Successful Area 3 Championship

For those of you that were in thee Grans Island area on August 11-14, 2011, you had the opportunity to see a lot of great shooters competing. In fact, the entries in this year's competition was over 300! At this rate of growth, who knows how many shooters we will see in coming years?

Once again, the Heartland Public Shooting Park pulled out all the stops in trying to put together a safe quality match, and they were also glad to see all the shooters. It was gratifying seeing all of the various license plates show up at the park, and we thank you for coming. We look forward to hosting many more USPSA matches in the future.

One of our local club shooters, Jeremy Millard, once again made a solid showing despite not winning his division. Enjoy this brief video as he attacked the steel, and we look forward to hosting all of you when you come out to shoot with our club.

Successful Classifier Match

We would like to thank everyone that braved the humidity to come out to the Heartland Public Shooting Park on Sunday. We had nearly twenty shooters take part in the match, and there were six fast paced and challenging courses of fire. We will be uploading the scores to the USPSA this week.

The stages that we shot include the following:

• 99-10: Times Two
• 99-33: Raw Deal
• 99-50: Better make Sure
• 99-56: On the Upper Pad II
• 08-03: Six
• 06-03: Can You Count

 We hope to see you guys join us at the park for our next league beginning on June 30.

Second Spring League Completed

We would like to thank everyone that came out to Heartland Public Shooting Park in order to take part in our second Spring league of the year. Over the four week time period, twenty two shooters took part in the league, and everyone who took part should consider themselves a winner.

We would like to congratulate the top five shooters in the league. The top five finishers were as follows:

1. Alex Johnson: 880.5336 points
2. Jeff Riesland: 802.5587 points
3. Greg Palkowitsh: 715.1538 points
4. Stephen Hayes: 662.8347 points 
5. Mike Gehman: 573.2205 points

Our next league begins on June 30th at 6:00pm, and it will run for four weeks. We would like to encourage everyone in Central Nebraska to come our and watch this fast moving and fun sport. No matter what your fitness level, you will have a great time.

Who Takes Part In USPSA?

The first time that you step onto a USPSA range, you may feel somewhat intimidated, especially if your previous experience was in just shooting at paper targets. However, this should be the least of your worries, as our shooters are of all skills, speed levels, ages, health, and fitness levels. We are all out to help each other and have a good time, so we can fit in anyone.

Competitors in USPSA clubs and matches come from every walk of life and socioeconomic level. Some of the career paths that some of the USPSA national members follow include the following: doctors, lawyers, mechanics, engineers, small business owners, pilots, law enforcement personnel, homemakers, students, security officers, ministers, and many others. In fact, it would be hard to find a career that wasn't represented. Many women also take part in the sport, as fifteen percent of the USPSA members are women. Youth are also discovering the sport, as ten percent of the members are under the age of twenty one. However, it is not just the young who are taking part. A large number of USPSA members are either approaching, or have already, retired. The members are also of many different races and religions, as the national bylaws require that membership be open to anyone that can legally own a firearm.

As you can see, there is room for anyone in the sport, and we would be glad to host you at Heartland Public Shooting Park. We look forward to seeing you at our next match.

Divisions in USPSA

With all of the various handguns on the market today, the concept of divisions can be very consuming, especially for those that are new to the sport. This may add to your confusion and nervousness when you first get started, because chances are, everyone will be shooting a different pistol and you want to make sure that you get squadded correctly.

The purpose behind these divisions is to allow you to shoot against other shooters that have similar gear, in order to make things more competitive. For this reason, the USPSA has developed six divisions in the sport. Although there are more details on the rules for each division in the USPSA rulebook, we are going to take a look at the basics for each division. The six divisions are as follows:

1. Production: In this division, everything is scored as minor, so 9mm pistols are not at a disadvantage. The gun needs to be out of the box with no modifications such as magwells or non-factory parts. The maximum magazine size is 10 rounds, and no single action guns are allowed. No race holsters are allowed, and no maginescan be forward of the hip bone.
2. Limited: With this division, some modifications are allowed, with the exception of optics, porting, and compensators. Magazine length is restricted to 140mm.
3. Limited 10: This division is exactly the same as Limited, by the magazine size is limited to 10 rounds. This is a common division for 1911 pistols to shoot in.
4. Single Stack: This division is designed around the standard five inch 1911 pistols. Minor calibers are allowed up to 10 round magazines, whereas major calibers are limited to 8 round magazines. Non race holsters are only allowed.
5. Open: This is the anything goes division, where you will see tweaked out pistols with compensators, optics, special race rig holsters, and many other things to give them an edge over the compensation. Magazines up to 170mm are allowed. This is the Formula One division.
6. Revolver: This is a standard iron sighted wheel gun, and it needs to reload every six shots. There is both a major and minor category.

As you can see, this sport has a way for anyone to be able to have fun and enjoy the gear that they already own while still remaining competitive. We look forward to seeing you at the Heartland Public Shooting Park.

Successful 1911 Shoot

We would like to thank all of the people who came out to shoot in the Centennial 1911 Match, along with all of the volunteers and other workers who made it possible. A special thanks to Mick Reynolds for all of the time that he spent designing the stages and those who were able to set up the stages behind the scenes. All of these things worked together in order to make things run smoothly. Above all, a big thanks to the Heartland Public Shooting Park for being the venue for the event, and we couldn't have done it without all the sponsors.

Despite the scorching temperatures, twenty eight shooters took part in the match, and it was a good mixture of challenging and typical courses, all with a military theme (in honor of the history of the venerable 1911). I am sure a lot of people were surprised by the unique movement and the movable platform that they faced (and who thought they would have to hit a target with softballs in a shooting match?).

Although we consider everyone who took part in the event to be a winner, we would like to issue a special congratulations to the top five shooters in the match:

1. Jeremy Millard: 686.3363 points
2. Jeff Reisland: 663.5419 points
3. Neil Davies: 640.4427 points
4. Chris Walbrecht: 495.8203 points
5. Ryan Dammon: 447.1462 points

We look forward to holding another 1911 match in the future, and we invite you to visit us at the park again.

Heartland Public Shooters featured on 10/11 News

Recently on our local 10/11 news channel, we learned that our local USPSA club was featured on their Web site. We always welcome the opportunity to welcome others to the sport, as well as the chance to show off the first class shooting park that is located in Grand Island, Nebraska.

It you saw the story or are interested in learning more about the sport or what this is all about, please call the Heartland Public Shooting Park at (308)385-5048, or stop by Thursday evening at 6:00pm to check it out. We always welcome those that would like to watch, and no matter how green you are, new shooters are always welcome. We accomodate shooters of all skill levels. If you do decide to come out to watch, bear in mind that the park safety rules require eye and ear protection. We all want to have fun, but safety is always the first priority.

Each week is always different, and we challenge all shooting levels. This is definitely not simply shooting at stationary targets. One thing that you will never hear our shooters say is that the course is boring. We try to design the stages so that something new is available to challenge us each week, and the shooters never know what to expect. We look forward to you joining us at the park, and there is never a charge to watch our matches.

First Spring League is Completed

Well, Mother Nature fought us tooth and nail, but were were finally able to complete the first Spring league of the year, and we had quite the turnout. Thirty five shooters took part in this league, but we always have room for more. Despite all of the rain that seemed to fall on Thursday night, after seven weeks we were finally able to get the fourth shoot in.

We shot a variety of different stages during this league, from short fast stages with no movement to long stages with multiple shooting locations and the need to come up with an effective strategy for attacking the field of fire. We try to make each week challenging but still have a course that people of all skill levels are able to complete. We plan to take the same approach to the rest of our leagues, as we will be having a second Spring league, one in the Summer, and one in the Fall.

We would like to issue congratulations to our top five shooters in the league, as follows:

1. Jeremy Millard: 888.379 points
2. Clinton Wemhoff: 688.5542 points
3. Mick Reynolds: 665.7859 points
4. Travis Dassinger: 590.1196 points
5. Greg Palkowitsh: 574.1825 points

Full results can be found here. As always, you can always find the results from any of our shoots on the Heartland Public Shooting Park Web site on the Action Pistol Shoot Results page. But, no matter where you finish in the standings, as far as we are concerned, finishing the courses makes you a winner in itself.

2011 Glock Cornhusker Classic

The Glock has been a classic pistol for many years, and shooters of these types of pistols are very loyal. Once again, the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska is coming back with this Glock only match where Glock shooters can pit their skills against each other. This match will take place on June 11th and 12th at the park.

The cost for this competition is $25, and if you are not already a member of the Glock Shooting Sports Foundation, there there is an additional one time membership fee of $35. Also, if you wait until the day of the shoot to register, there is a $10 additional fee. You will also have the ability to come home with a number of prizes, including guns, cash, and additional gear. The prizes are based both on performance and on a random drawing, so people of all skill levels will have the chance to come home with some prizes. All skill levels are encouraged to take part, and we strive to ensure that everyone leaves the part with a smile on their face each day. Seven classes will be a part of this match, including Civilian, Guardian, Subcompact, Competition, Majorsub, Masterstock, and Unlimited.

Anotehr feature of this match is a Hornady three gun exhibition event where the public will have the opportunity to try out three gun competition (shotgun, rifle, pistol) against reactive targets for only the cost of the ammo.

We look forward to seeing you there.

1911 Heartland Centennial Match

We all know that there is a great feeling of pride and history when you wrap your hands around the grips of a 1911 pistol, and on June 4, 2001, you will have the opportunity at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. The park is holding a special Level 1 USPSA match that is limited to 1911 and Limited 10 shooters, and all of the stages have a historical and military feel to them.

Plan on around eight stages and 150 rounds, and we have a place for all skill levels. there will be over $4,000 in prizes, including guns, ammunition, reloading supplies, and other gear. As far as the prizes go, everyone will have a shot at them, as they will be random instead of skills based so that all shooters will have a chance to win something. While you are here, don't forget to buy a ticket for the Springfield 1911 Range Officer .45. Only 500 chances total before they sell out.

The cost for the competition is $50, but with all the prize money and fun that you are gonna have, this is a bargain. However, you need to call the park soon in order to get signed up, as the field is limited to the first 80 to sign up. Registration starts at 8:00am, and lead starts flying at 9:00. We hope to see you there.

What Is Practical Shooting?

Practical shooting is a fast paced and fun way to expand your shooting knowledge, and it is a great way to push your skills to a new level. We have competitors of all ages, from those that are retired to those that have just graduated school, and of all skill levels, from fast and accurate top shooters to those that are happy to finish the course. This truly is a sport for anyone, and we welcome new shooters and will do what it takes to make you feel comfortable.

As a part of this sport, you will take part in a number of different stages, and you will run through these courses pushing your speed and accuracy to the limit. Sometimes you will face paper targets, moving targets, steel targets, no shoot "hostages," or some variation of these. No two stages will ever be the same, and every time you shoot with us, we will throw new challenges your way. Once you give it a try, it will be hard to go back to just a regular paper target on the line.

Keep checking back to see what our club is up to, and we look forward to shooting with you.

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