Just got back from the Ben Avery Range

[4V50 Gary]

The National Shoot is this week. I attended from Mar 3 to Mar 5. Shot in two matches and did poorly. Saw quite a # of handgun shooters and those guys are super serious. I was there for fun.

Met some great folks there. There were two Garys from CA. One had on his clip board "Good Gary." That must have made his buddy the Bad Gary and left me as the Ugly Gary. Kinda kool since everything I know about gunsmithing, dining etiquette, hygiene, gunfighting and digging I learned from Tuco. Also met Dave Pool from THR. NMLRA Rebecca Waterman was there collecting targets to save folks from carrying them down to the scoring house.

At Traders' Row, there were only about a dozen sutlers. Gunmakers' Hall was vacant and no demonstration was happening when I was there. Bought some parts, musket caps, and loading equipment and a book on the Golden Mean (Through Yesterday's Eyes or something like that). It's the best book I've seen on the topic.

Other people were also using an adjacent range. That explains the selective fire that couldn't possibly come from our crowd.

If I go next year, I'll camp out instead. We stayed at Extended Stay at Black Canyon and it was NASTY. Never again. Worn carpets, old and worn furniture, I had to go to the desk to get bedsheets, pillow, cooking and eating utensils. There wasn't even a scouring pad for them. Oh, there was no blanket either (but thankfully the air was around 60-70 plus).

If you're in AZ, go there. The National Shoot ends on Monday and there's supposed to be a pot luck tonight (Sat).

 

[B.L.E.]

I wish that place wasn't 1030 miles away from my house.

I found it on Google Earth and it looks huge. I counted 17 trap fields and the main rifle range firing line is 218 yards long.
You just about need a golf cart to get around that place.
Location of the trap/skeet range:
33°48'21.51"N, 112° 9'55.94"W

 

[kwhi43]

Try checking out a Friendship Indiana. The range is 500 yards long to shoot
and the whole place sits on about 600 acres . The 500 yd range is on the left.
The range from the slug guns on the left to the shotgun traps on the right is
700 yards long or wide depends how you look at it

 

[B.L.E.]

Friendship is even farther away from me, 1100 miles, and I don't think the freeways through Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky have 80 mph speed limits like I-10 through West Texas has.

I see three trap ranges there located at 38°58'1.18"N, 85° 8'27.98"W, and what appears to be maybe two skeet ranges located at 38°58'17.06"N, 85° 8'18.52"W.
At least you don't have to get in you car and drive to get from the rifle range to the trap range.

Dang it, the closest NMLRA territorial shoot is in northern CO and that's so far away I might just as well drive to Friendship.

Next weekend, I'll be here at the Texas Muzzleloading Rifle Association range near Brady Texas for the annual "Frost on the Cactus" shoot. The forecast looks like good weather for a change. Feel free to join us if you are inclined.

TMLRA website
http://www.tmlrassociation.com/
Click on "Swap Sheet" for match schedule.

 

[Flintlock53]

Brady shoot

BLE-- is the Brady shoot this weekend- 13, 14, 15?
I used to shoot that about every other year. Would shoot Electra and Amarillo every year. Used to buy or win all of my powder from Marvin Brandt that was always there in trade row. I even shot some in TX when they had the Levi Garrett Territorial matches. Had a lot of fun down there.
Do they have any good muzzleloading matches around Dallas or Ft Worth any more?

Mike

 

[4V50 Gary]

From the latest (march 2015) issue of Muzzle Blasts:

Dallas Muzzle Loading Club Shoots 2nd Sunday monthly except May. Contact Frank Sweeny at franksweeny1att.net

 

[B.L.E.]

BLE-- is the Brady shoot this weekend- 13, 14, 15?

Yes, this weekend. Marvin still come to the Brady shoots although he missed the October shoot because of a scheduling conflict.

It looks like fair weather this weekend, partly cloudy with highs near 70. I'm planning to set up the trap for shotgun shooting. Maybe even put up the lights for night shooting if there is enough interest. A couple of years ago, the weather was so bad that we didn't even bother to set up the trap. I've been practicing to give Andy Larson a run for his money in trap if he can make it. I think he was at the Western Nationals, wouldn't surprise me if he won or at least placed in some of the trap matches there.

We would be glad to see you there.