Planning thread for NTAGM Spring Shootout

[DanoInTx]

Just starting a fresh thread so we can start discussing plans and ideas for what should be the best NTAGM shootout EVER!  Right now we are looking at April 19th and 20th of 2009.  Please add your hopes, dreams, ideas for the shootout in this thread and I'll try to gather them up to start organizing.

[Gene_SC]

WOW WOW WOW! Dano... That sure is a great looking spot. Is that your back yard:) Come on guys and gals we all can start planning now.

[DanoInTx]

I knew that'd get the ol' blood going and I was just about to send you a PM to show you that:)

[DavidEnoch]

Hi Dan,
Sounds good to far.  I don't know when spring break will be yet.  That is only a week or two before the Little Rock gun show.
Will this be something we can invite everyone to?

Thanks,

David

[DanoInTx]

....Thanks David for pointing out that I had my dates a bit off:)

[DanoInTx]

Yea, I don't know when Little Rock is and I don't want to cross over it for anyone that wants to attend both events.  Joel and I spoke about limiting how many people can attend because of shooting space, but since we are spreading it over two days and some people will only attend one day I think we can safely invite any who want to attend....I would say we get a loose headcount and go from there.  There has been some discussion of a cover charge to cover food, mainly because with a larger crowd it's easier to have one big cookout rather than 20 small grills to deal with.  I think in previous discussions someone mentioned a grill on a trailer that could handle quite a bit of meat at one time, but I certainly don't want to disallow someone from attending because they spent their last few dollars just getting there.  We have 4 months to figure it out, hopefully more folks will chime in with more great ideas.

[JOHNNY QUEST]

Dano, ronbeaux and I will help with the food and I would just feel sooooo bad if someone had to buy food..
 So just a small collection of funds from only those that can help will be needed..  The place looks just wonderfull..  I will start planning dinner, plates, plastic forks, knifes, and spoons, paper towels, and all the goodies that go with it..  The time is now and with 4 months ta go a hunert plates , and the such should be easy... :p

[DanoInTx]

Thanks Randall, I was thinking of taking a small collection to pay for Ronbeaux to setup the cooker.  I don't have the freezer space to keep enough food stored for that and it just makes better sense for the cook to pick what he wants to cook.  Would it maybe be better to just charge an "event fee" which includes lunch and an entry into the raffle for a tin of pellets and money towards a small gift to the property owners?  Like I said before, I don't want to say someone can't attend because they don't have cash to add to the pot.   Before anyone wonders or asks, I don't plan on supplying alcohol as part of this shootout, although BYOB is ok until someone gets so hammered we have to take their guns away and throw them in a boat to float away down the river.  This worked out ok last time and everyone was very responsible when it came to alcohol and guns, again....don't make me stuff you in a boat and send you down the river, haha!

I'm going to put this out there because it needs to be said.  The NTAGM has no rules or regulations, or dues, or rental fees or even a form to fill out, we just usually ask that we respect each other and avoid political talks because that NEVER ends good...trust me on this:) 20-30 people with airguns and booze talking politics just gets ugly and disrespectful after a few short minutes.  Also our hosts don't get paid or even really attend the shootout, so we want to leave the property the way we find it or better, and giving the owners a small gift isn't a bad idea either...this is truly their backyard, and they are great for letting us use it.  We may think about organizing a cleanup party both before and after the event so we can leave this place looking better than we find it.  A couple hours with some garbage bags and weedeaters would do this place wonders, maybe the day before if I can get off work early enough and others maybe want to help out?

All sounds good so far, I need to go play with my 4 year old before he dismantles my livingroom, cya!

[TCups]

Dan:

Excellent!  Just Excellent!  Thank you so much for your efforts.  Let me know if the date is indeed  firm and I will book my airline tickets now.  And I will happily volunteer brother Jerry to do any manual labor before or after the shoot (I believe he does have a weed-eater).  And I, for one, heartily agree to the suggestion for doing something very nice for the kind folks who are making this beautiful venue available.  I promise to be on my best behavior.  So, now the only uncertainty I have is how I am going to travel by air and bring along a dozen rifles and a scuba tank.  Perhaps if I bring a fill adaptor, someone would help out with a refill or two?  Maybe shipping the air rifles UPS in advance is an option, but if I do, I will have to watch very carefully to see that brother Jerry does indeed ship them back afterwards.  The only thing short of perfect will be if we can't convince PeakChick to show up for this one.  Thanks again, Dan, to you and the NTAGM.  Looking forward to this one.

[DanoInTx]

I wont say those dates are firm just yet, will wait for more people to chime in before I commit to those days, but so far it looks pretty good.

Personally I'd pick my two favorite guns, stuff them into a airline gun case and check them as baggage, that's what DaveD did when he came out at our last shootout.  There will be plenty of guns there and most people have no problem letting others try them out, I live 15 minutes away and I'll only bring 2 myself.  Filling them can be an issue.  Last time DaveD just brought his fill adapters and we shared my pump, and the other guys brought their own stuff since they were local for the most part.  I'm working on putting together my own bottle/fill rig right now, but I'm only planning on getting a 3000psi bottle, not many fills if we all have to share one bottle.  I wonder if any of the dive shops would rent one out?  I have found a couple places locally that will fill them for a few bucks, if you only bring two/three guns on the plane with you and then just ship your tank to Jerry you'd be all set.  Wish someone had a compressor, that would be sweet!  Flying with airguns doesn't seem to be any issue, although they do require that you empty them of air first and check them as baggage....although Dave said they didn't even check his for air.  Bet you could even check a SCUBA tank too, I mean how do SCUBA divers get their tanks down to their vacation spots?  Of course they will charge you for extra checked baggage....don't know if it would cost more or less than just shipping it.

Looking forward to this one too, hope everyone can make it:)

[TCups]

Only TWO favorite guns?!  Are you out of your freaking mind?  How can I or any air gun enthusiast possibly narrow it down to only 2 favorites?  It just isn't natural.  And, hypothetically, even if I were to narrow it down to my 2 favorites, I know I would probably have an anxiety attack just thinking about transporting them as (gulp) "checked luggage".  Must think about this. . .    I may need your address, just in case I should I decide to ship a gun or two down early.  Would you be willing to take care of them and make sure they didn't get lonely before I was re-united with them at the shoot out?   Please let me know as soon as the dates are firm.  Thanks.

[DanoInTx]

Haha, well Dave bought one of these super duper two gun flight cases where one gun was on top of the other separated by foam, looked pretty secure to me.  More than happy to take receipt of a gun or three in the mail, like Christmas in April:)  Will let you know when the dates are finalised, I need to figure out when Spring break and the Little Rock Arkansas show is this coming year, looks like the first week in May for the show but I haven't been able to confirm that.

[JOHNNY QUEST]

DANO should I bring my kayak for any wayward drinkers to use as a floater....
 The meat will not be much of a problem..  30 people doesn't require a lot of brisket ribs and pork butt...

 2 briskets, 4 racks of ribs, 3 porkbuts will feed an army...  I have a whosale account with restaraunt supply.
  will get some prices and see what it will cost for us...


 By the way that place looks great.....   Ron and I will be at our sisters lakehouse for christmas tomorrow and we can discuss it some....

[daved]

Hey, Dan, what about getting someone to check around for a big N2 tank like I use?  It's 443 cu. ft. at 4500 psi, that's a LOT of fills!  Split the cost between 10 or more PCP shooters and it gets cheap, fast.  And you can't tell me that finding a guy with a pickup is Texas would be a problem :-)!  Don't know if I'm going to be able to make it yet, but I'd be happy to put together a fill station and send it on down.  Keep me posted, Dan, at the least, I can send you my 44 cu. ft. CF tank on loan, if you can find a place to fill it.

Tommy, the case I got holds 2 guns, but they also make a 4 gun case, and maybe even a 6.  It's an SKB, if you're interested, I'll get more details for you.  Guns were VERY secure, and going through the airport was zero hassle.  In fact, the airline (Alaska) didn't even charge me for oversize, just an extra bag.  If I'd known, I could have done a carry on and not paid for the extra checked bag.  I took my AA S400E and my FX Cyclone, pretty sure they didn't budge the whole trip.  I know that having your babies out of sight is traumatic, but these cases are good baby sitters :-).  

Don't know if I can make it this year or not, but I'm going to try.  Had way too much fun last year, and making a 2 day event out of it can only make it better.  Later.

Dave

[spark22]

I'll see about the no2 airgas also has 6000psi hpa so I will get in touch with them after the hollidays I will also check with my scuba shop to see what she would charge us for some rental tanks.