Just back from Heffley

[Leatherbelly]

  Cody,
   I shot a ramrod once outta my smooth .62!! That's a 325gr R/B and a 1100 gr ramrod! Man that hurt,not only my shoulder but my pride as well. After sending the ramrod into orbit,I had to borrow one to finish the shoot!Humbling experience!

[Harnic]

I can't give him a lot of grief Cody, I shot poorer than everyone else I know there...

[Daryl]

'Old Max sure shot well on that squirrel trail, I'll give him that for sure. His final squirrel board target was excellent too, which cinched it for him.  I was at the final line when Ken S. shot his squirrel and was as surprised to see his misses as he was.  He usually doesn't do that sort of thing, only us mortals do that.

[Jim Thomas]

 [/quote] They have a limited number of matches and I hear rumbles that the shooters want more matches....Anyway, thats my story and I'm stickin to it!!
[/quote]

A ramrod match maybe?    Or, a week long event in similar Canadian fun style for the early arrivals or those wishing to  come early.   Keep the traditional events on the same days.    

Don't mind me Roger......just thinking out loud.   

[Roger Fisher]

They have a limited number of matches and I hear rumbles that the shooters want more matches....Anyway, thats my story and I'm stickin to it!!
[/quote]

A ramrod match maybe?    Or, a week long event in similar Canadian fun style for the early arrivals or those wishing to  come early.   Keep the traditional events on the same days.    

Don't mind me Roger......just thinking out loud.   
[/quote]If you read my earlier post I was not refering to the Pines.  It was regards another club's shoot/shoots!

[Daryl]

I don't think I could handle a shoot every weekend, but it would certainly sharpen one's eye.    A competition every weekend would clash with fishing unless one was foot loose and retired.

[Jim Thomas]

If you read my earlier post I was not referring to the Pines.  It was regards another club's shoot/shoots!
[/quote]


I understood Roger. I knew it wasn't the Pines you where referring to.  Sorry if I made it sound that way.   I reread my post and can see where it was confusing.   
I think we're reaching a point where clubs have to be open to creative ideas to encourage new people and renew the interest of those who have dropped out.   The Heffley event has a feel to it.  The type that gets into the soul.  I think anyone who listens to those who attend that Rondy, wish they attended also.   

Here again, just thinking out loud,  the atmosphere at Heffley doesn't cost allot of money.   Blanket shoots, club challenges to each other.....just fun stuff.  Maybe by extending a rondy to allow for that, would bring more shooters to the line for the traditional competitions ( keeping up prize values) on the last weekend? 

Sorry to the Canadians if I've hijacked your thread. 

       




 

[doug]

     To continue Cody's comments; here on Vancouver Is (BC) we have a 3 day rondy on the long weekends starting in April, skipping September (dropped because of small club and Heffley) and ending in October.  The main clubs have their individual weekend and all clubs are within 2 hours of mid island.  Attendance is down from about 5 to 7 years ago perhaps because of aging/dying originals and slow recruitment of new shooters and of recent because of high fuel prices.  Much like Heffley they are as much social as competition and typical attendance would be between 50 and 80 shooters.  I am not sure what we can do to increase attendance.

      One of the big things that Heffley has going for it is that it is 10 days long combined with the setting.  We have something similar on Vancouver Island at Port Alberni but attendance I am told has been minimal, in part I think because most shooters have to get back to work.  (3 day rondy followed by another several days of informal events)  In part of course Vancouver Island is isolated by a 2 hour and $60 - $70 (each way) ferry ride so that we have a much smaller group to draw on. 

     To put some perspective on how far people travel, Fort MacMurray (several shooters) is roughly 14 hours from Heffley,  Saskatchewan considerably further (2 camps) and one husband and wife from Idaho plus several from Washington.

cheers Doug

[Harnic]

Jim, not to worry, you haven't hijacked anything, just enhanced it!  All the discussion here will spread ideas on how shoots can be improved all over.  Heffley is a very good time, but I'm pretty sure the shooting is down the list of what was most fun with most attendees.  It's the people that make it so good.  I first shot with many of the folks there over 30 years ago, & for me it's great to see them & catch up for a while, even remember good times & old friends now gone.  I don't believe the value of prizes are important, in fact I think more than a token ( a plaque or ribbon) is counter productive.  Good sportsmanship & comradery is what this is all about & the guys who shoot for glory & prize value have no place there.  

I am fortunate to live fairly close to Heffley, it's only a 2 hour drive from home & my gas cost for the round trip was $41.  Having been a few times now I would drive further to get there, but I'm not sure if I would drive as far as a lot of folks do.  Kudos to the ones who travel so far, they really enhance the experience for all by placing such importance on being there every year.  My only regret is not discovering Heffley's rondy years ago!

This was a skit at council talk:




Taylor at his archery shoot event:




Hawk & knife portion of fort shoot:





Fun for kids too!  There were a LOT of kids there & all were having fun!





Taylor, Steve, & Daryl heading to the fort after the h&k throw:

[Daryl]

Good pictures, Ben. TKS for posting them Harry.

[Harnic]

Ben won't likely appreciate the compliment Daryl, the only one he took was of me shooting... the rest are mine!   

[Daryl]

errrr, ahhh - thanks Harry.

[Harnic]

Here's some of Ben's for you Daryl 

http://24.67.47.199/gallery/DefaultGallery.aspx?gal=Heffley

[Daryl]

Tks Harry - good bunch of shooting pictures.  I am especially appreciative of Ben for capturing the hit on the "
Cross Gong" I made with the 20 bore flinter 1/2 stock - one of the few hit?  Now, that gun's design would make a good 'bore' hunting rifle up to about 14 bore, (of course).  It's English, of course.

[Harnic]

You're too modest Daryl, you shot well on the trail walk!  Ben had a lot of fun shooting all the pictures he got, unlike us & our guns, photography is his big passion & he's pretty good at it.   He did however express an interest in having his own flintlock by Heffley next year! 

[Beaverman]

The Boss lady and I are making plans to make Hefley next year so you guys are going to have another one from wash state polluting the camp, my buddies Bob Nebitt and Mike Jaynes have been twisitng my arm this year to come and have some fun, going to plan to hit it the last week of a 3 week vacation starting in 100 mile house and fishing my way across to little fort and then head south over that pass that looks like the alps and into Hefley then maybe a day or 2 stop at lac le jeune before heading home, looking foward to it!

[Harnic]

Excellent trip plans Beaverman!  I look forward to meeting you at Heffley!

[crispy]

this year was my second in primitive camp, had a great time ,, my camp is a bell back wedge I sewed myself, my most used firearm this year was my 28GA smoothie , heck I even got a few decent scores this year, I was one of them fools who showed up 2 days ealy to help set up targets and do camp chores, so I had 11 days of fun , and left on day 12 , all in all it was great , met some old friends , and met some new ones ..sorry I never got around to visitin the last group from Wash, state ,, $#*! our camps were only 150 feet apart,, maybe next year

[Harnic]

That's the tent I want to get too Chris!  How much did it cost to make yourself & what material did you use?  I am looking seriously at the 12'x15' bell-backed wedge made by R&K Lodges.  If I buy the tent from them & the awning locally I can cut way back on shipping costs & brokerage fees.  A painter's drop cloth over a plastic tarp would make a great floor at about a quarter the price.

[crispy]

Harry I made it myself just to see if I could,,, as for cost ,,prob about 50 bucks of painters drop cloths with loads left over for patch material,,, then there's waterproofing.  I actually wouldn't mind a regular wedge that opens at both ends,, Crazy crow has em in sunforger for 220 for the small one and about 350 for the big one.

[Harnic]

I wish I had seen your tent Chris, next year.  I'll check out Crazy Crow, thanks for the info!  I'm undecided on whether to go bell or straight wedge.  With all the modern equipment I need to camp, that bell in back would be a good place to hide things, otherwise I could go broke with all the fines!

[Harnic]

I just compared Crazy Crow to RK Lodges Chris.  RK is more expensive but appears to be a much better tent too.  All their tents, wedge & bell are 8 feet tall instead of CC's 7' & the door overlap is 12" instead of 4" on Crazy Crows.  RK also has a 12" wide sod cloth which makes for a much cozier tent on those windy Heffley nights.  A tent is a major expenditure, second only to a rifle for buckskinning, I'd rather spend more & get one that will meet my needs for a long while.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Clear thinking Harry.  Get Sunforger too - most important.

[Jim Thomas]

I just compared Crazy Crow to RK Lodges Chris.  RK is more expensive but appears to be a much better tent too.  All their tents, wedge & bell are 8 feet tall instead of CC's 7' & the door overlap is 12" instead of 4" on Crazy Crows.  RK also has a 12" wide sod cloth which makes for a much cozier tent on those windy Heffley nights.  A tent is a major expenditure, second only to a rifle for buckskinning, I'd rather spend more & get one that will meet my needs for a long while.

For what it's worth, I have a RK bell/ wedge.    9x11-7foot.    After 3 years, I have no regrets.   They are well made.     I've never been able to fold it down far enough to get it back into the shipping carton. 
      

[Leatherbelly]

  Harry,
  Be sure to check Panther Primitives.

 www.pantherprimitives.com