This was my first time shooting N50, so take my input for exactly what it is worth......
If you get the opportunity to shoot a match, DO IT. Do not worry about being competitive, do not worry about not having the best equipment, just show up and shoot. You WILL learn so much that can be applied across the board in shooting that 20$ is actually pretty cheap for the lesson.
One might think that the .315 diameter 10 ring is a gimme at 50 yards, yeah, keep believing that. Such is not the case my friends.
Pellet drift at 50 is inconsequential, yeah, same as above. At one point the push was an inch or better at 50 yards with RDM .22s at 960 FPS and the let off or direction switch would catch you out, WAY OUT.
You need 75 pellets to shoot your 3 cards + whatever sighters you shoot. Figure that you need 150 pellets minimum, then bring double that!
SIGHTERS...... shoot them often and believe what you are seeing. No joking people, the only reason I stayed in the 200s was from wearing the sighter bulls out.
I fired more sighters in this match than any other BR match I have ever participated in.
FLAGS...... READ THE FLAG THREAD and take it as gospel. The vanes give you the main input, but watch the tails close for the change.
DO NOT rely on someone elses flags for your read, watch yours and learn them. The flags were showing the changes, learn to recognize that, and believe it. The other flags on the range may show a change coming, but read yours and compensate appropriately.
If you catch conditions that are favorable and try to run a row before it changes, you do so at your own risk! Watch them flags close, and use your sighter bulls!
We were shooting in some real challenging wind conditions and the changes were abrupt and punishing.
Try to time the conditions if you can, and DO NOT shoot the changes. There was nasty wind, but it was a steady push if you timed it right. The change is what pooched many cards, including all of mine....
Bottom line was, GREAT FUN.
N50 is a really challenging format, but the cards are set up to ease your match play. The transition from sighters to record bulls in a horizontal fashion is easier for me than the vertical transition on the EBR, RMAC, ASA 100 yard targets.
The shooters meeting at the beginning was clear and concise, the rules were straight forward and we had a range officer on the line during each relay just in case.
Tim and the club put on such a good show that you wouldn't have thought that it was the inaugural match. I do not know how it could have run any smoother, with the exception of ordering calmer wind conditions!!
