5 or smaller and 8 slugs minimum required. The cost is $15 and we will recognize Open, Limited and Pump divisions.

The other is a 5 stage pistol match designed by Sean M. The minimum round count for the pistol match is 103 rounds.

If you would like to sign up for either one or both email yorksignup@gmail.com and let us know if you want to shoot one or both matches and give us your name, USPSA #, division for either or both matches and anyone you would like to shoot with.

We hope to see you there.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Stage pictures

Kevin S. completing "Falling away from you." A simple little 8 round comstock steel stage. Did I mention the unloaded gun on table start?
Dan B. and Jim F. at "The Parthenon." Hope you like tough shots around barrels.
A partial view of "Always on the move." This is a 12 round comstock stage with 6 wide open targets. A lot of us will find ways to mess this stage up. You'll have just enough rope to hang yourself with here. You can't win a match on a stage like this one or "Falling away from me," but you can lose one if you screw these easy little ones up bad enough.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

April set-up

Today's set-up for the Match went extremely well. The stages designed by Sean M. are excellent and they go together to form a great pistol match. All your skills will be tested.
Sean laying out "Medusa's path." A 32 round Comstock course that is very tricky.
How many shooters does it take to move a plate rack?
The crew working on "Arrowhead." A fairly straight up 29 round field course with 2 swingers that can be shot a multitude of ways.

Sign up for this match will begin Tuesday.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Bumper stickers

Here are few quotes from my favorite bumper stickers, t-shirts etc. Most of them are old, but they are funny none the less:
- My guns have killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's cars.
- If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
- I carry a gun because a cop is to heavy.
- When seconds count the cops are just minutes away.
- An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.

And I especially like this old one: A guy was carrying a pistol, as is our right to do, when some smart anti noticed it and said snidely "I see by the pistol you're wearing you expect trouble this evening". The gun guy replied calmly "No sir, if I was expecting trouble I'd be carrying a rifle."

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Gun raffle

The gun raffle starts in a few days, so put on that last minute sales push. Ths is one of the club's most important fundraisers. You may turn sold tickets in at the set-up Saturday, or our match next Sunday. If you haven't bought one yet it's not too late. You can get one at either of those events or you can email me and we'll do it by snail mail.

The gun raffle uses the PA 3 digit lottery number. For $20 you get 20 chances to win top quality firearms or you may opt for $500 cash instead.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

New USPSA club

There is a new club in PA! Dan Burwell (the guy who does the great M&P triggers) is starting a club in Hollidaysburg. They will be holding matches on the first Saturday of the month. The only bad news is that Hollidaysburg is about 2 and half hours from York. (It's near Altoona)

I used to shoot Chevy Truck Sportsmens Challenge at that range and there is no doubt that they will be able to host Section and Area matches there someday.

From what I understand their first match will likely be in May. Please support them if you can. The formation of new clubs is rare and it takes a lot of effort. Experienced shooters can help them a lot just by showing up and shooting.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

USPSA

Effective immediately York Izaak Walton will no longer have any affiliation with USPSA due to a longstanding financial issue with the USPSA office. I hope you weren't foolish enough to fall for that. It would be even worse if you forwarded that email. Check the date. April fools. Comments appreciated, but keep them clean, women and children read this blog.