2015 Grand Muster

[Pitspitr]

Hopefully this is early enough that everybody can put in for time off now and get it.

I will be hosting the 2015 Grand Muster, June 26th, 27th & 28th, in my pasture.  

This Muster will be open to anyone in the GAF. If not currently a member I can help you register. (Membership in the GAF is free and easy) By using Google Earth and going to  41°40'16.24"N Latitude and  99°19'42.54"W Longitude you can see the Grand Muster site. Registration forms will be available on the dispatches page of the Grand Army's Web site. Particpation will be limited to 35 shooters. Registration is $75,  an extra Sat. eve. banquet ticked is $15. Meals will be available on site from Delmonico. Those wishing to attend but not compete may do so without registration fee, but be sure to pay the meal fee if you plan to eat with us.

The planned activities include: a 4 stage GAF steel target main match, a 200 yd paper target long range match and a GAF Expansion Era Match. While 4 stages for the main match doesn't sound like much these four stages will be of the skirmish format and will feature about 20 knock down targets per stage. Round counts will be dependent on the number of times the shooter needs to shoot at each target to get it to fall. 100 rounds at least would be a good plan. This is a match that participants say truly needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Shooters will be able to sight in their rifles on Thursday and Friday afternoon and evening. When the actual long range match is held on Saturday it will be shot from the shooters choice of positions from the ground.

This muster will be a primative camping event. We will have a tent city and have tentage for about 10 individuals if you don't have your own contact me, I can help. We should be easily able to get photos without anything modern in them. We should have plenty of time to sit around the campfire and visit.

The average high temperature in this area on June 27th is 84 degrees

I've attached a FAQ sheet and a suggested equipment list and registration form below.

[Mustang Gregg]

We'll try to make it next year.

[Pitspitr]

I bought a new target for it yesterday!  

[Pitspitr]

So far since the match I've purchased a trauma kit (God forbid we ever need it), and a new target. I've planned a new stage location for a stage that will include elements of all three of  the stages, the fort stage, the Moro stage and the runner stage. We also have improvements planned for the camp site. Additionally, I've already done some road work to improve access to the canyons and by the end of the month I expect to have the cabin finished and another little shed moved up to the camp site. Ned and I have also been making notes so that we remember all the little tweaks we want to implement next year to help with time management on the stages.

[Gripmaker]

Col.,  Glad to hear that you are again hosting the Grand Muster at your place. Had a great time this year and would be amenable to having it there every year. Have already started working up loads for long range with 6.5 Swede. I guess that means I plan to be there. Need to clarify load specs for long range. Will we be using military loadings or must we work with the 1400 fps criteria? Wouldn't even mind spending a few days at the sight some other time, if that is acceptable.  December would be great but can't get wife away from Florida at that time. Oh, well!

[Pitspitr]

We're going to be discussing the distance. Right now we have an awfully lot of no scores, plus 300 yds makes the use of spotting scopes to sight in difficult, ( I don't have a scope that's strong enough) and we lose a lot of time running back and forth trying to figure out where we're hitting. I really don't want to shorten it to 100 though, because that doesn't seem like "long" range to me.

That being said, the long range match is on paper so the jacket and speed limits need not apply. The load I used in my Krag was a jacketed 220 gr. RN bullet going nearly 2100 ft/sec. It was as close to the original loading as I could get.

[River City John]

Specific thoughts on this years Muster for next year 2015 Muster:
I really liked the idea of having the two Main match stages back to back, feeding off that common rallying area. What I would like to have though, is perhaps a portable Satellite station, additional rifle racks and seating, and one of the big orange water coolers placed there.
I know that ungodly steep hill is an obstacle, but I propose for next year:

I will cover the cost for a porta potty down in that common area. It could even be left on the transport trailer if possible.
My big orange cooler went unused this year. I'll earmark it specifically for that use.
I had two of those folding chairs that went unused, I'll put them down there to add to other seating.
And finally, fellas, after multiple years of fighting with that awning, setting and keeping it upright on the hill, I say set it up down in that gully area out of the wind as shade for the troops. After all, we spend the largest portion of time for this event there and would be better use for it.

And, not to add more work for poor Delmonico, for that midday meal load the three or four dutch ovens in the back of his Rolling Eggplant and serve rations in the field. Even our mess kits could be pre-loaded in the front of his pickup bed that morning after breakfast clean up so we wouldn't have to carry 'em down with our kit.

RCJ

[pony express]

+1  on the cooler at the shooting area! The tarp for shade would be good too, there's not much shade to be found in that one valley, but the one where we shoot EOE does have a little. But I don't know about that last one, John....depending on what is in those dutch ovens, might be more of it sloshing around the bed of the truck than inside the ovens by the time it gets down there. I think what we need to do is just set a lunch break time, and stick to it. And I kind of liked what we did in the Zoot match for organization, too. Just put your rifles in the rack and shoot in the order you stacked them.

[Delmonico]

Lunch can be worked out however, I'm flexible, Jerry and I did some talking about it, but we have a while.   

I think we need one large ice chest with nothing in it but bags of ice to be grabbed as needed by what ever ice chest or jug needs them, I'm going to watch the fall sales and see what I can find in a month or so in the way of a larger one, for food stuffs the 3 smallers work better than one large one.   

[pony express]

Del, I have a pretty large one, I just have stuff in it while we're travelling. All the "travelling food" goes in the fridge wherever we happen to stay, and the cooler just sits, so we can use it for that. Only reason I carry such a big one is so we can load it full at the Asian stores in KC, take home a bunch of the stuff that's not available at home.

[Pitspitr]

I started cutting firewood last night. I have 3 ash trees that died up there in the last several months and they're close to the "kitchen" so figured I'd get a jump on next year's projects.

[Pitspitr]

Exciting news! see this thread: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,53455.new.html#new

[Pitspitr]

We'll try to make it next year.

You'd better be to do the paperwork!   

[Pitspitr]

I will cover the cost for a porta potty down in that common area.

I think I have 3 of them lined up for next year

And finally, fellas, after multiple years of fighting with that awning, setting and keeping it upright on the hill, I say set it up down in that gully area out of the wind as shade for the troops. After all, we spend the largest portion of time for this event there and would be better use for it.

I shoulda thought of that!

[Dutch Al]

Hello Pitspitr

Will there also be four stages in the Expansion Era Match?

[Pitspitr]

No, the Expansion Era Match is 1 looong stage.
The stages at this GAF match are long enough that participants will shoot almost as much ammunition in 4-5 stages as you would in 10 CAS stages.

[Drydock]

   As always, the best part of the Muster is Sea Stories around the fire.  BTW, I do believe we hold the record for Distance to Nearest International Body of Salt Water while engaged in the telling of Sea Stories . . .

D->NIBSW+SS=

We were gonna have an award for Best Bullsh . . . ah, Sea Story, but Ned retired that the first year with the Baby Ducks . . .

[Delmonico]

Can't wait for the camp fire talks...

Maj SH Long

[Niederlander]

Yes, the campfire talks, stories, etc. tend to be excellent!

[Delmonico]