Safety First!
The first and most important goal of the Grafton County Fish & Game Association is to provide a safe environment where members and event participants can enjoy the shooting sports. That requires everyone to use good judgement and to follow the club’s rules and regulations! (<- click here)
Colonel Cooper’s Rules
- All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
- Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
- Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Indoor ‘Bullseye’ Pistol
Indoor pistol consists of a three part 30 shot match fired at fifty feet. We use the National Gallery Course of 10 shots in 10 minutes on a slow fire target; two strings of 5 shots, 20 seconds each, on a timed/rapid fire target; and two strings of 5 shots, 10 seconds each, also on a timed/rapid fire target. Each shot is worth 10 points. A perfect target would be 300.
Although you are welcome to use a revolver such as a Smith and Wesson K-22 Masterpiece or a Ruger Single Six you will be more competitive with an auto-loading pistol. I recommend a Smith and Wesson Model 41 although there is nothing wrong with a Ruger. Browning and Hi-Standard are also popular. Some folks use open sights, other use a red dot optical sight. Both are legal. As far as I’m concerned you can use one or both hands. Bring what you have and try it out. I usually have an array of guns on hand, which can be borrowed for the evening, so feel free to “try before you buy.”
We would prefer that you use standard velocity .22 LR ammunition such as CCI Blue Label rather than Hyper Velocity because it is more accurate and less noisy. Unfortunately we are limited to rimfire .22 as the ventilation system is not adequate for centerfire.
We charge $6 per evening to help defray the cost of targets and to help with the heating costs. A typical session starts at 6:00 with time for sighting in or plinking or trying out new ammo or a new gun. If there is interest we shoot a National Gallery Course or two.
If you would like more information about pistol shooting try this website: http://natqa.uas.se/biomek/ref/bullseye_pistol.pdf
Please come by and give indoor pistol a try. Bring eye and ear protection, a suitable gun, some ammo and a bit of enthusiasm. We hope to see you there.
Practical Shooting Sports
Welcome to the exciting world of practical shooting. Here you will hone your shooting skills utilizing modern day handguns in interesting and challenging courses of fire. While you learn safe and sound shooting fundamentals you will be judged for both time and accuracy. Under the control of a safety officer, shooters are presented with a series of both steel and paper targets that need to be engaged as quickly and accurately as possible. Courses may include moving targets and barricades and require concealment and cover. Practical Shooting is “running and gunning” at its best.
Grafton County Fish and Game Association (GCFGA) is home to the Upper Valley Practical Shooters (UVPS) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/UVPracticalShooters/). This is a group of practical shooting enthusiasts that routinely meet on the pistol range to practice and test their skills, then travel to regional clubs to compete in formal matches. The two national organizations overseeing this sport are the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) (http://uspsa.com) and the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) (http://www.idpa.com). Both organizations offer organized matches within easy driving of the Upper Valley. Practices at GCFGA are typically held on the pistol range on Saturdays from 9:00 AM until Noon. Check out the GCFGA calendar for details. Practices are open to the public and cost $5.00 a session. Stop by and check it out, or come to one or UVPS’s annual Introduction to Practical Shooting Classes. We will be happy to help get you started. For more information contact uvps@gcfga.org
Cowboy Action Shooting
Did you grow up watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans along with Gene Autry and the Lone Ranger? Did you play Cowboys and Indians? If you have grown up chronologically but are still a kid at heart then Cowboy Action Shooting is for you.
To participate in this sport you need a pair of single action revolvers, a lever action rifle in a pistol caliber and a shotgun, either a double or model 97 pump. The calibers include .38 special, .44, .44-40 .45 Colt. There are others and to see the complete list it is best to consult the SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) web page for the rule book. www.sassnet.com.
Cowboy Action Shooting is a combination of historical re-enactment and Saturday morning at the matinee. Participants may choose the style of costume they wish to wear, but all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century, a B-western movie, or Western television series. There is emphasis on costuming because it adds to the uniqueness of our game and helps create a festive, informal atmosphere that supports the friendly, fraternal feeling we encourage in our competitors. All shooters must be in costume, and we encourage invited guests and family also to be costumed. Denims of the Wrangler, Levi, and Lee variety are acceptable. Designer jeans (the ones with the colored piping and name embroidered on the pocket) are not allowed. Contemporary cowboy shirts with snap fronts are okay, but not even very B-western. These are much more representative of the type of shirt worn in the late 1800’s. Tennis shoes/sneakers are not allowed. If you can’t afford or wear cowboy boots than a pair of leather work boots will do fine. Visit with the other shooters at your local club. They have great ideas about how to assemble a Cowboy Action wardrobe.
For more information contact: Chelsea Kid (603) 863-0892 or chelseakid03@yahoo.com
For a list of New England Clubs, contact information and schedule of shoots visit:www.northeastcas.com