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  • majormadmax

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    Summer before last I was up south of Luckenbach in the Jeep driving along the Old San Antonio Road when I came across a small shooting match.

    I stopped by for a little and enjoyed watching the shooters, and learned that the club--the Grapetown Eintracht Schuetzen Verein--had been around since 1887 when a local singing club and a shooting club were combined, and has been in its current location since 1893!

    According to county records, Grapetown was the site of the first annual Gillespie County Shooting Festival (Schuetzenfest), during which 140 kegs of beer were consumed in four days. There is no record of the accuracy of marksmen during the festivities.

    I just learned that there is another Schuetzen Verein located in Quihi, 12 miles west of Rio Medina; although this one looks more like a social club than a shooting organization.

    A little online research revealed an article from the April 2010 edition of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine that stated the New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein is the oldest continuously operating shooting club in the United States, having been formed in 1849 (four years after the town was founded). According to the magazine, "matches became celebrated social events, allowing families a break from the hardscrabble pioneer life."

    The article states that there are fewer than 20 Schuetzen Verein left in Texas, whereas at one point in the late 1800s there was over ten times that number. I was just wondering if there was anyone on here that is a member of a Schuetzen Verein, and if so, could you provide some details of your club?

    Cheers! M2
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    majormadmax

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    That's right, I had forgotten about them! I came across that club when looking for ranges around Boerne, we have friends in Fair Oaks Ranch just south of there that asked us to take them shooting and I was looking for a range nearby. They only allow .22 rifles and from the looks of these pics, a few folks have some very serious hardware that they bring!

    Cheers! M2
     

    Texas1911

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    The largest shooting event in the world is held in Hannover, Germany. It started in 1529 ... so needless to say, ze Germans have a history of it.
     

    DPSTX

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    Hello,
    I joined this forum just to answer this question, but I will have to check it out more!!!

    I am a member of the Grapetown Schuetzen Verein, as is my Dad and was my Grandfather on my mothers' side. This is one of 6 shooting clubs in Gillespie county that compete within their own clubs most of the year and get together for the Gillespie County Bundesfest (Schuetzenfest) at one of the 3 ranges in the county, (this year's fest is July 31-Aug 1 at the Bear Creek shooting range in Gillespie county). Lately, the Schuetzenfest has had around 130 shooters. There are 2 classes, Rimfire (22lr only) and centerfire(most are 22-250, but there are others...). All shooting is at 200 yards, shot standing with a fixed barrel rest, open sights only (no peep sights). Most of the rifles have a hook that rests on top of your shoulder and weigh 12 to 20lbs.


    th_Photo0053-1-1..jpg

    My grandfather won the rimfire king (Schuetzenkoenig) in 1969 and I won rimfire king in 1997. Still trying for more.....

    DPSTX
     

    majormadmax

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    Holy Zombie Thread Revival, Batman!

    Still, if there's a topic to be brought back from the dead, it's this one! I have been thinking about my experience up near Grapetown a few years back, and since I've recently become re-enamored by the .22LR round thanks to the acquisition of a Ruger 10/22 and a Marlin Model 60 (not exactly marksmanship rifles, but fun to shoot nonetheless), I might be enticed to see if I can get into one of these shooting clubs!

    Boerne would be closest, although Quihi is not that far away either. I'm just not sure if the latter still shoots or if it's just a social club (I think that's the case).

    Gearguy, if you have any suggestions I'm open to them. If not one of these existing clubs, than maybe we could start something similar ourselves!

    Cheers! M2
     

    shortround

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    Some folks here don't like Bracken, but it started off as a genuine German Schuetzen Verein in the late 1800's.

    Und Ich bin bei diesem Schuetzen Platz sehr zufrieden.

    Seit gut!
     

    DPSTX

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    125th Anniversary Grapetown Eintracht Schuetzen Verein, 117th Annual Gillespie County Schuetzenfest. July 28-29 2012.
    IMG_1846.jpg
    The Grapetown club on this day, 114 shooters for the Fest. Great time had by all...
    DPSTX
     

    Texas42

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    Those guys out in Boerne have some serious rifles...

    480_100_0043.JPG
    480_bsc4.jpg
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    480_IM000534.JPG


    I might go to one of the competitions there to see what it's like.

    Cheers! M2

    Are those breaks or suppressors on the end of the rifles in the top left? I don't think .22lr need breaks, and they don't look like suppressors (I could be wrong of course).

    Awesome story. Thanks for posting.
     

    jbcalhoun

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    Are those breaks or suppressors on the end of the rifles in the top left?

    Those are "tuners". With a change in ammo, you can adjust the tuner, which either moves the weight inward or outward, to tighten the groups. They work really well and there are many designs out there with most people making their own. You change the harmonics or vibration of the barrel.

    Brad
     

    majormadmax

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    Since this topic came up in conversation today, I thought it would be worthwhile to bump this thread back to live to see if we have anyone new who participates or knows more about these clubs...
     

    Rebel

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    Pretty cool reading up on the history of these clubs. Of course, some Serbian nut job had to screw it all up.
     

    majormadmax

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    ***Thread Bump***

    Dang it, here I am the OP of this topic, and I forgot to include Helotes Hermann Sons Lodge No. 76 (commonly known as Braun Hall), just up the street from me, which was built in 1893 as a Schützenverein by the Hermann Sons; a non-profit fraternal insurance organization that originally began as a fraternity organized by German descendants!

    braun-hall.jpg


    And oddly enough, I noticed Wikipedia said this about these clubs in the United States...

    Schützenvereins were founded in the Unites States by German-Americans and acted as a social club for their communities. Each club had a range for target shooting and often also a bar.[2] Larger clubs could have extensive facilities such as an inn, dance hall, music pavilion, zoo, bowling alley, roller coaster, refreshment stands, athletic field, picnic grounds, and other amusements. It was common for tens of thousands of people to attend a major event.

    The popularity of these facilities began to decline in America around 1917, when the anti-German sentiment from World War I restricted the activities of German-Americans and led to the prohibition of the use of the German language in public. Many businesses and organizations changed their German names or dissolved. The American Schützenvereine were dealt another serious blow in 1919 when the "Prohibition Act" outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, the consumption of which was casually mixed with shooting activities.

    This topic, as well as other Texas history, always continues to fascinate me!

    Cheers! M2
     
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