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Welcome to The Target Zone
The Monthly Newsletter of Center Target Sports, Inc.
August already, can you believe summer is almost over? Peggy and I want to thank you all for your overwhelming support this summer. We have sold out more classes this summer than ever before. Two years ago, if you would have told me we would be filling up summer weekend classes, I would have said "dream on". Well, not only have we been selling out all our weekend classes, we have had great participation in all our weekday classes as well. We are very much aware that it is all of you spreading the word that has had the greatest impact on our success. Thank you so much.
We continue to add new product offerings to our retail area and solicit your suggestions on products you would like us to stock. Remember, we will special order any item at your request. Our increased inventory of AR's and AR accessories is an example of our desire to meet your demands. We have started to receive our AR accessories. Look for that inventory to grow each week and we will soon stock a variety of AR associated tools.
Thanks for your cooperation during our recent mining of the bullet traps. We were very proud when the owners of the mining company from Minnesota told us our facility is "one of the nicest ranges they have ever seen". That is quite a compliment considering these guys spend every day mining ranges in every state in the country. See the Mining article below for more details on this process.
As soon as the mining was completed we painted both bays and started replacing the ceiling tiles. I hope you like the new look. It is amazing how often our ceiling tiles get shot. Most of the damage is done by improper target placement with respect to the height of the shooter. Often times an adult will tape the target on the backer according to their height. Then they will position the target a few feet down range and allow their child to shoot it. The difference in height between the adult shooter and the child guarantees that the child shooter's bullets will hit the ceiling after passing through the target. The same thing happens when the adult bends over and uses the table for support and shoots at a close-in target. Every year we experience thousands of dollars in damage to our baffle system. Please help us try to reduce this unnecessary expense by controlling your bullet impact zones.
What a pleasure to have John Farnam teaching in our facility. Thank you to those that participated and supported this great weekend.
Thank You and Be Safe
Your CTS Family
P.S. If your friends aren't receiving this newsletter and you think they'd be interested, let us know at www.centertargetsports.com
Just click on "Contact Us". |
| Meet Chuck McKee
Peggy and I are excited to introduce you to the newest member of our Center Target Sports Family.
Chuck Mckee started with us this month and we are thrilled to have him on board. Take the time to introduce yourself to him. It won't take you long to recognize his passion for the shooting sports and his desire to exceed your customer service expectations.
Chuck has been married to his beautiful wife Maureen for over 35 years. They have two children, 3 grandchildren and one more on the way. Chuck enjoyed a very successful career in the Title Insurance industry for over 35 years. He is an avid golfer, shooter and archer. He was a competitive Bass fisherman for 15 years.
Chuck is very knowledgeable and a great asset to our team. Take the time to get to know him and don't hesitate to ask his advice on any of our products and services. |
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Can you say Comfortable Hearing Protection?
 Tired of bulky hearing protection? Don't forget that we make the leading brand of molded custom hearing protection available. As so many of you know, these custom molded ear plugs are so comfortable you often forget you have them on. Our custom ears are guaranteed for life. Insta-Mold silicone earplugs are customized to fit your ear with greater comfort, maximum attenuation value and greater convenience. They provide a reliable "tissue-to-tissue" fit duplicating every crevice and contour of the ear, which allows the user to wear these earplugs for extended periods of time without discomfort, irritation or constant removal from the ear for re-insertion.
Insta-Mold earplugs have been used for recreation for over thirty years providing an excellent solution for people looking for the best protection against water and/or loud noise levels such as shotgun blasts, wind-noise, music and power tools.
Made from a medical grade, hypo-allergenic silicone, Insta-Mold earplugs offer the ultimate in comfort because they are custom shaped to each individual's ears. This eliminates the amount of discomfort usually faced with the common expanding foam earplugs, and the constant hassles of bulky earmuffs. Insta-Mold's also remain flexible and soft throughout their lifetime giving you several years of consistent use.
By obtaining this ultimate fit, Insta-Mold's achieve the best attainable NRR rating, and provide the maximum in hearing protection for the individual user. When skeet shooting I use a pair made for me at Fort Hood, TX over 25 years ago. Give these earplugs a try, you will be glad you did.
Call the range and make an appointment with Ed to get your custom Insta-mold ear protection today. |
Mining The Bullet Trap
Many of you witnessed the mining (removing the spent projectiles) of our granulated rubber bullet trap system. The process went very quickly and efficiently. Considering the contractor removed over 4.2 million bullets or 41,000 lbs of lead from the fixed and tactical bays combined.
The efficiency and thoroughness of the operation was due to the experience level of the men doing the work. We hired the most experienced company in the country to mine our range. These guys are based in the mid-west and travel over 300 days a year mining shooting ranges across the country. Who would have thought a guy could make a living mining shooting ranges.
They used our trap-vac in ways the manufacturer never explained to us. It was a learning experience to watch these guys modify our trap-vac and then use it much more efficiently than we have ever been able to. The modifications they made were developed by trial and error over the years as these men struggled to use the trap-vac's provided by the bullet trap manufacturers. Dick, the owner of the mining company said they work very closely with Caswell the trap company and have passed along many of their field modifications in hopes of their future implementation.
In any event, it was worth the expense to have the professional miners in to clean our system and educate us at the same time. We strive to keep our equipment in peak condition. The trap is obviously a major component to our range system. In addition to the annual mining, on a daily basis, we vacuum each bay from the wall behind the firing line all the way to the rubber trap.
Many of you have asked about the sticky paper at the range entrance doors. These mats are designed to collect any shooting contaminents from the bottom of your shoes. What you can't see are the automatic door sweeps that are installed on the metal range doors. These sweeps drop when you close the door and rise for clearance when you open the doors. In addition, every door handle in our facility is wiped clean twice a day.
The annual mining and all the routine cleaning is done to ensure a clean safe shooting environment for you, your family and our staff. From your many comments we believe our efforts have not gone unnoticed. However, never hesitate to point out any issue you feel needs to be addressed.
And for all the environmentalists among us, yes, we recycle...lead and brass and cardboard backers. |
Monthly Training Tip
Movement While Shooting Can Save Your Life
Not wanting to ignore some of the more advanced students, I want to offer a training tip this month that is more advanced than we have previously covered. So along with that lead-in comes this warning. If you are not an advanced student or have not worked from the holster much, please do these drills with an unloaded firearm. Practicing these skill sets with a loaded firearm should only be done at a safe range location and under the supervision of an experienced coach/observer.
Many students are aware of smoothness in the draw stroke. They try to achieve this smoothness by practicing in front of the mirror or by receiving coaching from a knowledgeable friend. The shortfall in many of these practice routines is that many students fail to incorporate movement off the line of attack. Movement off the line of attack simultaneously as you complete the draw stroke is critical.
The initial drill should be limited to practicing the draw stroke while moving to the left and then practice the same thing with movement to the right. We have to constantly strive for balance in all our techniques. We can only achieve balance by working both sides of every skill set. Don't favor one side or another because it feels more comfortable than the other. Remember as you complete these drills they must be complete skill sets i.e. they must include the proper presentation of the firearm, the shot execution (if hot range), the return to high ready with 360 scan, and then a reluctant re-holstering.
When you feel you have achieved the proper combination of smoothness and speed and if appropriate, shooting accuracy, add an additional target. Continue this process until you are addressing 4 separate targets in one draw and movement skill set. When this technique starts to feel right, add equipment malfunctions to the drill. Practice reloads and malfunction corrections as part of the skill set. These corrections should be accomplished in every conceivable way i.e. two handed, dominate hand or support hand only. Of course, movement during the entire skill set is required.
To refine and finish these skill sets be sure and incorporate movement in all directions. When you think you have the left and right movements down, add some target aggression forward movement and rear movement to your drills. Of course, indexing, muzzle direction, and the 360 scan are critical.
If you have any questions on this subject don't hesitate to call us. Anyone wanting to practice drawing in our facility must ask permission of a staff member. Our staff will make their decision based on range use at the time of your request and your skill level. Start out with the basics and add difficulty only after you have mastered the skill set.
Look next month for my tips on holsters for all shooters...
Good Luck and Be Safe. |
The Cost of Doing Business As we explained last month, we will be implementing a small increase in our memberships, range access and class fees beginning Sept 1st.
We are not immune to the increased costs of doing business. We have not raised our prices associated with classes, membership or range access since we opened over 3 1/2 years ago. In fact, in an effort to keep shooting as economical as possible, we are selling our range ammo for less margin than in 2005.
The time has come for us to raise our fees a minimal amount. Beginning September 1st, we will raise our annual membership rates, the daily non-member use rate and some of our class rates. Our competitors raised their rate months ago and we just can't hold out any longer. Peggy and I are painfully aware of how the state of our economy affects us all. We hope that you will understand the reasoning behind our minimum increases and continue to support us during this year and as always we appreciate your patronage.
Remember, old rates apply until Aug 31st including membership renewals. | |
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Low-Light
Shooting Class
Ok, Ok, you knew it was only a matter of time. It is that time of year again, it is time for a Low-Light class. Advanced students and beginning students have been requesting the 8 hour low-light course all summer. So Peggy has scheduled it on August 31st. If you are interested in learning how to "Rule the Night" sign up today.
If you have never shot in the dark or at least in low ambient light you owe it to yourself to try it under supervision. Students are often amazed how difficult it is to see, maneuver, assess targets, maintain situational awareness, and in general, function in the dark with their firearm. Add stress and the Body Alarm Response (BAR) to the darkness and you have a very unfriendly environment to try and stay alive in.
Everyone involved in a critical low-light situation will experience the same physiological effects. The degree that these changes within our body affect our performance is often a result of your prior preparation and training.
Knowing what to expect goes a long way towards controlling the result. This course will teach you to understand your low-light environment, physiological factors, equipment requirements, flashlight manipulation, and much more.
This class is only offered twice a year so don't miss out. Sign up today and be prepared to "Rule The Night"!
UTAH CCW
good in
34 States
Remember if you take your Utah CCW training with us it is all inclusive. Our Fee Includes the Notary Service, Fingerprinting, Passport Photos and Even a Pre-addressed Envelope.
Truly, One Stop Shopping!!
Low-Light
Shooting Class
August 31st
For a complete list
Terminal Ballistics Class
September 27
CTS The Only Place To Try Before You Buy...
Friday Night Date Night
Unlimited shooting for both you and your date only $20 and 10% off Ammo and Targets
Fundamentals of Personal Protection
Sept 9
5:30-9:30PM
Bullseye League
Every Thursday
5-7PM
FREE 1 Hour Class and Range Day with every firearm purchase. A $55.00 Value
Next GSSF Match Sept 20
9am - 2pm
Repeat any class completed,
forever for FREE!
CTS, The Only Place To Try Before You Buy...
Friday Night Date Night Unlimited shooting for both you and your date only $20 and 10% off Ammo and Targets
FREE 1 Hour Class and Range Day with every firearm purchase. A $55.00 Value
Remember Bullseye Every Thursday Night at 5pm
IDPA Fun Shoots and Matches Every 1st and 2nd Sunday from 7AM-11AM. Open to all. | |
