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I hit it DEAD center...no you didn't...YES I DID!!!

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JP806TX

JP806TX

Member
Nov 6, 2017
419
407
california, United States
All right ... Just here to stir up a bit of trouble.
Most of us who have been around Field Target awhile have heard this....

LOOK LOOK LOOK there's a pellet mark "DEAD CENTER" I hit it dead center!!!
That's my zero. NO F***ing way I missed that shot. It's a faulty target, it didn't @#%%$#$ go down!!!

I chuckle a bit as this reminded me of myself when I was starting out.

Yup you guessed it ...it was a splitter. If the shooter would just take the time and scrutinize the rim of the Kill Zone, he/she may see that telltale pellet mark.
Some targets are designed to lock up if a pellet touches the rim and/or face plate. Your pellet may have grazed the rim and ultimately hit the paddle...Dead Center...unfortunately, if the paddle/face plate doesn't fall...can't give you a point buddy. Sorry

In the imperfect world of Field Target...I guess the only way to be sure is to challenge the target and make the match director test the target.

I'm proud to say that I've never officially challenged a target in any field target shoot. Maybe because deep down ...I knew I sucked and I probably shot a splitter. LOL

Unofficially, I've taken 3rd, 4th , and 5th, shots during a club match just to knock that F***ing thing down (with the knowledge and approval of the match director)...so I don't have nightmares. Thank you match directors for thinking about my mental health.
 
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As one who HAS protested on several occasions to such a situation, Had it go both ways, be it a bad target as well splitter on the rim ricocheting towards middle of KZ near mid paddle :cry: ... If in doubt and the point really matters ? ( Fun match verses a Championship match ) pick your reason for a protest well .. as it shuts down the entire course and upsets others Mojo / Groove.

As a match director for the SVFTC dang near hear it monthly and accept protests if made, have a shoot over if required .. AND say no if simply a miss on the rim :eek:
 
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When called to such a protest I always tell the protesting shooter "Come with me". Even when it's the first shot on a freshly-painted target, many protesters don't accept reality when I show them the... correction, THEIR edge hit.:oops: On more than one occasion I've been called back after their second shot also center-punched the paddle... after ricocheting off the edge of the face-plate.:oops:🤬

Being the empathetic Humanitarian I am, I often try to console and encourage them with something like, "But look what a great GROUP you shot... on the face-plate!"
 
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thane said:
Protestors should have a little skin in the game:
A-target fails get another attempt on working target
B-target passes test and protestor loses an additional point...

... it would at least make cease fires for testing a bit more entertaining.
Click to expand...
At State GP events .. we have had the MD state the following on the protest procedure for said event ... And I QUOTE:

Each competitor gets ONE protest each day ( 2 day event ) with this exception *
If target is truly bad ? A re-shoot is allowed and your protest rolls over to as if not happened and you can have another protest same day if required.
*** IF TARGET passes and deemed GOOD ... That's it, you lost the point and protests for the day are done.

Now that makes one think ... REALLY is it worth the risk, or did i miss/ split etc :cautious: Moral being CHOOSE YOUR PROTEST WISELY ;)
 
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So… I had the opposite experience…

I shot my second FT match ever couple of weeks ago… used a RWS 54, kal 4.5mm, with 10.6 gr pellets, velocity last check was 875ish FPS. I was the only spring gun shooter that day…

I shot the match with Dave B, our club’s Air Gun Director and the guy running the match. He said I had couple of misses that knocked the target down… so at the next opportunity, I carefully scanned the target for any strike marks, noted it was clean … shoot my shot, knocked it down, and pull the string to reset for my second attempt… check the target…no s&%#… a fresh pellet mark at the 6 o’clock position just outside the hole… damn! My zero had shifted from my bench zero to a different zero shooting off sticks…

I challenge for a lower score… but Dave gave me the hits… said it went down and that counts… I got better zero data after that for the rest of the match… shot legit hits… Dave said he will adjust the target to a heavier setting… for us magnum springer shooters…

Sometime, power does matter…. If not precise, be powerful… knock them down with brute force instead of accuracy…

We all learned something that match…
 
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JP806TX said:
All right ... Just here to stir up a bit of trouble.
Most of us who have been around Field Target awhile have heard this....

LOOK LOOK LOOK there's a pellet mark "DEAD CENTER" I hit it dead center!!!
That's my zero. NO F***ing way I missed that shot. It's a faulty target, it didn't go down!!! @#%%$#$

I chuckle a bit as this reminded me of myself when I was starting out.

Yup you guessed it ...it was a splitter. If the shooter would just take the time and scrutinize the rim of the Kill Zone, he/she may see that telltale pellet mark.
Some targets are designed to lock up if a pellet touches the rim and/or face plate. Your pellet may have grazed the rim and ultimately hit the paddle...Dead Center...unfortunately, if the paddle/face plate doesn't fall...can't give you a point buddy. Sorry

In the imperfect world of Field Target...I guess the only way to be sure is to challenge the target and make the match director test the target.

I'm proud to say that I've never officially challenged a target in any field target shoot. Maybe because deep down ...I knew I sucked and I probably shot a splitter. LOL

Unofficially, I've taken 3rd, 4th , and 5th, shots during a club match just to knock that F***ing thing down (with the knowledge and approval of the match director)...so I don't have nightmares. Thank you match directors for thinking about my mental health.
Click to expand...
Good sportsmanship goes long way in the shooting sport world… this is a good thread… great comments
 
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To minimize the need to protest and avoid embarrassment at unfamiliar venues, make sure your targets are reset before shooting at them. Some targets can be difficult to tell. When I was new at SVFTC I had the experience of shooting one particular target with a large KZ four times (it was a fun shoot) and didn't see it fall. I could watch my pellet in flight hit the KZ. I protested and Match Director Motorhead asked with a grin if I checked to make sure the target was standing before taking my shots. It was not and he graciously allowed me to reset the target and take my shots over. Lesson learned.
 
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Motorhead said:
At State GP events .. we have had the MD state the following on the protest procedure for said event ... And I QUOTE:

Each competitor gets ONE protest each day ( 2 day event ) with this exception *
If target is truly bad ? A re-shoot is allowed and your protest rolls over to as if not happened and you can have another protest same day if required.
*** IF TARGET passes and deemed GOOD ... That's it, you lost the point and protests for the day are done.

Now that makes one think ... REALLY is it worth the risk, or did i miss/ split etc :cautious: Moral being CHOOSE YOUR PROTEST WISELY ;)
Click to expand...

Bust my bubble!:cry: I was REALLY looking forward to getting a new gun that would help me solve this issue for match directors, but guess that's out now.😞 It's a brand I haven't owned yet...

Called Taser.
 
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POST #9 ABOVE ....

Chris, also being the humble man he is, also had a recent issue at his first GP match in Oregon last month & Unknowing a protest could be stated to the events MD :mad: walked away from a miss just FUMING & ANGRY !!!

To recap loosely what happened ... We had DEER on the course ( Mom & 2 foals ) that kept getting in the lanes, folks even walked out on course while it was Cold Line trying to get them to flee. Once we got a Hot Line call Chris was still needing to take IIRC his last shot WHEN SOMEONE in the waiting / watching crowd Rudely STATES ... COME ON SHOOT !!! He hurried himself to finish and proceeded to shoot the WRONG target :(
Now the MD was his Squad mate .... And unaware of the heckle prior to shot simply said SORRY ( That of the deer on the course & delay )

We start talking & am trying to get him wound down !! Then it occurs to me .. WAIT A MINUET ????? So spoke up being Chris's Proxy in the moment.
Explained to the MD what had happened & the why-for wrong target was shot .... MD stated, Well if that's the case ... SHOOT IT AGAIN Chris did & recovered the point :D

Moral to story being .... If you have a protest grievance TAKE IT UP .. One on One with Match Director.
 
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Motorhead said:
POST #9 ABOVE ....

Chris, also being the humble man he is, also had a recent issue at his first GP match in Oregon last month & Unknowing a protest could be stated to the events MD :mad: walked away from a miss just FUMING & ANGRY !!!

To recap loosely what happened ... We had DEER on the course ( Mom & 2 foals ) that kept getting in the lanes, folks even walked out on course while it was Cold Line trying to get them to flee. Once we got a Hot Line call Chris was still needing to take IIRC his last shot WHEN SOMEONE in the waiting / watching crowd Rudely STATES ... COME ON SHOOT !!! He hurried himself to finish and proceeded to shoot the WRONG target :(
Now the MD was his Squad mate .... And unaware of the heckle prior to shot simply said SORRY ( That of the deer on the course & delay )

We start talking & am trying to get him wound down !! Then it occurs to me .. WAIT A MINUET ????? So spoke up being Chris's Proxy in the moment.
Explained to the MD what had happened & the why-for wrong target was shot .... MD stated, Well if that's the case ... SHOOT IT AGAIN Chris did & recovered the point :D

Moral to story being .... If you have a protest grievance TAKE IT UP .. One on One with Match Director.
Click to expand...
Motorhead was my Wingman for sure that day. Another moral to the story is keep your head and ignore comments from others. The deer actually hadn't been chased away yet and through my scope were milling about in front of and behind my target. One person was saying "Don't shoot the deer" while another encouraged me to shoot. I was looking back when someone said the deer were clear and to hurry and take my shot. I hurriedly acquired the (wrong) target with no deer around it and knocked it down, losing a point. I was as angry at myself for letting someone get into my head and rush my target acquisition but thanks to two fair and understanding match directors (Motorhead from SVFTC who spoke up and Wayne B., Oregon Match Director and my squad mate for the day) I was allowed to re-take my turn and scored a point. Much thanks to both of them!
 
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r1lover said:
Motorhead was my Wingman for sure that day. Another moral to the story is keep your head and ignore comments from others. The deer actually hadn't been chased away yet and through my scope were milling about in front of and behind my target. One person was saying "Don't shoot the deer" while another encouraged me to shoot. I was looking back when someone said the deer were clear and to hurry and take my shot. I hurriedly acquired the (wrong) target with no deer around it and knocked it down, losing a point. I was as angry at myself for letting someone get into my head and rush my target acquisition but thanks to two fair and understanding match directors (Motorhead from SVFTC who spoke up and Wayne B., Oregon Match Director and my squad mate for the day) I was allowed to re-take my turn and scored a point. Much thanks to both of them!
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I would have found the heckler and marked them down for a miss on the same target. If you can't be a gentleman, stay home. Nobody wants to shoot with a dill hole.

Funniest protest I have been involved in was a monthly shoot at ASC. Art Womack was having a (rare) bad day. He protested a 15 yard owl target that was way up in a tree. So we went cold and started walking to the target. We got about 5 steps from the target and Art said "Oh, never mind." I said, "No, Art. If the target is having issues we need to check it." He said, "I can see from here. I wasn't hitting the kill zone, I was hitting the big painted eyes." That was a chuckle, more for me than Art.
 
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JP806TX said:
All right ... Just here to stir up a bit of trouble.
Most of us who have been around Field Target awhile have heard this....

LOOK LOOK LOOK there's a pellet mark "DEAD CENTER" I hit it dead center!!!
That's my zero. NO F***ing way I missed that shot. It's a faulty target, it didn't @#%%$#$ go down!!!

I chuckle a bit as this reminded me of myself when I was starting out.

Yup you guessed it ...it was a splitter. If the shooter would just take the time and scrutinize the rim of the Kill Zone, he/she may see that telltale pellet mark.
Some targets are designed to lock up if a pellet touches the rim and/or face plate. Your pellet may have grazed the rim and ultimately hit the paddle...Dead Center...unfortunately, if the paddle/face plate doesn't fall...can't give you a point buddy. Sorry

In the imperfect world of Field Target...I guess the only way to be sure is to challenge the target and make the match director test the target.

I'm proud to say that I've never officially challenged a target in any field target shoot. Maybe because deep down ...I knew I sucked and I probably shot a splitter. LOL

Unofficially, I've taken 3rd, 4th , and 5th, shots during a club match just to knock that F***ing thing down (with the knowledge and approval of the match director)...so I don't have nightmares. Thank you match directors for thinking about my mental health.
Click to expand...
A month ago I was shooting a match at BRAC and damned if I didn’t shoot the paddle off and the target didn’t fall. Challenge showed that the target had failed and fallen apart and yes I was shooting sub 20 fpe
 
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