Phil Sauer

[khottenstein]

This morning long time shooter, expermenter Phil Sauer passed away. He was I believe 87 years old. There wont be no services. He was a past directer for the easter region. mentor to many.

 

[Lee Hachigian]

In dedication to Phil Sauer I thought it would be appropriate to re-post the following Match Report, dated April 10, 2004

Western Wayne County Conservation Association (WWCCA)
100/ 200 Yard IBS Score Match
April 10, 2004​

The weather finally warmed up today (52 degrees) for WWCCA’s 100 and 200 yard IBS Score Match today. Phil Sauer woke up early this morning and said that’s not too bad for these old bones maybe I’ll go to WWCCA and shoot with the young kids (everyone is a young kid in Phil’s mind). Next, what Phil did was amazing! He gave everyone a lesson on how to shoot benchrest in tough windy conditions.

He battled tough with Joe Krupa at 100 yards, but came up 1x short. Only five shooters were able to stay clean in the switching conditions at 100 yards.

At 200 yards, the fast switching conditions at WWCCA caused all but five shooters to drop a point in the first match. By the 4th match, only two had stayed clean.

One was none other than Phil Sauer and the other, another youngster, Brad Lewis. It came down to the last shot on the last target. When the dust had cleared only one man stood clean through five targets, and that was Phil Sauer.

Congratulation Phil for winning the 100/200 yard IBS Score Match today.

Picture:

VFS - Grand Agg:
Phil Sauer, 500-21x
Brad Lewis, 499-24x
Joe Krupa, 496-23x
Lee Hachigian, 496-21x
Kevin Clinansmith, 495-22x

VFS - 100 yards:
Joe Krupa, 250-18x
Phil Sauer, 250-17x
Alex Dutko, 250-16x
Brad Lewis, 250-15x
Kevin Clinansmith, 250-13x

VFS - 200 yards:
Phil Sauer, 250-4x
Brad Lewis, 249-9x
Lee Hachigian, 247-7x
Joe Krupa, 246-5x
Kevin Clinansmith, 245-9x

On behalf of WWCCA’s Precision Shooters, I would like to thank all who participated today.

Regards, Lee Hachigian, Score Match Director

 

[Brad Lewis]

While shooting an IBS score match at WWCCA near Detroit on April 10, 2004 a young whipper-snapper was well on his way to winning the grand agg when suddenly the last shot on his last target at 200 yds was guided off course into the "9 ring". This shooter hastily checked the other participants targets hoping that his shot had not made someone happy but low and behold the only clean target to be seen was on bench 10.

WWCCA IBS Score Match

Name Comp # Class Caliber 100 Yards 200 Yards Grand Agg


Phil Sauer 110 VFS ppc6 250-17x 250-04x 500-21x 1st

Brad Lewis 118 VFS ppc6 250-15x 249-09x 499-24x 2nd

Joe Krupa 111 VFS ppc6 250-18x 246-05x 496-23x 3rd

Lee Hachigian 112 VFS ppc6 249-14x 247-07x 496-21x

Kevin Clinansmith108 VFS ppc6 250-13x 245-09x 495-22x

Fred Eggert 116 VFS ppc6 250-13x 245-03x 495-16x

Alex Dutko 117 VFS ppc6 250-16x 244-02x 494-18x

Dominic Grunas 113 VFS ppc6 248-10x 244-02x 492-12x

Walt Clinansmith 109 VFS ppc6 248-13x 241-04x 489-17x

Mario Sanchez 115 VFS ppc6 249-13x 239-01x 488-14x

Ron Robovitsky 114 VFS ppc6 247-08x 230-00x 477-08x

When I congratulated Phil immediately after the cease fire, he looked at me and said in his quiet voice, "Son, I couldn't have won,...whoever was on bench 18 was whoopin' all of us".... I then informed him as to who was on 18.


I'm glad I lost to him that day,............

 

[Bill Gammon]

I met Phil in 1977 at SS and he would come over to all of the matches held at Crumlin (London ON). There are too many stories to tell about Phil. But one of the best is the time Pat Canning, Dwight Scott, Phil and myself went to the Cactus in 1997 and Phil loved to read. The first night we bunked to-gether his bed was about 6 feet from mine but I swear it had a 4000 candle-power light over the top of it, I am laying there trying to sleep in my bed and of course, cain't. I look over and he is asleep, holding the book, but asleep, I switch off the light, get comfortable and the light comes back on again, wait for a few minutes, look over and he is asleep, turn the light off, 3 minutes later the light comes back on, this went on about 4 or 5 times. I finally gave up, pulled the covers over my head, (which I hate) and went to sleep. The man was so far ahead in Benchrest, always trying something new. He will be sorely missed. "PHIL SAUER" rest in peace.

 

[JohnVm]

I only met him a couple of times at WW, but from talking to him briefly, he didn't waste words and you could tell he had to sort through all the things he knew to give you the answer, and he was competitive to the core. Truly an icon of benchrest has passed

 

[Dick Wright]

That's a bad thing...

they broke the mold when they made Phil Sauer. He loved the sport and contributed to the sport.

I first met Phil when I visited the Super Shoot in 1990. He saw me taking pictures and came over, asked me what kind of a camera I was using and introduced himself.

I never met anyone who didn't like and admire Phil Sauer. We are truly diminished.

Dick and Glorya Wright

 

[MSPTrooper]

We'll miss you.

I haven't know Phil that long....Only about a year but he was a wonderful man. I ask all of you to pray for Phil and for his wife, Mary. She will need a lot of support after 61 years of marriage.