Thirty Two hardened Benchrest Shooters braved the trek to the St Louis Benchrest range! I think I can describe the conditions in a few words...windy, switchy, fairly cold with a heathy dose of mirage! Yep I think that about sums it up! The high aggregates attest to the conditions.
I arrived a little late on Friday and missed the "Fun Match." Which consists of trying to shoot in the middle of of three different sized bullseyes without hitting the line. Points are awarded by hitting a clean shot. Points are subtracted if you hit the line. It's up to the shooters to see how much they want to take on. It's a real reward game! I believe the two big winners were Jerry Kloeppel and Steve Turner!
Jerry Kloeppel sporting his cow hat!
The mighty Steve Turner
Upon arrival The club house was nearly packed. It is nice to see such a good turn out late in the year. I made it just in time to get one of the last remaining loading tables for myself and side kick Matt Owens who came up from Arkansas to attend the match. The main reason for the increased attendance is because of this man, Joe "The Man" Fesi aka Grill Master and Match coordinator. Joe and Crew not only put on an incredibly well run match they also feed you like Kings the whole weekend. Friday evening ended with awarding the winners of the fun shoot with cash and grilled hamburgers for everyone.
Joe Fesi "The Grill Master"
St. Louis matches can be a little different then others. The facilities are massive and second to none. They include a club house with showers and wifi, enclosed loading barn with restrooms, a 60 bench covered range.
The facility can host up to 60 shooters before getting into the second relay. So for 32 shooters we all had our own bench. No pesky taking your equipment on and off the benches between matches. Just walk up and slide your rifle in the rest and bags! The other thing that is appealing is on the first day the match doesn't start until noon. You can sleep in and have plenty of time to make it to the range. However the range is open and shooters can try to get their rifles dialed in before the match! That is highly unusual but very nice.
Be warned that if you take a new shooter to one of these matches it really skews their perception of reality as far as how most Benchrest matches are run. My friend and shooting buddy Jim Chaney's first match was at St. Louis several years ago. He thought you could shoot and tune before all Benchrest matches, that your bench was your bench, and they all start at high-noon! No so my friend not so!
The match started Saturday with Lunch! Joe and crew served barbecue sandwiches baked beans, with chips! This is my kind of place! After eating lunch 32 full shooters waddled to the line to begin the match.
The light Varmint 100 began with Jerry Wick leading the way in difficult and tricky conditions with a .2536. It was very easy to shoot a big group, fours, fives and Sixes where abundant! Terry Myer hit me over the head with a 220 group to move in front of myself for second place and I followed up in third. Matt Owens and Chet Whitebread rounded out the top 5.
Jerry Wick the LV 100 Champion
Conditions for the Heavy Varmint 100 were no better! Shooting was pretty rough! Everyone has experienced that irritating shooter who somehow manages to pull out a teen agg when there is no possible way to do it! Well, that was me! I'm not for sure how I did it, but I was was pretty much unconscious for the HV 100 shooting a .1820 agg. Jerry Wick took second with a 2698, followed by Matt Owens for third with a 2708. Chet Whitebread and some guy named Ron Miller rounded out the top five!
With the first day of competition under our belt it was time for the main event of the match! The Saturday night "Steak and Baked Potato dinner!" Grill Master Joe Fesi and Assistant Grill Master Wayne Corley put on one hell of a show! The baked potatoes were the size of small pumpkins and the steaks were two inches thick wrapped in bacon! The meal was topped off with cookies and free beer left over from the World Championships! Seriously the food was incredible. The steak was one of the best I've ever had. I'd go back just for the baked potato!
Assistant Grill Master Wayne Corley
The final day of competition started at 8 a.m. The conditions for the Heavy 200 were pretty nippy with the temps just below freezing! Mercifully there was very little wind for the first couple of relays. Frost on the ground and on the flag tails was plentiful. Before the match I cleaned my "flag sickles!" Each flag tail had about enough frost for a small snow cone!
A cold and crisp morning at the St. Louis range
No shortage of frost on the flag tails.
Jerry Wick was leading the Heavy 200 after the third group! He started out on fire shooting a pair of .274s and a .585 for his third group. I missed his forth group but watched him shoot his fifth which I figured was good enough to win. Coming off the line I congratulated Jerry for his win! He looked at me and said, "Did you see my group?" Yeah your last one got a little big you were ahead a mile! He said, "No, my forth group! It was an 1.4!" So I felt like an A$$ and apologized profusely! When the dust settled it was Jim Hart for the win! Shooting a 2519, for second place was Dean Stroud with a 2750, third was Big Mike Schneidman with a 2770 followed by some guy named Ron Miller and Bud Mundy!
Jim Hart the HV 200 Champion. Smile Jim you won!
When the Heavy Varmint Grand was posted it was Bart Sauter in first with a 2478 followed by some guy named Ron Miller with a 2902, Jim Hart took third with a 3017. The top five were rounded out by Big Mike Schneidman and Harry "Rainbow" Ward! Thats "Rainbow Ward" not "Rambo!" I'll show you guys why I said that later.
Pic of some guy named Ron Miller!
We rolled right into the first match of Light Varmint 200. With one relay and the match being ran like a well oiled machine the first yardage was complete by 10:30a.m. So we shot the first match so Joe "The Grill Master's" chili could finish cooking! The chili was the perfect choice for a cold windy crisp day like we were experiencing! Once again, the shooters now stuffed with lunch waddled to the line to complete the competition!
Chet Whitebread put the lock on the LV 200 besting the field with a 2763. Jerry Wick was second with a 2866, third was "The Grill Master" himself Joe Fesi with a 2965. Once again rounding out the top five was myself Bart Sauter and Bud Mundy.
Chet Whitebread the LV 200 yard Champion! Chet is just one of those timeless shooters who you can never count out!
The LV Grand Champion was Jerry Wick with a 2701 grand aggregate! Second place belongs to Chet Whitebread with a 2876. Third was myself with a 2962. The top five were rounded out by "The Grill Master" Joe Fesi and Matt Owens.
LV Grand Champion Jerry Wick!
With all the aggregates fired it was time for the 2 Gun results! I haven't done the math but I think Jerry Wick would have gotten the 2 Gun if not for his last two groups in the Heavy Varmint 200. But with my wonder agg in the HV 100 on Saturday I was able to limp in for the win with 2720. Jerry Wick was second with a 2919. Chet Whitebread was third with a 2984. Some guy named Ron Miller was 4th with a 3170 and Matt Owens was 5th with a 3193!
Back Row (L to R) Matt Owens, Dennis Boyet, Harry "Rambo" Ward, Chet Whitebread, Jim Hart, some guy named Ron Miller, Big Mike Schneidman. Front Bart Sauter and Jerry Wick!
It was a great match and I like to thank Joe "The Grill Master " Fesi and I also want to thank "Iron Mike" Walton our range officer who froze his butt off while we shot and his wife Julie for doing an outstanding job with the stats.
Last but not least this is why I called Harry Ward, Harry "Rainbow" Ward. Great pic! Thanks Harry!
I arrived a little late on Friday and missed the "Fun Match." Which consists of trying to shoot in the middle of of three different sized bullseyes without hitting the line. Points are awarded by hitting a clean shot. Points are subtracted if you hit the line. It's up to the shooters to see how much they want to take on. It's a real reward game! I believe the two big winners were Jerry Kloeppel and Steve Turner!
Jerry Kloeppel sporting his cow hat!
The mighty Steve Turner
Upon arrival The club house was nearly packed. It is nice to see such a good turn out late in the year. I made it just in time to get one of the last remaining loading tables for myself and side kick Matt Owens who came up from Arkansas to attend the match. The main reason for the increased attendance is because of this man, Joe "The Man" Fesi aka Grill Master and Match coordinator. Joe and Crew not only put on an incredibly well run match they also feed you like Kings the whole weekend. Friday evening ended with awarding the winners of the fun shoot with cash and grilled hamburgers for everyone.
Joe Fesi "The Grill Master"
St. Louis matches can be a little different then others. The facilities are massive and second to none. They include a club house with showers and wifi, enclosed loading barn with restrooms, a 60 bench covered range.
The facility can host up to 60 shooters before getting into the second relay. So for 32 shooters we all had our own bench. No pesky taking your equipment on and off the benches between matches. Just walk up and slide your rifle in the rest and bags! The other thing that is appealing is on the first day the match doesn't start until noon. You can sleep in and have plenty of time to make it to the range. However the range is open and shooters can try to get their rifles dialed in before the match! That is highly unusual but very nice.
Be warned that if you take a new shooter to one of these matches it really skews their perception of reality as far as how most Benchrest matches are run. My friend and shooting buddy Jim Chaney's first match was at St. Louis several years ago. He thought you could shoot and tune before all Benchrest matches, that your bench was your bench, and they all start at high-noon! No so my friend not so!
The match started Saturday with Lunch! Joe and crew served barbecue sandwiches baked beans, with chips! This is my kind of place! After eating lunch 32 full shooters waddled to the line to begin the match.
The light Varmint 100 began with Jerry Wick leading the way in difficult and tricky conditions with a .2536. It was very easy to shoot a big group, fours, fives and Sixes where abundant! Terry Myer hit me over the head with a 220 group to move in front of myself for second place and I followed up in third. Matt Owens and Chet Whitebread rounded out the top 5.
Jerry Wick the LV 100 Champion
Conditions for the Heavy Varmint 100 were no better! Shooting was pretty rough! Everyone has experienced that irritating shooter who somehow manages to pull out a teen agg when there is no possible way to do it! Well, that was me! I'm not for sure how I did it, but I was was pretty much unconscious for the HV 100 shooting a .1820 agg. Jerry Wick took second with a 2698, followed by Matt Owens for third with a 2708. Chet Whitebread and some guy named Ron Miller rounded out the top five!
With the first day of competition under our belt it was time for the main event of the match! The Saturday night "Steak and Baked Potato dinner!" Grill Master Joe Fesi and Assistant Grill Master Wayne Corley put on one hell of a show! The baked potatoes were the size of small pumpkins and the steaks were two inches thick wrapped in bacon! The meal was topped off with cookies and free beer left over from the World Championships! Seriously the food was incredible. The steak was one of the best I've ever had. I'd go back just for the baked potato!
Assistant Grill Master Wayne Corley
The final day of competition started at 8 a.m. The conditions for the Heavy 200 were pretty nippy with the temps just below freezing! Mercifully there was very little wind for the first couple of relays. Frost on the ground and on the flag tails was plentiful. Before the match I cleaned my "flag sickles!" Each flag tail had about enough frost for a small snow cone!
A cold and crisp morning at the St. Louis range
No shortage of frost on the flag tails.
Jerry Wick was leading the Heavy 200 after the third group! He started out on fire shooting a pair of .274s and a .585 for his third group. I missed his forth group but watched him shoot his fifth which I figured was good enough to win. Coming off the line I congratulated Jerry for his win! He looked at me and said, "Did you see my group?" Yeah your last one got a little big you were ahead a mile! He said, "No, my forth group! It was an 1.4!" So I felt like an A$$ and apologized profusely! When the dust settled it was Jim Hart for the win! Shooting a 2519, for second place was Dean Stroud with a 2750, third was Big Mike Schneidman with a 2770 followed by some guy named Ron Miller and Bud Mundy!
Jim Hart the HV 200 Champion. Smile Jim you won!
When the Heavy Varmint Grand was posted it was Bart Sauter in first with a 2478 followed by some guy named Ron Miller with a 2902, Jim Hart took third with a 3017. The top five were rounded out by Big Mike Schneidman and Harry "Rainbow" Ward! Thats "Rainbow Ward" not "Rambo!" I'll show you guys why I said that later.
Pic of some guy named Ron Miller!
We rolled right into the first match of Light Varmint 200. With one relay and the match being ran like a well oiled machine the first yardage was complete by 10:30a.m. So we shot the first match so Joe "The Grill Master's" chili could finish cooking! The chili was the perfect choice for a cold windy crisp day like we were experiencing! Once again, the shooters now stuffed with lunch waddled to the line to complete the competition!
Chet Whitebread put the lock on the LV 200 besting the field with a 2763. Jerry Wick was second with a 2866, third was "The Grill Master" himself Joe Fesi with a 2965. Once again rounding out the top five was myself Bart Sauter and Bud Mundy.
Chet Whitebread the LV 200 yard Champion! Chet is just one of those timeless shooters who you can never count out!
The LV Grand Champion was Jerry Wick with a 2701 grand aggregate! Second place belongs to Chet Whitebread with a 2876. Third was myself with a 2962. The top five were rounded out by "The Grill Master" Joe Fesi and Matt Owens.
LV Grand Champion Jerry Wick!
With all the aggregates fired it was time for the 2 Gun results! I haven't done the math but I think Jerry Wick would have gotten the 2 Gun if not for his last two groups in the Heavy Varmint 200. But with my wonder agg in the HV 100 on Saturday I was able to limp in for the win with 2720. Jerry Wick was second with a 2919. Chet Whitebread was third with a 2984. Some guy named Ron Miller was 4th with a 3170 and Matt Owens was 5th with a 3193!
Back Row (L to R) Matt Owens, Dennis Boyet, Harry "Rambo" Ward, Chet Whitebread, Jim Hart, some guy named Ron Miller, Big Mike Schneidman. Front Bart Sauter and Jerry Wick!
It was a great match and I like to thank Joe "The Grill Master " Fesi and I also want to thank "Iron Mike" Walton our range officer who froze his butt off while we shot and his wife Julie for doing an outstanding job with the stats.
Last but not least this is why I called Harry Ward, Harry "Rainbow" Ward. Great pic! Thanks Harry!
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