GAF in Arizona - Call to Arms

[Bow View Haymaker]

My other topic seams to have turned in this direction so I thought we could discuss it hear.

With the abundance of SASS clubs in the area and a good number of GAF members, I think we should be able to have a regular muster.  annual, bi-annual, monthly? 
there are different ways to do this.  A Saturday or Sunday adjacent to a SASS clubs monthly match, same range and targets just a more GAF format match.  or a Side match or day match with a clubs annual multiday event.  or an independant event at one of the CAS friendly ranges.  or even a club that will let us add the bttle rifle classes to thier monthly match.
we can also get together for non-shooting events.  a visit to a historical place in ou GAF uniforms or just a good old fashioned military ball. 

I GAF match format is somthing different from other CAS shoots.  other than the 2 gun instead of 4 and rifle calibers, there is also the longer target distances and reloads under preassure and/or from cover.  there is an elemnt of realism that is more like the reinactors get.  I realize not every range can accomidate a walk up a canyon with natral cover like we did at the dept of Mo muster last summer but we can lean in that direction. 

am going to try to get the posts from the other threads added to this one. 

any and all input and ideas ae welcome.

regards and happy shooting.

Bow View Haymaker

Dept of the Platte,  GAF

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Haymaker, this is sounding so blamed good, I might have to consider moving to Arizona ... but only if you put the dang fires out.   

[Willie Dixon]

Mr. Haymaker,

as you and I have already had previous correspondence on this matter, and I'm very excited about it, this is more for the rest of the Department of the Platte.

I have been a CAS shooter for two years now, and have done quite a lot in that time.  But, the saddest mark on my history is that everyone I have come into contact with are SASS gamers, not understanding the joys of plumes of grey smoke roiling out of a .45 caliber open top, or the sweet sound of the 56-50.  As such, I have pretty much been on my own, with my friends, and we're having a great time at that.

My group of men are fully transportable to anywhere in the Arizona Territory thanks in part to my miniature car, and my pardner's F150.  We'll go anywhere we can to meet like-minded soldiers.  And the cup o'joe, good grub, and all the fixin's are always on me in camp, as I've become quite the "cookie."

Up here, at the northermosst reach of Arizona, in Flagstaff, my friends and I have found a great spot to enjoy a GAF type event, as often and for however long as we wish.  The range is easily 25 yards wide, and has a long range distance of 285 yards (digitally checked) up a very nice berm.  It is in the Coconino National Forest, and we are allowed to camp there for up to seven days.

Dutifully,
WD

post script: TW, my friends are doing all they can   course, it's kind of like Southern California's mudslide season.  Every summer we get those fires.

[Curley Cole]

Me and Old Top would be pretty darn interested.....we have been attending the "Victorian" shoots at Piru and 5Dogs (if interested I have some pix of the matches on my webpage: http://sdough.smugmug.com) check under the Art sections.

anyways the folks at 5Dogs have done a fine job and you might pick their brains a bit...

keep us posted

curley

[Bow View Haymaker]

Great to hear from you all.  Flagstaff in the summer might not be a bad idea.  I don't remember the last day it wasn't triple diget temps down here. 
whats the weather like up north now? 


My AZ geograph is eral bad, where are the Piru and 5dogs ranges again? 
I like the idea of a side match or seperate day event with a larger event, but the idea of a muster just on our own is nice also.
the side match would get more people to see the gAF format but the seperate event would give us more freedom. 

let the free flow of ideas continue.

[Old Top]

Bow View,

Curly and I shoot mostly in California, Piru is up by Magic Mountain in Santa Calerita and 5 Dogs is out side of Bakersfield.  We would like to see a GAF match some where close, relitively speeking, as they can be great.

Old Top

[Evelyn Canarvon]

I would be interested if I close on the house.  Right now can not get insurance to close as the insurance companines have put a moritorium on new policies for all of Cochise County.

[Pitspitr]

If Bowview can get a muster put together y'all won't be sorry you attended. He a great host and a genuinely nice guy! We really hated to see him leave the Division of Nebraska.
You know maybe sometime you could all car pool to the Department of the Missouri for a Department or a Grand Muster.

[Jack N Water]

Here in AZ territory you can shoot a match at many locations on either Saturday or Sunday every weekend. The majority of GAF and like minded cowboys shoot out of Ben Avery or Rio Salado. I'm a member of both clubs as well as shooting various other clubs in the territory. Many cowboys who shoot these two larger clubs are also the directors of the smaller clubs. Your best bet is to contact Brevet Colonel Sagebrush Burns. Possibly the Winter Range folks could be of some help as well, LT Colonel Scratch my be a good contact with WR.

[Bow View Haymaker]

Here is a couple of other discussions of this

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,37397.25.html

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,34857.0.html

[Bow View Haymaker]

I plan on getting in touch with the GAF command of the dept of the Platte about a muster of some sort. 
I don't know if we can get this together this year but now is the time to plan for 2012.  if it comes together sooner , great. 


I'd like to ask all GAF members within hollorin. distance to check in with your location, home club if you have one, and level of interest in getting together for an event with a different type of CAS.  I'll start.

Bow View Haymaker,
Safford, AZ  no home club but 2-3 hours from several in SE AZ, and SW NM.
level of interest a 10 with 10 being highest. 

[Bow View Haymaker]

So lets's start a list of what's needed for a muster.

First we need some people interested in attending.
It's hard to justify a get together for less than 8-10 people.  (We got to start somewhere)

We need a location, yet to be determined.

We need a few targets.  a dozen or so would do, hopefully the range will have what's needed.

We need insurance,  Hopefully this can come with the location if an established range.

So, the way i see it, is this all depends on a place and/or club so help host this.
Hopefully more GAF members in the area will continue to sheck in here.  This will help determine what to do next.
I plan on making some contacts with the area clubs once I get a bit for feedback.

Keep checking in for more news and your input.

check the muster guide for an idea of the type of shooing matcfdh we are talkiing about.
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,33665.0.html

[Willie Dixon]

Willie Dixon checking in
Flagstaff/Lake Havasu - northern Arizona.  No local clubs to speak of out here in Flagstaff, however there is a CAS group in Havasu, they're a great group and when I get the chance, I'll talk to them about GAF style shoots.
level of interest: 10

Chief,

weather up here is drop-dead gorgeous in the summer.  It was 67 degrees this morning at 0600, and our high is going to be a crazy hot 79!  It's perfect up here for a weekend event in the summer.  If there was an Arizona muster in the summer, I'd have to say Flagstaff/Sedona etc would be the best for it.  We never see triple digits, high 90s are almost unheard of.  Also, I've noticed in the higher elevations, bullets tend to do some funny things in BP at longer ranges.  I dunno if its just me and my group, but it's fun!  Also, I have a description of my range in an earlier post.

Winter, not so much, we average double digits in snow.  It sure is pretty however, definitely takes you back in the winter, especially in the woods.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I don't have access to any targets to speak of as yet, but, one of my pards when he gets up here in August is a top-rate welder.  I'm hoping he and I can come up with some targets.

dutifully,
WD

[Bow View Haymaker]

weather up here is drop-dead gorgeous in the summer.  It was 67 degrees this morning at 0600, and our high is going to be a crazy hot 79!   It's perfect up here for a weekend event in the summer.  If there was an Arizona muster in the summer, I'd have to say Flagstaff/Sedona etc would be the best for it.  We never see triple digits, high 90s are almost unheard of.

That's what I thought.  I am going to try to start to come up with some targets hear also to take out to the local rage for practice.  Tagets can be pretty simple but it would be cool to get a few made like niederlander is doing for the Dept of Mo. 
Maybe we can do something down hear in the winter and up your way in the summer months. 

How many shooters are in you group up there that might be interested in this?

[Bow View Haymaker]

my old memory is fading and i can not for the lidfe of me think of what a "Cody/Dixon" match or class is.  I ahve heard the term but have never seen it.  someone commented that it wouldn't be a far streatch from that to a GAf format.
Not sure.

[Willie Dixon]

Chief,

Maybe we can do something down hear in the winter and up your way in the summer months.  

I was thinking the same exact thing. Even if it's only twice-yearly, it'd be an excuse to get out of the snow for us, and for everyone down there to get out of the heat in the summer!

Right now, I know for a fact I have one person who's in, Reese.  He's doing some lizard research down south so he's out of touch right now til August.  I also have three others pondering the idea.  The other three would be borrowing mine and Reese's firearms to get started, but they're interested.  I know they love my open top, and I've only ever shot black through her.

My friends and I are trying to come up with a cheaper alternative to targets like the portable ones Evil Roy sells.  Basically we're for the most part broke college students and my buddy Stubbz is a welder.  He's also chomping at the bit wanting to make these anyways.  These targets we'd be able to bring down with us as well.

The "Cody/Dixon" style shoots usually have one or two really far targets for the rifles to shoot at.  Kind of a bonus deal, as even Billy Dixon said it was a lucky shot.  So if our rifle targets are set up between 50 and 100 yards, that shot would be a 2 to 300 yard shot minimum.  Col. Drydock also has given me some other ideas for target setup as well, such as "kill em all!" where there aren't any misses counted, and all the targets need to be hit.

also, Chief, if you're ever in the area, be sure to give me a call.  I know all the best places in town for a good cup of joe and buffalo burgers

Dutifully,
WD

[Pitspitr]

Tagets can be pretty simple but it would be cool to get a few made like niederlander is doing for the Dept of Mo. 

Guys last weekends match (held at the site of the '08 & '09 Grand Muster) was shot using nothing but the GAF silhouette knock down targets and it was a target rich environment. It was a riot!

It you have access to any "scrap" steel and someone who is a welder Lt. Col. Neiderlander could get you the plans and you could make your own targets. You could start out slow and build targets as you have the funds to cut more steel. You'll be surprised how quickly the targets add up. Major, you'll recall that in "09 we had to borrow targets from you. Now we have in excess of 60 of the new style targets.

[Willie Dixon]

Col. Davenport,

I believe I saw in a post on here those silhouette targets.  Those were very nice.  I'll try and PM Col. Neiderlander and see about getting plans for those.  We have access to scrap out here, that's the good news, the trick is waiting for my welder to get back from Cali for the summer.

thanks Mr. Davenport.


dutifully,
WD

[Pitspitr]

Stock pile that steel and await his return!





Sure wish you could carpool with Bow View and attend the Dept. MO Muster. I'd sure like to meet the decendant of a legend.

[Niederlander]

Willie and Bow View,
       Grab all the 3/8" plate steel you can get!  (1/2" steel works, too.)  Get any 4" channel iron you can get for the target stands.  Do you have access to an overhead projector?  If so, I'll send you the overlay I used to make patterns.  As far as the target stands, I'll have to draw them up for you, as the plans I originally used have been modified somewhat.  I probably won't be able to get to that until after the Muster here in late July.  I've posted pictures of our targets on our Facebook page.  Go to Grand Army of the Frontier, Department of the Missouri.  Hope that helps!