Saturday, June 6, is now less than three weeks away.  It's time to quit dreaming about stretching those barrels and begin making plans!

 

(The little white spot top right corner between the trees is the 2008 627 yard 30"X30" steel. 1,000,000 points, double score if you call it! --AL)

 

The field looks different this year.  The winter wheat Hal planted last summer together with all the rain we've received this spring has made the shooting range, ah, lush.  If the weather continues as it has recently, we'll enjoy a very comfortable day of shooting, Saturday, June 6.  I'm forecasting a high of 78, low 53, winds light and variable and zero percent chance of precipitation.  Bring parkas, foul weather gear, long johns and insulated boots, however, to insure Murphy's Law is invoked.

 

 

I talked with the folks at Leupold & Sevens a couple of months ago about the problem we sometimes have seeing .22 caliber bullets landing around the targets, especially when conditions are lush.  Their recommendation was to try their Gold Ring 12-40x 60mm High Definition Spotting Scope. 

 

Thanks to the generosity of two new sponsors, Robyn Doloughan of Columbia Basin Rope Company and her friend, Suzanne Leupold, we'll have one to use for this and future ELMER KEITH Shoots.  If a quality spotting scope has been on your wish list, but you haven't quite decided which among the pack fits your needs, take a turn behind this one during the shoot and watch where those 36 and 40 grain slugs land at 150 yards.

 

Another fellow who has been a perennial supporter is Dave Workman, author of Washington State Gun Rights and Responsibilities, a little book you can get at just about any gun shop in the state.  Dave updates it every year or so and everyone who carries a gun for any reason, especially concealed carry permit holders should have at least one of the latest edition.  Currently, his articles appear almost daily on the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner at:  http://tinyurl.com/dl2ytd.

 

Dave has written some very complimentary articles about his experiences at ELMER KEITH Shoots of past years that have been published in Gun Week and Gun World.  What is possibly the best kept secret in the shooting fraternity, sadly, is that Dave makes some of the best belt holsters you'll ever find.  His Label is D & D Gunleather.  His website is http://www.danddgunleather.com/. 

 

You can see them there, or you can come to the Shoot on Saturday, June 6.  I'll be modeling a beaten old model Dave made for me 16 years ago, or a brand new one he's promised to deliver at the shoot if my weather is as forecast; fair weather shooter be he with his 41's. 

 

Oh Dave, bring a chair too, and some of your books to sign.

 

Don and Trish Shride of Rainier Ballistics LLC have been sponsors of ELMER KEITH Shoots from the beginning.  Although primarily designed for high volume practice, it was Rainier 44 cal 240 grain flat point bullets from Paul Bodeau's Smith & Wesson Model 29 that marked the 627 yard target last year more than any other.  Don always has samples on hand as well as larger quantities for sale in our auction.  This year, because so many retail outlets are having trouble keeping them in stock, you may let me know what you want and Don and I will do our best to have them available at the Shoot.  See  http://www.rainierballistics.com/.

 

 

Be sure to bring a chair.

 

In case you haven't noticed, Elmer Keith's books are selling for big bucks.  All are out of print now so they're bringing collector prices.  Some, like SAFARI, that were in short supply from the beginning, are bringing astronomically big bucks.

 

Perhaps Mr. Keith's most popular book, SIXGUNS by KEITH is most widely distributed because of the large number that were printed in paperback.  Even those are becoming hard to find and expensive.  Hard cover versions are out of sight. 

 

Imagine my surprise and amazement then when two brand new hard cover copies of SIXGUNS by KEITH showed up in my mailbox, compliments of Mike Hutyra, an Elmer Keith fan in Texas.  He learned of our activities through http://elmerkeithshoot.org/ and subsequent correspondence with web master Al Fernandez.  They decided to conduct an on-line auction that resulted, unfortunately, in one of the books being sold for a song, fortunately to a really great guy in Denver, who will really appreciate his good fortune.

 

The bids are currently being accepted on-line for the second book, but bidding will not close until Saturday, June 6, 2009, after the live auction at the Ninth Annual ELMER KEITH Memorial Shoot.  THIS copy of SIXGUNS will be dear, very dear.  Guaranteed!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing you here.

 

Will DeRuyter