Post by TONY Q.C.I.S. on May 17, 2008 22:41:24 GMT -6
;D SHEFFIELD
Willie Rhodes took aim at the big horn ram, slowly squeezed the trigger and sent the sheep tumbling to the ground.
Rhodes, of Sheffield, was not hunting with a high-powered rifle when be knocked down the ram. He was using a .22-caliber handgun.
He was not hunting in the Rocky Mountains or at a big game preserve. Rhodes shot the ram only a few blocks outside downtown Sheffield.
The ram Rhodes shot was not made of flesh and bone. It was made from steel and painted fluorescent green to make it easier to see.
Rhodes was participating in the monthly pistol and revolver competition at North Alabama Shooting Association on 20th Street, next door to Tennessee Valley Recycling.
"It's a lot of fun," Rhodes said of shooting at the small metal targets that resemble rams, pigs, turkeys and chickens. "Even when you start to get frustrated because you keep missing, it's still fun."
Another club member, Danny Creasy, of Florence, said fun is a factor in all of the organization's competitions.
"It's always safety first, fun second and then hitting what you are shooting at," he said.
In addition to the handgun competition held on the second Saturday of each month, the club has a 50-yard .22-calber rifle competition on the first Saturday, a bench rest .22 caliber rifle competition on the third Saturday and a civilian marksmanship sporter competition on the fourth Saturday. The monthly competitions, which begin at 9 a.m., are open to the public. There is no fee to participate in the monthly shoots.
On May 24, the club will hold it's first civilian marksmanship sporter competition sanctioned by the National Rifle Association.
The competition, which is open to the public, begins at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $10.
Club member Tony Gilmore, of Muscle Shoals, expects shooting sports enthusiasts from throughout north Alabama and surrounding states to attend.
The competitors will use .22-calber rifles.
Unlike the other competitions at the shooting range that use metal targets, competitors in the civilian marksmanship program shoot at paper targets.
Gilmore said the civilian marksmanship program is a true test of shooting skills. "You're not going to win just because you have highest priced or fanciest rifle. You have to be the best marksman that day in order to win."
Shooters compete in prone, sitting and standing positions. The targets are placed at 50 yards for the prone and sitting positions and 25 yards for standing. They shoot 20 rounds from each positions.
"It's a real test of marksmanship rather than the shooter's billfold," Creasy said. "You can spend a lot of money on a .22 sporter rifle, but it's not going to do you a lot of good at this competition."
Gilmore said many of the competitors in the civilian marksmanship program use rifles they purchased at department stores.
The rifles must be equipped with a scope and weigh no more than 7.5 pounds. The trigger pull has to be able to lift a 3-pound weight.
Creasy said the goal of the North Alabama Shooting Association is to promote shooting sports in the Shoals.
He said many Shoals residents are not aware of the club's shooting range and that it is open to the public on Saturdays.
For more details about the North Alabama Shooting Association or May 24 marksmanship competition, call 767-5407.
With gasoline prices soaring, the Sheffield range provides a welcome alternative to driving to distant shooting ranges to shoot .22 caliber rifles and pistols, Creasy said.
Club members are unsure how long they will be able to continue to use the range. The city-owned land where it is located could become part of a development that will include a golf course and subdivision.
Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.
THANKS TO AND COURTESY OF THE TIMES DAILY www.timesdaily.com
Willie Rhodes took aim at the big horn ram, slowly squeezed the trigger and sent the sheep tumbling to the ground.
Rhodes, of Sheffield, was not hunting with a high-powered rifle when be knocked down the ram. He was using a .22-caliber handgun.
He was not hunting in the Rocky Mountains or at a big game preserve. Rhodes shot the ram only a few blocks outside downtown Sheffield.
The ram Rhodes shot was not made of flesh and bone. It was made from steel and painted fluorescent green to make it easier to see.
Rhodes was participating in the monthly pistol and revolver competition at North Alabama Shooting Association on 20th Street, next door to Tennessee Valley Recycling.
"It's a lot of fun," Rhodes said of shooting at the small metal targets that resemble rams, pigs, turkeys and chickens. "Even when you start to get frustrated because you keep missing, it's still fun."
Another club member, Danny Creasy, of Florence, said fun is a factor in all of the organization's competitions.
"It's always safety first, fun second and then hitting what you are shooting at," he said.
In addition to the handgun competition held on the second Saturday of each month, the club has a 50-yard .22-calber rifle competition on the first Saturday, a bench rest .22 caliber rifle competition on the third Saturday and a civilian marksmanship sporter competition on the fourth Saturday. The monthly competitions, which begin at 9 a.m., are open to the public. There is no fee to participate in the monthly shoots.
On May 24, the club will hold it's first civilian marksmanship sporter competition sanctioned by the National Rifle Association.
The competition, which is open to the public, begins at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $10.
Club member Tony Gilmore, of Muscle Shoals, expects shooting sports enthusiasts from throughout north Alabama and surrounding states to attend.
The competitors will use .22-calber rifles.
Unlike the other competitions at the shooting range that use metal targets, competitors in the civilian marksmanship program shoot at paper targets.
Gilmore said the civilian marksmanship program is a true test of shooting skills. "You're not going to win just because you have highest priced or fanciest rifle. You have to be the best marksman that day in order to win."
Shooters compete in prone, sitting and standing positions. The targets are placed at 50 yards for the prone and sitting positions and 25 yards for standing. They shoot 20 rounds from each positions.
"It's a real test of marksmanship rather than the shooter's billfold," Creasy said. "You can spend a lot of money on a .22 sporter rifle, but it's not going to do you a lot of good at this competition."
Gilmore said many of the competitors in the civilian marksmanship program use rifles they purchased at department stores.
The rifles must be equipped with a scope and weigh no more than 7.5 pounds. The trigger pull has to be able to lift a 3-pound weight.
Creasy said the goal of the North Alabama Shooting Association is to promote shooting sports in the Shoals.
He said many Shoals residents are not aware of the club's shooting range and that it is open to the public on Saturdays.
For more details about the North Alabama Shooting Association or May 24 marksmanship competition, call 767-5407.
With gasoline prices soaring, the Sheffield range provides a welcome alternative to driving to distant shooting ranges to shoot .22 caliber rifles and pistols, Creasy said.
Club members are unsure how long they will be able to continue to use the range. The city-owned land where it is located could become part of a development that will include a golf course and subdivision.
Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.
THANKS TO AND COURTESY OF THE TIMES DAILY www.timesdaily.com
