C A P E G I R A R D E A U C O U N T Y G U N C L U B Newsletter Special points of interest: Gun Club meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the Elks Lodge in Cape Girardeau, MO unless otherwise noted. Club dues are payable by the end of February each year. The club currently has 33 members. Volume 5 Issue 2 July 27, 2011 Club Schedules Next Fun Shoot for Oct. 1 st Club members voted at the July meeting to hold another Fun Shoot during October. The trap and skeet fields, and the five-stand will be open for everyone s enjoyment. Dale Todt will be setting an interesting variety of targets which will challenge the skills of all shooters on Oct. 1 st. Shooting hours will be from 9AM to 5PM. No scores will be kept, just shooting for fun on any field that appeals to the shooter. Lunch will be served at no cost to any one at the range that day. Shooting fees will be the same as regular shooting. This is the sixth Fun Shoot sponsored by the Club in the last three years and seems to be the favored event for both Club members and the public. Come out and enjoy the fun. As soon as a flyer is prepared for advertising the shoot, a pdf copy will be sent to all members who have an e-mail address on file. Please copy and post anywhere you think is appropriate. In Memoriam John Sarff and Leon Dickerson, two former long-time members of the Club, passed away earlier this year. Both men were dedicated to the shooting sports and to teaching a love of the sport to youth. The Club wishes to express its sympathy to the families of John and Leon. They will be sorely missed. Gary Schweer breaks one during 4-H doubles practice at Apple Creek on July 26 th as he prepares for the State Tournaments. 4-H Shotgun Program Readies for State Shoots Dale Todt is teaching the shotgun sports program with 4-H youth again this year. Dale reports that he has fourteen enrolled with seven shooters who are regularly attending his sessions. He and Nick Tibbs are working to prepare their shooters for the state tournaments coming in August and September. The Missouri State Trap Shoot will be held on August 27 th at Linn Creek, and the 4-H State Championship Shoot will be September 17 th and 18 th at Prairie Grove. Dale reports that he has three youth who will participate in the state shoots: Emily Todt, Gary Schweer and Paul Lichtenegger. Dale and Nick meet with the 4-H shooters the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from April until the beginning of September. Dale reports that this is the fourth year for the program. Club members donated shells left over from the YHEC shoot to the 4-H shotgun program. Club members wish good luck to Dale, Nick and their young shooters. Upcoming Events: Gun Club meeting Aug. 2 Labor Day Sept. 5 Gun Club meeting Sept. 6 Patriot Day Sept. 11 Fun Shoot Oct. 1 Gun Club meeting Oct. 4
PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER Above: Members begin the set-up for the NRA YHEC shoot held June 25th. Moe Aguilar and Alice Ireland set up the pop-up tents, while Gary Lively and Grant Gillard clean the grill on Friday, June 24th. Above: Gary Robbins gives an orientation and safety meeting to the youth and their parents who attended the NRA YHEC event. NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge Shoot Above: Nick Tibbs grilled up a great lunch for the event. Club members sponsored a Youth Hunter Education Challenge Shoot on Saturday, June 25th at the Apple Creek Trap and Skeet Range. Thirteen youth participated in the two events: wildlife identification and shotgun shooting. Ages ranged from 4 to 16 years. Nine of the youth participated in both events, while some chose to do only the wildlife identification. Several of the adults completed the wildlife id also. Everyone enjoyed a great lunch prepared by Nick Tibbs. The youth completed a survey at the end of the shoot and some of their comments were : Shooting a shotgun for the first time was the best part of the event. This program is very good and educational. Suggestions for next year included: a better bathroom and cheeseburgers for lunch. All of them said they would recommend YHEC to a friend. Thanks to Club members Gary Robbins, Dale Todt, Charlie Ireland, Jim Davis, Nick Tibbs, Grant Gillard, Jerome Riley and Gary Lively for all the hard work setting up and running the program. The Club wishes to thank MDC and 4-H for the loan of guns and Moe Aguilar and the NRA for the expert help and finances needed to conduct the YHEC event. Below: Moe Aguilar, from the NRA s central office, gave the Club valuable assistance in running the YHEC. Above: left to right; Jim Davis pulls, Charlie Ireland scores and Dale Todt, Gary Robbins and Moe Aguilar coach youth on the trap field during the shotgun portion of the YHEC event.
Newsletter VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 PAGE Page 3 Shooting Continues To Be Expensive Sport The cost of shooting continues to increase and is most likely responsible for the decrease in numbers of folks shooting skeet, trap, five stand, and sporting clays across the country. The $3.75 a round for skeet/trap at Apple Creek is truly a bargain when compared to other ranges within driving distance. For example, the current rate for a round of skeet or trap at Ozark Shooters (Branson) is $7.00, River Hills (Booneville) is $5.00, World Shooting Complex (Sparta, IL) is $6.00, St. Louis Trap and Skeet is $8.25, Tennessee Clay Target Complex (Nashville) is $10.00, and NILO Farms (Brighton, IL) is $10.00. There are ranges in Florida, Texas, and California where fees of $15.00 per round and up are commonly found. The Club s cost for clay targets has now increased from $9.30 a case with free shipping to $10.20 a case plus shipping, and the Club has no idea how much that will cost, but it is likely to be a significant expense. The Club will almost certainly have to pick up targets at the source with our own or borrowed resources. Reloading supplies and ammunition are down a bit from several years ago but the free shipping the Club enjoyed for so long is now gone. At our usual supplier, orders for $750.00 (except targets) or more will be shipped free but surcharges apply to ammunition and reloading supplies unless the Club picks them up at the source. Currently, magnum shot is $39.25 a bag, with a $5.00 a bag surcharge; Claybuster wads are $7.07 a bag with a $2.50 a bag surcharge; Winchester primers are $25.30 a box with a $25.00 surcharge per 45 lbs; and Hodgdon Clays is $117.96 for an 8 lb. container with a $25.00 surcharge per 45 lbs. Centurion low velocity shotshells are still available for $44.90 a flat with a $12.50 a flat surcharge. Orders should be placed at least 4 hours prior to pickup (24 hours for powder) and pickup time must be scheduled when ordering. Grand American Begins Aug. 3 rd The Grand American at the World Shooting Complex starts on August 3 rd and runs through the 13 th. Dealers from all over the country will be there and Club members may be well advised to look for deals and stock up on supplies for the year. Gamaliel Shooting Supply and Graf and Sons are two good sources to check out. During the Grand, the shell house will be selling Winchester Super Target and Remington Gun Club for $57.00 per flat, and Estate, Rio and Federal Pink Top Gun for $54.00 per flat (while supplies last). Perhaps the best deal is Remington STS and Nitro 27, and Winchester AA s for $76.00 a flat with an instant $20.00 per flat rebate (5 flat limit) which brings those premium shells down to $5.60 a box. That s cheaper than many of you pay at Wal-Mart for those four packs of Federals. Folks, it is only 70 miles to Sparta well worth the time and gas spent on travel to stock up on supplies and experience the Grand American. Powder, shot, wads and primers are frequently found at lower prices that we have received from our supplier. Overall Shooting Totals Are Down During the first six months of 2011, 877 rounds of trap and skeet have been shot at the Apple Creek Range. That number is well below the 1,052 for the same period in 2010, and 1,209 for the first six months of 2009. General economic conditions probably account for some of the decline, but this year the weather has most likely been the major culprit. Last year, the Club only thought the weather was bad for shooting. This year, torrential rains seemed to dominate March and April, flooding the trap house, and frequently keeping the skeet field covered with water. During May, June and so far in July, weekends have been plagued with weather that is simply too hot and humid to make outdoor activity enjoyable. Many members have spent their entire workday at the range without a single round being shot. Regardless, it is important that members be there to greet any shooters who do come out and let them know the Club appreciates them. Please put up at least one of the gazebos to provide some shade and let them know cold drinks are available. Thanks to all the members who keep us operating. Apple Creek Sees Rise in Group Use In addition to youth shooting at Apple Creek Trap and Skeet range, group use has increased during the late spring and summer months. Mark Presnell has acted as range officer for two groups from P & G on May 17 th and July 20 th. In May his group shot 8 rounds of skeet and 4 rounds of trap. He had 12 shooters in July but number of rounds shot was not known. Grant Gillard hosted Trae Bertrand s fraternity group again this year on June 11th, and they shot 15 rounds of skeet and 15 rounds of trap. Grant, along with Charlie and Alice Ireland, Nick Tibbs and Mike Ingram set up the range for a group of executives from Nestle-Purina on July 13 th. Those 13 men and women were from all over the nation, and shot 43 rounds of trap and skeet. Mark Presnell and Kerry Klaproth had a group of ten men and women from Rubbermaid shoot at the range on July 17 th. They shot two rounds each for a total of 20 rounds of skeet. Each group has made some type of donation to the Club. Most groups have given monetary donations, but the Rubbermaid group gave the Club two water coolers to have on hand for those hot days of summer. Now, if we just had access to water. Current Target Inventory At the beginning of July, the Club had 221 cases of all orange targets, 5.8 cases of rabbits, 3.5 cases of mini s and 2.7 cases of battues in storage at Apple Creek. An additional 86 cases of all orange targets, 4 cases of white targets and 15 cases of rabbits stored at the range belong to MDC. The Club has used 176 cases of all orange targets, plus some special purpose targets for the five-stand since the beginning of the year. It is possible that the current inventory will be sufficient to last the remainder of 2011, but that will depend on shooting activity. Last year, over 270 cases were used from July 1 st through December 31 st. It would probably be advisable to obtain additional inventory before winter weather sets in. For the most part, target loss/breakage has been within acceptable limits. The 33 cases of targets that were flooded in the trap house seem to have dried out and are useable.
PAGE 4 NEWSLETTER FUN SHOOT MAY 2011 NRA Provides Equipment for Club Use As part of the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge activity held last month, the NRA purchased four new gazebos, four large coolers, six tables, 18 folding chairs, ten clipboards, and an easel for the Club s use at the range. Since the Club has no place to store equipment at the range, Grant Gillard volunteered space in a garage to store the equipment. One of the new gazebos was left in the office, but everything else is in storage. However, any time a special event is held at the range, that equipment is available for the Club s use. It really came in handy at the recent NestlePurina shoot. There is also a box full of NRA Hunter Education Guidebooks on top of the file cabinet in the office. Please give one to any youth visiting the range with an interest in shooting or wildlife. The NRA has been a terrific supporter of the Cape Girardeau County Gun Club over the years. They provided a grant for our skeet machines, another grant for our trap machine, and now an additional two thousand dollars worth of equipment. The Club owes a big Thank You to the NRA for their support, and the NRA certainly deserves the support of the Club in their efforts. For more pictures of the Fun Shoot, check out the Club s Facebook page from the website at www.capecountygunclub.com.
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 PAGE 5 Presnell Wins at St. Louis and Columbia Mark Presnell reports that he is preparing for the State Skeet Shoot to be held Aug. 18 th, 19 th and 20 th in Columbia. Mark is shooting C class and recently attended the 48th Annual St. Louis Open Skeet Shoot in St. Louis on July 17 th. He took first in 12 gauge, second in 20 gauge and second in 28 gauge. He stated that he was tied for first with his 28 gauge with a 50/50 but finished second after the shoot off. Mark also said he shot in the Show Me Random Shots State Games in Columbia on July 9 th. He took third in 12 gauge, second in 20 gauge, second in 28 gauge and first in 410 gauge. He also shot doubles and took first with a 42/50. Skeet Shooting Review reports that Mark joined seven other skeet shooters at the St. Louis Skeet and Trap Club in Pacific, Mo. for the Meramec Valley Open on May 21 st. In the 12 gauge event, Mark took second in C class with a 92, which was also good enough to give him the Sub-Senior Championship. In the 28 gauge event, Mark outshot six other shooters to win the Championship and the Sub-Senior Championship with a 93. Mark seems to be the only Club member currently shooting registered targets. Keep it up, Mark good shooting. Good luck at the state shoot. Club Members Amend By-Laws for Membership and Dues Club members voted at the July meeting to amend the Club s by-laws pertaining to membership and dues. Club members felt the by-laws needed to be clarified as to former members rejoining the Club and as to pro-rating dues for new members who join later in the year. The following paragraph was added to Article III Membership Section E- Members of the Club previously in good standing who do not pay their annual dues in accordance with Section B, above, may be restored to full membership upon payment of all delinquent dues for the current year at any time. This restoration may be done without further action or vote by the membership. This sentence was added to Article IV Dues Section A- Any individual joining the Club as a new member after July 31 st will pay one-half the dues for the year. Copies of the revised by-laws were sent to all Club members and updated at the range. A copy was sent to the Missouri Department of Conservation, so that the MOU may be updated in the future. Range Phone Repair The phone at the range has been out of service again. John Long reported it, and it is working now. Thanks to John for taking care of that repair. For future reference, the repairman at AT&T has given us a phone number to report problems with our line. That number is 314-435-3310. Just call and leave the number at the range (833-6173) that needs to be repaired, and a number where the repairman can reach a Club member. Work Schedule Preference To help the Range Operations Manager and the Secretary make the schedule for the third quarter of 2011, they need input from you for Sept., Oct. and Nov. To make this easier for you, a card is attached for you to complete. This card is already addressed. All you need to do is fill it out, put a stamp on it and drop it in the mail. You may also bring it to the next Club meeting or e-mail the Club secretary with your preferences. Please give at least two dates you can work. If the Club does not receive a card from you, it will be assumed that you have no preferences and can work any date(s) assigned. Please turn in your preferences by Aug. 14 th. Thanks for your help. Aug. Work Schedule at Apple Creek Aug. 6 Gary Robbins & Daryl Leine Aug. 7 JD King & Steven Kaczmarek Aug. 13 Russell Lane & Gary Lively Aug. 14 Russell Lane & Ryan Wiley Aug. 20 Paul Clement & Ken Pracht Aug. 21 Charlie & Alice Ireland Aug. 27 Grant Gillard & Ed Roberts Aug. 28 Grant Gillard & Ronnie Hutchason
Cape Girardeau County Gun Club P.O. Box 315 Jackson, MO 63755 Phone at range: 573-833-6173 E-mail: cireland@charter.net Cape Girardeau County Gun Club Cape Girardeau County Gun Club Officers: Grant Gillard 573-243-6568 (President) Dale Todt 573-979-0314 (Vice President) Gary Robbins 573-243-4684 (Treasurer) Alice Ireland 573-243-7595 (Secretary) The object of this organization shall be the encouragement of organized firearms shooting among citizens of the United States and our community, with a view toward a better knowledge on the part of such citizens of the safe handling and proper care of firearms, as well as improved marksmanship. It shall be our further object and purpose to forward the development of those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team play and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship and the foundation of true patriotism. The Cape Girardeau County Gun Club is affiliated with the National Rifle Association of America Comments/suggestions regarding the newsletter may be made to the Club Officers or to Charlie or Alice Ireland at 573-243-7595. E-mail cireland@charter.net Website: www.capecountygunclub.com