One of many challenges Match Directors must deal with is rain cancellations; unfortunately often having to depend on help from some notoriously undependable sources- weathermen!
Having cancelled the June TEXtreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match due to a forecast of 50-70% rain chances for match day, only to see NO rain all day, I decided to ignore the almost identical forecast by NOT canceling the July 3 BRS matches. Care to guess how that went? Thankfully the lightning-storm downpour abated long enough before the 2 PM match time to set up the targets without getting soaked through and through, and only light drizzles continued through the matches.
Considering the bleak forecast, the match being on the Fourth of July weekend, and that all my shooters travel at least 150 miles (round trip), I expected minimal turn-out for our first match at the new Central Texas Rifle & Pistol Club venue. But one by one the travelers called and trickled in. All things considered, I am flattered that 9 shooters contested the 80 Foot Pound class, 6 of whom also contested the 35 Foot Pound class.
The rain did little to dowse some mighty hot shooting, despite the fact this was the first match shot at longer distances (for 3 of the 4 animal silhouettes) than we’ve previously engaged them. As if it wasn’t challenging enough already, imagine penny-sized chickens at 60 rather than 40 yards, mouse-sized pigs at 75 rather than 60 yards, and quarter-sized turkeys at 90 yards rather than 77… shot in real-world wind conditions! Thankfully the rat-sized rams remain at their previous distance of “just” 100 yards; and wind conditions were uncharacteristically light (due to the rain).
Now imagine this. The high score of the day was posted in the 35 Foot Pound class!
And this. Jim Martin’s 37/40 35 Foot Pound score was the same score that prevailed earlier in the RIMFIRE BRS match shot on the same course, at the same distances, on the same sized targets, under better wind and rain conditions! Jim used a .22 FX Maverick topped with an Athlon scope, firing 18.1 grain JSB pellets about 900 FPS to post the first course record at the new venue. I expect Jim’s record to stand quite a while. Jim also pocketed ten-in-a-row chicken and pig hat pins for his 35 FP efforts.
Jim Martin also won the 80 Foot Pound match with a somewhat less unbelievable score of 36/40. INCREDIBLE SHOOTING, Jim! Jim used a .30 Daystate Safari with Sightron optics, shooting 44.75 grain JSBs about 880 FPS. He picked up another ten-in-a-row pig pin in the process, to add to his two Match Winner hat pins.
So Jim Martin now holds both the 35 and 80 Foot Pound class records at the new CTRPC venue. BIG CONGRATULATIONS, Jim! Anyone inclined to use “but I don’t have an 80 foot pound air rifle” as excuse to avoid long-range air rifle Bench-Rest Silhouette fun should know that 35 Foot Pound Class rigs have historically held the club record as often as have 80 Foot Pound rigs.
Chuck Misenheimer was hot on Jim’s heels in the 80 FP match with an excellent 36/40, nabbing a ten-in-a-row ram pin. Chuck used an Element Helix scoped FX Impact, firing 33.95 grain JSB Mark 2 pellets 905 FPS. Fine shooting, Chuck.
John Tafoya was second in the 35 FP match with a 33/40 score, taking home a ten-in-a-row pig pin. JT shot a .22 Daystate Red Wolf with Tract Optics, firing 18.1 grain JSB pellets 925 FPS. Good shooting, John.
Many thanks to the hearty travelers that braved some pretty intense lightning and downpours to contest the July BRS matches; thankfully mostly while driving, rather than shooting. Hope you all agree the weather did nothing to douse the fun and camaraderie of a quite memorable day of airgun competition.
If any of you captured any photos, please feel free to post them in replies.
Many Thanks,
Ron
Having cancelled the June TEXtreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match due to a forecast of 50-70% rain chances for match day, only to see NO rain all day, I decided to ignore the almost identical forecast by NOT canceling the July 3 BRS matches. Care to guess how that went? Thankfully the lightning-storm downpour abated long enough before the 2 PM match time to set up the targets without getting soaked through and through, and only light drizzles continued through the matches.
Considering the bleak forecast, the match being on the Fourth of July weekend, and that all my shooters travel at least 150 miles (round trip), I expected minimal turn-out for our first match at the new Central Texas Rifle & Pistol Club venue. But one by one the travelers called and trickled in. All things considered, I am flattered that 9 shooters contested the 80 Foot Pound class, 6 of whom also contested the 35 Foot Pound class.
The rain did little to dowse some mighty hot shooting, despite the fact this was the first match shot at longer distances (for 3 of the 4 animal silhouettes) than we’ve previously engaged them. As if it wasn’t challenging enough already, imagine penny-sized chickens at 60 rather than 40 yards, mouse-sized pigs at 75 rather than 60 yards, and quarter-sized turkeys at 90 yards rather than 77… shot in real-world wind conditions! Thankfully the rat-sized rams remain at their previous distance of “just” 100 yards; and wind conditions were uncharacteristically light (due to the rain).
Now imagine this. The high score of the day was posted in the 35 Foot Pound class!
And this. Jim Martin’s 37/40 35 Foot Pound score was the same score that prevailed earlier in the RIMFIRE BRS match shot on the same course, at the same distances, on the same sized targets, under better wind and rain conditions! Jim used a .22 FX Maverick topped with an Athlon scope, firing 18.1 grain JSB pellets about 900 FPS to post the first course record at the new venue. I expect Jim’s record to stand quite a while. Jim also pocketed ten-in-a-row chicken and pig hat pins for his 35 FP efforts.
Jim Martin also won the 80 Foot Pound match with a somewhat less unbelievable score of 36/40. INCREDIBLE SHOOTING, Jim! Jim used a .30 Daystate Safari with Sightron optics, shooting 44.75 grain JSBs about 880 FPS. He picked up another ten-in-a-row pig pin in the process, to add to his two Match Winner hat pins.
So Jim Martin now holds both the 35 and 80 Foot Pound class records at the new CTRPC venue. BIG CONGRATULATIONS, Jim! Anyone inclined to use “but I don’t have an 80 foot pound air rifle” as excuse to avoid long-range air rifle Bench-Rest Silhouette fun should know that 35 Foot Pound Class rigs have historically held the club record as often as have 80 Foot Pound rigs.
Chuck Misenheimer was hot on Jim’s heels in the 80 FP match with an excellent 36/40, nabbing a ten-in-a-row ram pin. Chuck used an Element Helix scoped FX Impact, firing 33.95 grain JSB Mark 2 pellets 905 FPS. Fine shooting, Chuck.
John Tafoya was second in the 35 FP match with a 33/40 score, taking home a ten-in-a-row pig pin. JT shot a .22 Daystate Red Wolf with Tract Optics, firing 18.1 grain JSB pellets 925 FPS. Good shooting, John.
Many thanks to the hearty travelers that braved some pretty intense lightning and downpours to contest the July BRS matches; thankfully mostly while driving, rather than shooting. Hope you all agree the weather did nothing to douse the fun and camaraderie of a quite memorable day of airgun competition.
If any of you captured any photos, please feel free to post them in replies.
Many Thanks,
Ron
