March 7, 2024
Louisiana Becomes 28th State to Adopt “Permitless Carry”
“Louisiana lawmakers and Gov. Landry have taken a bold step for public safety,” stated Chairman Alan Gottlieb, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). “Meanwhile, legislatures and governors in the remaining 22 holdout states are signaling that they do not trust their citizens with the most fundamental right of all, the right of self-defense.”
Louisiana now joins Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming where Constitutional Carry is the law. The Louisiana law fittingly becomes effective July 4.
“At the time of the Founding,” Gottlieb noted, “citizens of the newly established United States did not need permits to carry firearms for personal protection….we can only hope that the remaining states will soon amend their narrow attitudes about Second Amendment rights.
UN Arms Trade Treaty
The United Nations is still pushing the Arms Trade Treaty, which is a threat to our Second Amendment rights. The United Nations meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland. The only U.S. Second Amendment group to show up was the Second Amendment Foundation. The UN continues to be a threat to freedom-loving people all over the world, who know and understand the value of firearms. The United Nations must be defunded. No United States funds should go to help them at all.
Before you head to IGOLD, get your t-shirt, hoodie, or cap!
Walther Arms Sponsors 2024 NRA World Shooting Championship
Walther Arms, Inc. is proud to announce their title sponsorship of the seventh annual NRA World Shooting Championship, taking place April 4-6, 2024. This competition gathers the top shooters in the world at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, to compete in both pro and amateur divisions.
The NRA World Shooting Championship is an annual event comprised of various courses spanning the shooting sports disciplines, along with the opportunity for competitors to win $250,000 in cash and prizes. All firearms, ammunition, optics, and equipment are supplied by the NRA, Walther, and additional industry sponsors.
High School Trap Leagues
The high school trap league registration is now underway. March 25 is the last day to register. If your son or daughter is lucky enough to be in a high school that has a trap, skeet or sporting clays league, now is the time to get them into the program. Trap, skeet, and sporting clays are lifetime sports.
If your son or daughter is in one of these leagues, it is important you help them get out of the high school sport mentality. High school sport mentality means you have only a certain time to play baseball, football, basketball, or track…and then it’s over. The shooting sports are not like that – they can go on year-round. Please encourage them to continue to practice throughout the remainder of the year. The shooting sports are the greatest sports that you can engage in. I would remind everyone, there are colleges and universities that offer scholarships for skeet, trap, sporting clays, rifle and pistol shooting. If your son or daughter is good enough, this might help them get into a great school!
Fall Deer Hunting Season
Looking forward to the fall deer season, there is a youth hunting rifle just made for Illinois. The Howa rifle is chambered in 350 Legend, and comes with a five-round magazine, and a single round block, designed for Illinois and Ohio. I have not fired this rifle, but I understand the Howa to be accurate and worth the money. This rifle should retail out at about $520, more or less. They are available now and would be an excellent choice for youth and women hunters.
Don’t Forget to Order Your IGOLD Pin & Raffle Tickets for Your Chance to Win One of the Fabulous Prizes!!
Our M1 Maintenance Class scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the ISRA Range in Bonfield, IL. We have found a highly qualified instructor, Larry Collinson, who has been with Springfield Armory for a long time. Mr. Collinson is an expert on the M1 Rifle. You will learn to take apart, clean, reassemble, and maintain your M1 Garand Rifle during this class. The class size is limited to 32 people. The cost is $65 (ISRA member) and $110 (non-member). Lunch will be provided. If you have special dietary needs, you will need to provide your own lunch. There will be no walk-ins allowed.
WE HAVE ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT – so if you are interested in taking it, please register soon. If this class becomes full, or you cannot come to the class on this date, please call us and we will add you to a list to schedule another class at a later date, provided we have enough people on the list.
To register, contact the Office at 815.635.3198 and talk to Mel or Shirley. You can also email Mel or Shirley.
Private Bus Information
If your gun club, gun shop, hunting group and/or organization is thinking about bringing a bus to IGOLD with your members, NOW is the time to plan it.
If you are bringing a bus, please let us know by April 1st. The ISRA must pay for your bus parking in advance. Please notify the ISRA Office and speak with Shirley at 815.635.3198 Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm. You can also email Shirley. Please put BUS NOTIFICATION in the subject line. We will update you on IGOLD as we get closer to the date.
IGOLD Bus Seat Signup – Alton, IL
There are seats available to IGOLD from Piasa Armory, in Alton. First come-first served. Location: Piasa Armory, 3685 E. Broadway, Alton, IL 62002. 618-433-2715. Please click either link below to make your reservation and for more information. IGOLD bus signup or click here: https://Piasaarmory.ezfacility.com//Sessions/session/186349815
You can email questions to Scott Pulaski.
Amtrak Train Schedule
Inbound to Springfield
(1/2 mile from train station to the Bank of Springfield Center)
Departs: 7:15 am Chicago Union Station
Arrives: 10:10 am Springfield Station
Outbound to Chicago
Departs: 4:46 pm Springfield Station
Arrives: 8:00 pm Chicago Union Station
We are now offering sponsorships for IGOLD. We have 4 different sponsorship levels to choose what’s best for you, your company or your organization. CLICK HERE for a Sponsorship Form or, call the ISRA office at 815.635.3198 to become an IGOLD sponsor and reserve your ad spot today!
LeRoy Sportsman’s Club is offering a Hunter Safety Class on 3/8/24 at 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, through 3/9/24 at 8:30 am – 5 pm. Must attend both sessions. For more info and to sign-up call or text Lyndall Cuba at 309-530-4124.
Can’t make it to LeRoy?
Click here to visit the IDNR website, which gives class listings by county and date.
March 8, 1917 – Revolution Begins in Russia. The revolution eventually led to the end of the czarist rule, and was the beginning of the takeover by the communist regime.
March 8, 1993 – MTV Airs the First Episode of Beavis and Butthead. The show, being quite controversial partially due to the characters’ pyromaniac tendencies, prompted a mother to claim that the show inspired her 5-year-old boy to set fire to his little sister, killing her. After that incident, the show started its decline. I am not sure what happened to Bevis, but Butthead went on to have a successful career in politics.
March 9, 1916 – Pancho Villa Attacks New Mexican Town. Mexican Pancho Villa and his guerilla army raided the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In the brutal attack, 19 citizens were killed, and the town was burnt to the ground. President Woodrow Wilson ordered General John “Blackjack” Pershing to go after Villa. Pershing chased Villa for nearly two years, but he never caught him. Because of the pressure General Pershing put on Villa and his guerillas, Villa decided never to return to the United States. General Pershing went on to lead the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I.
March 10, 2024 – Daylight Saving Time Returns. Move your clocks forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep!
Click here to view the entire calendar. All classes and events are open to the public & all range members, unless otherwise noted. here
Open to the public. Scheduled for March 24, 2024, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm., at the ISRA Range. Limited to 10 students. The cost is $75 (ISRA member) and $150 (non-member). Class covers instruction on firearm safety, rules, ammunition types, and proper instruction of semi-auto pistols and revolvers. Topics include firearm selection, shooting fundamentals, firearm maintenance and cleaning. Instructors: Mandi Ehler, Mike Cialdella & Jeff Marienthal. To register, contact ISRA Office at 815.635.3198 or via email.
Come and shoot your period firearms with others who share your passion! Next meet is April 7, from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm on Range 2 and in the Clubhouse. Open to the public. Held on the first Sunday of the month from March through December. Bring your Black Powder rifles, pistols, and shotguns. For more information contact: Tom Spurlock.
3-08 – Paper Steel League – Range 11 – 4:00-Dusk
3-09 – USPSA Monthly Multi Classifier Match – Range 8, 9, 10, 11 – 7:30-5:00
3-09 – Basic AR-15 Maintenance & Care With Live Fire – Range 5 & Clubhouse – 9:00-3:30
3-10 – ISRA Marksmanship League – Range 11 – 8:30-12:00
3-12 – Air Gun Practice & League – Range 12 (Indoor Range) 5:00 – 8:00
3-13 – F-Class Indoor League – Clubhouse/Range 12 – 10:00-2:00
3-13 – Air Rifle Practice & League – Range 12; Clubhouse – 11:00-3:00
The ISRA Range is located at 1589 N 7000w Rd, Bonfield, IL 60913.
The ISRA Range offers great classes and leagues
for shooting enthusiasts!
Interested in joining a league?
Just show up 15 – 30 minutes early.
Range memberships are available.
A day at the ISRA Range is always a great day!
Thank you for being a member!
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
While the gun show information shown in this email is believed to be correct – sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
Mar 8 – 10 Illinois Deer Classic, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria
Mar 8 – 10 Indy 1500 Gun & Blade Show, Indiana State Fairgrounds
Mar 10 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles
Mar 16 – 17 Peoria Gun & Knife Show, Exposition Gardens, Peoria
Mar 23 – 24 Springfield Gun Show, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield
Mar 23 – 24 Sauk Trail Gun Show, Bureau County Fairgrounds, Princeton
Apr 13 – 14 Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe
Apr 14 Kane County Sportsman’s Show, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles
Apr 18 IGOLD, Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield
April 20 Civil War & Military Extravaganza, DuPage Co. Fairgrounds, Wheaton
April 20 – 21 Will County Gun Show, Will County Fairgrounds, Peotone