Non-HOF members who meant much to BR

[jackieschmidt]

One shooter comes to mind that I owe a lot to.

Glenn Newick. I suppose Glenn might be the person most responsible for introducing me to Benchrest with a capitol “B”. It was at a Gunshow back in the mid 1990’s in Houston, where him and the late Hank Faulkner were sitting in a Tomball Gun Club booth. I was totally fascinated by the rifles they had on display and the extreme accuracy they achieved.
I bought a copy of Glenn’s book, “The Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy”, and was hooked.

Glenn ran Matches in the Houston area until the mid 2000’s, He more or less dropped out of competitive shooting due to health reasons.

I feel myself and several of my peers owe a lot to Glen for his mentoring, and his book, which while a little dated, gives a great look into the way Competitive Benchrest Shooting evolved through the decades.

 

[jamesdmock]

Another gunsmith, friend that left us much too soon was Jerry Simison of Detroit Lakes, MN. He was a superb gunsmith and a dear friend of mine. He was also a very good competitor.

 

[DaveTooley]

Nick Young. My mentor sort of. Sure had a lot of fun with him.
Note the rail gun.

 

[DaveTooley]

Manny Garcia and gunsmith Fred Hasecuster. Two great guys

 

[DaveTooley]

James Messer SE region. Messer was mess.

 

[DaveTooley]

Allan Hall

 

[DaveTooley]

Doc Dodgen SE region

 

[DaveTooley]

Team winners at the NBRSA Nationals one year.
Nick Young, myself, Meredith McNair, and the one and only Jeff Summers.

 

[BoydAllen]

In the SW region, Dennis Thornbury put on matches at the Visalia range for over 30 years. We miss him.

 

[21PHX]

Team winners at the NBRSA Nationals one year.
Nick Young, myself, Meredith McNair, and the one and only Jeff Summers.View attachment 1513652

Like I said at the TackDriver, “back when Jeff had dark hair”. Jim Bailey

 

[David Conder]

Wiilbur in his wingtip shoes

 

[BartsBullets]

Dale Rose and Jessie!

 

[Tim Singleton]

Terry Leonard helped me a lot when I first started doing my own barrels
He had me up to his barn/shop.
Super Great Guy. miss him a lot

 

[jamesdmock]

Dale Rose and Jessie!

Here is Dale after his last match. He shot well in this SS. We tragically lost him in a boat accident later that summer. He was very helpful to any who asked. Another shooter who left us too young.

 

[Iowa Fox]

I don't have a picture of him but Ed Kabor from Port Byron, Il sure tucked a lot of us under his wing.

 

[jobhopper66]

This thread and these pictures are absolutely priceless. As the world we all live in now becomes more unbelievable the past seems like a much better place to be and remember better times.

 

[jamesdmock]

Each time I post a picture, I think of another who has meant much to me and to the Benchrest group. Many Hall of Fame points have been earned shooting Hottenstein bullets. Lowell Hottenstein was a great American who fought in Vietnam. He was a great BR shooter . He left us much too soon, but now his son Ken has taken up the mantle of making quality bullets. The picture below shows Lowell and Ken after winning the Father/Son competition at the Super Shoot. Ken won the 2-gun at the Super Shoot when he was a very young man.

 

[jamesdmock]

Pictured here are Skip Gordon (standing), George Kelbly, Sr., Stan Buchtel, and Bob White. The late Skip Gordon first had the idea of a Super Shoot and the the three seated have made all of the Super Shoots (at least when this photo was taken). Mr. Kelbly has been host for most of them. We owe a debt of gratitude to these early promoters of Benchrest shooting.

 

[D Coots]

Another gunsmith, friend that left us much too soon was Jerry Simison of Detroit Lakes, MN. He was a superb gunsmith and a dear friend of mine. He was also a very good competitor. View attachment 1513631

Jerry was a great guy and a great gunsmith. If you were having trouble with your equipment he would help you before working on his own stuff.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I an surprised no one has mentioned Larry Bagget.

A lot of shooters have a good “ Bagget story”

Mine comes from the mid 2000’s when we had the last Nationals in Kansas. Larry had been fighting verticle all week. The afternoon before the last yardage on Saturday Morning, The HV 200, he told everybody he was going to try something different.

He went to a local store and bought a pound of 4895 and a .070 drill. He took some cases and drilled out the flash holes in the Lapua cases. He just loaded what amounted to a full case of 4895 behind his bullet and went on to win that yardage and the HOF point.

He didn’t shoot anything real small, just five nice round “fours”.

All of us in the Gulf Coast Region will continue to miss Larry.