Apples don't grow well in Hawaii.

[Teichi]

Aloha All,
I'm a instructor/shooter/competitor on Oahu. Ranges are available. Interest is harder to acquire. I'll be talking with the shooters out here about hosting an event.

[Wheeler44]

Good job teichi...Shoot boss Earl will be pleased to know that...I believe that Earl is layin' in the snow right at this moment..Possibly dreaming of Hawaii between courses of fire..

W44

[CortJestir]

Aloha, Teichi. Thanks for helping out. CT just said a fond farewell to Thor, one of our Shoot Bosses, who is Hawaii-bound for at least as long as his job needs him there. He did indicate to me that he'll be planting (pine)Appleseeds in your state if he can, so feel free to send him a quick PM to help get things started.

[bill o rites]

JUST MISSED YOU  I WAS THERE  NOV 2 THRU NOV13  2010   

[Teichi]

Puuloa Rifle and Pistol Club is presently the only club left in Hawaii that is dedicated to NRA High Power Rifle and CMP Service Rifle competition. We are located on the Island of Oahu and have access to a variety of ranges on the island. The largest is is the USMC Puuloa Range Facility located in Ewa Beach. There are 2 fifty firing point known distance ranges with 100, 200, 300, 500, 600yd firing lines ;2 twenty-five point 25/50m multi use ranges; and 2 forty point covered pistol ranges.

Range time is not the problem with Hawaii, but there is an issue with shooter apathy. Our last CMP M1 Garand competition netted only 12 shooters. Our EIC Leg matches only attract 25 shooters. Most shooters are intimidated with match/range fees and the course of fire, and are rather satisfied to plink at steel and paper.

Our next open competition will be 11 and 12 Dec. We will be hosting a combined rifle and pistol EIC match at Puuloa. Saturday 11 Dec will be a NRA High Power Rifle 500agg and the 12th will be the CMP Rifle and Pistol EIC.

[Earl]

Shooter apathy? it just isn't something that the folks on Hawai'i think is normal. So you have to make an Appleseed a family fun event- the 22LR 25meter shouldn't scare first time or very infrequent shooters. HP and competition shouldn't even be in your speech.

Get a range three to four months out with follow-ons for once a month at least three times. Range fees must be cheap to non existant.

Contact all the gun selling shops, gunsmiths, and heavy on military post recreation centers. The Shooters have to bring their own rifles and ammunition. Target law enforcement and check on college shooting programs, or JROTC or JNROTC.

Invite the governor, and other politicians to consider this as a way to increase tourism. The shooting shop on the island does brisk business with the visiting Japanese, renting.

[Teichi]

Shooter Apathy in Hawaii is real. The State leadership is pretty anti-gun. Our new Governor and Mayor are anti-gun. Most residents do not have the same cultural experience of hunting as most of the US. Gun ownership is quite restrictive. I work fulltime for the National Guard. I have twenty people working in my building. There are only 2 gun owners besides myself. Gun ownership for Hawaii National Guard is about 10%. I have 27 firearms and most people call that excessive. There is only one public range on the island and it is free for use and quite crowded. It is open W/Th/F 12-3pm and weekends 9-3. The best fun shoot is the monthly .22 silhouette fun match. $5 covers range/match fees and lunch. It's open to anyone with a .22 rifle or pistol, any sights. 12 shooters participate on an average. The strange part is that it is held on the same range as the "metalic plinkers". $5 is the same fee to shoot all day, but you must compete to eat the meal provided. Plinkers come by asking to buy a lunch, the price in reality is 40 rounds of .22 and trying to shoot 40 targets. Sounds like an attractive meal price to me.

I guess that you really won't understand the mentality until you live here.

checkout my Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000446092206&v=wall

[Thor]

This thread is well timed indeed.  As Cortjestir mentioned, I have been transferred to Hawaii.  Have been in transit for the last several months, but have arrived on Oahu in the last two weeks. I am now pretty well settled in my new home and am ready to get back to Appleseeding.   

Teichi, I would very much like to get in touch with you to talk about the possibilities for getting Appleseed going at Puuloa.  A dozen attendees doesn't sound like much, but that is a great number to start doubling from.  I'll send you a PM with my contact info.

[vernic82]

Guys- Hawaii has some of the countries strongest Bullseye Pistol programs and probably the best pistol gunsmith in the country.  So, considering that, there IS a following and strong desire in your state for shooting as a whole that is ripe for Appleseed - and with all the military there and what you guys are a part of it shouldn't take you long to make it payoff. - Good luck!  V82

[Teichi]

Bullseye Pistol has about 20 shooters, and I'm one of them. Ed Masaki is still out here. Mike Mallon is still top shot. The last Leg Match attracted only 11 shooters. There were 6 civilians, 2 National Guard, 2 Army and 1 Marine.

There is a big "reality check" for military new shooters when the get into Conventional Pistol. The standard Army Qualification Course is just hitting a full man-sized silhouette at distances of 3 to 28 meters with 2 handed stance. It is hard for them to believe that anyone can shoot one handed and keep shots in a 8" circle.

I brought my First Sergeant to the range the day prior to the match for practice. He was so stunned at the size of a 50yd target that he didn't even show the next day to shoot.

The winning Leg was Civilian Spencer Keliiaa 255-4x. That is pretty low compared to matches around the country.