October 2023 Newsletter; Meeting Notice

FWRR Club Meeting 

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, October 2, 2023.  Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne.  Meeting  Time: 7:00 p.m.  Food and drink will be available at very reasonable prices before and after the meeting. 

Meeting Agenda:  Standard meeting  format.  Please make an effort to attend meetings, as a quorum is required to conduct club business.  Sincere thanks to members who take the time to attend meetings and to support the club in so many other ways.  Being a member of a club involves more than paying dues and using facilities.

Maintenance Activities 

Earth work has been completed on the west side of the ditch.  The mound at 75 – yards on the 100 yard range was removed, as was the low-level extension at the north end of the 100 yard impact bunker,.  The mound was originally put in place to catch pistol bullets that were fired at 25 yard targets.  The mound proved to be ineffective in achieving its intended objective and caused drainage problems.

 The extension of the 100 yard impact bunker, which was installed for .22 Bench Rest (BR) matches, is no longer needed because .22 BR matches no longer fired.  Earth from the mound and extension was redistributed to improve surface water flow. Also, the 100 yard firing mound on the 300 yard range was extended and leveled.  Grass seed (200 lbs), triple 19 fertilizer (100 lbs), and straw were applied..  More work on the east side of the ditch and in the Pistol Pit will be accomplished later this year. 

Ted Smeltzer headed up this project.  Ted was assisted by his son, David (a non-member), Martin Didion, Robin Liechty, and Jim Sweeney.  Robin provided the equipment and fuel that was needed to blow straw.  Please thank these gentlemen for their work.  

New Members 

Please welcome the following individuals who inducted as full members at the August 2023 meeting: Brian Bremer, Gregory Bultemeier, and Bradd Shull. 

Reminders 

AERIAL TARGETS MAY NO LONGER BE SHOT ON FWRRC PROPERTY.  This change was made primarily due to lack of an adequate shot-fall safety zone. 

BEFORE DRIVING DOWN RANGE TO THE 200 AND 300 YARD TARGET HOLDERS, CHECK THE RANGE STATUS SIGN.  Be aware that the range status sign is not visible from the 300 yard firing line from some vehicles. 

Doors to the outhouse are being left open.  Please close the door after you use the facility. 

Do not drive on freshly seeded areas. 

Someone has used the 4’ x 4’ target backers in Bays 4 & 5 as shotgun pattern boards. —an inconsiderate and improper act. Shotguns are fired in the Pistol Pit only during sanctioned matches and at targets designated for that purpose.

Discipline Reports 

ACPDL (Allen County Practical Defense League) 

Matches will be held on October 7th,, November 4th, and December 2nd.  Only ACPDL members are permitted to shoot.  The pre-match meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. and shooting commences at 9:30 a.m.  Matches are typically finished by 12:00 noon.  Observers and those persons interested in becoming ACPDL members are welcome.

USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) 

USPSA matches are held on the third Sunday, April – October.  Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and shooting commences at 10:00 a.m.  FWRRC membership is not a requirement.  

High-power (HP) 

The Leonard Johnson Memorial Match and a 300-yard Prone Match will be held on will be held on October 14th  and October 28th, respectively.  Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and match start time is 9:00 a.m   

Winter Offhand Matches are scheduled for the second Saturday, November through March.  The first Winter Offhand Match is scheduled for November 11th.  Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and match start time is 9:00 a.m 

Practices matches are typically held on Thursday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., May through October.  The Main Range is closed at 3:00 p.m. on practice days to permit mowing firing points and setting up targets.  Pistol Bays 4 and 5 will be open during HP practice sessions. 

Cowboy Action 

Cowboy Action matches are scheduled for the fourth Saturday, May through October.  The next match will be held on October 27th.  Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. for regular matches and at 9:00 a.m. for voluntary side matches.  Regular match start time is 10:00 a.m.  The matches begin with a mandatory shooter’s meeting. The ammunition requirements for the regular match are 60 rounds for pistols, 60 rounds rifles, and 30 rounds for shotguns.  Only lead bullets and shot are permitted.  Shot may be no larger than #4 (shot sizes 4 – 9).  

Range Mowing and Maintance/Improvement Activities

Mowing 

The 2023 Mowing Schedule is posted on the FWRRC website.  Dates are tentative, depending on weather and ground conditions.  Mowing times vary according to volunteer availability.  Efforts will be made to provide mowing times and change dates  on the website (https://fwrrclub.org/)  .  The Main Range is closed during mowing and other range maintenance activities but Pistol Bays 4 and 5 will remain open.  It is recommended that members check the website for updates before traveling to the range. 

If you are interested in joining the mowing crew, contact Martin Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com.

Maintance /Improvement Activities 

The remainder of the earth work on the east side of the ditch and work to extend the berm between Pistol Pit Bays 4 & 5 will be accomplished in the September/October time frame.  This work will be performed when weather and ground conditions permit.  Dates and times will also depend on the availability of the contractor who will perform the work.  Pistol Bays 4 & 5 will be open while work on the Main Range is being performed. Pistol Bays 4 and 5 will will be closed when the berm is being extended.  An effort will be made to post range closings on the FWRRC website.  Please check the website (https://fwrrclub.org/)  for updates before traveling to the range.

2024 Range Activity Schedule 

Discipline Leads should be prepared to submit their proposed schedules for the 2024 season to Program Manager, Ryan Brammer, at the December 2023 meeting. 

For Sale

Members who wish to sell shooting-related items may send ad information to Martin Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com.  Ads must be received three weeks before meetings in order to appear in the next newsletter.