GRANT COUNTY — Billy Sproul is looking for .22 long rifle enthusiasts.

The first of six monthly .22 LR silhouette shooting matches took place on Saturday, April 8, at Bear Creek Range between John Day and Prairie City, with shooters traveling from as far away as Washington state for the match.

The match was a demonstration of accuracy and precision. Participants fired 40 unsupported shots at sets of five steel targets at ranges of 40, 60, 75 and 100 meters.

Shooters used a wide array of .22 rifles and optics to hit the small targets, which appeared a couple inches tall at distance. Participants had two and a half minutes to shoot five rounds at each group of five targets, starting with the 40 meter targets.

A hit, regardless of target and distance, counted as a single point. Engraved wooden plaques were distributed to the first-place winners in the junior, women’s, senior, hunter, standard and sporting classes.

Michael and Jay Park of Washington took home first place honors in the junior and hunter classes. Another competitor from Washington state, Erich Mietenkorte, took first in the standard class.

Hardware for the women’s class went to Johni Sproul. First place in the senior class was claimed by Karl Hammon. No plaque was awarded in the sporting class.

Organizer Billy Sproul said the event was short on local competitors, but he viewed the match as a success overall.

“Really, really good. We were down on a few local competitors that we knew were coming, but I’ll take 16 for a first match anytime,” he said.

The match was something of a labor of love for Sproul, whose late father, Jim, was instrumental in the establishment of Bear Creek Range.

“I’m always thinking about Dad on that,” he said. “He was influential in putting that range together and doing the whole thing. I mean, he was a big reason that range got put in.”

Sproul recounted the original plan for the silhouette matches, stating that he had planned to have matches at the range on his property but remembered all the work his father had done to get Bear Creek Range up and running. That realization led to a change of venue for the event.

Sproul also highlighted the good fortune of local residents to have a facility like Bear Creek Range, which Sproul describes as one of the finest in the Northwest, here in Grant County.

“The only reason we can have a range as absolutely wonderful as that one is that we have so much open ground in the Northwest,” he said. “D.R. Johnson is a big reason why that range is there.”

Bear Creek Range came about following a land swap between the county and D.R. Johnson, which owns the Prairie Wood Products lumber mill just down the road in Prairie City.

Sproul said everyone is welcome to come out to the range for matches. “I would like to grow it. I want the sport to be better, and I want it to be bigger,” he said.

“Everyone is welcome to come out and watch, and everybody is welcome to come out and participate. If anybody has any questions, they can get ahold of me,” he added.

Along with the .22 LR silhouette matches held on the second Saturday of the month, black powder cartridge silhouette matches are also held year-round on the third Saturday of the month.

The shooting range is operated as a club. Memberships are available for a $35 fee.

Upcoming .22 LR silhouette shoot dates at Bear Creek  Range:

• Saturday, May 13

• Saturday, June 10

• Saturday, July 8

• Saturday, Aug. 12

• Saturday, Oct. 14

For more information about the shooting matches or to inquire about membership, contact Billy Sproul at 208-870-8216.