Rudolf "Rudy" Waldinger

[R112mercer]

Per his brother's post on Facebook longtime revolver competitor, firearm's instructor, cowboy, and all around gentleman Rudolf Waldinger passed away earlier today.  I had the honor and pleasure of shooting with Rudy in the early 2000's.  He was a kind, humble, and polite shooter who could really burn a stage down.  Rudy lived the American dream, immigrating from Austria to the US to fulfill his dream of living in the Southwest.  Rudy was a veteran of the Austrian military and was very highly trained in weapons and tactics.  Upon arrival in the US Rudy initially worked as a Foreign National in service of the US State Dept. and later went on to found and run his own training corporation.  Till Valhalla Rudy, we'll shoot together some day...

[TNK]

I attended Rudy's funeral last February.  His death is a great loss for those of us in Northern Nevada who are serious about learning to be better marksmen.  Rudy is missed!

[rockblaster]

So sorry to hear of Rudy's passing. He was a hell of a shot and a fabulous instructor. I had the privilege to take a couple of his 3 day classes at the Sun Mountain Gun Club in Coarsegold Ca. Rudy was a true gentleman and will be missed much by the entire shooting community. 

[Whaledriver]

Rudy will be missed.  Sorely missed.

 

A veteran with considerable firearms training, I met him during a pistol training course at Front Sight, and could immediately see that Rudy was by far a superlative instructor, an order of magnitude above others.  He mentioned to me that he might be starting his own school in California — and when he opened it, my wife and I took several pistol classes from him at Sun Mountain Gun Club in Coarsegold, even spent several weekdays in private instruction with him.  Not only was he an excellent instructor, he inspired confidence and excellence in those who worked with him and in each student.

 

The most sincere “thank you” I could offer him was to recommend him to others, and introduced many to him in Coarsegold and his school in Fernley.

 

He confided in me several months before his death that his stomach was bothering him.  In my third year at his Nevada school, I last saw him in one of many pistol and rifles courses I’d completed with him.  I was scheduled for three new classes in 2018 when I noted my calls and emails weren’t being returned.  It wasn’t until I did some checking with others who knew him that I learned the shocking news.

 

Not only did I lose an excellent mentor and coach, I lost a good friend — a loss felt acutely by those I introduced to him as well.  A teacher like him comes around all too seldom in life.  He will be missed.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Whaledriver

[Nevadazielmeister]

I was away from Brian Enos when he passed, so I never saw this post. I also shot with him for almost a year on his property. He was gracious enough to allow us to practice on Thursday nights with a ton (literally) of steel. He was so kind. I even got to speak a little German with him, even though he was from Osterreich. I continue to miss him to this day. A great man.