GKar

NA$CAR has made the "folks are staying home to watch us on TV" argument for a number of years now...in the face of viewership numbers that have fallen by double-digit rates every year.  If all those folks who aren't filling a seat at the track were watching on their DVR and big-screen HDTVs, those numbers would be heading in a different direction.  They alienated the older fan base in pursuit of that all-important 18-35 group years back - and they accomplished that shift.  They also inherited the attention deficit and what-have-you-done-for-me today attitude of their treasured young-ins, and forgot that  the older group they kicked to the curb accounted for more disposable income.  Their racing product sucks - this coming from someone who was a competitor at both the LMS (now Xfinity) and Grand National (now somebody's Cup) level for over 10 years.  That's why hte seats are empty.  But Daytona doesn't care - the TV deal has lined their pockets, so they could care less if there is not a single fan cross the gate - that's the track-owners deal...and since they own about 50% of the venues, well...

The reason Tony kept her around is cubic dollars - if she hadn't been able to land a significant amount of money, she would hit the door.  Ability means little in "racertainment" circles these days - its all about the checkbook you can bring to the deal.  Ability-wise, she can barely drive a nail thru a board when it comes to being competitive at that level of stock-car racing - but she has the media twisted around her little finger, which buys the exposure companies are looking for.  That's the ROI - not race finishes.

  Yeah, less than a mile across the state line.  Hosts IDPA every fourth Saturday, USPSA every third Saturday, ATA 300-bird every fourth Saturday, ATA Big 50 every Thursday, skeet and 5-stand leagues on Tuesday, and a ton of rimfire and IR 50/50 matches, including an indoor .22 leagues throughout the winter.  300 yd centerfire range (approx 50 stations), 12 plinking ranges, 4 trap/skeet fields (all are lit for night shooting), 100 bird sporting clays course, 5-stand course open 24/7, a 25 & 50 yard pistol target range (approx 25 stations), 50 yd/50 meter rimfire range (60 stations), and an archery range.  All ranges are available for members' use anytime during the week unless there is a scheduled event/match occurring on that field.  Come up sometime - you'll be glad you did!

If you frequent the Bristol area, check out Kettlefoot - they accommodate a very wide variety of shooting disciplines

I pocket-carry a Sig p238 in a Recluse TS clamshell holster...very pleased.  They now have one for the G43, as well.

I dont suppose the correlation could actually be between the underlying mental issues that resulted in these folks being prescribed "psych drugs" and their actions...

Have seen info here and there about the Nobel Sport/Vectan line of powders of late.  Given the spotty availability of the popular powders for us clay shooters, was wondering if anyone on here might have had any experience with the Vectan line?  Seems BPI is slowly growing a database of load data

Best friend and I had numerous pyro-adventures.  Once put calcium carbide and water into a big glass soft drink bottle, then quickly put one of those giant balloons over the neck.  Once it filled to the max with the resulting acetylene gas, tied it off, taped about three feet of cannon fuse (you could buy enormous rolls of it from ads in comic books), lit it and let it go about 10pm at night.  Fireball filled the sky, cops filled the neighborhood...

RE juniors shooting ATA - they don't have to be associated with a team in order to shoot at any ATA registered event, AFAIK.  We have several youths ages 11 - 18 that participate in our monthly ATA shoots, and I know at least a few of them aren't associated with any team - school or otherwise.

  Shot an ATA at Morristown a couple of weeks ago in these conditions.  It will flat take the starch outta yer shorts.

Listening to Ramsey speak last week to a local SCV meeting, he sounded like someone far too engaged with what he has already "done", and pointedly avoiding any references to what he intended to "do" (unlike Tim Hill, who spoke at the same meeting).  That has been a consistent tone from him of late - and that, combined with having his boot shoved clear up to his Adam's apple in his last shot at the Gov's chair, seems to send a clear message that he has no stomach for a repeat performance.

TFA is the only group with folks who actually walk the halls at Legislative Plaza.  The NRA liason for TN can't find her a$$ with a road map...

Mostly trap with ATA.  Singles and handicap.   Shoot Big 50 each week at Kettlefoot, and then monthly 300 bird events at Kfoot and Morristown.  Also catch the events at Hog Heaven (White Pine), the Dogwood over at Bostic NC, as well as other ATA shoots at Bostic and Spartanburg SC.  Made it to three state shoots this year (KY, NC and SC), and will have about 7000 total birds by end of Aug (end of ATA year).  Presently shooting a Citori XT Trap, but have a Remington 90-T waiting in the wings.

Between .17 HMR and .204 Ruger, I kinda favor the latter.  Might wanna check that one out, too.

In the "people have no clue about which they speak" dept:  Our SCV camp maintains the First National flag above the Confederate Field of Honor in East Hills Cemetery, where many, many "unknowns" were buried after they passed in the Confederate hospital here in Bristol (rail brought the injured out of the Northern VA theatre as far south as it went, which was here.  We've identified and erected markers to over 220 so far...)  About three weeks ago, the pulley at the top broke, so the flag came down.  This past Friday, a bunch of us worked to put up enough scaffolding to get up there and replace it, and then raised the First back up.  Our camp adjuvant told me yesterday that a nice young lady came up to him earlier that morning (knowing he was part of the SCV, and we maintained that end of the cemetery) and thanked him for helping to put the Tennessee flag back up on the pole....

Got the ATA shoot in without any real significant rain - just a drizzle here and there.  Cloudy day made for a great background, and scores showed it (7 of 14 shooters shot 95 or better in singles).  Sounded like a small war on up the hill...hope all went well for IDPA.

100 singles (16 yd), 100 handicap, 100 doubles.  Likely using 4 fields, 25 each for singles/caps.  Doubles usually shot on 1 field.  Problem in contemplating both would be timing: Registration starts at 9, singles starts at 10.   Options: 25s for singles, handicap - $5 each.  Mid-50 for handicap - 5$, and money from previous shoots carries over.  Not sure what that pot is up to now - think its about $1000 or so.

Fellar at our club routinely uses a Mossberg 500 for skeet, and typically shoots the lights out.  Calls it "drive-by skeet"...

  300-bird ATA shoot every 4th Saturday.  Love to have ya!   Plus, there's a 300 bird shoot in Morristown every second Saturday.  No shortage of opportunities to break clays up in the fingertip...

Expecting about 200 shooters for the event.  Plus, we are having an ATA 300-bird trap event there on Saturday as well...

Sig p238 in a Recluse pocket holster. 

Welcome to the cluster known as "the parks bill", brought to you by your friendly local "Republican" supermajority...

Yes,the supermajority at work again.  I saw those amendments get added, and just shook my head...and then laughed inside as post after post declared how TN was putting the boot to the Feds with this bill.  Boys and girls, you can bend over and take Ramsey's boot outta yer a$$, cause that's where the supermajority has rammed it over and over...till it meets no resistance, apparently...

Never seen a church posting in this part of TN.  Church we attend has a security plan in place that includes several armed (concealed) members located near entrances/exits, etc.

Getting back to the "legislative days" and the GA per diem: today, April 23, is only the 29th legislative day of this session, according to their own calendar.  So they still have a lot of time before getting any where near the statutory limit.  From Ramsey's many local proclamations on the topic, the hurry is not a matter of hitting that limit, but is being cast as a "we're saving the taxpayer money by getting done quickly and going home" line of BS.