Septic if you're interested in learning more about the last two Shoots we had look at the tacked topics section at the top of the Iowa HTF and you'll see them there as well as maybe some of the pictures if they're still there.  Blackta6 pretty well summed up how the day goes and why we get together but we'll probably fine tune a few things at the range as far as target availability for the machinegunners   and a couple refinements in how we provided and set up the machineguns for others to shoot.

EARRNHARDT3 I hear where you're coming from on getting time off as I just went back to my old days off of Mondays and Tuesdays so I'll have to plan far enough out as well.  This will be a topic we can discuss at the meal on the 28th after the Fairgrounds gunshow in Des Moines.  Tentatively I'd say that the Spring Shoot would be around either the last of April or first part of May...before high school graduations and late enough that hopefully the weather is decent and not rainy.

More to follow...

This is something we can kick around when we're at Okoboji's eating.  I'll check with Coltgunner as he stated that he might be able to talk to the County and see if the backstop berm at Bays Branch could possibly be widened...that would be GREAT and give everyone more room to shoot their own targets that they set out and not be blown away by those on the machineguns

Keep your eyes open as there will be more to follow on an upcoming Spring Shoot

Hello guys...sorry for the delay but my home computer is down, the wifes computer had some kind of "child protection" thing installed and can't access firearms websites with it now, can't access ARFCOM on the computers at work so that leaves the computer here at our store when I happen to be here and work.  Now on to some of the questions that you guys posted.

SPRING SHOOT:
As far as an Iowegian Spring Shoot at Bays Branch we will be talking about dates at our dinner get-together tomorrow night after the Fairgrounds gunshow as well as some small changes that would be made for a Spring Shoot.  I'll be glad to promote any Shoot that you guys on the east side of the State would like to have and ANYONE can host an ARFCOM Iowa Hometown Forum Shoot...I'm the Moderator but not the Dictator and won't say that only the Shoot at Bays Branch Range is an ARFCOM Shoot and our only Shoot.
 
Matsell's looks like a nice range but I would need to find out:
**!)  For sure that they allow NFA (legal full auto machineguns) firearms as it'd be a major setback to get over there and be turned away as we're setting up or started to fire, between the two vehicles that we showed up in at Bays Branch we were probably hauling about 2,000 pounds worth of equipment, firearms and ammo.  
**2)  The covered shooting area looks real nice with the benches and everything but my concern is how many people would be there trying to bench rest shoot and be a little annoyed by all the "non tactical" fire coming from everyone.  Other questions would be how much room there is at the far right side of the covered range as the beltfeds would have to be set up on the tripods to the right of this in the grass with the muzzles lined up in a general line of the benches.  They would have to be set up on the right as well since their would be high ROF of cases being expended out their right side...MG-42 shoots 8mm ammo at 1,200-1,500 RPM, Browning 1919 about 6-700 RPM, and so on.  If range positions can't be reserved it's a hit or miss situation as far as driving that far and not setting up or shooting...Bays Branch has never been busy or had anyone else at the range when we arrive to set up and I don't know about Matsell's other than someone stating that they're not usually very busy.
**3)  Yes, I'd call the Linn County Sheriff's Department prior to even considering attending and see what they're take on the situation/site is as well as who I was and that I am a Class 3 FFL/SOT Corporation member.  I'd also give a courtesy call the 1-2 days before the Shoot to remind them where I'd be and what we would be doing there as well as the safety briefing given to those before we start shooting.  These calls are basically out of courtesy as our firearms are legal and if it's not forbidden to shoot them at the range they really won't do anything about it...but when they get bombarded by calls to 911 saying that they hear WWIII coming from Matsell's they know what's going on and don't have to dispatch everyone there.  Since this doesn't appear to be a DNR sponsored range it has a chance of being feasible for us to shoot our "toys" (EXPENSIVE) at.  I would invite anyone in the Department to come out and watch and participate (see above about 911 calls) if they were so inclined and bring out any of their firearms that normally don't get out and get exercised.  One of our IA HTF members brought out their Departments Thompson SMG that hadn't been shot in a LONG time, another Deputy showed up at Bays Branch and stated that the last time the Thompson had been out of the Sheriffs office was 10 years prior to be cleaned up and HE was the one that did it!
**4)  Targets are a big concern as if this is a bench rest only range that shoots at paper targets then that won't work as people would be "accidentally" shooting the target stands and others paper targets.  The range would have to allow targets that people would bring to shoot at but nothing like tv's, glass objects or other things that make a big mess.  Water filled 2 liter bottles, plastic containers, clay pigeons, bowling pins, chunks of wood stuck into the ground, ?propane bottle?, and stuff like that are the targets that we normally shoot at.  Someone brought pumpkins last fall and they were fun.
**5)  Defined shooting area for those who don't want to shoot machineguns and want to shoot their own targets that they set out and not have someone else blast away at them and have to wait until the range goes cold again to set out their targets.  This was brought up after the Shoot last fall and will be something that gets addressed before our next Spring Shoot at Bays Branch.
**6)  You guys would set the date that you'd like to have it and I will see if it fits into my/our schedule to attend providing everything is ok with Matsell's.  This range is a bit of a haul for us to bring a good selection of machineguns (15-20), mounts, magazines and ammo and I'm not sure if anyone else from our FFL would be interested in going or not.  I'm fairly new to the machineguns and am not near as familiar to the belt feds as the President and I'm more comfortable with the subguns (UZI, Mac-11, Thompson, Steyr MPI, STEn, 9mm Colt M-16, ect.) and battle rifles (M-16, AK-47, AC-556, FAL, etc.) that we have.  If only I was able to attend there wouldn't be any belt fed machineguns (this year) in attendance as everything would be shoulder-fired, but there would be enough of a selection that most everyone would still be happy and could take requests from those who would be attending on what they would like to have brought over to shoot.  Almost all of our NFA firearms are "owned/bought" by our President and he has been shooting them for years and is set up to do so on the property that he lives at so he's had a LOT of hands on time with all of them.  I've been laying the foundation to add my .02 worth to the FFL collection (as my CC is screaming in my wallet) to further our ability to provide a various assortment of weapons for present and future law enforcement/military demonstrations and then I'll have the ability to become more familiar as well.
**7)  I am back to working weekends again and have to take time off in order to a gunshow or to a Shoot which would play in to whether we'd be able to attend a Shoot over at Matsell's or in any other part of the State.  The Shoot at Bays Branch will continue to be the Shoot that I'll be personally the most involved with as it's close for us and I'll be able to get the time off as I'll have some say in when we could have it and have the time to get it off from work and hopefully not be gone somewhere with the military.

Well I hope this helps answer any questions you "easterners" may have and feel free to more.  Blackta6, luckily the ambulance (M1010 CUCV 4X4 military issue with 4.56:1 gears and the aerodynamic attributes of a barn) uses diesel so the MPG is much better than if it were a gas motor...unluckily though is that diesel costs more than gas.  No conversion needed for my motor as it's a 6.2 and its old school technology works fine in stock form for biodiesel/greasel and would only need a couple minor additions to run just fine.  

Sorry for the long rant guys so in a nutshell...if you guys set the date, ok for us to shoot machineguns at Matsell's and with County, I/we are able to get off work and able to attend with selection of firearms that you guys would be happy with then I don't see a problem and will help promote the Shoot however I can whether I can make it or not.

Maybe my long post above put everyone to sleep so I'll give it a little bump to see what I can stir up.