Boomershoot Gun Blogger Day

At the NRA convention last week I told several bloggers I was contemplating having a special Boomershoot for gun bloggers*. I have had time to think about this quite a bit more.

The following is tentative so if you have suggestions let me know before I finalize it in the next week or so.

Boomershoot 2009 is currently scheduled for Sunday April 26th with Friday and Saturday the 24th and 25th being the Precision Rifle Clinic. Nearly all of the gun bloggers who have never attended Boomershoot I have talked to expressed concern their long range rifle skills were deficient so I think participating in at least one day of the clinic is a good idea for them. Partially for this reason I have decided combining the gun blogger event with Boomershoot 2009 is a good idea.

What I think is one of the more interesting part of the event is the making of the targets prior to the event. We have repeatedly invited the mainstream media to observe and/or participate and only once had them accept. I’m guessing gun bloggers will be more inclined to take me up on this invitation. Hence I have decided to make Thursday April 23rd 2009 Boomershoot Gun Blogger Day. On this day gun bloggers will be given media credentials and a special behind the scenes tour of and participation in Boomershoot 2009. If the individuals involved want to actually mix explosives and package the targets they will need to fill out some paperwork at least a couple months in advance. This paperwork will be submitted to the ATF and if the ATF approves it these individuals will be allowed to actually make explosives and reactive targets. If individuals do not wish to submit the paperwork then they will still be allowed to observe target manufacturing and participate in all the other activities.

Other activities planned for Gun Blogger Day will include discussions of explosive chemistry, alternate materials for explosives, target detonation theory, fireball target construction, the history and future of Boomershoot, Boomershoot safety, Why Boomershoot, “entertainingly close” detonation of targets by the participants and almost any other safe and legal activity related to guns and explosives the participants can think of.

Do you want to blow something up? Toilets, laptop computers, and hard disk drives are just some of the things we have subjected to “Idaho Hardware Testing” (also sometimes called an Idaho Stress Test). If you have something you want subjected to Boomerite let me know and we’ll figure out how to make it happen safely. The only catch is that you need to clean up (or pay for) the mess afterward.

Gun bloggers who are attending Boomershoot for the first time will also get free admission to the main event on Sunday April 26th.


* For the purposes of this special offer a gun blogger is defined as someone who has an active blog with frequent posts about gun use or politics. “Active blog” means someone who has made 100 or more posts in the previous year as of April 1, 2009. This definition potentially and intentionally includes the anti gun blogs such as the Gun Guys and the Brady Blog. “Frequent posts about gun use or politics” will be defined at my whim on a case by case basis. Submit your blog to me for inclusion prior to April 1 and I’ll get back to you with my decision within a day or so.

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19 thoughts on “Boomershoot Gun Blogger Day

  1. Ahem. Let me, on behalf of Random Nuclear Strikes blog, be the first to accept this incredible offer!

    Even if it is a cleverly-disguised scheme to get more free labor to make more boomers. Doesn’t matter — more boomers is a good thing. I’ll fill out that paperwork for sure!

  2. The form you have to fill out is here.

    For item 14 on the form use “FlashTek”.
    For item 15 on the form use “Common labor”.
    For item 16 on the form leave it blank and I’ll fill it out.

    After filling it out snail mail it to me at:

    Joe Huffman
    FlashTek
    8554 122nd Ave NE #6
    Kirkland, WA 98033

  3. You know, you are making this more and more difficult to come up with creative excuses not to come, especially since I will have significantly more control over my schedule by then… And free labor or not, making the things you are about to explode sounds all manner of fun to me.

  4. I totally just *squee*’d. I guess I’ll just have to alert my professors that I will be gone Thursday and Friday – it’s at the tail-end of the semester, and I don’t yet know what classes I will be taking, but I’m sure, whatever they are, they can do without me for a couple of days, yeah?

    I assume I’m already approved for attendance as a gun-blogger – and I want to fill out that paperwork, too, if’n you don’t mind. πŸ™‚

  5. Yes Squeaky, you qualify as a gun-blogger. I was thinking about you and your classes as I was writing that up. I hope it works out for you.

  6. Yeah, Linoge — we need more Firefly-quotin’ shooters up there. Nobody is getting my jokes.

  7. Bah. Sounds to me like we need to bring a projector, screen, DVD player, and the series and movie… The explosions of the boomers might actually provide a good background for some of the scenes!

  8. What are the lodging options? Hotels in the area or can we stay in tents?
    Also, where in Idaho are you?? I’ve got a client outside Twin Falls (no not Reds, he’s a rancher) who has been asking me to come out and make a presentation to some of the ag guys there. Not happening this year, but perhaps next spring.

    Also, .280 Remington sufficient?

  9. Accommodation information is here.

    It is near Orofino Idaho. Directions are here.

    Twin Falls is about a seven hour drive (390 miles from Orofino).

    In terms of detonation ability, according to the Federal web page for .280 Remington with a 140 grain Nosler ballistic (load P280D) you should be just fine even out to 700 yards.

  10. Countertop; 280 Remington is sufficient. My son used his 280 at this year’s Boomershoot and last. Use your most accurate load, whatever it is, and you’ll rock. I’ve been loading some heavy bullets for the boy (168s). They’re a bit slow out of the gate (around 1600) but like the Energizer bunny, the VLDs just keep going and going and going. It’s the target velocity that counts. Son was popping targets at ~600. He never tried 700, but he “made more music” that day than his father.

  11. If I am at all able to come, I will do so (if I meet with your approval). I’m actually fairly close, living in the Vancouver, WA area.

    Sounds like a blast! πŸ˜‰

  12. I didn’t catch this over the weekend, but count me in (again). Media day, clinic, tent camping in the snow and mud πŸ˜‰

    Sounds good to me. Do you want forms filled out already?

  13. Oh man… sounds like it’s early enough for 2009 for me to get back home in time for my 1 May anniversary!

    Ok, listed Dad’s Garage as my blog… I’ll work on getting more documentation of the new shooters I keep (informally) introducing out at Dad’s on the site, so maybe I can be counted as a gunblogger too – but even if I’m not, I may just show up as a shooter, since for ’09 I can be back home for my anniversary!

    THANK YOU JOE!!!!

  14. Goodness Joe, you really know how to lay out a fun activity. David from RNS told me about your offer. If I thought exploding things was going to be fun, I can’t wait to actually make them!

    I’m interested in attending the 2009 Boomershoot Gun Blogger Day, assuming mine qualifies.

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