Calgary Shoot & Dope - fest

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Calling all Calgary dopers!

Inspired by this thread in which I invited **Rebekkah ** & friends to join Mrs. trupa and I at my range for their first experience using firearms, the possibility of a unique Calgary dope-fest was born when **Featherlou ** and **Scoob ** also expressed interest off-line.

So here is your opportunity to meet other Cowtown dopers, experience for yourself shooting many different types of real firearms in a relaxed but safe atmosphere, and then get together over dinner to get to know each other and talk about what it was like for you!

Details:

When: Thursday March 31st, 7:00 pm

Where: The Shooting Edge, map It’s near the Chinook Centre mall.

After everyone has shot to their satisfaction, or when the range closes at 9:00, we can then head off to dinner at a nearby eatery. Possibilities include Joey Tomatoes, Moxies, Red Lobster, Cheesecake Cafe.

Please reply if you have any questions, and if you can come on that day. If we have 8 people or more, we get a whole shooting bay reserved for us, and dedicated RSOs. I will make the arrangements for the range. Please indicate your preference for eating spot afterwards in your reply.

I will post a follow-up reply nearer the date confirming the location for dinner and those who can make it.

Likeley questions you may have:

Do I need a license: no, no license or prior experience is necessary.

How safe is it: you will be under the constant supervision of a Range Safety Officer (RSO) who will make sure you don’t break any of the 4 golden rules, on which you will have been previsouly briefed. Your RSO will also show you how to operate your chosen firearm. You will be issued (mandatory) hearing and eye protection. RSOs are friendly, but anal and serious about safety.

Can we do it on another day, I have yoga/school/choir practice on Thursdays: sorry, Thursdays is the only night out Mrs Trupa and I are allowed out, due to childcare & other scheduling issues. You are always welcome at TSE at any time, and the more Calgary dopefests the better.

What can I shoot: a wide variety of revolvers, pistols, shotguns and rifles are available for use. You can start out with a .22 to start, and move up to a .44 Magnum, if you want. Most popular calibers you have seen in the media or read about are available.

How much is it: There is a one-day membership ($10, iirc). You pay for your ammunition. Rifles are $10 to rent. Revolvers & pistols are free. You can shoot as many different types of firearms as you want and are available

**As a result of, uhm, a minor youthful indiscretion, I have a criminal record. Can I still shoot? ** So long as you have not been explicitely prohibited from owning a fiream, no problem, even with a record.

How loud is it really?: Wearing both ear-muffs and ear-plugs, which I prefer to do in an indoor range, it’s about as loud as dropping a big hard-cover text-book on a table. Without ear protection, well, don’t even think about it…

What do we shoot at: paper targets only, which you get totake home, and make a nifty wall decoration after the fact.

Can we take pictures: from behind the firing line, no problem, so long as all safety rules are followed (i.e. no posing pointing in an unsafe direction. Even unloaded. Period.) Avoiding the use of flash is polite for any other shooters who would not be part of our group. If we have a bay to ourselves, that becomes a non-issue.

2

Alright! My first Dopefest, and it comes complete with guns! Dread Pirate Jimbo and I will be there, probably (I have to talk to him about it still).

3

Great idea! This definitely sounds doable and fun, and if I can make it, I may also be able to bring Spoonette along. Besides, it’s been a while since I last shot a rifle, and I’m wondering if I still have the aim that I used to. But I’ll have to let you know for sure, trupa.

4

Oo sounds like fun. It’s a place I could probably get to easily too.

I won’t say yes, have to get a babysitter and stuff, but I might come.

5

That looks like a pretty nice facility. You might wanna call and check the price on that day pass with them before you guys all show up tho’. Their website looks like they charge $33/day. Be a bummer to show up there and not have enough cash for range fees and good supply of ammo.

http://www.theshootingedge.com/html/Range/range%20info.htm

Y’all have fun now - and be safe. Let us know how it goes. I’m especially interested in hearing from the first-time shooters. And I’d advise them to use a smaller caliber handgun - at least initially - like a .22LR, or maybe a 9mm.

6

How much is a box of 9mm ammo and how many rounds in a box? It looks like it’s the 33 for the day pass plus ammo so I'm currious how may /min that 9mm target shooting spree is going to cost. Interesting idea for a dope fest :slight_smile:

7

Thanks for looking that up Gut, looks like they hiked the day pass since I joined up.

I would ballpark a box (50 rounds) of 9mm at about $15 or so (.45 is about $20)

8

It was UncleBeer who looked it up. I just had a look for myself and confirmed it. Thanks for the info on ammo costs. I’ve never shot pistols aside from air pistols. I’ve shot some rifles and shotguns though. Count me in.

9

Dang - at $33 each, I’m gonna have to say we can’t afford it.

Well, Jim and I are often at Tipperary’s on 16th Ave on Wednesdays for Wing Night - if anyone wants to join us there, you’re more than welcome. Just drop me an email on a Tuesday, and I’ll let you know if we’re going and how to recognize us. :slight_smile:

10

Well, because I’m a boring stick in the mud, I’ll have to pass on any sort of activity involving guns - really, really not my scene.

But I hope you guys have fun. :slight_smile:

11

That’s too bad Featherlou, I was looking forward to meeting you. :frowning:

On the otherhand, there’s nothing stopping you, or any other doper, from joining us for nibbles afterwards. I will post the chosen establishement beforehand, so you will know where to go.

btw, where does everybody want to eat afterwards? Possibilities include Joey Tomatoes, Moxies, Red Lobster, Cheesecake Cafe.

12

I would have to pass on the shooting too if it’s going to be that much. Dinner I could probably swing though, I like Moxies and Cheesecake Cafe (though I didn’t know there was one of them in the area. Man, all this time I’ve been mising out on the cheesecake!)

13

Me and firearms really don’t work.
But I’d love to meet for snackies…

14

I’d be in for the but I live just a little further north. I have a Sig 226, Woodsman, 1911A1 and a couple of P38s for my pistol collection. TSE is a fine facility from what I understand though.

I Love the idea of this, I like seeing new people get into the firearms scene and I support it wholeheartedly. Too many people don’t understand how safe and enjoyable a sport it is.

15

When I said TSE is a fine facilty, remove the “though” in my message. An error in my typing. Happens to me a lot. :slight_smile:

16

Ok, Calgary dopers,

So far the following have confirmed for shooting & food:

**Rebekkah ** & roomie
Spoons & Spoonette
**Gut **
along with yours truly and Mrs. Trupa.

The following are considering joining us for dinner:

Flutterby
the Lady

Dinner, by unanimous choice (among those who have expressed an opinion) will be at the nearby Cheesecake Cafe. Mapquest Map

If we get one more person in our group, we can reserve an entire range bay for ourselves, so if anyone else out there missed this thread the first time around and wants to join us, just chime in.

If anyone in the confirmed group wants to cancel, please let us know too.

Stay tuned this thread for further updates.

17

Aha, that’s why I forgot it was there, I hardly go that way!

I’ll probably be able to come along, still need to ask Mom if she’ll watch the 'raptor.

So what time shall we meet at the Cheesecake?

18

Cool!
Glad it looks as though it will work out.

Yes, time for dinner please! (I may have to rearrange an appointment)

19

Ah, what the heck - it is a long way away on a work night, but I think Jim and I could swing by for dessert. You don’t get the chance to meet Dopers every day.

Um, how will we know which table to ask for? Just ask for the Dopers? :smiley:

20

Regarding what time to show up for those of us who will only be doing the dinner / desert part, I would suggest showing up around 8:45 or so. The range closes at 9:00. It may take hat long for everyone to have a go and finish their ammunition, or we may be done earlier. In any case, we won’t leave the range any later than 9:00, because we’ll be asked to go as they will be closing.

So, to be consise:

Shooting Dopers: be at the range at 7:00. I will post specific instructions once I have made reservations & know how many we will be.

Eating Dopers: show up at the Cheesecake around 8:45 or so.

I will make the reservations under the name The Straight Dope. We can play guess the doper as people show up.

BTW, never having coordinated a DopeFest before, is there something else I should know about? Should I bring nametags? Camera? Are there long standing traditions for Dopefests? Toasts to Opal?

Yay, Feahterlou can make it !