SHOOTING EVENTS

The .22 Steel Plate Challenge is a bi-weekly shoot held on alternating Monday nights at our outdoor range. It is a fun shoot, and while scores are recorded, unlike many matches there are no first-place finishers and shooters simply shoot against themselves and try to better their scores and times.

Designed to be an affordable and fun outing, courses are laid out so that shooters of any level from beginner to experienced can have a good time while honing their shooting skills. While keeping an ever-present focus on safety, the intent is a stress free, relaxed environment for shooters and spectators alike.

2 different length courses are laid out each evening, one for pistol, one for rifle. Distances are chosen to be reasonable for target hits for each course, with the pistol being closer and the rifle a bit further away. Shooters can shoot both pistol, rifle or both should they desire.

Each course is run by 2 club members. One of these is to record your hits/misses and time for score, the other is the RSO (Range Safety Officer) who oversees the shooter at each station and ensures proper gun handling and safety.
Regardless of variation in layout, the course consists of five steel plates that vary in distance and height. Four of the plates are white, the fifth is a “stop plate” and is colored red. The stop plate is the final shot and when engaged regardless of whether all the white plates have been shot ends the shooter’s stage. Shooters can engage the white targets in any order they wish, and when finished an aggregate total of hits/misses and the time required for each round are added up.

Upon command from the RSO, the shooter loads their firearm and places the muzzle on a safety barrel, notifying the RSO that they are ready to shoot. The RSO activates a timer which produces a loud beep that signals the shooter to begin. Shooters engage targets in any order desired with an intent of hitting each one. Hits can be verified by sound or impact mark as the steel is repainted frequently between rounds. The red target signals the end of the round.
The RSO then gives commands to safely unload the firearm, then checks to make sure it is unloaded and safe.  After the firearms are secure, scores can be registered and any fixes to targets can take place.

Regardless of initial times and scores, shooters in time aim for less than 4 seconds for round-an achievable time as experience grows.  Shooters may re-engage the course as many times as they desire, with a fair rotation of other shooters and available daylight being the only factors.

The event goes quickly and can be viewed as a “drop in” event. Set up is 4:00 p.m. followed by a mandatory Safety Briefing. Shooting will start following the Safety Briefing, and will continue until all present have shot. Cost is $2.00 for club members and $4.00 for non-members (like all SRPC organized activities this is completely open to the general public as well).

Shooters simply need a .22 rifle, pistol or both to enjoy this activity, and should someone not have one there are always individuals willing to share their firearm, so others can enjoy or simply try the activity out too. Other requirements are eye/ear protection, and it is suggested to bring around 100 rounds each evening. If multiple magazines are available shooters are encouraged to bring them to speed up the stages as well.

This event is meant to be for fun and no official scoring will be kept. Safety will be top priority followed closely by have some fun with this.

Targets will be set up at 50 yards. There are 15 colored circles on each target. The goal is to shoot each circle on the target one time. 3 sighter shots will be allowed at the start of each round at a separate target. Each shooter will be given 3 minutes to fire 15 rounds at their designated target. After the 3 minutes are finished, the range safety officer will ask if anyone needs more time to finish firing their rounds. Once everyone is finished all of the guns will be set on the benches with chamber flags installed. Once every firearm on the line has a chamber flag installed into it the line will be made safe and we will be allowed to go downrange and look at your target. The “hits” aka the circles that have been shot will be marked. After everyone is back behind the firing line the range will be made hot and the shooter will be given another 3 minutes fire an additional 15 rounds to attempt to hit the remaining circles.

Any .22 rimfire rifle will be allowed. However, since the circles are about the size of a quarter it is recommended that a magnifying optic is installed. It is also recommended that you have either enough magazines or large enough magazines
to hold the 15 rounds without having to stop and reload a magazine in the middle of the 3-minute time period. Special time extension may be given by the range safety officer for firearms that have a tube style non-detachable magazine that does not hold the 15 rounds.

Rifles Available for Participants Without a Scoped 22LR Rifle:
The Club has a rifle available for shooters that do not have a scoped 22LR rifle.  One would have to purchase ammo from the Club to use the Club rifle; currently the cost for the 33 rounds of 22LR is $3.

Kids Shoot FREE:
Kids are able to shoot for free.  However, if borrowing the Club rifle, one would still have to purchase the Club ammunition.

Unique shooting events and matches stem from criteria that can be limiting to equipment, distances, and like the Buffalo Matches held at the Sheboygan Rifle and Pistol Club can be limited to an era.

The sport of Cowboy Action Shooting developed from a desire to level the playing field in competitive shooting while at the same time adding some flavor to events by paying tribute to a different time and era.

Like with most sports, equipment can play a large factor in success. Equally skilled shooters using unequal levels of equipment ($500 gun versus a $3,000 gun) favored the higher end using participant and began to turn away some shooters.

But what if shooters were limited in the firearms they use to an era? Of a certain level of technology? This thinking resulted in the creation of Cowboy Action Shooting.

Though firearms can be new manufactured as well authentic, Cowboy Action Shooting requires competitors to use firearms of the mid to late 19th century. These would include single action (hammer must be manually cocked before each shot) revolvers, lever action rifles chambered in pistol calibers, and side by side double barreled shotguns (also known as “coach guns” for the stage coaches they protected). Pump action shotguns of the era (such as the Winchester 1897) with external hammer are also allowed, and if a double barrel it can be with or without external hammers but cannot have automatic ejectors).

Though not required, participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the era. Further yet most shoot under alias, and the Sheboygan Rifle and Pistol Club has shooters going by names like “Two-Bit Charlie”, “Harry S. Grogan”, “Scipio Sam”, “The Analog Kid”, “Rusty Mike” and “Snake Bayou”.

Singular or multiple stages can be shot, each typically requiring 10 shots from revolvers (six shooter loaded with 5 cartridges, resting on an empty chamber for safety), 10 rounds from the lever action (chamber empty to start, action must be worked to get first round in) and between 2-8 shotgun rounds. Targets are steel and only “hits” and “misses” are recorded.

To keep with the adventure of this style of shooting, stages often have a theme. Bank robberies, stage coach attacks and any other theme from the wild west are eligible. Scenarios are presented to the shooters, and often to begin each round the shooter will signal they are ready by saying an opening line (i.e. “I’m looking for the men who robbed the stage coach”).

In mind with safety, loaded firearms are not allowed unless you are the shooter. A separate loading area is put on the side so that muzzles can be kept in a safe direction. Each shooter loads under the watchful eye of another shooter to make sure it is being done safely. When ready the shooter meets an RSO (Range Safety Officer) who will stay with them through the course. With firearms stationed where they need to be (sidearms in holsters), the shooter gives their opening line.

The RSO activates a timer that responds to gunshots, accurately measuring the time though when any last shot is measured. As the timer’s alarm goes off, shooters engage targets as the scenario dictates. For example, shooters may be required to shoot a series of 5 targets with a revolver, then 4 targets with shotgun, then 10 with their rifle before finishing the final 5 targets with their other revolver.

When done, the RSO escorts the shooter to an unloading area that offers the same safety to handle the firearms in making sure they are empty and clear of any cartridges. At this point the stage is scored.
Scoring in Cowboy Action is based on time and actual hits. Usually it begins with the shooters actual time, added to that is 5 seconds for each miss. An additional 10 seconds is added to the score for any “procedural” penalties. These include shooting targets out of order given and any action outside of the prescribed instructions in that scenario.

With a focus on safety and fun, Cowboy Action is for anyone. Popular with shooters who do not want to struggle with keeping up on technology and just want to use simple manual firearms to see how they engage steel targets, and those just looking to have some fun are encouraged to try it out.

10m Air Gun

 

We shoot air pistols and rifles Tuesday nights starting at 6:00pm through the end of March. We need to limit projectile velocity to around 500 feet per second so we don't shoot through the back stops. We will set up a 10 meter range but we can move some targets closer if need be. All members, family and friends are welcome. The club has 4 pistols for you to use so you don't have to bring your own and we will have ammo and targets available too. There will be a small charge per person but we are still looking at what that will be.

Check the calendar for scheduled dates and time.