Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club

Our High Power season will kick off with the CMP Games Match on Saturday, May 14th.

This match is sometimes called the Garand Match or the GSM Match, is a 30 round for record (and up to 5 sighters) fired from 200 yards. It consists of up to 5 sighting shots fired from any position, then 10 slow fire Prone shots for record, 10 shots Rapid Prone and 10 shots Offhand.

There are categories for just about any rifle you care to bring to the match; M1 Garand (Service and Match), 1903 Springfields, 1917 Enfields, Foreign Military, M1 Carbine, Modern Military, Match rifles and Sporters.  This is a re-entry match – you can bring several rifles and shoot in different categories if you wish.

Registration and setup will open about 6:30 AM and will close at 7:30AM.  The safety briefing for Relays 1 and 2 will be at the 200-yard line at 7:45 and the first shot will go down range promptly at 8:00 AM.

The Match fee is $20 for FWRR members and members of affiliated Clubs and $25 for others.  For re-entry matches, a reduction of $5 per match will apply for each additional match.

We have to keep the lawyers happy.  This is a CMP Match; shooters will be required to execute a 2022 CMP Release of Liability Form.  Junior Shooters will need to have a parent execute a release for them.

Pre-registration is strongly recommended.  I will try to give shooters the relay and firing point they request, but earlier reservations have a better chance of getting their choices.  When making reservations, let me know what rifle (or rifles) you plan to shoot – it makes organizing relays a bit easier.

Registration requests, questions or comments should be sent to FWRRHPDirector@aol.com.

One of the challenges to fielding a Junior High Power Shooting Team is getting equipment for the shooters.  High Power shooting is not an inexpensive sport and the initial investment in equipment is a barrier to Juniors (and their parents).  The reasonable question a parent asks is; “Why should I invest a bunch of money in something the Junior might not like?”  The members of FWRR and the High Power shooters have been extremely generous in their support of the Junior program and have done a lot to minimize the investment required by our Junior shooters and their families.

Obviously the largest item as an initial expense is a rifle that will let the Junior shoot to their abilities.  FWRR has procured two club rifles dedicated to the Junior program and members have made two more rifles available as Junior rifles.  Once a rifle is available, the question of ammunition arises.  Recent events have made match quality ammunition very expensive.  The decision was made to load ammunition for the Juniors and the Club agreed to underwrite half of the cost per round.  This summer we are able to provide ammunition to the Juniors for 35-cents a round, approximately half the cost we incur to load a round. (Compare that to $1.37 a round for match quality commercial ammunition – if it is available.)  One member has loaded about 2,500 rounds of Junior ammunition for the 2022 season.

 I’ll not call you out by name, but Thank You!

Once the ammunition problem is under control (the only thing that Juniors can go through quicker than ammunition is groceries) the incidentals start to mount up.  A member who has many contacts throughout the nationwide shooting community was able to donate a number of shooting coats and mats to the Junior Team.  Some coats we were able to use with the Juniors and some were sold to benefit the program (they were just ‘way too big for Juniors – we don’t get many Size 44 Juniors).  Over the winter we discovered a Size 38 Extra Short coat in the pile, just what we needed for one of our girl shooters.  We did a little tailoring, replaced the pads on the coat and it will make a very nice coat for the upcoming season.  We are working with a grant from the Indiana Youth Shooting Sports Foundation to obtain two more coats from Creedmoor, including a rare left-handed coat

This same member also donated a number of Champions Choice shooting mats.  They were well used and most had non-slip pads that flapped in the breeze.  A trip to the tailor and the pads were sewn down, the ripped out grommets were replaced, new tie strings were added and we have plenty of shooting mats for the crew now.

Thank You to this member also!

What we have found is that as the Juniors get more serious about the sport, they replace the club equipment with equipment that better matches their personal needs.  Three of our five Juniors have purchased their own rifles.  I do not need to explain how having access to a rifle you can call your own improves shooting skills.

Again –  Thanks to the members of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club for their support of the Junior program; financially, by equipment donation and by the generous contribution of their time.

Remember these words:

“Natural Point of Aim”; “Bone on bone support” and “I CAN DO THIS!”

These were some of the “take aways” that Dave Schnelle shared with our Junior Shooters at a training session on Saturday, March 26th.  The session was an advanced training session, and while he did work with the Juniors on position and mechanics of shooting, his primary emphasis was that High Power Shooting is as much a mind exercise as a physical or equipment exercise.  He cautioned the Juniors not to get caught up in the “better bullet, different powder, better case preparation” trap that beginning shooters often get caught into.  He stressed; “Learn your equipment, improve your technique, and if you doubt your equipment, have a really good shooter use it and verify that the problem is not in the rifle or ammunition, it is the shooter.”  He reminded us of Lynn Richter’s advice; “You can’t buy a better score, you have to practice.”

Dave also stressed the importance setting goals; short term, medium term and long term. For a Junior shooter a short term goal might be to shoot an Expert score by the end of May.  A medium term goal would be to achieve Expert classification by the end of the 2022 season and a long term goal would be to achieve Distinguished status.  Then, once you have set these goals – write them down and put them in a place that you can see them and remind yourself of them.  (His suggestion to make a duct tape frame and write them in marker on the painted wall probably would not be well received by most parents.)

But shooting is more that motivational speaking and Dave brought along a tool to help with training.  Dave had applied for and received an NRA Grant for Indiana Junior Shooting that allowed him to purchase two SCATT Training systems.  This is a dry firing system that visually shows the trace a shooter makes as he or she settles in on a shot, commits to taking the shot, breaks the shot and the after shot follow through.  All of the Juniors were able to use the system to evaluate their offhand positions and Emma, Kileen and Marshall used it in looking at their prone positions. Even in the short session we were able to have on Saturday, several issues were noted and corrections suggested (such as eye position on the scope, eye relief on the scope, hand position on the fore end) to improve scores. Dave left one of the systems with us at FWRR and we will be using it with the Juniors at Thursday practices prior to our first match in April.

The remainder of the NRA Grant is available to buy shooting coats for the Juniors.  There are enough funds to buy four or five Creedmor coats to be distributed across the state and we spent a good amount of time trying on coats and figuring out just what sizes we needed for which shooter.  What we did discover is that girl shooters are shaped differently that guy shooters (well, duhhh …) and we have to take that into consideration as we figure out coat sizes!  Now that we know more about our shooters, we can work with Creedmor to get the coats we need.  (We definitely need a coat for a left handed shooter.)  Dave also had an assortment of shooting gloves and he gave a couple to the Juniors who were there.  The gloves and coats are long term loans like all of the items we are supplying to the Juniors and they will come back to us if they decide to quit shooting.

Thanks to Dave Schnelle for coming up to Fort Wayne to hold the session, thanks to Marty Didion for a heroic effort to get us heat for the session (it would have been a miserable day without it) and thanks to Becky Beardsley for bringing us lunch and making cookies as a treat.

As a closing note:

There is an upcoming training opportunity for New Shooters and Junior shooters at Camp Atterbury on June 11-12. This is an ISRPA sponsored event and it is unusual to be able to dedicate time at a facility like Atterbury to a New Shooter/Junior focused event.  This is a rare opportunity to have new shooters and Juniors get an opportunity to shoot on an electronic target, 600-yard range.  Affordable housing is available on base.  Look at your schedules closely and try to take advantage of this chance.

FWRR Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022. Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne. Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m. Agenda: Standard meeting format.

Cleanup Day projects will be discussed as a New Business topic. Please try to attend as a quorum is required to conduct club business. Food and drink will be available at very reasonable prices before and after the meeting.

Membership Information Update

As of March 15th, the number of members in good standing is 363. Three members have resigned their memberships for various reasons, two members have passed away, and twelve members have failed to respond to membership renewal reminders.

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
2) Future membership requires submission of a membership applications 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 on or after October 1, 2021 are not required to pay membership dues tor the 2022 calendar year; nevertheless, they do need to return the renewal form with proof of current NRA membership.

Donations

Sincere thanks to the many members who have made donations this year. Donations exceeded the astonishing sum of $6,000.00.

It deserves special mention that one, traditionally very-generous, long-time member donated $500.00.

Membership generosity provides funds for facility improvements and aids the club in managing recurring expenses (e.g. insurance, property tax, building and facilities maintenance, and property upkeep).

Newsletter Delivery

Approximately 80% of the membership receives the newsletter via e-mail. Those members who have e-mail accounts and who currently opt for postal delivery are asked to consider receiving the newsletter via e-mail. To sign up for the E-News just send an E-Mail to billmac099@gmail.com with FWRRC E-News in the subject line and your Name somewhere within the body of the E-mail. You will also receive Flash E-mails of any club news.
Doing so will save printing expenses (newsletter and mailing labels), postage, envelope cost, the time and fuel spent traveling to/from the printer, and the manual labor associated with stuffing, labeling, stamping, and mailing envelopes.
( Note: at the bottom of any broadcast FWRRC E-Mail will be an Opt-out button.)

Maintenance Activities

Thanks go to Dave Fritz for painting the new target number boards that will replace the weathered boards on the 300 yard range. This is the third set of boards that Dave prepared in the last 25 or more years.

Reminders

Clay targets are only to be shot from the hut at the south end of the 25/50/100-yard portion of the Main Range. Take care to ensure that clay targets, wads, and shot land on club property.

Lock Combination Change

The combination that opens the locks at the gate, the Weidman Building, and the building on the 25/50/100-yard portion of the Main Range will be changed on Cleanup Day, 23 April 2022. The combination that appears on your 2021 Membership Card will be valid until that date. It is suggested that members either keep their 2021 cards until Cleanup Day or record the 2021 combination on their 2022 membership cards.

Sad News

It has come to the club’s attention that two members have passed away: Marc Lansky and Garry Leavitt. Marc joined the club in January of 1960. As best as can be determined, Marc holds the record for membership longevity, 62 years.

Cleanup Day Projects

Cleanup Day will be April 23, 2022. Work typically commences at 8:00 a.m. Lunch will be served to all who participate.

Tentatively scheduled projects include the following:

1.

Installing a drain at the 100-yard firing line on the 300-yard portion of the Main Range. A volunteer or volunteers are being sought to perform some preliminary work related to this tasks. This work includes picking up a tractor, trencher, and pipe. If you are interested in helping with these aspects of the project, come to the April 4th club meeting and volunteer or contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com or Mike Miller at fwrrsect300@gmail.com.

2.	Graveling and grading the Pistol Pit and roads.

3.	Installing a gutter, pipe, and a base for a cistern system to provide water for chemical mixing and grass watering.

4.	Repairing the 300-yard number board frames.

5.	Removing the Porta-jon from the 300-yard pit.

If you have an idea for a project that you would like to see accomplished or started on Cleanup Day, please present your suggestion at the April 4th club meeting.

Mowing Schedule

The 2022 Mowing Schedule is currently being prepared. Dates are tentative, depending on weather and ground conditions. Mowing times vary according to volunteer availability. Efforts will be made to provide mowing dates and times 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.  If you are interested in joining the mowing crew, contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com prior to April 1st.

2022 Program Schedule

The 2022 Program Schedule is now present on the FWRRC website.
Click URL to open link to Schedule: https://fwrrclub.org/index.php/fwrr-2022-schedule/

Hard copies of the schedule have been mailed to postal newsletter recipients.

For Sale

Once-fired 5.56 x45 (.223) brass for sale. The brass has been sized and trimmed, and the primer pockets have been swaged.
Price $125.00. Contact Darrell Fish at (260) 615-1046.

Ads may be sent to Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com. Ads must be received three weeks before meetings in order to appear in the next newsletter.

The Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club, in conjunction with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will present a High Power Rifle Clinic for new shooters and as an outreach program to Junior shooters (13 years or older) at our local range off Indiana Highway 37, north of Harlan, Indiana.

WHEN/ WHERE:   Saturday, May 7, 2022.  Registration opens at 7:30 AM. Class begins at 8:00 AM and lasts until approximately 3:00 PM. There is a lunch break, but no lunch available on site – bring a sack lunch.  Drinks will be provided.  Early registration is requested and recommended. The Clinic is held at the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club range located at 15715 Rupert Road; Harlan, IN 46743.

WHAT:   Approximately 6 hours of classroom instruction on safety, handling, aiming, ballistics, positioning and shooting M1 Garand and AR-15 rifles.  Instruction will be provided by CMP Certified Master Instructors.  There is no live fire conducted during this Clinic.

WHO:  The Clinic is open to citizens of good character and good mental focus. Priority will be given to Junior Shooters (age 13 to 20 years). The Clinic is limited to 25 shooters.

HOW:   Contact the Ft. Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club High Power Director at FWRRHPDirector@aol.com.

COST:   $25.00. Cost includes classroom instruction, student guide handout materials and certificate of participation which will qualify participant to purchase an M1 Garand from the CMP. Participants will receive reduced Match fees for 2022 FWRR Matches.

CMP GAMES MATCH:   Participants will not be charged entry fees for the CMP Games Match that will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2022.  Participants in the Match must complete CMP and FWRR Releases of Liability.  Participants under 18 years of age must have Liability Release signed by parent or guardian.

The 2021 – 2022 Winter Offhand season ended up with a Bang and a Brrrr.  Seven shooters showed up for what was arguably as cold and bitter a day as we had all winter.  It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 or 19 degrees, a 10 – 15 mph wind from about 2 o’clock in the shooters faces and intermittent sunshine and blinding lake effect snow squalls through the morning. 

Watery eyes, runny noses and cold fingers were the order of the day, but we adapted, improvised and overcame.  Of the group, no one said they should have stayed home – so it was a good day.

Notably, three of the seven shooters were the Junior girls.  They put on their dad’s bibs, their Carhartts, their wooly caps and their warm boots (well most of them put on warm boots..) and they went about the task of shooting.  According to one of these delicate little flowers;  ”Real women just bundle up and go on with business.”  Good work Ladies!

Considering the weather, scores were pretty good, as usual. Mike and Mark abandoned us for warmer climates, they were at Malabar in Florida shooting the Orange Blossom Tournament this week. But, my sources in Florida tell me that it was a wet, windy day there – so they had their own weather issues.

The high shooter for the day was Doc Habel with a 359-3X.  Mark Walters was second, shooting a new (to him) iron sighted gun, with a 350-1X.  Third for the day was Gary Mabis, 347-3X.  The High Junior was Kileen Shaffer with a 295-1X.

This was the last match of the year, so we have the season results ready … drum roll please:

Top Division                                        Anchor Division                           Payout

First:  Mike King              1155-24X    Marshal Rohrbach     1084-11X     $45.00

Second:  Mark Richard  1112-18X      Kileen Shaffer             939-  2X     $30.00

Third:  Mark Walters     1105-13X       Aaron Kohler                 672- 4X      $15.00

Thanks to everyone who came out and shot with us this winter.  As usual, there were adventures – I don’t think I have ever seen a match called off because the targets blew away and the target stands broke off from the wind!

Who knows what we may have next winter – maybe a Snownado?

Our next match is the first 50/80 Match of the year on April 9th.  Registration and setup open about 7:30, we put the first shot downrange at 9:00.  I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, February 12, was a real Winter Match.  We had 12 hardy shooters, 1 full  relay.

It was cold when the match started and didn’t improve any as the day went on; 22 degrees when we started, and 19 when we finished.  There was light snow, and the wind blowing it around a little bit made for even more wintry conditions.  The driveways were very icy.  Aaron Kohler got stuck, but Gary Mabis got in his truck and pulled him straight out with little difficulty.

However, the cold weather didn’t keep the shooters from posting some pretty impressive scores. 

Mike King took top honors with 385-7X.  In a close duel for the second and third spots, Mark Richard Creedmoored Mike Habel.  Both had 363’s, but Mark registered  7X’s to Mike’s 3X’s.  (Mike Habel, the bionic man, with his new and improved body parts and his ‘scoped rifle has become a force to be dealt with.)

Season Aggregates:

Mike King                    1155-24X

Mark Richard              1112-18X

Mark Walters              1105-12X

The top Junior is Marshall Rohrbach with an aggregate of 1084-11X, followed by Kileen Shaffer with a 939-2X. 

Thanks to Mark Walters for running the match.

The final 100 yard match for this season will be Saturday, March 12th.  Hopefully it won’t be as cold – but this is Indiana after all….

The Lima Sabers are a co-operating club and their members can shoot at FWRR for our own member rates. FWRR members can shoot at Lima for their member rates.

We have minimal schedule conflicts, so I have no issue with publicizing their schedule. Feel free to go over and shoot with these guys – they’re a great bunch of people and they usually have a lunch after a match – a really great lunch!

Lima Sabres Shooting Association

2022 High Power Rifle Matches

Range located at 5090 East Hanthorn Road, Lima, Ohio, 45806.

Matches are NRA “Approved”. Course of fire will be an 80-shot Regional Course, per NRA High Power rule 7.15. The slow-fire prone stage will be fired at 300 yards on the MR-63 target.

Registration begins at 8:00 AM and shooting starts at 9:00 AM.

For more information, go to the Lima Sabers website: http://www.limasabres.com/

2022 Dates:

April 2  

June 4     

 July 2

August No Match – See you at the Nationals

Contact info: Jim Schieltz:   jpschieltz@yahoo.com    567-204-5748;

Or

Joe Bakies:   bakies6@gmail.com    419-234-3750

The Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association Reduced Course State Championship

In addition to the Lima Sabres matches listed above, Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association will hold a Reduced Course State Championship.

The match will take place on May 7th at the Lima Sabres Shooting Association.  Awards will be given out to the top three shooters in Any/Match Rifle and Service Rifle classes.

The Reduced Course Championship at Lima SABRES will take place as an NRA 80 COF, 2 sighting shots will be allowed per position. As such, the COF will be 20 shots Standing, 20 shots Rapid Sitting, 20 shots Rapid Prone, and 20 shots Slow Prone.

The number of competitors will be capped at 54, allowing for 6 relays of 9 shooters. This will allow for an extra target to be open in case target issues arise.

The price for the match will be $20 for ORPA members, $30 for non-members. Lima SABRES will take $10 per entry fee, the rest will go to the ORPA High Power program. This program funds the official Ohio Service Rifle Team, and provides for awards at state championship matches.

There will be sign up forms for ORPA membership present at the event, and preregistration will be open online prior to the match.

Contact Tim Plowman for more information: 419-806-9045 victoryclassicfirearms@gmail.com

ACPDL has decided to have our January & February matches at Midwest Shooting Center. The space there does not allow for as much variety and options – but it is warm and snow-free!

So, we are starting this with our February match this year. (BTW, We postponed our January match because of the temperature. We’ll be doing a double match at FWRR to make it up.)

February 2022 FWRR NEWSLETTER

FWRR Club Meeting

The next meeting of the Fort Wayne Rifle and Revolver Club will be held on Monday, February 7, 2022. Meeting Place: VFW Post 857, located at 2202 West Main Street in Fort Wayne. Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m. Agenda: Standard meeting format. Cleanup Day projects will be addressed under the heading New Business. Please try to attend as a quorum is required to conduct club business. Food and drink will be available at very reasonable prices before and after the meeting.

Membership Renewal Information

Receipt of Membership Renewal Forms, proof of current NRA membership, and payments are due on January 1st each year. As of January 20th, only about 50% of the membership had submitted renewals.

When returning forms, please print legibly and be certain to include proof of current NRA membership. Thus far, approximately a dozen renewal forms have been returned due to lack of proof of current NRA membership.

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 applications 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, 2021 are not required to pay membership dues for the 2022 calendar year; nevertheless, they do need to return the renewal form with proof of current NRA membership.

Donations

Thanks to the many members who have made donations this year. Nothing is truly free. The club has the following recurring expenses: insurance, property tax, postage, as well as costs associated with building, facilities and property upkeep. Your donations enable the club to make facility improvements and help to offset the expenses associated with maintaining the memberships of our Life members –many of whom are themselves donors.

Newsletter Delivery

Approximately 80% of the membership receives the newsletter via e-mail. Those members who have e-mail accounts and who currently opt for postal delivery are asked to consider receiving the newsletter via e-mail next year. Doing so will save printing expenses (newsletter and mailing labels), postage, envelope cost, the time and fuel spent traveling to/from the printer, and the manual labor associated with stuffing, labeling, and stamping/mailing envelopes.

Maintenance Activities

A recent wind storm knocked down a segment of the target frames at the 100-yard impact bunker. Temporary repairs were made by some of the Club’s (old and decrepit) Officers.

Reminders

Clay targets are only to be shot from the hut at the north end of the 25/50/100-yard portion of the Main Range. Take care to ensure that clay targets, wads, and shot land on club property.

Lock Combination Change

The combination that opens the locks at the gate, the Weidman Building, and the building on the 25/50/100-yard portion of the Main Range are changed on Cleanup Day. The combination that appears on your 2021 Membership Card will be valid until April 23, 2022. It is suggested that members either keep their 2021 cards until after that date or record the 2021 combination on their 2022 Membership Card.

Cleanup Day Projects

Cleanup Day will be April 23, 2022. Work typically commences at 8:00 a.m. Tentatively scheduled projects include the following:

1.

Installing a drain at the 100-yard firing line on the 300-yard portion of the Main Range. A volunteer or volunteers are being sought to perform some preliminary work related to this tasks. This work includes picking up a tractor, trencher, and pipe. If you are interested in helping with these aspects of the project, come to the February 7th club meeting or contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com or Mike Miller at fwrrsect300@gmail.com.

2.	Graveling and grading roads.

3.	Installing a gutter, pipe, and a base for a cistern system to provide water for chemical mixing and grass watering.

If you have an idea for a project that you would like to see accomplished or started on Cleanup Day, please present your suggestion at the February 7th meeting.

Mowing Crew

If you are interested in joining the mowing crew, contact Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com prior to April 1st.

2022 Program Schedule

As of January 20th, the 2022 Program Schedule had not been finalized. When all schedule inputs have been received, the final version of the 2022 Schedule will be posted on the FWRRC Website. Electronic copies of the schedule will be sent to members who elect to receive the newsletter via email. Hard copies of the schedule will be mailed to postal newsletter recipients.

For Sale

M1 Garand: New stock and totally reconditioning by Fulton Armory. $1500.00. Price includes a large quantity of brass, reloading data, and accessories. Contact Lowell Black at (260) 637-8625 or roslowbk@gmail.com

Ads may be sent to Marty Didion at martindidion4@gmail.com. Ads must be received three weeks before meetings in order to appear in the next newsletter.