Missouri Fall classic

[hopalong]

First let me start with this:

IF you like shooting lots of bullets in one day you NEED to make THIS match.

We shot 10 stages and 278+ rounds and were done by 4:00 (first shot 8:45 or so)

and did not feel rushed or anything at all.

If you feel you need to get some practice in reading stages for the best way to shoot them you NEED to make THIS match, I can honestly say that on 5 of the 10 stages in the match there were at least 3 ways to shoot them and run the same kind of times.( for a Revolver )

I had the pleasure of shooting with a fellow from Arkansas named Jay Christensen (not a Native Arkansan as he is quite European but I never did ask exactly where he was from).

Jay had got into some bad food the evening before and had been sick all night and half the day but still shot like a man on Fire. He was shooting a 625 but was shooting Minor and doing a very good job of it.

I shot the "Shootin Iron" 625 and shot Major and that I think was the deciding factor between Jay and I as we both shot about the same stage speeds sometime I would have the faster time and the next stage he would but the Major scoring pulled my stage points just a little higher generally.

Mike Carmoney and his son Sam shot on a different squad than Jay and I which was too bad as I sure wanted to shoot with them. Sam made an Impression on the whole match as he is only 11 years old and (as I am told ) runs that wheel gun very good, with just more time he will be a force to recon with.

Larry Treen a Missouri native and from what others at the match told me a good wheel gun shooter too made the trip down and took home the Missouri Revolver Championship, that is 2 years in a row for Larry so some of you Missouri Section revolver shooters need to make him work harder next year.

This was the first time for me to meet Jay, Mike, Sam and Larry and they all were first class guys and would shoot with any of them any where.

The stages of the match were at first glance Not revolver friendly at all, most arrays had 8 shots and it looked like a "Standing reload from Hell match" but after the inital shock of 8 per array and then you start really looking the stage over there was other options, you just had to look for them.

there was wide open shots, tight shots with N/S and lots of Hard Cover and some steel mixed in just to make it interesting, oh yeah one of them there Texas Stars too. (but not like Area-3) and some long shots if you chose to shoot them and forget them or you could work them into the stage for late in the stage and shoot them close but then they would be behind a N/S or only partly exposed ect.

The Range Officers were top Notch, I could compare them with the staff from this years Nationals as they were very competant, fair, courtious, and the US vs. Them attitude was no where to be found on that range all weekend.

Results are up on the USPSA website go to the Members Area, click on major match results and then MO fall classic.

I very much recomend this match to not just revolver shooters but any who might think about going, I do not know where there is a match like this as well run as this one was.

Hopalong / Sam Keen

[Shooter Grrl]

Sam - YOU WON Good job!!!!

[Carmoney]

I agree heartily with Hopalong's commentary about the Rolla Fall Classic. I don't have as much experience to make comparisons, since this was my first "big" IPSC match. It sure was a fun shoot, though! I'm grateful to Doc and Esther Stock for suggesting that my son and I attend the match--it was definitely worth the trip.

By the way, folks, along with being a pleasant guy to be around, Hopalong is a very skilled wheelgunner. I've shot at least one match against all the other revolver guys at this shoot sometime/somewhere in the past, and they'll all very good--but Sam Keen beat us all without too much trouble! (I have a couple ideas for next year, though......)

[lynn jones]

good job sam!

i was wondering where you were this weekend.

and stan shooting limited...humm

lynn

[spook]

Good job Sam! Sound like a very cool match.

[hopalong]

Thanks, SG, Carmoney, Lynn and Spook

I wrote this thread to try and get more folks to a very good match next year, I know it is a late in the year match and some folks are starting to wind down their shooting getting ready for deer season ect. but this is a match worth going to if at all possible.

Carmoney, if you are already plotting.... I will make sure I get my entry in early and request squadding with you and "Young Sam" just so I can keep my eyes on you. and thanks for the Kind words.

By the way Carmoney shot 84 % and won 1 stage so even though he says it was his "First Major" he is going to be in the hunt where ever he goes.

Good Shooting Mike, and "Young Sam"

Hopalong