Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club

Well, it took two years, but it was worth it.

Geoff started his Distinguished Rifleman journey in June of 2022, earning 6 Distinguished points in the infamous boat match (the day the boat ran up on the rocks at Viale range).  He earned 10 points at the Camp Perry NTI matches in 2022 and 2023.  But, pursuit of Distinguished can be frustrating.  Geoff took First Leather several times at other matches – and at Camp Atterbury last weekend he missed the cut by several points while his daughter Miss Emma took home her first eight points.  But Camp Perry has been his happy place for leg points. 

Geoff started the match Sunday with 26 leg points and he already had his hard points – it was still just a matter of cranking out those last four points – but still not an easy task.  As Geoff and Emma started the walk down Viale Range on Sunday morning, it was raining lightly.  But, by the time they reached the 200 yard line, the rain had stopped completely.  In Geoff’s own words; “Right then I knew God was on my side today.  It wasn’t an easy day – wind conditions were right at our backs all day making Offhand a real challenge for most everyone.”

For the day, Geoff shot a 475-14X, good for second place of Non-Distinguished shooters and eleventh overall in the match and 8 leg points – giving him a total of 34 points; four more than he needed to close out Distinguished Rifleman!  In an impromptu ceremony after the match, Mike King presented Geoff with a Distinguished Rifleman hat pin to commemorate the occasion.  Depending on how quickly scores are processed, Geoff will probably be formally recognized at a Distinguished Rifleman Ceremony at the 2024 National Matches.

Geoff acknowledges that without the encouragement and support of his father-in-law, long time FWRR member John Halter, he would have never grown to love and appreciate this sport! 

Now Miss Emma – it’s your turn to take up the Distinguished Rifleman challenge!

On Saturday, June 15, Emma Branson  won the ISRPA EIC Match at Camp Atterbury with a score of 479-12x beating 30 other competitors. She was awarded 8 distinguished points, her first, and she will receive a Bronze EIC Medal as well as a gold CMP regional medal for her win. This win counts as her “hard” leg (a win of 8 or 10 points).  A shooter must achieve 30 points to become distinguished – one of which must be a hard leg.

Emma shot strings of 91-1X Offhand; 99-4X Rapid Sitting, 97-3X Rapid Prone and 192-4X Slow Prone.  Interestingly – none of these scores was a stage winner, but her consistency across the course took top honors for the day. Emma was two points ahead of fellow FWRR member Mike King who shot a 479-14X.

Congratulations Emma on an outstanding job, great way to begin your journey to becoming Distinguished!

As the Indiana Junior State Championship match opened, the question was; “Will Madelyn repeat as State Champion for a fourth time, or will someone upset her?”  Competition is intense for the top spot.  Madelyn has been working and hasn’t shot for a month. Emma is shooting Master scores and Marshall is always there at the top; Logan is consistently a strong contender. Will this be the year when the Madelyn’s winning series is broken?

Nope – not this year!

Saturday, June 8 was a beautiful day for a State Championship – nine Junior shooters from across Indiana gathered at the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club for the Fourth Annual State Championship. The day had comfortable temperatures, beautiful light and although there was a pretty good breeze at times – it was not a factor in most of the match.

Once the match got underway, it was apparent that Madelyn was the champion to beat.  One of the sayings of high power shooters is that you can’t win a match in the Offhand stage, you can lose it there – but Madelyn dominated Offhand with a 193-5X, 10 points ahead of Logan Becker.  In Sitting Rapid, Logan gained one point against Madelyn, but as the match moved back to 300-yards – Logan trailed by 9 points.

In the Prone Rapid fire string, Logan and Madelyn went head to head with both posting 198 scores; Logan with a 198-8X to Madelyn’s 198-4X. But at the Slow Prone stage, Madelyn took command again posting a 200-14X clean score for a match aggregate of 790-33X; dropping only 10 points across the whole match.

Awards:

Madelyn Schnelle                   State Champion; Gold Medal          790 – 33X

Logan Becker                          Silver Medal                                        776 – 20X

Emma Branson                       Bronze Medal                                      764 – 11X

First High Master                   Madelyn Schnelle                              790 – 33X

First Expert                             Emma Branson                                   764 – 11X

First Sharpshooter                 Mia King                                              752 –   7X

First Marksman                      Tayt Shaffer                                         613 –   5X

First Offhand                          Madelyn Schnelle                               193 –   5X

First Sitting Rapid                   Madelyn Schnelle                             199 – 10X

First Prone Rapid                   Logan Becker                                      198 –   8X

First Slow Prone                     Madelyn Schnelle                              200 – 14X

Incidentally, there was an “Old Guy” match being shot along with the Junior State Championship.  Mike King, a consistent ISRPA State Champion contender, was shooting on the same firing point as Madelyn and as the day went on, they were head to head for high match aggregate.  The contest went down to the last shot in the Slow Prone Stage.  Madelyn had finished with 790-33X, but Mike was at 780-34X.  If Mike shot another 10, he would have bragging rights for the day– but he missed a slight wind shift and his last shot was a 9! 

WIN, MADELYN!

In the afternoon, there was a Garand Match where many of the Juniors shot the Classic rifles.  It was a great close to a great day of shooting.

As many members have been aware, we have had a contest for the last several months to count the number of bullets in a jar as a fund raiser for our Juniors.

A beautifully refinished Winchester Model 94 (refinished by FWRR member Mike Toscos) in caliber .30-30 was donated as the prize for the individual who made the best count of the bullets in the jar.

The jar was opened at the Junior High Power Championship Match on June 8th and a counting committee determined that there were 337 bullets in the jar. When the entry slips were reviewed, Mike King had counted 338 – closest count and only off by one bullet.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest; we will use these funds to buy Creedmoor 1-inch PoleCat scope mounts for our Juniors.

WOW!  What a match!  One of the things I heard as feedback from shooters was that we should have more  3 x 20 300-yard prone matches, so I slipped in a 3 x 20 on the weekend before Mid-Summer Madness.  And, to paraphrase from the movie; “Schedule It and They WiIl Come”.

We had twenty-one (that’s right, 21) shooters for the day and they came to shoot.  Of the 21 shooters, four were Juniors and we were graced by one Great-Grand Senior shooter; Jack Baker from Lima, Ohio.

For most of the week we had been threatened with a rainy morning, but the rain held off until well into the afternoon and we shot the match under excellent conditions.  We shot in two classes, iron sight and scope classes.

Iron Sight Match

“Target seven, another X .. target seven, another X …” and so on for a total of  “Target seven, another X …” 47 times.  Joe Bakies dominated in the iron sight tournament with a triple clean 600-47X.  What a shooting lesson.  The folks watching on their displays were shaking their heads in amazement.  Great match Joe.  Tom Bonner took second with a 587-19X and Norbert Norton was third with a 572-17X.

Scope Match

The scope match was an 18-shooter match and the shooters put up some impressive scores.  Mark Walters took the top place with a 593-20X followed closely by Ron Dague with 592-31X; both shooting Match Rifles.  Ashley Stevens from Maumee, Ohio was third with a Service Rifle and a 590-30X score. Two Match Rifle shooters closed out the top five – Mark Richard with 585-23X and Aaron Kohler with 582-15X.

Thanks to all of the shooters who came out for the day.  We had a hiccup with one of the targets that made us shuffle shooters and target assignments – I appreciate everyone’s patience.

Our next Matches are the Mid-Summer Madness Weekend matches; a 50-round NMC on Friday afternoon June 7 at 4:30, an 80-round CMP Match on Saturday at 9:00 that will include the Indiana Junior High Power Championship – followed in the afternoon by a Garand/Service/Military Match. On Sunday we will shoot a 50-round NMC in the morning and another 50-round 100-yard match to close out the afternoon.

The range safety system is getting close to being finished.  We had a spell of “good enough” weather on Tuesday, so we pulled in all of the wiring to the north stations and over the week we have two more switch stations active.

We ended up needing two pieces of plastic fittings and some odd hardware to finish the job, so it’s not totally done yet.

Five of the six control stations are active; all of the switches on the 100-yard line and the end switches by the concrete benches are live and can be used to control the strobe/horn units on the 100-yard positions.  We have the pieces and parts we need to finish up – we just need to get everyone healthy enough to finish it off.

A reminder: 

1. When shooters want to go downrange, place the switch at a control station in the up (HORN/STROBE) position to call a CEASE FIRE.  Announce:  “CEASE FIRE, THE RANGE IS COLD”.  Everyone put down their guns – actions open and do not handle guns while people are downrange.  Once everyone has acknowledged that a CEASE FIRE is in place, put the switch in the down (STROBE) position.  The flashing strobes mean that someone is downrange.  If multiple shooters go downrange, everyone should place a switch in the STROBE position.

2. When all shooters return to the firing line, one shooter needs to place the switch in the up (HORN/STROBE) position to get everyone’s attention.  Once everyone is back, and the line wants to go HOT; return all switches to the middle (OFF) position. Announce; “THE LINE IS HOT”.

 ALL switches must be OFF to turn off the strobe lights – any switch, anywhere, in the STROBE position will keep the light flashing. (Any switch, anywhere, in HORN/STROBE will keep that annoying horn sounding as well)

It will be a bit before we get the last wiring done, but it is getting close to being finished.  Thank you for your patience.

June 2024 FWRRC Newsletter

FWRR Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, June 3, 2024.  Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne. 

Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m.  Meeting Agenda:  Standard meeting format.

Please make an effort to attend meetings, as a quorum is required to conduct club business. 

Cleanup Day

Cleanup Day was held on April 27^th.  Seventeen members (a bit less than 5% of the membership) participated.  Target frames at 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards were repaired and 12 new shooting seats of two different heights were fabricated.  Work completed early; therefore, lunch was not served.

On the Thursday following Cleanup Day, Lynn Rosswurm graded the roads and Pistol Pit area.  Lynn has volunteered his tractor and services for many years.  Be sure to thank him when you see him.

Lock Combination Change

The lock combination change has been made.

Driving Off Road

TO AVOID DAMAGE TO SWALES, IT IS NO LONGER PERMISSIBLE FOR ANY MEMBER TO DRIVE OFF ROAD TO THE 100 YARD TARGET FRAME.  Soil conditions permitting, it is permissible to drive on the grass downrange (west) of the 100 yard firing mound on the 300 yard range to access the 200 yard target frames. (Do not drive across the 100 yard firing mound.) It is permissible to park and drive on the grass in other areas, soil conditions permitting.

Discipline Reports

ACPDL (Allen County Practical Defense League)

ACPDL matches will be held on 6/1, 6/29 and 8/3. 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)

The following USPSA matches and practice sessions will be held in the May –July timeframe. Matches: 6/16 and 7/21. Match start time is 9:00 a.m.  Practice Sessions: 5/26, 6/23 and 7/28. Practice session start time is 5:00 p.m.

High-power (HP)

The following matches and practice sessions will be held in the May –July time frame.  

Prone Match: 6/1, 8:00 start time. 

50/80 Matches

• 5/18 and 7/20, 8:00 start time. 

Practice Sessions: Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. with the exception of July 4^th. 

(Range closes to informal practice at 3:00 p.m.) 

• 6/7: NMC, 4:30 p.m. 
• 6/8: RMC, 8:00 a.m.
• 6/9: NMCs at 8:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

A “Count the Bullets in the Jar” fundraiser was kicked off at the March offhand match.  This event is aimed at funding the purchase of three spotting scope stands and mounting heads for use by our Juniors. The fundraiser is an opportunity for participants to count the number of bullets in a jar.  The count closest to the actual number of bullets will receive a Winchester Model 94 in caliber .30-30.  The donation amount for each entry is $15.00. Only 40 entries will be accepted.  Entries will be accepted at club meetings and HP matches.  The count will be made at the Junior State HP Championship Match on June 8^th.

If you have young people who are interested in HP rifle competition, please contact Larry Beardsley:  Email: fwrrhpdirector@aol.com.

Cowboy Action

Cowboy Action Matches will be held on 6/22 and 7/13.  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). 

PCSL (Practical Competition Shooting League)

PCSL matches will be held on 5/26, 6/23 and 7/28..  Match time is 10:00 a.m. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m.  New shooter orientation begins at 9:50 a.m.  Rifles in caliber .223 and pistols in calibers 9 mm, .40 and .45 are used in this competition. Rounds counts are 120/match for rifles and 60/match for pistols.

New Members

Please welcome new members Jerry Brinegar, Derek Brown, John Davis, Riley Fox and Kris Hartwig. These gentlemen were inducted as full members at the April, 2024 meeting.

For Sale

Jaggi Shooting Glasses Frame with extra nose piece, lenses, blinders and case: $125.00. 8 round M1 clips:  $1.50 each.  Contact Marty Didion at  martindidion4@gmail.com 

Browning Buckmark .22:  $350.00.  Kimber Stainless II: $900.00.  AR-15 Rifle (heavy barrel, Jewel trigger, stock weights, diopter and sling): $900.00. Yugo 8 mm Mauser (scope, Timney trigger and modified bolt handle): $600.00.  Kimber Target 45: $800.00.  S&W K38: $650.00.  Thousands of rounds of pistol brass (calibers .380, 9 mm .38, .357 and .45): Make Offer.  Quantity of 5.56 LC brass, primed and ready for reloading:  Make Offer.   1000 rounds of WCC 5.56 once-fired brass:  Make Offer.  Text or call Mike English at (260) 450-4543.

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.

It’s getting to be a jungle or hayfield out on most of the range. Several places were too wet to mow in the last session and they are almost knee high now.

The range will be closed Tuesday morning for the mowing crews to harvest the hay crop.

On occasion everything comes together to make a beautiful day for a High Power Match and Saturday, 18 May was just exactly that day.  The threat of rain earlier in the week was gone, the skies were clear and blue, there was almost no wind all day and what wind there was came from straight downrange and cooled rather than bothered.  It did get warm, but not the “I’m cooking in this coat” warm.

And – in response to the great day we had 23 shooters come to the line at 8:00, the largest number of shooters we have had in a while.  This was a 50/80 Match where shooters may elect to shoot either a 50 round or 80 round course of fire. The matches are fired concurrently; we had 15 shooters in the 80- round match and 8 shooters in the 50-round match.

All of the shooters did well and the match moved right along with very few delays of any sort; we fired in three relays and we finished the last relay at 12:33.  Great job shooters – you make it easy on the Range Officer.

In the 80 round Match, the top three shooters were:

First                      Mike King                           784-28X

Second                 Mark Walters                    775-22X

Third                     Gary Mabis                       758-23X

In the 50 round Match, the top two shooters were:

First                      Jeff McCullough                462-4X

Second                 Jerry Johnson                    443-2X  (It’s good to see Jerry back to shooting)

Thanks to Marty Didion who acted as our match statistician and to Gary Mabis who was kind of our handyman who showed up just at the right times in several places where a hand was appreciated.

Our next match is a 3 x 600 (Reduced to 300) prone match on June 1 with our Midsummer Madness Weekend the next week (Friday June 7, Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9).  Keep an eye out for more information about that series of matches – 5 matches in two-and-a-half days!

We will shoot the Indiana Junior State High Power Championship on Saturday June 8 as part of that series, but there will be openings for just about everyone who wants to shoot that day – not just Juniors.

The Nasty Old Burn Barrels Are Going Away

Burn barrels have been a fixture in the pistol bays for as long as most people can remember.  While they do reduce the amount of trash residue, they don’t eliminate it (some stuff doesn’t burn and there are ashes and slag left).  And – once the burn barrel rusts and burns out – the barrel itself remains as a trashy item.

Over the next several weeks, the old burn barrels and ash piles in the pistol bays will go away.  They will not be replaced and users are requested not to bring in any new barrels. Trash cans and garbage bags will be provided for clean up after scheduled matches that generate larger amounts of trash.

Shooters are requested to take their range trash (shot up targets, scrap brass, target backers, pop cans and such) back home with them. 

Don’t just throw your trash in a pile and hope someone else cleans up after you – we’re not your mother picking up your dirty socks and underwear!