Author Topic: Benchrest In Western Canada A Start  (Read 3760 times)

Offline rpollock

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Benchrest In Western Canada A Start
« on: December 22, 2009, 05:38:27 PM »
cyanchycki said:

Some of you know a bit about who I am and when I started in Bench Rest. You can find a bit more about me in the Shooter Profile on Benchrest.ca and some of my thoughts.

I would have to call Selkirk Game and Fish Range my home range. It is the only range in Manitoba capable of holding Bench Rest matches. More on the club can be found following the links on Bench Rest.ca.
I have tried to no avail to get something going in Brandon but the OLD BOYS club will just not entertain the fact of making the few improvements at the club. They would rather try and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for an indoor range which is going to cost thousands of dollars to run every year. I was part of the range committee and decided to resign after my ideas fell upon deaf ears.
From what I gather Bench Rest started in the early 80’s in Selkirk. I have heard of one story from a friend of mine who went at one time to watch a match in the days. He informed me that the match he had attended that it rained so hard guys had cups taped to their scopes and were soaking wet shooting out in the rain with no covered line. I believe shortly after the roof was put over the line.
Matches used to be well attended and even frequented by our US shooters from Minnesota and North Dakota. It appears the aftermath of 911 put a damper on these shooters coming into Canada. As we all know shooters have come and gone over the years.

At Selkirk there still remains a core of 5 shooters who were there from day one or just about day one. In the last few years a few new shooters including myself have discovered Bench Rest and are attending the 2 matches held at Selkirk each year. The matches are small but never the less we are enjoying the competition and comradery of it all. On average there are approx 8-10 shooters at the matches. Shooters double as scorers and target pullers at times to make the matches run.

Selkirk Game and Fish Range is a nice facility but is in need of a little TLC. The table tops which are wood could be replaced with new tops and the roof over the covered line has seen better days. The roof still does its job by keeping the sun and rain off of your back. The firing line faces north with a row of bush for the entire length along the left side of the firing line. Bench one basically is about 10’ off of the tree line at the firing line. The right side is more open until about the 130 yard mark where the tree line creeps in and basically is there for the duration of distance to the backstop. The clubhouse is adjacent the firing line, maybe 30’ feet away and sports a lean to attached to the main building which doubles as a cleaning area during the matches. The clubhouse is a decent size and has running hot/cold water as well as boys/girls washrooms. If you are adventurous there are outhouses for your enjoyment.

As far as range records go I am in the process of trying to get them if there even is a list of them.
In closing I have offered this upcoming year to be the Bench Rest Chair for the club. I love the sport and am far from where I would like to live in regards to this AWESOME sport. I would like to see one more match held at the club maybe in a score shoot and a one day format. It would be nice if it could be something that will maybe bring in a few new shooters to see what it is all about.

Calvin

rpollock said:
Calvin, hats off to you for stepping up to chair the BR at Selkirk. There really is a love of the game at work here. We have such an eclectic sport, but once you are bitten there is no going back...


Joem said:
Calvin I know what you mean about dealing with a club that isn't interested in holding BR shoots. My home club has a strong following for F class so the rifle committee isn't too interested, with this in mind I'm going to try and hold some VFS shoots in the spring. This at a club that has a membership of about 1500 and a area population of approx 2 million, but only has 3 BR shooters, 2 active.
Maybe I can entice some F class and/or varmint shooters to try it. I guess if I could get one shooter to cross over that would be a 25% increase.
I'll let you know how this turns out after we have the shoot.

John VM said:
Yes it is a great sport, and it takes good people to run matches. Thanks Calvin for stepping up when needed and for the report on the club in Manitoba.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 09:41:47 PM by rpollock »

 

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