Friendship, Indiana - Yesterday on the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's skeet field, we were lucky enough to run into none other than NRA's Indiana Field Representative John Crone.

Initially he blended in as just one of the guys. Just one of the many shooters here at the match. But soon enough we came to realize that this was a many we've met at a number of NRA events.

After finishing the last flight of clays, he left the firing line to clean his shotguns. I took the opportunity to go over and check on his progress.

Crone is a big fan of muzzleloading. In fact, he has been coming out to the NMLRA matches for about 10 years. Expect last year. Events beyond his control took him away from the sport that he loves so.

"I was gone for eighteen months in Iraq and I'm back at it," Crone told me with a smile. "I'm out here and I'm making noise."

He had shot well, but others had shot better. The Spring Shoot brings out some extremely talented marksmen. 

When I brought up next week's Field Operations Division Annual Planning Meeting, Crone said he was excited, but also had some fighting words for some of his co-workers - listen up, Field Reps.

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Friendship, Indiana - I arrived at Friendship for the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's (NMLRA) Spring Shoot yesterday as things were wrapping up. Luckily, there was still time to snap some photos from the activities of the day.

Now if you think Camp Perry has a lot of matches, then you're probably not familiar with the NMLRA. The Association's Spring Shoot features more than 600! This includes the more than 50 NRA matches shot over the week.

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National Firearms Museum display at the Muzzle Loading Championships in Indiana.

Phil Schreier, Senior Curator for the National Firearms Museum sends us the following museum update from Indiana:

Friendship, Indiana - The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association's Spring National Shoot is underway in Friendship and the National Firearms Museum is present and accounted for! The NMLRA's Spring National shoot is also the home of the NRA's National Muzzle Loading Championship with nearly 20 National Championship matches being held.

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Columbus PD officer Larry Mead receives congratulations for winning the 1962 NPSC

In recognition of the National Police Shooting Championship's 50th Anniversary, we take a look at the first overall champ ... Ohio's Larry Mead.

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Bristol, Indiana - We're only a few weeks away from the 2011 NRA National Metric Championships at the Wa-Ke’-De Range in Bristol, Indiana. With the Position portion of the championship scheduled for July 16-17 and Prone for July 18-19, it's a great way to get in a little more time before the Championships at Camp Perry which kick off on July 21st. And Match Coordinator Howard (H.Q.) Moody can't wait for things to get started.

"Without doubt, the NRA National Metric Championship is one of the most enjoyable NRA Tournaments that provides a great competition on a fabulous facility."

The Second Annual NRA Metric Smallbore Championships are limited to the first 200 competitors. You can still register now if you contact H.Q. Moody at 703-267-1475 or HMoody@nrahq.org. But don't wait too long — anyone attempting to sign up after July 8th will have to do so at the Statistical Office at the Chief Wa-Ke’-De' Range.

Oh, and as Moody kept telling me, The Jameson Inn in Elkhart, Indiana is the host hotel. Mention the National Metric Championships and you'll receive a special rate.

See you there!

Michigan City, Indiana - While NRAblog was enjoying the Professional Outdoor Media Association's annual conference in La Porte, Indiana, we had time for a special visit: to an NRA affiliated shooting club.

The Michigan City Rifle Club is located in – you guessed it – Michigan City. Physically located in Indiana, members tell us they have fellow members who make the drive from Chicago, Illinois. The club has more than one hundred members and is 100% NRA.

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Indianapolis, Indiana - One of the the best parts about NRA's Club University is the assorted group of individuals who attend. Club U Indianapolis was no different as we ran into interesting people such as Dave Schneider from Michigan State University. So what brought Schneider to Indianapolis?

“I'm here to find out as much about NRA grants as possible,” said Dave. “Plus, there are a number of other programs that we can benefit from.”

By “we,” he means the the Michigan State Marksmanship Team. Founded in 2001, the club held their first NRA sanctioned match in 2003. And more recently, they found a new home in the form of the John and Marnie Demmer Shooting Sports Education and Training Center.

“You should see this place,” said Dave. “Shooting lanes inside and out the facility that can be used for both archery and firearms … it’s beautiful.”

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Indianapolis, Indiana - Club University has called it quits here in Indianapolis. We'd like to thank Lockton Insurance for taking the time to explain the ins and outs of their programs as well as all the inquisitive attendees for sharing so much. In fact, they got so caught up in the idea of sharing that a group decided to stake out a corner of the hotel so they to trade tales of their experiences traversing the management of a shooting sports operation. After all, there's a good chance that what works in Wisconsin will work in Illinois too.

Next on the Clubs & Associations agenda is Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scheduled for the weekend following the National Police Shooting Championships, Club U Albuquerque will have plenty of information on range management, grant applications, legislative outlooks, and more.

If your outfit is looking for ways to improve their operation, take a second and sign up for your spot in the great south west now.

Indianapolis, Indiana - Award-winning marketing and customer service expert Ron Rosenberg was on hand to share his unique insights with our Indianapolis Club University students here in Indiana. Theories such as the "Schnauzer Effect," "Membership Values," and the "$50 Letter" had attendees scrawling copious notes and asking dozens of questions.

"His lessons are both entertaining and informative," said NRA Club & Association Marketing Manager Son Nguyen. "It's easier to learn these valuable lessons if you can do it with a smile."

The message behind Rosenberg's session is that everyone everywhere is in the same business. Whether you're a club in Kansas City, a merchant in Minneapolis, or an association in Annapolis, everyone needs to get the right message out to the right people. The challenge is how to convince your potential customer that you have what he needs. Want to learn how to approach this challenge? You'll have to sign up for our next NRA Club University!