Santa Margarita Gun Club at Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Base, California. A bright beautiful day found thirty (30) competitors itching to shoot Saturday morning the 13th of June on range 103 Wilcox.
Registration was speedy and the targets were set up and we began shooting shortly after 0800.
There was a wonderfully diverse crowd and we had our first Woman Marine shooter, Tatiana Resto! She handled that Garand quite well!
What a plethora of old wooden rifles: Garands, 03’s, 03A3’s, Mosin Nagants, Enfields, M1A’s
Match 1 had twelve (12) medal winners:
- Paul Guy and an M1A (modern military class) shot a 286.11 for a gold
- Jim Minturn shooting an 03A3 shot a 286.4 for a gold
- Kevin Cooper and his Garand scored a 284.3 for gold
- Russell Carr shot a 279.3 with his Garand for a gold
- Steve Hobart shot a Garand for a score of 279.1 for gold
- John Hermsen using an ‘03 rifle shot a 277.5 for silver
- Michael Miller shot a 276.1 with his Garand for silver
- David Ellis shot a 275.6 with his Garand for a silver
- Joe Vampole used his Garand to obtain a 274.0 for silver
- Mark Marshall shot a 270.4 with his Garand for bronze
- David Lukens shot a 265.0 with his Garand for bronze
- And Richard Martinez got that vintage medal he has been coveting with a 261.4 using a 1917 Enfield for a bronze
Match 2 saw a departure of a few shooters so we had 26 shooters and nine (9) medal winners:
- Shooting an incredible score of 291.4 with his Garand Richard Martinez earned a gold and promoted the reputation that Marines know how to shoot!
- Right on his heels using an 03A3 was David Ellis shooting a 282.4 for a gold
- Michael Miller shot a 280.8 with his 03A3 for a gold
- Paul Guy earned a silver with his M1A shooting a 278.4
- Jeremy Cail got a 274.4 with his M1A for bronze
- Jim Minturn earned a silver with the Garand and a 274.2
- Kevin Cooper shot a 272.2 with his Garand for a silver
- Steve Hobart shot a 272.1 for a silver with his Garand
- John Hermsen shot an ’03 for a bronze with a score of 266.5
Pit clean up went well and the Conex was put away nice and neat due to help from many.
- Thanks to John H for RSO, helping and leading.
- Thanks to the father and son “Guy’s” for medical
- Thanks to new man Brian Chamberlain for medical
- Thanks to Van for medical and for manning up when “somebody” was needed in the pits for pulling targets…..
- Thanks to RSO Richard Martinez and all the other RSO’s who offered
- Thanks to Harry H for advice even as he was driving over the Mississippi River at the same time!
- Thanks to Ken L for answering questions as they popped up in my mind
- Thanks to Gunny Berenguer USMC for finding six good pit puller Marines who showed up on time and worked hard and with smiles.
- Thanks to Richard Martinez for locating and giving to us free of charge, black pasters as we were out.
Please forgive me if I forgot a kindness or assistance you provided to me at the match as I am still treading water here and swallowing some water as I do but I was proud of all the shooters, helpers, and our pit pulling crew of the six Marines.
Semper Fi,
Jeff Lovat
GSM Director SMGC
June 18, 2015