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  1. #1

    Default Firearms Festival 2017

    Our 20th Firearms Festival, this year at the Knapskoot Skietbaan.

    Items:
    ProAmm grouping shoot:

    From 20 concrete tables, over sand bags, try to shoot that one hole grouping with PMP provided ammunition.
    We expect to shoot about a 1000 targets this year.

    Big Bore range:

    A simulated big game hunt, run by BASA (Big Bore association of SA). Calibres of 9,3 mm and up.
    An attractive hunting package to win.

    CHASA hunting range:
    A practical hunting exercise on Impala, warthogs and gongs. For those whose rifles are too small for the big bore range.
    Another hunting package to win.

    Handgun range:
    With your own handgun and ammo, under the watchful eye of Camouflage 762 and his team. This is the range where Gunsite is represented. The GOSA flag is also flown, and Paul Oxley will be there to tell us about GOSA.

    Clay target range:
    Demonstrate your skill at moving targets with a 12 G shotgun.

    Junior training:
    Under the guidance of the Waterberg branch of the SAHGCA, juniors are trained with .22 rifles. Age limit 18 years.

    Active hunting range:
    A hunting simulation with .22 rifles, under the strict discipline of our "Deutsche Jagerin" Hanna Hurst, who will not only test your shooting skills, but also your hunting ethics!

    Pin Shooting:
    On this range, bowling pins are shot with a .22 pistol and AR. Rifle and ammo supplied.

    Boer and Brit shoot:
    When most ranges close at 16h00, participant and spectator drift to the Boer and Brit range , where the enemies of 117 years ago take each other on. Teams of four shoot at falling plates with iron sighted, bolt action rifles. A real action filled item.

    Ou Grietjie:
    This muzzle loading cannon is shot to signal the start, and the close of shooting activities.

    Prize giving:
    At the
    end of the day, the big prizegiving, followed by a mouth watering meal of vennison potjie, sosaties and wors.

    When and Where?
    Saturday 26 August from 08hoo,
    Knapskoot shooting range near Ellisras (Lephalale) 18 km west of the Medupi power station, on the Steenbokpan road.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    Good day , would tickets be sold at the door or can it be purchased online?

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by carpe23 View Post
    Good day , would tickets be sold at the door or can it be purchased online?
    Carpe, you are welcome. No door, no tickets. Admission is free and unbooked. You may enter for the ProAmm on Friday night on the range from 18h00 to 20h00. And again on Saturday any time. Camping is free on site. See you there. Willie Barnard

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    Something like this in New Zealand would be great!

  5. #5

    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    Quote Originally Posted by Tango Sierra View Post
    Something like this in New Zealand would be great!
    Tango, why don't you start the New Zealand firearms festival? There are enough Saffers there for quite a few Boer teams, and the older Kiwis' support for King and Empire justifies a lot of Brit teams.
    If I read your gun laws correctly, you would (maybe) have to do without the handgun range, but all the rest you could do.

    If ever you visit SA again, please give me a call, and I'll show you my range.

    Willie Barnard

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie Barnard View Post
    Tango, why don't you start the New Zealand firearms festival? There are enough Saffers there for quite a few Boer teams, and the older Kiwis' support for King and Empire justifies a lot of Brit teams.
    If I read your gun laws correctly, you would (maybe) have to do without the handgun range, but all the rest you could do.

    If ever you visit SA again, please give me a call, and I'll show you my range.

    Willie Barnard
    You're right there's nothing theoretically stopping me from organising this but I'll definitely need to wade through miles of red tape and clipboard waving fun sponges to get it off the ground.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    They started arriving on Thursday - the early birds who camped on site, attended the festival, and very often acted as range officers as well.

    Everyone brought skills with. As this self taught, amateur welder was trying to make the steel tables for the junior range, a professional boiler maker came from the BASA campsite and completed the task with ease.

    On friday, the treacle became a flood: BASA guys, SAS team, PMP team, Pinshooting team started to pour in.
    Ranges were set up. BASA had a promising range with big game targets scattered in the bush.

    Sports Adventure Shooting had the handgun range set up with barricades, gongs and even a "hostage" TV screen.

    On the Boer and Brit range, the falling plates painted with the "Union Jack " of the British Empire on which the sun never set, and the "Vierkleur" of the brave "Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek" who dared to oppose it. The flags of the ZAR, OVS and British Empire fluttered in the wind.

    As night fell, campfires was glowing all over the site. The campsite was buzzing with excitement and expectation.

    From 18h00 to 20h00 early bookings for the ProAmm were taken, and relay Alpha to Golf was ready for the next day.

    SATURDAY 26 AUGUST:
    At dawn, "Grietjie" the Voortrekker cannon from the Battle of Blood River 1838, was set up to be ready for the opening shot.
    A thundering BOOOM!, and engulfed in smoke, the ranges was now officially open!

    The sound system was connected, and Boeremusiek and country started rolling from the speakers.

    The first targets on the ProAmm range went up, and at 07h30 the first shots rang out. Relays Alpha , Bravo and Charlie were made up of range officers, who had to get their turn first, to be free to go and set up their ranges for the day. Shooting was done over sand bags on concrete tables, and the goal was to shoot the smallest possible 3-shot group over a distance of 100 m. There were 20 concrete tables, and each turn consisted of 2 targets per shooter. Seven cartridges were issued in the calibre and bullet weight of the shooter's choice. One shot was a warm up shot in the wall, and the other six were used for two 3 shot groups, on the two targets. Soon this range was running like a well oiled machine.

    With relays Alpha to Charlie out of the way, the other ranges started up:
    On the handgun range, Craig, Dirk, Ryno and three others, allowed people with their own handguns to have a go at the steel gongs. The Plasma screen survived quite well until "Williebees" made his appearance, and could not control the urge to perforate it!

    BASA range was as always well set up, with crocodile, rhino, buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard threatening the health of the big game hunters. An action packed range.

    Next door, our German hunter/ range officer (Hanna Hurst), allowed hunters the chance at a simulated hunting range with .22 rifles.

    On the southern range, Bosveld Hunters supervised a CHASA hunting shoot at Warthog, Springbuck and steel gongs.

    Clay pigeon range, got busy with a Trap and a Skeet machine. Even though there were challenges with power supply and overheating electrical motors, at the end of the day, they had burned their way through 750 shotgun shells!

    On the junior training range, the SAHGCA officers were training the children in rifle safety and marksmanship.

    On the pinshooting range, Humphrey and Elmari, two really dedicated shooters, allowed people the privilege to shoot a semi-auto .22 rifle.

    At 16h00, most of the ranges closed and everyone drifted to the range of the Boer and Brit shoot. Due to popular demand, the traditional "Boer and Brit shoot" was now called :"Boer and Brit Anglo-Boer war" (Manual action, iron sights), and two categories were added:
    "Boer and Brit WW2" (Manual action, any sights, including optical.)
    "Boer and Brit border war" (Any action, including SLR, any sights.)
    This was a most spectacular event, and watched by most of the people on the range.
    (Some of our more technically talented Gunsiters will soon post some videos here.)

    The day ended with a prize giving and venison dinner under the stars.

    Our 20th annual Firearms Festival was a huge success.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Firearms Festival 2017

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie Barnard View Post
    They started arriving on Thursday - the early birds who camped on site, attended the festival, and very often acted as range officers as well.

    Everyone brought skills with. As this self taught, amateur welder was trying to make the steel tables for the junior range, a professional boiler maker came from the BASA campsite and completed the task with ease.

    On friday, the treacle became a flood: BASA guys, SAS team, PMP team, Pinshooting team started to pour in.
    Ranges were set up. BASA had a promising range with big game targets scattered in the bush.

    Sports Adventure Shooting had the handgun range set up with barricades, gongs and even a "hostage" TV screen.

    On the Boer and Brit range, the falling plates painted with the "Union Jack " of the British Empire on which the sun never set, and the "Vierkleur" of the brave "Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek" who dared to oppose it. The flags of the ZAR, OVS and British Empire fluttered in the wind.

    As night fell, campfires was glowing all over the site. The campsite was buzzing with excitement and expectation.

    From 18h00 to 20h00 early bookings for the ProAmm were taken, and relay Alpha to Golf was ready for the next day.

    SATURDAY 26 AUGUST:
    At dawn, "Grietjie" the Voortrekker cannon from the Battle of Blood River 1838, was set up to be ready for the opening shot.
    A thundering BOOOM!, and engulfed in smoke, the ranges was now officially open!

    The sound system was connected, and Boeremusiek and country started rolling from the speakers.

    The first targets on the ProAmm range went up, and at 07h30 the first shots rang out. Relays Alpha , Bravo and Charlie were made up of range officers, who had to get their turn first, to be free to go and set up their ranges for the day. Shooting was done over sand bags on concrete tables, and the goal was to shoot the smallest possible 3-shot group over a distance of 100 m. There were 20 concrete tables, and each turn consisted of 2 targets per shooter. Seven cartridges were issued in the calibre and bullet weight of the shooter's choice. One shot was a warm up shot in the wall, and the other six were used for two 3 shot groups, on the two targets. Soon this range was running like a well oiled machine.

    With relays Alpha to Charlie out of the way, the other ranges started up:
    On the handgun range, Craig, Dirk, Ryno and three others, allowed people with their own handguns to have a go at the steel gongs. The Plasma screen survived quite well until "Williebees" made his appearance, and could not control the urge to perforate it!

    BASA range was as always well set up, with crocodile, rhino, buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard threatening the health of the big game hunters. An action packed range.

    Next door, our German hunter/ range officer (Hanna Hurst), allowed hunters the chance at a simulated hunting range with .22 rifles.

    On the southern range, Bosveld Hunters supervised a CHASA hunting shoot at Warthog, Springbuck and steel gongs.

    Clay pigeon range, got busy with a Trap and a Skeet machine. Even though there were challenges with power supply and overheating electrical motors, at the end of the day, they had burned their way through 750 shotgun shells!

    On the junior training range, the SAHGCA officers were training the children in rifle safety and marksmanship.

    On the pinshooting range, Humphrey and Elmari, two really dedicated shooters, allowed people the privilege to shoot a semi-auto .22 rifle.

    At 16h00, most of the ranges closed and everyone drifted to the range of the Boer and Brit shoot. Due to popular demand, the traditional "Boer and Brit shoot" was now called :"Boer and Brit Anglo-Boer war" (Manual action, iron sights), and two categories were added:
    "Boer and Brit WW2" (Manual action, any sights, including optical.)
    "Boer and Brit border war" (Any action, including SLR, any sights.)
    This was a most spectacular event, and watched by most of the people on the range.
    (Some of our more technically talented Gunsiters will soon post some videos here.)

    The day ended with a prize giving and venison dinner under the stars.

    Our 20th annual Firearms Festival was a huge success.
    This sounds quite epic. I hope I will be able to join next time around.

    Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

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