ELR Researcher
Registered User
My long time shooting pal John Crawford left the range about 5 days ago.
John was a short range benchrest Shooter I convinced to switch over to 600 and 1000 yard competition about 6 years ago. Most Benchrest Shooter s are very set in there ways and very opinionated but if you gave John a valid explanation he would listen and then implement your suggestions. John was my favorite student as we were very similar both off and on the range.
At the 2012 NBRSA 600 Yard Nationals John pulled it all together in heavy winds and won the heavyguns group National Title shooting my old red gun in 6 Grendel.
John worked for Genentech and liked machining shooting accessories that he thought he could improve. Skeletonized trigger guards ,rings, bases ,cantilevered mounts, barrel blocks, shooting rests and even car parts.
John would drive 2 hours to Dangerous Bob Dorton's house in Sacramento and using Bobs lathe and mill he would create his masterpieces.
I gave John the nickname PrettyGun as he would never come to the line with a ugly gun. Unless the stock was polished aluminum or had a fancy paint job or carbon fiber finish covered in clearcoat he wouldn't shoot it even for testing purposes.
His heavygun front rest weighed in at 84 pounds and had hydraulic windage without any backlash on it. John spent two hundred hours machining his rest and never used any drawings or blueprints just his mind and some notes for measurement purposes.
John was a regular at Sacramento,Ojai and Medford Benchrest matches plus he liked to shoot at Missoula,Montana.
John was building a 338 Lapua Ackley Improved to shoot URSA 2000 yard matches with us when he was diagnosed with cancer and told to get his affairs in order.
John played by the rules and was a wealth of help to those willing to listen. If you questioned him you were out and John would no longer offer any assistance at all. This bothered a few but John didn't like to waste time with people doubting him. John was 58 years young and I will miss his big grin as we would race to Ojai at all times of the day and night.
Rest peacefully my friend.
(for) Lynn and Lynn Jr
John was a short range benchrest Shooter I convinced to switch over to 600 and 1000 yard competition about 6 years ago. Most Benchrest Shooter s are very set in there ways and very opinionated but if you gave John a valid explanation he would listen and then implement your suggestions. John was my favorite student as we were very similar both off and on the range.
At the 2012 NBRSA 600 Yard Nationals John pulled it all together in heavy winds and won the heavyguns group National Title shooting my old red gun in 6 Grendel.
John worked for Genentech and liked machining shooting accessories that he thought he could improve. Skeletonized trigger guards ,rings, bases ,cantilevered mounts, barrel blocks, shooting rests and even car parts.
John would drive 2 hours to Dangerous Bob Dorton's house in Sacramento and using Bobs lathe and mill he would create his masterpieces.
I gave John the nickname PrettyGun as he would never come to the line with a ugly gun. Unless the stock was polished aluminum or had a fancy paint job or carbon fiber finish covered in clearcoat he wouldn't shoot it even for testing purposes.
His heavygun front rest weighed in at 84 pounds and had hydraulic windage without any backlash on it. John spent two hundred hours machining his rest and never used any drawings or blueprints just his mind and some notes for measurement purposes.
John was a regular at Sacramento,Ojai and Medford Benchrest matches plus he liked to shoot at Missoula,Montana.
John was building a 338 Lapua Ackley Improved to shoot URSA 2000 yard matches with us when he was diagnosed with cancer and told to get his affairs in order.
John played by the rules and was a wealth of help to those willing to listen. If you questioned him you were out and John would no longer offer any assistance at all. This bothered a few but John didn't like to waste time with people doubting him. John was 58 years young and I will miss his big grin as we would race to Ojai at all times of the day and night.
Rest peacefully my friend.
(for) Lynn and Lynn Jr
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