Cowboy National Matches

[Ramslammer]

G'Day All
Firstly thanks to all for their kind words and support. But what have you done to my Cobbers!! They aren't smashing targets with reckless abandon like usual. They must be all confused due to the geographical shift they underwent to get there, or maybe they are still daydreaming about Cabela's. It will be good to get them home for a little talkking to from the Chairman . Surely everyone in New Mexico must be walking around on egg shells with the Angry Amphibian and the Agitated Ranga stomping around like they have lost a pound and found a penny. One up side of this is we'll have enough to take the piss out of them for ages. Anyway Brothers smash them in the NM State titles and claim rememption.
As always your kind and loving Chairman
Juddy
PS nice photo's boys you look good, Aunty Kaye will be impressed

[Innocent]

Ramslammer, most of the cowboys in NM don't understand the "accent" of the Ranga and Toad, let alone many of the other brothers, so they are noticing the need to walk on egg shells. As far as having enough on the brothers to humble them some, doubt that will ever happen...remember it is hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way.
The ex pom did make another run at the pig long run record, honestly he should just run the turkeys and rams, there the long runs are no where as many, so he could hit the beer earlier!
Can't stay for the NM states but I'm sure they will do well, and make the down under leaders proud.
TLee, thanks for posting the score boards, it saves trying to remember all the scores, but you really need full waders to be around the brothers, hip boots will only fill up, great to meet you.
Innocent
PS Mates you had best pull a uniform inspection, and check ball of shame badges! LOL

[CreativeMath]

Gotta remember to bring my hip boots before getting into too deep of discussions with these guys though!

If you think they're bad, wait until you see their newly-recruited, "flag-flying" word-mangler from the states. (Recruited, that is, as an occasional word-mangler on their behalf. I'm a competitive B.S.'er; not a competitive shooter!)

Mary, check your e-mail when you get a chance: that "confession" document from me should have arrived by now.

-- "Score-keeper Ward" --

[AMB]

Thanks for the picture of the results. Hope you can post the SB scores. How were conditions? Looks lke Derek won PC also congrats again!!!

[Innocent]

Creative Math...will do on the email when I slow down a bit, been driving all day. I think you are doing just fine on the BS, but really when the lads get going if you only catch a third of it you will be laughing.
The Chairman, the lads are fine, just having the usual communication problems as most yanks have never learned to listen, so they are so busy repeating themselves, even with the scores!!
Innocent

[Bob259]

The Chairman, the lads are fine, just having the usual communication problems as most yanks have never learned to listen, so they are so busy repeating themselves, even with the scores!!
Innocent

What’s worse than a good down under accent is a good down under Scottish accent... now that will have you scratching you head asking, What did hell did he just say?????

[Tlee]

Thanks for the picture of the results. Hope you can post the SB scores. How were conditions? Looks lke Derek won PC also congrats again!!!

Conditions were good, at least by my standards.... Occasional light sprinkle or shower and a few wind gusts during the 4 days' matches. Only real rain we had was during the last day's SBCLA shootoffs and awards. Fittingly, the skies cleared and the sun came out at the end when the Jack Hill Memorial award was being presented.

Weather yesterday for the NM state CLA match was just wonderful, by anyone's standards. Zero wind or showers, absolutely picture perfect weather! A little thunder in the distance gave us warning during the last couple relays, but the showers held off and never came, at least where we were shooting. It looked like the SBCLA/PCCLA range at the west end of the property was getting some rain as we finished up on the east CLA range. I did get a picture of the NM CLA results but didn't get a chance to get it off the camera and upload it to the photo links yet.

Speaking of results, I only saw Greg Conner for a moment early yesterday speaking to someone and he was "gone in a flash" before I could ask about taking pics of the SBCLA National results... Sorry folks. I'll try to find him today and ask.

-Tim

[Tlee]

(snip)...Surely everyone in New Mexico must be walking around on egg shells with the Angry Amphibian and the Agitated Ranga stomping around like they have lost a pound and found a penny. ...(snip)

You'll be proud to know the guys have been on their best behavior, at least at the Whittington Center (Although... last night, I did see some evidence of their making an appearance at a local Pub down the road, but I was afraid to ask the proprietor for details in case he thought I should be one of a similar rowdy nature and invite me to leave).

Also, although I suspect he would've tried to horse trade me out of my home and vehicle, I did overhear one of the young female target setters refer to Toad as "just the cutest thing" on one occasion... Apparently he managed to distract her away from the younger lads that were vying for her attention just long enough to save her virtue.

-Tim

[Innocent]

Tim, Are you telling me that when Mother Mary left town the lads went out for a Friday night party at Cold Beer in Colfax???? Roger shouldn't have had much problem dealing with that crowd, he was holdling his own well on Monday and Wednesday when I was there. Shall be interesting to see how one stinkin pom does on a Sat after a Friday night at Cold Beer.

Innocent

[Innocent]

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to my attention that certain disappointing, if not downright dastardly, despicable, disreputable and just generally under-handed events have transpired on or about August 3, 2010 at the NRA Whittington Center’s “Cowboy Lever Action” shooting match; which was held in Raton, New Mexico, USA between August 2nd and 5th of 2010.

The long and short of it is that despite all efforts on the parts of the visiting Australian shooting team to be polite and civil to their American hosts, the Aussies were wholly unprepared for the extent of sand-bagging necessary to avoid soundly trouncing the Yanks, too early in the day.

When ordinary amounts of well-practiced sand-bagging were proving, sadly, to be under-whelmingly sufficient after the first day of shooting, the team took the ultimate sacrifice and showed up sober, the next day. Aussie shootists also took it upon themselves to shoot every third target bank from right to left; thereby giving up a full third of their potential individual scores. When this obvious tactic was discovered (at around lunchtime) and frowned upon as being rather cheeky, the more subtle method of shooting at only even-numbered targets, first, was next attempted: with the idea of later going back to polish off all of the odd-numbered targets. Thereby leaving a clean bank; whilst not gaining too far of a lead over the Yankee shooters. Whilst this nearly had the desired effect, towards day’s end the scoreboards told the sad tale of how the Yank’s had used their ingenuity to, well, miss just about anything remotely animal-shaped which had been standing up neatly in a row, patiently waiting to be knocked over. Despite heartily endorsing counting all wind-related “blow-downs” towards American scores, and even occasionally shooting Yankee targets in frustration, the Team from Oz were sadly unable to dream up many more ways to creatively not-win-too-badly.

It was at about this point that one native score-keeper (a thoroughly disreputable individual, if ever there was one!) decided that the only way the Yanks had more than a slim prayer of winning was to go way beyond the pale. I am ashamed to admit that this sad excuse for a human being took it upon himself to falsify a “15 point” card for the (admittedly not-half-bad) American shooter, then shooting rams in this score-keeper’s lanes. Note that while such a perfect 15-point card would attract respectful attention, if this had been a shoot like Black Powder (which is scored at 15-possible-points-per-relay) in the Cowboy Lever Action match then underway, 10 points was the maximum amount of shots allowed per each relay; and therefore, 10 points was the absolute maximum amount of points possible per relay.

This “15-out-of-10” score card was (understandably) the last straw; and, if the disreputable Yanks were going to cheat the politely-not-winning Aussies in such a boldly insulting manner, then honor needed to be satisfied. With minutes on the clock, the heroes from Oz saved the day.

In fairness, it should be noted for the record that young ****, a hard-working grade-school student and a US native, who was employed to collect all score cards on her side of the range and to turn them into the statistical personnel, wanted no part in this desperate score-keeper’s scheme. It only took young **** a moment to discover the fraudulent nature of the dubious 15-out-of-10 score card; and, much to her credit, she refused to pollute the match’s statistics with such a card. She insisted on turning in the real card – which, it was discovered, had a legitimate 8-rams score. Shortly thereafter, the offending forgery was torn to bits.

Why the Yanks stoop to such levels, when at least some of them can actually shoot when they want to, is beyond me. It must be something ingrained in their nature; which may be beyond all hope of logic or reason to ever fully explain.

As for the disreputable score-keeper: since I not only happen to know the individual in question, quite well, but I happen to be that questionable individual, I figured it was only due and proper that I point these circumstances out. In short: to confess to my heinous (attempted) act.

Sorry! But, hey: we disheartened Yanks hadda try it! 

In hindsight, with the schedule for the next Raton match that the Aussies currently plan to attend being in 2012, it is hoped that the Yanks will have time to practice ... not to practice shooting, since some of them actually can; but for certain score-keepers to practice being less fully dishonest. (Perhaps he can take some lessons from young ****, in that regard?) This schedule should also allow our heroes from Oz to become more fully acquainted, as a team, with the full range of face-savingly creative ways to win: whilst still giving their opponents a slim glimmer of hope.


This is a letter of confession from one of the better scorekeepers at Whittington!!!! Needless to say the constant pressure from a few of us yanks trying to get our money back from the OZ brotherhood on the Ramslamming side bets was taking some very creative math and serious teamwork on our part. It was all in good fun, and the end result was for money to be raised for the junior programs on both sides of the ocean. A nice donation to the NRA for junior award in next years nationals was raised by the sale of a fine Ramslammer patch. As an almost accepted member of the brotherhood (hey mates where the sisterhood in this???), I look forward to to kicking a** next year and taking some of the momey back.

Innocent Mary

[Cimarron Red]

Ramslammer,

I've sent you a private message. Thanks.

Cimarron Red

[timfinle]

Nice Mary!

By the way, if you keep shooting so well, I can not lend you my rifle again because I am not going to be beat with my own equipment.

NIce shooting.

[w30wcf]

Thank you everyone for the great report and comments.
TLee, thank you for the pics.
Just curious. Who are the fellows that came over from Australia?

w30wcf

[glen ring]

A friend of mine shot his first Lever action nationals at Raton a few years ago. He called me and said you gotta try this shoot! I went and had such a great time I took my wife the next year ( a non-competitive shooter), who only managed to get 10 or 12 targets , but she had a great time! We told another shooter who brought his wife this year, and another couple who came from Oklahoma and brought their teenage daughter and they all had a hoot. Everyone that shot this match ( especially the girls and women) had such a great time they'll ALL be back and will be shooting more guns!

My wife wants to come back next year and spend a couple of weeks at the Whittington Center and just shoot and see the sights!

My point is, this match, type of shooting , and the crowd are a great recruiting tool for our sport and a GREAT first time match for anyone.

My wife ( who has never been a competitor in any sport) is looking forward to bettering her game and shooting better next year. My friend's wife ,that just watched last year, shot this year and had a hoot. Her husband will be buying her rifles of her own now.

If you saw me really messing with a young man before he shot, he's the ONE (1) that got this entire group interested , seven (7) of us in all that HE recruited!

We need this kind of growth , especially with all the professional women. I think that the recruiting of women and girls is key to the growth of all shooting sports .

The lever action Nationals was a great match again this year. Very well ran and what great group of nice folks.

We should all drop a line to the NRA silhouette division and thank them .

[lone ringer]

Hello Glen, glad to have met you at Raton, its always nice to put a face with the name. I also brought a new shooter to Raton and hope to bring more next year.
While you are at it thanking the NRA please ask them to leave the rules the way they are so the sport will continue to grow.
We do not need to have the sight's rules re-defined and put in black and white so that the lawyer's types can use them for their benefit and screw up what we have.