Santa Margarita Gun Club
Promoting safe, competitive shooting sports for active and retired military, civilians, and juniors.

High Power Director, June 2014 Newsletter

The following newsletter is also available for download in PDF.

June 6, 2014:

Hello Fellow High Power Rifle Shooters!

With the recent fires aboard MCB Camp Pendleton, along with the damages to certain Ranges aboard the base, certain things have come to light with our club.

The Wilcox Range complex was hit vary hard. The Pistol Range (Range 102) was completely destroyed, along with the SMGC conex box which contained our Pistol Program Supplies. We as a club will need several things to happen in order to get the Pistol Portion of the SMGC Matches back up and running. First and foremost is the need for a Pistol Director who is willing to step up and oversee most of this work needed. We also need to examine a few things which can improve the way our XTC and Mid-Range matches are conducted especially if Range 103 is down for repairs.

Work Party:
We are looking at Saturday JUNE 14th as a “MUST HAVE” Work party day! The plan is to use the facilities at Range 116A to rebuild and reface ALL of the club targets (XTC, MR & Long Range Targets) and the USPFC Targets. This will give us only (1 Week) to get everything ready for the upcoming U.S. Police & Fire Championships (USPFC).

We will need a lot of folks to show up for this work party in order to pull this off! If a secondary day is needed then we will continue the work party on Sunday JUNE 15th (Father’s Day), but we don’t want to do this if at all possible. So regardless if you can work the entire day or just a few hours of it, please show up and lend a hand. Large jobs can get done easily with many hands…..

ASSEMBLY:
We will meet at Range 116A parking lot at 0800 hours (8 AM for you civilian folks). We will offer a cook out around noon for the helpers. We hope to see you there.

Match Location(s)/Range & Match Updates:

  • Range 102: Will take several months of repairs to get back to running.
  • Range 103: Is in the process of working on getting its number boards repaired.
  • Range 116: Gene Rucks (at the Range 116 A & B Complex) has graciously offered his ranges to conduct our matches if needed. The exact locations of which range we will use is TBD (to be determined) at this point. Be sure to look onto the Club’s Website for further details as a match draws near.

Match Start Times:
Our Mid-Range and XTC Matches, regardless of which range used, will continue to attempt to start at 0800 hours. This will mean registration will need to occur between 0630-0730 hours. In an attempt to stream line the Check-In Procedures, Please have the appropriate forms completed when you arrive at the range. These forms include the following:

  1. Release of Liability Form (This ONLY needs to be completed “ONE TIME” for XTC and/or for Mid-Range Matches and for Long Range Matches each year.)
  2. Appropriate Match Entry Forms
  3. Advance Registrations. Please continue to help us out by ensuring you have done your Advance Registered (ON LINE) Prior to the Wednesday before the weekend of the matches.

If Range 103 is used; will assemble at the Thunder Dome Area and then proceed to the starting yard line. Across the Course Matches will meet at the 200 yard line. Mid-Range Matches will meet *usually at the 600 yard line. * (Unless the MR Match is a 300, 500 & 600 yard match, then we will meet at the 300 yard line).
If we use Range 116; will assemble at the 600 Yard line and then proceed to the starting yard line.

HELPING US TO GET THE RANGE SET UP:
Once you arrive at the Santa Margarita Gun Club, we ask that each able bodied person assist us in getting the range and targets set up. Prior to dropping off your gear at the 200 yard line, we ask that you go to the Conex Box and assist us in loading all the targets and target supplies onto the bomb carts to expedite the range set up.
Range & Match Improvements:

  • Range 103 Wind Flags: The SMGC will be adding on Wilcox Range, a range flag at the 200 yard line and at the 500 yard line.
  • Shade Cover: The Club has purchased shade covering so it is available for all competitors at the 600 yard line. This shade will be placed on the READY LINE so you can place yourself under the shade. Please ensure your equipment is placed BEHIND the Shade Poles, so it is there for the competitors and not the gear.
  • Pit Ammo Cans: You will find a surprise inside the club’s ammo cans in the pits. We have included a piece of rope which you can use to aid in pulling the Targets Up & Down. The rope is a sturdy ½” black nylon.
  • The competitors who are assigned on the relay who are going to the pits first – will do exactly that. They will drop off their gear off at the appropriate yard line and move directly to the Pits and place their targets in the target carriers.
  • The Mandatory Environmental Safety Brief will be read in the Pits and on the firing line concurrently, versus having everyone on the firing line hear it and then move down to the Pits or Firing line. These simple steps should help in allowing us to get these matches started “ON TIME”.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at our events.

Semper Fidelis and Good Shooting,

Harry D. Harrison

Wilcox Range 102 Fire Damage Report

To all SMGC Members and Guests:

I am sure everyone is aware that Camp Pendleton has had several fires. Unfortunately the club fell as victims. The Fire totally destroyed Range 102 (Pistol) We lost everything in our conex box. We were hit hard on our inventory. We lost $1506.28 in supplies. We do have insurance but it only covers liability. We can only have a liability insurance because we are on government property. If any of you members can help with a donation to recoup the lost of the supplies. This would be very grateful.

Range 102 Well be non operational until further notice.

Range 103 is intact and no damage reported. We will continue to have matches. Please check the web site for match dates.

Please contact myself if you wish to donate. We will need to have a work party to help clean up what the fires left us.

Cindy Harrison

Letter from the High Power Director – May 11, 2014

It is with Great Regret that I send this out to all of the perspective shooters/Competitor’s to the Annual SMGC Regional “Across the Course (XTC)” Competition which was scheduled on May 24-25, 2014.

The club has to reschedule this match due to Operational Commitments of the US Marine Corps. The SMGC Board of Directors along with me apologizes for this matter, but it is simply “Out of Our Control” at this point and we are “Extremely Disappointed” with this turn of events. This was also evident with this last Saturday’s attempt at doing our Work Party for the Up Coming Matches. Due to a schedule mix up we were also unable to work on the range in order to prepare our targets which are in need of repair. I wish to thank those who showed up on the range. For those who weren’t able to attend, I wanted to list those who did attend and you may contact them and get a better perspective on what happened. Their names are listed below.

Our Club continually looks forward to conduct and promoting various friendly marksmanship competitions for Active Duty and Reserve Military Personnel and Civilian competitor’s alike. These unfortunate interruptions to the SMGC Schedule affect the many people who depend on the SMGC to conduct the best quality of Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship Competitions in Southern California.

Again, we are extremely sorry we are unable to put on this match on its previously scheduled date and time. We are looking at the possibility of rescheduling this Match at a later date. The next Major event to be held on Wilcox range will be the NRA Regional Mid-Range Champions and then the US Police & Fire Championships “XTC” and Sniper/Tactical Rifle Competition.

Those who showed up on May 10th:

  • Mike St Clair (Maj, USMC Ret.)
  • Shayne Whitaker (Sgt, USMC)
  • Edward Polzin (CWO3, USMC)
  • Matt Kokoszka (SSgt, USMC Ret.)
  • Mike Jones
  • Rick Austin
  • Paul Guy
  • John Kountz
  • Rich Elliott
  • Dave Ellis
  • William Frye
  • Gary Boren
  • Lucky Lovell
  • Gregg Materna
  • John Hermsen
  • Harry Harrison (MGySgt, USMCR Ret.)

Be sure to check onto the website for up to date information on the SMGC Matters.

Semper Fidelis,

Harry D. Harrison

May 2014 Long Range Match Recap

Shooters,

Thanks to all of you for your participation and your support. Attached you will find the match report.

We had a good turnout at Saturdays match, the weather was warm and dry with the usual R177 winds. The top conventional shooters were Gary Eliseo with a 587-16x followed by Randy Teissedre with a 574-17x. F-class was well represented with Steven Blair taking first with a 584-14 followed by Gary Fowler 574-16x and Allan Howland with a 553-8x.

Sunday’s was much cooler but the winds were not very forgiving. The tops shooters for F-class were Gary Fowler with a 577-18x followed by Steven Blair with a 575-14x and Mark Roth with a 575-12x.

It was very nice to see some new shooters this weekend. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and I look forward to seeing everyone at our next match.

Best Regards,

Gary Fowler
Long Range Director
S.M.G.C.

You can download the May 03-04, 2014 LR Match Results in PDF from the Match Results page.

SMGC Needs Volunteers for USPFC Matches

SMGC is still in need of Volunteers for Hosting the (USPFC) U.S. Police & Fire Championships High Power Rifle Matches (XTC & Sniper/Tactical Rifle). Before you pony up, the USPFC needs to know some information from you. Please review these instructions once you get onto the USPFC Website at http://www.uspfc.org/.

Volunteers will be fed and given a USPFC T-Shirt for helping out. The SMGC benefits from those folks who volunteer in many, many ways.

The match programs can be viewed on the SMGC Website under Match Forms; look for USPFC Across the Course (Sat)and USPFC Sniper/Tactical Rifle (Sun).

SMGC affiliates who wish to volunteer should:

  1. Go to www.uspfc.org
  2. Click on “Get Involved”
  3. Scroll down to ‘Volunteer”
  4. Click on “Sign-Up”
  5. (STEP #1) Enter Your Contact Information, and click on Next Step.
  6. (STEP#2) Pick Your Shifts
    • Enter Shift Code: SM Club (in place of ‘volunteer’)
    • You will automatically be directed to: Rifle (Large Bore) & Sniper/Tactical Rifle, and click on your choice
    • Select Your Shifts, click on Next Step
  7. (STEP #3) USPFC Extras, Click on your T-shirt size
  8. (STEP #4) Read the Fine Print, Click on ‘Terms & Conditions”
  9. SUBMIT – Just once and you will receive a Confirmation Email in a few minutes

If you experience any problems contact Cheli Mohamed, Operations Manager at USPFC:

  • via phone at 858-571-9919 x108
  • via email at cheli@cpaf.org

Thank you to those interested in helping out SMGC put on this event for the U.S. Police & Fire Championships.