Turning Money Into Noise (by Colonel Smoothbore)
By angelamontana

Posted: May 17, 2020

Memorial weekend is just one week away and I’m sure we will all welcome the opportunity to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy some traditional activities; as well as honor those who gave all for our country. It is a time for fishing, camping, hiking, road trips, and for some of us, trapshooting.

Those of you who follow this column know I am a passionate shotgunner and trapshooting is my favorite shooting sport. This year Montana’s competitive trapshooter’s guns have remained silent. On Memorial weekend that will change. Beginning on May 23rd and continuing on the 24th and 25th, the Broadwater Rod and Gun Club (BRGC) will hold its ATA sanctioned Memorial Tournament and Club Championship. This tournament is quite special to me, I’m the guy in charge and the one who takes the heat when things go wrong. But I have some great help, my trapshootn’ buddies.

The BRGC is an eight event, 800 target tournament. The fun starts Saturday with handicapping and squadding beginning at 8:00 AM; the opening event starts at 10:00 AM. The next two days follow the same format. There are singles, handicap, and doubles events, and trophies for champions in various classes in each event. There is also a very nice High Overall trophy for the shooter with the highest aggregate combined score from all eight events and a little added money to sweeten the pot. 

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 quarantine restrictions hundreds of trap tournaments across the country have been cancelled and that includes nearly every tourney in Montana. BRGC’s tournament is the first since the pandemic hit the state and we are happy that we can open up the season. BRGC thanks our local Broadwater County authorities for helping us and allowing us the opportunity to stage this tournament. We will be following CDC, state, and local guidelines in order to keep everyone as safe as possible.  If you would like more information and the latest updates just go to:  https://www.broadwaterrodandgun.com/  One cautionary note, due to the state mandated 14 day self-quarantine, we are not able to enter out-of-state competitors, only Montana citizens will be allowed to compete. 

The effects of the pandemic have hit all of us, it has been a real grind. Now we can begin the journey back to normality. It’s going to take a while, and at times I think that journey will be difficult. But on Memorial weekend Montana’s trapshooters will get the chance to once again enjoy fun times and good friends. Before the competition begins, we will stand at attention while the “Star Spangled Banner” plays and we will take a few moments to remember what so many others sacrificed for us. Then, as trapshooters love to do, we’ll turn our money into noise.

Be safe and good shooting.

Colonel Smoothbore

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