Osage Orange Sharpshooters
News March 2004

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

Mar 27 Sat 8 AM - Positions Clinic
Apr 10 Sat 10 AM - .22 Sporter event @ Marshfield Range
Apr 17 Sat 8 AM - Club Match
May 8 Sat 8 AM - John C. Garand Match
May 29 Sat 8 AM - Club Match
Jun 26 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

Other Matches
Joplin's first match of the season is Sunday, March 21 at 1PM. It is a 100 yard match. Many of the Osage Orange Sharpshooters attend this match, so if you're looking to shoot someplace else, call me, Les Welch, Jerry Patten or Bill Baldwin for directions.

Marshfield Range Announcements
The range is ready for use!!

We will run a Youth .22 Sporter Match at the Marshfield Range on Saturday, April 10. Sight in any time after 8 AM. Match begins at 10 AM.

Osage Orange members have done outstanding work on the Marshfield Range. Wednesday of last week Pat Worley and I got some gravel delivered, so we are ready to shoot. I built some new 25 and 50 yard target frames with lumber donated by my neighbor. We do need just a little bit of chainsaw work on a couple of stumps, so if someone with a chainsaw wants to do a bit of work, let me know.

We will hold two more .22 Sporter matches there this year, one in June and one in August. These matches will be primarily for youth, but we will allow older folks to shoot as space and time permit. After the matches there will be adequate time for anyone to shoot anything they wish.

We are still working out the final details of formal range membership and ownership. At this point in time, there is still no formal legal entity to own the range. Until such time as there is a formal range-owning club, we should feel free to use the range. The combination to the lock is 8-33-17. Use the range and let others use it. When the "club" finally gets organized, we'll put a new lock on the gate.

Reloading Supplies
I have one or two jugs of surplus 4895 available for $95 each. I'll also be trying some WC844, which is a ball powder for use in .223 loads. It is a good bit cheaper ($64 per jug), and I hope to report on its accuracy soon.

March 27 Clinic
We've had the announcement for the March 27 positions clinic in the Springfield Newsleader for about a month now, and I've only gotten 2 phone calls. I hope that doesn't mean that we've saturated the market for friendly competitive rifle shooters.

At the clinic, we'll start with the basics of sight alignment, sight picture, hand position, and trigger pull, and, of course, equipment. Then we'll go into the prone position. Fifty to sixty percent of a high power match is shot from the prone position, and since you can use a sling, it is the position in which we usually score highest. So we'll try to devote more attention to the prone position this year.

Camp Perry
I believe Les Welch, our Camp Perry coordinator, has reserved 3 huts this year, which provides sleeping accommodations for 12. Some of our team members are a bit on the "iffy" side, so if you are one of the shooters who thinks he might go, talk to Les REAL SOON.

With 12 folks, we ought to be able to field a team for the National Trophy Team match. You can either shoot in the team match or in the Springfield (bolt rifle) match, but not both. The Springfield match is all shot from the 200 yard line and is a 30 shot match. The team match is an across-the course match (200, 300, 600 yards) and is 50 rounds. Besides these, everyone gets to shoot the Presidents match (30 rounds), the National Trophy Individual match (50 rounds), the John Garand match (30 rounds), and 6 lucky folks will get to shoot the National Trophy Infantry Team match (rattle battle), 64 rounds total at 600, 500, 300, and 200 yards. Finally (or should I say "first?") the week starts off with a day and a half of Small Arms Firing School, and you get to shoot 50 rounds in that.

So far, everyone from last year's team (me, Les, Mike Thorn, James Thorn, Thomas Reemes, Gene Spears, Jerry Patten, and Jeff Patten) has said he wants to go back. I'm not sure that we all can make it, but you can't get a stronger endorsement for pure fun.

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


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