Allie Euber was a Benchrest legend long before I started shooting in competition. As sad as this moment is, I can't think of him without smiling.
As a newbie at the IBS matches back east I would keep an eye on him and his brother Lee at their reloading bench to see if I could gain some knowledge to improve my game. I was amazed and entertained as they would move up and down on the powder charge while shouting out their intentions "I'm goin' up" would yell Allie, while Lee would sing back "I'm goin' down". Other reloaders in the pavillion would soon be screwing their measures up and down trying to find that mystical load that would make their rifles "come alive" as Allie would say.
On the firing line Allie was absolutely fearless, no condition, no matter how turbulent it was would intimidate him. He could find a way to shoot a nice group in stuff that would have my head spinning around.
He was always approachable for the new guys. I could ask him questions and he would take the time to give advice. I didn't always understand his answers back then but as the years passed the things he said began to make sense.
Once he was telling me about follow through with that crazy look in his eye and how he could see the bullet pass through the hole on the target paper. "Yeah right" I thought to myself, "nobody can do that". Well somethings you just gotta believe, best advice I ever got.
I really wish Allie would have written a book. He was a pure "natural". He loved to shoot, loved to compete, loved all the other shooters around him. We will all miss him.
Joel
