Are you sure that’s only 50 yards?

The Sunnyvale Rod & Gun Club is up in the Bay area’s foothills, just behind (and in) Cupertino. Bullseye is fired on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month with “first shot” at 6:30PM.

ECIs in place

Last night, I drove down from Alameda coming down the right side of the San Francisco bay on I-880 before cutting across 237, then 85 and finally up into the foothills. My GPS said it was going to be a one hour drive but with rush hour traffic, it was two.

Gabbing before the first Slow Fire

Fortunately, I arrived about five minutes before things got started. I carried in my two locked boxes, one with ammo and the other with the guns — that arrangement is required by the state of California and those boxes must, in turn, be locked in the trunk.

But then — Oh, no! — the key to the gun box was in my briefcase back in the hotel in Alameda, two hours away.

Oops!

The ammo box, on the other hand, had 3-digit locks and, yes, I did remember the combination. So I had that box’s contents of ammo, staple gun, staples to refill the staple gun, clipboard for the score card and marker. Just no guns through which to shoot that ammo.

[Sigh.] OK, I’ll watch.

Ed Kelley calling the match

I borrowed a set of ears from the club and greeted those I knew from previous visits or who had competed in Phoenix and I’d met there.

Angela Liu and John Bickar

On a previous visit to Sunnyvale, I had remembered my keys but no magazine for my 41. Oops! (Do you see a pattern developing here?)

Luckily for me, John Bickar (above) had an extra so I shot with a “loaner” on that visit.

Thanks, John. (And wow, can he shoot!)

Ron Wilcox

And Bullseye shooters are, as you probably know, a generous bunch.
Seeing my predicament on this latest visit, Ron Wilcox volunteered his backup Trailside and ammo.

How could I refuse?

I offered the ammunition I brought but Ron said, “I know mine works well in this gun. Go ahead and use it.”

Thanks, Ron!

John “Skippy” Yarborough Regaling us with a story

And then there’s Skippy.

I’ve known Skippy almost as long as I’ve been a member of the
Bullseye-L
email list.

For those who don’t know, several hundreds of Bullseye shooters subscribe to this list. When one member sends an email, his/her message is propogated out to all the members who range from High Masters to rank beginners, from world-class Bullseye gunsmiths to those who can barely tie their shoes (but *do* know how to handle a gun safely). If you want to know anything about Bullseye, ask the list.

I “met” Skippy through that list back when the multi-year archive of email messages had failed. We hoped, along with the help of others, to resurrect it but, alas, that was not to be.

But that effort did start an acquaintanceship, and a friendship, that persists. Bullseye is like that.

Art Pimentel

But the focus of any club is primarily shooting.
The socializing that happens is an essential component of any successful club but it is secondary when it’s time to punch holes in targets.

Art is someone whose face I recognize but, other than that, we haven’t yet become acquainted. Next match, maybe.

Bob Tabb

And Bob was a brand new acquaintance for me on this visit to Sunnyvale.
Bob and I scored each other and, when you do that, you get to know each other a little. It’s a beginning.

Hi Bob!

 

So if you’re in the Bay area on a Wednesday evening, check the calendar to see if it’s the 1st or 3rd one of the month and, if so, check this group out.

I’m sure you’ll find they’re as friendly as any Bullseye group anywhere in the country.

Thanks again, guys (and gal), for a nice evening.

10s and Xs!