October 2026 – Monthly Meet – Shoot and Learn Halloween Style
by John White
October 24, 2026
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It seems we set out targets that double as gremlin bait.
We had 28 shooters on the line – 15 bench, 13 offhand, and 9 with pistols—plus 4 brand-spanking-new shooters and at least 12 visitors who wisely showed up just for the feast. Another 6 generous folks deferred shooting entirely to handle scoring, cooking, and administrative sanity.
And what a feast it was. We had smoked ribs, pulled pork, Brunswick stew, baked beans, potato salad, peach cobbler, cornbread muffins, and deviled eggs (emphasis on the devilish amount consumed), and what feast would be complete without homemade oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies? There was plenty for everyone, with just enough leftovers to prove we actually tried.
We kicked off in a crisp 38-degree chill, raising the 1781 Bennington flag – symbol of the Northern Campaign in our fight for independence – before lighting a roaring fire in the pit. The fire served a dual purpose: keeping us warm and incinerating broken range debris. Under clear blue skies, the weather warmed up to a perfect 70 degrees right as the feed bags were put on, accompanied by a total lack of breeze.
Normally, gremlins only come out at night, but they clearly operate during daylight as well. Over the course of the day, we suffered several dry balls, forgotten handguns, three broken long rifles (a casualty rate we’ve only seen twice in six years), endless flashes in the pan, and caps that flatly refused to pop. Targets inexplicably fell over without a whisper of wind—ghosts, no doubt, given the season – and a phantom specter knocked a tin of percussion caps out of one shooter’s hand where it took nearly the entire day to find them all. Unsurprisingly, the most common phrase uttered all morning was, “Where on earth did that shot go?”
It was a jam-packed, hectic day that launched at 9:00 AM with our program overview and safety briefing. Yet, despite three full matches, a catalog of firearm failures, a heavy lunch, prize giveaways, and range cleanup, we wrapped up so efficiently the last person rolled out by 1:15 PM! None of this happens without everyone pitching in, which is precisely why TRBPS is the friendliest, most enjoyable club around. Thank you, one and all.
Match Results:
We took on a 50-yard bat target and a 25-yard multi-spider target (10 shots each), alongside the NMLRA 25-yard pistol target. Given the gremlin intervention, anyone who walked off the line unscathed was a winner, but here are the official standings:
Offhand:
1st – Billy Townsend
2nd – James Cobb
3rd – Erik Rolle
4th – Brad Thomas
5th – Tracy Derrick
Bench / Supported:
1st – David Armstrong
2nd – Steve Boetcher
3rd – Tim Lambert
4th – Charlie Russell
5th – Brian Palmer
Pistol:
1st – Chris Greene
2nd – Billy Townsend
3rd – Tracey Derrick
4th – Bob Wilson
5th – Brad Thomas
Prizes ranged from pork tenderloins, chicken, sausage, and bacon to fresh pies and hams—leaving everyone with plenty of smiles (and dinner for the week).
Club News & Announcements:
Community Support: Over our last few shoots, we’ve been raising funds in honor of a member’s spouse for a local food pantry where they regularly volunteer. We’re proud to share that our final donation earned a front-page article with photos in the local newspaper! Head over to our website’s Special Announcements page to read “Aiming for a Good Cause.”
Member Spotlight:
One of our regular shooters, Scott Goins—who shoots a doglock musket, is a dedicated living historian. You can check out his personal history, schedule of events, and historical work at his site, [J. Hollander Living History], or go to our Pics and Trips page for the link.
Looking Ahead:
It is hard to believe how fast the year has flown and what a fantastic day we had. To everyone who attended and helped out: thank you. To those who couldn’t make it: you were missed!
Our next shoot—and our final match of the year—is scheduled for November 21, 2026. Gates open at 8:00 AM, and shooting starts promptly at 9:00 AM. We look forward to another morning of marksmanship, camaraderie, and good food. Until next time: stay safe, stay healthy, and keep your powder dry!
As always keep your eyes on this, our website, for updates on our shoots with write-ups, pics, videos, links to two websites with different videos on the trbps.com events tab. Check out our Rumble page for full, unedited videos.
Enjoy the remaining pictures below and the video at the end.
If you’ve got questions, comments, or brilliant ideas (or just want to hand out compliments), don’t be shy – reach out anytime to talkingrockbpshooters@gmail.com, or you can always leave comments down below.
Enjoy the video of the October 2026 monthly meet below:
TRBPS October 2026 video on Rumble
The Rumble video is unedited, whereas the Youtube video has to be edited for its strict guidelines. So, the rumble video will have a little more content.