According to an “Election News Update” sent yesterday, the three Manatee Gun & Archery Club board members most responsible for ousting the club’s longtime manager Gene Pitts will not seek reelection during the upcoming annual elections, which will be held March 19.

While the club’s bylaws allow nominations to made made from the floor up to 10 minutes before ballots are cast, so far, neither Jack Vogel nor Steve Kraus or Jane Nolden have submitted their names for consideration.

Some longtime club members told me they doubt the three errant board members will be back.

I hope they’re right.

Of course this does not bode well for the club’s new lawyer, Sarasota health care attorney Ron Chapman, who’s been advising the three board members behind closed doors.

The candidate list contains a serious error of fact. It describes Club president Vince Vingelli as incumbent.

That’s incorrect.

Gene is still president of the club.

To sum, while it may be a bit premature to celebrate, this is all good news.

I hope the new board can take swift action and get this great gun club back on the right course.

Here’s the list of candidates, but as stated, names can be added or removed right up until 10 minutes before the election.

President Candidates (1-year term): 
– Vince Vingelli, incumbent
– Gene Pitts
– Additional candidates welcome 

1st Vice President Candidates (1-year term):
– Dennis Rydzynski
– Additional candidates welcome

2nd Vice President Candidates (1-year term):
– OPEN
– Additional candidates welcome 

3rd Vice President Candidates (1-year term):
– Dave Kamanski
– Additional candidates welcome 

Executive Secretary Candidates(1-year term):
– Stephanie Unger
– Additional candidates welcome 

Membership Secretary Candidates (1-year term): 
– Jackie Vingelli
– Additional candidates welcome 

Treasurer Candidates (1-year term): 
– OPEN
– Additional candidates welcome

Director Candidates (2-year term):
– Mickey Mikulis (1-year remaining)
– Jonathan Gooding (1-year remaining)
– Dennis Rydzynski (1-year remaining)
– Alan Astor (up for election)
– Lou Balestra (up for election)
– Additional candidates welcome 

The post BREAKING: Manatee Gun Club board members who ousted Gene Pitts not seeking reelection appeared first on The Gun Writer.

There are cars, and then there are race cars.

There are guns, and then there are race guns.

The best place to see race guns in action is at a 3-Gun match.

3-Gun is an action-shooting sport, in which competitors using pistols, carbines and shotguns engage a variety of steel, clay and silhouette targets on shooting stages designed to test their skills with all three firearms. They compete for time and accuracy — a miss can add a time penalty to a shooter’s overall score.

It’s one of the fastest-growing shooting sports in the world for both men and women, and when you see a match, it’s easy to understand why.

3-Gun is fast — real fast.

Shooters engage targets as quickly as accuracy allows. Reloads are at combat speed. Movement is at the double.

Most serious 3-Gunners use high-end, high-capacity 1911 variants in 9mm or . 40 caliber, AR platforms fitted with advanced optics and semi-auto shotguns with extended magazine tubes.

The highly-modified guns are built for accuracy, reliability and speedy reloads, as is the gear.

Belt rigs feature Kydex holsters and magazine holders for quick, one-handed access to pistol and carbine mags. Many competitors carry shotgun ammo on chest rigs, which allow them to grab up to four shells at a time for faster reloads.

There are three basic divisions — open, limited and tactical — which specify magazine capacity, whether the shooter can mount an electronic optic on their handgun, and the amount of magnification on their rifle scope that they’re allowed to use.

Despite all the running and gunning, 3-gun is an incredibly safe sport.

As they run through the stages, each competitor is trailed by a range safety officer, who times the shooter and insures that they practice safe muzzle discipline. While minor scrapes and bruises do happen, serious injuries are rare.

The Manatee 3 Gun club is a good example of the type of the 3-Gun groups that are surging in popularity around the country.

The Southwest Florida club started with a cadre of just 8-10 shooters, who would gather at a private range on weekends, erect a few shooting stages and then hone their skills.

Their recent championship — the club’s first — drew 80 shooters from all over the country, including several who were sponsored and nationally ranked.

“Our club’s just gotten bigger and bigger,” said Todd Newby, match director for the championship shoot.

It’s not hard to figure out why.

Newby and his members are extremely gracious and engaging, especially with shooters new to the sport.

“There’s a real camaraderie here. It’s also fun, relaxing and a great way to relieve stress,” said Barry Campbell, a property manager who’s been shooting 3-Gun for three years in the tactical division.

Al Ales, the club’s spokesman, encourages new shooters to try the sport with whatever firearms they have on hand.

Some first-timers have brought 60-year-old M1 carbines, out-of-the-box handguns and hunting shotguns, he said.

“They don’t need all the expensive gear,” Ales said. “We’ll help them out. Almost anything will work. It’s ‘run what you brung.’”

— If we don’t run into each other at the range, you can reach me at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow me on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter or watch us on our new YouTube Channel.

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Gene Pitts lost his bid for president of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club Saturday, during the club’s annual elections.

Vince Vingelli, who had been serving as president ever since Gene was forced out, won the election and will serve as president for a one-year term.

Gene also lost the subsequent election for 1st Vice President to Mickey Mikulis.

There is some good news coming out of the election, which drew a near-record turnout.

Al Ales, Chris Baden and Blake Melhuish were all elected to the club’s board of directors.

Al, Chris and Blake are all great guys, who will doubtless restore some sanity to the board.

We’ll post all the results next week.

The post The end of an era: Gene Pitts out at Manatee Gun and Archery Club appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Gene Pitts, center, past president of Manatee Gun and Archery Club, speaks to Lee Williams, left, and Mike Young, right, about the group’s efforts to build a one mile rifle range during a segment of GunWriterTV in October 2015. The club has named it’s 1000 yard rifle range in honor of Pitts. STAFF PHOTO / MIKE LANG

Manatee Gun and Archery Club, one of the most popular private shooting ranges in southwest Florida, imploded about six months ago, but a group of newly elected board members are trying to move it back from the brink.

A rogue faction of the club’s former board booted their longtime manager Gene Pitts for reasons that were later proven to be spurious.

After Gene was summarily dismissed, the board members launched an aggressive smear campaign against the 74-year-old retired Marine, aided by a lawyer and PR consultant whom they quickly hired.

The board’s near-constant assaults on his character — which even included unfounded criminal allegations — apparently took a toll.

By a vote of 57 to 75, Gene lost his reelection bid for club president during the annual elections Saturday.

The three rogue board members who forced him out are gone, having chosen not to seek reelection.

Three good “gun guys” were elected to replace them: Chris Baden, Al Ales and E. Blake Melhuish.

All three want to move the club forward.

Bradenton lawyer E. Blake Melhuish was Gene’s attorney throughout the recent witch hunt.

Blake wants the club to return to the reasons it was founded, as specified in its mission statement.

“We need to promote the Second Amendment, safe gun handling and ownership of firearms,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do about the past, but these are the priorities to get the club back on track.”

Al Ales said the days of catering to only one demographic are gone.

“I want to see the club expanded to include more youth programs,” he said. “We have to include more women and youth, and we need to cater to every shooting discipline. We need a ‘steel challenge.’ It’s really fantastic. It uses .22 rimfire and it’s cheap. I’d also like to see USPSA. It would be great to get a pistol match, as it’s a great way to introduce more people to the shooting sports. If we put more time and effort into enhancing our programs, it would go a long way.”

Chris Baden wants to revamp the Civilian Marksmanship Program at the club, as well as exploring other options with the National Shooting Sports Foundation — the trade association of the firearms industry.

“We need to become an NSSF range,” he said. “They’ve got a wealth of resources available, including grant money.”

In an interview Tuesday, Gene Pitts said he’s heard from scores of friends and supporters since Saturday.

“There’s always next year,” he said. “If my health holds up.”

— If we don’t run into each other at the range, you can reach me at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow me on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter or watch us on our new YouTube Channel.

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In this Herald-Tribune file photo from September, 2015, Gene Pitts, then-president and rangemaster of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club, talks about how he wants to offer shooters a mile-long rifle range. He talked about the plan with Lee Williams, The Gun Writer, and Mike Young, co-host of The Gun Writer TV. STAFF PHOTO / MIKE LANG

I’ve been waiting more than five months to write this column, ever since the former board of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club fired longtime manager Gene Pitts.

As you’ll recall, several former board members accused Gene of all types of bad acts. They hired a high-dollar Sarasota attorney to conduct an “audit” of the club’s funds and property, and they hired a $3,500-per-month public relations consultant to spin-up the seriousness of the findings.

Those of us who know Gene laughed at the allegations, which fizzled. No one with a badge — neither Manatee County Sheriff’s detectives nor ATF special agents — wanted to get involved in the internecine squabble.

There’s a new board now, and one of their first acts was to pass a resolution exonerating Gene of any wrongdoing. To be fair, they also absolved past board members of their sins — a nice touch.

The new board called a halt to the “audit” and any lingering allegations, and then they severed ties with the attorney. He’s no longer working for the club.

They also told the PR consultant that his services were no longer needed. He too is on his way out.

And then the board officially recognized Gene, who had been summarily dismissed, as the club’s past president. This distinction affords him a seat at the table of all future board meetings for the next year. It’s a classy move that allows the new board members access to Gene’s 40-plus years of experience in running one of southwest Florida’s most successful gun clubs.

I know several of the new board members personally. They’re a great bunch — shooters all — who like most of us believe that what was done was wrong, but now it’s time to move forward.

“I’m encouraged by the cooperative spirit of the new board of directors, and it seems that we have moved beyond the past issues that were causing so much doubt with the membership as to its leadership,” board member Chris Baden told me. “The club is now moving forward on a variety of initiatives that will have a noticeable and improved effect on the quality of the range and shooter experience.”

I’ve heard from scores of folks who said they were waiting until the fighting stopped and the dust settled to join the club.

Well, the shenanigans are over. The bad apples are gone. Gene’s been taken care of.

Green light.

“It’s a great time to become a new member,” Chris Baden said.

I wholeheartedly agree.

— If we don’t run into each other at the range, you can reach me at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow me on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter or watch us on our new YouTube Channel.

The post Column: New Manatee Gun and Archery Club board is doing the right thing for Gene, members appeared first on The Gun Writer.

In this week’s episode, Mike Young comes clean about his new addiction: Sporting Clays.

Mike put on a shooting exhibition at a charity sporting clay shoot last week — achieving a score of 44 in what was only his third time shooting the bedeviling clays.

Sporting Clay is one of the cheapest shooting sports out there. It’s also a lot of fun.

Mike and I then shift gears and talk about positive developments at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club, and how they’ll effect shooters throughout southwest Florida.

The club’s got a great new board, which is doing the right thing.

Enjoy!

Lee and Mike

The post The Gun Writer TV episode 38: Mike’s shooting exhibition, great changes at Manatee Gun Club, muffins appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Felex Yukhtman, the self-described “Mad Russian” owner of Gun Point in Bradenton, has forgotten more about machine guns than most people, myself included, will ever know.

If you want to buy a machine gun or a high-end AR, AK or suppressor, give him a call. If he doesn’t have it in stock, he’ll find it for you.

Felex was kind enough to host a private full-auto shooting spree for us last week at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club.

Man! The treasures that he brought from his legendary gun vault were stunning. He didn’t bring just a few machine guns. Felex brought entire families of machine guns, including multiple versions of the MP5, the AK and much more, including a few surprises.

The Gun Writer TV co-host Mike Young and I, along with Dave Kreiseder and Mike Lang, were lucky enough to get to experience them all.

Mike Lang captured the entire day’s shooting on video, which we’ll showcase here individually.

We decided to start this new series with Felex’s rare full-auto Glock 18C — “C” for compensated.

To be clear, this is a factory-made Glock sub-machine gun — with the “giggle switch” — not a G17 converted by a gunsmith.

And it runs like a sewing machine.

On behalf of all of us, I’d like to thank Felex for an incredible day at the range — the best that any of us have ever had.

We all hope you enjoy the videos as much as we did making them.

Thanks for watching, and thank you Felex!

Mike and Lee

The post The Gun Writer TV episode 41: From Gun Point’s gun vault — shooting the full-auto Glock 18C appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Felex Yukhtman, owner of Gun Point in Bradenton, put on a massive firepower weekend at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club.

The shoot consisted of hostage rescue scenario’s by Miami’s SMACK Tactical, and several of the best-known firearms photographers on the internet.

SMACK had a .50 M2 mounted on the back of their truck, and a PKM mounted on a Russian motorcycle/sidecar combo.

Of course, Felex’s guns were front and center throughout the weekend.

Simply put, it was massive.

Thanks for the invite, Felex.

Here’s some shots from the weekend — serious gun porn.

The post At Gun Point’s firepower weekend appeared first on The Gun Writer.

This week SNN-TV‘s morning anchor Kathy Leon and I talk about the recent Full-Auto demo by Felex Yukhtman, owner of Gun Point in Bradenton.

Felex arranged a two-day machine gun extravaganza at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club‘s Area 51 range.

Kathy and I talk about Area 51, and how it’s one of the best ranges in the area because you can shoot, move and communicate, as opposed to the rigid requirements at traditional square ranges, which won’t even allow you to draw from a holster.

Enjoy the episode!

Lee

The post This week’s appearance on SNN-TV: Gun Point at Manatee Gun and Archery Club appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Lee’s note: This just in from Bob Ransome of Manasota Gun Traders, who says there’ will be 12 machine guns and 20 suppressors at the event. Here’s the info from Shark Coast Tactical:

Event Description

WHEN

Sunday, August 14, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (EDT) – Add to Calendar

WHERE

Manatee Gun & Archery Club – 1805 Logue Road, Myakka City, FL 34251 – View Map

The post Manasota Gun Traders party and NFA charity shoot sponsored by Shark Coast Tactical appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Chris Baden

Lee’s Note: This just in from Manatee Gun Club board member, friend, range guru and raconteur Chris Baden. It’s one of the best ideas I’ve heard in a long time — a mixer. We need to have more of these, more often. Please don’t forget to RSVP.

I shall see you there.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Dear Fellow Manatee Gun & Archery Club members:

If you are a member of Manatee Gun and Archery Club or would like to become one here’s your opportunity! I am personally sponsoring a reception at O’Bricks Irish Pub & Martini Bar in downtown Bradenton this coming Thursday Aug 4 from 5-9. Great food and beverages will be provided and served in their new private banquet facility that I have reserved for this event. (it’s spectacular) This invitation is open to all members of MGAC and anyone who has wanted to join our club but had concerns due to recent past issues.

The post Manatee Gun and Archery Club mixer for current and prospective members this Thursday appeared first on The Gun Writer.

Manatee Gun and Archery Club members say they are offended by an email sent by Stephanie Unger, an officer who serves as the club’s executive secretary.

Unger, whose husband also serves on the club’s board of directors, forwarded the email to several hundred club members Monday evening, about 45 minutes after she received it.

The email is a take on comedian Jeff Foxworthy’s popular monologue: “You might be a redneck if…”

However, in the email Unger sent, “redneck” is replaced with “Muslim.”

When the email first surfaced online several years ago, Foxworthy quickly denied he had anything to do with it.

“She’s a damn officer of the Manatee Gun Club. I can’t believe this shit,” one member said in an email to me. “I’m a member and as far as I know, we’re open to all people who can legally own a gun. It’s a basic human right, no matter your color, creed, politics, etc. This is not welcoming, and certainly now winning of hearts and minds for people not of the gun.”

The member sent a strong objection to Unger.

“This is disgusting. I can’t believe you would forward this to your list of members of the Manatee Gun Club — some who very well may be practicing Muslims,” the member wrote. “You’re an officer of the club. Act like one.”

Unger responded by telling the member she wouldn’t send anything again.

“I am well aware that I am an officer of the club, and I act like it when my position calls for it,” she wrote. “This email has nothing to do with my club position, but trust me, you won’t be getting any more personal emails from me.”

The member told me Unger’s email was not sent out to the entire membership, but only to those who had signed up to receive information about the club’s shotgun offerings.

Asked to comment about the incident, club president Vince Vingelli said, “Why should I have to say anything? I didn’t send it.”

Several hours later, Unger sent me an email, blaming Foxworthy.

“Thank you for taking time to contact me regarding the story you are writing about Jeff Foxworthy’s monologue email that I sent to some of my shotgun shooters,” Unger wrote. “I regret that Mr. Foxworthy’s monologue offended someone. There was no malice intended on my part when I sent the email. No further discussion is required about this.”

The post Manatee Gun Club official offends members with anti-Muslim email appeared first on The Gun Writer.

There are cars, and then there are race cars.

There are guns, and then there are race guns.

The best place to see race guns in action is at a 3-Gun match.

3-Gun is an action-shooting sport, in which competitors using pistols, carbines and shotguns engage a variety of steel, clay and silhouette targets on shooting stages designed to test their skills with all three firearms. They compete for time and accuracy — a miss can add a time penalty to a shooter’s overall score.

It’s one of the fastest-growing shooting sports in the world for both men and women, and when you see a match, it’s easy to understand why.

3-Gun is fast — real fast.

Shooters engage targets as quickly as accuracy allows. Reloads are at combat speed. Movement is at the double.

Most serious 3-Gunners use high-end, high-capacity 1911 variants in 9mm or . 40 caliber, AR platforms fitted with advanced optics and semi-auto shotguns with extended magazine tubes.

The highly-modified guns are built for accuracy, reliability and speedy reloads, as is the gear.

Belt rigs feature Kydex holsters and magazine holders for quick, one-handed access to pistol and carbine mags. Many competitors carry shotgun ammo on chest rigs, which allow them to grab up to four shells at a time for faster reloads.

There are three basic divisions — open, limited and tactical — which specify magazine capacity, whether the shooter can mount an electronic optic on their handgun, and the amount of magnification on their rifle scope that they’re allowed to use.

Despite all the running and gunning, 3-gun is an incredibly safe sport.

As they run through the stages, each competitor is trailed by a range safety officer, who times the shooter and insures that they practice safe muzzle discipline. While minor scrapes and bruises do happen, serious injuries are rare.

Nationally, sport has never been more popular, thanks to 3-Gun Nation, a pro-series with its own television show, magazine, sponsors and fan base in the millions.

Chad Adams, 3-Gun Nation’s vice president, said once the TV show aired, popularity of the sport “exploded.”

“People who never knew such a dynamic, action-packed, fast-paced shooting sport existed, and were seeing it for the first time, turned out to the range,” Adams said. “It’s become a lifestyle brand. There are more than 270,000 followers on our Facebook site, and there aren’t that many 3-Gun shooters in the country.

“And 3-Gunners are athletes who use the scary black guns that everyone wants to ban in a positive light. We’ve put something out there that all people — gun guys and gun gals — can enjoy.”

The Manatee 3 Gun club is a good example of the type of local 3-Gun groups that are surging in popularity around the country.

The Southwest Florida club started with a cadre of just 8-10 shooters, who would gather at a private range on weekends, erect a few shooting stages and then hone their skills.

Their recent championship — the club’s first — drew 80 shooters from all over the country, including several who were sponsored and nationally ranked.

“Our club’s just gotten bigger and bigger,” said Todd Newby, match director for the championship shoot.

It’s not hard to figure out why.

Newby and his members are extremely gracious and engaging, especially with shooters new to the sport.

“There’s a real camaraderie here. It’s also fun, relaxing and a great way to relieve stress,” said Barry Campbell, a property manager who’s been shooting 3-Gun for three years in the tactical division.

Al Ales, the club’s spokesman, encourages new shooters to try the sport with whatever firearms they have on hand.

Some first-timers have brought 60-year-old M1 carbines, out-of-the-box handguns and hunting shotguns, he said.

“They don’t need all the expensive gear,” Ales said. “We’ll help them out. Almost anything will work. It’s ‘run what you brung.’”

— If we don’t run into each other at the range, you can reach me at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow me on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter or watch us on our new YouTube Channel.

Until this week, I’d never shot a “dual reticle scope.”

Quite frankly, I didn’t really understand the concept. I was also somewhat dubious of the claim that a dual reticle scope offered a one-shot zero. I was used to shooting more — a lot more — to zero an optic.

Enter Shepherd Scopes.

They’re based in Largo, Florida, just north of St. Petersburg.

It’s a unique firm. The principals are all optical engineers, chemists and other scientists, says Patrick Bass, Shepherd’s executive vice president.

Currently, they’ve got no salespersons or marketing gurus, but in my humble opinion, they’re not necessary. Their scopes will sell and market themselves.

Patrick brought a selection of single and dual reticle Shepherd Scopes to the Manatee Gun and Archery Club Thursday for us to examine. He also brought some of their new red-dots, binoculars and a fantastic thermal scope. He was showcasing the new products. This wasn’t a thorough T&E. That will come later, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Regardless of the number of reticles, the first thing you notice about a Shepherd Scope is the clarity.

Patrick Bass, executive vice president of Shepherd Scopes, explains the one-shot zero feature of the dual-reticle scope. Herald-Tribune photo/Dan Wagner

These scopes are bright! It’s almost as though they gather light. I asked Patrick about the glass his firm uses.

“It’s not the glass. All glass is about the same. It’s about the coatings you put on them,” he explained.

A one-shot zero

The first scope we tried was the Shepherd DRS 3-10×40 dual reticle mounted on a Ruger 10-22 in 22LR. It retails for $799.

I fired three rounds at a 100-yard target, and noticed the rounds impacted low and right, about four inches from the center of the bull.

Patrick talked me through the zeroing phase, which is far easier to do than it is to describe. It’s an intuitive process.

Keeping the crosshairs centered on the target, I used the large zeroing knobs to move the small cross hairs to the bullet holes.

Then I used the small scope knobs to move the large crosshairs onto the small reticle.

The whole process took only a couple minutes. Now that I know what I’m doing, zeroing a Shepherd Scope would only take seconds.

Once the scope was zeroed, I fired three more rounds and, of course, all struck the center of the bull.

Click here for a behind-the-scenes photo gallery from The Gun Writer brand manager Carrie Rasmussen.

I have never zeroed a scope so fast in my life.

Sure, I shot two three-round strings, but I now realize that only one shot would be needed.

Patrick said a Tier-1 special forces unit from a friendly country has expressed a lot of interest in Shepherd’s dual reticle system. They believe, and I agree, that zeroing a scope with the dual-reticle system would be easier to teach to indigenous sniper candidates — who may lack English language skills and are often poorly educated.

Members of this same Tier-1 unit, Patrick said, mounted one of Shepherd Scopes red-dots onto a fully-automatic shotgun, and then fired several drums of ammunition. The red-dot held up to the arduous test, he said.

A tactical combo for under $2,000

Next, we tried a Shepherd Phantom 1-6×24 first focal plane scope that was mounted on the Ranger Proof RPC2

Shepherd Phantom 1-6×24 first focal plane scope. Herald-Tribune photo/Dan Wagner

Carbine, with a proprietary Shepherd Mount.

This is a fantastic tactical scope, on a great carbine.

Patrick said the two firms will begin marketing the scope, mount and carbine for around $1,600.

To be clear, you’d be hard-pressed to buy such a high-precision system for less than $2,000.

Better than an SVD

My shooting partner for the day was Alex Popeskou, owner of the Berkoot International Protection Agency in Sarasota.

Alex is a former Soviet warrant officer who served in a special mission unit of the Red Army’s airborne forces.

He’s spent a lot of time downrange, in conflicts we know about and many we don’t.

But until Thursday, the only scoped weapon he’d ever fired was the SVD, so I couldn’t wait to put him on an American rifle with American glass.

He loved Shepherd’s DRS 6-18×40 dual reticle, which was mounted on a Savage .308 with Shepherd’s proprietary rings, which retail for around $150, but are rock-solid.

“It’s super,” he said. “Better than SVD.” I concur.

More coming

The entire Gun Writer team was blown away by Shepherd Scopes entire product line, which was far too extensive to thoroughly review in just one day.

We will have T&E’s of their individual products coming soon, which we’re all looking forward to conducting.

These are innovative high-quality, high-precision American-made products, available at very reasonable prices.

Shepherd Scopes will be a game-changer in the long-range shooting world. I can’t wait to shoot more of them.

Angie Weldon, of Myakka City, has been named manager of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club. All photos courtesy Angie Weldon

By Lee Williams

MANATEE COUNTY — It’s hard to name a shooting discipline that Angie Weldon doesn’t enjoy.

She’s a shooter’s shooter and an accomplished instructor who’s well known and respected throughout the region.

Weldon, 55, is certified by the National Rifle Association as a pistol instructor, range safety officer and range management and operations specialist. She’s also certified to teach the NRA’s popular “Refuse To Be a Victim” and “Personal Protection in the Home” courses. Weldon is certified by the United States Concealed Carry Association to teach pistol and personal protection, and she attended the week-long pistol instructor course at the prestigious SIG SAUER Academy.

When she’s not teaching Weldon leads the Sarasota Chapter of the Well Armed — a national organization that seeks to “educate, equip and empower” female shooters. Her chapter has 48 members and is growing rapidly.

She was recently chosen over several other well-qualified candidates as the new manager of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club.

“From the field of applicants the board was presented with Angie’s superior qualifications and experience in the firearms and training field made her a great choice for the position,” said Chris Baden, a board member of the club.

I concur.

In my humble opinion, she was a great choice.

For Weldon, shooting is more than just a sport.

“I get the satisfaction of knowing I can defend myself when my husband’s not around,” she said. “I don’t need a knight in shining armor. I can take care of myself.”

Before she met her husband of 30 years, she’d never fired a gun.

Her father, a World War II combat veteran, forbade firearms in the home.

“My dad got a Purple Heart, and he vowed that no one would ever touch a gun in his home,” Weldon said. “And then I married my ‘gun nut.'”

Her husband, Richard, gave her a Benelli SuperNova 12-gauge shotgun — for Valentine’s Day.

“It’s guns and ammo at our house every Christmas,” she said. “When both of our daughters got married the same year, both hubbies got initiated at our family firing range, and they got guns and ammo.”

The couple owns their own firearms training firm: Armed and Responsible Personal Protection.

Weldon plans to offer more programs at the club, more new-shooter orientations and to increase the club’s hours. Now, it is only open Thursdays through Sundays.

“I want to see more families and more kids out there,” she said. “I see a few kids shooting with their fathers while their moms sit in the car. I go get them and encourage them to try shooting. Education is the key to safely handling firearms. That’s why I like being an instructor. I love new shooters and I love working with kids.”

— Senior investigative reporter Lee Williams, The Gun Writer, can be reached at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or lee@TheGunWriter.com, or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow him on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter.

Lee’s note: Chris Baden, who is running for president of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club, wrote this open letter to the general membership. I will welcome and publish similar correspondence from any of the candidates seeking office at the MGAC.

Open Letter to The Membership of Manatee Gun and Archery Club

by Chris Baden

As the annual elections of new officers and directors for Manatee Gun and Archery Club approach, I felt it was important to bring attention to the challenges the club continues to face and share why I believe there is a reason for optimism about the future of the club. In 2015, I learned through media reports of a developing controversy at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club. As a life member it was concerning to me and continues to have a damaging affect on our once great shooting facility. When I learned of the news of the club’s troubles, I felt compelled to get involved and contribute my time and other resources to help the club through a difficult period. The details of what took place in 2015 and early 2016 are well documented but are not the subject of this writing, they are relevant though as it was those events that were my call to action to serve as a director on the board to which I was elected this past March for a two year term.

In the 11 months I have served on the board of MGAC, I have developed a clear understanding of why Manatee

Chris Baden

Gun and Archery Club continues to fail forward with each election of a new slate of officers and directors. The issue has been that successive boards have included too few individuals possessing the requisite business skills, temperament, and spirit of volunteerism necessary to lead a non-profit organization of the size MGAC has become. I say this not as a disparagement of those who have served on this board, but as an honest assessment of the ongoing lack of the necessary leadership attitude to create a culture of excellence. The question any member of a volunteer board should ask is not ‘What’s in for me?’, but ‘What’s in it for the people I’m here to serve?’ In my opinion the time is long overdue for our club to achieve its potential and represent Manatee County and the 2nd Amendment in a more professional and mainstream fashion consistent with the level of excellence that recreational venues our county and area are known for.

Ray Baden, one of the founders of the club and well known for his community and charitable service, was recently quoted as saying he hopes MGAC can become an example of cooperation to achieve a goal worthy of community support. A sentiment few could argue with. My first service to MGAC began at the age of 16 some 42 years ago when I earned my life membership by helping construct improvements at the club’s former location at the Manatee County landfill. It’s important to understanding the club’s history and to recall that its origins trace back to the years just after WWII when it was an indoor pistol range housed in the armory building next door to McKechnie Field (now Lecom Park).

If you are a voting member of MGAC, I am asking for your support of my nomination for President of Manatee Gun and Archery Club on March 18th. I am confident I possess the qualities and experience required of the individual who holds this important title. The team of talented activist members who are with me in this undertaking also see the unrealized potential of our club and are ready to help make a difference by serving on the board. It is my commitment to the members I serve to continue to work to create a governing board that will
maintain the highest ethical standards, wisely and responsibly use the club’s money for the benefit of all members, and adopt and maintain modern best business practices consistent with the standards of not for profit 501(c)(4) organizations such as ours. This is my pledge.

Our team of like-minded candidates share a vision for the club’s future, and believe the proposed plan our platform is based on will create long term success for the club and reflect well on the club’s reputation. That plan focuses on three key areas; infrastructure, business technology and governance. Learn about this plan and our slate of candidates who support it at www.vote-mgac2017.org .

For the first time in the club’s history, a well considered strategy for its leadership and future is being proposed in advance of the elections so that informed choices of candidates can be made and insure the right team of unpaid volunteers will be elected. Over the past 20 years, MGAC has proven it has the potential for durable sustainability, but that will only be possible if the real and serious prevailing threats that exist within its leadership and business status are addressed sooner rather than later. Please help make MGAC great again and preserve its future by supporting me and our slate of candidates on March 18. We are ready to get to work for you,
the membership, and bring a new era of success to Manatee Gun and Archery Club of which all members can be proud.

Over that past few years, I’ve written more than 50 stories about Manatee Gun and Archery Club.

Most of the stories have focused on problems –problems with a stagnant board, problems with the RSO cadre and problems with the officers and board members themselves.

Now, it looks all of these issues will soon become a thing of the past.

Saturday’s election was a game-changer for the club — one of the most important days in the club’s storied history.

Our friend Chris Baden was elected president. This alone would be a great move, but the membership also chose a full slate of new officers and board members who, together with Chris, will breathe new life into what has always been a fantastic shooting facility.

We know many of the new officers and board members — great folks all!

They’re the type of people who put progress before personalities, and they’ve hit the ground running.

The new executive committee is meeting tonight — just two days after the election. And the half-dozen committees — so vital to the club’s future — are already filling up with eager volunteers.

Things are finally starting to look up.

For those of you who have told me you’ve been waiting for the issues at the club to be resolved before becoming a member, the wait is over.

Now is the time to join.

We here wish Chris and his team nothing but the best as they move forward!

Good luck!

Their mission statement says it all: “We want to make sure that shooting is fun for you and your family. Regardless of your level of skill, we can help you start with firearms or get into competitive shooting the right way.”

That’s the stated goal of Sarasota’s newest gun shop: The Shooters Edge.

Once you meet the team, you’ll see their focus on family and the competitive shooter rebounds.

Rob Tucker, co-owner, The Shooters Edge. TGW Photo Carrie Rasmussen

The shop is the brainchild of Robert Tucker, a decorated U.S. Army veteran. He and his entire family are competitive shooters. Rob’s wife Janie shoots. His daughter Mary is a national-level Olympic shooter, and his son Reece shoots 3-Gun and USPSA.

Rob and co-founder and partner Kyle Stephens — a shooter’s shooter — saw a need for a shop that focused on the competitive shooter by providing quality gear, custom guns and competition training for men, women and youth — and they filled it.

Kudos, gents!

Walking into the shop, I was struck by the amount of products dedicated to today’s action shooter.

While some may offer a few high-speed belts and mag holders, The Shooters Edge has walls full of the stuff

Kyle Stephens, co-owner, The Shooters Edge. TGW Photo Carrie Rasmussen

— at every price range.

They’ve also got race guns ready to go — pistols, shotguns and ARs.

The builds they do themselves. (They offer a competition-ready Stoeger 12-gauge for $875.)

Their firearm brands include: Glock, STI, Walther, Smith & Wesson, CZ-USA, Tanfoglio, Breda, Stoeger, Browning, Beretta and more.

They stock parts and gear from Taran Tactical, Nordic NC, TACCOM, Strike Industries, UM Tactical, Invictus Practical and more.

“We’ve got what you need for any of the shooting sports,” Rob said.

Besides the gear, the team offers their customers something far more valuable — their knowledge — the hard-to-come-by skill set that only comes after decades of competitive shooting, working as an RSO and hosting matches.

When a new shooter walks in, they’re engaged. Rob and Kyle want to know what they’re planning to shoot — specifically. That way, the shooter isn’t going to spend a dime on guns and gear that they either don’t need, will get them DQ’d, or will bumped up into a higher division. They’ll set up the customer’s rig in house — no waiting.

It’s an incredible offering, but there’s still more.

The team offers a one-of-a-kind class — an intro to 3-Gun.

For $250, the student gets a thorough background of the fastest-growing shooting sport. Then they’re taken into the backroom where the staff has set up a typical shooting stage, which the students engage with

Gear, packed and ready for the mobility required with competitive sport shooting. TGW Photo Carrie Rasmussen

Airsoft weapons — rifle, shotgun and handgun.

After lunch, when the students go to the Manatee Gun and Archery Club, they’ll negotiate the same scenario — this time with real firearms — that they shot with Airsoft earlier.

I’ve never, ever heard of anything like this.

Regardless of your favorite acronym — USPSA, IDPA, IPSC, 3-Gun, NRA High Power or more — you’ll find the right gear, guns and guidance at The Shooters Edge.

Practice targets, ready for airsoft shooting at The Shooters Edge. TGW Photo Carrie Rasmussen

This week on SNN-TV, Kathy Leon and I talk about positive changes at the Manatee Gun and Archery Club. On Saturday, the membership elected a slate of new officers and board members — great folks all — including many of our friends.

After years of writing about problems at the club, it’s refreshing to have some good news about what is a premier shooting facility.

Then, we talk about Sarasota’s newest gun shop — The Shooters Edge — which focuses on the competitive shooter. This one-of-a-kind gun shop offers guns, gear and guidance for action shooters.

Enjoy!

We spent a day at the range last week with special ops legend Bob Keller, founder and CEO of Gamut Resolutions.

I was so impressed with his med plan and med kit — we all were actually — that we had to include this short video in the story package.

Angie Weldon, general manager of Manatee Gun and Archery Club and our RSO for the day, is already implementing many of Bob’s suggestions.

Enjoy!

Here are links to the other stories, videos and podcasts in this special project:

Welcome to our special project: ‘A commando’s tale’

A commando’s tale 

VIDEO: A Q&A with Special Operations legend Bob Keller

COLUMN: Decorated special operator reforming firearms training

VIDEO: At the range with Special Ops legend Bob Keller of Gamut Resolutions

GALLERY: Behind the Scenes of A Commando’s Tale

VIDEO: SNN-TV’s special report on Gamut Resolutions

Q&A: A Special Operations legend defines real-world firearms training

PODCAST: Bob Keller and The Gun Writer on Armed American Radio with Mark Walters

VIDEO: A SOF-level Med kit and med plan for the range

PODCAST: Special Operations veteran Bob Keller of Gamut Resolutions talks firearm training 

REVIEW: ‘Proven Methods of the Carbine’ DVD

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