August 21, 2025
Thursday Bulletin – August 21, 2025
Thoughts As Dove Season Nears
September 1st is the beginning of dove season. It’s only a few days away and that means you need to get ready if you intend to go dove hunting. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you need to clean your shotgun if you haven’t done so. Now it is time to inventory your shotgun shells. My guess is you need to buy more. I recommend buying trap loads rather than the dove and quail loads we see every Fall. The shot is harder in trap loads and the patterns are better. Doves are hard enough to hunt and the last thing you need is a lousy pattern. If you are hunting on IDNR property you need to buy “Non-toxic shot”. I always liked to hunt doves with No.8 shot.
One of my favorite memories is of a dove hunting trip to Argentina. In four and a half days, I shot 1794 doves using No.8 shot, so it worked well enough for me. Doves are a pest in South America. They have seven litters a year and devour 50,000 bushels of grain a day in Cordova County where we were hunting. The farmers were glad to see us. We ate dove every day. We gave the excess to the “Bird Boys” to feed their families and their villages. They are great people there, but I digress.
You should take some time and practice with your shotgun. One of the main things you need to practice is the proper mount. Your eye serves as the rear sight, so it is critical that you are looking straight down the rib. The best way to do that is to make sure the butt of your shotgun is mounted on your collarbone as close to your neck as possible. If you are getting a bruise on your arm, you are mounting your shotgun improperly. There is a lot more to it than I can describe in this short article. This is just one tip.
One extra rule I like to add when dove hunting is always keep your shotgun above 40 degrees when you shoot. This is safety rule which is an enhancement to “know your target and what is beyond”. By following this rule, you don’t inadvertently point at someone or something in standing corn or sunflowers.
Dove hunting and pheasant hunting were two of my favorite hunting activities. I can’t recall ever having a bad day, even if I didn’t get anything. If you are headed to the field on opening day, good luck and good hunting.
Please check the ISRA Calendar on the website HERE for available classes.
Crime Happens. Be Ready.
On Friday night, August 15th, career criminal Shelby Hurd of Chicago broke into a home on the westside of Joliet, Illinois. Hurd had previous convictions for “felon in possession of a firearm”, “possession of a stolen vehicle”, “identity theft”, and several burglaries (one in Frankfort and one in Tinley Park, Illinois). Hurd was sentenced to four years in prison but was given credit for time served which totaled 170 days, after which he was out of jail to commit more crimes.
At 10:30pm, the female occupant of the home, hearing someone was breaking in, grabbed her baby, hid in a closet in an upstairs bedroom and called 911. She also had a gun. The intruder made his way to the bedroom. The women fired one shot, killing Hurd.
There was no connection of any kind between the victim and the criminal. It was completely random. There are several lessons to be learned from this. Just because you live in what you believe is a safe neighborhood, some miscreant out there may have different ideas. Another lesson is most people believe they are safe because they do not go looking for trouble. Remember, that doesn’t mean trouble isn’t looking for you! This story is a good case in point. The third lesson here is an old lesson, just reiterated, which is “when seconds count, the police are only seconds away.” Nothing against the police but they won’t be there in time to save you in most instances. It’s just reality.
I know you are all thinking “why is this guy out of jail?” Because the liberals wanted him out of jail, along with thousands of people just like him. That’s why. We are on our own. Get trained and be ready!
THIS WEEKEND! – Register NOW for ISRA Pistol 201
Registration is still open for the ISRA Pistol 201 Course on Saturday, August 23, 2025, with instructor David Diller. The course covers a range of topics in a classroom setting, as well as practical exercises, dry fire training and live fire training at the ISRA Range. Please CLICK HERE to register online or call us the ISRA office ASAP. It is a terrific course!
Litigation Update
All of our litigation is proceeding. We are preparing for our oral arguments in The Harrel et al v Rauol et al on September 22, 2025. I want to thank all of those who are supporting our efforts.
Schoenthal v Raoul – The case has been argued and we are awaiting a decision from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
In other news…..
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and its partners, secured a major victory in August after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a mandate overturning California’s “one-gun-per-month” restriction, setting a historic precedent.
The case, Nguyen v. Bonta, challenges the California statute that only allows for the purchase of one handgun or semi-automatic centerfire rifle (or combination thereof), from a licensed dealer within a 30-day period. SAF secured a summary judgment win at the district court, which California then appealed to the Ninth Circuit, where the court ruled in favor of SAF and its partners.
To read to original article on ammoland.com by Editor-In-Chief F. Riehl – Click HERE.
Support ISRA Legal efforts by donating HERE.
Not an ISRA member? Join the ISRA and support 2A rights in Illinois – CLICK HERE.
Legislative Update
The Illinois Legislature is not in session at this time.
You can follow along by clicking the ISRA Legislation Page.
M1 Garand Rifle Raffle
We are also pleased to announce our M1 Garand Expert Rifle Raffle with WWII U.S. Army M1923 M1 Garand rifle cartridge belt. Tickets are $20 per chance, 3 for $50, 8 for $100, etc. The winning ticket will be drawn on November 11, 2025.
One need not be present to win and winner will be notified. Dues & donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible. Winner of firearm must comply with all federal, state, and local laws. You have 90 days from the drawing to claim firearm. Good luck to all!
To Enter online, CLICK HERE , or call the ISRA office for more details at 815-635-3198.
“Guns N Grub” Event At The ISRA Range – Volunteers Needed!
Come join us for a one-of-a-kind event at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL. on September 13, starting at 9am! Firearm training, great food, and a vibrant shopping experience combine to create an unforgettable day filled with excitement, learning, and cameraderie.
To learn more about the Guns N Grub event and to register, go HERE.
We also need volunteers to help during the day from 7am to 5:30pm. Coffee, donuts and lunch are provided. If you would like to to volunteer to help out during this terrific event or If you have any questions, please call the ISRA office at 815-635-3198 or email us at: member@isra.org
Sighting-In-Day Raffle
Once again, we are pleased to announce our “Sighting-In-Day” raffle for a Savage Axis II 350 Legend w/scope and other great prizes. Tickets are only $10 a piece and entering is easy – enter online, by phone or by mail! Entries by mail must be postmarked by October 13, 2025. The drawing is at 1pm on October 21, 2025.
One need not be present to win and winner will be notified. Dues & donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible. Winner of firearm must comply with all federal, state, and local laws. You have 90 days from the drawing to claim firearm. Good luck to all!
To enter online, CLICK HERE.
“I am frequently asked if the ISRA sells our membership list. The answer is absolutely not.” ~ Richard Pearson
ISRA Memorial Brick Fundraiser – Honor Your Mentors
We all have people in our lives who have influenced our lives in a positive manner, we do not want them forgotten. My father is a perfect example, he taught me how to shoot, hunt, and many other life lessons. He was a WWII veteran with two purple hearts, I did not want him to be forgotten.
To remember people like my father and those in your life that have made a positive impact over the years the ISRA has established a Memorial Brick Project. The memorial bricks are laid out around the flagpole at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL, which is located near Kankakee, IL.
Please look over the attached flier and consider buying a brick for someone who has made a difference in your life.
For more info or to order your commemorative brick today, CLICK HERE.
ISRA’s “250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War”
Muzzleloader Raffle
We are pleased to offer a Pennsylvania Rifle for the 250th Anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War!
The Pennsylvania Rifle, and the people who carried them, played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. Their marksmanship was exemplary. Many of the sharpshooters in the Revolutionary War were from Pennsylvania and used Pennsylvania rifles. The most famous of these is Patrick Murphy, who shot and killed British General Patrick Ferguson in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Murphy made the shot, at a range of 300 yards, using his Pennsylvania Flint Lock Rifle.
One need not be present to win and winner will be notified. Dues & donations to the ISRA are NOT tax deductible. Winner of firearm must comply with all federal, state, and local laws. You have 90 days from the drawing to claim firearm. Good luck to all!
In commemoration of this 250th Anniversary, we’re pleased to offer 5 prizes that include:
1st Prize: Traditions Pennsylvania Carbine Rifle – .50 Cal Percussion & Midway Deluxe Padded 54″ Gun Case
2nd Prize: ISRA Custom Engraved BUCK Hunting Knife
3rd Prize: ISRA Custom Engraved BUCK Hunting Knife
4th Prize: ISRA Black Powder Hat
5th Prize: ISRA Black Powder Hat
To enter online, CLICK HERE.
Upcoming 2025 ISRA State Championships
August 23rd and August 24th (Saturday & Sunday) – Illinois State Smallbore Championship
For more info, CLICK HERE
September 6th & 7th (Saturday & Sunday) – Illinois State F Class Championship
For more info, CLICK HERE
September 20th (Saturday) – Illinois State Short Course Championship
For more info, CLICK HERE
October 11th (Saturday) – Illinois State Black Powder State Championship
For more info, CLICK HERE
Register NOW for ISRA Academy CCL Renewals
Do not miss out on the ISRA Academy featuring CCL renewals each month. Be sure to pre-register by checking the ISRA Range Calendar for times/dates and clicking on the event of your choice for more info.
Click here for ISRA Range or call the ISRA Offices for more info at 815-635-3198.
Education & Training @ ISRA Range, Bonfield, IL.
August 10 (Sunday) CCL Renewal & Qualification – Range 11, Clubhouse 1pm-4pm
August 14 (Thursday) IDNR Hunter Safety Course – Clubhouse 5pm-8pm
August 16 (Saturday) IDNR Hunter Safety Course – Clubhouse & Range 1 8am-4:30pm
August 22 (Friday) NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course – Range 11 & Clubhouse 8:30am-5pm
August 23 (Saturday) NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) – Clubhouse 8:30am-2:30pm
August 23 (Saturday) ISRA Pistol Training 201 Course – Range 8 8am-5pm
August 24 (Sunday) NRA Basic Rifle Instructor – Range 11 & Clubhouse 8:30am-6pm
August 27 (Wednesday) CCL Renewal & Qualification – Range 11, Clubhouse 9am-12pm
August 29-31 (Friday-Sunday) Rangemaster 3-Day Firearms Instructor Development & Certification Course
October 2-5 (Thursday-Sunday) Massad Ayoob’s MAG-40 Course – There are a few spaces left. Sign up as soon as you can!
*** Please contact academy@isra.org for any training or class questions and check the ISRA Range for links to dates, times, descriptions of ISRA activities and events.
World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) Events
The ISRA office is located at: 1 Main Event Lane, Unit 502-503, Sparta, IL 62286
Women Only Classes at WSRC
October 10 (Friday) “Refuse To Be A Victim” – 5pm – 9pm
October 11 (Saturday) NRA Basic Pistol – 8:30am – 5pm
October 12 (Sunday) NRA Basic Rifle – 8:30am – 5pm
ISRA Members: View the Spring 2025 Shooter HERE
If you would like to donate to us, please visit: https://isra.org/support-us/
Thank you for your support!
GET IN THE FIGHT, STAY IN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE ISRA
To Join the ISRA, Go To: https://isra.org/join-us/
The Illinois State Rifle Association
is the home of marksmanship in Illinois
Tidbits
August 21, 1858 – The first of the Lincoln – Douglas debates begins in Ottawa, IL. The Lincoln – Douglas debates would often draw 15,000 or more people. The debates dealt with the issue of slavery in the United States. Douglas lost the debates but won the election of 1858. But, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln would rise to the top because of the debates, become the Presidential candidate for the new, reformed Republican Party and, eventually, become President.
August 22, 1776 – The British land 20,000 troops on Long Island. The Revolutionary War is about to begin. Memo to the British…you are about to battle a people who are going to show up and fight with rags around their bloody feet because they have no shoes, who are hungry, who are oppressed and who yearn for freedom. You are about to battle Americans. Our rations may be meager but they are seasoned with whoop-ass.
August 23, 1865 – Alan Pinkerton, head of the newly formed Secret Service, arrests Confederate Rose Greenhow. Greenhow had passed information to Confederate General Pierre Beauregard on the deployment of Union General McDowell’s troops before the first battle of Bull Run. Greenhow was exiled to the South. She continued to support the Confederacy, traveling to England and France to raise money for the southern cause.
On September 18, 1864, a Southern ship was intercepted by a Northern war vessel and was run aground. It is said that Greenhow filled her lifeboat with gold as she attempted to flee and her boat sank, drowning her. She wasn’t the only effective female spy the South employed. They all played a significant role in the Civil War.
August 23, 79 A.D. – Mount Vesuvius erupts, devastating many cities in Southern Italy. Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed. Thousands were covered in volcanic ash. If you ever get to Italy, visiting those locations is certainly worthwhile. Been there, done that.
August 24, 1814 – British troops set fire to the White House. The White House was ransacked. Dolly Madison, as she ran from the burning building, stopped to save George Washington’s portrait. OK British…we still have a can of whoop-ass on the shelf for you. I think we’ll open it in New Orleans…..
August 25, 1939 – The “Wizard of OZ” opens in U.S. theaters. The movie was based on a 1900 children’s book called “The Wonderful Wizard of OZ” by L. Frank Baum. The film made use of a new colorizing technique for film called Technicolor. Awed audiences applauded the scene where the heroine stepped from the black and white world of her home into the dreamworld of OZ shown in beautiful, dazzling color.
August 26, 1939 – The first Major League baseball game is televised. The game was between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in New York. It was a double-header. Dodgers won the first game and Cincinnati won the second.
August 27, 1883 – The island of Krakatoa explodes when one of the largest volcanoes in recorded history fills the skies with volcanic ash. The explosion was so loud that it was heard 3000 miles away. The tsunami that it caused produced a 120 foot high wave that killed 36,000 people. The volcanic ash lowered world-wide temperatures for years to come.
Other Events & Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Sept 20, 2025 National Civil War, Military, and Collector Arms Show, DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, IL.
Sept 27 – Sept 28, 2025 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sprotsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Sept 27 – Sept 28, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Oct 4 – 5, 2025 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Oct 12, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Oct 25 – Oct 26, 2025 Belleville Gun & Knife Show, Belle-Clair Fairgrounds, Belleville, IL.
Oct 25 – Oct 26, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Nov 1 – Nov 2, 2025 Bloomington Gun & Knife Show, Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL.
Nov 9, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Nov 22 – Nov 23, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Nov 29 – Nov 30, 2025 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
Nov 29 – Nov 30, 2025 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton, IL.
Dec 6 – Dec 7, 2025 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sprotsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe, IL.
Sept 13 – Sept 14, 2025 Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee County Fairgrounds, Kankakee, IL.
Dec 14, 2025 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, IL.
Feb 14 – Feb 15, 2026 Central Illinois Gun Collectors Association – New Berlin Gun Show, Sangamon County Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL.
ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
Northwest Suburban – 3rd Tues – Golden Corral, 601 S. Randall Rd., Elgin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
South Suburban/Cook County – 2nd Thurs – Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County – 3rd Wed – Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Livingston County – 4th Saturday of the month – South Post Guns, 104 Livingston Rd., Streator, IL; Social Hour 4:30pm – 5:30pm; Meeting 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Stand Strong &
Thank you for being a member!
If you are not an ISRA member, join today!
Donate: https://isra.org/support-us/
Visit: www.isra.org
Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/
Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar
Stand by for the ISRA Range Post on
Tuesday!
If you are not an ISRA member, join today
Donate: https://isra.org/support-us/
Upcoming Meetings: https://isra.org/isra-activities-and-events/
Upcoming Range Events: https://isra.org/the-range/#range-calendar