BrentD
08-31-2016, 10:31 PM
A while back I wrote a post about shooting the Missouri Regional BPCR match near St. Louis in the first weekend of September. I mentioned that it is a much overlooked venue with a great range and great shooting opportunities and a good group of guys running and participating in it.
Well, last weekend I found another overlooked match even closer to home. Just off of Interstate 35 near North Branch and Harris Minnesota is the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club. It is about 50 minutes north of The Cities. What a cool place. Somehow I had it stuck in my head for years that they only had gong matches there. Well, they have a lot more than that, and a 1000 yds range with a covered 1000 yd line, great green grass out front, and just an ideal set up is that I found when I got there.
The match last weekend was run by Mike Theisen and Dave Newell. They are just recently taking over the running of these matches and they have a great set up. We were to shoot relays of 15 shots/relay both days from a 1000. So, 60 shots for record all at 1000 yds. Parking right behind the firing line - easy as pie. Unfortunately, we got fogged out on Sunday, so we only got one relay in for everyone but it was still a great time.
Mike and Dave were super accommodating. I wanted to shoot a muzzleloader, mostly because I had a new bullet and some new wads to test. That was no problem. Ray Hanson also shot a muzzleloader as well. Otherwise, it was all cartridge rifles, and I really wish I had been shooting mine, but my experiments needed to be done and I don't get many chances to shoot at 1000 yds, much less to spend a whole weekend at that distance, so muzzleloader it was.
Anyway, the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club is a great range with a couple of excellent match directors and good, friendly shooters. However, the club might be slightly misnamed. I never saw a single revolver the whole time. The gophers (real ones, not 13-lined ground squirrels), however, were busy all around the 1000-yd firing line keeping the soil well aerated and soft so your cross sticks were easy to place in the sod.
I highly recommend the place if you are looking for a friendly, relaxed, but high quality match on the edge of the North Woods.
Brent
PS. You can go to google maps and search for the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club and then check it out with the aerial photos.
PPS. Nice campground too, though I don't think there are any hook ups.
Well, last weekend I found another overlooked match even closer to home. Just off of Interstate 35 near North Branch and Harris Minnesota is the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club. It is about 50 minutes north of The Cities. What a cool place. Somehow I had it stuck in my head for years that they only had gong matches there. Well, they have a lot more than that, and a 1000 yds range with a covered 1000 yd line, great green grass out front, and just an ideal set up is that I found when I got there.
The match last weekend was run by Mike Theisen and Dave Newell. They are just recently taking over the running of these matches and they have a great set up. We were to shoot relays of 15 shots/relay both days from a 1000. So, 60 shots for record all at 1000 yds. Parking right behind the firing line - easy as pie. Unfortunately, we got fogged out on Sunday, so we only got one relay in for everyone but it was still a great time.
Mike and Dave were super accommodating. I wanted to shoot a muzzleloader, mostly because I had a new bullet and some new wads to test. That was no problem. Ray Hanson also shot a muzzleloader as well. Otherwise, it was all cartridge rifles, and I really wish I had been shooting mine, but my experiments needed to be done and I don't get many chances to shoot at 1000 yds, much less to spend a whole weekend at that distance, so muzzleloader it was.
Anyway, the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club is a great range with a couple of excellent match directors and good, friendly shooters. However, the club might be slightly misnamed. I never saw a single revolver the whole time. The gophers (real ones, not 13-lined ground squirrels), however, were busy all around the 1000-yd firing line keeping the soil well aerated and soft so your cross sticks were easy to place in the sod.
I highly recommend the place if you are looking for a friendly, relaxed, but high quality match on the edge of the North Woods.
Brent
PS. You can go to google maps and search for the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club and then check it out with the aerial photos.
PPS. Nice campground too, though I don't think there are any hook ups.