Looking for still more input on fund-raising shoot

[Monkeyleg]

I haven't slept in a couple of weeks, which has given me plenty of time to think about a fund-raising shoot for concealed carry in WI.

I'm thinking that mid-September would be the best time.

We can't do full-auto's.

But we can do a lot of other things. For example, we could ask folks who own .50 BMG rifles and other exotica to show up and let others shoot them. The WCCA/WCCM would sell the ammo with a markup.

I'm thinking that there's a lot of folks who'd like to shoot up cars. Or TV's. Or computers. Or microwaves.

Someone else here mentioned shooting fruits and vegetables. That sounds like a good event for pistol shooters: put five tomatoes (or watermelons or whatever) on stakes, and have a prize for the person who shoots all five in record time.

What blows up well? I've never shot a propane tank. Are those too dangerous? If so, is there anything else that "blows up real good" that would be safe but fun?

If the range would allow it, I'm thinking tracers at dusk would be a good draw.

Here's the wackiest idea I've had, courtesy of no sleep last night: as the grand finale, we put a foreign car on the 300 yard line. Then we bring out a privately-owned tank (Sherman, whatever). There's just one shell for the cannon. And we auction off who gets to "participate" in the destruction of said car.

Comments, criticisms, suggestions are very much welcome.

 

[mkeBob]

Dick, What does blowing up a car with a tank have to do with a CCA. Politically, it could do more harm then good. I think you'd have better luck with items like, winning defense training sessions, indoor or outdoor range lessons, wildlife art, guns, knives, etc. Also you've got to get current non-shooters involved someway. What about some of our political supporters speaking at the banquet. Just my two cents......Bob

 

[Monkeyleg]

mkeBob, I appreciate your input. I have to get up very early, so I'll try to be as brief as possible.

The number of volunteer hours that will go into the Massad Ayoob banquet (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=194711) will number in the dozens, if not hundreds. I'm hoping that the banquet will raise at least $10,000. I'd love to see $15,000.

The cancelled submachine gun shoot (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=185016) would have raised $4000 to $8000 in just five hours. And with little volunteer time. There were people who were going to come from Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan just to be able to do something "on the wild side."

We're going to have one of the most entertaining, engaging and inspirational speakers at our July 18th banquet: Massad Ayoob.

But, believe it or not, there are people who don't know who Massad Ayoob is.

And there are also banquets every week: Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Sassy Squirrel Supporters, and more.

Despite the bad press I generated with the cancelled subgun shoot, I learned a valuable lesson: people will travel long distances and spend money to do that which they are otherwise prohibited to do. (Think indian casinos).

When was the last time you got to shoot up a car? When was the last time you got to shoot up a car with a .50 BMG? When was the last time you got to shoot at something that exploded when you hit it? I sure haven't ever had that opportunity.

An event like I've described has nothing to do with concealed carry. And that's why it will attract more people than a banquet.

As for politics, by the time this event would be held, each candidate will have staked out his own territory on the CCW issue. Anti's will vote for Jim Doyle, and pro-gun voters will vote for Green.

And it doesn't have to be run under the banner of the WCCM political action committee. In fact, I think it would be better and more efficient to run it under the flag of another group, or several groups.

I'm just asking for input right now on exploding targets and the like: cars, propane canisters, whatever.

As for the idea of giving someone the chance to sit in a tank, point the turret gun at a car, and help blow said car to smithereens: how many people on THR wouldn't be willing to contribute at least a couple of Franklin's for that chance?

 

[rayra]

You could try sealed bids for the Coup(e) de Grace, but they can't write off the cost. You could try a raffle, if your crowd is large enough.

Like the rest of the weaponry ideas, crowd-pleasers all.

 

[NukemJim]

Monkeyleg, I must respectfully but firmly disagree with you.

Despite the bad press I generated with the cancelled subgun shoot

YOU have not generated any bad press whatsoever. What happened withe the subgun shoot was not your fault, I had the same experience in another state. ( Only I had to drive 3 hours to find out the shoot was cancelled ).

Again thank you for your eforts on CCW

NukemJim

 

[Bubbles]

Reactive target ideas

Plastic soda bottles filled with water "explode" nicely. Good for beginners. Have your volunteers start saving them now. Cans of soda (unopened) also work. Use cheap diet soda - no one likes it anyway, and in bulk you can get them for 20 cents each.

Foods like melons, tomatoes, cookies, and crackers will all work. Hold a competition to see who can hit the wheat thin at 100 yards.

Almost-empty aerosol cans are quite impressive when hit by tracer fire... DON'T do the propane thing (speaking from experience!!!!).

And someone's gotta say it...

TANNERITE!!!!!!!!!

 

[ACP230]

I saw a lot of old propane cylinders cooked off at a big shoot back in the 1990s.

The procedure used was to hole them with a .308, or a ball .50 BMG round, and wait to let the gas seep out and collect around the base of the tanks. Then .50 cal armor piercing incendiary rounds were fired into the tanks.
Lots of fire, resulted. So much, that I always felt the heat 100 yards away. Gave me more respect for propane.

Some tanks would always fall over and "jet" around on the ground. Some made it part of the way to the spectators area. There was always a fire truck on hand and a couple of times it had to go out and put out fires behind the backstop after the fun was over.

It was fun, but I think it would be tricky to manage. Tannerite would be easier to do IMO.

 

[Monkeyleg]

OK, what's tannerite?

NukemJim, if I hadn't used such inflammatory rhetoric about Doyle in the first email I sent out about the shoot, I don't think that one of his staffers or one of his supporters--whichever it was--would have fed the story to those two newspaper columnists.

I just wonder what the cost of a single shell is for a tank cannon. $200 for the tax stamp, but then what?

It would be so cool to have people bid on "participating" in blowing up a car. Especially an import, considering all the job losses here in SE Wisconsin due to GM's problems.

 

[NukemJim]

OK, what's tannerite

Tannerite is a binary explosive. Mix 2 chemicals together then shoot with a centerfire rifle. BOOM!

Check out http://www.tannerite.com/she_exploding_targets.html

NukemJim

 

[Monkeyleg]

Now that looks like a lot of fun!

I got to thinking about getting a tank to the range. Many years ago, I wanted to do a studio photograph of a tank. After looking into the costs (wide load trailers, wide load permits, etc) it seemed too cost-prohibitive.

My guess is that there are some WI trucker volunteers who have access to the trailers. Don't know about the permits, though, or the cost these days.

If anyone has a suggestion, please chime in.

An event like this--explosive targets, exploding fruit and vegetables, shoot em' up cars, and at least one heavy artillery round...this could bring in shooters from all over.

And it would bring in a lot of money to help Mark Green defeat Doyle.

And it would tick Doyle off something fierce because he wouldn't be able to find a way to use his goons to shut it down.

Nothin' but nothin' but right. This really has me excited!

 

[Strings]

Dick: verify every which way possible that we could, legally, set off a tank round somewhere in this state FIRST...

Or, there's another option: I don't think there's any special licensing needed for things like Civil War era cannon...