Lodi Mother's Day mid-range match.

[Distant Thunder]

It was another well run and fun match at Lodi. We did have a little bit of rain Saturday morning during the 1st relay, but as soon as I was done shooting the sun came out and the other relays enjoyed dry conditions! It figures !

I found the wind a bit challenging at time, others apparently didn't notice any wind or at least it didn't blow them all over the target. There seemed to be enough reversals that almost everyone got caught at least once. And one shooter decided to create his own style of reversal and turned his windage the wrong way until one leaked off the right side of his target. In the end it wasn't enough of a mistake to give the rest of us mere mortals a chance to catch him. Some guys have all the luck...., and very good spotters (Bob Wood and Mike Metzel).

The top end looked like this after the smoke cleared:

1st - Brent Danielson 544-7X

2nd - Bob Walline 529-10x

3rd James Kluskens (JK2) 525-7x *

4th Jim Kluskens (JK1) 518-8X

5th Rick Chianelli 515-6X

6th Sam Thompson 504-3X

7th Tom Sermersheim 501-2X

8th Jeff Heeler 492-6X

9th Paul Gritmacker 490-3X

10th Bill Barglof 487-6X

There were 25 shooters all together but I'll end it at 10th place to keep this from getting too long.

It sure was a great weekend and a fun group od shooters to be with. Thanks to Mark Schuenke, Ed Force, and Cliff Gregg for keeping everything running smooth and safe.

The Lodi range is one of the best I've ever shot on and the club continues to expand it and make improvements. If you haven't ever joined us or haven't joined us in a while you are missing out on some fun times. The next match is in June, a long-range match, you should join us if you can.

* This score made my weekend. Congratulations, son!

JK1

[Distant Thunder]

I didn't get this in the first post.

A special thanks to Jeff Heeler for helping James by spotting so well, especially at 600 on Sunday. I was pulling the target and cheering loudly as those last 4 shots came in, X, X, X, 10! Great fun for the "old man" to see.

JK1

[Kurt]

Those are some pretty good scores Jim. It looks like I missed a good match.
Looks like the PP shooters are shooting pretty well for sure
Kurt

[Distant Thunder]

Kurt,

Yes the paper patchers made a good showing of it taking 1st, 3rd, & 4th. There were others shooting paper patched but I'm not sure who all they were so I won't say, but it was at least 3 other shooters.

X-count was low but with those shifty Lodi winds we were fighting, tailwind on Sunday, most were pretty happy to hold on to the 9 & 10 ring. It was one of those times that when you put in 1/2 minute you didn't know if you were going to get anything or 2 minutes or more. We did not touch our elevation unless we had to because the bottom of the 10-ring is better than the top of the 8-ring and some days you just have to be happy with 10s and occasional 9s.

On Sunday we had to turn the heck out of the windage knobs almost every shot to hold on to the middle at 500 and 600 and finished with only seconds to go more often than not. It was great fun, mostly because it went so well.

Now that JK2 has tasted what it's like to shoot a Hepburn with PPB I may have to dust off my old .45-90 Shiloh to have a rifle I can call my own!

Once he settled into the Hepburn he ran that rifle like a well oiled machine on day two. Brent may have to step it up a bit if he wants to hold on to first. Saturday was the 1st time James ever pulled the Hepburn's trigger and there was an adjustment period. By Sunday morning he had taken to both the rifle and bullets like a duck to water. That's the most fun I've had spotting and pulling targets in a while.

JK1

[Kurt]

I figured you would do well the way you were shooting at Rapids. JK-2 is still a young Ladd and catches on fast. I watched him behind the rifle when I had a chance to shoot with you two and I could see that he was focused.
I wanted to come, but I couldn't get away from Mayo and I have to go a few more times in the next couple weeks so maybe September.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Hummmm, where is that dumb ass that says PP isn't winning hum My?

Any way, a hearty congrats to Brent, Bob that old coger, JK2, and JK1. Awesome shooting.

It's on my bucket list..just so damm far away.

Kenny W.

[Kurt]

Only 15 hrs away.

[desert deuce]

Only 28 hours away from here......

Looks like JK-1 has decisions to make, reclaim his Hepburn, build another one or dig out the Sharps. Guess we will have to wait and see.

The only one more funner to shoot is the Borchardt, but don't tell Schuenke.

[Kurt]

DD are you coming ?

[beltfed]

Lodi for you "out westers" is not much further than upper midwesters heading for Raton
or Phoenix.
beltfed/arnie

[Kenny Wasserburger]

It's not so much the distance too there, it's all the shit to deal with between there.

To go to Raton I duck east, 90 miles avoid the shit hole known as Denver, then a beautiful quiet country drive of 13-14 hours. And very little traffic.

KW...

[desert deuce]

Yes Beltfed, I made the trip to Lodi for the American Creedmoor Cup and Mid West Regional.
3,600 miles round trip, about 60 hours of windshield time, more or less, more so than anything else.

Pleased to see that JK-1 retrieved his Hepburn from JK-2 in time for the match.

Never seen so much Highway Construction. Now I know what Cheese Heads mean when they say there are two seasons in the Mid-west, Winter and Highway Construction.

Used a Garmin Nuvi for the most direct route and to dodge the toll roads.