Last week at the IBS Nationals I was fortunate enough to earn enough points to make it into the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Accomplishing this goal has been one of the most difficult tasks I have ever attempted. It's been more difficult than college, getting a black belt, flight school, army career or trying to be a scratch golfer. It's just damn hard and it can't be done without a lot of help and support.
First of all I'd like to thank , praise and give all the glory to our Lord , Father and Savior! Who made this possible! Though him all things are possible.
I want to thank my wonderful wife Kimberly who has supported and encouraged my shooting career. The time and money spent away from home is staggering. She is the one who stays behind and keeps the business, farm, and household going so I can shoot. Her encouragement and belief in my abilities has never wavered. Thank you and I love you!
I want to thank my best friend, shooting buddy, Gunsmith and ex-Battalion Commander Colonel Billy Stevens. We have literally been to Hell and back. From Fort Hood Texas to Hanau Germany to the Iraq war. We are a team! We share everything from equipment, load information to conditions. There is NO ONE I want to beat more and NO ONE I am happier to see win! Yes I am conflicted! Billy has helped push me to a higher level of competition. He's drug me to shoots I didn't want to go to and pushed me to shoot when I didn't even want to play! He's kept me hanging in there.
I also need to thank him for providing me with the very best possible equipment. Ive never gotten a point with anything that wasn't a Stevens Rifle. As a matter of fact, Billy brought me the rifle that I used to win my final points just days before leaving for the Nationals. It shot like a "house-a-fire" as soon as it came out of the gun case (Btw the rifle's name is Django ( the D is silent)!
Side note.. most think we live close to each other, but NOT TRUE! Billy's place is about 500 miles South of mine. We either link up here or meet at the shoots which gives the appearance that we always travel together. However heres a news flash.... He is buying a house just three tenths of a mile from mine on the same road. Look out! Bullets, gunsmithing and a shooting/ tuning monkey in the same area! ( see next paragraph)
I also want to thank Jim "The Concrete Monkey " Chaney! Jim is the other part the equation. Jim has built us a shooting facility that is second to none. We have an indoor bench for year around shooting. A 100 yard long concrete ditch to test guns and bullets as well as an outdoor covered 3 bench range. The "Monkey Hut" is finished nicer than what we live in. Jim is also a rifle tuning /barrel testing savant. He considers it his personal responsibility to test all barrels and rifles before Billy and I leave for a nationals. The barrel that I took to the nationals he tested and said its got a 1400 agg in it if you can get it out! Well the best I could do was a flat 1600!
To my other friends/supporters who without fail every year would call me or tell me at the match "This is your year to get in!" The three most adamant encouragers where Jack Neary, James Mock, and Richard Milton. At this match Jack gave me a big hug and said "I told you so!" At which I replied "well Jack, if you say it every year and I get in you're bound to be right sometime".
I also want to thank Tony & Faye Boyer. Tony has helped me take my shooting to the next level. With out his teachings I would never have figure out benchrest like I have.
Tony is also the Hall of Fame gate keeper. No matter how beloved or how close (Faye and Andy Shifflet come to mind) Tony would never "let up" to allow some one to slip past. He considers it his personal responsibility to keep people out! At the awards ceremony I told him, "you tried to keep me out Old Man, but you couldn't do it! " His response was a little chuckle and a shake of his head. Acknowledging "yeah you're right".
Smiley no one ever says anything about the flags! I've never gotten a Hall of Fame point that I wasn't shooting over your flags or your style of flags! Thank you! This time it was Costa's but they are a coraplast version of yours!
In reflection...I very much admire how Jack Neary conducted himself when he got into the Hall of Fame. His words paraphrased "No more secrets, no holding any information back. Just how can I help?"
I want to be like that!
Thanks to all!
Bart Sauter
Bart's Custom Bullets
PS
I want to thank my two sisters who have always been my biggest supporters. It wouldn't matter if it was a shooting competition or if I were an axe murderer! They would both still be in my corner yelling "go Bart go!" That's family, that's love and its just the way we Sauter's roll!
First of all I'd like to thank , praise and give all the glory to our Lord , Father and Savior! Who made this possible! Though him all things are possible.
I want to thank my wonderful wife Kimberly who has supported and encouraged my shooting career. The time and money spent away from home is staggering. She is the one who stays behind and keeps the business, farm, and household going so I can shoot. Her encouragement and belief in my abilities has never wavered. Thank you and I love you!
I want to thank my best friend, shooting buddy, Gunsmith and ex-Battalion Commander Colonel Billy Stevens. We have literally been to Hell and back. From Fort Hood Texas to Hanau Germany to the Iraq war. We are a team! We share everything from equipment, load information to conditions. There is NO ONE I want to beat more and NO ONE I am happier to see win! Yes I am conflicted! Billy has helped push me to a higher level of competition. He's drug me to shoots I didn't want to go to and pushed me to shoot when I didn't even want to play! He's kept me hanging in there.
I also need to thank him for providing me with the very best possible equipment. Ive never gotten a point with anything that wasn't a Stevens Rifle. As a matter of fact, Billy brought me the rifle that I used to win my final points just days before leaving for the Nationals. It shot like a "house-a-fire" as soon as it came out of the gun case (Btw the rifle's name is Django ( the D is silent)!
Side note.. most think we live close to each other, but NOT TRUE! Billy's place is about 500 miles South of mine. We either link up here or meet at the shoots which gives the appearance that we always travel together. However heres a news flash.... He is buying a house just three tenths of a mile from mine on the same road. Look out! Bullets, gunsmithing and a shooting/ tuning monkey in the same area! ( see next paragraph)
I also want to thank Jim "The Concrete Monkey " Chaney! Jim is the other part the equation. Jim has built us a shooting facility that is second to none. We have an indoor bench for year around shooting. A 100 yard long concrete ditch to test guns and bullets as well as an outdoor covered 3 bench range. The "Monkey Hut" is finished nicer than what we live in. Jim is also a rifle tuning /barrel testing savant. He considers it his personal responsibility to test all barrels and rifles before Billy and I leave for a nationals. The barrel that I took to the nationals he tested and said its got a 1400 agg in it if you can get it out! Well the best I could do was a flat 1600!
To my other friends/supporters who without fail every year would call me or tell me at the match "This is your year to get in!" The three most adamant encouragers where Jack Neary, James Mock, and Richard Milton. At this match Jack gave me a big hug and said "I told you so!" At which I replied "well Jack, if you say it every year and I get in you're bound to be right sometime".
I also want to thank Tony & Faye Boyer. Tony has helped me take my shooting to the next level. With out his teachings I would never have figure out benchrest like I have.
Tony is also the Hall of Fame gate keeper. No matter how beloved or how close (Faye and Andy Shifflet come to mind) Tony would never "let up" to allow some one to slip past. He considers it his personal responsibility to keep people out! At the awards ceremony I told him, "you tried to keep me out Old Man, but you couldn't do it! " His response was a little chuckle and a shake of his head. Acknowledging "yeah you're right".
Smiley no one ever says anything about the flags! I've never gotten a Hall of Fame point that I wasn't shooting over your flags or your style of flags! Thank you! This time it was Costa's but they are a coraplast version of yours!
In reflection...I very much admire how Jack Neary conducted himself when he got into the Hall of Fame. His words paraphrased "No more secrets, no holding any information back. Just how can I help?"
I want to be like that!
Thanks to all!
Bart Sauter
Bart's Custom Bullets
PS
I want to thank my two sisters who have always been my biggest supporters. It wouldn't matter if it was a shooting competition or if I were an axe murderer! They would both still be in my corner yelling "go Bart go!" That's family, that's love and its just the way we Sauter's roll!
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