PELKIE—The Ottawa Sportsmen's Club, six miles west of Baraga on M-38, will sponsor a new monthly shooting event, The Black Powder Shoot, which will begin on Saturday, Feb. 2.
    This event will be held the first Saturday of each month through May 4 and is open to the public as well as club members.
    Jon Henkel, an Ottawa Sportsmen's Club member, will supervise this event with help from members of the UP Muzzleloaders Association, of which he is also a member.
    Henkel has been a member of the UPMLA since 1990 and has served as one of its Board of Directors since 1995. He also maintains a membership with the Quinnesec Falls Muzzle Loaders. Henkel, as well as other qualified UPMLA members, will be on hand at each "Shoot" to offer advice and assistance to those who would like to take advantage of their experience and knowledge of working with muzzleloaders and black powder.
    The purposes of these monthly "Shoots" are to encourage the enjoyment of primitive firearm shooting on a. consistent basis, to provide shooters with an opportunity to improve their marksmanship skills, to enjoy the company of fellow muzzleloaders, and, quite simply, to have fun.
    The Black Powder Shoot will begin at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month at the O.S.C. outdoor range and will consist of 10 to 15 shots at paper targets as well as at moving or breakable targets. These targets will be set at 25 and 50-yard intervals.
    Inline and side hammer rifles are welcome, but only patched round balls and iron sights will be acceptable for use by shooters.
    There will be no charge for this activity and youth are encouraged to attend, provided adults who will assume responsibility accompany them and remain with them throughout the shoot.
    Achievement ribbons will be awarded each Saturday to the top six shooters in the inline as well as the side hammer categories. This will again be divided so that the top six winners in each paper target shoot and top six winners in the moving or breakable target shoot will also receive recognition for their skill by the presentation of achievement ribbons.
    This new O.S.C. activity will be held regardless of weather conditions, so shooters should dress accordingly and perhaps also bring along a thermos of hot coffee.
    The Ottawa Sportsmen are very pleased and excited to offer this monthly Black Powder Shoot and look forward to beginning it on a monthly basis.