Club History

Alpha-Mike-Shooters was founded in April of 2002 by 4 longtime friends who had competed together for years. Lowell Berry, a Colonel from Fort Sam Houston, Donald Hardy, an Alamo Heights father of five, Robert Pichler, an electrical engineer from Austria who was a former European IPSC champion, and Trapr Swonson, an Austin firefighter and accomplished archery/shotgun competitor. All four offered diverse experience and hoped to establish a first rate club different from all others.

"We decided to hold USPSA-style matches after a previous club changed its shooting format. Our goal is to provide a safe, fun and challenging environment for pistol shooters of all skill levels, beginner to professional. The things we experience as competitors in the many diverse matches that we attend, we try to incorporate into our matches."

Alpha -Mike has been known ever since for professional quality matches in a fun, friendly environment. We continue to recruit hard-working club members, but specifically those who are affable and laid back. Those are the guys who have always run Alpha-Mike -- good natured individuals who truly are the best shooters in Texas. That's why we get along so well. The character of these individuals has led to genuine friendships, and we routinely travel as a group to local matches, to major matches across the country -- and even to International matches beyond.

Lowell Berry: USPSA-Experience: started 1999 Divisions/Class: Open-B Ltd-B Prod-C Lowell shoots USPSA matches on a national level, local steel and IDPA matches. He is retired from the Special Forces of the Army, worked for Dawson Precision, and is now an agent subcontracting with the US Government in our nations fight against terrorism. Lowell has been a certified Range Officer since 2000.		Donald Hardy: USPSA-Experience: started 1996 Divisions/Class: Open-M Ltd-A Ltd10-B Don is a happily married father of five. He shoots Texas Steel with his son RC, IDPA, and competes on a national and international level in IPSC/USPSA matches. Donald has been a certified Range Officer since 2000.
Trapr Swonson	(picture unavailable)	Robert Pichler: IPSC-Experience: started 1993 USPSA-Experience: started 2000 Divisions/Class: Open-A Ltd-M Ltd10-A Robert, prior to coming to Texas competed in IPSC matches on an international level in Europe (member of the Austrian National Open Team, 3 yrs., Austrian Limited Class champion 2003) and European Steel Challenge. Currently Robert shoots USPSA matches on a national and international level, 3-Gun matches and local steel matches. Robert has been a certified IPSC Range Officer since 1994.