News

September Long Range Handgun Match - September 5th, 2023
9/18/2023

Seven of Polk County Gun Club's long range handgunners assembled again on the evening of 5 September for the sixth Long Range Handgun (LRH) match of the year. The weather was warm and sunny with minimal wind - ideal match conditions but devastating for the poor (paper) groundhogs. Results and photos are posted HERE.

August F-Class Match - August 26th, 2023
8/26/2023

Polk County Gun Club hosted its fifth F-Class tournament of the year on 26 August. Fifteen shooters took their places on the high-power firing line and seven on the small bore firing line. Results are posted HERE.

August HPR Match - August 19th, 2023
8/15/2023

The day started out beautiful and lasted all day.  The temperature was no higher than 88 with a breeze from the Northeast in the morning, switching to the Northwest and ending the match from the Southwest as usual. Results are posted HERE.

PCGC F-Class Shooters Cover Themselves with Glory in the Low Country
8/15/2023

Shooting against a large number of skilled shooters at the Palmetto Gun Club, Team Polk County distinguished itself once again in the F-Class match on 12 August.  Shawn Risdon established two new range records (and a personal best) with F-Open (FO) scores of 599-52X and a 200-19X.  Greg Chapa won second place in FO aggregate with a 599-42X.    Tyler Vojta took fourth place FO aggregate with a 598-32X.  Robert Risdon took third place in F-Target Rifle (FTR).  Roger Powell shot an impressive personal best in FO with an aggregate score of 597-28X.  These achievements speak VERY well for our club's F-Class community.  We can imagine that shooters elsewhere groan in frustration when they see Team Polk County arrive on the firing line!

August ASI Match - August 5th, 2023
8/15/2023

The biggest ASI match of the year took place on August 5th, with 17 shooters. See the results HERE.

Fifth Long Range Handgun Match - August 1st, 2023
8/15/2023

Polk County Gun Club's long-range handgunners competed in their fifth match of the year on the evening of the first day of August.  Seven hardy souls ventured out into the gloaming to protect our great land from predatory paper groundhogs. See the results HERE.

Polk County Gun Club Featured in The Sixgunner
8/7/2023

The Sixgunner is the top national handgun hunting periodical.  Dan Henk recently submitted an article about our Long Range Handgun matches and they included it in their most recent issue.  The link to the magazine is given HERE and they also offered a FREE subscription to the magazine here:   subscribepage.com/thesixgunner.

Fourth High Power Rifle Match - July 15th, 2023
7/16/2023

The morning of the fourth High Power Rifle match started overcast with a threat of rain. Temperature was in the mid 76-86. See the match results posted here.

July ASI Match - July 8th, 2023
7/11/2023
The July ASI match was a hot one! See the match results posted here.
Fourth Long Range Handgun Match - July 6th, 2023
7/11/2023
Seven of Polk County's pistoleers assembled again on a quiet Tuesday evening to cull (paper) groundhogs at the club's monthly Long Range Handgun (LRH) match. To see the results of how the groundhogs fared, see the match results posted here.
Third F-Class Tournament - June 24th, 2023
7/2/2023
PCGC hosted its third F-Class tournament of the year on June 24th.  A total of twenty competitors completed the course of fire. Results of the match are posted here.
Congratulations to Greg Chapa!
7/2/2023

Highest congratulations to Club member and F-Class shooter Greg Chapa, who won the F-Class (F-Open) State Championship at Camp Butner last week, a significant win against some very tough competition.  Greg modestly attributed his success to patience in challenging weather conditions.  Very well done, Greg!

Greg's understated comments:  "Finished up Sunday with a 600.37x. Won by 6 I think."  Photos of Greg's targets are linked here.  Take a look.  They're incredible.
Third High Power Rifle Match - June 17th, 2023
7/2/2023
PCGC held the third High Power Rifle match on  Saturday 06/17/2023. The morning started sunny and bright and lasted all day. The temperature was in the mid-80s. Again, Greg Ficklin did an outstanding job operating the Silver Mountain electronic targeting system. The system and match ran smoothly. The Polk County Gun Club purchased 10 real Electronic Tablets that are a vast improvement over the “Kindles” the club previously supplied. Click here for results.
N.C. Sheriffs' Association - Update: Important Gun Law Update (Article III)
7/2/2023

Each legislative session, it is possible and has been probable the past several years that the General Assembly will propose legislative changes to North Carolina’s gun laws. This year has been no different with bills being filed to both expand and limit firearms rights.

Bills have been filed which create safe storage initiatives, red flag laws, and new crimes for failing to secure firearms. Other bills propose suicide prevention measures, drastically altering concealed handgun permitting requirements, and allowing employees of certain school units to carry weapons on school campuses.

Obviously, not all of those bills have or will become law. In fact, bills which have not already become law this session and did not make crossover will have a very difficult, if not impossible, time becoming law this year. Crossover is a self-imposed deadline chosen by legislative leadership by which a bill must make it from one chamber to another in order to be considered for the remainder of the session.

However, one bill, Senate Bill 41 (Session Law 2023-8) has already become law this Session and does the following:

  • Repeals the pistol purchase permit for selling, giving away, transferring, purchasing, or receiving a pistol in this State.
  • Allows anyone with a concealed handgun permit, or who is exempt from having to obtain one, to carry a handgun on school grounds if the school grounds also house a place of religious worship. The law allows for the carrying of a handgun on the premises of the school grounds only when the premises are NOT being used for curricular or extracurricular activities, school-sponsored activities (such as on weekends or during holidays), or for any programs for minors conducted by entities unaffiliated with the religious institution.
  • Allows a civilian employee of a law enforcement agency with a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun in a law enforcement facility so long as the person has been designated in writing by the agency head to carry the handgun and has in their possession written proof of the designation. The agency head is allowed to rescind this authorization at any time.
  • Requires the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, to conduct a statewide firearm safe storage awareness initiative to educate the public about the importance of the safe storage of firearms.

The repeal of the pistol purchase permit was effective when the bill became law on March 29, 2023. Most of the remaining provisions of the bill become effective July 1, 2023.

Please support the efforts of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association.

Click here to make a donation
Membership Update
6/23/2023
At this time, the Club's membership quota has been reached and no action on applications will be taken until there are vacancies.  Those currently on the wait list as of 6/13/23 will be allowed to complete the membership process and be voted on.  We will continue to take applications, and those applicants will be up for membership sequentially by the date they were received by the membership chairman when vacancies occur.  Our 2 meeting requirement is still in place and easy to meet, but it would be beneficial for any applicant to first, get to the club, participate in something, and make associations such that you will have two sponsors, one of which will request the application.  There are many hopefuls with the meeting requirement completed, but no application submitted.
June ASI Match - June 3rd, 2023
6/8/2023

Polk County Gun Club's Long Range Handgunners celebrated the 79th Anniversary of D-Day with a bang by blasting a herd of obnoxious paper groundhogs to smithereens in the club's third Long Range Handgun match of the year.  Eleven shooters turned out for the event. Click here for results.

June ASI Match - June 3rd, 2023
6/8/2023

Polk County Gun Club hosted its fourth ASI match on June 2rd. Click here for results.

First and Second F-Class Matches - May 27th, 2023
6/4/2023

Polk County Gun Club hosted its first F-Class tournament of the year on 27 May. In fact, the club hosted its first two tournaments of the year on that date.  The Board of Directors had authorized the F-Class community to hold a second tournament as a makeup for the April tournament, cancelled due to inclement weather. Click here for results for both tournaments.

Second High Power Rifle Match - May 20th, 2023
5/13/2023

Polk County Gun Club held it's May High Power Rifle match on Saturday, May 20th. Click here for results.

Nora Ross Clinic Report
5/13/2023
The Nora Ross clinic was held at the club on May 6 and 7 for the 5th time! Club and non-club members participated. All attendees indicated the clinic was educational and very worthwhile!

Thank you to the Polk GC Board and club members for allowing the use of the club facilities and supporting the clinic. Special thanks to Ken Flanagan for volunteering to spend a loooong day at the club covering the 1st day of the clinic. Also, special thanks to Terry Lynch for the repeated and effective communications with the club members regarding the hosting of the clinic!
The clinic promotes shooting sports and made a few dollars for the club. That's a win-win for all.
Bench Rest Spring Results - May 7th, 2023
5/13/2023
The final Bench Rest match of the Spring was held on Sunday, May 7. Click here for results and photos.
Long Range Handgun Results - May 2nd, 2023
5/13/2023

The Polk County Long Range Handgun pistoleers assembled again on Tuesday evening, 2 May, for the second great monthly "groundhog cull" of the year. Click here for full details.

Nora Ross Trap Clinic May 6th and 7th, 2023
4/22/2023

PCGC will be hosting a Nora Ross trap clinic May 6th and 7th, 2023. The fee is $450 for both days (Nora's website lists a 2022 price of $350, 2023 brings a price increase) plus $6 per round for nonmembers, and $4 per round for members, to cover club costs. PCGC has hosted this clinic several times and receives some compensation for hosting.  One trap range will be reserved for the clinic both days and parts of the clubhouse as well.  All participants have expressed their satisfaction w/Nora's instruction. Click here for full details.

First High Power Riffle Match - April 15th, 2023
4/17/2023

Polk County Gun Club initiated the 2023 High Power Rifle Season last Saturday April 15th, 2023. Click here for a full report.

Frozen Chosin Vintage Rifle Match - February 18th, 2023
4/14/2023

The 16th annual Polk County Gun Club, Korean War Commemorative, Frozen Chosin Vintage Rifle Match was held February 18, 2023. Click here for a full report.

1st Long Range Handgun Match - April 4th, 2023
4/9/2023

The Tuesday evening calm in western NC was shattered on 4 April as seven eager handgunners took to the rifle firing line to shoot Polk County Gun Club's first long-range handgun (LRH) match of the year. Click here for a full report.

3rd ASI Match - April 1st, 2023
4/9/2023

On April 1, 2023, PCGC held its 3rd ASI match. There were 16 competitors that came out along with our first junior: 9-year-old Sam Hall.  Click here for a full report.

The NCRPA is proud to announce the latest success of our lobbying efforts in Raleigh
4/1/2023

March 29, the House voted 71-46 to override Governor Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 41, a bill that recognizes law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense while attending a church with a school attached and also repeals the redundant permit-to-purchase system. In addition, as part of the bill a "Safe Storage Law" was also attached to the bill. NCRPA thanks the Senate leadership of Senator Danny Britt, Senator Warren Daniel, Senator Jim Perry, Senator Phil Berger, and others for fighting to protect the rights of North Carolina’s law-abiding citizens. Also, on the House side, NCRPA thanks Speaker Tim Moore, Representative Destin Hall, and others for their tireless efforts to advance Second Amendment freedom in the Tar Heel State.

Further, NRA thanks the lawmakers who voted for the veto override and the North Carolina Rifle and Pistol Association for their leadership in ensuring the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens are protected throughout North Carolina. Gov. Cooper’s veto has shown law-abiding gun owners another reason why they must always be ready to vote to elect officials who will work to protect their rights.

The NC House then fast-tracked the bill, taking it up as its first order of business this week. Clearly, Speaker Tim Moore was in no mood to permit grandstanding by anti-gun Democrats as Rules Chair Rep. Destin Hall immediately offered a motion to “move the previous question,” a procedural maneuver that closes all debate and forces an immediate vote on the bill. With all House Republicans voting for the bill, SB 41 passed the House by a vote of 71-45, narrowly exceeding the necessary 6/10 supermajority.

It should be noted that Rep. Michael Wray (D- Halifax, Northampton, Warren), who was a co-sponsor of a similar bill and had voted for SB 41 the first time, apparently did not vote. It is not clear whether that was due to a deal with Republicans, or whether he sold out Second Amendment supporters. However, Rep. Shelly Willingham (D-Bertie, Edgecombe, Martin), who voted for SB 41 last time, reneged on his public statement that he would not change his position on the override. By voting “no” on the SB 41 override, he clearly betrayed gun rights supporters. Also unknown as of this writing is whether the other three Democrats who did not vote were present in the chamber.

ADDENDUM:

This is an important ADDITIONAL message from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a followup to the message below.

On November 13, 1998, ATF issued an Open Letter to All North Carolina Federal Firearms Licensees advising them that the North Carolina pistol purchase permit qualifies as an alternative to NICS. On March 29, 2023, North Carolina Senate Bill 41 overcame the North Carolina Governor’s veto and became law that same day. North Carolina Senate Bill 41 repeals GS 14-402, which required the pistol purchase permit to acquire a pistol from an FFL. Additionally, the North Carolina pistol purchase permit is no longer considered an approved NICS alternate permit.

Accordingly, effective March 29, 2023 , North Carolina pistol purchase permits – regardless of when issued - may not be used as an alternative to the NICS background check requirement.

North Carolina’s concealed handgun permits are unaffected by Senate Bill 41 and will continue to serve as an alternative to a NICS check requirement. Please contact your local ATF office if you have additional questions.

2023 WNC Junior Hunter Competition
3/20/2023

The annual 2023 WNC Junior Hunter Competition was held at Polk County Gun Club on March 22.  Thirty-one HS teams from all over the state competed in rifle, shotgun, archery, and orienteering.  There were well over 700 people on the property and we counted 377 vehicles of all sizes in the parking lots.  Under the supervision of the NC Wildlife and DNR officers and staff, all events were completed safely.  It was a great crowd and, although the day started off very cold, it warmed nicely as the day progressed and everyone had a good time competing and mingling with friends and family.

Photo Gallery

ASI (Action Shooting) Pistol Match 1 Results
2/11/2023
The first pistol match under ASI-USA rules was held February 4, 2023. There were 8 eager shooters who signed up to shoot with a mix of members and nonmembers.  Results are posted HERE.
Mike Murph Retires From Junior Clay Busters
2/11/2023

As many of you know, Mike Murph recently retired from his position as long-time Coach of our Clay Busters program of skeet shooters for our Juniors.  Below is his note to members:

I would like to express appreciation to the Board of Directors and the membership of the Polk County Gun Club for all their support of the Polk County Junior Clay Busters and myself. In a short period of time, the team has produced several local, state and national champions in both trap and skeet, but more importantly has exposed many young people to the shotgun sports we all love.
 
I have decided for various reasons. To step down from my position as head coach and turn over the reins to someone else. This is My decision and no one else’s. I hope to be able to help coach and will continue to support the team in the future.
 
Thank you very much for helping to fulfill a dream.
 
Sincerely
Mike Murph
Long Range Handgun Discipline at PCGC
1/18/2023

Polk County Gun Club introduced a new shooting discipline in 2022 – Long Range Handgun (LRH).  This activity is for handgunners wanting to compete in matches at ranges that normally are considered “rifle” distances. Information about LRH can be found HERE.

ASI Pistol Match for Saturday, January 7th CANCELED
1/4/2023
This match is canceled as Caton McBride, the organizer, has contracted Covid.  He's doing ok but thinks this is the best decision. Therefore, the first-ever ASI match at PCGC will be on February 4 at 11am.

Drop Caton a note if you're planning to shoot so he has an idea of attendance.  All shooters, members and non-members are welcome.  Cost is $20 per person.

November 2022 election results favor passage of three important pieces of gun legislation in 2023
1/4/2023

Dennis Allen, Director of Legislative Affairs provided a legislative update. In the past 2021-2022 North Carolina General Assembly session, North Carolina Rifle and Pistol Association supported House Bill 398 (Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal), House Bill 49 (Concealed Carry Permit Lapse/Revise Law), and Senate Bill 43 (Protect Religious Meeting Places). All three bills passed with bipartisan support in the North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate and were vetoed by the Governor prior to being signed into law.

As a result of the November 8, 2022 general election, the 2023-2024 North Carolina General Assembly will result in a Republican supermajority in the Senate, and a Republican simple majority in the House of Representatives. It is important to note that Republicans are only one vote short of a supermajority in the House of Representatives and will require a single Democratic vote to create a voting supermajority to override the Governor's veto in the upcoming session.

Legislative priorities for the upcoming 2023-2024 North Carolina General Assembly session include reintroducing the Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal Bill and finding further bipartisan support to override the Governor's veto.

A motion was made by Ralph Carson, Board of Directors to retain the services of the current lobbying firm for 2023 and to pay associated lobbying and registration fees to continue. A second was made by Clark Hardesty, Board of Directors. The motion passed unanimously

New ASI Action Pistol Matches
12/6/2022

ASI action pistol matches coming to PCGC in on the first Saturdays of January, February, and March.  These will be test matches prior to the Board deciding to extend the events.  Click HERE for further information.

F-Class Tournament Year-End Results
10/28/2022
With the completion of the PCGC 2022 F-Class competition season, it is with the greatest pleasure that we can publish the names of the folks that shot particularly well in the 2022 tournaments. While we single out the top three shooters in each subclass for seasonal awards, it is important to note that other competitors achieved scores that came very close to those of the top winners, with the best shooters winning purely on "X-count."  This competition also has proven that shooting excellence is not limited by youth, age, or gender!  The PCGC F-Class community as a whole is a very "high achieving" group and the top-scoring competitors deserve our commendation for very impressive shooting! Full Year-End results are posted HERE.
7th F-Class Tournament Results
10/25/2022
PCGC hosted its final F-Class Tournament of the year on Saturday, 22 October, with a total of twenty competitors on the firing line. The weather for the tournament was exceptionally nice - pleasant and sunny with minimal wind, except for the usual tricky breezes at the end of the morning. The detailed write-up and results are HERE.
6th NRA High Power Rifle Match Results
10/18/2022
Polk County Gun Club held the 6th and final NRA High Power Rifle Match of the Season Saturday, September 17th, 2022. The detailed write-up and results are HERE.
3rd Long Range Handgun Match - October 4th, 2022
10/6/2022
Polk County Gun Club hosted its third and final Long Range Handgun match of 2022 on Tuesday evening, 4 October.  Nine shooters assembled on the firing line for the match and fired their twenty record shots at a groundhog target in the allotted time of fifteen minutes.  The club's Board of Directors distinguished itself in the competition, with Doyle Estes taking first place amongst the rimfire competitors and Terry Lynch taking first place in the centerfire class. The detailed write-up and results are HERE.
6th F-Class Tournament Results
10/1/2022

PCGC hosted its sixth F-Class tournament of the year on September 24th with a total of twenty competitors. Shooting weather was very pleasant, though with the usual tricky PCGC range winds to keep everyone on their toes. The detailed write-up and results are HERE.

2nd Long Range Handgun Match - September 6th, 2022
9/10/2022

Polk County Gun Club hosted its second Long Range Handgun match on Tuesday evening, September 6th. Eight intrepid pistoleers turned out to shoot their handguns at long range: six rimfire shooters and two centerfire shooters.  Interest in this match seems to be growing, and participants appeared to enjoy the relaxed evening atmosphere. The detailed write-up, photos, and results are HERE.

5th F-Class Tournament Results
9/6/2022

PCGC hosted its fifth monthly F-Class tournament of the year on August 27th, with a total of twenty competitors. The detailed write-up and results are HERE.

5th NRA High Power Rifle Match Results
9/4/2022

The August High Power Rifle match on August 20 was lightly attended due to some confusion with the 4-H event the previous week but it went smoothly and everyone had a great time.  The detailed write-up and results are HERE.

Reminder - Long-Range Handgun Match
9/4/2022

Our club's second long-range handgun match is scheduled for Tuesday evening, 6 September.  ONE IMPORTANT CHANGE:  Match will begin at 6:30 pm rather than 7 pm.  The slightly earlier start time is intended to make sure we have enough light to shoot the match.

Format of the match remains the same:  twenty shots for record on a groundhog target in a time period of fifteen minutes.  Rimfire shooters will shoot targets on the 100 yard range.  Centerfire shooters will shoot targets on the 300 yard line.  Assuming there are more than three shooters in a class (rimfire or centerfire), first-place winners will receive a cash award.  Registration fee for the match is $15.