evilroy

Another note. Wicked Felina is barely 5 ft 2 and is killer with an 03. I'm 6 ft 2 and have no issue.

I'm sure everyone knows this but to repeat the rifle requirements. "Must be an original caliber bolt action rifle issued by any country to its military forces through the end of WW ll. It must be "as issued" with original iron battle sights and no external modifications. Faithful reproductions are also allowed." It was meant to be very simple and easy to comply with. WW ll was used as a time period to make policing simple as there were mods made from to pre WW l through to the end of WWll on many models. The end of WW ll is a easily defined time. Shortening the stock would be an "external modification" and also not "as issued". Anyone who has been in the military realizes everyone shoots the standard rifle. No stocks were shorted or lengthened to make it easier for anyone. Expert scores have been shot by the shortest to the tallest person allowed to enlist. Colored sights were also not "as issued" and is an external modification. We can talk abut whether that is a reasonable interpretation but personally I would like to keep it simple. Was that an issued feature and is it an external modification? So far we have been able to answer all questions using this simple 3 sentence statement. Also a note. We do not specify ammo. The range does. Both the Nationals and the World Championships were shot with jacketed ammo. Some matches specify lead because of target or other considerations. I hope everyone will enjoy BAM matches as much as I do. Wild Bunch in general and the BAM match in particular is the best part for me.

We got some official feedback from the folks at WR: 120+ shooters. I think 77 took the survey. 6 thought there were too many pistol targets. We have always used 20-25 as the norm with occasional 30 round stages. We had several very vocal folks who wanted more pistol and decided to go for more. I think there were too many pistol rounds also but I bet there sere just as many who thought it was just right. 4 though we should not have changed the start at such a late date. My fault. I should have realized much earlier that we would need a earlier start time to make sure everyone would have time to eat and shoot the side matches. Won't happen again. It had to be changed but I should have done so sooner. A few thought the brass sale deal did not work well. I agree. We will have to think of something different next year. I don't think the hostage targets were well thought of. I think it was because they were hard to spot as they had to be fixed in place so we would not have to go down range to reset them. Repainting them after each shooter is the best fix but it can't happen on a berm with more that one stage on it. We will work on that. Maybe just use them on one stage berms. Despite lots of talk only 3 thought the targets were too small. I counted 13 small targets out of 295 total pistol shots. About right in my mind. We used most of the CAS match targets so there were plenty of close and medium targets as well. 8 thought the match was too complex? Got me there. The hardest thing we had to do was a double tap Nevada sweep. I suspect all the pistol shooting required lots of thought about where to start back after a reload but don't know. Someone explain this one to me. One could start anywhere and shoot in any order on almost all of the stages. This made the match very safe as far as muzzle control. Some judge WB matches by how many clean shooters there are. I think you will continue to be perplexed as the matches will continue to be a mix of close, medium and hard targets. A good score will be the indicator of a good match. Thanks to all who shot the match. I thought this year was one of the best WR matches to date including the WB match.

it would be a great idea if someone could scan the stages so everyone could see them. I counted 13 hostage or dueling tree pistol targets in the whole match of 295 pistol shots. A real challenge. There was also a rifle plate rack and dueling tree and a pistol tombstone rack.

Again, great discussion. Thanks to all who made it work which includes the shooters. Almost all stages could be shot from the left or right. Shooters choice. Almost all targets could be shot in any order. The most complicated shooting order was a double tap Nevada sweep. We had 10 separate bays this year as opposed to 5 which were shot twice with some changes in the past. This was because we had very little changes to the CAS stages which were plotted out, measured and marked for the cowboy match. We ran 25 shooters through in an hour with very little fuss because everyone cooperated with being efficient. All passed the chrono check and the checking did not show down the match to any degree that I could tell. We had 18 inch pistol targets at 5 yards as well as dueling trees at about 7 yards so it was hardly a precision match. It was a good mix. If you cannot hit a dueling tree target at 7 yards you need to practice. Hitting it fast is the problem. Only two people have shot a major match clean and both did not win the match. I shot a state IDPA match in Mich and was awarded the "most accurate" award. I did not even come close to winning the match. The point is doing well and that is not defined by a clean match. It is a high score that defines a good match as in WB. We had several down range stages and should encourage them if the facilities allow it. We had very few "muzzle" issues because of the direction of movement choice the shooters had. We saw very few "finger" issues because we were stressing the issue. I'm sure there could be some improvement but it was a real good match which showcased what WB is all about. Sure all knock downs might be very good. You would have issues with how they are set, extra time in resetting, or if the berm had more that one stage in it it would be impossible. The extra time involved in setting them which would limit the amount of shooters you could run through. Further no range has enough knock downs to run such a match. You could also just paint after each shooter but again you would have berm and time problems. I will point out none of my 4 misses were overlooked. We are gong to try for 3 day 4 stage a day match next year but there are many considerations which will have to be addressed by WR. Thanks to all who made the match run smooth. If you missed it you missed a good one.

Congrats to Capt Sam. Great match.

Thanks for everyone's comments. You have to understand that Bubba and I had to deal with what was going to be on the stages for the CAS match. They do not have the time or manpower to change the stages over from CAS to WB. All the stages were set for CAS and Bubba as always added targets to make the stages more demanding and in line with WB matches. It was impossible to change all the stages completely and had we left them we would have had mostly close burn down stages. There was not a single target that could not be hit by an average shooter. The match had to be a two day match due to manpower and bay availability. We wanted a 3 day 12 stage match and have already started pushing for one next year as well as senior classes. WB matches require greater accuracy and everyone understands that. The stages are not designed to prevent clean shooters but rather are a result of the concept of more difficult targets and high round count. No one shoots a clean IPSC or IDPA match and very few shooting sports count on clean matches as a sign of success. I thought the match was one of the best WB matches ever and one which truly tested one's shooting ability. The 10 targets were confusing but were part of the SASS match and required some thinking. Spotting it was a little difficult but it was the same for the CAS match. If you want 30% of the shooters to shoot clean WB will not make you happy. I want to thank the Posse Marshalls for the hard work and great organization it took to shoot 25 people through each stage in just a little over 60 minutes. Also thanks to all the people who helped on the side matches and to all those who worked hard to make the stages flow in a very efficient manner.

We have moved the Monday and Tuesday morning shooters meeting to 7 AM and the start of shooting to 8AM to give us a little extra time for side matches in the afternoon. Pass the word if possible. I have asked Sunshine to send out another notice to this effect. Contact me if you have questions. Evil Roy

Looks like we will have to shoot 5 per day. We have 10 separate stages but only 5 are available per day. I am pretty sure the set up crew will be putting up the last five as we are shooting the first 5 and resetting for the CAS match on the first 5 as we shoot the last 5 Not a problem as it will be like the last few years. We will just have to be sure we run the stages efficiently. A big thank you to the WR folks for working with us to get all this done. They have a monumental job in setting up and organizing a very large shooting match.

I have asked if we can go to 7 posse instead of 5 to lighten the load since we have 10 separate stages to work with this year. It is pretty late to change things so it may not happen. In the interest of getting done as soon as possible we ill have to run the stages in a very efficient manner so I have some suggestions. Upon completing the stage have the shooters pick up their guns and go to the unloading table without picking up any mags. Sometimes a shooter will kill a min or two looking for mags. It is the duty of the posse to get the mags to the shooter. There will be no brass pickup so we can save some time here. Have the next shooter ready to go. Everyone needs to help. If someone is sitting down and not helping most of the time ask them to help. If someone is old or sick or just too tired that is ok but we need everyone that can to help. Some folks cannot bend over to pick up mags so find them another job for them.. Having said all this please remember we are at a National event and everyone wants to do well so do not put undo pressure on everyone by trying to herd them through like cattle. Everyone can get set without being rushed, get their head straight and still run the stage efficiently. The real time wasting is standing around talking, hunting for mags, not having folks at the loading table, taking forever getting to the stage, taking forever explaining the stage with lots of stories, jokes etc. No one needs to feel rushed or pressured. Get to the new stage as fast as you can. As soon as everyone is present explain the stage and answer questions then get everyone going. Have shooters ready to go at the loading table. Get off the line when you are finished shooting. Do not hang around looking for mags. The posse will do that. Assign jobs to make sure mags are picked up, targets reset, and the stage reset if necessary. If you feel rushed go to the back of the line at the shooting table and get settled. We want you to do well. If all this is done you should have plenty of time to sit down and think a little and rest for a few min. during each stage. If you are tired or not feeling well sit down and relax. Assign people to set targets if necessary or reset the stage if needed. I have seen several min lost here alone. If you are not an experienced timer or spotter do not do either at a National event. Doing well here is very important to many so let's be sure everyone gets good calls. Do not get so carried away with getting through the stage quickly you turn into a tyrant and ruin the experience for everyone. Efficiency is the key, not running all over the place like mice. Have fun but just don't waste a lot of time. If everyone on the stage takes an extra min goofing off you will add 25 min to the stage.

I will speak to them when I can to make sure they try to have it done early. I'm sure they will give it their best.

Garrison Joe, I did have you on the list. I put you on the Team Shotgun to help Goatneck Clem. Still Working of a few others who have offered to help. I should have them up late today. ER

I knew I forgot to put something in the update. The Boy Scouts will pick up brass, bag it with the number of rounds shot by a shooter so you can buy back from them so they can raise some money. It will be less expensive than in the past. After everyone has had the opportunity to buy their brass back what's left will be offered for sale to everyone.

I will try to get this sent out by WR but will post what I can here. I think you may be able to sign up at this time. Not sure about the cutoff date. Round count. 295 Pistol, 75 Rifle, 60 Shotgun. Just Main Match. Bring extra for side matches, testing, malfunctions etc. You wanted more pistol rounds so you got it. Bring lots of mags. 30 rounds per stage is normal. One stage has 25 There will be one stage with 12 shotgun rounds so plan accordingly. If you don't know how to shoot accurately this would be a good time to learn. There is not one target which cannot be hit by an average shooter but there are hostage heads, plate racks, dueling trees and you will as always be shooting R targets with the pistol on most stages. Some burn down targets as well. Texas Jack Morales designed the stages and he does great ones. There will be a chrono check and gun weighing. ALSO WE WILL BE CHECKING REQUIRED GUN SAFETY FEATURES AND CLASS COMPLIANT FEATURES when we weigh the gun. We have heard reports of non functioning grip safeties. That would be an illegal gun. Check the rules and comply. We don't want to become Rule Nazis but you cannot compete with an illegal gun. Some of you are creating very unsafe conditions with lack of muzzle control and gross violations of finger on the trigger during mag changes and especially when clearing weapons. Practice, practice, practice safe gun handling. This is going to have to start being more of an issue. Get use to your firearms and work on this. This will be a 10 stage match and most of them will let you move to the left or right to try to minimize muzzle issues. Again PRACTICE WITH YOUR WEAPONS live and dry fire to be safe and so you can shoot the entire match. There may be more updates so check this site regularly. If you can help with side matches relist here asap. I will be putting the lists together very soon so remind me or sign up in you have not. We want the helpers to have time to shoot also so we will need backups. We're gonna have a ball. ER

Note. There is not a Senior WB class at WR only because this was not decided it time for all the things to happen that need to happen. Forms, computer, trophies, etc. A bigger lead time was necessary.

Those of you who have indicated you are interested and others who have decided to attend can contact Boggus Deal at 505 220-4922 or tboggus@hotmail.com If you are going to the match you should attend the class and even if you are not going to shoot you should attend to get this rating. He is a good instructor and a top shooter who can give you very helpful information about the sport as well. There will be a limit on how many can attend so sign up now. If you have not signed up for the match time is running out. We will have 10 separate stages for the match with some downrange movement plus the side events. It should be much fun. If you plan on winning you had better get working at it. Plenty of competition coming. See you at WR I got the final design for the side match trophy for each winner. Curved glass which is self supporting and nicely lettered. Something to be proud of if you can pull off a win and be a side match National Champion. Will be both Men's and Women's winners. I think buckles for 2nd and 3rd in each class. Support your sport. Get signed up. You do not have to shoot the Cowboy match to shoot the WB match.

Thanks CB. I will put you down. Appreciate it. ER

Ken Griner our gunsmith checked some of the ammo I had given him which we had used at EOT. It does attract a magnet so it is steel core. We had no problem with the ammo as far as the Action angled targets we used so they will be allowed. It is what I will be bring for loaner ammo for the loaner Nagant. I will try to get Sunshine to do an Email blast on what we are doing so it gets to all signs ups. Call me if you have a question. 970 903-8044.

My Russian ammo did not hurt the angles Action Targets. The are armor plate and angles 45 degrees. I am pretty sure it is bi metal bullets. They are the only ammo I could find for the rifle in June.

He will be greatly missed. He was a good friend and a fun guy to be around. Also as Happy Jack said a real friend to WB. He shot with us and I believe he shot all the stages and did very well. Thanks to him for all he did for shooting and especially SASS and WB.

We shot Russian surplus ammo at them at 85 yards at EOT without damage. I will go out and check but I do believe they were steel core. I will check. These targets are Action armor plate set at 45 degrees. We will shoot them at 100, 125 and 150 yards. I would prefer they were not steel core but again I will check. The targets are pretty tough.

Garrison Joe, Thanks for the offer to help. How about working the speed events on Tuesday? We will figure out which one later. We will get you plenty of help. More volunteers?

It looks like the Long Range Rifle and Pistol will both be held on Monday after the Main match stages. So far I have Serenity and Legendary Lawman to run the event. I need some help for them to spot and record. I also need some help in the speed events on Tuesday. Goatneck Clem will be running the Wobble Trap event on Monday and I believe he may need some help as well. He can comment here about that.

What Joe said. I talked to Zak last night and talked about giving us enough time so everyone can shoot all the side events. Discussed Sunday or only Monday and decided we need to have two days to be sure we have enough time. We have to get out of the way of the CAS set up by Tuesday afternoon but we have several options we are talking about. Looks like we will try to do the Long Range Rifle and pistol as well as the shotgun Wobble event Monday after the match stages and then do the Speed events Tuesday as that will give us some flexibility Tuesday as all we need are short bays and not much steel. Also the clean up after the Wobble Trap may take some time so Monday should give us time to do so. If you have not signed up for Winter Range might be good to do so. It is coming up fast. Also need any interested in the RO class. I will get with the instructor and decide on a date very soon. I need some help in running some of the side events so contact me if you are interested. Evil Roy

Six knockdowns at 7 yards. Men and Women awards. Details same as the Pistol and Rifle side matches.