I usually write about firearms and the politics that surround firearm ownership but today I want to sound a warning to all the fishermen out there. Anti-fishing groups are on the rise and mounting new attacks on your sport. Fishermen have mostly been asleep at the tiller but it is time to wake up. We are seeing more and more activity from Animal Rights groups. Animal rights groups, anti-gun groups and environmental wacko groups all offer safe harbors for leftists. They also offer a way for leftists to make a living; they are well-financed and will stop at nothing. Just letting you know.
The first hunting seasons are on and will soon be followed by waterfowl, deer, turkey and upland game. Now is the time for all those who need to take a Hunter Safety Course to get signed up for one. I have already been seeing gun shops and outdoor stores filling their shelves with clothing, equipment, and ammunition. There are usually good sales around the first of September so be ready to take advantage of bargains on whatever you need.
It is important to buy plenty of ammunition and spend some time practicing before the season starts. It is a bad time to learn that you bought the wrong stuff when you are out in the field or in your tree stand.
On October 6th, the ISRA Range in Bonfield (just west of Kankakee) will hold its annual Sighting-In-Day, from 9:30am-3:30pm. We will have people there to help you with your shotguns, slug guns, handguns, muzzle loaders and rifles. Bring plenty of ammunition (actually, bring more than you think you need). NO ammunition is SOLD at range. Shooting targets, ranges and instruction are supplied. We have been doing this for a number of years so please trust me: we haven’t seen everything, but we have seen a lot. A light lunch and snacks are available.
Our High Power shooters and teams are rolling along at a blistering pace. The winner of the Nathan Hale Trophy is John Holliger. The Nathan Hale Trophy goes to the high civilian in the National Trophy Individual Match. John came out on top of 817 other competitors. The NTI is an amazingly large match. That does not include the military competitors. Forty ISRA shooters were in this match, with 4 ISRA shooters in the top 10!
Congratulations to the ISRA Gold Team who won the Civilian Division of the National Trophy Team Match. The team members are John Holliger (Coach), Konrad Powers (Captain), Mark Aussieker, Tim Klauer, Liam McKenna and James Vaughn. The ISRA Gold Team also won the Soldier of Marathon Trophy which is the oldest trophy given at the National Matches.
The National Smallbore Championships have wrapped up and the ISRA has done fantastically well. If you shoot every match in the Smallbore Championships the total is 1200 shots. It is known as the Iron Man competition. Not every competitor enters the Iron Man because they don’t want to shoot every match.
This year the Iron Man was won by a woman (I find this hysterically funny). The great news is it was won by our own Elizabeth Gratz who is now on the University of West Virginia shooting team. In the top 15 Iron Man competitors, 6 were from Illinois.
Congratulations to all the shooters who represented the ISRA so well!
Great shooters and great teams don’t just happen. It is a lot of work, planning, dedication and commitment that makes all that happen. Thanks to the coaches, competitors and their families that help with all of that. The Illinois State Rifle Association is committed to excellence in Marksmanship. There is still time to join our shooting leagues or shooting leagues near you.
The State Championships are coming up in September. We would love to have you compete whether you are from Illinois or other states.
Tuesday November 6th is Election Day in Illinois and the rest of the country. Unless gun owners turn out and vote it will be a grim day. J. B. Pritzker is the most anti-gubernatorial candidate we have ever had in Illinois. Last Sunday, in an Op-Ed in The Chicago Sun Times, Mr. Pritzker outlined in a paragraph what he wants to do with gun owners. Here is the paragraph:
“Without a doubt, we need common-sense and long-overdue gun safety legislation. Criminals and those who want to do harm shouldn’t have access to guns, and no one should have access to weapons of war or be able to obtain guns illegally. We need to ban assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines, and we need to stop the importation of illegal guns across Illinois’ borders. It’s also time to enforce universal background checks and enact a gun dealer licensing bill.”
These are code words for “I want to take your firearms away and make life tough for both firearm owners and dealers.” It is clear what our future as law abiding gun owners will be unless you and every other gun owner gets out and vote like a gun owner.
There is one more piece of good news from the National Rifle Championships. ISRA Junior shooter, Alex Vitous, has been selected to be on the 2019 Under 21 United States International Palma Rifle Team. Next July, Alex will be shooting in the world championships in New Zealand. The Palma Matches were started in 1876. The match is fired at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. Rifles must have iron sights and be either .223 or .308 caliber. Well done Alex!
Recently I have been getting calls from the media regarding so-called 3-D guns. There are those that think a person can take a set of plans off the internet, download them to a 3-D printer or CNC machine, turn everything on and out will come a gun. Even more interesting, I got one call from a media person who thought you could make ammunition the same way. The answer is: uhhh… No.
There are a few points you should know just in case this topic comes up around the water cooler. It is not illegal for a person to make their own firearms. People have been doing this for years. There are some rules you must follow. The gun you make must be for your own use. You can’t sell it or even give it away because it has no serial number. If you want to give it a serial number then you have to become a federally licensed firearm manufacturer. You can’t make a firearm that is undetectable. The firearm must be 50% or more metal. You cannot make a firearm that qualifies for the National Firearms Act prohibited list – no full auto, no artillery pieces, no mortars, you know all the really fun stuff. There are prohibitions contrary to what the anti-gunners and fellow travelers think and the media espouse. In certain parts of the world people are making firearms in caves and huts that are not very pretty but they work, mostly. John M. Browning hand carved wooden models of his firearms before he turned them into metal. This is not new.
What we really have here is an attack on free speech by the leftists and the media. They don’t want that kind of knowledge out there. They only want what they want out there. Free speech isn’t free unless you own control of the media. Otherwise, you have to fight for it.
By now, last weekend’s shootings in Chicago have slipped from the front pages and off the 6 o’clock news. Even so, the city is bracing for another weekend of gang activity. As I have repeatedly said, the problem is the gangs and the drugs that fuel them. I talked to a retired Chicago policeman Tuesday and he reported seeing drug deals on the street while driving to pick up a couple of relatives. If he can see them, why can’t others? Your guess is as good as mine. The understaffed Chicago Police Dept. said last weekend’s shootings are gang related and so will next weekend’s shootings, and the next and the next.
This is more than a police dept. problem, this is a culture problem. One community activist stated that they want to spread the pain around. That is the excuse for shutting down streets and demonstrating in front of Wrigley Field. Instead of running around the city and spreading the pain around why don’t you folks stay home and clean up your own neighborhood. It is not as much fun, you won’t get on TV and you will not have 15 minutes of fame, but it will make a difference which is what everyone wants-isn’t it?
The Illinois Gun Violence Political Action Committee and the Gifford’s have joined forces and made endorsements in Illinois legislative races. The organization, known as G-PAC, has endorsed several Republican legislators. This is the first time an anti-gun organization has endorsed Republicans in Illinois. They are: Senator Chris Nybo, Senator Tom Rooney, Senator John Curran and Representative Peter Breen.
This is a clear message to gun owners that the fight is on. The ISRA will be fighting for you. This fight will be the most costly in history!
A bunch of FOID cards are coming up for renewal soon. This is the first batch of the 10-year cards to renew. If you or anyone you know wants to get a FOID card, I would do it now because things may get hectic later. Remember: if you are a member and need assistance with your FOID, call Mary at the ISRA office (815.635.3198) for an appointment; she will give you specific instructions on what you will need.
The numbers are in:
FOID – 2,287,525
ICCL – 307,311
The ISRA Range is hosting John Farnam’s Urban Rifle Course on September 22 & 23. You can register for this excellent course of instruction directly at
http://defense-training.com/
The ISRA Range will host the NRA Basic Rifle Course on September 30, 2018. This course is the prerequisite for the NRA Rifle Instructor Course. This is an eight-hour class with live fire qualification. Check our website calendar for details.
Annual Sighting-In-Day Sat. October 6th, the ISRA Range in Bonfield
9:30am-3:30pm.
Bring Your Own Ammunition!
Please donate to the ISRA-Political Victory Fund.
Upcoming Events See: ISRA Calendar
JOIN THE ISRA TODAY!
For more information, visit www.isra.org
