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HOLDEN, W.Va. (AP) -- A Logan County gun club encourages firearm skill, knowledge and safety through competitive matches that are held each month.
Now in its 11th year, the Coalfield Shooters Association is sanctioned by both the National Rifle Association and the United States Practical Shooting Association. The latter organization focuses on competitive gun matches around the nation.
The Coalfield Shooters Association holds a competitive shooting match on the second Sunday of each month, rain or shine. The matches are held at the Coalfield Shooters Association's home range at the Earl Ray Tomblin Industrial Park off Gaston Caperton Drive near Holden, West Virginia.
Roger Ramey is the club's president and chief range officer. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Ramey has been a competitive shooter since 1982 and has shot in competitive United States Practical Shooting Association matches all over the United States, as well as military matches.
Ramey said the goal of the club, as well as the competitive shooting sport in general, is to encourage safety, speed, power and accuracy -- a combination of which could save one's life in an actual gunfight.
"We encourage kids, we encourage all walks of life, guys and girls, it don't matter," Ramey said. "The main thing we're after is safety over everything. Safety is the main thing that we put emphasis on. Then, we put emphasis on speed, power and accuracy -- the speed of shooting with a powerful gun and being accurate with it, and in a gunfight, you may not be the fastest, you may not be the most accurate, but the combination of the speed, power and accuracy could save your life."
During the matches, several stages are set up, and competitors must hit a series of scorable hits on a target. Some of the matches are also difficult simulations of real-world scenarios like a mall shooting, where the target is 40+ feet away.
"It's not just being able to hit the target," Ramey said. "On the stages that we set up, you look at the course that requires 30 hits on-target. You're told the rules to engage the targets from within the shooting area. It's up to you to figure out the best way for you to put two hits -- two scorable hits -- on each piece of paper and knock over the steel. We don't tell you how to do that. We let you figure it out."
Ramey added that newcomers will be given a walk-through on what to do and expect. A person's first shooting match is free. After that, cost is $10 a round plus a $5 range fee.
"We don't want to just turn you loose. There's no experts that show up," Ramey said. "Everybody is the same. Everybody is treated the same when it comes to safety."
Some competitors are also divided into age brackets -- junior for those under 18, senior for those over 55 and super senior for those over 65. Ramey, who turns 70 in a few months, said the sport is for anyone regardless of age, equipment, skill level or other factors.
"This is a sport that anybody can do," Ramey said. "I'll be 70 in January. I'll probably be second or third overall today out of these, and I'm the only super senior here. Everybody else is in their 30s and 40s at the most. It doesn't matter about your skill level. What really matters is being safe and controlling your firearm. You don't have to have fancy equipment. Most people already have a 9mm or larger handgun with a holster that covers the trigger, and about two mag pouches and about four magazines, and you're ready to go with eye and ear protection."