President's Newsletter

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Spring is starting to break and things are heating up at both the Vale Rifle and Pistol Range and the Ontario Shotgun complex. As a reminder, before heading out to the ranges, make sure to check the calendar on the website.

Josh is holding his first NSCA sanctioned match on the 29th of March with plans for one sanctioned match every month going forward. We're finally getting the card reader system from EZ Pull up and running—should be live for testing by April 1st to iron out the bugs. As mentioned in previous newsletters we are working to have the sporting clays range open to members 7 days a week later this spring. This will require members who want to use the range to agree to a memorandum that will be on the website soon. I will keep you updated on our progress.

Jim held his first Practical Pistol match on March 22nd, with over 20 shooters. He has really increased participation for this discipline. The shooters I have spoken with say Jim does a bang-up job. If you are interested in participating shoot Jim an email his address can be found on the website.

I hosted my first .22 Benchrest match on the newly remodeled range. The Vale Range has finally dried out enough to get to the targets. We had six shooters with lots of room for more. It is a fun, easy match if the wind isn’t howling—which, let’s be honest here, is pretty rare. It really teaches you to read the wind flags with one eye while you take the shot with the other. Bring your .22 rimfire rifle (any sight is good, just make sure you’ve got a scope). Bipods are welcome. Come out and give it a shot!

Kerry ran his centerfire short range Benchrest match on the 8th of March and had his group of dedicated attendees, some of which travel from Riggins every month. I dropped by this match as a spectator and now I’ve got to give it a try! He had 10 shooters in total.

Dave Brown hosted his first High Power Rifle match on March 15th. The weather was a bit muddy, and I couldn’t get an exact head count, but he mentioned the berms were so soggy he had to cancel the Sunday match.

A huge thank you to all the discipline directors for their dedication and time. A lot of time and effort goes into these matches. I hope we can attract more members to give these matches a try. Personally speaking, I’ve met some of my lifelong friends through these events. Shooters are great people.

Heads up- there is a big Black Powder Cartridge Match coming up, that draws shooters from all over the West. This event will be from April 22rd thru April 27th. The high-power range will be closed for this match. This would be a great opportunity for you to come out and watch some Buffalo Rifles in action. There are some beautiful single shot rifles on the line with lots of smoke to enjoy!

Stay strong and healthy,

Bob Smith

Snake River Sportsmen

Past Issues

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025