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thedrifter
04-16-07, 08:43 AM
'Top Guns' raise money for Marines
By: Clarence Plank
Posted: 4/16/07

Local amateurs and policemen competed in a marksmanship competition Saturday afternoon to raise money for Operation Helmet.

On Target, a local, indoor shooting range, hosted the competition and put up a one-year membership and other prizes for the winners.

Tim Chrysler, organizer of the marksmanship competition, was pleased with the turnout at the event.

"It's going pretty good," Chrysler said. "I was a little worried, because we couldn't do as much advertising as we thought we would, but the turnout has been great."

The competition raised a total of $750 for Operation Helmet, Chrysler said. The only loss was menial expenses and last minute fixes, which were all paid for out of personal pockets.

"A lot of people just come in here to shoot and they found out about it, and they're all participating in it," Chrysler said.

On Target dropped the price of a shooting to five dollars, but people were coming in a playing over and over again.

The participants used their own pistols and ammunition for the competition, but people could purchase more ammo or rent pistols if they did not have a gun.

"Toots' really went to bat for us and so did Pawbowsky's," Chrysler said. "On Target has been so, so supportive. They designed and put all the time and effort into organizing it for us and they're not going to make anything off of this."

The shooting range donated a $250 dollar one year membership as the first place prize and both Toot's and Pawboysky's gave gift certificates. Unfortunately, H.H Greg, which was set to donate a prize, and MTSU intra-fraternity council, which had a day specifically designated for fraternities, both did not participate.

The competition required participants to shoot seven rounds at seven targets. Each target was about the size of a golf ball or smaller. The person who hit the most targets out of the seven became the winner.

Fourth place winner Mike Johnson of Smyrna said it was interesting trying to shoot something about the size of a half-dollar.

"It makes it more challenging," Johnson said. "I had a wonderful time."

The stand that holds the targets is set up on a wire that moves forward and backward, so someone can adjust the distance of the target they are shooting.

The participants had to wait a little bit for the movement to settle down before they could shoot at the targets.

The competition then became a shoot-off between first, second and third place. After the smoke cleared, Bill Cook of Smyrna won first place, Vic Davis of Brentwood in second and Tim Dulin of Portland, Tenn. in third. Johnson received a one-month membership.

"It was great. It's for a good cause, and was lots of fun," Johnson said. "Everybody was real sportsman-like; you couldn't asked for anything better."

"The main thing is it's for a good cause, for the Marines in Iraq," Cook said. "You can't ask for more than that."

Ellie