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Thread: Bullers Barstid rode again!
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06-09-2014, 19:46 #1
Bullers Barstid rode again!
Every year for the last 4 years Sports adventure shooting www.sportsadvenutureshoooting.co.za and Gunsite www.gunsite.co.za have travelled up to Ellisras to run a handgun range for the Firearms Festival sponsored by Tamboti Toyota.
This year www.tacqm.co.za got involved too.
2014 is the 15th annual EFF and it is a privilege to assist Doc Willie Barnard in the event.
Unfortunately many of our regular volunteers aka ‘Buller’s Bastid’s’ (A motley crew of Rooineke, Souties and Hendsoppers) were otherwise occupied.
I had resigned myself to running the range on my own. It is a ton of work for a group let alone an individual. It was a depressing thought, but I did not want to let Doc and his team down.
At the last minute Tracer from crb jewellers confirmed he could make it!
Tracer is a great guy. Aside from running crb jewellers, he volunteers (unpaid) with SA Rescue and has been deployed to the Philippines to assist with search and recovery.
The purpose of Sas/Gunsite/TacQM supporting the Festival is that it is a form of community service.
We share our skills with others and promote responsible firearms ownership. Think back to an individual who introduced you to the wonderful world of firearms, well, this is the Sas version of payback and pay-it-forward.
As the Festival is held in a bush veldt environment the focus is primarily on bolt action rifle shooting-hunting.
I am pleased to report that our efforts over the last few years the interest in handguns and has been on the increase. The first few years saw a calibres ranging from .22lr semi auto target pistols 9mm short etc. to 38 Special and 44mag Revolver! However this year would be different. More on this later.
On arrival on the Friday afternoon we came across the impressive sight of Doc Willie lying behind a cannon sighting it at a plate 50m distant!
A loud BOOM! And the not unpleasant smell of Black Powder wafted in our direction…..
EFF2014 (3).jpgEFF2014 (16).jpgEFF2014 (21).jpg
I knew then that this Ellisras Firearms Festival was going to be awesome!
It took Tracer and I two hours to set up our range. Doc Willie had built additional ranges to accommodate the additional shoots and the Sas handgun range had been cleared. In fact it the range had been broadened and the side walls extended and raised.
Understand that Doc does this at his own expense. However it was not all roses and tulips: The surface is thick dry soft sand, not dissimilar from beach sand.
Whilst such a surface is perfect for female beach volley ball, it is not conducive to Range Officers with day jobs….Recent studies show that 1 out of every 3 liberals are just as dumb as the other 2
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06-09-2014, 20:20 #2
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Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
Nice, sad we couldn't make it, but good to read about it.
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06-09-2014, 21:13 #3
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Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
Yay! The long-awaited write-up and piktjas!
[b]Be ready for anything, and if his head is not at least two meters away from the body, do not 'assume' he is dead and out of the fight.[/b] [I]- Ikor[/I]
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06-09-2014, 21:44 #4
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07-09-2014, 05:57 #5
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Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
Thanks for the report and the photos Camo.
An interesting angle, to think of this as a "pay it forward" exercise. Made me remember all the wonderful people who spent their time and ammo to teach me about firearms and hunting. Thanks for that Camo.
While the range building happens all the time and it does involve some expense, there is one thing we should not forget: Without all the dedicated people running the ranges every year, Firearms Festival would be dead. I'm not the best organiser, and every year, at the last minute, I discover with a shock one or two regular range officers I did not inform about the date of the festival. The answer to my embarrassed, late phone call, is always :"I'll be there!"
I'll try to improve on it next time.
The date is not firmly set yet, but almost certainly, it will be the last Saturday of August 2015.
Willie Barnard
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07-09-2014, 06:27 #6
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07-09-2014, 06:47 #7
Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
The Sas Handgun Range:
Three rifle silhouettes and two circular 250mm pistol plates would be the targets. This would give instant feedback as to hits and misses. Additionally it would reduce the workload of Tracer and I having to score and patch. Scoring was kept simple. Time in seconds less hits plus penalties.
We also decided that no brass could be picked up to speed things up.
This would be a simple C.O.F. 5 steel targets each requiring two hits. Starting seated, with loaded handgun on the table, shooter would engage a target, then moving diagonally to the right engage targets through a window, over a barricade. The last target was to be engaged kneeling through a tractor tyre.
EFF2014 (82).jpgEFF2014 (145).jpgEFF2014 (380).jpgEFF2014 (157).jpg
As we would not have to patch and occasionally re-spray the steel it would save us a lot of time.
Tracer & I retired to our accommodation and were enjoying a bushveldt braai, when Doc arrived and summoned us to view “Grietjie” a working replica of one of the cannons that were used at blood river. More about this later
Saturday dawned crisp and clear with not a breath of wind. All flags hung limp at the mast! This was indeed welcome as when we had left JHB it was bitterly cold and windy. The previous year I had bravely/stupidly worn shorts for the day and had gotten quite cold.
The day would turn out to be meteorologically perfect.
The Festival was opened with a prayer followed by cannon shot from Grietjie. Shortly thereafter the Pro-Amm 3 shot grouping. Doc shot an impressive 14mm group with his 270.
EFF2014 (93).jpg
Once Tracer and I had completed our 3 shot grouping we started to have customers at our range. Many are familiar faces from years gone by. Skill levels range from IPSC/IDPA shooters to some who were shooting for the first time!
As mentioned we have been doing this for a few years and one really has to keep ones eye on the trigger and muzzle direction of the shooter. I learnt quickly that this is not a coaching session, teaching grip stance trigger etc. There just is not enough time.
Safety is a priority and as long as the shooting was in the safe direction it would be ok.
However at a two or three times during the day Tracer closed the range and I gave a brief talk on safety and gear.
I repeat: the purpose was to expose folks who ordinarily owned/carried hand guns but had little or no formal training AND usually did not have the correct belts and holsters for EDC. Most are unfamiliar with basic range commands too.
Eye & Ear protective equipment was also emphasised. Everybody was given a chance to look at the patterns created by the splatter/spalling created on the ground. Extra PPE was available for the participants. Nobody was allowed into the staging area without it.
The point of this is not to say make a judgement call on anyone’s shooting ability, it simply shows a need for education and training. That said there was no shortage of enthusiasm and excitement for the COF. The Vibe on the range was great.
I was impressed by the number of ladies who did the shoot compared to the previous years. Also there was a marked increase in modern hi-cap semi autos on the range. This is very encouraging.
We were often asked about training and gear. One young lady who had a Beretta .22lr was referred to Ross at the Tactical Defence Institute http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/foru...te-(20-579)VSa
She had recently begun work in Pretoria and encouraged by her father was keen to learn how to do things properly. There were many mothers with young kids who participated too.
Doc Willie kept as well supplied with food and drinks during the day. We were given 12x500ml water bottles in a cooler box. By the end of the day they were all finished.
It turned out to be a very hot windless day and if one did not wear a hat and turn ones collar up it would resulted in sunburn.
By our calculation we ran 130 shooters through the COF. Of which 10 were with revolvers ranging from 38 special, 357 Magnum and a 44 Magnum. Times ranged from 45 seconds to 12 seconds. IIRC the winning score was 5 point something. Quite a few of the lads and ladies shot the COF more than once. Being beaten by one Girlfriend or Wife was always an opportunity for some ragging ;-)
We stopped taking entries at about 14h00 as we would need to break down the range and repack the car. Yet we still had 20 participants in the queue!
By 15h15 we had run the last participant through and then deconstructed the range as we wanted to see the Boer Brit shoot.
Doc had built some new ranges and this particular range had the shooter standing on a mound about 1.5 meters higher than the spectators.
It was going to be noisy, dusty and excitingRecent studies show that 1 out of every 3 liberals are just as dumb as the other 2
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07-09-2014, 06:53 #8
Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
EFF2014 (138).jpgEFF2014 (101).jpgEFF2014 (105).jpgEFF2014 (113).jpg
Doc is wearing the pink hat band because at that stage of the day he had the best grouping!Recent studies show that 1 out of every 3 liberals are just as dumb as the other 2
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07-09-2014, 07:00 #9
Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
Recent studies show that 1 out of every 3 liberals are just as dumb as the other 2
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07-09-2014, 07:12 #10
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Re: Bullers Barstid rode again!
Thanks for the write-up, Camo! And well done for your PIF initiative - I realy think that this sort of giving is well alligned to the PIF concept, AS WELL AS out interest in safe, enjoyable and productive use of firearms, and in this case handguns!
Doc WillieB - you should also take a massive bow for this brilliant and huge effort that is the Firearms festival! (and BTW - it would appear that pink suits you :) )
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