Osage Orange Sharpshooters
News March 2004

2004 Updated Schedule - Online at www.swampworks.com/OsageOrange.html

June 12, Meeting and BBQ Dinner at Corcoran's
Jul 17 Sat 8 AM - Club Match
Jul 24 Sat 8 AM - Club Match - Carbine Rattle Battle
Aug 21 Sat 8 AM - Club Match
Sep 18 Sat 8 AM - Club Match
Oct 16 Sat 8 AM - John C. Garand Match

Directions for the June 12 Dinner: 804 S. Pickwick
From Glenstone and Grand, go west on Grand about 5 blocks to Pickwick, turn north, and go 2 blocks, house is on the east side of the road.

Other Matches
The Missouri High Power Championship is this Saturday and Sunday (June 5 and 6). Some of the best shooters in the Midwest will be at the Bucksnort range, near Marshall (north of Sedalia). The OOS will be represented there by a bunch of us, especially in the Team match on Sunday. NOW HEAR THIS: we could use a couple more shooters Sunday for the team match. You need to be on the range at 6:45 AM, so most of us stay overnight (Marshall Lodge). For details on ammunition, etc, contact Steve Milholland, Les Welch, Bill Baldwin, Pat Worley, Mike Thorn or James Thorn. This is a great way to get introduced to the full-course high power match.

We have the June 12 barbecue in my back yard, and I will be getting up about 4:30 the next morning (June 13) to drive to Tulsa for a high power match. Anyone who whishes to go is welcome to tag along and buy me coffee. You'll need 88 rounds of ammo. These are real low-key matches, often with only 6 or 8 guys, so this is also a good way to start shooting full-course matches.

June 19 and 20 is the Missouri Service Rifle Championship, held at the St. Louis Benchrest club in Wright City (west of St. Louis off I-70). I'll be going to that one too, so if you want to go, let me know.

Joplin also holds a match on that Sunday, June 20, starting at 9am. Many of the OOS attend that match.

June 26 and 27 is the Kansas Regional championship in De Soto, between Lawrence and Kansas City. This is the nicest place I know of to shoot. Contact Les Welch or me for details. There will be a 30 shot John Garand Match on Sunday as part of the festivities.

Is June a great month or what?

Match Results
In this year's John C. Garand match, held on May 9, we have instituted medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place: gold, silver, and bronze respectively.
Steve Milholland, once again took the gold. He was on track to shoot a personal best score when he had a shot double on him in rapid fire, and it missed the paper. He still finished with a 475 for the match. Les Welch took 2nd place with a 468, and Jack Johannes of Joplin took third place. We also awarded achievement medals for attaining certain pre-determined percentages of a perfect score. Mike Thorn got a gold medal for a score of 460, and there were no silver achievement medals awarded. Five shooters got bronze medals: Pat Worley (443), Ed Bowles (440), Doug Vandevoir (434), Jerry Patten (433), and Bill Corcoran (431).

For our regular League matches, we are giving cash prizes, including prizes for best in class (see the information on classification below). In the May 29 match we had 20 shooters, and Steve Milholland took 1st place with a 477. Les Welch took 2nd place with a 471. Mike Thorn was first Master (462); Ted Weiss was first Unclassified (451); Ed Bowles shot an amazing 456 with his Springfield '03 A3 and took 1st Expert.

Classification System
Our classification system is a bit more lenient than the NRA's is for high power, yet it is designed so that there can be some friendly competition for prizes

CLASS	PERCENT	50 SHOTS	30 SHOTS
High Master	90 +	450 and up	270 and up
Master	80 to 89.99	400 - 449	240 - 269
Expert	70 to 79.99	350 - 399	210 - 239
Sharpshooter	60 to 69.99	300 - 349	180 - 209
Marksman	Up to 59.99	Less than 300	Less than 180

Shooters getting classified or reclassified:
Tim Rousset, Master
Ed Bowles, Master (reclassification after 3 matches)
Bob Weiss, Master
Ted Weiss, Master
Gerry Averett, Master.
Jeff Brown, Expert
Rodney Brown, Master
Patrick Worley, Master
Michael Haught, Expert
Dave Roberts, Sharpshooter
John Dawson, Marksman

Marshfield Range
Our club has contributed approximately $773 from the treasury, plus a few outright donations (Courtney Goff, Kent Ward) towards the development of the range. The Midwest Friends of the Gun Owners of America collected about the same amount of donations, and this has been spent also. Mike Thorn, Mike Skyles, Bill Baldwin, Rodney Brown, Les Welch, Pat Worley, Gerry Averett, Ed Bowles, Dave Roberts, and Steve Kemm contributed chainsaw work (that I can remember…there may be others). And the amount of back breaking labor contributed should keep the chiropractors in business for the next few years.

Final written arguments were due in the judge's court June 1, and there is no court appearance set for disposition yet, but we expect something from the court by June 15. We expect things to go well, and sometime later this summer we should start taking dues for the new club, setting up a board of directors, approving bylaws, and getting incorporated as a non-profit corporation. As a founding organization, the Osage Orange will have a large say in what happens, but we are not the only group; the Midwest Friends of the Gun Owners of America, and many local folks from Marshfield have expressed strong interest in being on the board of directors. I hope many of the OOS will join the club.

I have been shooting our there quite a bit during the last 2 weeks, and it is a nice place to shoot. Today Mike Thorn showed up to practice just as I was posting a target. It takes him about an hour to get to the range, so you know it must be a good place if he'll drive that far.

I'll keep you posted.

Questions or comments????
Contact Bill Corcoran (417) 862-8618 wtc928f@smsu.edu