Sandbags – they seem simple.
But, I never thought I would have to comment on sandbag etiquette:
We get our sandbags from the Allen County Highway Department. The Highway Department is very co-operative, we just go out to the south barn, fill the bags, load them in the truck and bring them out to the range. The bags are not terribly high quality, so we double bag the sandbags. They should last a long time, but several factors make our bags wear out a lot quicker than they should.
FIRST: People rest the muzzle of their rifle on the sandbag. This is the biggest single factor that damages sandbags. The blast from the muzzle burns a hole in the woven cover on the bag. It only takes a couple of shots to melt through both layers of bags and the sand starts to drizzle out of the hole. If we catch this soon enough, we can put what is left of the bag in another bag, but many times the bag is thrown on the shooting deck, the sand runs out in a pile and we end up having to clean up the mess and throw away the broken bag.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE
ONE: Don’t lay your muzzle on the
sandbag. Not only does this burn a hole in
the bag – it is not a very stable shooting position.
SECOND: Picatinny Rails: A Picatinny Rail on the underside of your rifle will cut up the bag. Back to Point One, these are not really durable bags. That rail is very hard on the bags. We try to keep some carpet squares on the shooting benches to lie on top of the bags. If the squares have wandered off, sit the rail on your hat and remember to bring a towel or something to put under the rail the next time you come out to the range.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE
TWO: Don’t lay a Picatinny Rail on a
sandbag without some protection between the rail and the bag.
Third: Wet Sandbags: Please don’t leave sandbags lying in a place that
will let them get rained on. In the first
place, it makes the bag about 50% heavier and harder to move around. Most people don’t want to lay their rifle on
a wet bag. In cold weather, a wet bag freezes
solid and turns into a block – not useful for bench shooting. That frozen bag sticks to the bench and tears
the bag when you try to pry it loose.
POINT OF ETIQUETTE
THREE: When you finish with sandbags,
please move them to a location where they will not get wet from rain or snow.
The bottom line: A little thought and courtesy will reduce the work associated with maintaining sandbags and will give everyone more bags and nicer bags to shoot from.
We started shooting on our Silver Mountain Electronic targets in the summer of 2020. That same set of targets served us through that summer, through 2021 and 2022. By the end of the 2022 High Power season, the target faces were starting to show a lot of wear from the thousands of rounds that had passed through them. There were ragged holes in the center of the plastic and the faces were badly distorted with a large hump around the missing center portion. Possibly we could have gotten another shooting season out of them, but we had gotten our money’s worth and it was time to replace them at our leisure rather than having to make emergency repairs in mid-season when they finally came apart.
Over the winter we gathered up the material we needed and on Saturday March 25th a group of high power shooters came out to have a target overhaul work session. Eight shooters came out and it turned out that eight people was a perfect number to get the work done. We started about 8:30. About half of the old faces had been glued on with Liquid Nails adhesive and they proved to be a tough job to get off the frames. Gary Mabis and Doc Habel set up a demolition station to take off the old faces.
Gary Mabis and Doc Habel work to pry the face off of an old target
Chris Hartwig took on the job of cutting corners and handhold inserts.
Chris Hartwig setting up a work area to do cutouts. (Note the shot-up holes in the old faces)
Martin Didion and Joe Freiburger set up one refacing station and Mike King and Mike Bailey set up a second.
Mike King and Mike Bailey mark target centers to match index marks on the frames
Larry Beardsley just brought donuts, made coffee and stood around while people worked. Things went much more smoothly than we had expected and by 10:30 we were done and had our mess cleaned up.
Some clubs who use electronic targets do not do a fine-tune
calibration to align the X-ring into the acoustic center of the target frame; their
philosophy is; ”After all, – that’s what
sighting shots are for”. But, at FWRR we
do a fine tuning calibration on our targets.
We were able to closely match the original index marks on the target
frames and target insert holding fixtures, so there should be minimal effort
involved in recalibrating the targets for the high power season. Weather permitting we intend to do that next Saturday,
April 1st. With that done, we will have
a fresh set of targets ready for the 2023 and following seasons.
Thanks to all of the guys who came out to lend a hand; it turned out to be easy work with a bunchof guys who are a pleasure to work with.
The next meeting of
the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, April 3,2023. 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-format meeting and a discussion of
Cleanup Day activities.
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. You truly understand what it means to be
members of a club.
2023 Membership Renewal
At present, approximately 30 members have failed to
return their 2023 Renewal Form, proof of current NRA membership, and
payment. Attempts are being made to
contact those individuals.
Dues
received with postmark dates after March 1st, but on or before March
31st, are subject to a $25.00 late fee.
Dues
received with postmark dates after March 31st will be returned with
a notice indicating that:
the party’s membership has been terminated, and;
2) future membership requires submission of a
membership application and payment of new member fees (cf, Bylaws Article IX,
Section 2).
If
personal hardship prevents timely payment of dues, contact a club officer who
may arrange either for dues to be waived or for payment to be deferred.
Special Thanks to Generous Members
The Executive Board
wishes to thank the many members who have made donations this year. Your generosity goes a long way to making our
facility one which we can enjoy and take pride in.
Cleanup Day (Date Change)
Cleanup Day was initially scheduled for April 15, 2023. That date happens to coincide with the NRA Convention that is being held in Indianapolis this year. To avoid the conflict, the Cleanup Day date has been changed to April 29, 2023
Lock Combination Change
The lock combination
change is made on Cleanup Day. Retain
your 2022 Membership Card until the change is made or copy the 2022 lock
combination onto your 2023 Membership Card.
New Members
Please welcome new members Christopher Cuney, Johnathon McDaniel, and Marshall Rohrbach.
These individuals were inducted as full members at the February, 2023 meeting.
Reminder
Do not drive off-road
when the ground is wet and subject to rutting.
Newsletter Delivery
Members who have made
changes to the newsletter delivery mode (email vs. USPS delivery) will see those
changes go into effect with the mailing of this newsletter. If you are not receiving the newsletter per
the selection that you made on the 2023 Renewal Form, please send a correction
to martindidion4@gmail.com.
Sad News
It was recently
learned that member Wilbur (Al) Hobson passed away approximately six months
ago.
Discipline Reports
ACPDL
No report
USPSA
No report.
High-power (HP)
The last Winter 40-round Offhand Match was held on Saturday, March 11th.
The top five shooters for that match were Mike King, Mark Walters, Mia King (Junior girl, no relation to Mike), and Addiysn Shull (Junior girl).
For the Winter Offhand season, the high shooter was Mike King, followed by Doc Habel, Mark Walters, Mia King (Junior girl) and Gary Mabis.
More information concerning the High Power Program is posted on the Club’s website.
We Started Out in a Snowstorm
But we Ended Up on a Beautiful Spring Day in Indiana, but a Good Day to Shoot!
Note to Mowing Crew
The 2023 mowing
schedule will be mailed to crew members on or before April 15th.
For Sale
Russian 1891/30 7.62
x54R Mosin Nagant rifle with bayonet. Price: $400.00. One case of
7.62x54R ammunition. Price: $250.00.
Contact Joe Hoffman at (260) 433-0402 or joeseph6430@frontier.com.
Texan 16 ga, shot
shell reloading press. Price $20.00.
Contact Darrell Fish at (260) 615-1046.
Jewel single-stage trigger for a Remington 700. Price $180.00. One pound of Reloader 16. Price $60.00. Vihtavuori N550. Price: $65.00. Call or text Mark Strahan at (260) 927-5515.
Members who wish to
sell shooting-related items may send ad information to Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com. Ads must be received
three weeks before meetings in order to appear in the next newsletter.
Third Annual Indiana
Junior State High Power Championship
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Fort Wayne Rifle and
Revolver Club
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023
Sponsor: Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association
Location: Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club Range, 15715 Rupert
Road, Harlan, IN 46743 Google: “15715 Rupert Road, Harlan IN” for
detailed directions.
Contact Information: For additional
information, contact the FWRR High Power Match Director, Larry Beardsley, at
FWRRHPdirector@aol.com.
Open To: NRA or ISRPA membership not required. All
competitors must have a Release of Liability Agreement on file with FWRR, or
must complete the Release at registration. Competitors must sign the Liability
Release and a Parent, Guardian or an Authorized Adult must witness the
signature. An
Authorized Adult must have signed Parental or Guardian consent to sign the
Release of Liability.
Entry Fee: $30.00, payable at Statistics Office on Match day.
Cash or checks only please; no credit cards can be processed.
(Match
fees may be reduced by grants or sponsorships)
Ammunition: Any safe ammunition permitted – No tracers or incendiary
rounds.
Time: Registration opens at 7:00 and closes at 8:30. First shot – promptly at 9:00 A.M. Lunch will be available – free to competitors and may be purchased for $11.00 by non-competitors.
Pre-Registration: Pre-registrations are encouraged. Register at
FWRRHPDirector@aol.com. Walk-in registrations will be accepted up to a range
capacity of 28 competitors. Adults may fire as “Out of Competition”
shooters if range capacity allows. Parents and sponsors of Competitors
will be given preference for “Out of Competition” slots.
Course of Fire: NRA 50-Round National Match Course. The 600-yard
stage will be fired at 300-yards on the MR-63 reduced target.
Rules: 2022 NRA High Power Rules will apply. Match and Service rifles will be permitted. NRA Classifications will be used. A Match Jury will be empaneled.
Per NRA Rule 19.4.1, Coaching will be allowed for Junior shooters who have not established an NRA classification, or who are classified as NRA Marksman.
Targets: The matches will be shot on Silver Mountain
Electronic Targets. Competitors are required to provide their own display
device (Tablet, IPhone, IPad) or similar device. Competitors are
responsible for having enough battery capacity in their devices to support the
operating time required for a match.
If, in the judgment of
the Range Officer, a competitor is shooting in a manner that endangers the
range equipment, that competitor will be withdrawn from the match and their
match fees refunded.
Match Structure: NRA Registered Match
Match 1– 200 yards, slow fire, standing, 2 convertible sighters and 10
shots for record, 12 minutes
Match 2 – 200 yards, rapid fire, sitting, 2 sighters and 10 shots for
record, 63 seconds
Match 3 – 300 yards, rapid fire, prone, 2 sighters and 10 shots for
record, 73 seconds
Match 4 – Simulated 600 yards, slow fire, prone, 2 convertible
sighters and 20 shots for record, 22 minutes
Match 5– Course Aggregate: Matches 1-4. Match 5 winner will be
the Indiana Junior State Champion, subject to residency requirement.
Awards: Match Winners: An award will be
presented to the winner of each Match.
Classification Winner: The high scoring competitor in each
Classification will be presented an award. Classifications will be
combined until a minimum of three Competitors are represented in each
Classification.
Residency: Indiana Junior State Champion must be an
Indiana resident.
Winter Offhand closed out the 2022-2023 season on Saturday March 11. For the first time in several years we were able to shoot all five of the scheduled matches (no weather cancellations). In the five sessions, we had 19 shooters who shot 57 matches. We had one of those Indiana “nice early spring days” even though spring is still a bit away. It was above freezing (nice) the sun was shining (yes, in Indiana), no wind (even more remarkable) and we had about two inches of snow on the ground. As I said, it’s Indiana – and northwest Ohio as well!
This is a nice, warm spring day in Indiana
Since we were able to shoot all five sessions, the season standings would be determined by the best four scores competitors were able to shoot – if a shooter shot all five sessions, the low score was thrown out. If you only made four sessions or fewer – you had to be on top of your game every time!
Keith Mueller with the big .308
The last match of the year was a well shot match. Mike King kept his lock on first place with a 387-7X. Junior Marshall Rohrbach took second for the day with a 373-8X (season high) and Junior Addiysn Shull shot a personal best of 370-4X to take third. Mark Walters (369-2X and Doc Habel (368-1X) closed out the top five shooters for the day.
When the low score was thrown out (best four of five), the top five spots for the season were:
Mike King 1547-29X (Five matches)
Doc Habel 1495-16X (Four matches)
Mark Walters 1417-16X (Five Matches)
Mia King 1421-16X (Five matches, Junior girl)
Gary Mabis 1399-11X (Four matches)
Tayt, Mia, Marshall, Addiysn and Kileen – The Juniors
As the Winter Offhand season closes out, I want to say a
huge “Thank You” to all the people who make things run so smoothly. The shooters know what to do, and they do it safely
and consistently. In many shooting
programs there is “that guy” who always has an issue or a problem. I am glad to
say, he doesn’t shoot with us, we have a great group of shooters. I
could not do the things I do without the help I get with setting up and tearing
down. The Juniors pass out their own
ammunition – I don’t have to worry about that.
Mark Walters stepped in and ran the match when I could not be
there. Thanks Mark.
Our shooting matches are family affairs. Today we had mothers, fathers, grandparents
and siblings there to support the Junior shooters. Daryl Fish (the case fairy) brought us about
2,000 prepped cases and Gary Mabis added another 400 or so to the case
bank. Thanks to everyone for all of your
support.
Summer high power starts in April – let’s make it another great
season!
2023 Membership Renewal Forms were mailed in early December. Completed Membership Renewal Forms, proof of current NRA membership, and payments are due on January 1st each year.
When responding, please read and follow the instructions at the top of the form.
Dues must be received on or before March 1st to avoid late fees or termination of membership.
Dues received with postmark dates after March 1st, but on or before March 31st, are subject to a $25.00 late fee.
Dues received with postmark dates after March 31st will be returned with a notice indicating that:
1) the party’s membership has been terminated, and;
2) future membership requires submission of a membership application and payment of new member fees (c.f., Bylaws Article IX, Section 2).
Dues paid with an NSF check are subject to a $25.00 returned check fee.
If personal hardship prevents timely payment of dues, contact a club officer who may arrange either for dues to be waived or for payment to be deferred.
Individuals who were accepted as members after October 1, 2022 are not required to pay membership dues tor the 2023 calendar year; nevertheless, they do need to return the renewal form with proof of current NRA membership.
Sponsor: Indiana State Rifle and Pistol Association
Location: Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club Range, 15715 Rupert
Road, Harlan, IN 46743 Google: “15715 Rupert Road, Harlan IN” for
detailed directions.
Contact Information: For additional
information, contact the FWRR High Power Match Director, Larry Beardsley, at
FWRRHPdirector@aol.com.
Open To: NRA or ISRPA membership not required. All
competitors must have a Release of Liability Agreement on file with FWRR, or
must complete the Release at registration. Competitors must sign the Liability
Release and a Parent, Guardian or an Authorized Adult must witness the
signature. An
Authorized Adult must have signed Parental or Guardian consent to sign the
Release of Liability.
Entry Fee: $30.00, payable at Statistics Office on Match day.
Cash or checks only please; no credit cards can be processed.
(Match
fees may be reduced by grants or sponsorships)
Ammunition: Any safe ammunition permitted – No tracers or incendiary
rounds.
Time: Registration opens at 7:00 and closes at 8:30.
First shot – promptly at
9:00 A.M. Lunch will be available – free to competitors and may be
purchased for $10.00 by non-competitors.
Pre-Registration: Pre-registrations are encouraged. Register at
FWRRHPDirector@aol.com. Walk-in registrations will be accepted up to a range
capacity of 28 competitors. Adults may fire as “Out of Competition”
shooters if range capacity allows. Parents and sponsors of Competitors
will be given preference for “Out of Competition” slots.
Course of Fire: NRA 50-Round National Match Course. The 600-yard
stage will be fired at 300-yards on the MR-63 reduced target.
Rules: 2022 NRA High Power Rules will apply. Match
and Service rifles will be permitted. NRA Classifications will be used. A
Match Jury will be empanelled.
Per NRA Rule 19.4.1, Coaching will be allowed for Junior shooters who have not
established an NRA or CMP classification, or who are classified as NRA or CMP
Marksman.
Targets: The matches will be shot on Silver Mountain
Electronic Targets. Competitors are required to provide their own display
device (Tablet, IPhone, IPad) or similar device. Competitors are
responsible for having enough battery capacity in their devices to support the
operating time required for a match.
If, in the judgment of
the Range Officer, a competitor is shooting in a manner that endangers the
range equipment, that competitor will be withdrawn from the match and their
match fees refunded.
Match Structure: NRA Registered Match
Match 1– 200 yards, slow fire, standing, 2 convertible sighters and 10
shots for record, 12 minutes
Match 2 – 200 yards, rapid fire, sitting, 2 sighters and 10 shots for
record, 63 seconds
Match 3 – 300 yards, rapid fire, prone, 2 sighters and 10 shots for
record, 73 seconds
Match 4 – Simulated 600 yards, slow fire, prone, 2 convertible
sighters and 20 shots for record, 22 minutes
Match 5– Course Aggregate: Matches 1-4. Match 5 winner will be
the Indiana Junior State Champion, subject to residency requirement.
Awards: Match Winners: An award will be
presented to the winner of each Match.
Classification Winner: The high scoring competitor in each
Classification will be presented an award. Classifications will be
combined until a minimum of three Competitors are represented in each
Classification.
Residency: Indiana Junior State Champion must be an
Indiana resident.
Well … February Winter Offhand proved once again that no one is indispensable. The High Power Range Officer took a month off, but Mark Walters stepped up and ran the Winter Offhand Match as smoothly as anyone could have asked.
For a February morning, it was about as good as it gets. It was cold, about 24-degrees when things started about 8:40, but the sun was shining and … for a change there wasn’t any wind! The thirteen shooters spilled over into a second relay, but things still wrapped up before 10:00.
A beautiful day at the range!
There is no mistaking Miss Addysin and her left-handed rifle
The scores reflected the great day.
First: Mike King 380-10X
Second: Mark Walters 373- 2X
Third: Doc
Habel 370- 2X
Fourth place was a three-way tie at 357, but Marshall Rohrbach Creedmoored
the group with his 357-3X.
The season aggregates reaffirm the old saying; “You gotta’
show up and shoot”.
First: Mike
King 4 Matches 1540-32X
Second: Mark Walters 4 Matches 1455-12X
Third: Mia
King 4 Matches 1407-15X
Fourth: Addiysn Shull 4 Matches 1132- 3X
Firth: Doc Habel 3 Matches 1127-15X
Honest Coach, I don’t know what happened!
We have one match left in March and that may well decide the season standings!
The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, February 6, 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-format meeting. Please make an effort to attend meetings, as a quorum is required to conduct club business.
Attendance at the December, 2022 meeting was outstanding. Thanks to all who took the time to attend the meeting at the busiest time of the year.
Election Results
The following individuals were elected to serve.
President: Jim Sweeney
Vice President: Matt Hice
Secretary: Mike Miller
Treasurer: Martin Didion
Director: Larry Beardsley
Program Manager: Ryan Brammer
Range Safety Officer: Larry Beardsley
2023 Membership Renewal
2023 Membership Renewal Forms were mailed in early December. Completed Membership Renewal Forms, proof of current NRA membership, and payments are due on January 1st each year.
When responding, please read and follow the instructions at the top of the form.
Dues must be received on or before March 1st to avoid late fees or termination of membership. Dues received with postmark dates after March 1st, but on or before March 31st, are subject to a $25.00 late fee. Dues received with postmark dates after March 31st will be returned with a notice indicating that 1) the party’s membership has been terminated, and 2) future membership requires submission of a membership application and payment of new member fees (c.f., Bylaws Article IX, Section 2). Dues paid with an NSF check are subject to a $25.00 returned check fee.
If personal hardship prevents timely payment of dues, contact a club officer who may arrange either for dues to be waived or for payment to be deferred.
Individuals who were accepted as members after October 1, 2022 are not required to pay membership dues tor the 2023 calendar year; nevertheless, they do need to return the renewal form with proof of current NRA membership.
Updating the roster is a time consuming activity. Deciphering illegible printing and contacting members to obtain proof of NRA membership are frustrating and time consuming activities.
Renewal Status
At the time of newsletter publication, 58% of the membership renewals had been received and processed.
Special Thanks to Generous Members
The Executive Board wishes to thank the many members who made generous donations this year. Items such as as insurance, facility maintenance, postage, printing, and utilities are recurring expenses. Your generosity goes a long way to making our facility one which we can enjoy and take pride in.
Lock Combination Change
The lock combination change is made on Cleanup Day (mid to late April). Retain your 2022 Membership Card until the change is made or copy the 2022 lock combination onto your 2023 Membership Card.
New Members
Please welcome new members Bruce Bickley, Devon Burton, Jeffery Doherty, Mia King, and Karl Pulver. These individuals were inducted as full members at the December, 2022 meeting.
Discipline Reports
ACPDL
No report
USPSA
No report.
High-power (HP)
Winter 40-round offhand matches are being held the second Saturday of the month from November through March. Check-in Time: 8:00 a.m. Firing begins at 9:00 a.m. For those who wish to use the range on those days, note that the match is typically over by noon. More information concerning the High Power Program is posted on the Club’s website.
January Winter Offhand was a nice, sunny day!
We had a very good turn-out to start the 2023 season!
Important Reminders
Some of these reminders are repeated from earlier newsletters. They are being repeated because violations are still occurring. Several members have reported violations but failed to advise offenders. If you see someone in violation, please courteously explain the rule infraction.
DO NOT HANDLE FIREARMS WHEN PERSONNEL ARE DOWN RANGE! Proper range etiquette involves opening actions, removing all ammunition from firearms, and stepping away from the firing line.
DO NOT POST TARGETS ON TARGET FRAMES OR OTHERWISE INTENTIONALLY SHOOT TARGET FRAMES. All shots should pass through target backers and must land on impact bunkers.
THE RANGE STATUS FLAG MUST BE LOWERED AND RAISED EVEN IF YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON ON THE RANGE. Ensure that targets are removed and the status flag is lowered before departing the range.
CLAY BIRDS ARE TO BE SHOT ONLY FROM THE HUT AT THE SOUTH END OF THE 25/50/100 YARD FIRING LINE. Shot must land on FWRRC property.
Newsletter Delivery
Changes to newsletter delivery mode will go into effect with the mailing of the April 2023 Newsletter.
Sad News
Member Steve Clouse passed away in December, 2022. He loved bowling, riding his Goldwing, camping, four-wheeling, and shooting with his best friend, club member Chip Seidel.
For Sale
Two (2) Russian 1891/30 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant rifles with bayonets. Price: $400.00/each. Two (2) cases of 7.62x54R ammunition. Price: $250.00/440 rounds. Contact Joe Hoffman at (260) 433-0402 or joeseph6430@frontier.com.
Members who wish to sell shooting-related items may send ad information to Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com. Ads must be received two weeks before meetings in order to appear in the next newsletter.
