price of fuel and shooting in matches.

D

derek casey

Guest
i was planning on traveling some this year to shoot in matches. with the price of fuel going out the damned roof, i'm just going to shoot locally this year. i can't afford the time off work and the price of fuel to travel now. is anybody else doing the same? it's not the price of ammo, it's the fuel prices that is killing my wallet!!!!
 
Get a small car, pump the tires up 10 psi over max, and draft 18 wheelers.



Turned my 37 mpg car into a 50+ mpg car.
 
No joke!

Netted 7 more mpg with the 10 psi increase, and 5-6 more with drafting.

I am not talking about drafting like Nascar, but a good 5-6 carlengths behind the 18 wheeler.
 
One way to solve the problem . . .

Our club's answer to the high cost of gasoline, is to develop a large local group of rimfire BR shooters. We are UP here on the Canadian Boarder. With all their paranoid gun laws we can't shoot with our Canadian friends any more, and Dick Wright's range in Lower Michigan is more than three hours away, down the I-75 Expressway.

Last year in our county we had about 25 local regulars. By promoting it HARD, we should have even more this year. To me the answer is straight forward. Get more local shooters involved.

A problem with that: Most of us want to shoot. Few of us are willing to do the work necessary to PROMOTE the sport.

Joe Haller
 
B Harvey-
I used to do the drafting thing. As it turned out, the chips in my paint cost more than the savings in fuel.
 
If I was driving a car newer than my 85 Toyota, the paint might concern me.:D

Around Atlanta, I am most concerned about hitting a ladder. Anyone ever need a free ladder, come here.

They are 'slightly' second hand though.
 
No joke!

Netted 7 more mpg with the 10 psi increase, and 5-6 more with drafting.

I am not talking about drafting like Nascar, but a good 5-6 carlengths behind the 18 wheeler.

I can think of a few problems associated with this philosophy, first is the increased chances for a blowout when the weather warms.

The second is that it's really tough to find an 18-wheeler that's going to a match. I've never seen one at any I've gone to. ;)

Picher
 
I can think of a few problems associated with this philosophy, first is the increased chances for a blowout when the weather warms.

The second is that it's really tough to find an 18-wheeler that's going to a match. I've never seen one at any I've gone to. ;)

Picher

Hi John,

You've just never been to the right match! It was not uncommon to see one when Stump used to shoot. Saw him pull into a match in Cordele, GA with a big rig.

Ken
 
Coming To Your Range

Hey Joe;

I plan on making the trek to your U.P. range in April. That will be from Harrison, or as you put it,"Dick Wrights Range". When we travel to other clubs we always hope to promote some interest from shooters to travel to our facility. Some of your centerfire guys came down last year. A few of us would like to come to not only your rimfire matches but also centerfire. If a couple shooters travel together and split the costs it helps.

See You In April
Mike
 
Hi Mike

Looking forward to meeting you in April.

When we were shooting centerfire benchrest UP here, 3 or 4 of us would usually team up in a car for travel to a match. Back in the '90s when my wife, Mavis and I had the Country Star Motorhome, traveling to matches was extra fun. The cost of diesel fuel was only a buck a gallon at that time. Once we took the motorhome down to Dick's Range in Harrison.

Back in the late '80 and into the '90s we had a pretty good group of centerfire BR shooters. 55 at one or our tournaments. I gave up on it when I was told I was loosing too much of my hearing. Now there are only three centerfire shooters UP here. They got'a travel, and the match are a L o n e way off.

For the past 8 years ALL the matches I've attend are rimfire, and they are close by. Here in Sault Ste. Marie: 4 miles way. Down in Mission Texas only 2 miles way.

Miss that warm winter sun down in the Rio Grande Valley.

Joe :)
 
The Sunshine State

I am currently in Florida soaking up the sun and warm temperatures but have to head back to northern Michigan in a few weeks. Still have not found a Weaver 6-20 for my rimfire rifle and might have to go with a Leupold. I know I will be able to make the weight limit of 8.5 on my rifle with one of those two choices.

Mike
 
i was planning on traveling some this year to shoot in matches. with the price of fuel going out the damned roof, i'm just going to shoot locally this year. i can't afford the time off work and the price of fuel to travel now. is anybody else doing the same? it's not the price of ammo, it's the fuel prices that is killing my wallet!!!!

You are not alone , costs are causing the situation that only the wealthy can compete all over the country and internationally.
 
Watch out for the turkey express

I know for A fact that driver sometimes just slams on the brake so he can see the 4-wheelers nose-dive :Ya-All drive safe now !
 
It ain't my range...

It belongs to the Harrison Sportsmans Club, a non-profit organization. There are times when I'm not sure whether the non-profit part is intentional or simply a by-product of the eptitude of the club leadership.

However, when one person has been promoting the matches for eighteen years, it's fairly normal for the ranges and the matches there-upon to be associated with that person.

Re: gas costs... it's a big factor every time we make a decision to attend/not attend a match. I recently swapped the 911 (which only had room for a toothbrush and a couple of changes of undies) for a slightly bigger Kraut coupe that has plenty of room in it to take all my stuff to the Super Shoot. It's a superb motorcar but gets 20 mpg's at best on the highway. Alas, if you have more fun, you get worse mileage. It's 335 miles to Kelbley's and I figure 900 miles for the week. That's 45 gallons of premium gas or aprox $150.00 just for fuel. And the Legacy raised their prices this year. I'll be there but it's a fair question just how many long trips one can justify taking in any given year. I'm happy that I don't have to pay the fuel bill for that magnificent motorhome that Lou Murdica drives.

Dick Wright
 
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Sorry about that...

Serves me right for trying to do the math in my head. (When I wuz younger, it worked.):(

That would be $150.00 for the round trip. I figured $3.33 for 93 octane.

Dick
 
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