Jon Draper, Program Coordinator for the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, wrote this article about a couple new Eddie Eagle costumes that have popped up in Florida.
The Eddie Eagle mascot costume program is starting off 2012 at a great pace and has already made sure that two brand new Eddie Eagle mascot costumes have found new homes with law enforcement in Florida!
The Dunnellon Police Department and the Lake City Police Department are extremely appreciative of the grant funding that they received from the NRA Foundation to purchase these costumes. The new costumes will undoubtedly have a lasting positive effect on the children in those areas.
The funding for the costumes, $2800 each, was awarded to the departments through an NRA Foundation Grant with funds raised by the Friends of NRA in Florida.
We strongly encourage all law enforcement agencies to improve their Eddie Eagle presentations by applying for an Eddie Eagle mascot costume grant through the NRA Foundation.
Learn more about NRA Foundation Grants for Eddie Eagle costumes on their website or call (800) 231-0752.
After reading a variety of comments about last week’s recap of History’s Top Shot, I thought I’d reach out to a competitor from Season 4 to keep me on the straight and narrow. Who better than NRA Certified Instructor Gabby Franco!Gabby was nice enough to share a few insights about her experience shooting the BAR and a few other surprises from “In the Trenches.”
There was a great deal of excitement heading into last night's episode of Top Shot. Not only was History Channel bringing out the big 'ole Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), there was also talk of throwing a grenade launcher into the elimination round. How's that for taking things seriously?
As with almost every obstacle competitors face of Top Shot, there are several that will be performing the task or firing the gun in question for the first time. Olympic shooter Gabby Franco experienced that very obstacle when they brought out the Browning.
"That was the first time I shot that rifle," said Franco. "Not the first time I shot a rifle, but the first time for the BAR."
Although all found their shots in the practice rounds, several experienced a flub or two during the actual challenge. Gabby, like fellow female competitor Michelle Viscusi, found the target with relative ease. That was surprising given her lack of experience with the BAR.
"It wasn't difficult maintaining accuracy because the fundamentals are the same for handguns and rifles," Franco explained. "What was critical was my upper body position. I needed to lean forward as much as I could in order to recover my sights quickly and shoot faster. I knew that recoil would not be easy so I learned to control my finger in order to avoid shooting unnecessary and inaccurately rounds down range ."
The Big Bang came courtesy of the Milkor USA M32A1 grenade launcher. Six cylinders of style and grace, the Milkor was placed in the capable hands of the elimination nominated Keith and Kyle. The trick, it appeared, would be the reloading.
While Kyle battled through the smoke of the explosions, it was Keith's fumbling of the reload that made the difference. After only producing a series of clicks when pulling the trigger, Keith scrambled to find one of the filled cylinders in his partially loaded Milkor ask Kyle blasted his way back into the house.
After the all the excitement, and obliteration of the countryside, I asked what I asked many a competitor who witnessed (but did not shoot in) an elimination round. Did Gabby get to shoot the grenade launcher?
"I did," she exclaimed. "But only once and in my dreams that night. I hit all my targets and I had a lot of FUN! Then I woke up."
So Kyle is back with Team Red, Gabby is dreaming grenade launching dreams and there's a whole mess of shotgun shooting scheduled next week for episode #3. We'll load up on shells and see you then.
Don't forget ... if you want to learn how to shoot like these Top Shots then the first place to start is a Basic Pistol or Rifle class. Go to NRAInstructors.org and sign up today!
Now they’ve added even more fuel to the fire by adding six new members to their shooting team. Joining the ranks are former Top Shot contestants Chris Cerino and Ashley Spurlin. Well-known 3-gun competitors Karla Herdzik, Greg Jordan, Joe Satterfield, and Jayson Smith have also been added to the roster.
These six are joining not only Hanish and Thacker, but other top shooters including Larry Houck, Dianna Lierdorff, Erik Lund, Ken Pfau, and country music star Mark Wills.
To learn more about Team FNH USA’s newest shooters, check out 3-Gun Nation for more info and access to all things 3-gun. For more about FNH USA, visit www.fnhusa.com.
Courtesy of Nicole McMahon, NRA Field Operatons' Senior Event Services Coordinator, some of the upcoming Friends of NRA events across the country are listed after the jump.
There are about 1,200 Friends of NRA banquets that take place each year and with the season just begun, most of them are scheduled for the near future.
If you're interested in attending an event near you but don't know when it will be held, be sure to check the Friends of NRA website to see a list of upcoming events by state.
2/23/12
Okachee, Wisconsin
Charleston, West Virginia
Griffin, Georgia
Terra Haute, Indiana
Whipple, Ohio
2/24/12
Columbia, Tennessee
Florence, South Carolina
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Libby, Montana
Santa Maria, California
Shreveport, Louisiana
Yerington, Nevada
2/25/12
Coleman, Texas
Colusa, California
Concord, North Carolina
King City, California
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Osage, Iowa
Payson, Arizona
Sedalia, Missouri
Yakima, Washington
2/26/12
Norfolk, Nebraska
"The rain was coming down pretty hard."
That's what NRA Manager of Law Enforcement Competitions Marc Lipp said when asked about last weekend's Tactical Police Competition (TPC) at the Long Range Alley Gun Club in Grand Cane, Louisiana. According to reports, there was little sight of warmth and sun for this match. Competitors were instead treated to a deluge of wind, mud and rain that put the actual match in jeopardy.
"I wouldn't have been surprised if the weather scared some people away," said Lipp. "As it turned out, we ended up at just four competitors under capacity."
Out of the 96 competitors who braved the soggy settings, 56 registered for the Tactical Division (rifles with scopes and semi-auto shotguns) while the remaining 40 headed for the Patrol (iron sights and pump action shotguns).
After everything was said and done, here's how the top five finished up in each category:
| 2012 Louisiana TPC Patrol Division | |||
| 1 | Sun | McKinney PD | 374.27 |
| 2 | Scroggins | Omnisec Security | 387.68 |
| 3 | Binkley | Omnisec Security | 390.20 |
| 4 | Roeske | Fairfax County PD | 407.42 |
| 5 | Billings | Dorchester Co. Sheriff's | 460.06 |
| 2012 Louisiana TPC Tactical Division | |||
| 1 | Naffziger | Lewisville PD | 384.97 |
| 2 | Noto | Louisiana State Police | 402.24 |
| 3 | Spalding | DHS | 414.27 |
| 4 | B. Smith | Round Rock PD | 428.95 |
| 5 | Hill | Kansas City Missouri PD | 434.26 |
The NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge Mid-America Expansion Project, sponsored by MidwayUSA, was a huge success in 2011, with many new YHEC events cropping up across the Midwest. Here's another report from NRA YHEC Field Coordinator Susan Hill from a first-time event in Lead Hill, Arkansas:
Our October 28th YHEC event was held in Lead Hill, Arkansas on the 84-acre private farm of Johnny and Michelle Burleson, who also led the event. 40 participants and 46 volunteers/parents from the HEAT home school group were in attendance. A Wildlife Officer with the Arkansas Game & Fish Department also came to the event to talk with the children about wildlife, hunting, and safety issues.The participants completed four events including Archery, Rifle, Hunter Safety Trail, and Wildlife Identification. The Burlesons plan to have many more YHEC events and are working towards another in March of this year.
Thanks for another great report, Susan! To learn more about YHEC, visit www.nrayhec.org. To find a YHEC program near you or to get a YHEC started in your area, contact our Hunter Services Division at nrahunterservices@nrahq.org.
It's always great to catch up with our friends at Universal Coin & Bullion, the Offical Rare Coin & Bullion Dealer of the NRA. From their sponsorship of NRA Competitive Shooting events like the National Pistol Championships at Camp Perry or the NRA Bianchi Cup, to their involvement in NRA's Guns & Gold, UCB is dedicated to promoting the programs of the NRA. Their coins, including the Silver Cougar are wildly popular with numismatists and NRA members alike. So when President Michael Fuljenz let me know about the release of the newest coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s Wildlife Silver Coin series, I couldn't wait to share it with our readers:
Official Bullion & Rare Coin Dealer of the NRA, Universal Coin and Bullion, Announces the Release of the New Wildlife Silver Bullion Coin, the Majestic Moose
Universal Coin & Bullion and President Michael Fuljenz are pleased to announce that the popular Canadian Wildlife 99.99% pure one-ounce silver bullion coin series has just added the fourth coin in the series. The fourth coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s Wildlife Silver Coin series is a tribute to the moose: Canada's largest land animal.
“This latest addition to the Canadian Mint's pure silver bullion collection was launched February 3rd at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany before a premier gathering of the world's mints, distributors and buyers and we’re excited to offer the fourth coin in the silver bullion coin series to our customers,” said Fuljenz.
The Royal Canadian Mint will produce up to one million "Moose" silver bullion coins and will release at least two more special issues by early 2013. A total of six different species of Canada’s and North America’s legendary wildlife will be depicted on 99.99% pure fine silver bullion coins, the most pure silver coin series Universal Coin & Bullion has ever offered.
“Clients nationwide have acquired the previous three silver bullion coins from this series and the demand for the “Moose” is expected to continue with high demand for the whole series of six silver coins expected," said Mike Fuljenz. "This Silver Wildlife bullion coin series has been a huge success with investors and collectors and we are excited that the enthusiastic response to these coins proves that the quality, design, purity and relative rarity of each coin in this series has collectors and investors waiting for each coin in this high demand series."
The "Moose" silver bullion coin is struck from one troy ounce of 99.99% pure silver and has a face value of $5. The design of a majestic creature which rules Canada's forests from Newfoundland to the Pacific Coast has been illustrated on the reverse of this coin by Senior Mint Engraver William Woodruff. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, created in 2003 by Canadian portrait artist Susanna Blunt.
The 2012 Canadian Mint Silver Moose bullion coin is now available and the next issue in this acclaimed six-coin silver wildlife series will be announced later this year.
For additional information, contact Universal Coin & Bullion at (800) 459-2646 or visit online at www.UniversalCoin.com.
To order the 2012 Silver Moose now go to: http://www.universalcoin.com/silver-moose-coin-2012-canadian-mint-buy-silver-moose.html.
When first meeting Samantha Virk, for example, you probably wouldn’t guess that she’s a professional hunter and guide. That is, until, you focus in on the boar tusks dangling from her neck. And then ask where she got them.
“I got them from the boar that did this,” she said pointing at a scar on her leg. “He gave me that as a souvenir so I took his tusks as another.”
And that’s not the first battle she’s won in the great outdoors.
Starting at an early age, Sam’s resume spans from fly-fishing in Utah to duck hunting in Arizona, bear hunting in Alaska and plains game in Zimbabwe. Recently, it’s the African side of adventure that’s been calling her most.
“I’ve been working with an outfit called Hunt Essentials out of Botswana,” said Virk. “We have seven locations throughout Southern Africa where you can chase down any big game or plains animal you like.
“You can rough it with tents and sleeping bags or go five stars with linens, wines and a gourmet chef. I’ve only been there a short time but the experience has been incredible.”
Despite her busy schedule, Sam has started looking for ways to help expand female participation in the shooting sports.
“I talked to a local gun club about the possibility of holding a Women on Target Shooting Clinic a few weeks ago,” Virk said. “I told them it would bring in new customers, expand their business and that I’d be happy to help. “
| Samantha Virk poses with a client after a successful boar hunt. |
There's something special at the NRA on President's Day.
Above is the icon hat worn by the Rough Riders — a group of cowboys, prospectors and hunters from the American southwest who answered President McKinley's call for volunteers to serve in the Spanish-American War. As a matter of fact, it's the hat worn by Teddy Roosevelt. While Roosevelt's home (known as Sagamore Hill) is under renovation, that hat and more will reside here at the National Firearms Museum.
"President Roosevelt was a world-class hunter, adventurer and Life Member of the National Rifle Association," said National Firearms Museum Director Jim Supica. "It's an honor to provide a home for these wonderful pieces of history."
Starting with his days as a Dakota Cowboy and going all the way through his famed expedition of the Amazon River, the portion of Sagamore Hill's collection entrusted to the museum ranges from the obscure to the mundane. There's a rug made from the skin of an African lion, prints and paintings, an assortment of rifles and clothing worn by the man.
Personally, it's the New York Governor's chair that stood out for me. But that's before I had the chance to truly take it all in.
For the rest of the crowd it might be the Scott Sons .4 gauge shotgun, Roosevelt’s naval cloak, the elephant foot wastebasket or the Rough Rider coat. With almost a hundred different items to choose from, we’re sure there’s something that will tickle your fancy.
Although finalizing the layout will take a little time, we’ll be sure to let you know when the Roosevelt Exhibit officially opens. And the good news is there’s even more to come. Who knows? With a little bit of luck, we might even get ‘The Big Stick’.