"Bullet-In" club newsletter #288 for March 2016

FROM THE COMMITTEE: 

The next meeting of the new Committee will be at the range on Wednesday 30th March (last Wednesday of the month); all new members are encouraged to attend, & all members are welcome!  In case you haven't already, (as the sub's have not changed for this financial year), please visit your personal club profile, update any details & pay your subs in order to be financial. Our new Treasurer, Pam Fourie, will be happy to clarify any queries you may have.

Trails' End Cowboy shoot will be happening at the range all of this coming weekend (Mar 18-20), with all ranges in use.  All members are welcome to come help, watch & encourage! 

PRESIDENT'S NOTES

Member Open Day: 48 members turned up for our inaugural member's open day Sunday 31^st January. The cross section from all disciplines created a great atmosphere, lots of laughs, plenty of tall tales and supposedly true, bull-shit and banter, eye-opening displays and many shooting experiences to be enjoyed by all. It was great to see Ron, Chris and Gillivray on the day.

We had everything from pea shooters to shoulder thumpers, black powder, lever, semi auto, revolvers, muzzle loaders, pump guns, cap and ball, flintlock and a compressed air driven 'spud' canon......wow!

Many positive comments from “I have been a member of this club for bloody donkey's years and had no idea that so many types of shooting went on here, this is great”, “Shit that was fun, I want one”, to “When are we doing it again?”

Thanks to all who attended, those who did the demos, showed members how to do it, and participated in the different shooting available, and a huge thanks to Janet who prepared, cooked and served a great BBQ lunch, then left the kitchen spotless.

So all in all a successful club day and the interest and enthusiasm was such, we have suggestions and offers for the next 'one', so........ watch this space.  Personal expenses: this was a club funded event so if you incurred a personal cost for ammo please advise so we will arrange a refund.

Eddie is working on a video of some of the highlights, a link to which will be posted here in due course.

Range keys: newer members may not be aware the club went to considerable expense to upgrade our security three years or so ago with new locks and a very good key system. Those (apart from the committee and section directors) will have paid a bond which is refundable once that key is returned. The keys are numbered and recorded in a register next to the members name at time of issue. You are accountable for your key and reminded that one of the conditions of issue is that you do not loan your key to allow anyone access to our facilities.

Trail's End 2016: Wild Ben reports preparation is coming along well with a few participants signed up. Help for this event would be much appreciated. Preparation/set-up at the ranges will be Thursday 17^th March. Contact Wild Ben on 027 2751863 or wildbenhickok@gmail.com

“B” category requirements:

A heads up to “B” endorsed members was put out in the last Bullet-In regarding your obligations to retain your pistol endorsement. Thanks to those who forwarded comment.

As a Police Certified and PNZ Gazetted club we have an obligation to ensure our “B” cat members achieve a minimum of twelve club sanctioned events. A review is in progress and the discussion at the February meeting has the committee all pretty much on the same page with a few finer points to work through.

We have a few months until the next Pistol NZ year starts 1st July 2016 and a draft of conditions will be put out in the near future for member scrutiny. Once finalised the conditions will be publicised via the club web site and Bullet-In.

Included with the usual scheduled discipline events will be club training days and monthly Wednesday competitions (if demand requires). If you consider there is no shoot that fulfills your interests then please consider organising an event and advise the committee of who and how it will be run. If acceptable it will be entered in the range schedule. A qualified RO will be required to run the event if it qualifies as a club sanctioned shoot/match/practice day/ plinker's day or whatever.  Be advised however, that we can not push the envelope any further with regards to obtaining more range days.

In the meantime, views, ideas, feedback are welcome so please contact either myself, the secretary or talk to your section director at your earliest convenience.

The club is in no way attempting to hinder current shooting practices or restrict members from having a casual practice or 'plink', but rather to clarify the requirements and what qualifies as a club sanctioned event, and record attendances accordingly.

PNZ training manuals: hard copies of the General Coaching Skills Manual were recently ordered and are available. FYI, manuals for all disciplines are available on-line at: http://www.pistolnz.org.nz/training.aspx

The WPSSC: in order to function efficiently it is inevitable and essential that the club evolves with the times. The Wild Apricot web site (http://www.wpssc.org.nz or http://wpssc.wildapricot.org) is seeing more activity as members become familiar with this effective means of checking range schedules, club events, away events, communication, Bullet-In, paying subs, entering competitions etc.

The new building on range 3 has eliminated the need to hire marquees (and the associated costs), provided an all weather shooting range and an inside area large enough for functions etc. The new toilet block is nearing completion and will soon be kitted out with efficient and hygienic fittings such as toilet paper/ paper towel and soap dispensers. Bill, our project manager, has secured a favourable deal from a local company who is supplying the fittings free of cost and the consumables at a very good rate. The club will no longer have to hire port-a-loos.

Soon you will see paper cups provided at the refreshment station and the recently purchased cold drink dispenser is located in the range 3 building ($2 per can).

While some costs relating to these improvements and changes may be viewed as unnecessary, it is creating a more user friendly environment while reducing logistics and making the club far easier to manage and function effectively. Feedback and ideas on/for improvements are always welcome.

Facilities Update: some will have noticed that the terraces at the back of ranges 1 & 2 have been removed, creating far safer ranges and more usable space, thanks to the efforts of Andrew and Jason. In the meantime Gerry V, Derek M and Roger L fitted partition walls and doors in the new loos bringing the amenities block one step closer to completion.

IPSC Nationals:

WPSSC will be hosting the 3 Gun National Championship at the Gladstone Range, from 28 - 30 April 2016 starting at 8:00 with Briefing, for 8.30 start.  The entry form is here & the committee would appreciate any help members may be able to offer to Phil Dunlop & his crew would be appreciated.

Wasp infestation: So far I have destroyed 9 'paper wasp nests' on, in and around club buildings.  Anyone noticing a nest or wasp activity please advise me (Gary) of the location, day etc. and I will 'search and destroy'.

Warm Barrels.

Gary

OTHER NOTES

Holster Course: please contact either Phil Dunlop or the secretary if you are interested in attending a holster course for any discipline or feel the need to refresh your skills. A date and time will be publicised as available.

Reloading: We have a wealth of experience within our club and on talking to members, there are many keen to learn more or start reloading. Good advice can save money in the long run when it comes to purchasing reloading tools, components, etc. Please indicate your interest to the secretary or Gary Rawlinson so we can put together an evening workshop/demo/discussion and display of reloading gear. 

Leaving the Range: when last leaving the range ensure all fence rails on ranges 1 & 2 are in place, lock/close all doors and gates and electric wires. There is a check-list on the outside wall beside the main door.  Don't assume all is secure. It doesn't take much time, thought or effort to do a final check prior to leaving.

BUY, SELL, SWAP

Send any photos and descriptions for Bullet-In either via  email or post to
The Secretary, WPSSC, P. O. Box 175 Carterton 5743.

The Club version is on the WPSSC Trading Post  page. 

Pistol NZ also have an on-line Buy Sell Swap system operating on their website; click their 'Trading Post' button for instructions and items. Section Activities 

The Range schedule and Section Directors info' is published on the website. 

• Speed Steel – Neville ;results: TBA
  

• Service Pistol & Rifle – Colin

• IPSC – Phil Dunlop (new email: phd121@hotmail.com) 

• Clay Target Results - (Brigitte); check the Shotgunners page
  

• Cowboy Action Shootin' – Eddie Henrard; Results:TBA
• Ammunition Sales (you are required to produce your firearms license) 

• Roger Castle (06 306 9453) for 20 and 12 gauge shot gun ammo
  
• Janet Anderson (06 379 6556) has .22, 9mm, .223 and 12 gauge

Janet also has chamber flags – remember, the club requires you to have and to use them.

Range Schedule

For details and changes, check the range schedule from the website ; copying it has problems in that things change, and when the schedule is printed, members end up with out of date info.

So, the basic range schedule is as detailed below.  You don't even have to log on to see it!!! 

(Basic) RANGE SCHEDULE:

First Saturday	Simulated Game Bird  IPSC
First Sunday	Can be Multigun, Service Rifle or other (e.g. Jungle lane shotgun or .22 rifle)
Second Sunday	CAS ISSF (Service Pistol)
Third Saturday	Simulated Game Bird
Third Sunday	3-Gun
Fourth Sunday	Speed Steel