Wodonga Big Bore 2010

[philw]

well....   what a weekend

had an absolute ball.   and we are all ready talking about Next years 

it was very cool to put faces to screen names after all these years "finally"
I found it amazing  from the moment I arrived it was like catching up with old mates again that have not seen each other for years everyone just got a long.  this is very good considering we were effectively all strangers that met up over the internet. that ALL have a common interest

we ended up with about 50 AHN forum members and on saturday including there famlies  had 80 on the range shooting   
cop that for an organised over the internet event + in Australia.

now to get it out before Sledge will    I know I went to a Catholic school  however I never though I would get "blessed" by the pope   ( especialy a super short one ) over the weekend.   and for that I won a Bottle of Scotch.

for my self  it started out heading over there for Friday to set up camp and catch up before the weekend shoot.
after a couple of "beverages"  Rob & Mrs Sledge  & a couple others headed back in to town  to there hotels while the rest of us camped out.  that night it Rained ALL night  ( explained the wet sleeping bag from the puddle of water at the end of my swag)

in the morning it stopped raining long enough for a couple of us to pack up the gear and head on to the range to dry out and start the fire for breakfast. 
come around 10am targets were set up and the guns, cannons were set up ready for a day of burning powder & throwing lead down range. 
as you saw  Steve made it along  and joined in on the fun,  he even brought some of his guns along for the shoot. 

Everyone was saying  have you shot this before.   try this then..    there were a few that had never shot Pistols before so Rob and I both fixed that issue.  the smiles from everyone that had a go was worth it  especially when they shot the 1911 .45acp or Rob's Ruger .44mag

after we cleaned up and put all the bang sticks away  we cracked open a few more beers had a good camp fire chat and sing along  led by Steve.   it was a laugh and a very good night.

Sunday started a little slower for a few.  was a very similar format to the day before   a couple of "formal" comps  and the rest of the time was just fun...   as you can see from the vids  lots of fun.. 

I will also add some Pics later on. 

[sledgemeister]

weatherby eyebrow from a pope gun........holy moly, ohhhh the shame!!!!! lol
Nice job on the vid mate. I noticed you omittted the bit before me saying "safety" lol!

[philw]

hehe 


I just realised I need to explain the pope gun

it is the .243 ad that is the shame of it all,    could of been something bigger like that 577NE  or the .416  but no!!!  was the pope

.243's on all creatures great and small from Hares to Bears and it seemed no muff was too tough for the .243. Then it was revealed that Pope John Paul II himself was a regular user of the .243 as he loved to pop Pigeons across the vast courtyards of the Vatican and having survived an earlier assasination attempt, he liked the idea of a cartridge flat enough for the courtyard but with enough grunt to say hello to any non-believers. Seems the Pope was right, the .243 was all anyone needed in this life or the next (and he should know) so the .243 was canonised and is known as the Pope Gun.

http://www.australianhunting.net/AHN_Journal/Articles/008%20Saint%20Or%20Sinner.htm

[Solus]

Phil, watched the video a few times trying to spot you getting mauled by the Pope Gun (nice story with that.  Had not heard the phrase before), but I keep getting distracted by all the other great things going on and haven't found it!!..

But, it does make me long for a life just full of that....not just once a year but all the time....singing around campfires, shooting whenever we get enough ammo loaded...learning gunsmithing as we go along....meals prepared in camp...and all th is with great folks.


Sigh.   When I win the lottery, I'll have to buy enough land in a place that this can be done.

I always ache on the last day.....knowing how I will miss the friends I have at these get togethers. 

At least with the INet and forums, you can stay in pretty close touch between times together.

[sledgemeister]

a few pics from day one

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Looks like a fun time was had by all