Fall 2012 & Winter 2013 Newsletter

Remember to renew your MRRA Membership! A membership application is located at the end of the newsletter for you and your friends!

2013 MRRA MEETING SCHEDULE: and many, many of your fellow citizens have been taking their personal time to attend hearings write March 9, 2013 - 10:00 AM Board Meeting, 12:30 PM letters, sending emails and calling Legislators and Membership Meeting, Stars & Strikes Entertainment Congressional Representatives to defend our rights. Center, , MN They cannot do it alone. They need your voices too. If you do not want to give up your rights, June 1, 2013 - Board Meeting after match, Northwest NOW is the time to contact your Legislators and Gun Club, Duluth, MN Congressional Representatives. Write, call or

October 5, 2013 - Board Meeting after Fullbore match, email. Let them know your feelings and speak up Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club, Harris, MN. for our sport!

December 7, 2013 - 10:00 AM Board Meeting, 12:30 Contact Information for your PM Membership Meeting, Stars & Strikes Entertainment Representatives can be found at: Center, Wyoming, MN. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder.aspx and http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/ Remember, go to mrra.org for the latest updates! NRA-ILA website has information about how to MRRA SPRING MEMBERSHIP AND BOARD contact your Congressional Representatives and the MEETINGS: latest information: http://www.nraila.org/ The Spring MRRA Membership and Board Meetings is scheduled for Saturday, March 09, 2013 MRRA representatives are very active addressing at the Stars and Strikes Entertainment Center, 5063 these issues. The true voice and strength of the 273rd Street, Wyoming MN 55092. 651-462-6000 MRRA is it members. The more members MRRA has the greater its influence in addressing these The Membership meeting will start at 12:30PM. pressing issues. In order for MRRA to stay strong The Board meeting is scheduled to start at 10:00 we must retain and increase our membership. I ask AM same date & location. All members are all members to use the membership application at encouraged to attend. the end of the newsletter to renew you membership. If your dues are current, please use the membership PRESIDENTS MESSAGE: application to sign up you family members, friends or your shooting buddies. The annual membership As I write this our sport is being threatened by the fee is small, $15.00 but it is a big investment in our Minnesota Legislature and the United States sport. Congress. Both bodies are considering passing laws that will restrict your Constitutional Rights and On the bright side, shooting in Minnesota is ever affect all shooting sports in Minnesota. Your rights improving. We have more shooting facilities, are being defended by your fellow shooters and shooting activities and shooters than I can many pro-shooting oriented organizations such as remember. Our facilities are becoming well known the MRRA, NRA, MN Outdoor Heritage Alliance as top notch training facilities. This year the United and many others. Representatives of these group States Shooting Team came to Minnesota to train on their way to shoot at the Olympics in London. The the awards as they shot 391, and 387 respectively US Shooting Team spent a week at the for 1st and 2nd Intermediate Junior medals. Allie Rifle Club. One of the rifle shooters who trained in Taschuk also was in the awards as her 387 placed Minnesota, Jamie Gray, brought home a Gold st her in the 1 Jr. spot. The Sub-Junior class was lead Medal. This year the US Shooting Team, US Air Force Shooting Team along with members of the with impressive sub-junior scores by Elizabeth US Army Marksmanship Unit are discussing Ewert shooting a 380 and Samantha Peterson just a training in Minnesota. That folks says a lot about point behind with a 379. our state! Regards, George Minerich In 2013 Minnesota Juniors Patrick Sunderman went on to shooting with the University

Rifle Team and Allie Taschuk to the NCAA 2012 TOP NOTCH COMPETITION ONCE AGAIN National Champions Texas Christian University EXPECTED IN 2013 NRA JUNIOR (TCU) Rifle Team. SECTIONALS:

By: Chad Danielson 2013 Competitors to watch and expected to again

post impressive scores and performances would be This year’s Junior three position and four position Carmen Fry and Shelby Sandstrom, Superior’s Nick NRA smallbore sectionals are again on tap to be Learn and Scott Chester, Long Rangers’ Eric shot in Superior, March 15th , 16th, and Hazelton, and Centershots’ Luke Taschuk. Also 17th . Last year the 2012 Smallbore sectionals saw expected to push the top competitors are Samantha some of the closest and tightest competition in Peterson, Elizabeth and Sam Ewert, Superior’s several years. Sami Learn and Long Rangers’ Abby West.

In the three position competition it was Patrick 2013 Match program, relay times, and details can be Sunderman’s 567 out of possible 600 that won him found on the Minnesota Rifle and Revolver website the gold, followed by Gopher’s Carmen Fry with at www.mrra.org under the Smallbore Radio 557 giving her the Silver, and Superior’s Nick Button. Learn taking the Bronze medal with 545. Scott

Chester’s 543, and Allie Taschuks’ 539 won st nd Chester 1 Jr. honors, and Taschuk 2 Jr. Shelby AMERICAN LEGION POST 435 GUN CLUB: st Sandstrom took 1 Intermediate Junior shooting a By: Mark Havlik 538, and Eric Hazelton 2nd Intermediate Junior with a 536. Top Sub-Junior effort went to Samantha Post 435 Gun Club is a chartered organization of Peterson with a 525. the Richfield American Legion Post 435. The Club was founded in 1961 to provide post members and their families a place to practice their shooting In the four position competition it couldn’t have hobbies, compete, picnic and get ready for the many been any closer than it was at the top with Scott hunting seasons in Minnesota and surrounding Chester, Patrick Sunderman and Nick Learn all states. losing only 6 points in the entire match , and all posting 394. Scott Chester and Patrick Sunderman Our facility, located south of Lakeville just off I35 both posted 394’s with 31 X’s. The tie had to be is CMP, NRA and USAS affiliated. The recreation area consists of a campground, picnic area, trap and broken via rulebook tie breaking procedures, which skeet fields, pistol range, a general purpose rifle found Scott Chester being awarded the Gold and range and a 200 yard Highpower Rifle range with Patrick the Silver. Nick Learn won the Bronze pits. shooting the same 394 score but with 25 X’s. Shelby Sandstrom and Carmen Fry were again in We have an active CMP program which hosts an Using a trigger of this weight required different NRA approved Highpower Rifle league which control techniques to effectively break clean shots shoots Tuesday nights through the summer months. in the standing position- nevertheless, average We host an annual Service Rifle clinic for new standing scores for the best Minnesota High Power shooters first Saturday in June to introduce them to Shooters were probably better than the scores fired the sport of Highpower Rifle shooting. The Post in today's matches (more on this later). Using this 435 Gun Club Club also hosts the annual “Snow equipment, Bob fired scores that would be Storm of the Century” Mini-Palma 200 yard competitive/match winning in current times. Bob's Smallbore match in February aggregate score of 793/800 (fired over-the-course at 200/300/600 yards) is still the resident record for Our nationally recognized junior program attracts the 80 shot event. young shooters from all over the metro area and participation is expanding. Our junior program The 1981 State High Power Rifle Championship features Smallbore Rifle, Air Rifle, and Air Pistol. Match was fired on July 4-5 at the Northwestern The juniors practice smallbore rifle at our range Gun Club, near Duluth, MN. A total of 45 facility in the summer, air rifle in the Legion competitors took part in the tournament. The basement during the winter and Air Pistol at a tournament kicked-off on Saturday morning with a private indoor facility of one of our instructors. 40 shot warm-up match (fired at 200/300 yards). Former State Champ Rudy Wadekamper won this Our club hosts two DNR Firearms Safety classes preliminary event with a score of 397-10X. annually, and claims a cadre of dedicated DNR and Following closely were Wally Enga of Cologne, NRA certified instructors. MN (395-14X) and Dwight Barth of Duluth (392- 10X). Later that day, the North Star Rifle Club won the team match over the Northwestern Gun Club MRRA HISTORY - PAST HIGH POWER (the program did not list the scores). CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES: By: Steve Erickson On Sunday July 5, the State Championship Match commenced at the traditional starting time of 9 A. 1981- SAILOR'S LAST STAND On the firing line that day were 10 shooters who Between the years 1974 and 1981, Robert W. (Bob) had either previously won, or were to win, Sailor was the dominant over-the-course high power Minnesota State Championship titles. The shooter in the State of Minnesota, and arguably, one competition that day was closely contested- the of the best shooters in the USA. During the final result was not known until the last shots at 500 aforementioned time period he won a total of 4 yards had been fired. The winners of the individual Minnesota State High Power Championships, matches of the tournament reflected the efforts of numerous NRA Regional Championships, was a some of Minnesota's best known high-power member of the USA Palma Team that competed in shooters. New Zealand, and won the 1980 Crowell Trophy (600 yard) Match at Camp Perry, Ohio (200-13X). The first match of the day was 2 sighting shots and During this time period Bob lived in Cannon Falls, 20 shots for record slow-fire standing at 200 yards, MN and practiced primarily at the North Star Rifle in a time period of 22 minutes. The 200 yard Club, in Red Wing, MN. standing event is the most difficult event in the 80 shot aggregate. Holding and breaking clean 10 ring Bob competed (as did all civilian over-the -course shots under tournament pressure is a challenge- shooters of this era) with a .30 caliber (.308 sometimes made Winchester) match rifle. His rifles were equipped more difficult by windy conditions. On this day the with Winchester Model 70 actions, and stocked and winds were light to moderate; the difficulty was just barreled by master gunsmith P.J. Wright of . the challenge of performing well under the stress of Bob used rifle barrels by a number of makers but championship conditions. The standing match was primarily used Hart barrels of Lafayette, New York. won by Steve Erickson, of Minneapolis, MN, with a During the 1970's to early 1980's NRA Match score of 193-4x. In second place was Dwight Rifles had a trigger weight requirement of 3 lbs. Barth, with a score of 192-4X. Barth was followed closely by Master Class shooter Dennis Coulter Championship. His final score of 783-30x bested with 192-3x. The champion to be, Bob Sailor, fired Wally Enga (781-29X), Steve Erickson (780-26x) a score of 189-3x. and Dwight Barth (780-25x). Bob fired good scores in all the matches, did not make any serious All of the High-Masters, with the exception of Bob mistakes, and demonstrated his usual prowess in the Sailor, had scores in the 190's. These scores would prone position to claim the championship. All in all place highly in recent state and local tournaments. this was one of the most tightly contested State The reason for this is that back in the 1970's and High Power Championship matches in the history '80's standing shooting practice/training was of Minnesota Shooting. emphasized a great deal. Almost all practice trips to the range started with offhand shooting. Firing in this match were a number of shooters who in short order would claim their first State The next match was 2 sighters and 2 ten shot strings Championship Titles- including Steve Erickson, Jim of sitting rapid fire; each string fired in 60 seconds. Biles, Jeff Jezierski, and Lee Sailor. Lee Sailor, Until recently, competitors stood for the start of all firing as a junior competitor, would go on to win the rapid-fire strings (unless disabled) and quickly 1985 State High Power Championship and later that assumed their position, once the targets appeared same year be crowned National Junior High Power from behind the pit-wall. This match was won by Rifle Champion. Jeff Jezierski would go on to John Andres Sr. with a score of 200-14X. This become the dominant high-power shooter in score is one of the best scores every fired in the Minnesota, winning 4 consecutive titles. State Championship matches-but came as no surprise to those in attendance-John was one of the At the conclusion of the tournament a state postal best sitting shooters in the State. Following John team match was fired by the 10 highest ranking Andres were Wally Enga (199-10x) and Dwight competitors at the 200 yard line, earlier in the day. Barth (199-6x). Bob Sailor was a point back in this Each team member fired an additional 20 shots event, firing 198-10X. As the competitors left the standing and 20 shots sitting rapid fire. The 200 yard line Dwight Barth led the pack, down a Minnesota Team fired a great score of 3885/4000, total of 9 points. with Steve Erickson's 394/400 leading the way.

At 300 yards, Sailor began to exert his influence on Of the 45 competitors firing this match in 1981, 6 the final outcome, winning the 20 shot prone-rapid are still competing in over-the course shooting in fire match with a score of 198-9x. Sailor was 2012. Those competitors are Steve Erickson, followed by Ken Erickson (198-4x) and Wally Enga Dennis Bertrand, Jim Biles, Denny Coulter, George (197-8X). At the conclusion of 300 yards the Pfoser, and Dale Wickstrom. As a final note, Dean leaders of the match were tightly clustered with Odegaard competed in this match, firing in the Dwight Barth down 14 points, Sailor and Steve Sharpshooter class. Dean was able to "honk the Erickson down 15 points, and Wally Enga down 16 harpo horn" a total of 8 times (8 X's fired). points. President’s Note: Dean Odegaard is a great The 500 yard match consisted of 2 sighting shots character and shooter that was taken away from and 20 shots for record slow-fire prone in time shooting by illness. He resides in Rochester, MN to period of 22 minutes. John Andres came through be near his family and doctors. It was a great honor once again to win the match with a 199-8X. Bob to have Odie “honk his horn” for you when you shot Sailor placed 2nd in the match with 198-8x. Wally an X at 600 yards. I cherish the “honks” that I Enga fired a 197--8x, which would serve him well earned and sure wish Odie could still be with us on in obtaining 2nd place overall in the State the firing line. I might even earn a few more Championship. Steve Erickson and Dwight Barth memories! struggled a bit in the 500 yard match with scores of George Minerich 195-9x and 194- -5x respectively.

With the final shots downrange, Bob Sailor had won his 4th and last Minnesota State High Power GUN CLUBS AT SCHOOL: Williams writes, “rural areas had a long tradition of By: Charles C. W. Cooke, Mr. Cooke is an editorial high-school students going hunting in the morning associate at NATIONAL REVIEW before school, and sometimes storing their guns in the trunk of their cars during the school day, parked Once upon a time, it was common for an American on the school grounds.” Many of these guns they child to be packed off to school with a rifle on his could buy at almost any hardware store or gas back and for him to come home smiling and safe in station — or even by mail order. The 1968 Gun the evening. Shooting clubs, now quietly withering Control Act, supported happily by major gun away, were once such a mainstay of American high- manufacturers who wished to push out their school life that in the competition, put a stop to this. first half of the 20th century they were regularly installed in the basements of new educational Catalogs and magazines from the 1940s, ’50s, and buildings. Now, they are in their death throes, ’60s are packed full of gun advertisements aimed at victims of political correctness, a willful children or parents. “What Every Parent Should misunderstanding of what constitutes “gun safety,” Know When a Boy or Girl Wants a Gun,” one and our deplorable tendency toward litigiousness. proclaims, next to a picture of a young boy and his sister excitedly presenting a “Rifle Catalog.” “Get In 1975, New York state had over 80 school This Cowboy Carbine with Your Christmas districts with rifle teams. In 1984, that had dropped Money,” suggests another. It was placed widely in to 65. By 1999 there were just 26. The state’s boys’ magazines by the Daisy Manufacturing annual riflery championship was shut down in 1986 Company of Plymouth, Mich. All a teenager needed for lack of demand. This, sadly, is a familiar story do to be sent a rifle was send a money order for across the country. The clubs are fading from $2.50 and tick a box confirming they were old memory, too. A Chicago Tribune report from 2007 enough. notes the astonishment of a Wisconsin mother who discovered that her children’s school had a range on In one cartoon from the 1950s, two boys discuss a site. “I was surprised, because I never would have rifle in front of their father. “It’s safe for him to use, suspected to have something like that in my child’s isn’t it, Dad?” the first boy asks. “Sure,” Dad school,” she told the Tribune. The district’s responds. “Pete knows the code of the junior superintendent admitted that it was now a rarity, rifleman.” Back then, Pete almost certainly did. As confessing that he “often gets raised eyebrows” if John Lott Jr. has noted, once upon a time, he mentions the range to other educators. The it was common for schools to have shooting clubs. astonished mother raised her eyebrows — and then Even in New York City, virtually every public high led a fight to have the range closed. “Guns and school had a shooting club up until 1969. It was school don’t mix,” she averred. “If you have guns in common for high school students to take their guns school, that does away with the whole zero- with them to school on the subways in the morning tolerance policy.” and turn them over to their homeroom teacher or the gym coach so the heavy guns would simply be out But how wise is that “zero-tolerance policy”? Until of the way. After school, students would pick up 1989, there were only a few school shootings in their guns when it was time for practice. which more than two victims were killed. This was despite widespread ownership of — and familiarity That is, if they handed them in at all. Up until the with — weapons and an absence of “gun-free ’70s, especially in rural areas, it was commonplace zones.” As George Mason University economist to see kids entering and leaving their school Walter E. Williams has observed, for most of campuses with rifle bags slung lazily over their American history “private transfers of guns to backs. Guns were left in school lockers, and rifles juveniles were unrestricted. Often a youngster’s and shotguns were routinely seen in high-school 12th or 14th birthday present was a shiny new .22- parking lots, hanging in the rear windows of pickup caliber rifle, given to him by his father.” This was a trucks. A good friend of mine is from . right of passage, conventional and uncontroversial His father was telling me recently that in the late across the country. “Gee, Dad . . . A Winchester!” 1960s he would hunt before school and then take read one particularly famous ad. “In Virginia,” his rifle — and his bloodstained kills — to school to show his teachers. He and his friends would true — slogan that “America grew up with a rifle in compare their shooting techniques in the school its hand.” So widespread has been the shift in grounds. Nobody batted an eyelid. In North Dakota, educators’ attitudes that in 1990 Congress legislated school shootings were non-existent; in the country to render all schools “gun-free zones.” The law at large, they were extremely rare. made reasonable exceptions for weapons that were taken to school “for use in a program approved by a Despite my having been to school in England, this school in the school zone” and, regardless, it was is not too strange a scene to me. Had you come struck down on grounds of federal overreach in through my school’s gates on a Thursday afternoon, 1997. Still, that such an exception needed carving you might have been horrified to see me, along with out at all would have astonished many a few years a motley collection of boys and girls, 16 to 18 years earlier, not to mention inconvenienced hundreds of old, dressed in the camouflage of the Combined thousands of harmless students who, in the process Cadet Force and carrying SA-80s around. An SA-80 of going about their business, innocently and safely is the standard-issue rifle used by the British army. kept rifles in their cars. It would be accurately described as an “assault rifle,” and it is a sufficiently serious piece of KEEP SHOOTING STRONG! PLEASE SUPPORT equipment to have been given to British soldiers fighting in both Iraq wars and in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Northern Ireland. We had to learn strict gun safety. We had to disassemble and reassemble our guns under timed conditions. We had to shoot them at targets that were shaped like men. Once, at the school’s firing range, we even fired a machine gun.

The clay-pigeon shooting group was one of my school’s strongest sports teams, and its members would walk nonchalantly around with their shotguns in bags. Sometimes, they would even take THE FOLLOWING HAVE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED MRRA AND SHOOTING SPORTS: their locked guns to lessons and prop them up against the wall. All of our teachers survived the ordeal.

The notion that guns should form a part of education has a rich pedigree in our republic. In 1785, Thomas Jefferson wrote to his 15-year-old nephew Peter Carr with some scholarly advice. Having instructed him to read “antient history in detail” and expounded a little on which works of “Roman history” and “Greek and Latin poetry” were the most profitable, Jefferson counseled that a strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.

Such attitudes would no doubt be regarded as alarming today, as unthinkable as the old — and Minnesota Rifle & Revolver Association (MRRA) Application For Regular Membership (Juniors use the Application for Juniors form on: mrra.org)

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Memberships expire on December 31st. Memberships started late in the year will expire on Dec 31st of the following year.

I authorize the MRRA to provide my contact information to MRRA affiliated clubs. I certify that I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of any organization which advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force or violence. I further certify that I have never been convicted of a felony, crime of violence or misdemeanor domestic violence, and that I am not otherwise prohibited from owning firearms. If accepted as a member of the Minnesota Rifle and Revolver Association, I pledge to practice good sportsmanship, support the MRRA, and uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Second Amendment.

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Mail Completed Form & Check to: Eric Rhode – MRRA Membership Secretary P.O. Box 143 Farmington, MN 55024 This form available at www.mrra.org Rev May 2012 - Newsletter Copy MRRA reserves the right to reject any application.

MN RIFLE & REVOLVER ASSOC. 4737 HWY 10, # 114 MINNETONKA MN 55345

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