This item was posted on the Black Powder Cartridge Shiloh Site. Thought it would be of interest to cowboy shooters:

Re: Nationals report

Postby John Boy » Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:55 pm

Was at Ridgway last week for a 2 day Lever Action Silhouette match, rifle & pistol calibers. On Thursday, at the Club General Membership Meeting, there was a discussion about Ridgway Rifle Club and the NRA respective to National Silhouette matches. Several Officers of Ridgway had a meeting with NRA and if Ridgway was to build a Cowboy Lever Action Range ... NRA would move all the National Silhouette Matches to Ridgway. At the Club meeting, the membership voted to approve the construction of the Cowboy Lever Action Range. Several of the Ridgway Officers will be going to Fairfax in a couple of weeks for a 2nd meeting on the subject, specifically to determine how much NRA will support the building of the Cowboy range and whether or not Ridgway keeps all the fees
At the initial meeting, it was disclosed that Dennis ? from the NRA was fired

Regards
John

Has anyone verified this information?
If true, I guess this year was my last Nationals.
Dennis

IMHO,
If this is true then whatever happened to the attitude of helping all by moving around to accommodate shooters from all areas of the country?
We do this in Texas for the state matches to allow all to "host" matches and to show off their respective ranges. I for one like the trip to Raton and the facilities, and would most likely like the trip and ranges at Ridgeway. I would like to see the matches moved around each year or two with the host club being selected a couple of years in advance to allow them to be ready and show their stuff. I see the only possible issue as the host club being able to accommodate that amount of shooters. But then there is the Camp Perry side of the plate, where everyone looks toward the pilgrimage to the "big games".
Respectfully
Kimbal

We know for sure that Barry Ranney is gone.
If you look at some of the non NRA matches that are wildly successful, they are held on the same basic day , at the same place year after year. People that have to schedule their vacations every year can count on being able to schedule their work to be gone on that
date. Seems the NRA would want to follow that lead.
For those that stand opposed to this move to Ridgeway the time is short.The Silhouette committee meets on Nov. 4 or 5.
Get a letter off to any silhouette committee people that you can and voice that opposition. Follow that with a copy to Kyle Weaver at NRA HQ

I think the guys from back east might save the bolt gun games from extinction. If they move the scope stuff back east maybe the numbers will pick up enough to keep those sports alive. I've only been to one Scope Gun national championship and the low numbers amazed me. I won't go back east to shoot, but if they can have higher numbers they need everyone's support.

It's not the end of the world for anyone if they move the lever gun Nationals back east. If they can have higher numbers and experience more growth then they need all of us to support them. I won't go back east to shoot, but I support the growth of the sport.

For those of us that WON"T go back east to shoot, there are plenty of good matches to attend.

Our Regional in Oklahoma is a very well ran match that allows no cranky people or Drama Queens...but we can only handle about 55 folks. Ask anyone who has attended our match and I'll bet you find them complimenting our location and the quality of the match.

IF the lever gun nationals are held back east the demand is for a western venue, , we will approach Glenda Graves and the Whittington center about having a LARGE regional there.

Don't fret guys and gals. Lever gun is growing and there will be plenty of good matches all around the country to attend.

I would hope they stay with a central location accessible by the most people.

If not, move it around the regions. Like when it moved from Phoenix to Raton to Ridgeway. Giving more people a chance at a big match.

I don't blame the back east guys, I loved it when they held the pistol Nationals at my home club here in Los Angeles. Back in the day, even the Australians and Brazil would come to our matches.

For me, 2,300 miles and 4 days each way, well isn't possible with my work schedule.

Dennis

I don't feel all this info is quite correct. The plan the last I knew was to rotate each year between Ridgway and Raton for all Nationals. With this being said we all know that holding the Nationals in one place every year will be very bad for the sport and I also don't feel this is the intent of Ridgway. I have shot Nationals at Raton and Ridgway and have enjoyed both. Ridgway goes above and beyond to make sure everybody has a good experience. Ridgway does a lot more for the shooters than Raton does during the Nationals. As for people saying they will not come East to shoot. That is your choice. I don't understand it and I never will but if you don't travel to Ridgway then you are missing out on a hell of a national. I also ask for everyone to keep a open mind on this subject until it is official. Our sport is declining enough and we as shooters don't need to make it worse. Mike Haynes

I have never been to Ridgeway, but Randy almost had us talked into shooting there this summer.

We go to Raton for reasons of comfort, safety and economy.

Jeanne and I can stay in competitor housing for $44.00 a night. We're both retired now so money is a concern.

We can leave our rifles in the car at the Whittington center and not worry. I don't know if the hotels are that safe anywhere .

We can walk to the range if we want to. Yes, I was at the Whittington center w/o a car for a week and it was fun grabbing a rifle and walking to the range of choice for some fun.

I can have a cup of coffee , watch Antelope and mule deer in the morning and enjoy the cooler, less humid climate at night.

I have guns and the drive is through Oklahoma , Texas and New Mexico. Three gun friendly states.

The drive from our house to the Whittington center is only about 8 hours. That's about my limit these days.

I have nothing against any decision the NRA makes. Those are just the reasons we like Raton. If the Nationals were permanently moved to some other place we would still make frequent trips to shoot at the Whittington center .

At the competitors meeting during this years BPCR and BPTR national matches, with 300 people in attendance the representative from the NRA silhouette dept, told us in fact that they had reached a rock solid deal with the Whittington to hold the national championships in mid to late August.. Nobody can get the straight story on what happened to change all that back in Fairfax...
Again if you're not in favor of this Ridgeway deal, write the silhouette committee people themselves directly.

what 300 people? even if you were seeing double (likely ), you couldn't count 300.

Why you feel so determined to rain on Ridgeway"s parade, I don't understand. Craigs clearly knocked himself out to produce what was obviously a great match, but you feel the need to run him down all across the net. Pretty damn creepy as far as I'm concerned.

Brent, remember the big meal and awards ceremony at the Coors building? All the shooters, their spouses, and guests?

No chance that was 300 people. not even half of that. Not even counting the nonshooters.

But you do remember the NRA guy saying they had the agreement with the Whittington thru 2023?

sure. I remember that. it has nothing to do with your stalking Craigslist all over the net, bashing Ridgeway and every person East of the Mississippi River who shoots (or wants to shoot).

Lithium supplies in Iowa running short?