Hawks Ridge 1000 Yd Benchrest Range Announcement

G

Greg Culpepper

New member
To all interested persons,

There will be an exploratory/organizational meeting at the Hawks Ridge Range Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

The first purpose of the meeting is to gauge shooter interest in, and commitment to creating, a new 1000 yard benchrest program at the beloved, venerable and much missed 1K BR venue in Ferguson, NC, (centrally located between Providence, Rhode Island and Mobile, Alabama, for those of you that don't know).

If enough shooter interest is shown by attendance and other communication, topics for discussion at this meeting will include club formation, shooter preference for sanctioned vs unsanctioned matches, proposed match dates, match format (if not IBS), identification of maintenance and repair priorities, setting work day dates and whatever other issues the collective wisdom of the assembly determines.

Over the past several years there has been much lament for and interest expressed in shooting matches at Hawks Ridge again. If we are going to resurrect the Grand Old Girl (for more than informal shooting) and the great times we've had with her over nearly twenty years of Long Range Bench Rest history and heritage, let's get together and start to make it happen beginning now. Everyone, seasoned old timer and brand new to long range alike, is invited and encouraged to come and take part in a new adventure at the Hawks Ridge 1000 Yard Benchrest Range.

Pass the word. Hope to see you in three Sundays, at the range. If you can't attend, your council is still appreciated.

Greg
 
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Thanks Greg,

I'm looking forward to getting things cranked back up and from what I hear quite a few people are also excited, so
we would like to see and hear from as many as possible to get things in order.

Brandon McNeil
 
Looking forward to getting back to the range. There are a lot of local shooters who have expressed interest in just getting some type of matchs going.Hope to see a lot of old friends there and maybe some new guys to. Will be glad to do whatever I can. Lets burn some powder!!!!
 
Hawks Ridge?

For anyone who has not experienced the pleasure of shooting at this range, you don't know what you have missed. For those who have shot there, I know what you are missing! Awesome setup... Restrooms for both the bucks and does, complete with showers. I could go on and on about the memories I have of this place, but I will spare you that pain. The competition level and fellowship were second to none.
 
Greg...........will there be any such thing as a lease this time? Particularly if there is going to be a "club" and registered matches!
Rich De
 
This is great news. I have many fond memories of Hawks Ridge and look forward to returning.
If my work doesn't have me out of town, I'll be there.

I don't think a lease would even be necessary. There's a range lets shoot.

Jim
 
I think that if there had been a lease, the club would still be shooting there today? Internal politics????? You know the old saying about: "Its my ball, my bat and my glove?"
Rich De
 
I hope everything can be worked out so matches and future nationals can be held there.I never been to another range that I enjoyed more,awesome place to shoot, outstanding hospitality.I will make the drive from pa. if it happens.
 
Rich De said:
Greg...........will there be any such thing as a lease this time? Particularly if there is going to be a "club" and registered matches!
Rich De
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Hey Rich,

Well, the meeting is to decide questions just like yours. The shooters will decide what they want to create.

Just from my perspective, I don't know why a club, especially a new club, would want the substantial expense and obligation of a lease when a world class facility it is being offered, again, as a gift to the shooters, just as it was for its entire history.

A "club"? I don't think so. We need a full blown Club with no apostrophes! I think there will be too much to do for a little "knot" of people to accomplish successfully.

Registered matches? Up to the shooters, not me. I hope so though. Come to the meeting and hear my whole "Benefits of IBS Affiliation" pitch. In addition, like Mike Kunde told me yesterday, "I just love those little pins".

Hope to see you at the meeting and I look forward to shooting with you at Hawks Ridge again soon.

Greg
 
Rich De said:
I think that if there had been a lease, the club would still be shooting there today? Internal politics????? You know the old saying about: "Its my ball, my bat and my glove?"
Rich De
Click to expand...

Well, we can get a new ball. Field's still there. It's a new day. Let's play.
 
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Glad to hear they might shoot again., I only shot there three times during Nationals but always enjoyed the range, people and the chicken. Also liked the Fire Mountain in North Wilkesboro. Matt Kline
 
Lets get a group togeather and go forward from there. We can always get our own pins made, and come up with our own points system if we have to. The Pa club has a long run with no external sanctioning body. Course I havent been keeping up with things lately.
 
DLJ: Your right no external sanctioning body. Club members vote for what they want, there is still a procedure we have to go by. We tryed to get other clubs to try and go it alone and make there own rules and money. I'm not saying different than what is already in play with IBS. PA. and NBRSA clubs. But being able to run thing to help your club expand. Like not paying a dollar a shooter back to the IBS. Or what ever it is now!

Joe Salt
 
Joe,

Last year the IBS spent $12,500 on IBS trophies, patches, LRM jackets, etc.
The last I looked those items went to the shooters.
FYI the IBS nets only $19 per member as $31 goes to the PS subscription.

Jks
 
Jeff: I BELIEVE The PA. club spent over half that on the World Open. We also pay for winning relays and the first three places in all or shoot offs. We also give or members patches trophies pins and a jackets for two gun overall. Oh yes I also pay IBS Does, ever since the 70's. I'm not trying to say its not worth belonging, I think there are to many clubs in the IBS to justify everyone getting a far piece of the pie!

Joe Salt
 
Joe,

Obviously, no club has more experience than "The Original" and that experience should be seized to the benefit of this new club. You're a personal hero to me, Joe. I always built PA compliant light guns believing that half a pound and barrel taper didn't make a rats a$$ of difference in performance but was of HUGE benefit in expanding my competitive opportunities and experience. Your (and more than a few others) efforts to rawhide PA's light gun rules to match IBS, in the face of very much resistance, remains the greatest example of accommodation to benefit the whole of Long Range Benchrest since your club invented the sport fifty years ago. Thanks, again.

One important, and surely the most obvious measure of shooting program success, is the level of participation achieved. Your efforts as club president at Williamsport were directly to that end. Likewise, my hope is to help create the biggest, most successful matches we can here at Hawks Ridge. We certainly have a great range for it already. What a shame it's been for it to lay fallow these past few years.

Getting to shoot with you and Matt and Mark and John and Steve and Frank.....Well, the list goes on and on. Man, what a parade of great shooters from PA have taught me in my own backyard! I'd love to benefit from a lot more of that in the future.

Come to the meeting February 5th and bring a wad of your guys with you. Help determine, design and develop a program here with the broadest shooter appeal, or help pick a template that is already proven.

Then come shoot.

Greg
 
Greg: I have a lot of respect For all you guys as well. All I'm saying is get your club established first, grow you need a lot of members first. Your going to have to put a lot of money back into the range to get it back the way it was, hope they didn't get rid of the countdown timers I loved them. But grow first then down the road if you want go with the IBS. fine. 4Mesh and I always argued about the way I was taking the PA. club when I was President. But later told me I was right. Greg I've been doing this for 40 years I think I know what works. Were here to put all 10 or 5 shots in one hole. Don't restrict the rifle, put it on a legal rest and have fun. The way I use to look at it you IBS. guys were 10 years ahead of us because you did what you needed too the rifle we had restictions. So grow first learn to walk again. BUILD IT THEY WILL COME!

JOE SALT
 
Greg you may also want to ask the NRA. for help rebuilding. Might get some pits. Try calling John Hoover he told me the Reade Range got help from them. He may be ale to help with details. Just another thought!

Joe Salt
 
Joe,

Thanks for the suggestion. I know from your experience that even rebuilding existing pits is a huge, prolonged and expensive undertaking. I'm glad we don't face that hurdle right now.


"BUILD IT THEY WILL COME"

The good news is everything is still there except line of sight to some of the targets (trees have grown) and a clear impact area for sighters. Round Up or Crossbow and a chainsaw can take care of that. We might not need more rock dust to get started. Some of the target frames are shabby and all the backers need replacement but that might be most of the expense involved for now. The electrical contractor that up fitted service to the chicken houses cut the buried service to the range and that part of the fence. So the cows pushed through the fence and camped out in the shade of the shed roofs. They also knocked over a few of the bench tops rubbing up against them before the fence was re-energized. It should be a simple matter to reset those bench tops that were disturbed. Different kind of "cow tipping" than I'm accustomed to.

I'm with you Joe. Our focus should be to build participation. Deciding the best way to do that is what is next. Your help is appreciated.

Greg
 
Greg good luck to all you guys I know its going to be a lot of work but it will all be worth it. Sounds like bulls in a china shop, get a dozer and make sure the tree don't come back up. we had to one target one. Hope to see you all this summer.

Joe Salt
 
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