The LSC’s first Ruger 10/22 Fun Shoot took place on Oct. 22, 2016 (10/22 – get it?), despite the day being rainy and dreary. Twelve 10/22 enthusiasts braved the weather for a fun day of .22 plinking and challenges.
The fun shoot was divided into four stages, in an effort to cater to 10/22s set up to shoot with iron sights, red dots, or scopes. The first stage was the Bottle Shoot. Shooters had 15 seconds and three 10-round magazines (although the time limit made reloads challenging) to knock five bottles off the target stand. Most shooter managed to connect with a majority of the bottles, and this stage opened the event with some energy.
Stage 2 catered to scoped rifles. Shooters faced a target with five bullseyes, and took their time to put one shot on each target. 9- and 10-ring shots scored two points, and other shots in the black scored one point, so slow and steady precision, and zeroed rifle, and good trigger control was required.
Stage 3 favored red dots, and two shooters at a time went head-to-head on the dueling tree. Shooters had 30 seconds and three 10-round magazines to battle back and forth, and when the buzzer went off, shooters earned points for each paddle that ended up on their opponent’s side. Every match up was fairly even, with paddles swinging back and forth as the .22 rounds pinged off them, but wherever the paddles were when the buzzer went off told the story.
The final stage proved to be the most challenging by far. This one all required either a scope or excellent eyesight, as the targets were jawbreaker candies sitting atop golf tees. Each shooter took ten shots at five of the candy targets, with most shooters managing to hit two or three. Each hit was exciting though, as the colorful candy exploded into a cloud of dust to cheers from the crowd.
After the final scores were tallied, Herb Cline came out on top, followed closely by Pattie Brick, and then a three-way tie for third place: Ray Anaganes, Jeff Gealow, and Kevin Kelley Sr. Top prizes included a BMF Actuator, 10/22 padded cleaning mat, Ruger gun sock, and Ruger eye and ear protection set. And thanks to donated prizes from Ruger, everyone went home with a Ruger hat, visor, or cup.
Special thanks to everyone who helped make this event possible, by donating prizes, targets, or serving as range officers: Dennis Brick, Charlie O’Donnell, Herb Cline, Brian Campbell, and Brian Herzog. Even with the rain everyone had a good time – how can you not when everyone is out to have fun with their 10/22s? Be sure to mark your calendar for the next event on 10/22/2017 – see you then!
