A thanks .

[Harter66]

Ok so I've been around for a while , wracked up a few posts , heck I can even help someone out once in a while .

I've seen a lot of great folks suffer the fate of long life and a probably too many really gifted , skilled , knowledgeable folks either quietly wander away or go out guns blazing , screaming all the way to the door . It happens and it's not a big deal .

It seems though that when a guy really needs some guidance , either because he boldly stepped into the deep end thinking it was just another case of " leave er' fat and whack er' with some Unique " to get things started and it turns out to be sure the nose fits and the front band is perfect in the throat but how are you supposed to fill in the corners ? Who doesn't love 4 groove Metford ?

New to me Dina-saur tools needing fittings and dies ? Again good folks right there and happy to help . I can't , well yes I probably can , count the times somebody had an extra moved to a different tooling set up or a dozen other things and offered things I needed some times without a request even . Even in these times I don't see folks with stuff here trying to get more than stuff is valued .

All of this deserves a thanks not just for the folks that I've done business with like F Kelly , JW , Bill and others recently , but dozens more still lurking in the background from years past and 100s more that have helped others in the same generous ways .

[Winger Ed.]

It's a small, close community.

I found years ago, even on the range, rather than trying to sabotage or undermine their competitors--
Shooters are more than glad to help, and even coach each other.

I'm still not sure if it is from the goodness in their heart,
or if they want to help you eliminate any excuse you could possibly have-- when they beat you like a Narc. at a biker rally.

[country gent]

Unlike cake, Knowledge is one thing you can give away and keep at the same time. Ive gotten a lot of help and information from the fine members here. Theres a lot of knowledge and experience here to be gleaned for use.

When I was competing I didn't want to beat a person because of lack of knowledge or equipment but because of skill. Also keeping the new shooter improving keeps new blood in the disciplines, something always needed.

I too offer thanks to all here for their guidance and help

[super6]

This here ^^^ Keep it coming

[jonp]

Just posted a thread on my failure in my first powder coating attempt. A member here pm'd me offering a sample of good powder and plastic pellets to get me started on the right foot.. Happy to say this is typical of the members here

I've been to a couple of matches. Seen guys break or forget something and someone steps up to loan gear or help fix the problem. Saw one guys gun break and another loaned him a spare.

[StuBach]

This sport is fairly unique in that regard I feel. I’ve never known a true shooter who didn’t want to share his knowledge and experience. Sure there are yahoo’s out there who only care about buying the most expensive and showing off but this community as well as others I’ve been part of are all about building up everyone and furthering the sport, not competing.

For all the knowledge I’ve gleaned over the years from this forum as well as other shooter I echo this thank you. I’ll add a couple of names to call out though in RogerDat, Lakehouse, Beagle, Smoke, Al (NOE), and Miha (MP molds) as well as others who I’m forgetting currently and for that I’m sorry. You all have helped me tremendously and I hope to pay forward your help.

Let’s all keep up the good work of those who have helped us.

[wc870]

When I was new to the Palma game many moons ago before I had any rifles built, I was using a a borrowed gun from my mentor but my ammo. Well it wasn't sized enough for the tight chamber on his match rifle, apparently some guys took notice and saw I was struggling, by the time I got done with my first relay there were three fellow competitors handing me rifles and another few saying here try my ammo! Great bunch of guys, never met a bad apple at a match.

[country gent]

Was in a shoot off at a 1000yd match and was talking to a friend behind the line I told him this isnt going to take long, several competitors heard and thought I was being cute. I told them Nope I only have 8 rounds of ammo left LOL. Got offers of match 308 from a bunch, Even the guy I was in the shoot off against. Problem was I was shooting 243. After we got done trading shots I had 2 rounds left and 2nd place. Guy told me he was glad he didnt beat me because I ran out of ammo. Competitors are the salt of the earth and just cant be beat.

Were else can you leave several thousand dollars gear on the line while your in the Pits with out worry.

[Harter66]

Small circles ......
I could tell you about air racing ....
Imagine if you will an $4000 carburetor going bad , so a competitor gives us his spare , then we beat them .

That pales in comparison to the guy that blew 2 race engines and the ferry engine during qualifying and the first heat race at just $125,000 per for the short block Rolls V12 . 3 guys offered ready to run engines and props ....

[Stephen Cohen]

It's a small, close community.

I found years ago, even on the range, rather than trying to sabotage or undermine their competitors--
Shooters are more than glad to help, and even coach each other.

I'm still not sure if it is from the goodness in their heart,
or if they want to help you eliminate any excuse you could possibly have-- when they beat you like a Narc. at a biker rally.

I am of the opinion that shooters are by and large the most decent law abiding and amicable group there is. In this Country with all the fences we have to jump, and background checks only the best seem to make it. The friendship and comradery at the firing line is way more than we see on the football fields. I am proud to be a shooter and a member of this fine group. Regards Stephen

[wc870]

"Were else can you leave several thousand dollars gear on the line while your in the Pits with out worry."

Exactly! my first year at Camp Perry in 2001 I lost my hat, no big deal but it had my squading ticket on it, so I went to lost and found and there was someones shooting cart there M1A, scope, everything ! who leaves the firing line without there rifle?!!! anyway point is again , great people

[country gent]

WC870, One year just before the nationals I left a mat at Washenaw sportsman club after a match just a few weeks before the nationals.. It did have my name and address on it. A couple weeks later at the nationals when I got to my firing point in the morning there it laid.. Some one took the effort to go to squading office find out if I was there and where then delivered it.

Another year I went to lost and found and attendant and I were talking, He tld me just an hour or so earlier a guy had brought in a bank envelopr he had found with $1800.00 in it.

[Winger Ed.]

who leaves the firing line without there rifle?!!! anyway point is again , great people

Hey,,,, I'm right here ya know...

Last year I had two or three armloads of stuff at our private member's club range.
I thought I had everything but didn't exactly inventory it as I packed up to leave.

Got home- 25 miles away, and later on as I was cleaning everything---- and, uh-oh,, I'm one pistol and case short.
BIG panic. Went back out there, nothing. Came home and looked around some more. No pistol & case.

It was late, so the next day I called the range master and told him my tale of woe.
He said that yeah, so-and-so called me and said he found one, and hid it in the target shed until I came back in.

Not to miss an opportunity to tease me, the old soldier asked how he could be sure that one was mine.
I told him it was probably the only tricked out Colt Gold Cup with my name engraved on it that anybody turned in yesterday.

He said he was headed to town,
and since our local gun store is about half way between me and where he was going, he'd meet me there in a hour.

I got the Colt back, and only spent about $80 while I was in there.

[country gent]

Isnt that embarassing

[Winger Ed.]

Isnt that embarassing

We need a bigger word than that for what I felt then.

Our range master is a great guy too.... I could see it in his eyes,
but as I was leaving the range last week, he didn't even tell me to be sure I had everything I came with.

[labdwakin]

I haven't been around much since 2013. My life was certifiably nuts for a while. In June of 2013, lightning hit the building all my reloading gear was in, no insurance, no backups... gone. Half my life savings was in that room... we're talking 60-70k. The people here were UNBELIEVABLY kind and helpful getting set back up. I even had one guy drive 4 1/2 hours to buy me a steak and give me powder and primers and bullets and dies.
Fast forward to today... my reloading gear isn't nearly as impressive as it was before the fire, but I'm happy with it. I have never been more humbled than when I realized I was a part of a group of such amazing people.