Update: 2007 Summer National THR Get Together At The NRA Whittington Center (NM)

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I may have to drop out. I just used up 5 weeks of paid vacation keeping house for my parents and getting them into a very nice assisted living/nursing center on Monday (Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center in Harrisonburg.) Now all I need to do is empty out their home and sell it. That and about 30 other things since the move was unexpected. My dad is 85 and has been using a walker since Christmas due to a recently acquired bum leg. Outpatient back surgery helped some, but didn't cure the problem. My mom has advanced Alzheimers and he can't keep up with her anymore when she wanders.

Dang. Well, I have a month or two to figure it out I guess, although that could just be wishful thinking on my part. I have more vacation time if you can believe it, almost 8 weeks, but I just don't know yet if I'll be able to get away.

One big surprise - and a real treat if I can make the trip in May - my dad gave me his '06 Avalon with 7k miles on it. Of course that means a trip to his bank box for the title, a trip to DMV and selling my Forester which is parked in their driveway in Stuarts Draft 105 miles from here. :) The VMRC social worker just called to tell me they need me to complete 2 inventory forms of personal belongings and furniture. Think I'll go wipe down all of his guns instead. That should be relaxing.

John
 
I just got off the phone with Wayne Armacost of the NRA. I went ahead and reserved one trap field and the high power rifle silhouette range. The hunter pistol silhouette range is already reserved by somebody else for that weekend, so we'll have to figure something else out for the handgun shooters. The cost to reserve a range is $10 per shooter per day, so that will have to be figured into our fees.

Mr. Armacost explained that we really needed to reserve the ranges we wanted to use before somebody else does, or we could arrive and find ourselves out in the cold.

The normal range fees are $15 per day per shooter, or a $35 annual family membership. This allows you to use any of the ranges that are not reserved. So, if you just want to shoot the events for which we have reserved ranges, range fees will cost you $10 per day. If you want to be able to use the whole facility, you will have to in addition pay the $15 per day or pay the $35 family membership.

Clear as mud? ;)

I'm trying to put together a tentative schedule of events which I'll post shortly.
 
Range map:
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I'm really "envious" of you who are going to get to attend.
This year, it's just too far for me to go, and I'm still too poor
(business is still growing, but hasn't hit the peak necessary for stability yet).

(What discretionary funds I have these days is going for guns instead of travel.
I just added two - count' em - two new Marlin lever guns :D , and will soon add a Smith 686+.)

If it was going to be around Reno somewhere, or up in the NW ...

Maybe next year ... :eek:

Have fun yall. I look forward to reading the reviews and stories.
 
I've reserved a sopt at the on-site lodging so I'm going to let my Holiday Inn reservation go.

I'd edit my previous post, but it is too late for that.
 
OK, I need input. I've put together a very tentative schedule of events.

Friday afternoon: Check in at Founders Cabin designated as base of operations (Art's) Check out Team Challenge presentation by Lones Wigger at the rimfire silhouette range.

Friday 6:00 pm: Social get together, chili cookoff, bring your favorite chili recipe to share, or something else for supper, we don't care what. Art also suggested a cookie contest, called a "cookie chill-off" :D

Saturday: Breakfast on your own. Meet at Art's cabin. Hand out maps and range rules. Quick go-over of range rules.

We have reserved a trap field for all day Saturday. This allows for five shooters at a time. Dave McCracken and sm will be in charge of this event and will be assisted by range officers.

If you don't want to participate in the trap event, you are free to use any of the other open ranges, provided you have paid the NRAWC range fee or membership fee.

Saturday Lunch: Cold cuts, sandwiches, Sandy's Salsa.

Saturday 6:00 PM, Pot luck dinner, we can furnish BBQ pork or something,

Sunday: Breakfast on your own.

We have reserved the long range rifle silhouette range for the day. Minimum caliber .243 and no magnums please. Pretty much anything from a .243 to a 30-06 (I have a lot of fun on this range with my Garand).

Again if you don't want to participate in the rifle event, you are free to use any of the other open ranges, provided you have paid the NRAWC range fee or membership fee. Or, bring some handguns and targets to the rifle silhouette range. It is ours for the day (at $10 per person).

Sometime during the weekend:

My friend Bud (Smoke Rizen) will give a demonstration on black powder cartridges and CAS with same if anybody is interested.

Justin will give a demonstration on Bullseye pistol shooting, again, if anyone is interested.

Note: Wayne Armacost told me today we are free to use the long range rifle silhouette range for both the black powder demo and the Bullseye demo. We will just need to bring target stands (I have some homemade ones).

On the lunch part: We don't mind preparing and bringing lunch stuff for everybody, but we really don't want to pay for all of it, so IF you guys agree to those plans, we may pass the hat to help offset the costs.
 
I've put together some costs, so you can know what to expect:

NRAWC range fees: $15 per day per person or $35 annual family membership (I believe you can pay that online in advance).

Housing: $23 per night or $44 double occupancy (camping is less).

Saturday shotgun event: $10 per person plus $3 per round (25 birds),

Sunday Rifle event: $10 per person.

Insurance: Total $800 - figure $10-$20 per person.
 
screeeCHH---stoP!

Just a durn minute here...

We have reserved a trap field for all day Saturday. This allows for five shooters at a time. Dave McCracken and sm will be in charge of this event and will be assisted by range officers.
Click to expand...
S-K-E-E-T Larry, I am a skeet shooter, 5 stand, Sporting Clay, and can't go there shooter. I mean...I mean Skeet Shooters can do it 25 times 8 different ways. I mean... Skeet shooters are not afraid to face their targets.
Twap?!?
Dave - no offense my friend, but how does anyone expect to get hit by busted clays coming out of the trap houses if they don't stand under High 1 or next to Low house on 7?

Art put y'all up to this. That boy...! :p

*sniff* *sniff* Did I smell Chili, and Cookies? I LIKES Vension Chili. I LIKES Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Okay I can do Twap.

I get to be a Judge on this Chili Cooking and Cookie bit.

Scoot over Art and quit hogging the coffee and cookies will ya?
Got a plan- so give me some breathing room <slaps Arts hand> and gimme that Cookie with a Reese's Buttercup stuck in it munch...crumbs ...munch
Bleh...blah...*ahem* <swallows , sips coffee>...

You want to bribe this Judge [me] I look for Presentation, Friendly Folks, and Gals in Bikinis passing out chili bowls/ cookie platters don't hurt none.
Kids about so high, being involved - gets bribing points too.

Sneak some Fried Apple Pies in - either event , don't matter to me, and that sure as shooting worth serious bribing points. Judge , me being a Judge remember, don't care if a chili/ cookie dealie - Fried Pies are allowed in either event - I said so. ;)


Smoke_Rizen has already loaded up MY BP shotgun shells for ME to take lessons from him.
Mess with MY shells, 'fore I do...don't care how good your chili/ cookies are, gonna lose points big time. :D

Extra points to anyone running blocker between me and Sandy, Larry Wife.
Easy to spot her, she will be the one with a cast iron skillet coming after me.
Me, easy to spot, I will be hiding behind Sadie - yeah their 3 year granddaughter and she [Sadie] has me for an Adopted Uncle.

Bring a tape recording dealie-a-bob. Got to Read Ruark's The Old Man And The Boy to the kids...don't matter how big the kid, or how many B-day's they had either.

Twap...I guess it *could* be worse, Sandy wanted me to be downrange with a poster board , running around so she and the other ladies could practice moving targets with center-fire rifle.

Can I at least mess with the Pull Button ...*some* ? :evil:

Sadie! They pickin' on your Uncle Steve here darlin'
Grandpa Larry better get that Pink Cricket you want...how else you gonna get to shoot it at this shin-dig?

Bribery, Blackmail and Deceit will outdo youth and skill any day of the week - Relic's code.

Dang Art!! Folks, this boy can put away the cookies, y'all best fix bigger batches...


Use Enough Fried Pies

Steve
 
:D :D On the housing part, do we have a place that is specified for our little get together?

I want to call and reserve a room and just wanted to know if they are informed.

CHILI!!! Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. LOL..
Looks like I'll have to be pretty quick on my feet if I'm going to get me a bowl of Chili and a cookie if SM is around. :neener:

Larry If you need me to pitch in some cash for the eats, let me know.

I'm bringing some BB guns for the kids to play with. Just something to have fun with and maybe can give them away for the best shooter.

If ya'll need something just give me a hollar and I can see what I can do to help.
 
I'm in. We will be up there earlier in the week. Can't decide if we want to stay at the range or at my buddies Grandpa's house about 30 minutes away. I'm thinking of staying at the on range lodging for social gathering purposes.

I think I'll go with the family membership fees. Even though I most likely won't go there again in a years time, the money will go towards the range anyway. I'll purchase online if possible. As for insurance, just tell me who to send it to.
 
Payment information will be sorted out shortly. We have a PO Box for payments we just need to decide on an initial amount to collect. Larry is planning on posting as soon as a number is finalized.
 
No .223 ???

I'm disappointed you exclude .223 from the rifle event. Why? I just ordered an AR-15 for the occasion - as you know, they are not cheap, although the ammo is. :cuss:

A separate AR event, maybe? :)

C
 
No .223 ???
Click to expand...
Centerfire .22s are not allowed on the rifle silhouette range. Sorry, target damage.

But, bring it! There are ranges where you can use it (sight in range, for example). As I said, this is a tentative schedule. Mr. Armacost is working with me. Take a look at the ranges, let me know what might work for an AR15 event.

I don't want to leave anyone out.
 
No events scheduled for pistol shooters? .45 ACP 1911's, .22 LR M41's? Sounds like an interesting get together. Are motels in Raton already filling up? Must be something else going on at the same time.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB
 
Thanks for the .223 consideration Larry. Yeah, those .223s are wicked destructive. I dont know anything about rifle competition to design an event. That's why I bought the thing - to learn and participate. But I know there are some standard shoots, so one does not have to reinvent the wheel. Nor did I mean an event that would necessarily exclude other calibers. Lets just make a place for .223 and other small calibers.

I agree with LHB: .22s are fun and cheap, and good PRACTICE weapons. Plus many of us use handgns for SD, and an event for them would be good. Would someone be willing to do an introductory class on POINT SHOOTING? I bet that would be popular: any caliber goes.

I'd be happy to help with targets. Do the ranges have target stands?

C
 
The silhouette range doesn't have target stands. Well, it does, but the closest ones are 150 yards out. But, Mr. Armacost said we were welcome to bring some and use handguns on the silhouette range.

My initial plans were to get the hunter pistol silhouette range, but there's a tournament going on, so we can't use that one. It's perfect, 400 targets ranging from 25 to 100 yards, pistol calibers only. And a 22lr will knock most targets over.

The sight in range has moveable target stands from 25 out to 200 yards, I think, plus some steel wildlife targets out to about 600 yards. The sight in range almost always has room for a few shooters.

Mr. Armacost said the high power range isn't in use either, unless someone reserves it. I've never used that one, but it goes out to 1000 yards. Jon Coppenbarger shoots there a lot. Maybe he can tell us about it.

Steve, I did try to get a skeet range, but had to settle for trap. They have a trap tournament going on also, but they have nine trap fields, so we get the one on the far end away from the tournament.

Keep the ideas coming on what you guys want to do. Mr. Armacost will be gone this coming week, but I can call him after that.

What do you guys think of sending a $50 deposit to Bratch? We would apply it to fees when we get there and refund any left over funds. It will help us get an idea of participation. Bratch has secured a PO box, which I will post a little later.

LHB1, there's always something going on there. We've never had trouble getting rooms on site though.
 
Larry,
The get together sounds like it will be a lot of fun. I would like to come but don't want to drive up from Houston by myself. Am checking with my son to see if he would be interested in going with me. Will let you know soon if things work out.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB
 
Steve, You know it's not going to be that easy. I'll score fifth every round before I give up a single cookie. I'd like to sign Annetta and I up for a few rounds if you don't mind a little choke and gag,and columns of sooty smoke in the air. Annetta can tell you all about the good deal I got on her 28ga. I broke 2 of 2 with it,and I think that will have to stand, cause I don't get to shoot it anymore!
"Alright Bud let's go home and cut 1/2" an inch off so it sits in right". Yeah we created another gluttonous shooter,"more shells,bring more shells!". Just another few hours at the press,oh well.
Larry, Don't send in your check till we talk. We can save .39 cents!(I remember when that could buy a couple boxes of .22s).
 
Smoke Rizen,
You and I tare he two top Cookie Judges. Who says I am not assertive?
Sadie and Art are Judges under us. I mean somebody has to wrap Art around their little finger and keep Art out of some of the cookies, and Sadie is qualified. :p

I look forward to lessons from you with a BP shotgun, Annetta I am looking forward to seeing her new shotgun and ...her cooking! :p

Yeah I know this gathering has undertones of Firearms...

There is more to responsible firearm ownership than guns - me

Kids ,dawgs meeting folks, eating, visiting, judging cookies, judging chili , eating, visiting, laughing , telling stories...Firearms just a bonus!

Larry & Sandy need to judge the Chili, Sandy being the Salsa Queen and all...
Larry being 'qualified' to judge chili. Not to mention if Sandy is busy she can't be chasing me with a cast iron skillet.

I gotta plan, I gots lots of plans...:p
 
Change of plans

Okay, turns out that my 20th anniversary requires my attendance in Bermuda on a cruise with my bride.

Scratch jhallrv4 from the list. (NRA too, bummer).

There are some lines that can't be crossed...

Jeff

EDIT: Just noticed that the dates may change...might make it after all...depending on dates!
Awaiting further info...
 
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