November Monthly Match at Smithmoor Range

[Cody Smith]

November 22 , 22 Silhouette Match Write-up

Wow! we couldn't have possibly gotten a more beautiful November day for the match. It was nearly dead still with only an occasional breath of wind. Temperatures ranged from the mid 40's to the mid 30's. The overcast sky did leave a few challenges as the targets were not as bright as we would have liked them.

We had twelve riflemen and women for our inaugural match in Cody's Shooting shed at Smithmoor Range. The shed has been many years in the planning and building and I can't think of a better way to celebrate its completion than with a shooting match. I was very pleased with how well the building worked. About the only hiccup that I forgot was the fact that we cannot use normal shooting sticks in the building as the floor is concrete. The day was nice enough that we moved forward eight feet and shot off of the pad in the front of the building. I will be ordering some benchrest style sticks from Cat's shooting sticks so we won't have this problem in the future. We had the stove fired up and it was a popular place to hang out between relays.

There were several shooters that had not fired a 22 silhouette match before and I think we may have them hooked. Squading worked out perfectly as we have four bays and we ran three relays. Judging by all of the joshing and laughing, I am pretty sure there was a good fit with folks in each group. I broke the shooters into three groups, traditional iron sight, traditional scope, and modern class. Carol McDowell came out on top of the traditional scope class with a 16, I had a good day and managed a 31 to win the traditional iron sight class, and Travis Purdum was the modern class winner with a 22.

As we all know, you cannot have much of a match without shooters and I want to extend a extra thank you to those that came and helped us celebrate. What a great day!

Also, a special thank you to my wife, Coralee, for her continued support and for throwing together some chili and refreshments, and to the Travis Purdum family for helping me get ready this morning as well as all of your help and support you have graciously given.

We will be holding this match the third Saturday of each month while reserving the fourth Saturday if the weather proves too poorly to provide folks with a safe drive down. We will hold these through April. I will be keeping track of the scores and plan on having the April shoot be a series championship with some awards.

Hope to see you next month!
Hold Center, Cody Smith

[Cody Smith]

Traditional Iron Sight Chicken Pig Turkey Ram Total

Steve Anderson 3 9 3 7 22
Doc Munson 0 0 3 2 5
Cody Smith 5 10 9 7 31 1st

Traditional Scope

Coralee Smtih 2 7 1 1 11
Don McDowell 0 7 1 6 14
Carol McDowell 1 7 3 5 16 1st
Gary Smith 1 1 1 1 4

Modern

Cecil Sauer 0 10 5 5 20
Dave Clark 2 6 5 3 16
Travis Purdum 1 7 9 5 22 1st
Ethan Purdum 0 5 2 1 8
Jim Rodebaugh 3 8 4 3 18

[Steve Anderson]

What a fun Saturday afternoon. I can't understand why more folks weren't there? Really, what else could have been more fun. What is it that the rest of the world does anyway?

Thanks big time to you Cody, that liner worked great or seemed to. Really enjoyed the chance to shoot it, and on some level felt like I had an unfair advantage over the guys with smaller, lighter guns. You may have a hard time getting that liner back! See you in December, appreciate your efforts and generosity. Steve

[Don McDowell]

Going to be a lot of great scores fired there in time me thinks. The level of interest that Cody has generated is just phenominal. Great way to run a match and get folks into the shooting game.

[Old Jim]

Congrats to Carol for the scope win. Looks as though there will be a lot of shootin' done at Cody's place.

[Don McDowell]

Thanks Jim, she was pretty happy about it.
But what is almost better than her scope win is Steve Andersons score, shooting a borrowed liner in his sharps and his first time out at this game.. I believe there''s a new contender coming up thru the ranks..

[Steve Anderson]

That's awfully kind Don, but as I see it. Everyone there was a winner, how can you have so much fun and not come away better for it. I got to meet you and yours, and several others that I'd not meet before. Got to see several handsome rifles, and got to enjoy a plate of Coralee's chili. Does it get any better than that? Was thrilled to be there and have been looking forward it some time. Now I can't wait to try it again. A question, do I have to improve with each match? Best, Steve.

[Don McDowell]

Steve you're sure right about that one, everybody is a winner when they turn out to a match. That was a fine bunch attending yesterday.
While you don't have to improve with each match , it does make one feel good if even a little better score is shot.

[Kurt]

Hey Don give that Gal a high 5 for me.
And don't you be taken that high wall away from her and giving her your rifle.

[Don McDowell]

Nope not going to give up my Stevens..