Whitewater, CO shoot?

goodgrouper

goodgrouper

tryingtobeabettergrouper
Anyone headed to the inaugural Whitewater match at the end of the month? Have there been any more details released? Exact location, amenities, etc?

Might be fun to go to if I'm not too wore out from the deer hunt.
 
Whitewater (Grand Junction) CO Shoot

I'll be elk hunting the week before. Depending on my success and endurance I plan on getting over there for the match.

Tom Steiner is the match director and a truly super guy -- I will find some directions and post some contact info for him as well. Look back here tomorrow.

That is Dan Dowling's home turf too -- always a blast to shoot against the master of mirage!

Rod
 
how about more info...location time dates...i have a match the last sat of the month but could come by on sunday ?/

mike in co
 
I'd be interested as well since Whitewater is pretty much down the street from me. :) However I am going up for my Elk 3rd season, so I look forward to seeing the date / location!
 
Things got crazy at work today and I did not reach Tom or Dan for specific directions. The last I knew, they planned on running the same kind of format that is used in Ault so you can probably count on this:

Sat 10/25, 9AM Start: LV 100, then LV 200
Sun 10/26, 8AM Start HV 200, then HV 100

The new benchrest facilities are part of a bigger club... the directions for that are at their site: http://www.omgunclub.org, click on the "Location" link for maps and directions. BAD INFO -- SEE BELOW

I think they had the covered shooting benches, but did not have much in the way of a loading area yet -- plan on bringing your own loading/cleaning tables and accessories.

This is unconfirmed but still 99% reliable info. Make your plans to come and I will try to confirm by tomorrow. Check back before next weekend, just to be sure.
 
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I just talked to Tom Steiner and got the scoop!

The new range is part of the "old" gun club, due East of the town of Whitewater, CO.

For folks coming from Denver,
  • From I-70, take the Clifton Exit,
  • Go South on Highway 141 (this becomes Road 32) until it ends
  • Go South (Left) on Highway 50 about 2-3 miles to the town of Whitewater
  • At the left turn lanes, Go East (Left) on Reader Mesa Road about 3.5 miles to the range
  • Follow the signs, find the big iron gates, you are there!
Contact Tom Steiner at work (970-257-9160) or on his cell (970-712-4729) for more info. He said the range would be open Friday until around 5.

Tom mentioned that they would have some tables and some canopies for loading -- maybe even a big tent. But if you got a portable loading area, it would be woth bringing. Turnout sounds like it will be good and since it is the first registered match you should have a good shot at setting a range record:D!
 
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That weekend works for me, so I'd like to come. :)

Fellas, this would actually be my first benchrest match. Can anyone help me out with what I need to bring? I hate to bug Tom at work for general information..
 
CubCouper said:
I just talked to Tom Steiner and got the scoop!

The new range is part of the "old" gun club, due East of the town of Whitewater, CO.

For folks coming from Denver,
  • From I-70, take the Clifton Exit,
  • Go South on Highway 141 (this becomes Road 32) until it ends
  • Go South (Left) on Highway 50 about 2-3 miles to the town of Whitewater
  • At the left turn lanes, Go East (Left) on Reader Mesa Road about 3.5 miles to the range
  • Follow the signs, find the big iron gates, you are there!
Contact Tom Steiner at work (970-257-9160) or on his cell (970-712-4729) for more info. He said the range would be open Friday until around 5.

Tom mentioned that they would have some tables and some canopies for loading -- maybe even a big tent. But if you got a portable loading area, it would be woth bringing. Turnout sounds like it will be good and since it is the first registered match you should have a good shot at setting a range record:D!
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Thanks CubCouper! I think I'll take the blacktop trail on down. Any mention of range fees?
 
GJGo,

Give me a call and I'll walk you through the whole thing (look in your private messages for my phone #)... don't worry about what you need or have or for that matter, may be missing. Myself and anyone there will be willing to help.

The general list of equipment that most shooters bring:

  • Rifle
  • Front and rear rests
  • Reloading gear (press, dies, primer tool, etc.)
  • Reloading components (bullets, powder, primers)
  • (Some folks pre-load their ammo, but most reload between targets to fine-tune the rifle. If you preload, a typical average is 10-12 rounds per target, 20 targets this weekend.)
  • A towel to cover the rifle from the weather
  • Rifle cleaning gear (most shooters clean their gun between every target)
  • Wind flags (lots of new shooters just watch their neighbor's flags)
  • Lunch
  • Some $$ for the match fee (typically $70-$90, I don't know for this match)
  • Some $ for tipping the target crew
  • Sense of humor and fun (for when things don't go great)
  • Sense of humility (for when things do go great, your time is coming)
For a 2-day match, it is common to leave the cleaning and reloading gear set up on a table overnight, covered with a tarp, clamped to keep the weather out. There are usually shooters camped at the range, so equipment is generally safe.

Rod
 
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Basics...

GJGo,

Not knowing how truly new you are, here are some basics that are overlooked when getting folks started. The rules will spell it out in more detail.

First, the classes. Don't worry about 'em. Shoot what you got. If it doesn't exactly fit the rules, the only consequence is that your new world record won't count, and the score sheet will just indicate out-of-class.
10.5# (max) guns: Light Varmint=anything, Sporter=6mm or greater caliber
13.5# (max) gun: Heavy Varmint
Beyond that, it goes in the Unlimited Class.

Course of fire is simple: 7 minutes to shoot a FIVE-shot group on the UPPER half YOUR target.

The bottom half is the sighter target -- shoot as many as you need to there to get a feeling for wind drift, etc. Generally shooters put a couple "fowlers" near the bottom edge middle to dirty the barrel, then use one of the "tittie" bulls to test their impact point vs. point of aim for a given wind condition. If you like what you see, go "upstairs" and "run 'em". Don't forget that if the wind changes, you can wait for your condition to come back, or go down on the sighter to test the new condition and attempt to continue your group. A small group on each target is the goal. I average 9-11 shots per target -- your mileage may vary.

Anything outside the lines and above the border of the sighter will cost you a penalty (1" at 100 yards, 2" at 200 yards). The exception to this rule is if the FIRST hole in the paper is above the line. You must report it to the range officer before you shoot again, otherwise the penalty sticks.

5 targets make up a "yardage" for a "gun". The 5 targets at each yardage are averaged for an aggregate or "agg" for short. The two Light Varmint aggs (100 and 200 yards) are then averaged for a "LV Grand Agg". Same for the Heavy Varmint. Then all four aggs are again averaged together for the "Two-Gun" agg. Small groups are nice, but winning the "aggs" is what the sport is all about and the Two-Gun winner is generally considered the weekend champ.

There are lots of other nuance rules but that describes the game and basic strategy in a few sentences. Hope this helps!

Rod
 
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Thanks Rod, that helps a lot. I'll do my best to get it together to shoot with y'all. At the very least I'll be there to watch and learn!

I don't have front and rear "rests", I usually shoot with either a bipod in the front and a sandbag in the rear, or when I really want ot keep it steady, one of these. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=992071 Is this legal to use?

I pre-load, but I only live 15 minutes away.. I do only have 50 pcs of brass prepped now though, so that may be a problem. :\

Looks like my rifle is 12 lbs. Heavy varmint it is.

~Jeremy
 
GJgo,

That Midway rest won't be legal -- the front and rear cannot be connected. Bring your gear -- several guys bring extra stuff, so if you are short anything, I'm sure we can get you fixed up.

If you can unbolt your press from your table at home, lots of guys start out just bringing that with a couple C-clamps to attach it to a table at the range.

I'm off to chase the wiley elk for a few days -- see you at the range!

Rod
 
For anyone who was there, nice to meet you all and thanks for the education.. And the whoopin'! I'm pretty happy with it being my first match and all- you know you're with some good shooters when a .5 grand agg puts you at the end of the line. Looking forward to next time. :)
 
GJgo said:
For anyone who was there, nice to meet you all and thanks for the education.. And the whoopin'! I'm pretty happy with it being my first match and all- you know you're with some good shooters when a .5 grand agg puts you at the end of the line. Looking forward to next time. :)
Click to expand...


I'm glad you had fun and it was nice to see all the shooters we had. The weather was beautiful for late October but we could have used a little more wind to blow out all the impact dust! It was like shooting bags of flour indoors without the windows open.

Here's some pics I snapped of the range and various things:
landsendbr.jpg

downrangeatwhitewater.jpg

landsendbr2.jpg

landsendbr4.jpg

wailingwall.jpg
 
There were 18-20 competitors. Maybe someone can post the results?
 
Nice shooting Todd , youve allways shot pretty good Dewayne Stafford
 
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