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Stillwater Firearms Association hosted its first shooting match of the 2007 season on March 31 at the Fernley Hills Shooting Range, located in the Reno-Fernley Raceway complex south of Fernley. 34 competitors enjoyed a day of beautiful weather and shooting .22 caliber firearms. Represented were Fallon, Fernley, Incline Village, Dayton, Carson City, Silver Springs, Topaz Lake, Winnemucca and Gardnerville.
“These .22 matches were developed last year as an addition to our centerfire caliber handgun/bowling pin matches,” stated SFA President J. L. Rhodes, “and the rimfire matches continue to be quite popular. Inexpensive ammunition and the mild recoil of the .22 LR caliber firearms make for great fun! Everyone really enjoyed this event and we are looking forward to the next rimfire match on August 25.”
Any .22 caliber firearm using non-magnum rimfire ammunition was allowed. The targets consisted of two racks, each with five steel plates in a row, and a “stopper” steel plate target 15 yards from the firing line. Each competitor first engaged the rack of steel plates, then the stopper plate; the first competitor to fell the stopper target was declared the winner
Although many competitions are timed events (each competitor shooting against the clock,) SFA matches are “shooter versus shooter,” and utilize the same format as the area wide Steel Plate competitions. In the Handgun Division, each competitor was placed in a class with shooters of similar shooting ability. In the Single Action Revolver and Rifle Divisions, all shooters competed in the same class. Two shooters went to the firing line and, upon the Range Officer’s command, commenced firing at their target array. In short order, one shooter emerged as the winner of each match.
A “round robin” tournament format was utilized and each shooter was allowed three losses before being eliminated from the competition. First, second, and third place trophies were awarded for each division and class. Each competitor also received a ticket to win drawing prizes.
The range was designated a “cold” range, meaning firearms were not to be loaded except on the firing line and then only upon the Range Officer’s command. “We place a VERY strong emphasis on firearms and range safety.” said Rhodes, “In addition to the Range Officer, we also place a Safety Observer immediately behind each shooter on the firing line. The Safety Observer closely watches the firearm for signs of a malfunction and ensures proper safety procedures are followed.”
Shooter comments were very positive, and many new shooters were introduced to the sport. “It doesn’t matter how good (or not so good!) you shoot,” said SFA Trustee Bill Andrews, “there is a class for everyone, from ‘C’ class (beginner) to ‘A’ class.
“You can’t meet a nicer group of people,” added shooter Claude Brown, “and.22 caliber firearms are a great platform to start enjoying the world of shooting. They are quite inexpensive, have a very low recoil and are simply fun to shoot!”
A Class: Winner Larry Richardson, Fernley; 2nd Place Bill Andrews, Fallon; 3rd Place Bill Wyatt, Winnemucca
B Class: Winner Rodger Nunn, Stage Coach; 2nd Place Hugh Long, Fallon; 3rd Place Alan Frank, Fallon
C Class: Winner Ken Adams, Fallon; 2nd Place Joe Cuneo, Fernley; 3rd Place Stephanie Utz, Fallon
Winner Bruce Miller, Fernley; 2nd Place J. L. Rhodes, Fallon; 3rd Place Claude Brown, Fallon
Winner Larry Richardson, Fernley; 2nd Place Barb Westerman, Fallon; 3rd Place Don Juhl, Incline Village
Don Juhl, Incline Village; Ted Edmondson, Silver Springs; Beto Origoni, Topaz Lake, and Barb Westerman, Fallon
The Stillwater Firearms Association meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. at the Fallon American Legion hall, 90 N Ada Street. Membership is available to all persons who have a strong and positive interest in the promotion and proper use of firearms. For more info, call 427-4563 or 423-4740.
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