Category Archives: General News

Parting Ways with MWF

Recently the Custer Rod and Gun Club Board of Directors decided that it was in the best interest of our club to break our ties with the Montana Wild Life Federation. This decision was made in order to make the most effective use of the memberships limited funds; as well as protect the members personal information, as the MWF was requesting the detailed personal information of our club members. Additionally, many club members were upset that the club was supporting a group that is lobbying for certain wildlife management programs that are directly opposed by many of the ranchers and club members in Eastern Montana.

Below is a letter we received from MWF. CR&GC President Keith Hall requested that the letter be posted on the website for the membership to see…

Montana Wild Life Federation
www.montanawildlife.org
Protecting Montana’s wildlife, land, waters, hunting and fishing heritage since 1936

May 20, 2014

Keith Hall
President
Custer Rod & Gun Club
P.O. Box 303
Miles City, MT 59301

Dear Keith:

Thank you for taking the time to talk last week about the Custer Rod & Gun Club and the
Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF).

I was saddened to hear of your Board’s decision to disaffiliate from MWF. However, I
absolutely understand your reasons for doing so. I think there is no question that MWF as a
statewide organization failed to effectively reach out to your club and deliver results for your
members over a period of many years.

Even though I understand why you want to leave the Federation, I hope you will reconsider.
This is a time of significant change for MWF. As Montana’s oldest conservation
organization, we have an unmatched legacy of success in protecting wildlife, habitat, and
access. At the same time, any organization of our tenure will occasionally need to be
renewed and reinvigorated.

As the new Executive Director, I have made it my personal priority to reinvent our business
operations, rebuild our membership, and reopen lines of communication with our affiliates
all over the state. In addition to restructuring our operations to enhance value for affiliates
and members, MWF is also directing considerable attention to refocusing our policy agenda,
including expanded attention to issues in Eastern Montana.

MWF includes people from every part of the state and from all walks of life. Our members
include people from a diverse array of professional fields and all political stripes. This
diverse group of people is drawn together by an intense commitment to a core set of shared
values: healthy wildlife populations, plenty of habitat, and public access. Elected officials,
agency managers, other conservation groups, and private businesses all know that when
someone speaks on behalf of MWF, they are representing the views of thousands of other
Montanans who care about fish, wildlife, and habitat. Over the years, this has helped us
ensure that Montana has the best wildlife, the best habitat, and the best access in the West.

P.O. Box 1175, Helena, Montana 59624 .
406-458-0227 . www.montanawildlife.org . mwf@mtwf.org

I realize that your club’s decision to leave the Montana Wildlife Federation is the result of
years of neglect, and I respect your assessment of the situation. At the same time, I do hope
that you and the Board will consider the substantial benefits you and your members can
derive from rebuilding a relationship between our organizations. With a few simple steps, I
think we could deliver more results for your members and, at the same time, enhance your
club’s role in our statewide organization.

Thanks again for your time. Please feel free to call me at any time if you have additional
ideas or comments on how MWF can do a better job reaching out to our members and
affiliate clubs. You can reach me at (406) 438-6478 or dchadwick@mtwf.org.

Sincerely,
Dave Chadwick
Executive Director

Youth .22 League

The Custer Rod and Gun Club will be holding it’s annual Youth .22 Instructional shooting league. All youths ages 8-18 are welcomed to participate at no cost. The club will provide all firearms and ammunition needed.

Starting at 6:00 PM and running approx. 2 hours per night (depending on the number of kids) the league will be held Tuesday nights and run for 5 weeks. Participants will shoot about 50 rounds per night. We will cover safety in the class room and on the range.

The first week (June 3rd) will be held at spotted eagle for safety and sign ups. Each week after that we will meet at the public shooting range behind the water plant. Parents MUST sign up their child, and the child must be present for the safety orientation at the Custer Rod and Gun Club at Spotted Eagle the first night, or they won’t be allowed to participate join the league later.

For more information, please contact Jim Coleman 874-8892 or James Coleman 234-0707

Forsyth Steel Challenge Style Pistol Competition May 17th

The Forsyth Rifle and Pistol Club will be holding a Steel CHallenge style Pistol Competition on Saturday May 17th. There will be 3 categories, Semi Auto, Revolver and Rimfire. You can shoot all three if you choose. You will shoot each stage 3 times and keep your 2 best runs for combined score. The shoot will be held at 1 p.m. at the Lee Ranch North of Forsyth. For more info give me a call at 406-351-1101………Erik

John Hartwick Memorial Plaque

The club will be installing the above memorial plaque at the Spotted Eagle trap range for late club member John Hartwick, who passed away Jan. 27th of this year. The cost was around $300 which Ken Boschee paid out of his pocket. We’re actively seeking donations to repay Ken for this cost.

John has done a tremendous amount for the club and for the Youth and Ladies instructional programs, both financially and physically. John’s passing is a huge loss to the club. He will be deeply missed and his absence felt throughout the club.

If you would like to donate to John’s memorial, please contact Ken Boschee at 951-6577.

30 Gun Raffle – Tickets Available

The Montana Sheriff’s and Peace Officer’s Association is holding its annual 30 gun raffle. The drawing will be held on May 30th, tickets are $50.00 and each ticket is eligible for all 30 guns, once drawn the ticket will go back in the pot again, so anyone can win multiple guns.

Must be 18 to buy a ticket and there are the usual rules that apply. For rules and/or tickets you can call Randy Anderson at 951-0301. I will be sending the sold ticket stubs in shortly after the Bucking Horse Sale, so time is short, don’t wait too long to get yours.

Billings Defensive Pistol Shoot

Defensive Pistol Shoot – 1st of the Year!
When: Sunday May 11th 9:00 am Registration Starts – Blue Creek Club House
10:00 am Hammer Down – Pistol Bays
Where: Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex & Preserve (406) 670-1183
1767 Bender Road, Billings, MT
Directions: Billings Blvd I-90 Exit, North Across Yellowstone, Past Golf Course and School,
Take Bender Road on Left, Follow Pavement East (~2 ½ miles) to Gravel & then Club.
Who: Welcome All ! Novice, Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced
What: Monthly Shoot Hosted by Yellowstone Valley IDPA Club. Bring ~100 rounds plus some more for extra fun too !
Practices: Three Sights Indoor Shooting Range – May 7th & 21st 5:30 PM
(See Three Sights Website for schedule or call them @ 294-5711.)
Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex – June 5th – Every other Thursday
(See Blue Creek Website Calendar for schedule or call them @ 670-1183.)

Please Be Our Guests – Everyone Is Welcome !

Scenarios are designed from real life situations. Experienced shooters and new shooters alike will enjoy this fun and unique handgun competition. Experienced shooters will be available to help novice shooters and those who have never shot Defensive Pistol. Bring extra magazines & ammo.

Cold Range Rules & Procedures: See information below and handouts provided at registration.
Bring your unloaded pistol in a separate closable bag.
Safety Briefing Required before shooting.
Pistols are only handled under the direction of a Range / Safety Officer in identified ranges or safety areas.
Eye & Ear protection is required at the range / pistol bays.
Follow the Universal Laws of Gun Safety
Be Safe, Enjoy the Host Facility and their Hospitality; and, Always have Fun!

In Sharing, Supporting & Shooting Together
Other Shoot Dates

June 15th Three Sights – Indoor Big Sky State Games ( bigskygames.org )

June 22nd Blue Creek – Regular Monthly Shoot

July 13th Blue Creek – Outdoor Big Sky State Games ( bigskygames.org )

8/17, 9/21, 10/19 Blue Creek – Other Regular Monthly Shoots

Yellowstone Valley IDPA Club &
Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex

1767 Bender Road, Billings, MT
www.bluecreeksport.com
670-1183

Concealed Weapons/Basic Pistol Class

Saturday, June 21, 2014
CR&GC Rifle Range
Cost: $100

Custer Rod and Gun Club will be holding a class on Saturday June 21st in Miles City. This will be an Introduction to Concealed Carry Class, taught by EDC Training LLC. This class is for the individual that may or may not hold a Montana Concealed Carry Permit and is wanting to learn more about the Defensive use of a handgun.

This course addresses the effective concealed carry and use of the handguns popular today. The course will address the advantages and disadvantages of the various types, models, configurations and calibers of such Handguns, as well as the most effective support equipment and methods of concealed carry. The program consists of both classroom discussion, and live fire drills on the range. This course introduces the student to techniques applicable to defensive use of the handgun. Emphasis is put on shooting skill development for application in real-life circumstances. The fundamentals of Mindset, Gun-handling, and Marksmanship are covered in lecture while the practical aspects are taught on the range. Other course topics include Situational Awareness, equipment selection, safety, handling, loading, unloading, malfunction clearance, drawing and firing techniques. Cost of this class will be $100.00

Required equipment list:

Centerfire Handgun in a minimum defensive caliber (generally, 9mm or .38spl or larger)
Ammunition 100 rounds.
Spare magazines or speedloaders
Spare ammunition pouches, carrier, or magazine holster
Method of carrying the handgun (i.e.- suitable belt and belt holster, Shoulder holsters generally not acceptable- you “sweep” others when drawing the firearm)
Ear protection
Eye protection
Clothing suitable for the weather
Cap with a brim
Rugged shoes or boots
Lunch and hydration fluid(water sports drink etc for the day)

Click here to view a printable CLASS ENROLLMENT APPLICATION

800 NRA APPROVED HIGH POWER MATCH

800 NRA APPROVED HIGH POWER MATCH

DATE: May 18 & August 17, 2014 Registration starts at 7:30 A.M.; firing starts at about 8:30 A.M.

SPONSORED BY: Trails End Rifle and Pistol Club of Glendive, MT

LOCATION: KEN OLMSTEAD RANGE, North of Glendive

RULES and CLASSIFICATION: Current NRA High Power rules will govern the match. The NRA

Classification system will be used. An assigned classification may be used in lieu of a High Power Classification.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to men and women who support the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms. Trails End Rifle and Pistol Club and NRA memberships are encouraged. Forms will be available at the range.

ENTRY: Advance entries may be made be sending a note or complete SR-1 Entry Card to:

Terry Pedersen phone: 406-377-6836
Email: tpedersen@midrivers.com
310 Sunset
Glendive, MT 59330-2839

Entries close at 8:15 A.M. on the day of the match. Post entries will be accepted up to the capacity of the range, which is 24.

ENTRY FEES:
NRA registration fee $ 4.50 per shooter
Sponsor registration fee $ 5.50 per shooter
Individual Matches (4) $ 12.00 per shooter
Aggregate Match $ 3.00 per shooter
TOTAL MATCH ENTRY $ 25.00

** Junior or Senior Entry $20.00
Juniors are 18 years or younger, Seniors are 60 years or older.

EMPTY CHAMBER INDICATORS: Use of an “Empty Chamber Indicator” is required in all NRA Approved and Registered matches. When registering, bring your “Empty Chamber Indicator” with you or you will purchase one from the match sponsor. The “Empty Chamber Indicator” rule will be strictly enforced.

SQUADDING AND SCORING: Competitors will be squadded for firing and scoring duty.

CHALLENGES: A challenge fee of $1.00 will be charged per target.

TARGETS: Military type for Rifle Competition: 200 yd.-SR-1, 300 yd.-SR-21, & 600 yd.-MR-31. These are reduced targets for a 100-yard range.

FIREARM: NRA MATCH RIFLE OR SERVICE RIFLE

RULES: 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.3

SIGHTS – METALLIC

SCHEDULE

MATCH 1 – Individual match. Standing Slow Fire, 2 sighters and 20 shots for record, time = 22 minutes, 100 yards (200 yd. reduced)

*MATCH 2 – Individual match. Sitting or Kneeling Rapid Fire, 2 sighters and 20 shots for record, time = 60 seconds Per 10 shot string, 100 yards (200 yd. reduced)

*MATCH 3 – Individual match. Prone Rapid Fire, 2 sighters and 20 shots for record, time = 70 seconds Per 10 shot string, 100 yards (300 yd reduced)

MATCH 4 – Individual match. Prone Slow Fire, 2 sighters and 20 shots for record, time = 22 minutes, 100 yards (600 yd. reduced)

MATCH 5 – Aggregate Match, an aggregate of scores from matches 1 through 4.

*2009 NRA Rule changes – for matches 2 and 3, all shooters start in the Sitting/Kneeling or Prone position. See NRA Rule 10.1.7 for Rapid Fire loading procedure.

AWARDS: Winners will have their choice of NRA award points or cash equivalent. Awards to Match Winner and 1st place in each class.

2nd place if more than 8 competitors in a class and 3rd place if more than 12 competitors in a class.

Glasgow Gun Show

http://milescity.com/forums/posts/view/334866/

The glasgow gun show will be April 11 12 13 at the Civic Center in Glasgow it is sponsored by the weapons collectors society of Montana Hours for the show are Friday 3pm to 7pm Saturday 9am to 6Pm and Sunday 9am to 3pm there will be Firearms & Accessories,Antiques, Coins, Fishing tackle,Crafts,& Miscellaneous there are still some tables open for anyone interested in selling there items for more information call Al at (406)234-3191

2014 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule

The Custer Rod and Gun Club will hold our monthly Meeting of the Board of Directors, on the third Tuesday of each month, from February through December, at 7:00 PM. The location of each meeting can be found below:

February 18, 2014 – Eagles Club
March 18, 2014 – VFW Club
April 15, 2014 – Spotted Eagle clubhouse
May 20, 2014 – Sunday Creek clubhouse
June 17, 2014 – Spotted Eagle clubhouse
July 15, 2014 – Sunday Creek clubhouse
August 19, 2014 – Spotted Eagle clubhouse
September 16, 2014 – Sunday Creek clubhouse
October 21, 2014 – Spotted Eagle clubhouse
November 18, 2014 – VFW Club
December 16, 2014 – VFW Club

Though these are Board meetings, and only Board of Director members are allowed to vote on issues, all club members are encouraged to attend these meetings, and will be provided opportunity to speak at these meetings if they desire.

Board of Directors Meeting Agenda – February 2014

Custer Rod and Gun Club
Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
2-18-14

1) Call to order and Roll call of officers

2) Reading of previous meeting minutes

3) Reading of current financial report

4) President report

5) Reports of Boards and Standing/Special Committees.

6) Old business

– Montana Wildlife Federation rate increase
– How to decide who gets the 100 memberships from MWF
– Yellowstone Caviar Grant money
– Sunday Creek Range property lines and the neighbor’s fences

7) New business

– Club policy for agency memberships for MHP, FWP, CCSO, etc.
– Board of Director’s contact information
– Goals or benchmarks for club success/activities over the next year

8) Nomination and election of officers and board of directors. (N/A)

9) Good and welfare

-drawing
– Comments to the club by the Eagles Club

10) Adjourn

Lost a Cherished Club Member This Week

It is with great sorrow and regret that we post the news that beloved club member John Hartwick has passed away. We don’t have the information to post a proper memorial message yet. All we know is what has been reported to us by his family, which is that he was found in his chair Monday morning, January 27th. Apparently from heart failure.

John could often be found busting clays on the trap range at Spotted Eagle, as well as volunteering his time to teach the Youth, and Ladies Trap classes. John has given much to this club and community, and will be missed greatly.

We’ll update this post if we receive any further information.

2014 Annual Meeting and Banquet – Recap

1/18/14 Annual Meeting and Banquet

Dave Chadwick and Nick Gevock from Montana Wildlife Federation gave a short presentation about what the Montana Federation does and passed around an email sigh-up sheet for anyone wishing to receive email notifications from MWF. They also made themselves available both before and after the meeting to discuss MWF issues with anyone wanting more in depth conversations with them and to find out what issues hunters and land owners deal with in Eastern Montana that they don’t necessarily deal with in Western Montana. They put together an impromptu breakfast meeting Sunday morning with anyone who wanted to continue the conversation even more in depth.

Club President Todd Birch gave a brief President’s Report, highlighting some of the things accomplished over the last year, including purchasing a new mower for the trap range, securing the Yellowstone Caviar Grant which provided proper electrical to all the trap houses at Spotted Eagle, the new Action Pistol Shooting and improvements to the Sunday Creek range, etc.

Cheri Reed read the minutes from last year’s Annual Meeting, and the minutes were approved.

Cheri Reed gave the Treasurer’s Report which was approved.

Keith Hall made a motion that starting in Feb. the club puts $50 in a pot, and an additional $10 per month that the pot is not won. We will draw a members name at each monthly members meeting to determine the winner of the pot. If the member is not present at the meeting, the pot will carry over to the next month. This motion is with the intent to encourage members, other than just the directors, to attend the monthly meetings and get involved in the club activities, and in that spirit an amendment was added to bar club directors or officers from being eligible to win the pot since they are already attending the meetings. Both the amendment and the motion passed.

The following nominees were elected to the Board of Directors:
Club President – Keith Hall (2-year term)
Vice President – CJ Truesdale (1-year term)
Club Treasurer – Cheri Reed (2-year term)
Club Secretary – Jesse Smith (1-year term)
Director – Todd Birch (2-year term)
Director – Jim Keith (2-year term)
Director – Jeremy Kueffler (2-year term)
Director – Ken Boschee (2-year term)
Director – Jeff Williams (1-year term)

Erin O’Conner and Suzanne Seaba representing Pheasants Forever thanked the club for allowing them to use the trap range and clubhouse for their Youth Hunter’s program in 2013. They also said they are now seeking applicants for children to participate in the program this year.

Jim Posewitz, author of Beyond Fair Chaise gave a short talk about the conservation heritage of the Easter Montana area, and how living in the area inspired Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy of conservation.

The following door prizes were raffled off throughout the evening:
– rifle bore cleaning rod – won by Lawrence Torstenbo
– gift certificate for the Rib & Chop House – Won by Todd Birch
– S&W knife – won by Ron Hurr
– Ruger American .270 rifle – won by Dean Seifert

2014 Memberships are DUE NOW!

Don’t forget to renew your membership NOW! Memberships run one calendar year, from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. If you have a 2013 membership, your access card will be shut off on Jan. 31, 2014 and there will be a $10 charge if you have not already returned your access key card, as the cards can not be reactivated once shut off.

You may renew your membership online with a credit card or PayPal, by going to our Membership Page or you may renew by cash or check at the Annual Meeting & Banquet or by returning the renewal notice you should receive in the mail with your invitation to the Annual Meeting & Banquet.

Remember, with the new key cards, your membership renewal MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE Jan. 31. You can not simply renew your membership at Red Rock any time throughout the year like in previous years. Any member who let’s their membership expire, will be charged a $10 fee to replace the card, even if they go to Red Rock and purchase a “new” membership at a later date.

Custer Rod and Gun Club’s Annual Meeting and Banquet

January 18th, 2014
Eagles Club, Miles City
5:00 PM – Pre-banquet meeting with Montana Wildlife Federation
6:00 PM – Custer Rod and Gun Club Banquet and Annual Meeting

What to bring?
This year’s banquet will be a pot-luck, unlike last year’s banquet which was a special 100 Year Anniversary event, in which the club provided the entire meal. This year the club will provide the meat, potatoes, and rolls, and ask all members attending to bring their favorite side dish or desert to share.

Guest Speakers – Montana Wildlife Federation
Two representatives from the Montana Wildlife Federation will be in attendance and will provide a short presentation about how the work they do as lobbyist in Helena benefit all Montana hunters and firearms enthusiest. They have also agreed to be available for about an hour before the banquet, for anyone who would like to have a more detailed one-on-one conversation with them. We highly encourage anyone interested in the work their work and policies, to come at 5:oo PM and take advantage of this great opportunity.

Door Prize
If you mailed in your membership renewal fee or renewed online by Jan. 14th, you should receive your membership packet in the mail before the Annual Meeting. BE SURE TO BRING YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD WITH YOU TO THE MEETING! The stub attached to the membership card is your ticket to be entered in the door prize drawing, and the main part of your membership card will be needed in order to vote at the meeting.

This year’s door prize will be a Ruger American bolt action rifle chambered in .270 WIN with a synthetic “Digital Camo” stock.

(Note: Stock photo of similar rifle, not the actual rifle to be given away.)

Elections of Directors
BE SURE TO BRING YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD WITH YOU TO THE MEETING! Each membership purchased is entitled to one vote only! In order to have your vote counted, you MUST hold up your membership card when voting. Spouses, or other guests/family members of the individual who holds the membership are not allowed to vote, unless they purchase their own membership. Your membership card will be needed in order to vote at the meeting. Members who have already renewed but left their card at home, will NOT be allowed to vote. So please, BE SURE TO BRING YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD WITH YOU TO THE MEETING! If you’re purchasing your membership at the meeting, or you purchase your membership between Jan. 15th and jan. 18th, your membership packet, including your membership card will be provided to you at the meeting.

This year we have a total of eight Director positions to elect, six regular 2-year terms, and two 1-year terms to fill positions that were vacated mid-term. Nominations will be accepted for candidates for each position at the meeting. When a member nominates another member for one of the vacant positions, the person being nominated will be asked if they accept the nomination or not.

Being a club director requires more than just showing up to a meeting once a month. Custer Rod and Gun Club directors are the backbone of our club and perform MANY of the duties that keep the club running including anything from mowing the grass at the ranges, meeting with City Council members, organizing and running the many events and activities put on by the club each year, leading work parties, as well as serving on and attending sub-committee meetings. For the sake of the club, we respectfully ask anyone who is nominated for a Directors position, to be sure they are willing and available to commit the time and effort required for these tasks, before they accept the nomination.

The following six positions up for elections this year will be for 2-year terms:
President – currently held by Todd Birch
Treasurer – currently held by Cheri Reed
Director – currently held by Fred Tetschner
Director – currently held by John Olsen
Director – currently held by Jeremy Kueffler
Director – currently held by Ken Boschee

The following two positions have been vacated midterm and will only be 1-year positions:
Vice President – currently held by Keith Hall who was appointed by the other Directors to fill in until the 2014 election
Club Secretary – vacant

2014 Memberships
Don’t forget 2013 memberships have expired, and any membership which has not been renewed by the end of the January grace period will be shut off on Jan. 31st. Any member who has their key card shut off will be charged an additional $10 to replace the key card that can not be reactivated once shut off. Memberships MUST be renewed online, by mail, or at the Annual Meeting. Red Rock Sporting Goods does not sell renewals, only new memberships. Even if a member goes to Red Rock and purchases a “new” membership later in the year, they will still be charged $10 unless they return their old key card before the Jan. 31st deadline.

To renew your membership online, or for our mailing address, please see our Membership Page.

Action Pistol Jackpot Match Results

We would like to thank all of you who came out and supported our shoot. Everyone had a great time and the match went off as well as we could have ever hoped for our first match. It was great to meet you all. You are the reason the match went so smoothly that even the staff were able to relax and have a really enjoyable day.

We couldn’t have done it without your participation, and we are greatly humbled by all of those contestants who chose to donate their winnings back to the club. That was above and beyond anything we had hoped for, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Now, enough of me rambling. Here’s the results everyone’s been waiting for: