BPCR in IL, WI, IN, MO ?

[Hubertus]

Running lead, thanks agian for asking Woody!
It always amazes me how nice the CB members are and how this nice hobby brings poeple together. If somebody asks about Woody I will surely tell that he is putting some fish on his table...

Hubertus

[Boz330]

Herbertus, Have a good time at the match. You will be in for a spectacular drive to Friendship and I think you will find the guys quite friendly, like here. Sorry I won't be able to be there.

Bob

[DIRT Farmer]

Herbertus, just stand around and look interested, most of those guys can't stand to see someone not shooting. Have fun and I hope you enjoy our grounds. Decent food at the Friendship international convention center, (the local bar). If I am guessing the leaves should be in full color and be an added benifit.

[Hubertus]

Thank you all for the offers and tips.

'When going to the match - I will look as interested as I can .
Finally I made it over the Atlantic and am now in IL.

DIRT_Farmer, how far off the connection between Chicago and Friendship are you?
Is it reasonable to pass by your place after the match? I happen to have a sample with me not much, but it might suffice as a starting point.

Hubertus

[DIRT Farmer]

That is a generous thought Hubertus, but I am 160 miles West of Friendship. There will be a guy around by the name of Winston Roland. He cannot sample because of health reasons, so it would be safe to leave it with him. If I can find an excuse to come back up that weekend I will for a day. Otherwise I will be up in December at the latest. I have had my 45-70 rolling block for four years and still havent shot it in a match, just here on the farm and deer hunting in Kansas.

[Hubertus]

Gentlemen, it was so much fun, I still can't believe it.
This experience will keep me going for a while.

When I have sorted my pictures and find more time I will write up a little report.

Hubertus

[Boz330]

Gentlemen, it was so much fun, I still can't believe it.
This experience will keep me going for a while.

When I have sorted my pictures and find more time I will write up a little report.

Hubertus

Glad you enjoyed yourself. That is some pretty country down there. Did the boys take care of you? Anybody let you try out their equipment?
The way deer camp went I might have been better off going there instead.
Looking forward to your pictures and report.

Bob

[Hubertus]

So here it comes; my little story of the last weekend’s road trip and match at Friendship.
First thing I’ll have to report is: “Friendship” that’s the perfect name for this place. It matches my experience to 100%! The Miami BPCR bunch is so friendly and nice it’s almost unbelievable. I guess that is the case for all BP shooters – since I am hearing it all the time on this fine board and get the same feeling reading the posts.
It was a pretty long drive down from Chicago but all the way worth it. Unfortunately the Motel in Versailles was full so I had to find a different place and stayed at a Motel which was not the best kind but I survived.

Driving back to Friendship Saturday morning was beautiful and I found this scenery along the way:


Then finally I got there.

I am sure the guys shooting in Silhouette matches are familiar with this pic here but for me it was the first glance at a marvelous weekend unfolding:


Since my face was the new one it was pretty much obvious that I am the German guy and Mike introduced me around and before the actual match started I was already lying on my belly and cracked some shots from a Rolling Block and Highwall. Well, the rifles had been sighted in for the rams I didn’t hit anything but was pretty close.


The whole day I watched the match and asked stupid questions trying to soak up every tip I could get. Learning about wind and mirage and sight adjustments, loading and casting - watching the game as it went on. Everybody was open to questions and answered them, in turn asking questions about the sport in Germany. This learning experience is priceless I couldn’t have learned have of this by reading publications for a year.

After the match I was asked, whether I could rid some of the guys of their spare ammo: “ ah I don’t wanna take this home , you wanna shoot it?”. So, again, I ended up on the shooting line first trying my luck at the chickens and then on my belly for the turkeys and rams. I actually managed to get one chicken out of 8 shots, was pretty lucky with the rams and the turkeys weren’t too bad either I mean for a first go. I had the luck and honor to try a Sharps, Highwall with iron sights and a Sharps with scope - calibers varying from 45-70 to 45-100. The guys introduce me to different "between shot methods" like blow tubing and bore hogs. Explained with the patience of a saint the non-metric sight settings to a metric guy.

Scope


The stayed longer and spotted for me and told me what to do – again an invaluable experience. Now I finally get it. It is a team sport. A shooter without a spotter isn’t worth a dime in this sport and of course vise versa. Everybody competes but the comradeship and friendliness is overwhelming.

Well it was even getting better: some of the guys getting to know that I was sleeping in this strange motel asked me whether I wanted to camp with them by the trap range – absolutely. It was a beautiful night with stars, BBQ, cold beverages and nice music and stories. Well they snored – so did I, probably – and the doggy seemed to like me too, since he slept on my mattress, cuddling with me. They scrounged up the mattress and blankets for me; feed me a nice steak and breakfast the next morning– well what’s more to ask for.

Coming Sunday morning I was a happy camper (pun intended) and we got back to the match. When I was talking to the boys a gentleman came up and asked me whether I wanted to team up with him and shoot the Sunday match. I was so surprised couldn’t speak a word, finally muttered YES, YOU BET!!!

So that’s what I did. I was spotting for him (probably the worst spotter in BPCR history) and liked it as much as the shooting. That was a rush. I even managed to get a 5 pig pin. My final result was a humble 12 (8 pigs, 3 turkeys and 1 ram).

So for the first time being there – I had a blast. Everybody said I would have to come back whenever possible… hopefully that will be possible some day. I am looking forward to it already.



Hubertus

[Boz330]

Hubertus, great report, I figured that you would be taken care of, and it sounds like you were. That is a fun place to shoot and I don't get down there near enough. You should have seen the ML matches there back in the late 70s and early 80s. They are still pretty interesting but the numbers have fallen off considerably from what they were back then.
Over the years I have competed in several different sports and some internationally and people always seem to get along great when you can take the political aspect out of it. Got drunk on my butt with the Polish Team at the world parachuting championships one year and we couldn't even understand each other. Fortunately they all spoke German and my buddy was fluent in German so no problem. The only wet blanket was the Soviet Chaperon, who wasn't drinking. Even the Russian guys were pretty cool, away from there Chaperons.

Bob

[Boz330]

Hubertus, great report, I figured that you would be taken care of, and it sounds like you were. That is a fun place to shoot and I don't get down there near enough. You should have seen the ML matches there back in the late 70s and early 80s. They are still pretty interesting but the numbers have fallen off considerably from what they were back then.
Over the years I have competed in several different sports and some internationally and people always seem to get along great when you can take the political aspect out of it. Got drunk on my butt with the Polish Team at the world parachuting championships one year and we couldn't even understand each other. Fortunately they all spoke German and my buddy was fluent in German so no problem. The only wet blanket was the Soviet Chaperon, who wasn't drinking. Even the Russian guys were pretty cool, away from there Chaperons.

Bob

[DIRT Farmer]

Hubertus, a great report, and thanks for sharing your experience. Those rams do look small when you look down that line.
The guys on the long range line sure don't mind helping and sharing their sport. I know they have been perplexed on how to work with a shotgunner, but have taken their time to help me. I will brag and say my first shot at 500 hit the square after being coached, three guys know the whole story but I am claiming a hit, as the metal rang.
As for explaining the sights, most of my guns don't have sights, so English mesurements made in Italy still seem strange to me.