Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club

July 12 was one of those matches where I expected there to be a light turnout.  There were not that many call ahead registrations, there was an XTC match at Atterbury and it was going to be a hot and humid day – all of which can lead to light attendance.

Then shooters started showing up.  People came in from Lima, then Toledo, then Cloverdale and Stryker Ohio.  Next thing I knew – a bus from Concordia High School drove up with five Junior shooters and a couple of other shooters!  By the time we went to the line, I had three full relays and one set of shooters pair firing for a total of 25 shooters for the match – one of the best turn-outs we’ve had in a long time.  (I would have had to be inventive if three of our regulars at FWRR hadn’t decided to go to Atterbury to shoot over the weekend – we would have had several pair firing positions!)

It was a full firing line on all three relays

It was a warm day, but most of the time there was a breeze from 12-o’clock to make it bearable.  The precaution to everyone was “drink water – keep hydrated” and we had nobody with any issues from the heat other than sweaty shooting coats.

Mia takes her sighters offhand while Kileen checks her zero from a sitting position

Marshall Rohrbach was the 800 Aggregate match winner for the day with a 778-22X.  Notably, this was Marshall’s first match NOT as a Junior – Marshall having turned 21 just a couple of weeks ago.  “Welcome to the Big Time Marshall”.  Second place in the 80-round group was Jim Otto with 772-23X and third was Jeff Beierke with 751-18X.  First Junior was Mia King with 726-9X.

In the 50-round group, Jim Jackson took first with 487-14X, followed by Jess Jessup’s 470-15X.  Third was Kelly Bushong with a 450-3X.  First Junior in the 50-round match was Concordia’s Caleb Dekker.

We want to acknowledge the High Power Team from Concordia who shot their debut match at FWRR.  In the Concordia group, congratulations to Sydney Beiswanger with a 712-10X in the 80-round match and Caleb Dekker in the 50-round match with a 449-5X.

FWRR Juniors score for the Concordia Juniors

Ashley, Ashton and Tayt – Offhand

Next on the agenda are the National Matches at Camp Perry.  We have a number of individual shooters participating as well as eight of our Juniors – it will be an exciting week or 10-days.

Due to the excessive heat warning and near 100-degree heat index predicted for this afternoon, I am cancelling the regular practice and the 100-yard match.

It’s not worth having someone get sick in the heat.

We will reschedule the match for another Thursday.

(Corrected – had wrong date on original post)

On Saturday, June 28 – the 200 and 300 yard rifle ranges will be closed from 1:00 until 4:00 PM for a Concordia High School Junior Introduction to High Power Class. The pistol bays will be open.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22, ISRPA held dual EIC Matches at Camp Atterbury.  The Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club was well represented, both in the number of members who participated and in their accomplishments.

Saturday was a hot day and it took a while for the match to start; by some accounts it was close to 11:00 before the first shot for record went downrange.  It was also windy enough to push folks around in Offhand.

FWRR scores for Saturday were:

Jim Jackson                        467 – 11X

Gary Mabis                         464 – 10X

Mike King                           453 – 12X

Marshall Rohrbach            444 –   6X             Junior Boy

Jess Jessup                         440 –   3X

Aria Hobbs                         408 –   4X             Junior Girl

Tayt Shaffer                        407 –   8X             Junior Boy

Sunday was also a hot day, but the match went smoother and scores reflected that shooters did not have to sit around in the heat as long as they did Saturday.

Mike King                           485 – 14X            Third overall, CMP Bronze Medal

Gary Mabis                         474 – 12X            2nd Non-Distinguished, 6 Leg Points

Marshall Rohrbach           467 –   5X             3^rd Non-Distinguished, 6 Leg Points

Tayt Shaffer                        396 –   1X             Junior Boy

Killian Grimm                     343 –   3X             Junior Boy

Ashton Hovey                    343 –   0X             Junior Boy

Timothy Hovey                  288 –   0X

Brian Grimm                      226 –   0X

Congratulations to Gary Mabis on his first EIC points and to Marshall for his 6 points to add to the 4 he received at Small Arms Firing School.                      

The rifle ranges will be closed on Monday morning, June 23 for mowing. The exact start time and duration is not known, so plan your range activities accordingly.

On Saturday, May 24 Mike King made the pilgrimage to Alliance, Ohio to the Alliance Rifle Club for the first round of the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association’s Triple Crown Series 1000 Match.

Thirty-five competitors fired the match and when it was all said and done, FWRR’s Mike King came out on top with a 981-39X aggregate. Second place was 979-34X and third was 978-37X – a serious group of shooters indeed!

Congratulations Mike! Keep bringing those Buckeye awards back to Indiana!

FWRR Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, June 2, 2025.  Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne.  Meeting Time: 7:30 p.m.  Meeting Agenda:  Standard meeting format.

Cleanup Day

Cleanup Day activities included road grading, cutting trees and brush along the entire length of the north lane, target frame repairs, mowing, and Pistol Pit cleanup and reorganization work. More than twenty people participated in Cleanup Day. All participants seemed to enjoy the camaraderie and most attended the luncheon.

Be certain to thank the following members for their efforts.  Sam Adams, Mike Bailey, Doug Burdick, Zachary Calci, Mike Camperman, Marty Didion, Darrel Fish, Tom Fortman, Joe Freiberger, Jim Jackson, Mike King, John Kline, Ed Klotz, John Kurtz, Gene Pelter, Lynn Rosswurm, Ted Smeltzer, David Smeltzer (A non-member who always shows up with dad!), Terry Thoma, Jim Sweeney, Cody Wunderlich, and Tim Wunderlich.  Thanks also go to the several members who did not sign the sign-in sheet.

The Club also wishes to recognize John Kurtz (non-member), Lynn Rosswurm, and Ted Smeltzer for the use of their sickle-bar-equipped tractor (John), tractor with grading equipment (Lynn), skid-loader and trailer (Ted).  John’s father, Tom (deceased) was a member of our Club. Hopefully, John will soon join the membership.  Special thanks also go to Tom Fortman, Chris Harmon, Darrell Fish, and Ed Klotz.  Tom paid for the repair of a Club Cadet tire and donated materials. Chris provided a dumpster. And Ed and Darrell donated a US Flag and repaired the rope/pulley system.

Lock Combination Change

The lock combination change was changed on Cleanup Day.

Mowing Schedule

Mowing dates in the May – July time frame are as follows:  5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, 6/25, 7/9, and 7/23.  The complete 2025 Mowing Schedule will soon be posted on the Club’s website. 

Mowing dates are tentative, depending on weather, ground conditions, and grass growth.  Mowing times vary according to volunteer availability.  Efforts will be made to provide mowing date and time updates on the website.  The Main Range is closed during mowing and other range maintenance activities.  It is recommended that members check the website for updates. 

Driving Off Road

IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE FOR ANY MEMBER TO DRIVE OFF ROAD TO THE 100 YARD TARGET FRAME. Some members are ignoring this restriction.  Soil conditions permitting, it is permissible to drive on the grass down range west of the 100 yard firing mound on the 300 yard portion of the 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.

Posting of Targets

All targets, with the exception of shotgun patterning boards, are to be posted on the target frames at 25, 50 100, 200 and 300 yards.  The use of any member-provided rifle or pistol target holders is not permitted. Use of member-provided, wood-frame, shotgun patterning boards is permitted.

Do not allow bullets to impact the target frames.  Bullets should pass through the 2’ x 2’ backers (cardboards etc to which targets are attached) and impact on the backstops.

If staples are used as an auxiliary means of securing backers to the target frames, please remove the staples to avoid injury to other users.

New Members

Please welcome new members Daniel Bone, Jeremy Hoover, and Steven Stetzel. These gentlemen were inducted as full members at the April, 2025 meeting.

Discipline Reports

ACPDL (Allen County Practical Defense League)

ACPDL matches are scheduled for June 7th and July 5th, 2025.  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.  Observers and those persons interested in becoming ACPDL members are welcome. Matches are typically finished by 12:00 noon. 

USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association)

USPSA matches are scheduled for May 18th, June 15th, and July 20th.  Match start time is 10:00 a.m.  Match fees are $15.00 for members and $20.00 for nonmembers.  Practice sessions are scheduled for June 5th and July 10th.  Practice sessions begin at 5:00 p.m. 

PCSL (Practical Competition Shooting League)

PCSL matches are scheduled for June 8th and July 13th, 2025.  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. Matches are typically finished by 2:00p.m. 

Cowboy Action

Cowboy action matches have been removed from the 2025 schedule.  These matches are expected to resume in 2026.

High-Power (HP)

The HP “Mid-Summer Madness” Weekend will begin on Friday, June 13th and run through Sunday, June 15th.  “Madness” is kicked off by a 50-round NMC match held at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.  The Junior State High-Power Rifle Championship will be held on Saturday, June 14th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  This match is an 80-round Regional Match Course and praricipation is not limited to just Juniors – all shooters are invited to shoot this match. A luncheon and an awards ceremony will follow the Championship Match. After the awards ceremony, at approximately 1:00 p.m. shooters are invited to participate in a Garand Match.  A 50/80 Match will be fired on Sunday, June 15 commencing at 9:00 a.m. Registration for matches is one hour before shooting times.

NRA 100 yard NMC and 50/80 matches will be shot on 6/26. and 7/12, respectively.  100 yard match firing will commence at 4:30 p.m.  The 50/80 match start time is 9:00 a.m.

Practice Matches are held on Thursdays from May through October 15th.   Practice matches begin at 3:00 p.m., at which time the Main Range is closed to informal practice.  The pistol Pits remain open.

For Sale/Wanted

Wanted

Unertl or Litschert telescopic sights, 8x or 10x preferred.  No de-horned mounts. Contact Mark Walters at mwalt1@comcast,net. 

For Sale

Caliber .223, 77 gr. and 80 gr. Sierra MatchKing Bullets. Boxes of 500. Price:  $160.00/box.  

Jaggi Shooting Glasses Frame (with extra nose piece, lenses, blinders and case).  Price: $125.00.  

Gingher-built, double-lug M1A.  POR.  

DMPS AR-15-configuration 22 RF Rifle, Unfired (with two magazines). Price:  $700.00.  

Garand and M1 Carbine stocks.  Price: Negotiable. 

Weaver T36 Target Scope. Price: $350.00. Contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com.

305 rnds of 45 ACP ammo, mostly reloads.  Price: $75.00. Text Mike English at (260) 450-4543.

16 ft Fiberglass Canoe; Green exterior, hardwood trim. Comes with two Ash paddles. Price: $500.00. Contact John Halter at (260) 449-8810.

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.

Mid-Summer Madness weekend is coming closer and I am going to open up registration for the matches.  Register early if you have a target or relay preference – otherwise you may end up shooting in the mud puddle with the tadpoles!

The First Match of the week end is on Friday, June 13; a 50-round National Match Course.  We will start at 4:30 and we should finish before the sun gets so far down to be a problem putting glare in our eyes.

Saturday, June 14 is a big day.  The morning Match is an 80-round CMP Sanctioned Regional Match which is also the Indiana Junior State High Power Championship Match.  It is not just a Junior Match, it is open to everyone who wants to come out and shoot.

Lunch will be served that day; free to Juniors and $12 to others (you can’t drive to Wendy’s for $12).  It is a Mark Walters’ hot buffet (typically chicken, burgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and if you leave hungry – it’s your fault).   After the Junior Awards are given out, we will shoot a Garand Match in the afternoon.  M1’s, M1 Carbines, 1903/1903A3, 1917 Enfields, Swiss, Moissan Nagant … Vintage Military, modern service rifles … just about whatever you have other that a shotgun we will have a category for you.  And, re-entry matches are allowed.

The weekend closes out on Sunday morning with a 9:00 AM 80-round XTC Match.

Put this weekend on your calendar and get as spot reserved early!

Questions? Contact FWRRHPDirector@aol.com and we’ll figure out an answer.

Current plans are to mow the range on Friday afternoon, May 23 starting at approximately 2:00 PM. The schedule may vary depending on personnel availability, so plan your range time with this activity in mind.

In early May the grass comes out, the dandelions pop up and everyone seems to schedule a High power match. Last Saturday all of those were true when we held our first 50/80 match of the year . Even though there were matches at other ranges, we had fifteen shooters come to the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club Range for the day. Of the fifteen, we had five Junior shooters, including three Juniors from the Class 0f 2025 shooting in their first formal match.

It was a beautiful day for a match; the light, the wind and the temperature were just about as close to perfect as anyone could have asked for.

In the 80-Round match, Gary Mabis took the top slot with a 776-24X aggregate (assisted with a 200-9X simulated 600-yard stage). The 80-Round runner-up was Mark Richard with a 769-14X; his 191-4X Offhand was the best Offhand of the day (the old guy can still stand up and shoot!). Jeff Beierke was third just a couple of points behind Mark with a 767-22X.

Marshall Rohrbach took First Junior honors in the 80-Round Match with a 759-15X aggregate.

In the 50-Round Match, Miss Mia King’s 457-9X took top honors (and First Junior), followed by Class of 2025 Killian Grimm’s 421-3X – a very good outing for a first match, AND – it has to be noted that Miss Brielle Fralick shot an 87-1X Offhand stage for her first competitive stage. Keep up the good work!

Next month is our Midsummer Madness weekend which includes the Indiana Junior High Power Championship. We start on Friday afternoon at 4:30 PM with a 50-Round National Match Course. Then, on Saturday at 9:00 AM we shoot an 80-Round Regional Course. This match is open to everyone and in it Juniors will be competing for the Indiana Junior Championship. CMP Gold and Silver State medals will be awarded. Juniors shoot free and are provided free match grade ammunition if they desire to use it, otherwise the entry fee is $35.00

At the completion of this match, we will have lunch (free to Juniors, $12.00 for spectators and others) and will make awards. After the awards are complete, we will have a GSM Match. If you registered for the morning match, the first entry in the GSM Match if free. New shooters for the GSM Match pay $15.00 entry fee with an additional $5.00 for each re-entry.

The weekend closes out on Sunday Morning at 9:00AM with a 50/80 Match – just about all of the shooting folks care to do over a weekend!

Check out your calendars and come out and shoot with us!

REGISTRATION FORM

2025 Indiana State Junior High Power Championship

June 14, 2025 at the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club

15715 Rupert Road; Harlan, IN

Match Program may be found here:

https://fwrrclub.org/index.php/2025/01/29/2025-junior-state-championship-match-bulletin/

Name: _______________________________  Age (As of 31 Dec 2025):  ______

Address:_________________________

City: _____________________        State: ________          ZIP: _________

Club Affiliation: ___________________________________

Email:  ________________________

For Junior Participants; Lunch is free.  I want a free lunch:  ___ YES          ____ NO

Additional lunches for parents, sponsors and spectators @ $12.00/each;   # _____

For Junior Participants; an event T-shirt is free.    Size (S, M, L, XL, XXL)  ____ ____

Additional T-shirts for parents, sponsors and spectators @ $17.00/each:

Small _____   Medium _____   Large _____   X-Large ______   XX-Large _____

For additional information, contact Larry Beardsley at FWRRHPDirector@aol.com

We had a bright, sunny (and actually warm) opening day!

Like baseball, opening day for High Power can be a roll of the dice.  We have had opening day matches in the snow, in the mud but on Saturday April 12th the dice came up in our favor.  It was a fantastic Opening Day Match.  It was sunny, it was brisk, the sun was warm and there was absolutely no wind most of the match.

The wind ribbon makes it look like there was a lot more wind than there really was.

This was a practice match – no one won or lost (at least officially) and no scores were turned in to either the NRA or CMP.  We had nineteen shooters; twelve shooters shot 50/80 matches and another seven shot out-of-competition matches.  Many of the out-of-competition shooters were Class of 2025 Juniors or parents of the Class of 2025 shooting in their first match.

Yep – you see right – there is a new Sherriff in town (A newly CMP Certified Range Officer)

In the 50/80 match shooters, we got a preview of the upcoming season.  In the 80-round matches, Mike King took first place with a 785-29X, but Marshall Rohrbach was close on his heels with a 784-17X.  In the 50-round category, Jim Jackson took the top slot with 479-6X followed by Mia King with 462-8X.

Look out guys (and girls) – more left handed Junior girls are coming.

There was a very pleasant surprise at the end of the match. Over the winter a group of shooters organized by Gary Mabis shot a series of half-regional matches; 40 shot matches after our regular Winter Offhand Matches.  Gary donated half of their entry fees to the Junior High Power Program, and many of the shooter who received prize pay-outs did the same.

THANK YOU to Gary for organizing the Winter Half-Regional Matches and THANK YOU to the competitors who made donations to the Junior program.

We will start Thursday practices on Thursday, May 8th. The range will close at 3:00 for grounds keeping and setup with practice starting at 4:30. I expect more people at practice this year, so we may be shooting multiple shooters on each target or only shooting at one distance per practice session – we’ll see how things work out.

Our next High Power Match will be on Saturday; May,10th. This will be a formal NRA/CMP 50/80 Match. Keep an eye open for an announcement about out-of-competition shooting opportunities at our High Power Matches.

Be Safe and come out and shoot with us!

NOTE DATE CHANGE

The trees may still be bare, but the grass has really gotten a head start!

It has been a wet spring and the grass at the range, like the grass on most of our lawns, has really gotten out of control.

The current plans are for the Mowing Crew to mow on Wednesday, April 16th if weather conditions allow. The exact time will depend on when the members of the crew are available, so we don’t have a timetable for mowing.

The range will be closed while mowing activities are occurring, so plan your range activities with that in mind.

FWRR Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, April 7, 2025.  Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne. 

Meeting Time: 7:30 p.m.  Meeting Agenda: Standard format meeting and discussion of Cleanup Day Activities.

2025 Membership Renewal

To date, approximately 40 members have failed to renew their membership.  A $25.00 late fee is now added to the renewal fee. If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do so before March 31^st.

Dues received with postmark dates after March 31^st 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). 

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.

Cleanup Day

Please join fellow members for work, lunch, and camaraderie on Cleanup Day, April 26, 2025.

As usual, work will include target frame repairs, road grading, and the trimming of trees and brush along the lanes. Please bring hand tools, for carpentry-related work, wood cutting and brush trimming tools, and trucks or trailers for brush hauling.

An additional project this year is the installation of two Range Status Flags.  One flag will be located at the intersection of the entry lane and the circle.  The second flag will be located at the Pistol Pit entrance. These flags are intended to indicate that shooters are on the ranges.

In operation, the first shooter on the range will raise the flag for the range on which s/he intends to shoot.  The last person to leave a range, will lower and store the flag. Use of the flags will be mandatory.

If you have suggestions for additional Cleanup Day projects, please present them at the April meeting.  A list of projects will be posted on the website. 

Lock Combination Change Reminder

Retain your 2024 Membership Card until the lock combination change is made on Cleanup Day.

Driving Off Road

IT IS NOT 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.

New Members

Please welcome new members Donald Cochran Jr. and David Lund. These gentlemen were inducted as full members at the February, 2025 meeting.

Sad News

The Club has learned of the passing of Joseph Braun (membership 1969).

Discipline Reports

ACPDL (Allen County Practical Defense League)

ACPDL matches are scheduled for April 5^th and May 3^rd, 2025.  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.  Observers and those persons interested in becoming ACPDL members are welcome. Matches are typically finished by 12:00 noon. 

USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association)

USPSA  matches are scheduled for April 27^th  and May  18^th,  2025.  [Note that the first match of the year was moved from Easter Sunday (April 20^th) to April  27^th.  Match start time is 10:00 a.m.  Match fees are $15.00 for members and $20.00 for nonmembers.  Practice sessions are scheduled for April 3^rd and May 1^st, 2025.  Practice sessions begin at 5:00 p.m. 

PCSL (Practical Competition Shooting League)

PCSL matches are scheduled for April 13^th and May 11^th,  2025.  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. Matches are typically finished by 2:00p.m. 

Cowboy Action

Due to health issues, the Cowboy Action Matches for 2025 have been cancelled.

High-power (HP)

The following matches and practice sessions will be held in the April-May time frame. 

 50/80 Matches:  April 12^th and May 10^th.  Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. Match start time is 9:00 a.m. 

Practice Matches:  May 1^st, May 10^th, May 15^th, May 22^nd, and May 29^th. Practice matches begin at 3:00 p.m. at which time the Main Range is closed to informal practice.  The pistol Pits remain open.

Electronic Target System Training Class

The Club has purchased a Silver Mountain Electronic Target System that will be made available to individual members for use at the range.  Users must be trained before access to the system is granted. If you are interested in attending a training class, contact Larry Beardsley at fwrrhpdirector@aol.com.

For Sale/Wanted

Wanted

Unertl or Litschert telescopic sights, 8x or 10x preferred.  No de-horned mounts. Contact Mark Walters at mwalt1@comcast.net. 

For Sale

Caliber .223, 77 gr. and 80 gr. Sierra MatchKing bullets. Boxes of 500, $160.00 each. 

Jaggi Shooting Glasses Frame with extra nose piece, lenses, blinders and case: $125.00.

Springfield M1 Garand (POR). 

Two Gingher-built, double-lug M1As, one in wood stock with a Shilen barrel; one in McMillen stock with a Kreiger barrel (POR).

Unfired DMPS AR-15 configuration .22 RF, $700.00. 

Contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com.

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