Blackpowder cartridge target rifle competition

[Don McDowell]

Jonathan Leighton posted this on the Shiloh forum, and I think it's a very good example of why maybe anybody and everybody that might even have a bit of interest in shooting bpcr competition try and make plans to attend the BPTR championships at Raton this coming August, and if nothing else try and attend a match or two close to your home base.
: 2012 NRA National Black Powder Target Rifle Championship
by LEIGHTON » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:02 am

Jim,

I really do think he would support it and fight for funding providing we can get this thing kicking at the National-level. I don't want to push him out on that limb until I know we have solid competitor backing. 2012 Nationals is a decisive factor in the future of this discipline, let alone competition in this discipline at the World-level.

The way I see it, you shouldn't even bother shooting Nationals, or Worlds, if you're not going to compete at the Local and Regional-level. We need to build NRA Black Powder Target Rifle from the base up. I mean, right now, we have a fair share of Local matches and a few main Regional matches. If it weren't for our volunteers and match sponsors, we'd be in real trouble. Matches like yours at River Bend, Steve's at Ben Avery, the Lodi boys, Paul Behe at Grayling, Bob Tarkenton at Folsom, Jim Morgan at Quantico and now Eron Ahmer at Colorado Rifle Club are the life-line of this entire discipline. When the brass looks at money allocation, some important factors include the number of active and classified competitors in each discipline as well as the number of matches, in that respective discipline, in the Shooting Sports USA schedule. We need to bolster numbers at all levels before we can think about World-level competition. I'm just trying to be frank and honest since I've got a feel for this horse after 5 years.

2010 was the last time I polled the International community. The feedback was less than positive. Most of these countries respective shooting associations or federations have all black powder lumped together, almost like us here at the NRA, to include muzzle-loading, cartridge guns, cowboy stuff, reenactors, Barnum & Bailey Circus, etc. They all split the funding and they go with the current, highest demand and, right now, it seems to be muzzle-loading programs especially through the Muzzle Loading Association International Committee (http://www.mlaic.org/). They last hosted the match in the US at Camp Butner, NC. I saw Dave Gullo and Lee Shaver there so I know people in this forum shoot both sides of black powder, just like a lot of those International competitors (Josef Rouss of Switzerland, Merwe Van Rensberg of RSA's BPSU, Gunter Kunz of Germany's BDMP, etc.), who seem to be investing their time, currently, in muzzle-loading. With that being said, currently, at the World-level, I'm not sure the demand for cartridge rifle competition will be there until we revive this thing at the bottom, on the cartridge rifle side, and then build it back up to the forefront of shooter's attention. If we get numbers up at the Local level, encourage shooters to attend Regionals so they can practice for Nationals, alongside some of the same competitors they'll see at Nationals, then we are on a good path to increase attendance at all levels. Once this happens and the International community sees the surge in NRA cartridge rifle competition, especially at the National level, then maybe we can peak their interest and get them to drop their muzzle-loaders for a little bit.

Long story short, I know my new Director would support World-level competition. We just have to back him up. We can't hang him out to dry and the only way to do that is to shoot more and show up to Raton in August. You can meet him yourself and talk to him about it yourself. You just have to show up and shoot.Jonathan Leighton
National Rifle Association - Since 1871
Competitive Shooting Division
703.267.1465 - Office
703.267.3941 - Fax
jleighton@nrahq.org
silhouette@nrahq.org

[TXGunNut]

Always looking for an excuse to go to Raton. Any local matches in the N TX area? I don't get SSUSA anymore.

[Don McDowell]

I don't know if there are any in Texas or not, but it might be worthwhile to check the NRA web site and see if there are.
From the sounds of things Jonathon is taking the bull by the horns, and going to do all he can to support and promote BPTR , and if someone is willing to do that, then we need to show him support in numbers of competitors.
If you know of a local club with pits, it maybe worthwhile to pester them about a match, even if it's a midrange match, bpcr shooter numbers and more shoots will promote the sport, and get more folks involved.
I'm guessing that Shiloh has something around 20k rifles out there, CSA about the same and no telling how many the Italians have shipped over, and then there's the CPA's and roller and highwalls,just waiting to get used.

[dave roelle]

TXGunNut------------have a look at the TSRA web site for the BPCR clubs and ranges in Texas

The Texas Championship match is May 4/5/6 at the Yaupon Creek Silhouette Association.

I know ranges and clubs exist at Mexia and i believe near Boerne-----i'm not sure about farther north

Hope to make it to Raton this summer Don----------

Dave

[Don McDowell]

Dave hope to meet you there.

[brudford]

Don , Good post . I live here in Western PA and you would think with our strong German heritage here there would be some German Schutzen BP matches ? Well the only thing I can find for BP competition is Moutain men associations and their flints . Like the poster stated all lumped together . We have a couple of BPCR clubs within an hour drive . Most shooting sports here stem from what is being hunted at the time . Archery is big from Deer hunting . Turkey shoots are popular because of the good turkey hunting . Trap is way down because all the wild pheasants are gone . If the gun competition cannot be tied to hunting here in PA chances are it is not going to be popular . The problem is finding shooters who just want to shoot for the sake of the competition and not worring about buying a rifle that cannot be used for hunting .

[Don McDowell]

Brudford, maybe hit your local clubs up about a paper match, it may get more shooters out than one might expect.

[John Boy]

I live here in Western PA and you would think with our strong German heritage here there would be some German Schutzen BP matches ?

Brudford, it's a drive but at the Sportsmen Club in Cape May we hold Schuetzen matches annually
* Jan ending in May, weekly 25yd offhand matches
* Usually one all the other months: 50-100-200 or 100-200-300yds

Don, a follow up about the discussion on Graybeard ... found out today that Fort Dix (New Jersey) which has been deactivated has a pitted 1000yd range that wasn't open to the public. Only the 200yd range was public when the base was open

[Don McDowell]

John looks like an opportunity for someone to jump in there and take over that range, unless they've already sold it to some developer....

[John Boy]

... unless they've already sold it to some developer....

Don, I doubt that any land on the closed post will be sold. Fort Dix is still intact - just no GS employees and military personnel on it anymore.

The person who told me about it is a SWAT at a local police force.

[Cimarron Red]

Brudford,


The Reade Range near Allemans, Pa., in southern Clearfield County has held BPTR matches as recently as last year. I have not seen a 2012 shoot flyer yet. Here's a link to last years flyer with contact information:

http://www.readerange.org/2011/sched...derProgram.pdf

There are three BPCR silhouette clubs in Pennsylvania. McDonald, which should be near you, not far from Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Ridgway in Elk County and Shippensburg in northern Franklin County southwest of Carlisle.

The Thurmont Sportsmen's Club (Thurmont, Maryland, about a half hour south of Gettysburg) holds Shuetzen matches several times a year. This is likely the closest Shuetzen shoot to you. Here's a link:

http://tcandsc.org/tcscShutzenMatches.htm

If you need links for the silhouette clubs, I'll provide those as well.

[Dragoon 45]

Don

Here is NE Okla, Red Castle Gun Club is trying to start up BPTR. We have our first match in two weeks.

http://www.tulsaredcastlegunclub.com...le-tournament/

Jonathan Leighton posted this on the Shiloh forum, and I think it's a very good example of why maybe anybody and everybody that might even have a bit of interest in shooting bpcr competition try and make plans to attend the BPTR championships at Raton this coming August, and if nothing else try and attend a match or two close to your home base.
: 2012 NRA National Black Powder Target Rifle Championship
by LEIGHTON » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:02 am

Jim,

I really do think he would support it and fight for funding providing we can get this thing kicking at the National-level. I don't want to push him out on that limb until I know we have solid competitor backing. 2012 Nationals is a decisive factor in the future of this discipline, let alone competition in this discipline at the World-level.

The way I see it, you shouldn't even bother shooting Nationals, or Worlds, if you're not going to compete at the Local and Regional-level. We need to build NRA Black Powder Target Rifle from the base up. I mean, right now, we have a fair share of Local matches and a few main Regional matches. If it weren't for our volunteers and match sponsors, we'd be in real trouble. Matches like yours at River Bend, Steve's at Ben Avery, the Lodi boys, Paul Behe at Grayling, Bob Tarkenton at Folsom, Jim Morgan at Quantico and now Eron Ahmer at Colorado Rifle Club are the life-line of this entire discipline. When the brass looks at money allocation, some important factors include the number of active and classified competitors in each discipline as well as the number of matches, in that respective discipline, in the Shooting Sports USA schedule. We need to bolster numbers at all levels before we can think about World-level competition. I'm just trying to be frank and honest since I've got a feel for this horse after 5 years.

2010 was the last time I polled the International community. The feedback was less than positive. Most of these countries respective shooting associations or federations have all black powder lumped together, almost like us here at the NRA, to include muzzle-loading, cartridge guns, cowboy stuff, reenactors, Barnum & Bailey Circus, etc. They all split the funding and they go with the current, highest demand and, right now, it seems to be muzzle-loading programs especially through the Muzzle Loading Association International Committee (http://www.mlaic.org/). They last hosted the match in the US at Camp Butner, NC. I saw Dave Gullo and Lee Shaver there so I know people in this forum shoot both sides of black powder, just like a lot of those International competitors (Josef Rouss of Switzerland, Merwe Van Rensberg of RSA's BPSU, Gunter Kunz of Germany's BDMP, etc.), who seem to be investing their time, currently, in muzzle-loading. With that being said, currently, at the World-level, I'm not sure the demand for cartridge rifle competition will be there until we revive this thing at the bottom, on the cartridge rifle side, and then build it back up to the forefront of shooter's attention. If we get numbers up at the Local level, encourage shooters to attend Regionals so they can practice for Nationals, alongside some of the same competitors they'll see at Nationals, then we are on a good path to increase attendance at all levels. Once this happens and the International community sees the surge in NRA cartridge rifle competition, especially at the National level, then maybe we can peak their interest and get them to drop their muzzle-loaders for a little bit.

Long story short, I know my new Director would support World-level competition. We just have to back him up. We can't hang him out to dry and the only way to do that is to shoot more and show up to Raton in August. You can meet him yourself and talk to him about it yourself. You just have to show up and shoot.Jonathan Leighton
National Rifle Association - Since 1871
Competitive Shooting Division
703.267.1465 - Office
703.267.3941 - Fax
jleighton@nrahq.org
silhouette@nrahq.org

[Don McDowell]

Dragoon, I hope you get a good turn out. There are a goodly number of bpcr type shooters in your region.

[Dragoon 45]

Thanks. I was talking to our match director last weekend at our monthly BPCRS match and he said he had fielded a lot of phone calls on it. But he was not sure how many shooters would actually show up. I know he is hoping for a good turn out. Time will tell.

Dragoon, I hope you get a good turn out. There are a goodly number of bpcr type shooters in your region.

[Don McDowell]

Don, I doubt that any land on the closed post will be sold. Fort Dix is still intact - just no GS employees and military personnel on it anymore.

The person who told me about it is a SWAT at a local police force.

John sounds to me like your club needs to get ahold of the GSA and see about leasing said range....

[Don McDowell]

Dragoon I imagine it'll take a bit of time, and well run matches. Once the word gets out what a good time there is to be had, the line will fill up fast.

[waksupi]

Smaller shoots are more fun. The best ones in this area are invitational only. One we call "The Death March". It is run by an old Marine. It is a trail walk covering a couple miles in the mountains on foot, with a few shots at each target at unknown ranges, out to around 975 yards. By the time this part of the shoot is done, you are happy to get back on the cross sticks for the afternoon segment. Those rifles get REALLLLLL heavy!

[kokomokid]

Tex Gun Nut, Monthly BPCR shoots at Ft Chadburne near abilene tx, Grahmn tx has a monthly and Mexia has a shoot. You can shoot almost ever weekend.

[semtav]

Dragoon I imagine it'll take a bit of time, and well run matches. Once the word gets out what a good time there is to be had, the line will fill up fast.

So Don,
Why don't you get one started in Wyoming. Then if it does good, maybe we'll start one over here. ( in a few years)

[Don McDowell]

The only range I'm aware of that has pits with in 200 miles of here is at Camp Guernsey, and since 9-11 civilian access to that has been restricted but is getting better.
I have talked with the folks at Alliance about a paper match, but their schedule is jammed and from now till November theres' scracely a weekend they aren't doing something as a club on their range.
So Brian you want to fork over the doe to put in a range with pits and all the trim I know a landowner that may be interested in letting a club put them in....