Match shooting

[Beekeeper]

As I posted elsewhere I have not shot match since March 1963, and have no desire to ever shoot match again.

That does not stop me from going to watch a match and offer encouragement to some friends.
It is almost comical at times watching what goes on and remembering when I shot match.
ie:
the sun is in the wrong place!
The gun doesn't feel right today!
There is too much wind!
There isn't enough wind to clear the smoke!
The wind is in the wrong direction!
There was a Mariage!
There wasn't a Mariage!
The sun was shining on a piece of spent brass in front of the line and broke my concentration!
The people behind the line were talking and broke my concentration.
I missed my spotters call because annother spotter was talking at the same time!

Those are some of the ones I heard recently at a match and I was not roaming behind the line so missed even more I am sure

Each one of them brought back a memory of when I shot match and probably made the same excuses for missing.
It never is the shooter is it!


beekeeper

[Longwood]

Each one of them brought back a memory of when I shot match and probably made the same excuses for missing.
It never is the shooter is it!


beekeeper

The hardest three people I competed against were Me, Myself and I.:holysheep

[WILCO]

Any firearm I hold will always out shoot me...........

[Maven]

Beekeeper, I fired the NMLRA postal match target (5 shots offhand at 2 7/8" black 8 -10 ring with a 7/8" 10-ring and 3/8" X-ring) today and fully appreciated those "explanations."

[x101airborne]

What did those matches ever do to deserve being shot? Hehehehe!

Just kidding. I shot a couple action pistol matches for a while. I never won, but there were always lots of ribbing and laughing. And some people would get ruffed up when they lost, but they caught more heck for whining then if they just grinned and gave a hearty handshake to the winner. I always just smiled and laughed it off and was thankful just to be there. It got to be so comical that it was put on the rules of the range that there was no whining allowed. The sheriff used to judge the thing and most of us coppers would compete. There was BBQ, and good times, trophies, plaques, and sore backs from being patted when you did good. And it felt good when some of the old timers who been kicking butt for years look at you and said, "Dang boy, you can shoot!"

Then there were more rules. And some could compete and others could not. Then the whining got more and more. Then the guns got more expensive rather than everyone competing with their carry arm. And I just lost interest. But I look fondly to those good memories.

[7br]

Some of my best excuses:
Ruger MKII dropped a piece of hot brass down my shirt collar.
A fly crawled up my nose.
An ant was crawling across my glasses.

Of course, you hit those shots because you know you have to concentrate.

[Larry Gibson]

I have so many match alibi's I was gald when I got an 8G flash drive to store them all on..............

Larry Gibson

[BD]

It's been about 5 or 6 years since I shot a pistol match. I moved back to our home in Maine this spring and got the itch again, so I shot the June action pistol match at our local Big Pine Gun Club. The guy that won had me by at least 30 points, but I had a great time. The local club is unaffiliated and avoids most of the non safety related rules. We let beginners and youngsters compete with .22s, and make allowances for folks who have a hard time running, kneeling or going prone. A lot of ribbing, laughter and camaraderie. Good times!
BD

[ole 5 hole group]

Definition of concentration: While shooting ragged fire in 2700 pistol and the guy to your left fires his first shot from his model 41 and the spent case finds its way down your glasses and attaches itself to the skin of your left cheek.

[Echo]

Definition of concentration: While shooting ragged fire in 2700 pistol and the guy to your left fires his first shot from his model 41 and the spent case finds its way down your glasses and attaches itself to the skin of your left cheek.

Or - When the first shot in .45 RF puts the empty in the up-turned crook of your elbow, to sizzzle. I have to admit to a break in concentration to tip the arm. Didn't do too well that string...

[popper]

Do you have to shoot matches to use any of those excuses?
up-turned crook of your elbow, to sizzle Been there, done that. Ouch. I shot 60% clays yesterday cause I forgot my sweat band!

[BruceB]

After many years of match pistol shooting, I came up with my all-purpose excuse. The good thing about it, is that

a) it's TRUE, and

b) it puts the blame precisely where it belongs.

"I FAILED TO APPLY THE FUNDAMENTALS."

My problem then is to determine just WHY I failed to do what I should have done, but that problem rests squarely on MY shoulders!

[looseprojectile]

I shoot bowling pins every Wednesday.
A lot of matches are lost because the shooter takes several seconds to change magazines. Up to 15 or twenty.
Most shooters don't seem to have practiced. Gun handling and familiarity go a long way to eliminating alibies.
Three words of advice. Practice, practice, practice.
Become intimate with your firearm.---- [Not that intimate].[smilie=l:


Life is good