Providing a Safe Place to Shoot on the North Coast Since 1972

The Newsletter of the Redwood Gun Club | PO Box 584, Arcata, CA 95518­0584 | RedwoodGunClub.org

From the Prez

From the Prez

I think the saying goes something like “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” I hope that is true. The good news is that that range appears to be holding up well with only a couple of trees down over the road in the past month. I have made it out to the range a few times in the past month and have been happy to see plenty of people (both members and public) enjoying both the rifle and pistol ranges. Thank you to all of the RSOs who have braved the cold to keep the range open.

• There are still plenty of RSO slots that need to be filled. Contact Brian Hunter at [email protected] to sign up for your 5 days.

• Redwood Gun Club now has two Facebook pages. The public RedwoodGunClub page can be found with here. The private "Members Only" Facebook Group can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/redwoodgunclubmembers/

• The private "Members Only" Facebook Group is for RGC members only and you will have to submit your membership number to the page administrators (Both of whom are RGC members) and agree to the rules of the page. Thank you very much to Ian Heath and Alan Richmond for setting these pages up and agreeing to run them. I know that I am planning to use both pages to promote club events and matches.

• WORK PARTY: Spring is on the way and that means we will be having a work party day at the range in a couple of months. Sunday April 30 th has been set aside for members to come out and help with the upkeep of the range. There will be weed whacking, brush clearing, some tractor work, repairs to range facilities, and new tables for the dynamic ranges will be built. Bring your favorite tools out and lend a hand. Lunch will be provided to all who help.

• For me, March means the beginning of 2-gun .22 matches. I have been busy planning new scenarios and have most of my equipment ready to go. I am looking forward to seeing the old crew out there again and hopefully we will pick up some new shooters. Please contact me if you have any questions about participating in this event.

Chris Doane

President - Redwood Gun Club

[email protected]

(707) 845-8796

March - Redwood Gun Club RSO Assignments

March 4th - Garry LaFraunce, Andrew Raich, Michael Adams

March 5th - Charlie Fielder, Dave Trabue, Jordan Caylor

March 11th - Garry LaFraunce, Heinrich Soltow, Kevin Christie

March 12th - Charlie Fielder, Chris Ackerman, Rich Moxon

March 18th - David Erquhart, Garry LaFraunce, Ian Heath

March 19th - Dean Howatt, Charlie Fielder, Rich Moxon

March 25th - Bob Fallis, Kevin Christie, Peter Bangsund

March 26th - Jim Kloss, Paul Beckhart, Tom Barone



NOTE: If you see "RSO NEEDED" that means we are down an RSO and we are looking for someone to fill it. If you are available to fill any open spots OR want to become an RSO and start enjoying your RSO benefits, please email Brian Hunter at [email protected]

Results are in and we WILL have a Classifieds section!



Thank you for voting and them membership wants a Classified section. When it comes to posting firearms, you will be allowed to post your firearms. ALL FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS APPLY.

Allow me a month to work on the logistics. When it's ready I will send out an email blast to the membership with a link to the Classifieds form. You can only post 1 item a month to start and your listing will only last one month. I will loosen up the posting rules one I/we get the hang of things.

You must fill out the form completely and you must submit pictures with your listing, otherwise your item may not be listed.

Thank you all for your participation.

Aaron Ostrom

[email protected]

(707) 496-1662

Range News & Notifications

2023 High Power Rifle Season

Anyone willing to try something new? Saturday, March 11 th , rain or shine, our 2023 HP

matches begin. If you have never shot a HP match before, this is for you! Our seasoned

shooters will help you get started and we have equipment to share.

We will also try something completely new this year. A centerfire hunting rifle match will

run concurrently with this years Highpower matches. Open to everyone.

Note: This is a 32 round course of fire with unlimited sighting rounds allowed prior to

firing for record. Metallic or optical sights are allowed. You will be firing from the prone,

standing and sitting or kneeling positions. All firing will be done at 200 yards.

Competitors will score their own targets. Time: The first relay will begin at 8:30am.

Please be at the range at least 15 minutes before the match for registration and range

briefing. This is a fun match with emphasis on safety first and fun second.

Equipment: 

• Any center fire rifle of any caliber that can legally be used in CA. for hunting.
• Must be capable of holding at least 4 rounds in the magazine. A shooting mat or ground cloth and a spotting scope optional. 
• This is your chance to set a new range record, as none exist yet for Sporter Rifle!
• No egos involved.
• Good practice for this years hunting season for those that still hunt Bambi.

Hoping for a sunny day and a good turnout!

Sid Berg

Match Director - High Power Rifle

[email protected]

(707) 599-0899

2023 - 200 yard Sporting Rifle Matches



All matches will follow NRA rules but are non-sanctioned. They will run concurrently with our CMP Highpower Rifle Matches.

(New shooters are encouraged to participate. The future of our continued matches depends upon you!)

Dates:

March 11,  (Saturday)   32 shot match

April 15,    (Saturday)   32 shot match

May 13,     (Saturday)    32 shot match

June 10,    (Saturday)   32 shot match

July 8,       (Saturday)    32 shot match

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Time: Sign up at 08:00. Firing starts at 08:30. (Should be complete by 12:30 pm)

Rules: NRA rules will govern all firing. http://rulebooks.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/RuleBooks/HPSR/hpsr-book.pdf

 Eye and hearing protection required.

Any centerfire rifle capable of holding at least 4 rounds may be used. Any sights allowed, iron sights, aperture sights, unlimited power scopes.

All firing will be from position, free hand or with slings. (no bipods or artificial support.)

Course of Fire:

Sighting period, unlimited slow fire shots in 5 minutes from any position, single load only.

Stage 1. Slow Standing...... 8 shots in 8 minutes, single load only.                       

Stage 2. Rapid Sitting, ....... 2 strings of 4 shots in 30 seconds, (8 shots total.)    

Stage 3. Rapid Prone, ....... 2 strings of 4 shots in 30 seconds, (8 shots total.)     

Stage 4. Slow Prone, ......... 8 shots in 8 minutes, single load only.                       

Targets: SR-5, SR- 42, & MR 52 (All firing at 200 yards, simulating a 200, 300 & 600 yard course of fire.) 

Entry fees: $10.00  Juniors (under 21) FREE (with a parent or responsible adult supervision.)

Awards: Match Winner, Class winners based on a minimum of 5 participants per first place award, 8 participants per second place award, & 10 participants per a third place award.

Classifications: Master 300 to 320- Expert 284 to 299- Sharpshooter 268 to 283- Marksman Below 268.

Info: Contact Highpower Director: Sid Berg, (707) 599-0899 Email: [email protected]

Sid Berg

Match Director - High Power Rifle

[email protected]

(707) 599-0899

Or pick up a Registration Form at Pacific Outfitters of Eureka

Introduction to the Joys of Shooting Air Guns

Are air guns considered firearms?

Actually no:

18 U.S.C. Section 921(a)(3), to include “(A) any weapon (including a starter gun), which will, or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon….” 

Based on Section 921(a)(3), air guns, because they use compressed air and not an explosive to expel a projectile, do not constitute firearms under Federal law.

Why Air guns?

• What are your favorite things about traditional firearms?
• A great time shooting with friends!
• Fast follow up shots or semi auto.
• Powerful enough to take any game.
• Best home/self-defense option.
• Wide selection and variety available.

What do you least enjoy about traditional firearms?

• Ammunition is expensive.
• Can go through expensive ammunition very quickly.
• Cleaning up brass after shooting.
• Finding a safe place to shoot often means driving a good distance. Unless you are fortunate enough to live near our beloved Redwood Gun Club. (Insert shameless plug here)
• Too powerful to use in many situations. Must be concerned about rounds many hundreds of yards beyond the target.
• Although available, popular models are often hard to find, and then there are the fees, registration, and waiting periods.
• All firearms require hearing protection, and many require double layer hearing protection.
• Cleaning the weapons requires stripping and can take a good amount of time to be thorough.
• Teaching new and/or young people requires a significant commitment from both the student and the teacher.
• Easy to develop flinching and other bad habits.

To be clear, we all enjoy firearms, and they cannot be replaced by air guns, especially for defense, larger game, or extreme range purposes, but they share many of the best attributes while eliminating a few of the drawbacks. A few things to consider…

• Generally slower paced with concentration on each shot.
• Ammunition is many times less expensive. Just 4 to 13 cents per round on average for the highest quality air gun ammunition.
• No brass to pick up.
• Lower power levels make shooting in more areas possible, including indoors which allows increased winter practice. Trigger time is key to maintaining proficiency.
• Available without red tape and can be shipped directly to your door.
• Hearing protection is usually not required. Suppressors are inexpensive, legal, and encouraged.
• Cleaning is as simple as running a patch through the bore when accuracy begins to suffer which, in many cases, can be thousands of rounds. There is no powder or corrosive residue to deal with.
• Training new and young shooters is generally safer due to lower power potential, no fear of an unrecognized squib load, or semiauto double fire. This makes it easier on both the instructor and student. Many air guns have match grade triggers and are either recoilless or the recoil is on par with rimfire.
• Of course, the greatest commonality between air guns and firearms is a great time shooting with friends!

One of the greatest things about air rifle shooting is long range practice at shorter distances. Dr. Robert Beeman coined the term “Mini Sniping” almost 40 years ago. As an example, a .223 55 grain bullet experiences less than 10 MOA drop at 500 yards, while even high-power air rifles have 10 MOA drop or more at just 100 yards. It actually takes longer for a pellet to reach 100 yards than a .308 to reach 300 yards, making the shot more difficult. Both the pellet at 100 yards and the .308 at 300 yards experience similar wind deflection.

Cost to shoot:

• As with firearms, air guns are available from under two hundred dollars to several thousand, however the cost over time to operate makes it possible for an average shooter to afford a much better air gun equivalent. 
• A $700 firearm shooting $0.50 cent rounds over the course of 2,000 rounds represents a $1,700 investment. A twice as nice, $1,500 high end air gun shooting the same 2,000 rounds at $0.10 cents each represents the same $1,700 investment. The next 2,000 rounds cost the firearm shooter another $1,000 while feeding the air gun the same 2,000 rounds is only $200. By now you have saved $1,800 which is more than either gun originally costs and more than double the price of the “less expensive” firearm!

Today’s air guns offer a wide range of disciplines including, but not limited to; 10 meters offhand, hunting, field target, and precision benchrest. Air guns aren’t just for plinking soda cans anymore. They have evolved into highly sophisticated tools in recent years. There are several competitions each year at national levels with top prizes over $20,000,00 each! There is even an American Air Gunner series on TV hosted by Rossi Morreale.

As with traditional firearms, air guns are available in a wide range of types and costs. Most fall into one of 2 categories, “Springers” are self-contained rifles or pistols which fire one pellet each time a spring is compressed while “PCP’s” are Pre-Charged Pneumatic air guns are filled from high pressure cylinders. 

We are a very open “run what you brung” group that is eager to support interested individuals at every level. Please Join us every Friday from 8:00 am to 2:00pm at the range. Benchrest and Field Target matches are held on the last Friday of each month. If you are curious, please come out! I would be happy to share a gun or two for you to try. 

A word of caution though…It’s addicting!

Possible future topics:

• Hunting small game
• PCP vs Springers
• Field target competition
• Are air guns the future of shooting sports?

February Event Recaps

Standing Rifle Match - February 4, 2023

Fourteen shooters came out for the February match including two juniors.  Shooters under 18 do not pay the $5 match fee and it’s great to see them.  Longtime High Power match director Sid Berg helped fill out the line with his Feinwerkbau and brought along new shooter Jett Drefke. Jett shot an excellent 341-1X on the difficult target used here. Larry McKinney had an equipment problem and borrowed Alan Bonomini’s 10/22 to finish his target. Heinrich Soltow shot 437-1X for first place. The top four spots went to AR-22s and Ruger 10/22s with four other 10/22s on the list. We noted the untimely passing of Shawn Schlegel who was a frequent competitor at RGC and helped with the target selection for this match. The average of all scores was 364.6 and the famous average cup was awarded.

 Submitted by: 

Dean Howatt

[email protected]

(707) 498-1609

Match Results