Long Range Rendevoux-----PHOTOS ADDED---SEE POST#72 for details

[6.5Express]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

About 340 miles from my home in Eastern Oregon - pending dates I'd be interested and might be able to talk a few buddies into it. Keep us posted on the dates.

What are you thinking about (roughly) regarding the fee? Not trying to be cheap - just curious.

gun)

 

[longrangefreek]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

I'm game also. What a great weekend. Besides I would really like to meet you guys personally and enjoy shooting with fellow long range shooters.

 

[JeffP40]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

No one here has answered his original question yet. "What would you be willing to pay,..." give him some kind of idea, he will be plowing new ground here, so the more info the better, I'm sure. There will be a ton of work involved in just setting up usable targets, not to mention upkeep. One thing is, the site is not being used now, so any income is better than nothing. The only increase in expenses would be a little electricity. I don't know the ownership situation, but there may be liability issues, so that needs to be considered also.
As far as targets go, probably the easiest way to get good hard targets is to use old cutting edges from equipment. (Dozers, loaders, etc.) various sizes, hard enough to last several lifetimes, and already have mounting holes. (And "shoot thru holes", watched that thru a spotting scope once or twice ) Mount them with rubber belting to a stand of your choice, steel posts work good, just need a crossbar. Broz has used an old swingset frame for a couple, still portable and relatively light.
Condition of the dorm will also need to be determined. Are the beds made up? Is the kitchen furnished with cookware and utensils? I am assuming it is good to go, but ...?
This does not have to be a big deal, guys like us are pretty easy to please, but there are a lot of considerations when you start thinking about it, some pressing and some for the future.
I, for one, am in the "need to do it cheapest" situation for stuff like this. My income and work status is pretty iffy right now, as well as a pending divorce, so you know where that puts me. I am pretty much a bring it with me guy who just needs a place to put my head, so $100 for a weekend is a lot for me. Couple that with travel expenses and it limits me to what I can do.
This sounds like a great thing to do, I am looking to do a couple such things in the coming year, although closer to home.
Keep us updated, and ask here for lots of advice, I'm sure you will get plenty, worthwhile or not.

 

[Broz]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

JeffP40, brings up some good topics. I recommend a well writen liability form to be signed brfore hand and notorized. I would have it returned with the lodging / food fees before hand. This should insure a good turnout and give a good accurate number of attendees as it looks like there could be many. Also the number attending will be important to plan for food and sleeping arrangements.

You did ask for price, and here are my thoughts. I always look for the best value in motels when I travel. I still end up paying $60 a night or more. So if you take that, plus average price of a meal on the road $ 12 to $15 if you eat cheap, then add something for your time, and the place to shoot. I see it going over $100 a day easily and maybe more depending on the food thing. On that note, here are my suggestions. I would do coffee , juice and rolls (cont. breakfast) in the am. Then let the shooters bring stuff for a sack field lunch, like when we are hunting. For the evening group meals , I would do things like a huge pot af chillie in crock pots or burgers on the grill or what ever is easy to feed a large number. I am not coming for food so I will be easy to please. I am coming first to shoot, and second to enjoy the evenings with like minded people to share in shooting/ hunting related conversations. Meeting people we talk to on the forum will be just the icing on the cake.

PS, I have a freezer full of elk and would be happy to donate burger.

Jeff

 

[yobuck]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

im glad to see the liability issue was raised. this is obviously a beautiful place.
one would think that anyone smart enough to own it would be smart enough to protect himself.
i would certainly hope so. any type of accident could be very costly.

i would very much enjoy this type of event. ive been looking for a reason to go to idaho anyway.

joel, i have some good friends owning a large ranch in s.e. montana. they love shooting also. lots of p.ds and coyotes. its the place i told you ive been hunting.
p.m. or call me and i can fill you in if your interested.

 

[royinidaho]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

Seeing as how suggestions are coming forth.......

Liability is a non-issue for me. I'll sign what ever Randy generates. Can't trust my kids though. They are pretty possessive of the old man..

Safety is important. A range master type system should be implemented in the various shooting areas with firmly established guidelines.

As for accommodations, I'm an easy to please fella. This one bedroom, one bath apartment we have been in for 18 months is a true test. As in, this tent is too small for two people.

The important part to me, though don't tell my wife, is a shower and bathroom facilities. Honey holes simply seem wrong....

Once the numbers are firmed up, meals will be easier to plan. Catering could be expensive or more expensive than a "man thing" may need to be.

I think I read that the place has a commercial kitchen. That would mean a grill of some sort. If so, Krusteaz, eggs, link sausage, Ojuice, milk and coffee should be straight forward for breakfast.

For a group of people attending a stock dog clinic (20 people) the host provided the elk steaks (Broz - hint) I Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened 'em cajun style. Yummy Maybe we could snag a road kill buff on the way over there......????

Another thought would be to pit cook a pig. One of those things should be around $125 plus digging a pit and several cans of Tony's Cachere's cajun seasoning. There is most probably plenty of local lava rock for the pit. Maybe dreaming a bit big here but, what the hey.... that's what guys do.....

I'm willing to show up a day or two ahead of time to assist w/set up and stuff. And stay a little later to clean up.

For evening entertainment we could sneak over to Ketchum, snag a some tree huggers, bring 'em back and match race 'em and geld the losers. Know a couple of cowboys who back in the day gave that a go with a couple of hippies. Frightened the hell out of 'em. The hippies, that is. The cowboys were too drunk to give a hoot.

Speaking of that, alcohol rules should be established.

Also, if the timing is right, I can bring a cinematographer along to get some good footage.

 

[SHRTSHTR]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

I for one would be willing to pay $150.00 to $250.00 a day for a event like this. Having said that...I have my own camper and actually like my own cooking.

Depending on how many people would show up? This could be a whole lot of work and money getting everything setup to accomodate a large group of folks. This is why I have stated what this would be worth to me. I just want to shoot and tell stories. Just organizing the shoot would be an undertaking. Not to mention food & lodging. Don't care if I am catered to at all. Just my opinion!

 

[cowboy]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

After reading through the comments I would ad a few more options to consider.

- Establish how many shooters/paying spectators is best for you and your facility. How many days are you thinking - some of us are looking at long driving time coming and going.

- What is easiest for you and your facility when it comes to food/drinks/beverage, it sounds like you could go from everyone bringing there your own grub to providing a meal at night (Price built in).

- Figure out how much time it would take for you to set things up as well as tear down, and cleaning up site/facility. Put a price on your time along with the facility use and away you go. Some will show and some won't.

- I would set the dates and time with the last 2-4 hours a mandatory participation of everyone getting things back to where they were. From the sounds of things I would bet 75% of the people that showed up would do this without being asked.

- I think from the sounds of things most everyone is pretty price conscience but would love to try something like this.

- What's your thoughts on people bringing campers and providing their own lodging and food - just a comment for consideration.

I think the big thing is to not have WAY too many show up and have a cluster - better to start on a smaller scale. After the first time you have had one you'll know how much time/energy it takes along with what this group can afford or are willing to pay.

Sure as heck sounds like this has the potential for a lot of fun.

 

[longrangefreek]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

I too would pay around 150$ for this. Im not afraid to fend for myself for meals to keep the cost down and the headace of feeding everyone. not afraid to share too. I am more than willing to assist anyway I could before and after the event. I also have no problem signing my life away to a liability form. I just won't sign my gun away. Safety is and always should be a top priority for an event like this. I have a couple buddies that would enjoy this also.

 

[RDM416]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

Hey, count me in! This sounds like a lot of fun. I will be willing to pay a reasonable price, don't know what that is until you have the details worked out, but price would not be a major consideration. Not that I don't care how much it costs, just that it would be about 1600+ miles each way for me so the actual rendevous cost would only be a small part of the whole trip.

As others have said, I will be happy to help set up, take down and clean up after myself. Keep the food simple and you will be better off. I can help cook, I often cook for a large group at our elk camp. I can whip up a mean batch of bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuits! Add a little hot coffee and we are good to go for breakfast.

Hopefully you can get this together and the dates work out for me. My daughter has several shooting competitions this summer. Maybe this will work out between them. I will bring my big boomers. A 510 Allen Mag, 338 Allen Mag along with the small stuff like a 338 Khan and 338 RUM! gun)

 

[Sully2]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

Keep the booze locked up and it would be worth every penny a guy had to shell out!

 

[mtnwrunner]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

RENDEVOUS UPDATE!
You guys are killing me!!
Just got back from the Safari Club show and read the updated posts. First of all, that will be the first and last time I attend the SCI convention. It was all about MONEY. Period. I'll keep the rest of my comments to myself being that they are not constructive.
The Rendevous.
The dates are May 18, 19th and 20th. I can host about 30 (or so) shooters and there is room on the ranch if someone wants to camp. The dorm can sleep pretty much everyone but there will have to be sharing of some rooms----there are beds and bunkbeds but bring a sleeping bag just to throw on them. As i said before, there is a commercial grade kitchen including all utensils with a huge walk in freezer and sits adjacent to a large community room. I would like to have this be a community effort so the ones that want to could help pitch in and help cook, etc. My "honey" says she is willing to cook but I really don't want to saddle her and me with all that reponsibility although we can do it if need be.
I also have a greek buddy who will be doing a pig on a spit for one night---i think that someone had mentioned that in a post. It is an amazing meal.
And I'll be doing grilled ribeyes one night with my famous seasoning.
So, we'll have breakfast, lunch and dinners provided for the weekend although you all can bring something if you wish. (It won't be vegetarian friendly.....)
We will do lunch and dinner on friday, breakfast, lunch and dinner on saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Dinner can be optional as I expect that most would head out sunday afternoon.
The concept behind the rendevous is FUN. We can do whatever we wish. Think of what kind of shoot you may want to do. For example one of my "shoots" will be a blanket shoot. In the spirit of the old time mountain man rendevous's, they would place an item on a blanket and everyone would get something---first place picks what they want and so on. One of my buddies will be doing a 500 yard dueling tree. So, think what you would want to do! And bring what you want to sell, trade for a long range swap meet.
After input and deliberation, the cost will be 300 bucks for the weekend. That will include lodging, the lands to shoot on and the food as specified above. (We'll do a "donation" for adult beverages. And it will be FIRST COME, FIRST served. So, if you want to come, you need to let me know asap. I have also read some concerns on liability. The ranch is insured as well as events held on it but I will have some kind of waiver to sign.

BRING IT ON!

Randy

My personal email is: [email protected]
cell----208-471-0021
day---208-788-8225 Sawtooth Tack and Feed

 

[pyroducksx3]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

Well hopefully this becomes an annual thing, my gun won't be back from the smith until June. I'm new to longrange hunting and probably would have been an excellent group to be around to get the feet wet. Maybe it's gets done a little early, here's hoping. This is a great idea

 

[elkaholic]

Re: Long Range Rendevous----thoughts?

What a great idea! I'll do it in a heartbeat if I can get free from work at this time? I'm a forestry consultant and don't have my contracts all in place yet so am not sure? The best part of all this would be rubbing elbows with all of you guys and putting faces to names. The shooting opportunities with a layout like that look awesome. I'm use to a lot of brush up here in North Idaho. I have a piece of 20" armour plate I could bring along for an extra target. Might even bring along some extra SXR's for you .308 diameter shooters. You would have to bring along a portable press etc., but what the heck. The prices mentioned so far sound reasonable to me. My new 30/375 S.I. should be up and running by then and that would be a great opportunity to try her out.......Rich