Category: Suburban Mid-Range Prone League

On a damp, windy day ten (10) competitors came out for the first Suburban Mid-Range Prone League Match of 2025. When we started it was noted that rain was likely by 2:00 PM. Some fast shooters were able to stay dry; however, the final relay of stage 3 got some rain. Not a gully-washer, but enough that your clothes felt damp and your equipment had raindrops on it.

Oh, yeah, it was windy. Not a tornado, but windy. Trying to follow the flags was difficult. Moreover, they didn’t seem to be truthful. Mirage? Not on a day like today. Maybe some were able to see barrel mirage, but down range it just never got warm enough with cool winds and overcast.

Enough complaining…. We had six (6) F-Open shooters. The high competitor was Cruz Stoneburner with a 593-24X, followed by Nick Nadenoff with a 592-26X, and Seth Stoneburner with a 592-18X.

For F-TR there were four (4) competitors led by Richard Dixon with a 583-18X and Mike Boughner with a 581-21X.

For a twenty second external ballistics chat, I noted that Mike Ruhlman’s F-Open 284 Winchester had down range velocity with a 184 gr bullets just over 400 fps faster than my 185 gr bullets out of my 308 Winchester.  I didn’t realize the margin was so great….

2025 Suburban Mid-Range Prone League Match 1

The next Suburban Mid-Range Prone League Match will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025. Program is:  2025 Suburban Mid-Range Prone League 2

Please note: The Michigan Fullbore Rifle Prone Championship is scheduled for May 24, 2025. You can enter on-line at Michigan Rifle and Pistol Association – 2025 Michigan Fullbore Rifle Prone Championship. Program is:  2025 Michigan Fullbore Prone Championship 2

 

As I observed in my missive about the Suburban Mid-Range Prone Match 4 it would be the last match I’d wear shorts to this year. I was right. This morning it was a crisp 39 degrees F, with frost on the grass. It wasn’t quite to the point of calling it damn cold, but it felt like you needed gloves. Admittedly, you really didn’t need them, but they would have been nice. That notwithstanding it was calm, like really calm. The mirage moved a little, but not much. We had some really good scores as a result.

In F-Open, Marcel Bollinger fired a 600-38X. There was a crowd following him. Seth Stoneburner and Randy Budde posted 598 with 36X and 31X respectively. They were followed by Cruz Stoneburner and Ed Peter who posted a 597s with 40X and 36X respectively. Notable was Cruz first stage a 200-17X. It was calm.

In F-TR, Leo Cebula led the few with a 589-22X. He talked himself out of a 590 by firing a “9” on his last shot.

2024 SMRP Match 5

This was the last Suburban Mid-Range Prone Match of 2024. However, there are two remaining matches: 2024 Halloween BSA Charity Match on October 25, 2024 and the 2024 Annual Foul Weather on November 30, 2024. Additionally, there is always the prospect of a New Year’s Eve Match. Watch this spot for details.

Eight (8) intrepid competitors braved the rain and cool weather to shoot in the first Suburban Mid-Range Prone League match for 2024.

The weather started out as a light drizzle with almost no wind. We put our rain tents out. As such, we were damp, but not wet. There were several good scores in the first match, but no cleans. As the day progressed the conditions became more and more difficult.

The high F-Open was Seth Stoneburner with a 592-30, he was followed by Dave Strycharz with a 592-25, and Marcel Bollinger with a 590-22.

F-TR and Target Rifle had only one competitor each.

2024 SMRP Match 1

Next match will be June 15, 2024.  Program is:  2024 Suburban Mid-Range Prone League 2

On what many thought was going to be a rainy day, four (4) competitors fired the 2023 Halloween BSA Charity Match.  We put up our rain pop-ups, and ran four (4) targets in the air. It didn’t rain at all. It may have rained around us, but we didn’t even need the pop-ups. Just a gentle day to shoot.

With only four (4) shooters, we ran a single relay, and completed before 11:00 AM.  The results are below:

2023 Halloween BSA Charity Match

Solomon Diving contributed $300, MCSC provided $80 ($20/competitor), and another competitor kicked in another $20. So, the Venture Crew walked away with $400. Additionally, Pierce Engineering has committed to providing an additional $300 to the Venture Crew.

Bret Solomon handing contributions of $400 to the Venture Crew.

Next match will be the Annual Foul Weather Rifle match on November 25, 2023. Program is: 2023 Annual Foul Weather

On a really pleasant day we held the 2022 Halloween BSA Charity Match at the Midland County Sportsman’s Club.  We had ten (10) shooters.  With the help of donations from Solomon Diving and Pierce Engineering we were able to raise $700 for Venturing Crew 7772.

The winning F-Open Shooter was Nick Nadenoff with a 600-39X.  600s with Any Rifles or F-Class are rare occurrences.  Congratulations to Nick on fine performance. Second in F-Open was Mike Ruhlman with a 595-26X, third was Bret Solomon with a 594-26X.

In F-TR William Gravatt was winning shooter with a 582-21X, besting Leo Cebula with a 577-17X, and Jeremy Jahr with a 550-10X.

Roger Franklin was the sole Service Rifle Shooter, so he was high Any Rifle with a 577-13X

We had one new shooter Oliver Barnes, a Junior who fired a 539-3 in his first match.  We hope to see him back again.

Complete results:

2022 Halloween BSA Charity Match

The next match for 2022 will be the Annual Foul Weather Rifle Match on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. A great opportunity to get away from the in-laws or other relatives that are causing tension over the holidays.  Come home refreshed and ready for Christmas….

On a cool rainy Saturday in October, the Midland Sportsman’s Club conducted their annual Halloween BSA Charity match.  We have eleven (11) shooters who actually fired, and a few others who were almost rans, but chickened out with the rain.

Truthfully, we ended up not getting wet (unless you knelt in the wet grass), and had relatively calm conditions.  Conditions so calm that Bret Solomon fired an F-Open score of 600-53X, which equalled the F-Open record (which Bret holds) for a 3×600.  Needless to say, Bret was high F-Open.  He was chased by Dave Monette with a 599-46X.

A notable achievement was her first clean.  Marisa Tundo fired her first F-Open clean target on Saturday.

In the F-TR Category, Tom Fisher fired a 599-33X, second was Dale Lucy with a 596-29X.

For the sling shooters, we had three.  I know I shot a legal Palma Rifle, but wasn’t sure about the other two.  At any rate I was high with a 586-29X, followed by Mike Quillinan with a 585-24X.

2021 Suburban Mid-Range Prone Match 6

In terms of contributions to the Explorer Crew, we had contributions from Solomon Diving (Bret Solomon) and Pierce Engineering (John Pierce) as well as unsolicited contributions from Mike Ruhlman, and John Luitink.  Adding to that the MCSC contribution of $10/competitor the Crew left with $740.00.

Its that time of the year where we move indoors.  Look at the “Snow Country” matches (indoor F-Class and sling with .22RF Rifles), this year’s program:  2021-2022 Snow Country English Match Series.

The next match at Midland is tentatively scheduled for November 27, 2021 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving).  We will watch the weather closely that date and decide whether to run the match or not.  Program is:  2021 Annual Foul Weather.