SPORTSMEN S NOTES The Official Publication of the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club July 2009 THE HAND TRAP RANGE GENERATES INTEREST DMSC SHORT SHOTS The next meeting is July 23. July is a slow month and speakers are hard to come by. So the meeting topic will be sort of a town hall discussion on state and local gun legislation. Just because the state is wrestling with budget issues doesn t mean we should lose focus on what the anti-gun segment is doing. Trap program manager Doug Gawronski previews the range rules before the shooting begins. The buzz about the new hand-operated trap facility prompted a hands-on demonstration as the topic for the June 25 meeting. George Taylor ended the indoor segment of the meeting early so the two dozen attendees could move outside, using the rear approach to the hand trap area, for a live demonstration while there was still good shooting light. After Doug Gawronski reviewed the range rules which are prominently display within the shooting area, members were given a chance to try out the equipment. Experienced and not so experienced shooters tried their skills and all agreed this set up was a welcome addition to the shotgun program. Here s something new to check out. Rather than run 5-Stand as a stand alone program, program managers Tome Kramer and Doug Gawronski will combine efforts in a Super Shotgun Sunday. The new event, which includes shooting opportunities in 5-Stand, trap, and hand trap, well debut July 26 from 9:00AM-1:00PM. See Page 5 for contact points. Don t forget The 2nd Annual M1 Carbine Match July 19 A special CMP shooting event an M1 Garand Match and a Springfield/Vintage Military Rifle Match July 26 Tres Bandidos July 29 The board has voted to support the legislative efforts of Firearm Owners Against Crime by providing the use of our facilities for a Turkey Shoot fund raising event on Sunday, August 23. There will be events for men and women and activities for the children. All activi- P OS T P ONE D SHOTS Continued on Page 2 The highlight of the evening may have been Ron Watton. Believe it or not, Ron, who handles the black powder program, hadn t fired a shotgun. His first attempt was a miss, which prompted the observers to quip that he needed a black powder shotgun. Ron smiled and took out the next target. When you re a natural shooter, the talent comes through. SHOTGUN continued on Page 2 Inside This Issue Shooting Opportunities 5 June Work Party 6-8 CMP-Related Scores/News 9-10 County Leagues News 11 Notes From the Field 12 Trading Post 13 Turkey Shoot Info 14-15
2 STOLFER Continued The exercise also emphasized where users need to stand to be safe shooters. If you want to use the facility, check the safety info below. SHOTS Continued ties will be monitored by NRA certified instructors from SAFE Shooters Active in Firearms Education. There will also be three 50/50 Rubber Duck races at the creek. See the last two pages of this newsletter for more information and contact points. Some of the work that needs to be done at the next work party includes fixing the bunkers for the silhouettes, primarily the turkeys, but also the pigs and chickens, and assembling the picnic tables we purchased for the trap area and the lower meadow. Doug points to the prominently displayed range rules. SHOOTING DIRECTION THE BOX This is a stylized layout of the new hand-trap area. Some users said the posted instructions were not clear. Maybe this explanation will help. To be clear on the position of the throwers and shooters, you need to think inside the box. All participants need to be in the box behind the shooting rail and inside the fencing. (See the photo below.) Thanks to membership chair Dan Campbell for his donation of a McCullough gasoperated blower for general cleanup after grass cutting. Thanks to Bob Kirsopp and Bill Phillips for opening ceiling access in the indoor range to enable Bruce Ungar to get up in there to make air flow improvement modifications to the ventilating system. Last week Bruce offloaded some of the steel metal, and just from the quantity one can see how extensive the modifications will be. We ve made contact with an NRA range consultant for a best and safest use audit of our lower pistol range so we get that area back in operation. We ve been informed that NRA grant applications can be submitted on-line to meet the August 31 deadline. 80 percent of the grant money goes to youth education programs and we welcome any project ideas the club can implement to fill the educational needs of that important segment of our shooting community. Doug releases the target for Stephen Tupta as both stand behind the rail and inside the box. You can get daily NRA news reports in small doses or a big chunk at NRANEWS.com
3 August 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday UPPER RANGES CLOSED ALL RANGES CLOSED WP WEATHER PERMITTING 1 9:00 NRA High Power 2 3 6:00PM Outdoor Pistol (NMC) 4 7-10:00PM Trap Range 5 5:00PM Smallbore Rifle 6 7 8 9 10 6:00PM Outdoor Pistol (NMC) 11 7-10:00PM Trap Range 12 5:00PM Smallbore Rifle 13 7:30 Board Meeting 14 15 WORK PARTY 16 11:00AM CMP Rifle Match 17 6:00PM Outdoor Pistol (NMC) LAST MPRL 18 7-10:00PM Trap Range 19 5:00PM Smallbore Rifle 20 21 22 23 24 6:00PM Outdoor Pistol (NMC) 25 7-10:00PM Trap Range 26 5:00PM Smallbore Rifle 27 8:00PM Members Meeting 28 1:30-4:00PM Silhouette Setup 29 9:00AM Outdoor Pistol Silhouette 30 31 Outdoor Pistol (NMC)
4 Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen s Club P.O. Box 12692 Pittsburgh, PA 15241 Next Membership Meeting: July 23, 2009 Topic: Open Discussion of Recent Anti-Gun Legislation EXECUTIVE STAFF GEORGE TAYLOR IV... PRESIDENT THEODORE HILDABRAND...VICE PRESIDENT ELLSWORTH F. VINES...TREASURER MILES FORD...RECORDING SECRETARY BRUCE UNGAR...EXECUTIVE RANGE OFFICER LOU ROMITO...NEWSLETTER EDITOR DAN CAMPBELL... MEMBERSHIP CHAIR MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS AND DUES Active (Full-fledged membership) $70.00 per year Senior (65 years old, 10 years consecutive membership) $25.00 per year Intermediate (18-21) $25.00 per year Junior (12-17) $ 5.00 per year Initiation fee (one time) $25.00 Computer Gate Card $10.00 CLUB DIRECTORS ROBERT L. ATKISON...724-941-5882 CHARLES R. AUGENSTEIN, II...724-941-9538 GEORGE A. DIETZ...412-344-4027 MILES R. FORD...412-833-0813 DOUG GAWRONSKI...412-531-5043 THEODORE K. HILDABRAND...724-942-2125 THOMAS H. KRAMER, JR...724-873-0683 RAYMOND C. NIST...724-942-9845 LOU ROMITO...412-835-6881 EARL L. TAYLOR...724-941-4649 GEORGE TAYLOR, IV...412-344-8750 BRUCE D. UNGAR...412-343-2256 ELLSWORTH F. VINES...412-343-5752 RONALD J. WATTON...724-941-5891 DAVE WILLARD.724-941-6620 AFFILIATIONS: National Rifle Association Allegheny County Sportsmen s League Washington County Sportsmen s League Metropolitan Police Revolver League Pittsburgh and Suburban Rifle League National Sporting Clays Association SANCTIONED BY: Department of Civilian Marksmanship Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association United States Revolver Association CLUB COMMUNICATION Club Web Site: www.mdi.net/dml Club House Phone: (724)745-9794 Membership Inquiries: DMSCMembers1@aol.com Newsletter: louromito@gmail.com MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO CARRY THEIR GATE CARDS AND BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WHEN ASKED TO BY ANOTHER MEMBER OR THE CARETAKERS
SHOOTING OPPORTUNITIES 5 The old saying Better Safe Than Sorry is never more important than on the shooting range. Remember...everyone is responsible for range safety. If you see a range violation or a potentially unsafe condition you can call a cease fire and calmly and courteously discuss your perception of the situation with the other shooter. A good shooter will understand. PISTOL MONDAY NIGHT OUTDOOR (NMC). The first line shoots at 6:00PM. Call the program leaders, George Taylor (412)344-8750 or Bruce Ungar (412)343-2256, for additional information. WEDNESDAY INDOOR AIR PISTOL. This new program shoots Wednesday evenings, at 7:00PM. Call Bob Nipar for details at 412.831.0697 or rknipar@verizon.net. SATURDAY OUTDOOR SILHOUETTE. The monthly outdoor program fires every fourth Saturday at 9:00AM. Call George Taylor (412) 344-8750 for additional information on Saturday activities. TRES BANDIDOS. July has five Wednesdays so that means a Tres Bandidos match for July 29. Call George Taylor (412)344-8750 for information on this fun-filled event. RIFLE CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM. The program shoots the third Sunday of each month. The range is open at 9:30, the match begins at 11:00. For information, call Bruce Ungar (412)343-2256. New shooters must contact Bruce for a CMP range safety orientation prior to shooting. RIFLE REMINDERS. The 2 nd Annual M1 Carbine Match will be held on Sunday July 19, 2009. Cost of the event will be $6 for targets with each participant furnishing their own ammunition. The match will begin at 10:00A.M. A special CMP shooting event an M1 Garand Match and a Springfield/Vintage Military Rifle Match will be held Sunday, July 26. There are four relays involved. The cost for each relay is $7 for targets only, and $20 for 40 rounds of 30-06 ammo and targets. The match will begin at 10:00A.M. As this is a special event, there will not be an opportunity for first time shooters to participate. For information contact John Tupta at 724-941-1494 or teefam@verizon.net. NRA HIGH POWER. The program fires at 9:00AM, and goes back and goes back to the first Saturday of the month beginning August. Remember, the program has a modified F class that permits the use of scopes. Call John Tupta (724)941-1494, or Al Jaworski (724)746-7033 for equipment requirements and other particulars. BLACK POWDER. Contact Ron Watton, (724)941-5891, or watton2@verizon.net. SHOTGUN TRAP. Shoots Tuesday, 7:00-10:00PM. The cost is $3.00 per round. Call Doug Gawronski, 412-531-5043, for information. SUPER SHOTGUN SUNDAY, a new event, which includes shooting opportunities in 5- stand, trap, and hand trap, will debut July 26 from 9:00AM-1:00PM. The intent is to also hold this shoot the fourth Sunday in August and September. Call Tom Kramer, 724-873- 0683, or Doug Gawronski, 412-531-5043, for information.
6 JUNE WORK PARTY Threatening rain clouds. Impending thunderstorms. Draining heat and humidity. Just the right conditions for a work party. More than a dozen members turned out for the June spruce up despite the weather. Ted Hildabrand honchoed a crew that included Don Bendel, Chuck Comstock, Dennis Dee, Miles Ford, Mike Haritan, Tony Kaurakas, Bob Kirsopp, Dan Kiselica, Bill Phillips, Bill Phillips, Bill Phillips, Gary Shearer, John Tupta, Bruce Ungar, Ebenezer Wallbanger, and Ken Zupkow. Bill Phillips the Elder was kind enough to bring his John Deere to the club to transport the slag for the shoulders of the newly paved entrance road. Ken, Bill Phillips the Younger, and Dan put the finishing touches on the distribution. The unrelated, but familiar face, Bill Phillips worked with Bob to put scorers benches in the tower. Ebenezer Wallbanger, known to most of us as Ron Watton, helped with that and other tower projects. How Ron got the Ebenenzer nickname is a story for another day. John, Gary, Mike, Chuck, and Miles were the grounds crew. Tony made sure we get the longest life from the bench rests. Don had the challenging job of preparing concrete inserts for the clay pipe target holders on the black powder range. And wait until you see the work Bruce is doing on the ventilation system. A fine job, gentlemen. Perhaps some others of you may want to join in upcoming work parties for productive maintenance and improvement projects. Just show up!! Ken Zupkow John Phillips John Phillips Dan Kiselica
7 Tony Kaurakas Chuck Comstock John Tupta Mike Haritan Gary Shearer
8 Bob Kirsopp Bill Phillips Miles Ford Dennis Dee, Ron Watton Bruce Ungar Ted Hildabrand Don Bendel
9 CMP MATCH June 21, 2009 Offhand Sit/Kneel Prone Total M1 GARAND Dave Burd 171-1x 170-2x 165 506-3x Paul Curry 111-1x 85-1x 104 300-2x E.J. Revitsko 68 44 16 128 Mike Ligman 126-1x 174-3x 160 460-4x Jim Madar 173-1x 186-3x 175-3x 534-7x Shawn Tupta 130 120 135 385 Nathan Yesko 88 123 46 257 Bruce Ungar 184-2x 174-2x 162 520-4x M1A Pete Cassini 130 125 176 431 Ted Hildabrand 162-1x 176-1x 181-1x 519-3x Gary Scherer 179-2x 186-2x 174-1x 539-5x Ken Zupkow 150 162-1x 158-1x 470-2x Mike Barthelemy 95 150 130 375 Mark Kern 152 171-1x 179-1x 502-2x BOLT AC- TION AR-15 Frank Shuster 184 193-3x 187-3x 564-6x Brian Jacobs 151 164 94 409 Chuck Augenstein 186-2x 192-3x 186-2x 564-7x John Tupta 180-3x 172-2x 183-1x 535-6x Stephen Tupta 178-1x 179-1x 177-3x 534-5x Dan Campbell 131 158 139 428 Dave Willard 174 188-2x 190-3x 552-5x M1 CARBINE Prone Sit/Kneel Prone Rapid Offhand Total What a great Father s Day: 80 degrees, a blue sunny sky, and 21 shooters on the line! Top shooter for the day was Chuck Augenstein with a 564-7x who edged out Frank Shuster by 1x. (Yes, I double checked my own the math on this one). Excellent shooting Chuck and Frank! Top shooter for the M1-Garand was Jim Madar with a 534-7x and M1A honors went to Gary Scherer with a 539-5x. A hearty welcome to E.J. Revitsko and Nathan Yesko as first time shooters. Special thanks to Paul Curry! He made some single shot sleds for the M1 shooters going to Camp Perry and contributed packets of Locktite. Just a reminder that the July CMP schedule will change slightly: July 19 th will be the M1 Carbine Match and July 26 th with be a special 200 yd CMP Match. Due to limited space, shooters wanting to participate in the 200 yd match need to sign up. Please see all the details in the latest newsletter.
10 CMP-RELATED NEWS CMP M1 CARBINE MATCH The 2 nd Annual M1 Carbine Match will be held on Sunday July 19, 2009. The course of fire will be 40 rounds fired on the 100 Yd. range: 10 rounds Slow Fire Prone, 10 Rounds Rapid Fire Prone, 10 Rounds Rapid Fire Kneeling/ Sitting, and 10 Rounds Slow Fire Offhand. Cost of the event will be $6 for targets with each participant furnishing their own ammunition. The Match will begin at 10:00A.M. Contact John Tupta at teefam@verizon.net or 724-941-1494 for more details. CMP SPECIAL EVENT The CMP Program is pleased to announce a special shooting event: an M1 Garand Match and a Springfield/Vintage Military Rifle Match on the 200 Yd. Range. This event will be held on Sunday July 26, 2009. There will be four relays each shooting the 30 round Course of Fire: 10 Rounds Slow Fire Prone, 10 Rounds Rapid Fire Prone, 10 Rounds Slow Fire Offhand. Relay # 1: M1 Garand Match (10:00 A.M.); Relay #2 Springfield/Vintage Military Rifle Match (11:00 A.M.); Relay # 3: M1 Garand Match (12:00 P.M.); Relay #4 Springfield/Vintage Military Rifle Match (1:00 P.M.). The cost for each relay is $7 for targets only and $20 for 40 rounds of 30-06 ammo and targets. As this is a special event, there will not be an opportunity for first time shooters to participate. Each shooter will be assigned to a specific relay and as space on the 200 yd range is limited, registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact John Tupta at teefam@verizon.net or 724-941-1494 for registration and more information. Come out and prep your skills for the CMP National Matches at Camp Perry. CAMP PERRY SCHEDULE August 6 Thursday Carbine August 7 Friday Vintage August 8 Saturday Garand August 9 Sunday M1A CMP JUNIOR RIFLE PROGRAM TO RESUME IN SEPTEMBER It s not too early to plan for participation in the Junior Rifle Program it s less than 90 days away. The Junior Rifle Program is scheduled to resume on September 15 th. This starts with a 6 week instructional program emphasizing safety and marksmanship basics for new shooters. Some main points of the program: The focus is on juniors (age 12 and older)--- (parents can take the class w/ their child) Rifles are.22 caliber target rifles which are sized for youth through adult Adult shooters wishing to improve skills can also participate You don t have to be a club member Additional coaching and practice is available every Tuesday through March after the 6 week program NRA Certified Instructors lead the program A charge of $10 for the 6 week program includes instruction book, ammo and all needed equipment Call Miles Ford (412-833-0813) or Chuck Augenstein (724-941-9538) for details and to sign up. Other instructors include Dave Willard and Alan Jaworski. It s worth repeating. With our outdoor shooting programs in full swing, it s a good idea to review the Revised Range Rules posted on our web site. I didn t know is not an excuse. The old saying Better Safe Than Sorry is never more important than on the shooting range. Everyone is responsible for range safety. If you see a range violation or a potentially unsafe condition you can call a cease fire and calmly and courteously discuss your perception of the situation with the other shooter. A good shooter will understand. Remember: You can t fix stupid.
11 MEETING NOTES FROM THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY SPORTSMEN S LEAGUE AND THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SPORTSMEN S AND CONSERVATION LEAGUE (Delegates Mike Yanchak and Bob Kirsopp) ALLEGHENY COUNTY (June Meeting) Kim Stolfer reporting the PA State Police is violating the law by treating the AR15 rifle as a handgun. Without putting anything in writing, the PSP has been informing gun dealers across the state they must now register AR- 15 rifles and secure other identifying information on the record of sale form just like they do with handguns even though PA Title 18 specifically prohibits such action.. PGC WCO Dan Puhala reminding hunters of the changes in license purchases. Access www.pgc.state.pa.us for complete information. Two new commissioners have been sworn in Robert Schlemmer of Westmoreland County and David Putnam of Center County. He also reported testing for CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) has resulted in 4224 samples with no CWD. He noted bald eagle nests in PA have increased to 170, from 3 nests in 1983.in PA. Dan also reported on HB97, Supplemental Deer Feeding Ban. Dan will gladly talk with clubs to explain the importance of this and answer any questions pertaining to it. Outstanding Sportsmen of 2010 will be honored at the Harmar House on March 20, 2010. There will be more information announced as the banquet is planned. PFBC WCO Bob Wheeler reminded anglers and boaters to support investing a portion of a potential natural gas severance tax in aquatic resource conservation. (See FUNDING on the next page for more information.) He also noted the Forrest Wood Cup Bass Tournament Event will be at the Convention Center & Mellon Arena 7/30-8/2. Editor s Note: The League appointed DMSC member and at-large League member Harry Lewellen to a Director position. With Mike Yanchak already on the Board as the DMSC delegate, our club has an unique distinction. WASHINGTON COUNTY. Minutes were not available at the time of publication. A GREAT TURNOUT FOR THE JUNE CMP RIFLE MATCH
12 NOTES FROM THE FIELD FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION In a surprise move, the PFBC board reassigned executive director Doug Austen to another position within the agency in the wake of growing dissatisfaction with his job performance. Board member Tom Shetterley of Charleroi said he wasn't doing the job. Tom said, "We wanted him to do physical things, to put fish in the streams, to take positive steps against Marcellus shale drilling... to prevent pollution from the drilling... those kinds of things, but he wouldn't listen to us. He'd ignore us. Austen was hired at the end of 2003 and the Board tried to fire him a year and a half ago but Gov. Rendell put on pressure to keep him. But this time the Board told Rendell either they would reassign Austen or fire him. GAME COMMISSION The application process for antlerless licenses has begun. County Treasurers began receiving antlerless license applications from resident hunters on July 13. That s three weeks earlier than last year, when hunters began to apply August 6. Hunters should submit doe license applications directly to County Treasurers via U.S. Mail. An antlerless license application is printed with every general license purchased, and an application is also available in the Hunting and Trapping Digest. You may apply for a doe license with either. Any County Treasurer can now issue a doe license for any Wildlife Management Unit, so long as the WMU s allocation isn t sold out. The PGC giveth and the PGC taketh away. The Commissioners recently voted to take away some of the benefits they just recently gave to crossbow hunters. They restricted the use of crossbows to the first two weeks of the statewide archery season and disallowed their use during the two-day archery bear season. They would also be legal for use during the October antlerless muzzleloader season and the late flintlock muzzleloader season, provided hunters buy a muzzleloader stamp. In the Wildlife Management Unit 2B, surrounding Pittsburgh, crossbows would continue to be legal throughout all deer seasons, including the early and late archery seasons. FUNDING FOR THE COMMISSIONS PA House Bill 1489, sponsored by state Rep. Camille "Bud" George, a Clearfield County Democrat, would give to both the PFBC and the PGC 2 percent of the state privilege tax on every producer who severs natural gas. There are 21 co-signers of the bill, including historically anti-gun legislator Rep. David Levdansky, who put on his friend of the sportsmen hat so he could walk both sides of the street. The applicable portion of the bill reads THE STATE TREASURER SHALL DISTRIBUTE FROM THE FUND, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS COMMENC- ING ON THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY 2010, 2% TO THE (PA GAME COMMISSION)(PA FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION),WHICH SHALL BE USED FOR THE COMMISSION'S OPERATIONAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ENFORCEMENT COSTS. PGC executive director Carl Roe said the funding is needed because the commission hasn't had a license fee increase since the 90 s and "revenues for the agency have been outpaced by the costs of meeting the needs, demands and expectations of both the wildlife and general public we serve." Other distribution percentages include General Fund - 60, Environmental Stewardship - 15, Highways and Bridges - 5, Hazardous Sites - 4, and Low Income Energy - 3. Hopefully, the General Fund will keep its hands out of the other pockets. The amended Bill came from the Committee on environmental Resources and Energy and, as of June 23, has been referred to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.
THE TRADING POST 13 For sporting equipment associated with club related activities shooting, hunting, fishing, and archery. That means no golf clubs, soccer shoes, weight benches, old tires, personal dating services, etc....you get the point. I WANT TO BUY OFFICIAL DORMONT-MT. LEBANON SPORTSMEN S CLUB APPARREL Wait a minute!!! I can get some by calling Chuck Augenstein, the DMSC merchandising program manager, at (724)941-9538. I WANT TO SELL.357 MAGNUM BARREL to fit Contender & G2. 12" blued with adjustable sights. New, never fired in factory packaging, includes Weaver base mount. $225. Burris 4x Handgun scope. Matte, plex, hunter knobs. As new condition with factory box & papers. Lifetime warranty. $195 20 caliber cleaning rod. "Bore-Tech" 44" onepiece coated with bronze brushes & stab jag. $35 20 cal. jacketed bullets for loading. 32, 35, 39 and 39 grain, Sierra, Berger & Hornady. Too many to list, call for details, Frank (412) 653-1802. (06/09) The Trading Post is a free clearing house service for DMSC members. It bears no responsibility or liability for accuracy of information, item condition, or reliability of submitter. Mail Trading Post items to DMSC P.O.Box 12692 Pittsburgh, PA 15241, or e-mail to louromito@gmail.com. Indicate whether you want to buy or sell, list the general item, then specific details, and include a contact point, as well as a picture if available. After two issues the item will be removed unless the submitter requests an extension.