Thursday Bulletin – May 16, 2024
Executive Director's Message Richard Pearson Colonel Whelen’s Search for Accuracy in Rifles In March and April of 1957, Colonel Townsend Whelen wrote an article which was published in the American Rifleman Magazine, in which he famously said, “Only accurate rifles are interesting”. Colonel Whelen went on to describe his personal history of trying to attain accurate shooting rifles. This included hand loading his own ammunition and experimenting with different types of rounds, loads, bullet weights, bullet designs, powders,
and calibers. In the early 1900’s, he was pleased to attain a 3-inch group at 100 yards by meticulously loading his own ammunition. In my own experience years ago, I remember striving to get a rifle that would shoot a 1-inch group at 100 yards. It was actually rare in those days to have a rifle and a load that could do that. Since then, there has been great progress made with the
production of accurate rifles. Improved ballistics and sights have also made the whole endeavor of an accurate rifle attainable. Now we are seeing rifles that will shoot a quarter inch group at 100 yards. I have to say, it’s a lot of fun to shoot a very accurate rifle, and not much fun to shoot an inaccurate rifle. It is to the point that if you have one of these modern rifles and
you’re using the proper ammunition, if you shoot a bad shot, it’s probably you and not the rifle. One of my rifles is a Ruger Scout in .308 caliber. When I first got the rifle, the only ammunition I had on hand was South Korean .308 ball ammo. I, of course, was dying to try out the rifle. I zeroed it in at 100 yards, and the group was terrible. I
figured it was probably the ammunition, because if it wasn’t, I’d really be disappointed! I then purchased several boxes of Hornaday .308 Match ammunition. My group size shrunk about 7 inches to about 1 inch. Remember, this is out of a Scout Rifle. I moved my target out to 300 yards, and I was able to produce a 10-shot group inside of 4 inches, shooting off a bench rest, if you take out the shot in the seven ring that the dummy shooting the rifle put there. This rifle is equipped with a 2x7
power Long Eye Relief Scope. Not an ideal target set-up, but this is not a target rifle. These days, there are a lot of very accurate rifles out there, that make target shooting fun. Right here in Illinois, Rock River Arms offers their RBG-1S series rifles that is capable of shooting a half-inch group, or less. I know some of these rifles have shot under a quarter inch group when set up properly, and have a Marksman much better than myself. We will be offering a Rock River RBG-1S 6.5 Creedmoor rifle in our 121st Anniversary Raffle coming up very soon. If Colonel Whelen were alive today, he would be overwhelmed by the number of accurate rifles now
available. One of the greatest competitions designed for these rifles is known as F-Class. There is an F-Class League at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, near Kankakee, which is great for beginning shooters to expert shooters. There are also other F-Class Leagues around the state. In September, the ISRA in conjunction with the Aurora Sportsman’s Club, will hold the F-Class Mid-Range
Championship. The distance for the Mid-Range Championship is 600 yards. If you can find an F-Class League near you, it’s a great opportunity to improve your Marksmanship skills. I’m sure Colonel Whelen will be looking down on you with a big smile on his face. Firearm Industry
Surpasses $17 Billion for Conservation
Firearm and ammunition manufacturers topped $17 billion in excise tax contributions to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund, since its inception in 1937. When adjusted for inflation, the total is more than $27.38 billion. In the 4th quarter calendar year of 2023, the firearm and ammunition manufacturers contributed more than $222 million. The firearm and ammunition industry truly demonstrates their commitment to wildlife conservation for all Americans. This industry knows that the conservation of wildlife and the habitats in which they thrive are invaluable, and crucial to future generations of hunters and recreational shooting sports enthusiasts. This manufacturing industry, which produces firearms and ammunition for law-abiding citizens, also produces most of the funding of which our conservation
programs depend. Therefore, it is essential for future generations to be able to enjoy.
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Click here, or on the flier above to download a printable order form, or call (815) 635-3198, and we can take your order over the phone. Turkey Hunting Dates - Reminder The 2024 Spring Turkey Hunting Season Ends Today. 2024 Fall Turkey Shotgun Lottery Application Dates: 1st Lottery started May 7 and ends July 1; 2nd Lottery is July 12 thru August 19. Fall
shotgun hunting: Begins October 19 and ends October 27. Tidbits May 18, 1860 – Former New Salem Postmaster, Springfield IL Attorney Nominated Presidential Candidate. Abraham Lincoln is nominated as a Republican presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention, in Chicago Illinois. May 18, 1980 – Mount St. Helens Erupts The blast threw 1700 feet off the top of Mount St. Helens. Some debris was injected into the atmosphere at speeds faster than the speed of sound. It is estimated that 520,000,000 tons of ash was ejected into the atmosphere. The blast killed at least 50 people, and killed thousands of wild animals, millions of fish, and destroyed millions of trees. The forest service replanted 10 million trees to replace the ones the Mount St. Helens interruption destroyed. Experts are
saying that the volcano continues to be active. Another blast or eruption in that area could happen at any time. May 19, 1935 – Lawrence of Arabia Dies T.E. Lawrence, or more commonly known as Lawrence of Arabia, is killed in a motorcycle accident, near Dorset England. Lawrence had swerved to miss
two boys on bicycles and later died from his injuries. May 20, 1927 – The Spirit of St. Louis Young pilot Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island to attempt the world’s first nonstop flight across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris. The flight took 33-1/2 hours. Lindbergh’s
greatest challenge was fighting sleep along the way, forcing his eyelids open with his fingers to keep him from falling asleep. Lindbergh was flying a small monoplane configured to his own design. He called the plane, “The Spirit of St. Louis” to honor his primary sponsor, the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce. May 21, 2000 – A President’s Bones Former President James Garfield’s spine is put on display. Garfield had been shot in the back by a disgruntled and probably mentally unstable office seeker. Garfield’s spine along with body parts of other presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower’s gall stones have been items of interest at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Vice president Chester A. Arthur took over the presidency upon Garfield’s
death. May 22, 1843 – The Great Western Emigration The first American wagon train leaves from Elm Grove, Missouri, heading northwest toward the Oregon Trail. The wagon train consisted of 1000 men, women, and children. More than 100 wagons, 5000 oxen, cattle and horses trailed
behind. The wagon train ended at its destination in western Oregon. The popularity of wagon trains diminished in 1884 when the Union Pacific Railroad completed railway construction along the Oregon Trail.
The Illinois State Rifle Association is the home of marksmanship in Illinois At the Range
All classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted. Special Offer on ISRA Range Memberships! Today and until June 30, 2024 we are offering $50 off the Range membership fee. Just mention code 50OFF, when you are signing up. Flyer may be downloaded here Empowering First Shots – Free Women’s
Shooting Event on Saturday June 15th!
This event is designed to provide a safe and
supportive environment for women to learn about shooting and self-defense and welcomes women of all skill levels. For more information and to register for this event, <click here>, or go to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering-first-shots-free-womens-shooting-event-registration-698794963547?aff=oddtdtcreator. Click here to view the entire calendar. THU 16 – Smallbore Rifle League - Range 5 - 2:00-Dusk FRI 17 – F Class Benchrest League - Range 3 - 8:00-1:00 FRI 17 – Paper Steel League - Range 11 - 4:00-Dusk SAT 18 – Troop 216 - Range 1 (8:00-12:00), 2, 6, 7, Pavilion - 8:00-8:00 SAT 18 – Range Tour - All Ranges & Clubhouse - 10:00-11:30 & 1:00-2:30 SUN 19
– Bullseye Match & Combat Match –Bullseye, Range 1, 8:00-12:00; Combat, Range 2- 1:00-3:00 SUN 19 – NRA Range Safety Officer Class - Clubhouse - 8:00-5:00 SUN 19 – 2 Gun Drills/Rifle & Pistol - Range 4 - 8:30-5:30 SUN 19 – Titan Pistol Mini Workshop-Run Your Holster - Range 9 - 9:00-12:00 SUN 19 – Joe Brown Highpower League, Edward J Neumann Match - Range 3 & Pavilion - 9:00-2:00 SUN 19 – Illinois CCL Qualification - Range 9 - 1:00-5:00 TUE 21 –
Tuesday Night Irregular Rifles - Range 3 & Pavilion - 11:00-Dusk WED 22 – F-Class Rifle League - Range 3 - 8:00-5:00 WED 22 – Benchrest League - Range 4 - 8:00-Dusk The ISRA Range is located at 1589 N 7000w Rd, Bonfield, IL 60913. The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues for shooting enthusiasts! Interested in joining a league? Just show up 15 - 30 minutes early. Range memberships are available. A day at the ISRA Range is
always a great day! Thank you
for being a member! Upcoming Gun Shows & Events While
the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate –
sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Thursday Bulletin. Interested in attending other shooting clinics & events? They can be found across the state on the INDR website. May 17 – Kids & Clays Charity Fundraiser, Decatur Gun Club May 18 – ISRA Range Open House Tours May 18 – 19 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds, Kankakee May 18 – 19 Introductory Wingshooting Clinic, Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area, Wilmington May
19 – Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles June 1 – Youth Wingshooting Clinic, Gardner Camp, Hull June 1– 2 Hunter Clinic, Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area, Wilmington June 7 – Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Workshop, Northern Illinois University/Lorado Taft Field Campus, Oregon June 8 – 9 Introductory Wingshooting Clinic, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife
Area, Chandlerville June 15 – 16 Hunter Clinic, Briar Knoll Hunting and Fishing Club, Amboy |
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