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Well I said I would arrive with a smile on my face and leave with a smile on my face.
And I did just that although the leave smile had a little sadness to it. Hard to leave when you’re having so much fun and yes I did lose some of that smile after shooting BB standing but It was pretty much there for the whole trip!. I got to the range just after lunch Wednesday and was greeted by a smiling, hugging hand shaking Jim Kesser telling me of all people how much he had look forward to not only meeting me but to sharing the firing line with me. And then he put me to work hanging banners and other chores.
I did have a little free time to kinda learn the range locating the fire position before I took to the line the next morning. Then I headed back to the hotel to meet my wife for supper afterwards a quick dip in the pool and I’m ready for bed.
Thursday and the start of the ECC @ Tusco. I had been hearing how great this place was and I was in no way disappointed. The BB targets chick, pigs and Turkeys slightly down hill and Rams slightly up hill with berms that made the targets jump out at you. The SB and FP targets somewhat close to the same.
The only problem I had with targets and it was minor was on the 1/5 scale pigs it looked like the rail covered the legs and I could not see any day light under the belly. My 1/5 scores were about as good as I have ever shot so no complaining here. This is truly one of if not the nicest range I have ever shot at the members of Tusco should be proud. I had planned on shooting 7 guns over the 3 and half days I ended up shooting 10. Some of my scores for me were below average and some were above so I guess you could say I shot average for me which me being just an average shooter I guess I had a average match score wise. But this match was not about my scores or even shooting for the most part. It was about the people, people that I have meet on the IHMSA forum but never meet face to face and some that I have meet at other shoots but only once. Along with Richard, Dave and Randy that I shoot with in Ga. The Coleman’s from Texas I knew from the INT last year along with the Bakken’s from Canada
But my wife and I got to spend a little more time with them at the ECC both family’s a joy to be around.
Also got to visit with Rich Hawkins and his wife that we meet in Jackson a few years ago, and Mike Grave that I shot with at his range in Va. Mike even spotted for me a couple guns.
Then they were the new to me faces. And Let me say right here them ”dam Yankee” are pretty nice folks. Right from the start they showered me with gifts (ok so everything they gave me has something to do with Ohio State Buckeyes and the sugar bowl).I can not a say enough good things about Jim Kesser.
From the time I got there until I left he made sure I was having a good time (ok ok he made sure everyone was having a goodtime). He rotated calling the line, help the with the target painters, tallying the scores and even got to shoot some pretty good score’s. Jim and the staff of TUSCO put in a lot of hr. putting on the Match. All I can say is thanks for a job well done.
I also got to spend time with Reg.III director Brian Gildea and his family. Not only did Brian make me feel at home but spotted a couple guns for me as well, that was worth the price of admission in itself. Brian’s lovely daughter Olivia aka “Wendy” is becoming a pretty good shot she even beat old dad.
Pete Durrant another Canadian brought the whole clan. His Daughter Lorena was the SB UAS champion (among other things) and her son’s was the target painters. So it’s a family thing with them. I really enjoyed talking and watching Pete shoot He’s class act to say the least. Then there’s the Edney brother from pa. Dave and Doug are the future of IHMSA and let me give you fair warning standing shooter’s these guy’s will eat your lunch. Their coming on with the program! I meet a lot of great people @ the ECC and what was amazing all these people and only once did I see someone wear a frown and it was short lived. Special thanks to Katie, Greg and Jeff and all that stepped up and spotted for me.
When I got home I was asked if I won. I said yes I won about 50 new friends and most are Yankee’s
Oh did I tell you I meet Craig Eagle aka “Tonedaddy” Let me just say Tonedaddy is just a big old teddy bear and leave it at that. And yes this was a bucket list thing I now can check off what some conceder the big 3 I’ve now shot @ the WCC,INT and now the ECC and can add another state I’ve shot in.
If you missed this match you missed a treat if you were there Thanks for showing me and my wife a great time.
Roll Tide
Richard Slaton

Thanks for the report Richard. It's always a kick reading your posts. Wish I could have been there to share the good times but I just could not make it.

I thought that I had it bad before, but I am addicted to silhouettes now.
July 18, smallbore practice rounds at an NRA silhouette range in Coraopolis, PA.
July 19, woods walk.
July 25, 1st trip to Bellefontaine. Thank you Steve, Bruce, and Harold.
July 30-Aug. 2nd, ECC at Tusco. My 1st big match and the experience was amazing. The support from everyone was overwhelming. I loved the stories at the banquet. Thank you Larry McClintock, Bill Urbank, Mark Urbank, Jim Kesser, Dave Calloway, Mark Basham and I'm sure I forgot someone for making Tusco an incredible place to shoot. Thank you Carol Urbank for the laughs at dinner. Thank you Greg "35isit" for the free entertainment. It was great to meet some of the pioneers of the sport. Like wise, it was nice to meet the fellow 5xxxx IHMSA members like you Richard. Hope to shoot with you at least once a year. I had some great conversations at the ECC. Bruce Smith and Steve Powell had a great way to get younger shooters involved. Thank you for the iced down Budweisers at the motel. Thank you Dave Chaney for the hornet barrel and brass. Thanks to my shooting partner, spotter, and brother for trying to keep me focused when the targets aren't falling.
August 8, NRA silhouette shoot at Black Ash Sportsmen.
August 15, NRA silhouette in Coraopolis? Probably
The year is winding down and I just took an inventory of my Eley Target. 1 more brick and that will be an entire case shot in about 15 months. I've shot, drove, loaded, and spent more than I ever have and I want to do more. I need to start getting a load worked up for my Encore 454 Casull that will be used for the mastodon at Tres Banditos in October at Tusco.
Lastly, Tusco is a great place with even better people and I'm glad to call it my home silhouette range. Tusco is also the biggest enabler of my addiction.

Well looks only 2 of us had a good time @ the ECC
Or maybe it's like someone here's famous words
"Who cares"

Had a great time as did the whole family, one of the best run matches I have ever attended.
It was great meeting old friends (a couple I had not seen for about 15 years!) and making new ones.
One highlight of the match was meeting ole95 and chatting with him, wish we had more time!

Brian and I were two really proud Dad's too!! Olivia and Lorena did us proud!!

Thanks for taking the task on Jim and thanks to all your helpers.

I also had a great time. Spotting, shooting and meeting people I have only known as an internet handle.

The match was very well organized but I had my mistakes.

I didn't realize shooting times and positions were already on my score cards. I grabbed the wrong card a tried taking someone elses position.

The score cards were 80 round cards with the last 5 of each animal greyed out. I was too dumb to notice the grey so I was shooting field pistol and my 1st bank of pigs I scored in the grey section of chickens. I needed an alibi shot on the 3rd bank of pigs but looking at my score card I thought I had another bank to go as bank 3 line was still open. My brother went to tell Jim I needed another target but I stopped him thinking I had another bank and just before shooters were given the order to move, I realized my screw up and we were able to yell down the line to get the alibi target. By this time it was no surprise that everyone was looking at me. Somehow I was able to hit the alibi shot. Dave Calloway happened to show up as ready was called and I told him of my score card error. He said ya thats only a problem if you need an alibi. I said well thats the case right now. I don't think he knew I was the alibi shooter. After I shot he told me I could have shot the sighter target, again that was a duh moment for me.

This was the 1st big match I have shot. For shooting it helped me imensely. Having 3 banks of each target really helped me with sight settings and holds. Monthly matches being 10 shots at each animal I am usually shooting around the targets on the 1st bank and by number 5 I know where I am. second bank of animals are much better so with a 60 round match I have 2nd and 3rd bank of animal to get a chance for hits.

Big bore S & Small bore US scores were legs for me into AAA. Big bore US & Field pistol PAS were both coverted high scores for me.

Shooting accomplishments were nice but the best parts of the match was seeing how well the tusco staff worked together although that was not a surprise since I have seen the same dedication at monthly matches. I got to meet shooters from Canada to Austrailia. Everyone I met was great to talk to and shoot beside.

Dinner with Tonedaddy was even good too.

tonedaddy wrote:I had a blast!! Just not much to say except Ole95 is a hoot, love seeing the guys from the south again and meeting all the new people I did not know. But the best time was the food coma I was in after Jeff and I went to Texas Roadhouse with the Edney brothers! Wish Tusco would do it every year but I don't see than happening. I will go to it again if Lawrenceburg has it as long as it is not in April like last year, listening Greg???

I had a blast also. I also ate too much. I really enjoyed meeting the Edney brothers, Ole95 and the rest, Enjoyed seeing those I hadn't seen in a while also.

I was under the impression it was a two year commitment Craig. I'm not the one you have to convince anyways. The match director David Bemis is the guy to talk to. I would have next week if I could. You have to understand there are only two of us club members at Lawrenceburg keeping IHMSA afloat there. We have our regulars who help out, but they aren't club members. And yes we would have it in the summer!

My daughter and I had a great time. The shooting, the meeting of new people and of course - eating. My shooting was ok in some areas and could have been better in others. Really liked going out to dinner at the Dennison Yard with those that went with us. I appreciate how everyone made my daughter feel at home. I hope that she will go with me next year whether it be at Tusco or at Lawrenceburg, or even if it is somewhere else.


Mike