HIGHPOWER RIFLE January 2010

The Pearl Harbor Remembrance Match held on December 6, was an opportunity for shooters to remember and honor the “greatest generation” who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today!  Thirteen shooters participated on a cool and breezy morning for the J.C. Garand Match using a variety of U.S. Service rifles, mostly Garands, a few 1903s, and an M-1 carbine.  Winner was Dan Harper with a 271-1X, second was Leonard Trevino with a 258-3X, and third was John Kelly with a 256-0X.  High junior was Jason Laa with a 117-0X, shooing that M-1 carbine.

The annual “M-1 Carbine Rattle-Battle” had 8 shooters for a single relay so it went really fast.  Everyone kept those barrels smoking as they fired 50 rounds in the allotted 50 seconds at each distance.  Winning score with 21 hits out of 50 shots was Eric Johnson, shooting a STMTC loaner carbine, Leonard Trevino was second, and Ed Beezer came in third.  Eric Johnson boasted he was placing the fabulous Ken Slade M-1 Carbine Rattle-Battle trophy on his fireplace mantle to be enjoyed by his wife and family for the entire next year.   Leonard Trevino received the ever-desirable shooters votive candle made from an empty Greek ammo can for a second time and was planning on using them for a romantic, Hoppe’s scented evening with his wife.  In third place Ed Beezer, received the exotic bag of Circus Brand salted peanuts.

Finally, we shot our annual Bayonet Challenge Match, consisting of 5 rounds in 5 minutes, standing slow fire at 200 yards, using a service rifle with a bayonet mounted.  Six shooters tested their skills and contrary to what you might believe, you can actually hit in the scoring black with a bayonet on the rifle.  Jon Ussery, shooting an M1 Garand, won the free frozen turkey with a score of 32-0X.  It might be interesting to do some off-the-bench testing to see how much the bayonet affects accuracy of a Garand…any excuse to go the range a shoot the old war horse.

The first High Power match for 2010 is a “Fun Match” at CTSA on Sunday, January 17.  It’ll be a standard 50 round NM course of fire.  Match fee is $20 for adults and $10 for juniors.  Fun begins at 0800 for set up and first rounds down-range at 0900.