Travel Day – Tullamore Ireland to Pitlochry Scotland

Posted on 2011/06/30 by

A long day, brief spurts of hurry-hurry-hurry interspersed with stretches of are-we-there-yet ;)

Left the Sea Dew guest house in Tullamore around 0500, drove about an hour to Dublin to return the cars at the airport, took the shuttle across (under) town to the ferry.  Then a three hour ferry ride to Holyhead in Wales followed by a five hour ride by motor coach to Edinburgh to pick up vehicles and drive about an hour and a half to Pitlochry.  By the time we had eaten and somewhat unpacked, it was on the wrong side of midnight.  A long and at times stressful day, but in the end we made it!

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Creedmoor Cup Team Match Results

Posted on 2011/06/26 by

The first day of the Creedmoor Cup saw absolutely brutal conditions: winds varying in speed from 6-24 mph as measured behind the firing line, and switching rapidly from 5-7 o’clock (i.e. half-value one way to half-value the other way) very, very quickly. Accounts of shooters firing side by side within seconds of each other, with the same wind correction on their guns, and having the bullets impact 3+ moa different on target were not uncommon. The wind coaches were pulling every trick out of the bag trying to keep shooters in the black. The strong tail wind also caused considerable grief in terms of vertical at times. To be honest, I think even the Irish team was taken by surprise by the conditions – the talk behind the line was that this was a new and previously unseen condition on this particular range. By the end of the first day, the American wind coaching staff (Bob Mead, Nancy Tompkins, Michelle Gallagher, Jim Murphy, Rick Hunt and Dale Carpenter) had gained a lead of almost 200 points.

Day two started off with everyone anxiously eyeballing the wind flags which were blowing from approx. 4-5:30 o’clock, and hoping that they *stayed* that way. As the day progressed and the teams moved back from yard line to yard line, the wind came around to more from 2-4 o’clock. This was not a condition that the American team had yet experienced on this range, as the wind had been almost exclusively from the left during the practice, individual and Europe vs. USA match days. The hard work and practice that the Irish team had been putting in preparing for the match paid dividends, bringing them within 24 points of the USA team for the day.

The final score was USA: 7166 – 332v to Ireland: 6849 – 265v. Keep in mind that this is on the international scoring system of 5-v targets… For the 16 man Team, in the US scoring, this would be 14,332 – 664x.

All in all, a great finish to a trip (only the first half, for some of us). There were some long days, but often followed by long evenings making new ties with our Irish friends and enjoying their incredible hospitality. Every one on the USA team is looking forward to the next time we get the privilege of returning to the world-class facility of the Midlands National Shooting Centre.

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Europe vs. USA Team Match Results

Posted on 2011/06/24 by

Today was the second Europe vs. USA Team Match, hosted at the Midlands National Shooting Centre in Tullamore, IE. The first challenge match was held in 2008 in Lodi, Wisconsin USA during the US F-Class National Championships.

The weather started out cool and over cast, with winds running 10 to 15 mph at angles from full value down to approx. 5:30 or so. The decision was made to run straight through and not take a break for lunch until after the 1000yd line was complete. As it turned out, that was a *very* fortunate decision… light rain started in right about the time everybody moved back to 1k, and by the time we were at lunch the rain got somewhat more serious.

The team rosters were as follows:

Team USA
Darrell Buell (Captain)
Bryan Otey (Vice Captain)
Robert Mead (Coach, F-Open)
Nancy Tompkins (Coach, F-TR)
Michelle Gallagher (Coach, F-TR)
Jim Murphy (Coach, F-Open)
Rick Hunt (Coach, F-Open)
Dale Carpenter (Coach, F-TR)
Patty Mead (Register Keeper)
Kathy Buell (Register Keeper)

F-Open
Don Nagel
Larry Bartholome
John Brewer
Robert Bock
Erik Cortina
Rick Jensen
Tony Robertson
Larry Taite

F-TR
Dale Carpenter
Monte Milanuk
Stanley Pate
Jeff Rorer
Sierra Scott
Kathy Milanuk
Warren Dean
John Chilton

Team Europe

F-Open
Liam Fenlon
John Campbell
Joe Melia
Conor Murphy
Kevin McKenna
Stephen Hogan
Joe Linehan
Paul Cassidy

F-TR
Robert McEvoy
Pat Hunt
Phillip Costigan
Gerry Broderick
Dave Brown
Alan DeLacy
Terry McQuaid
Michael Reale

Team Scores:

F-Open
USA: 1961-162v
Europe: 1928-144V

F-TR
USA: 1853-109v
Europe: 1773-88V

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Irish National F-Class Championships Results

Posted on 2011/06/23 by

Irish F-Class National Champion (F-T/R):

Darrell Buell (USA) – 415-24v
Adrian Casey (ROI) – 406-19v
Jeff Rorer (USA) – 405-21v
John Chilton (USA) – 403-19v
Monte Milanuk (USA) – 400-27v
Stephen Doyle (ROI) – 400-16v
David Comerford (ROI) – 396-21v
Michelle Gallagher (USA) – 395-17v
John O’Donoghue (ROI) – 394-18v
Warren Dean (USA) – 394-15v

F-Open
Larry Bartholome (USA) – 440-36x
John Brewer (USA) – 432-42v
Bob Bock (USA) – 430-38v
Rick Jensen (USA) – 430-33v
Don Nagel (USA) – 429-33v
Jim Murphy (USA) – 429-30v
John Campbell (UK) – 429-23v
Robert Mead (USA) – 425-24v
Larry Taite (USA) – 423-32v
Conor Murphy (ROI) – 422-27v

The Irish Nationals were an excellent series of matches. The range was outstanding, the range staff well organized, and the wind conditions absolutely brutal. In particular, the last 1000 yard F-T/R relay absolutely got hammered by 20+ mph shifting gusts as different storm fronts rolled through…

Full results for F-Open and F-TR for both days are available here:

F-Open Day 1

F-Open Day 2

F-Open Agg

F/TR Day 1

F/TR Day 2

F/TR Agg

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We’re off!

Posted on 2011/06/16 by

After nearly a year of planning and preparations, it’s finally time to go. Over the next two days, most of the US Team will be arriving in Ireland. It has taken the efforts of a whole Team of people to get us to this point. Special thanks go to Superintendent John Moloney, of the Irish Garda for finally resolving the difficulties with some of the Team’s permits in record time. Thanks also go to Larry Bartholome for doing the legwork in getting the Creedmoor Matches framed up. Credit also to Bryan Otey, Bob Mead, Nancy Tompkins, Michelle Gallagher, and the rest of the Team Staff for their cooperative work, plotting a course for the Team matches. Special credit to Kathy Buell for her incredible organising efforts, her work will end up making the trip much easier for many, and make the Team look like the professional travelling group that we are. Credit to Rick Jensen, Monte Milanuk, and Stan Pate for their efforts in getting Team t-shirts, pens, and uniform items donated by Columbia Sportswear. Truly, credit goes to all for their outstanding cooperation, excellent communications, etc. that will make this a Team to contend with! The amount of email traded, coordinating this trip is stunning indeed, and will hopefully result in one of the smoothest overseas trips for a full 24 person Team. Last, but definitely not least, our Irish hosts have been outdoing themselves, offering assistance in a thousand different ways that will make our Team’s life easier!

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