Double Alpha's New Race Holster

Saul Kirsch, head of Double Alpha Academy, has come out with a lightweight plastic race holster based on his more expensive all aluminum framed holster. Using plastic allows a light weight and sturdy holster, yet at a more affordable price. Dave Ihnen, who I shoot with regularly, has done a benchtop review of Saul's new holster. Check it out.

A bit of wisdom from Rev. Kenn Blanchard.

A bit of wisdom from Rev. Kenn Blanchard.





H/T to Traction Control for this!

HHRGC Dec. 22nd, Steel Results

It was another wet and sloppy day at Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun Club on Whidbey Island, but we still had 25 entries for our six stage steel match. Considering that this is only three days before Christmas, that's not too bad a turnout, I'd say! Several shooters packed it in early because of the rain and cold, but the rest of us stuck it out and slogged through to the end. (That explains the 120's in the stage scores.) After the first couple of stages the rain stopped, and it held off for the rest of the day, right up until just before we had finished the last stage.

	Name	Class	stg 1	stg 2	stg 3	stg 4	stg 5	stg 6	total
1	Mike Gallion	RF-O	8.01	12.03	13.22	13.69	11.66	8.28	66.89
2	Tony Ceci	RF-R	10.10	14.26	13.87	12.60	8.65	16.66	76.14
3	Joshua Hansen	RF-R	12.75	15.32	17.85	15.81	12.51	5.63	79.87
4	John Davidson	RF-O	11.87	15.08	15.19	14.04	15.41	8.45	80.04
5	Thomas Alldredge	RF-I	13.01	18.09	18.31	16.30	12.92	7.00	85.63
6	John Davidson	CF-P	15.43	17.65	23.24	20.09	11.83	13.31	101.55
7	Jeff Proctor	RF-R	21.28	19.98	19.49	21.26	15.83	7.59	105.43
8	Debra Kurre	RF-I	23.87	18.26	23.26	20.40	14.15	9.02	108.96
9	Debra Kurre	RF-O	20.40	15.41	24.42	31.30	9.97	13.64	115.14
10	Jeff Proctor	RF-I	20.80	25.79	24.59	16.20	19.60	13.81	120.79
11	Joshua Hansen	RF-I	21.61	24.69	21.96	22.63	22.66	7.89	121.44
12	Steve Blazina	RF-I	19.86	23.18	34.13	25.61	14.74	13.43	130.95
13	Thomas Alldredge	CF-P	24.01	21.82	21.12	37.06	16.68	10.96	131.65
14	Steve Blazina	CF-L	21.78	24.60	30.16	29.93	17.99	11.67	136.13
15	Richard Davis	CF-LR	35.22	37.16	14.91	40.16	21.70	16.34	165.49
16	Kevin Case	CF-LR	26.94	49.30	38.31	31.40	13.95	12.24	172.14
17	Debra Kurre	REV-I	20.65	29.58	22.95	56.36	21.86	25.44	176.84
18	Kory Koyamatsu	RF-I	37.09	30.09	35.10	48.37	24.73	14.30	189.68
19	Jim Dyment	CF-P	35.57	37.48	33.23	49.89	25.98	24.81	206.96
20	Mike Gallion	CF-O	86.52	120.00	120.00	120.00	23.92	9.68	480.12
21	Austin Leadley	RF-R	19.37	18.10	120.00	120.00	120.00	120.00	517.47
22	Linda Proctor	RF-I	31.69	34.91	120.00	120.00	120.00	120.00	546.60
23	Brian Lawson	RF-I	120.00	120.00	26.59	120.00	120.00	120.00	626.59
24	Russ Blazina	RF-I	120.00	120.00	53.92	120.00	120.00	120.00	653.92
25	Russ Blazina	CF-LR	120.00	120.00	93.07	120.00	120.00	120.00	693.07

Vegan Defined

VEGAN - Noun - Old Indian word meaning "Bad Hunter"

Here's a video from last month's Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun Club's steel match.



This stage was so much fun we've decided to run it again this month. There might be a little twist to it, but it's still going to be lots of "How fast can you go" shooting! Come join us at 9am. either Saturday, December 22nd., or Sunday, December 23rd. for six stages of fun on steel. Better yet, why not shoot BOTH matches?

I just came across this video. This was taken at our very first steel match at Holmes Harbor rod & Gun Club on Whidbey Island, in N.W. Washington State. Our bays aren't really finished yet, but they are safe enough and good enough that we can run some steel matches.



Our first match was "Blessed" with almost constant rain, but we did have some popup tent shelters to keep us dry, at least most of the time!

Thanks, Josh!

Pray For His Hearing

In a Detroit church one Sunday morning, a preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front by the altar."

With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the Preacher asked, "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?"

Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."

The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed.  He prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm.

After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, "Leroy, how is your hearing now?"  Leroy answered, "I don't know.  It ain't 'til Thursday."

CCW Holder Nick Meli at Clackamas Shooting

It's funny how selected bits of information seem to get left out of news stories when that information refutes the political position of the otherwise Liberal news media. When I first heard the news reports about the Clackamas Mall shooting, where a nut case goes in to the Mall, shoots two total strangers, then shoots himself, it sounded like only part of the story.

If the bad guy was out to shoot a bunch of people, why did he stop at two, and then shoot himself? It was mentioned that he had a gun jam, but that couldn't be the reason, as he was able to get a gun functioning again so he could shoot himself. So, what really happened?

As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now, for the REST of the story!"

Nick Meli, a security guard and CCW holder, intervened. He drew his weapon, and got his sights on the shooter. He also was positioned where he had some cover. (Good tactic). Unfortunately, there were people behind the shooter, and Nick, following the 4th Law of gun safety, held fire, waiting for a clear and safe shot. The shooter, realizing he was about to get taken out by Nick, scurried into a stairwell, cleared his jammed gun, and shot himself.


From all I can see, Nick did everything exactly as he should have done. Had the shooter aimed his rifle at someone, I'm sure Nick would have fired. What a great job. Nick should be a National hero and should get a Presidential Award. (Not likely)

Now, for a bit of speculation. How do you think the horrible tragedy at the school in Connecticut would have ended up if Nick Meli had been one of the teachers and was armed that day?

Yeah, me too.........

A Security Question

Just askin' ...........

13 Plates + reload in 4.57 Seconds. WOW!

Jerry Miculek's performance of shooting six shots, reloading his revolver, and shooting six more in 2.99 seconds is really amazing. However, a Dutch friend, Lucien Rooijendijk, turned in a pretty spectacular run on some falling plates a while back. In Holland, under Dutch falling plate rules, there are thirteen plates, and you must do one mandatory reload. Lucien ran the rack and did the reload in 4.57 seconds. Wow!

Proper Shooting Grip - Modified Gangsta!

Here's what you need to practice before your next trip into the inner city!

KRRC December Steel Match

Saturday morning early I loaded up the car with my range gear, guns, ammo and warm clothes to head over to the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club  for the six stage fun steel match. The weather did not look very promising on Saturday morning as we were driving to Keystone to catch the ferry to Port Townsend. There was heavy hail, and at times the road was totally covered with hail, making driving very interesting. One time, when I applied the brakes to slow down for an upcoming corner, the car just continued straight ahead as if I had not applied the brakes. Fortunately, the hail was concentrated in small areas, and the rest of the drive was uneventful.

KeeWee had to work on Saturday morning, so she wasn't able to make the trip.  Steve from the Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club decided  to come along and shoot in the Rimfire Open class and also the Rimfire Rifle class. I planned to shoot Rimfire Open and Centerfire Open.

Steve is fairly new to steel shooting, but he is a very experienced at metallic silhouette shooter. It is said that  most of shooting boils down to trigger control, and Steve, being a champion metallic shooter, is very good at trigger control. The one aspect that Steve has not worked on much is his speed. In metallic silhouette there is no rush take each shot.  You have plenty of time. However, it seems that with very little effort Steve is able to pump up his speed and combine that with the accuracy that he already has, and the results are very good.

When we reached the match, it was dry, and it stayed dry all day. Although it was a  bit cold, there was no wind  blowing, so it did not seem nearly as cold as it actually was. considering the time of year, it was encouraging to see 60 entries in the match. We had a fun squad, and the day went by very quickly. I still don't have the loads properly figured out for my Tanfoglio 9mm., but I'm getting closer.

After the match, several of us went to a local restaurant for lunch. After a bite to eat, we headed home. The  road conditions had improved considerably, and the drive back was not nearly the white knuckle adventure it was on the way to the match!

By the time I arrived home it had been a very long day, and when I crawled into bed I was pretty much worn out. It had been a very good day, with Steve and I finishing well in the final results. The match results are posted at South  Whidbey Action Pistol website.

From Bob Munden's website:


Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Butte, Montana, USA

Bob Munden Has Died

Bob Munden, known perhaps equally as a fierce Fast-Draw competitor who was recognized by Guinness World Records as The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived, as an exhibition shooter of the highest order with all kinds of firearms; an entertainer as well as a master gun smith who developed groundbreaking methods of customizing to perfection the beloved .45 caliber single action revolver and other guns, died Monday of heart failure.

Munden’s wife and performance partner Becky said Tuesday she was driving home with Bob after treatment at a Missoula hospital for what doctors described as a mild heart attack. At some point between Missoula and their home of Butte, Bob mentioned he was experiencing chest pains, told Becky to keep on driving, and died.

The 70-year-old shooting sports superstar was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. James Heathcare in Butte.

Born February 8, 1942 in Kansas City, Mo, Bob began his professional shooting career at age 11 in Big Bear Lake, Calif. While still in high school, Bob placed 2nd in a competition known as the Leatherslap. After years of competing in Fast Draw, Bob and Becky performed together beginning in 1968, emphasizing the importance of gun safety when they went on tour in 1969 for the National School Assembly Program. Depending on the venue, Bob and Becky continued to perform together shooting blanks or with live ammunition across the United States, in New Zealand and London, England. As recently as 2011 the Mundens put on their live-ammunition exhibition at locations in California and Kansas.

Over the years Bob, often with Becky who is also a champion shooter, appeared on many television shows, most famously American Shooter, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Shooting USA, and Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots. Munden can be found all over YouTube and appears in entertaining and instructional DVDs including Bob Munden: Outrageous Shooting and Bob Munden: The Collector’s Edition.

At age 68 Munden appeared on Stan Lee’s Superhumans on the History Channel. The episode shows a scientist reporting that Munden’s hand withstands 10 Gs of force when he draws and fires his gun from the holster. Viewers learn that as a comparison, jet pilots are trained to withstand 9 Gs, and that Bob is “faster than a rattlesnake.” In a demo during the same show, Munden draws and shoots two balloons six feet apart with two shots that sound virtually like one.

Just eight weeks ago today, at the Butte Gun Club range for Midland Radio Corporation, Munden did exhibition shooting with a .45 caliber single action and Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol. Bob Munden & Midland XTC High Definition Action Camera – YouTube

Registered as members #118 and #119 respectively, Bob and Becky entertained at the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) End of Trail World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting 30 times with what Becky proudly said was the most complex presentation ever offered at an exhibition shooting show. She added that Bob was Cowboy Action Shooting’s first gunsmith.

Becky said, “We had an incredible, memorable life together.”

She also said that of all the in-arguably amazing shots Bob achieved during his lifetime of speed shooting, precision shooting and showmanship with handguns, rifles and shotguns; his opening a safety pin, hitting a target 600 yards away, throwing a knife with a bullet and others all accomplished with handguns and practiced mostly in his imagination rather than at the range, Bob was definite that splitting a playing card in he threw into the air was most difficult.

Bob is survived by his wife Becky, his daughters Natalie and Mitzi; grandson Levi, granddaughter Kaycee, his mother; three brothers and a sister; nieces, nephews, friends and millions of fans.

According to Bob’s wishes his remains will be cremated. A memorial and celebration of life is to be scheduled during warmer weather in 2013. A small event for local neighbors and friends will take place in Butte in the near future. Information about both events will be posted here and at the official Facebook Fan Page.

Dave Brubeck - R.I.P.

I have no idea how many times The Dave Brubeck Quartet has recorded Take Five, but this version is a favorite. Talk about four really talented musicians, too......

Ephrata Steel Match News

Happy December!! Here we are at the end of the year and we are still shooting!! Join us for our regular shoot on Saturday the 8th.

As always, sign-ups will be at 8ish and shooters meeting will be at 9. Both of my weather apps are calling for reasonably clear and cold. Dress appropriately. Lunch to follow, probably something warm!

The class that some of you have signed up for following lunch will be inside the indoor range so don't worry about the weather for that one. Any help setting up and tearing down is greatly appreciated. We bought 5 targets and stands that are yours to use. They are in the first new bay, next to the clubhouse. All we ask is that after you have used them please set the targets back down on the berm and lay the stands over.

These targets are available to sponsor, $50. We will be adding more as we go and as sponsors step forward to help us out.

Grant Galbreath

Steel Challenge Co-Chairman
www.ephratasportsmen.com
 www.facebook.com/pages/Ephrata-Steel-Shooters

New Steel Class at Holmes Harbor RGC

At our last steel match at Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun club here on Whidbey Island Ron Wigger from the Paul Bunyan club in Puyallup, WA asked what class should he use to enter his Ruger Single Action Vaquero revolver. He had a leather cowboy style holster to draw from. I told Ron

 "We don't have a class for that specifically, but ..... NOW WE DO!"

It's kinda cool being a match director!

The class does exist in Steel Challenge rules, so I decided to add it to our local club steel rules. The basic class rules are:

• Six shot single action uncompensated centerfire revolver
• Iron Sights - Fiber optics allowed.
• Start position same as Centerfire Limited and Open
• Cowboy style leather holsters. No plastic, no steel liners.

If you really wanted to get in a lot of shooting, you could also enter your single action revolver in the Iron Sight Revolver class, and also enter it in the Centerfire - Low Ready class!

If you are planning on entering with a Single action Revolver, I've got two tips for you. First, shoot five shots, and if you haven't got to the stop plate yet, put the sixth on the stop plate, even if you have some misses. It's faster to take the three second missed plate penalty for a missed plate. Most shooters can't reload a single action revolver in three seconds. A missed stop plate is thirty seconds! So, save the last shot for the stop plate, and be SURE you hit it!!

Practice your reloading, as the single action revolvers are slow to unload and re-load, and reloading thirty or forty times in a match can make it a long day id you can't do it fairly quickly.

Drag out that "Cowboy Gun" and holster, and give it a try!

Our next two matches will be December 22nd. and 23rd. Both days will be six stage matches. If you are traveling from out of town and are interested in staying over on Saturday night so you can shoot both matches, email me and I'll track down some of the local bed and breakfasts near the range, and also the phone number of the motel about five miles from the range.

Something for Everyone - Richard Brauer

I've known Richard Brauer for quite a few years now, and I have to admit, we've had some pretty good discussions on politics, guns, Conservatives, Liberals, and so forth. Richard has been writing short stories and novels as long as I've known him, and from time to time he'd give me a draft of a story to see how I liked it. Richard strives for accuracy in details, and I've helped a little when it comes to firearms, For example, he wanted to have a GLOCK in one of his stories, so I took several GLOCKS out to the range and let Richard shoot them so he'd know first hand about them. Richard has plenty of firearms, hunting and  and shooting experience, but hadn't handled a GLOCK.

Richard takes his craft seriously, writing almost every day, and studying with other writers and experts to better his skills. Unfortunately, success as a novelist or short story author depends as much on who you know as it does on how well you can write. How many time was Gone With The Wind rejected? Quite a few!

Richard has sold a few stories and has had a few things published, but not a large amount. Fortunately, Richard is retired and has the time to write, and doesn't have to punch a time clock every day. With this new Internet thingie, now there is a way to get your stuff published without having any special connections in the industry.

Richard has put together a book of short stories, and it's now available in Kindle edition on Amazon,com 

I've read some of the stories already, and Richard is definitely a good story teller and ingenious plot inventor. Some of his stories seem to just get you hooked, and then they are over. Sometimes I think some of the short stories are actually the beginning of a complete novel yet unwritten. Hopefully with a little encouragement Richard will write the full novel, if that's the case!

Why not go have a look and Richard's work. There's some of the book there you can read on Amazon, so why not $4.99 and read the whole thing! I enjoy his writing, and I think you will too!