There was an additional opportunity to shoot on August 23rd at Big Fork, a five stage match on a perfect summer day. Getting to this match was a little easier than getting to the July match in Missoula. For one thing, I didn't have go as far. I was already in Idaho so all I had to do was drive to Missoula, buy the lowest priced 10 mm ammunition available at Bob Ward's sports store, and then arrive at the Bigfork Rod & Gun Club range by 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
Getting up to Missoula from Idaho Falls doesn't take as long as it used to. The speed limit on I-15 in Idaho is 75 mph. When you reach Montana, the daytime speed limit is "Reasonable and Prudent." Since I had a brand new rental car, with the accompanying moral obligation to break in the engine for others who would rent the car later, I decided to maintain steady speeds for the 300 or so miles between Idaho Falls and Missoula. At no time did I go faster than one hundred thirteen miles per hour. Just kidding. In reality, it is difficult and very tiring to drive at high speeds for several hours. On the road from Monida Pass, at the Idaho Montana border, to the intersection with I-90 near Butte, there are a couple of places where taking curves at 85 miles per hour is neither reasonable nor prudent. The same is true for several sections of I-90 between Deer Lodge and Missoula. For the rest of the journey, however, it is great fun to move right along at a reasonable high speed. Montana may set a numerical speed limit next year, because there have been more fatal accidents since the new speed limit went into effect. My theory is that the accidents are caused by people from out of state who have no business in a car in the first place. Anyway, if you are going to drive fast on I-90, I can think of no better place to do it than between Butte and Deer Lodge.
The drive from Missoula to Bigfork is a lot slower, but more scenic ("scenic" is relative in Montana, where the scenery ranges from an "8" where you can still see parts of Idaho to "9-10" everywhere else). Highway 93 is a very dangerous two lane road frequented by tourists on the way north from Missoula to Glacier Park. Just south of Polson, at the south end of Flathead Lake, you have to get off 93 and follow the signs to Big Fork. This road takes you around the east side of the lake, through cherry orchards planted on the rocky hillsides. You turn at the sign to Swan Lake. Why anybody would name a nice Montana Lake after a wimpy ballet is, and should remain, a mystery. The next sign to look for says "Bigfork Rod and Gun Club." A few more turns on a road through the trees and you're at the range.
One of the first people you see at a Big Fork match is Crow Carter. Crow signs up the participants, and runs the match.
He even gets to shoot.
The August 23rd match had five stages, including three that could be shot from one position and two that required some movement between shooting positions. This is a wide angle look at the range setup.
Here's a picture of Andy as the range officer and one of the shooters getting ready to reload and move to the next shooting position.
Jan is shooting a Glock 9 mm from behind a barricade.
Jan has moved to the next position and is shooting through a narrow opening at multiple targets. Jerry is the range officer.
Joe is the range officer on a tricky stage where you had to start from a kneeling position facing away from the target, then turn, draw, and shoot.
Gina shoots a fancy race gun with her weak hand.
Gina is in the middle of a fast reload. Her left hand is a blur. One magazine is dropping away from the gun and she is reaching for the spare magazine to reload.
Crow shoots. Andy RO's the stage.
Brent shoots his USP .45.
Frank is the RO. Jan is scoring. Mike was the shooter. I am either confused or getting ready to tape the targets.
Jerry is practicing his anti-grizzly pepper spray moves on Tracy.
Before today's match, I had to buy a cap because I forgot to bring one. I decided I wouldn't spend more than $10 for a cap. All the stores in Missoula had those fancy $17 caps like Tiger Woods wears. Just as I was about to give up, I found a blue S&W cap for $9.99 (and no sales tax in Montana!). At the match I met two others, Brent and Dave, with the same cap. Today we were "Team Smith and Wesson" at Bigfork.
This is a picture of the essence of IPSC shooting: Weaver stance, front sight on target, shooting to win.