The Rise and Fall... and Rise of IHMSA

[KickBass]

Having lost two Region 8 and IHMSA icons and mentors this past winter in Jim Tolbert (Cheyenne, WY) and Harry Jones (Fort Collins, CO), this summer I was determined to go on a journey of soul searching and reflection in honor of their memory and influence.
It started in May in Cheyenne, WY with the naming of the “James Tolbert Sr. Silhouette range. Though this was just a regular match, there were people from Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Canada in attendance to honor Jim. Jim’s wife Betty has continued to be at every match, including going to the Internationals, which is fitting because she has always been an integral part of Region 8.
At the end of May I loaded up the car with a tent and a bunch of guns and drove from Colorado and headed to the Oklahoma state shoot. This is the 3rd straight year I have gone there. Jim Fields has a heck of a range and does an incredible job running a match. People out there are very outgoing, and we feel a part of the fraternity and will continue going there in future years. From there, it was off to Memphis, TN, not for shooting but to go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for their big annual fundraiser. What an inspiring experience that was! The tour of the facility was fascinating, but what hit home was the generosity of people. We often hear all the “bad” stories of the rich and famous, but here there were so many people contributing. Pro golfers such as Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, and Davis Love III, country music stars such as John Rich, Wynonna Judd, Big & Rich—youtube “Shutting Detroit Down” if you want to hear a great song about the bailout from John Rich. Entertainers like Justin Timberlake and Larry the Cable Guy. Business leaders like Eric Trump. It was an event where every time I turned around, I caught myself saying, “Damn, is that who I think it is?” The amount of money and the awareness all of these folks created for the kids was incredible.
So a few days at home, then off to the Idaho state shoot and the West Coast Championship. The lava bed in Idaho is great, and I got to learn some IHMSA and Elgin Gates history from his son Randy. Dell Taylor loaned me the use of his Freedom Arms (which he did again at the Intl’s), and I actually beat him by one shot. Thanks Dell! Go to a bench rest shoot or about any other competition these days and see if there is that kind of selfless generosity out there… I’m guessing not. Lorene Thompson was there to greet me with a warm hug though I only see her once a year. Then off to Grant’s Pass for the WCC. What a trip! The moment I pulled up, Steve Ware must have seen the Colorado plates, because he knew exactly who I was though we had never met. Camping on the range, food every night. Brett brewed exceptional beer which we all sat around every night enjoying. Joe & Tina Cullison provided a steak and egg breakfast for everyone. A gunsmith was on site the whole time (and kept very busy). Joe Cullison and I ironically tied in both Big Bore standing events, so that was a shoot off to remember—he beat me by one shot in each for the championships. Then there was Richard and Patti Slaton from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. What a hit they were! The first day Richard was decked out in his University of Alabama hat and shirt (okay, he was wearing Alabama attire every day!), and I had my Colorado State University stuff on, and we just hit it off. To make a long story short, my wife and I will be traveling down there to Alabama in a month to celebrate our September birthdays with Richard & Patti while we take in the Alabama/Colorado State football game (CSU’s coach was Alabama’s offensive coordinator for 2 of their national titles). Richard & Patti said if we find a way down there, the rest is taken care of, so we’re definitely looking forward to watching CSU crush the Crimson Tide’s dream of winning 3 straight national titles!
After that it was off to the South Dakota state shoot in the Black Hills. For anyone looking for a great place that they have never shot before, Pringle is it! It is a private range that looks like a golf course, the owner Dick Pattison is about the most personable and outgoing guy you’ll ever meet. RV sites and camping is available at the range, or hotels in Custer are 10 miles away. The state shoot had over 200 entries, lots of great shooters. The Nebraskans bring flat iron steaks, nobody ever goes hungry or thirsty. This is our favorite family trip because there is so much to do for the wife and daughter that is close. This would be a great trip for anybody, no matter what their interests.
Then off to Ft. Stockton. It is always so fun to talk to the shooters from other countries and listen to how things are politically so different—and it makes you appreciate the efforts they go to just to be a shooter. Tina Cullison always offered (and frequently did) to spot for me when Joe wasn’t shooting, just as she did at the WCC. I really hope she starts shooting next year because she is a very talented person. The Chamber of Commerce did a social for IHMSA one night with lots of free food and beer/wine that was very well attended. Miss Fort Stockton was there, what a cute and engaging girl she was. The region directors and board members showed their dedication in making a great event. Betty Tolbert and her daughter from the Missouri Ozarks ran the office every day. The “Bad Monkeys” invited me, an outsider, to dinner and Jerry Ray picked up the bill for everybody.
It was the greatest summer of shooting I’ve ever had, and in writing and reflecting on this two month period, I’ve never mentioned a word about my shooting. And that is what makes IHMSA great. The people in this organization are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And this is why IHMSA is going to be back on the rise.
So in reflecting on this personal shooting odyssey, the one thing I notice is that I never mentioned my shooting. I’ve found that the shooting isn’t the key to this wonderful sport. It is the focus, but not the end result. It’s the people.
Will IHMSA ever reach the heights of the 1980’s? Maybe not. But it will come back and become a more viable sport. I don’t have the financial means to do what I did this summer every year. But anybody who went to just one of the events I attended this summer would be inclined to go back. Sometimes on the internet forum, there seems to be some negative folks, but I’ve never met anyone of that sort in person at these shoots. I guess it is easy for small people to spout big talk on an Internet forum when they know somebody isn’t right there to punch them in the face. I hope prospective shooters don’t surf the net and get turned off by those few negative posts, because that isn’t how it is at the matches. Joe Cullison is probably about as good as anyone in the world at handgun shooting, yet he takes the time to help a relatively new member such as me both mechanically and motivationally since we met a couple of years ago. Every place I have travelled, I have never felt like a stranger. Aside from Ft. Stockton, every range I went to is also a great tourist destination point. Next year the Internationals will be back in OKC, which had 700 entries last year as compared to this year being under 400. OKC is centrally located, has an international airport, lots of stuff to do, and is one of the greatest ranges I’ve seen. Hopefully this will make it easier from some of the folks in the eastern part of the country to attend. Jim Fields has added wooden barriers at his range to prevent interference from the muzzle blast from the flop guns that they use there. Everything is on auto-reset. He has it so well organized that region directors can actually shoot and not have to give up a day of shooting to run the line. With them running 700 guns last year, I would think next year they would be over 800 just because anyone that went there would be inclined to shoot there again, and hopefully a few others will have heard about it and go for the first time.
Some seem to think there is a nail in the coffin of IHMSA. There isn’t. Membership is ticking back up, and we have a great opportunity right now to enhance that. The current political climate has brought an emphasis back to the shooting sports, and there are new shooters out there—we just have to make sure and do our part to let them know that IHMSA is out there and what we have to offer. There is something in this sport for everybody. One thing that Colorado has done that is good is with Bordello. They have started using Big Bore swinger targets at field pistol ranges. About everybody out there that is newer to shooting has a gun that would qualify for Bordello—go to any gun shop, that is where their sales are. The larger targets are a great way to introduce a new shooter. Certainly beats shooting a single digit score as I did the first time I shot Bordello! Practical Hunter is another great way to get new shooters involved. Unfortunately, I don’t think this was promoted very well when it was introduced, but it is now an official category. A shooter can use sandbags or a bipod until they get past the AA class. This is a fantastic way for a new shooter to get comfortable behind a gun and become familiar with the rules and procedures of a match, and still hit some targets. My wife would have never started shooting if this category wasn’t in place. And this is a great training ground for hunters. Bow hunters like the challenge of the self-imposed limitations that shooting a bow creates, and handgun hunting also provides that. On top of that, the intricacies of handgun shooting makes you a better rifle shooter, so for somebody that just wants to be a better shooter, pistol shooting certainly provides that.
So is IHMSA going away? Nope. There are too many dedicated and hard working volunteers out there to allow that to happen. Maybe in some locations that is the case, but not overall. We have a window right now to bring in new shooters as well as bring back some former shooters, the 2nd amendment is back to the forefront, we just have to let them know we’re here and what we’re about. There will be a resurgence.
Frequently when I pull up to a shoot, I play a song which has the following lines--To a rocket I’ve been tied, and I’m ready for a screaming ride, it’s full of fuel and I just lit the fuse… I’m a raging burning ring of fire and I get hotter as I get higher, and I’m tearing a hole right through this sky of blue… I so much appreciate all of the people at various places I’ve traveled. I’ve only done this for 6 years but it has become an important part of my life, the friendships are tremendous, and this is definitely something I think a lot of others would want to be part of it once they experienced. So the fall of IHMSA? Not happening folks. Thanks to all of the match directors and people that fix broken targets. And thanks Jim Tolbert. Thank you Harry Jones.

Shoot well and be safe everybody,
Joe

[wheelgun7360]

well spoken joe and i hope to see you again in oklahoma. maybe troy can make it also. allen

[19 Turkeys]

And we look forward to having you back at the WCC again!

Steve W.

[ole95]

Thank you Joe for "Caring"
I think this should be in the IHMSA news paper
The Friends you win or lose are way more important the Trophies you win or lose

[high standard 40]

The Friends you win or lose are way more important than the Trophies you win or lose

Amen brother.

[260 Striker]

If Joe and Richard are examples of new IHMSA shooters then we have a bright future in store for IHMSA. I think Joe and Richard can count themselves as part of the great people Joe has met in our sport. I have never participated in any sport like IHMSA where people are so friendly and will loan you guns and ammo then help you beat their own scores. Keep on shooting and enjoy the people and the sport.

[KickBass]

And we look forward to having you back at the WCC again!

Steve W.

and I guarantee we'll be there!