Week 1 Recap

The weather started out pleasant but after the sun dove behind the hill and a cool breeze kicked up it was downright chilly! Nonetheless, the line was packed with 22 shooters all eagerly anticipating the start of the 2007 smallbore silhouette season. First time shooter Dennis S. even drove in from the Corning area to get in on the action. There was quite a variety of guns present, especially comparing Charles M. and his vintage 1950's Anschutz to Jim F. and Bob J. sporting the latest Anschutz bling sitting in Pharr custom stocks.

Once we got under way the lead started to fly and the steel started to fall. Ron C. was even polite enough to "assist" Joe C. by shooting some of his pigs. Ray H. had a nice night but 2 good runs on turkeys and rams came up just short of perfection. However, Ray was ecstatic that he found the hammer spur that fell off his rifle at our last cowboy shoot on April 21! Brian S. was the model of consistency going 4-of-a-kind with 5's across the board in round 2. If all 10's is a Grand Slam, maybe we'll go with all 5's being a ground rule double. I was quite surprised to learn how many shooters are interested in birding. Several shooters even collected specimens of the Remington species from the range for later "study". Who knows, maybe we'll even see a dodo or two...

We capped things off with our raffle for a $10 gift certificate to Brothers 2 Restaurant. And the winner was...(drum roll, please)...Neal S.! Congratulations Neal!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 2 Recap

We had an early preview of summertime silhouette shooting as temperatures reached the mid 80's with a little humidity thrown in for good measure. The warm weather also brought out the wildlife as birds and groundhogs were lollygagging all about. Ultimately it proved to be very good conditions for shooting and the line was once again packed with 21 shooters cycling through rounds 1 and 2. Dana Be. joined us as a first time shooter and I'm pretty sure he's got the bug. Wayne C. started round 1 on pigs and after hitting 7 of them he had already beat his score from last week for the entire round - nice work Wayne! Brian S. flirted with pork perfection with a nice 9 on pigs.

By round 2, Dave L. was speechless (now there's a first!) and Ray H. decided to target the dandelions instead of the silhouettes. I guess shooting dandelions is better than pushing up daisies any day. We capped things off with a raffle for a free loaf of bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. Neal S. may be having a tough time knocking down the silhouettes but he's now 2 for 2 in the raffle after turning in yet another winning ticket - way to go Neal!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 3 Recap

We had another unseasonably warm day for spring in the Southern Tier but overall conditions were quite good for our shoot with sunshine and just a light breeze. Our great turnout continues as we had 21 shooters come to the line through 2 rounds. Jim F. and Pete K. were showing off their new hardware from their recent trip to Ridgeway, PA (was that the "Golden Sandbag" award, Pete?). In round 1, Pete K. started off by posting a donut on the turkeys but still managed a round of 20 - nice comeback, Pete. Jim F. scored a perfect 10 on the chickens and Jim M. took a 9 while sending one chicken to an early retirement in the process (more on this later). The poultry was unkind to Jim M. as scores of 9 chickens and 8 turkeys yielded no gold animals! Apparently some folks thought it was poker night as Dave M. went 4-of-a-kind with 3's across the board and Ray H. doubled that up with all 6's. Bob J. settled for 3-of-a-kind as he came up one ram shy of all 5's and Chris A. held on to 2 pair. Others said the night was just a royal flush.

In round 2, Ray H. was one shy of 10 chickens while Ron C. was doing trick shots on the turkeys. And Joe C., shooting with peep sights, nailed 7 rams and turned in a very nice score of 17 - nice shooting, Joe! We capped things off with an extra special 2-prize raffle: A $10 gift certificate to Russell Steak & Seafood House AND the chicken that was put out of commission by Jim M. After many tense moments the ticket was pulled and the winner was...Brian T.! Congratulations, Brian!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 4 Recap

The weather was just about perfect for an evening silhouette shoot with pleasantly warm temperatures and a light breeze. And the range looked great since the dandelions had just been mowed. Turnout continues to be strong and the line was packed as 20 shooters cycled through rounds 1 and 2. Pete K. was offering a version of his "flip-flop" blinders for shooters to try - maybe these will turn up on e-bay? Unfortunately Brian T. had the "hex" put on him when his allen key became hopelessly lost in the gray oblivion of the firing line gravel. Chris A. let me take a pop with his Savage with the Accu-Trigger and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it felt and functioned. Mr. Chong was showing off his home-grown CZ match trigger and Dennis S. broke out his Walther LG300 Hunter air rifle for some show and tell. And all the action was captured by our roving "paparazzi" photographer Matt L.

All the shooting went off without a hitch despite a sub-par performance by the range officer (it's hard to find good help these days!). In round 1, Jim M. plinked 9 chickens and Dennis S. pegged 7 chickens and 8 rams on his way to a nice score of 25. In round 2 Jim M. pounded some pork with a 9 on the pigs and Neal S. let loose with a 9 on the rams - good shootin'! We capped things off with our raffle for a $20 gift certificate from Number 5/Lampey's. This week Dan C. was the lucky winner as he stepped up with the winning ticket to claim his prize - enjoy Dan!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 5 Recap

We enjoyed much better weather for smallbore silhouette than we had for air rifle 2 days earlier: No hail, no rain, no lightning - just sunshine with a few puffy clouds and pleasant temperatures with a bit of a light breeze. Turnout continues to be great with 19 shooters over 2 relays for round 1 - Keep it up folks! Wes F. and Ben F. made their first trip to the range this year, and on Wes's anniversary! I'm always happy to see shooters who have their priorities straight. Vincent C. also made his first visit to the range this season. Things got off on the wrong foot as our primary tractor pooped out during set-up (more on this later). And the malfunctions continued for the shooters as Charles M. had to bow out thanks to his rifle deciding to shoot on it's own and then not shoot at all, and Greg S. was battling a tricky scope problem.

Fortunately these seemed to be the only issues as all else went smoothly. Ben F. arrived at the range just in time to go right from his car to the firing line in relay 2. Neal S. turned in a nice 29 in round 1 and got 7 rams in round 2 thanks to some extra layers of paint on the targets. Jim M. got his mojo back for round 2 with a very nice 34, which included 10's on both the chickens and pigs - nice shooting, Jim! We capped things off with our raffle for a free pound of coffee from Tom's Coffee, Cards & Gifts in Binghamton. Despite some shooters getting an "arms length" of tickets it was Erik S. who won the joe - enjoy, Erik!

After the match we encountered more malfunctions as the back-up tractor ran out of gas. After some mid-air refueling that would make the Air Force proud we tied a line to the still non-functioning primary tractor for a tow back to the garage. Jim F. was leading the way and Ron C. hopped on the lame duck and asked "Where are we going?", to which Jim F. replied "Just follow me"...

Round 1

Round 2

Week 6 Recap

Week 7 Recap

We finally caught a break with the weather as the heavy rain and thunderstorms slid just south of the area and we enjoyed ideal conditions throughout the evening - some sun, mild temperatures, and a light breeze. Attendance was good with 17 shooters on the line over 2 relays. Ken J. made his first pilgrimage up from PA this season - welcome back, Ken! Pete K. was putting his "best foot forward" as this is his last shoot before going in for a tune-up. Bob J. was sporting yet another new gun with snazzy red trim. As for the match, everything went smooth. Greg S. gave new meaning to "turning the other cheek" as on consecutive shots he swung pigs around 90 degrees and got the full moon of pork. Jim F., Pete K., Ed P., and Neal S. all nailed 7 chickens and Bob J. popped 8 piggies. Ken J. had one of those "mystery shots" that occur every so often as Mr. Pig went down in slow motion but the bullet impact was visible some distance away. Hey, down is down and that's all that matters in silhouette!

In round 2, Neal S. got 7 pigs and Jim F. got 8 pigs and 9 rams on his way to a very nice score of 30 - nice shooting, Jim! We wrapped things up with our raffle for a $10 gift certificate from Phil's Chicken House. This week the winning ticket belonged to Pete K. who jumped ship after round 1 and won the raffle in absentia, despite several requests for a redraw from Pete's "friends".

Round 1

Round 2

Week 8 Recap

Here we go again with the thunderstorms! I certainly hope this pattern changes because we're dodging raindrops during just about every silhouette shoot! Thankfully most of the rain fell during set-up so we were mainly contending with an occasional spritz and humid conditions that made glasses and scopes fog up. Despite the soggy conditions we still had 17 diehard shooters on the line for 2 relays over 2 rounds. And we were pleased to have first timers Katie A. and Butch R. join our waterlogged fun - welcome aboard!

In round 1, Erik S. found a nice groove and nailed 9 rams on his way to a nice score of 26. Jim M. whacked 8 chickens and 9 pigs while Neal S. and Ed P. were content to just turn the animals with edge shots on the chickens and pigs, respectively. In round 2, Jim F. got a "shot of confidence" with a fast start of 9 on the pigs. Neal S. followed that up with a 9 of his own on the pigs and Jim M. popped 8 chickens. Erik S. got 7 pigs and concluded a good evening with a round 2 score of 21 - nice shooting, Erik! Joe C. was the model of consistency using his open sights to twin scores of 13. However, 13 is not so lucky for Greg S. as he has vowed to shatter his personal "glass ceiling" or *GASP* go back to golf!

We concluded our festivities with a raffle for a $10 gift certificate to the Plantation House in Vestal. Apparently it was destiny as initially I mistakenly handed Jim F. the gift certificate instead of his tickets, but he wound up with the winning ticket anyway and claimed his prize. Afterward, when explaining the difficulty of silhouette to Butch R., Joe C. said it best "...that's why it's called shooting and not hitting".

Round 1

Round 2

Week 9 Recap

Finally! We had just about ideal weather to start the second half of our silhouette season with a mix of sun and clouds, mild temperatures, and just a bit of a breeze to stir the air. It was nice to stay dry for a change without getting soaked by raindrops or perspiration. The nice weather made for a strong showing by local shooters with 21 on the line over 2 relays for round 1, and we even had a few spectators! If this keeps up we'll have to put in some bleachers. Ish made his first trip to the BCSA range this year (refreshed from his time in Nevada with 116F heat) and Stuart G. joined us as a first time shooter after trying his hand at silhouette during the BCSA Open House back in June - Welcome aboard guys! In round 1, Jim F. was giving the targets a thorough workout as 8 pigs and 9 rams lead him to a score of 30 - nice job, Jim! Also in round 1, Jim M. got about 11 pigs since he ran 9-in-a-row and on his last shot he pulled the trigger and - click - a misfire. Then when he attempted to clear the round it would not extract so he closed the bolt to try it again, this time getting number 10 by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin. And with a score of 19 his first time out, it looks like Stuart G. may have found a new hobby.

In round 2 Dave L. had enough so he packed it in and pulled up a seat to shoot the breeze - in this type of shooting Dave is Master Class with several long run records :) On the other hand, Greg S. was full of determination for round 2 and wound up shooting a new personal best of 18 - nice job, Greg! Ed P. found out that "3 is a crowd" as he went 3-3-3-3 and Brian T. went 5-in-a-row as he cleared the second bank of rams with some coaching from Jim M. When the coach gets 9 turkeys and a second round score of 32 it's a good idea to take his advice! We wrapped things up with a raffle for a dozen free wings from Nirchi's Pizza in Conklin. Ron C. showed his boys how it's done as he cashed in his winning ticket to claim the prize - enjoy, Ron!

At one point in the evening I pointed out to Greg S. that it has been said a working definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Isn't that what silhouette is all about? Hmmm...

Round 1

Round 2

Week 10 Recap

Again, we were back to dodging the raindrops as threatening skies remained overhead throughout the evening but we only saw a passing light shower and everyone pretty much stayed dry. The ominous weather was apparently no deterrent to area shooters as we set a new attendance record with 2 full relays of 24 shooters for round 1! Unfortunately we were actually +1 so Neal S. had to wait for openings in round 2. Among the shooters were first-timers Chris C., Mike C., and Dave S. as well as returning vets Jack E. and Jocko L. - a hearty welcome to all! Pete K. made his return to the range after getting out of the "body shop" and was sporting a fancy shooting boot...er...medical device to speed his recuperation. Jocko L. left his gloves at home to avoid another "glove-gate" controversy and it didn't take long for Jack E. to fit right in as he taunted Dave L. about numerous issues. There was also a discussion with Bob J. about how to tell when bling turns into blung.

In round 1 Joe C. used his open sights to pound 7 rams into the ground while Ish and Mr. Chong both smacked down 8 chickens. Wayne C. led his clan with a 12 and Jim F. nailed 8 little piggies on his way to a score of 27. Butch R. was on his way to a nice round but his rifle went belly-up on the rams. The ranks thinned out for round 2 but there was still a good number of shooters on hand. Pete K. used his shooting boot...er...medical device to good effect to get 7 pigs and Jim F. had crazy 8's on the pigs and rams for a score of 28.

We wrapped things up with a special double raffle for a free pizza from Michelangelo's and a free pound of coffee from Tom's. Lots of tickets were handed out but Ron C. took home the pizza and Brian S. won the joe - enjoy guys!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 11 Recap

Aside from the oppressive humidity we had no adverse weather to speak of with warm temperatures and an occasional light breeze. Turnout was strong once again with 20 shooters cycling through 2 relays over 2 rounds. Before the match, weighmaster Pete K. opened up his portable scale and Bob J. broke out his trigger weight gauge so interested parties could check their rifles. In round 1, Ed P. used his new rig very effectively as he nailed 7 rams and posted a solid total of 20. Jocko L. was on target despite whacking his scope on the shooting stand and dropping his rifle. Joe C. posted a nice 17 with his open sights and Bob J. went 7-7 on the chickens and pigs to post a nice first round score of 22. Ron C. and Wayne C. posted nice scores of 18 and 15, respectively, and Chris A. was quite amused by a fainting turkey. Pete K. suffered from "premature congratulation" as he celebrated my 10 on the rams after number 9.

In round 2, Butch R. continued his steady improvement with a 21, Jocko L. and Neal S. both popped 8 pigs, Brian T. was catching on to his new ammo, and Wayne C. was looking for the "wobble adjustment" knob on his rifle. We wrapped things up with a raffle for one dozen donuts from Apple Hills. Many long strings of tickets were handed out but in the end Chris A. found enough gold animals to wind up with the winning ticket - enjoy, Chris!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 12 Recap

Seems like this year we're either dodging raindrops or sweltering in the heat. This week was dry but temperatures around 90 made for a hot time at the ol' silhouette range indeed! But it takes more than some hot air to deter our silhouette shooters and we had 22 on the line over 2 relays for round 1. Speaking of hot air, the "peanut gallery" was out in force with a lot of hootin' and hollerin' going on throughout the evening. Jocko L. was doing his community service by resetting the animals for Pete K. as he continues his convalescence. In round 1, Butch R. got 7 chickens, Jocko L. got 8, and Jim F. got 9 - nice shooting, guys! Chris A. shot a new personal best of 15 and Joe C. was having a good time until the bolt broke off his Remington and ended his night early.

In round 2, Jim F. had a great run of 7-in-a-row as he started on turkeys and finished the round with a solid 30. Erik S. and Pete K. popped 7 and 8 pigs respectively, Butch R. and Brian S. had 8's on chickens, and Neal S. whacked 7 rams. At one point things went "Make Ready, BANG, Fire" as Mr. Chong had an itchy trigger finger, but it was my bad on the other end as I called a cease fire too early leaving Mr. C with one in the chamber. We wrapped things up with a raffle for a gift certificate from Cracker Barrel for dinner for 2. Pete K. said that if he won, he would take Jocko as a thank you for setting his animals all evening. In a twist of fate it was Jocko who won the prize, leaving Pete K. jilted at the alter.

Round 1

Round 2

Week 13 Recap

Well, you can set your watch by it - if we have a silhouette match it's going to rain. Thankfully the threatening skies only sprinkled on us and we stayed dry for the most part. On the bright side, with lots of clouds around the sun was limited so temperatures were not too hot. Despite the gloomy weather we still cycled 17 shooters through 2 relays over 2 rounds - nice job folks! Pete K. was back on his feet, or is it back on his foot, and is now fully functional. Joe C. broke out his scoped rifle for a change of pace and Neal S. skillfully slipped into relay 1 so he could share the Anschutz with his boys. And apparently it was "birds and bees" night at the range as many of us admired a green heron that dropped by for a visit and a nest of yellow jackets got stirred up in the parking lot.

In round 1, Chris A. was on his mark as he almost tied his personal best at 14. Bob J. and Brian S. had 8 chickens, Jim F. popped 9 piggies, and Neal S. put the Anschutz to work with 8 rams and 9's on the chickens and pigs for a very nice score of 32 - way to go, Neal! In round 2, ET phoned home but the call went to Bob J.'s cell phone with a funky ring tone. Joe C. was doing the ol' "herky jerky" and Dave L. wanted to make it a team effort by having Neal S. shoot some of his animals. Jim F., Bob J., and Brian S. posted 7's on the chickens and Bob J. and Jim F. added 7 and 8 pigs respectively. Neal S. went for the wide bodies with 8 pigs and 9 rams on his way to a 29, capping off a solid evening. And thanks to the thick cloud cover we were pretty much in the dark for the last animal, though some would say silhouette shooters are always in the dark. We wrapped things up with a raffle for a dozen wings from Bobby's Place. In the end, it was Jim F. emerging from the darkness with the winning ticket to claim the prize - enjoy, Jim!

Round 1

Round 2

Week 14 Recap