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| Phil Randall, center, was the top shooter at the 2006 Snow Shoot with an excellent score of 290-8x. Randell won the gold shooting an M1 Garand. Mark Prange, left, finished second with a 277-7X and Chris Heckman, right, received the trophy for best uniform.
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For some shooters, winter is considered the off-season. For others the snowy ranges present an opportunity for a unique annual match. This was the case at the Southern Michigan Gun Club in Kalamazoo, Michigan who just hosted their sixth annual Snow Shoot, a CMP M1 Garand, Springfield, and Vintage Military Rifle Match. “When we started it was really just an excuse to shoot in the middle of winter,” said John Hughes, who was one of the six participants in the club’s inaugural Snow Shoot in 2001. “It was not very formal the first year, it was just a few of us in our period uniforms, shooting vintage rifles,” said Hughes.
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| The Southern Michigan Gun Club Snow Shoot was a 100 yard reduced course “A” 35 round match.
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The event has come a long way from the first small gathering and this year played host to over fifty competitors, the largest crowd for the match so far. Another noticeable difference in the Snow Shoot this year was the lack of snow. Temperatures were in the 40’s with no breeze for the Saturday event. It was a big contrast from the first Snow Shoot when there was nearly two feet of snow on the ground, though competitors were not complaining about the agreeable weather.
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| Part of the attraction of the Snow Shoot for some shooters is the opportunity to dress in period uniforms. That was certainly the case for friends Mike DeJonge, Bob Kowalczyk, Anthony Osterberg, Sergio Osterberg, and Tim Fonger who traveled to the match from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Some Snow Shoot participants celebrate the history of their vintage rifles by dressing in period military uniforms similar to what is done at the John C. Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, during the summer. Anthony Osterberg attended the match with his family and friends from Grand Rapids, Michigan, all dressed in period uniforms. Members of the group primarily participate in military re-enactments, but enjoy occasions like the Snow Shoot when they can fire their vintage rifles. “The Veterans that I have talked to really appreciate the re-enactments, they don’t want to be forgotten,” said Osterberg who was attending his third Snow Shoot. The group had an assortment of uniforms from several different countries including Japan, Germany, and Great Britain.
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| Chris Heckman assists a shooter during slow-fire prone at the Snow Shoot. Heckman’s WWII Army Captains Uniform was voted the best at the match by the competitors.
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In total, 14 participants dressed in period uniforms for the event, and an award for the best uniform was presented at the end of the day. Christopher Heckman, who dressed as a WWII U.S. Army Captain in the 1st Infantry Division, took the top honor. “Participating in the Snow Shoot led me to start shooting highpower, and I will attend Camp Perry for the third time this summer. I’ve met a great group of guys shooting highpower, and will continue to shoot and collect M1 Carbines and Garands as long as I can,” said Heckman who started shooting two years ago.
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| Jack Prange, assisted by Steve Larson, shot his first match at the 2006 Snow Shoot. The ten-year-old shot on the same rely as his Dad, Mark Prange.
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The day was a family affair as well, with several juniors participating in the match. Mark Prange brought his ten-year-old son, Jack, to shoot in his first match. “I was excited to shoot a match with my Dad,” said the younger Prange, who shot with a borrowed Carbine.
There were several new additions to the schedule at the Southern Michigan Gun Club’s match this year. A vintage military pistol match was included and had several participants. Also a food tent was set-up behind the range to provide a warm meal for competitors as they came off the line.
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| A vintage pistol match was added to the Southern Michigan Gun Club’s Snow Shoot this year, and will most like become a regular part of the annual event.
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But the Southern Michigan Gun Club is not the only club to host a winter M1 match. These matches have become popular events at clubs across the country. The Eastern Nebraska Gun Club holds an annual CMP John C. Garand “B” match. Their January event has come to be known as the “Snow Ball” match. Twenty-two people participated in the match this year, and over half in attendance were first time competitors.
For a listing of sanctioned John C. Garand and Springfield Vintage Military Rifle Matches visit http://clubs.odcmp.com/matches. For photos from the Southern Michigan Gun Clubs Snow Shoot go to, http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/06/SMGC_Snow_Shoot/index.htm. For results go to, http://www.odcmp.org/0206/CMP_060128.pdf. For results and photos from the North Eastern Nebraska Gun Club’s Snow Ball Match visit, http://www.papillion.ne.us/~jmorrisn/snow.htm.
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