HHRGC Innaugural Steel Match Report

It's been almost three years in the making, but last Saturday and Sunday we managed to put on our first two steel matches at my home club, Holmes Harbor rod & Gun. The weather on Saturday was wet, rainy, and sloppy for our inaugural match, but by Sunday it stopped raining, and the ground dried out a bit. The temperatures were mild both days, so cold wasn't an issue, but keeping dry was a challenge. Fortunately we had three pop-up shelters, and a number of umbrellas.

Looking across the three new action pistol bays.

You can tell one shooter comes from some place where it rains. He has his own umbrella mounted to his wagon!

Not only was keeping dry a problem, if you were using a red dot sight, the rain drops on the glass of the sight would make using the sight very difficult. On one run you might have one giant ten thousand MOA red amoeba, and after wiping the lens, you night have a whole swarm of little red dots! Every run was different!

Hmmmm.... Which dot is the real one?

An umbrella overhead definitely helped to keep the shooter and the sights dry, but it was still a challenge!

 Instant cloud of mist!

Compensated guns, particularly with full power loads, would blow enough gases upward from the compensator that it would form a mist cloud above and around the umbrella on every shot.

What's a little rain? This is fun! 

For our first match, particularly considering the time of year, our turn out was great. This group (Except for Thomas in the foreground) drove all the way across the state from Ephrata to help us kick it off in grand style!

As the day progressed, the rain continued to fall at a rate faster than it could drain off.

We also had folks from all across Western Washington shooting. As the rain continued to fall, the ranges started to get muddy and mud puddles started to form.

Compensated guns also were producing some pretty interesting fog and mist clouds under the pop up tents. Check out the "Wallyworld" rain hat!

We had six stages set up. so everyone got in a lot of shooting, but even so, the day seemed to go by quickly.

Matt Mitchell running his Open class Glock.

 

As the match neared it's end, it was really starting to get muddy!

Time to head up the hill to the club's restaurant for some hot coffee and lunch.

The matches seemed top go by quickly both days, and in spite of Saturday's rain, a good time was had by all, there was some really good shooting, and everyone is already looking forward to the next two matches, which will be Saturday and Sunday, November 24th and 25th. We plan to shoot every 4th Saturday and Sunday all Winter, so why not come out and join us?