Resources USA vs European Field Target

[rhbrink]

Thanks for your reply BC. It is challenging more so that I thought when we first started, we were shooting 1/10 scale chickens at 40 yards, pigs at 55 yards, turkeys at 60 yards and rams at 75. No scope adjustments parallax or range adjustments makes for some interesting mind calculations out past 50 yards. We all worked the chickens over really good and the pigs too. Anyone who has ever shot NRA silhouettes knows how hard the turkeys are (they are the smallest square inch target per range of any of the animals). We all struggled a bit with them but once figuring the holdover we managed to hit them with some regularity. The rams were easier but one of the guys never got on them. I was shooting a Uragan with 18.1 grain pellets under 35 ft-pds. Another fellow was shooting a Red Wolf at probably 55 ft-pds and he didn't have much trouble at all. He then switched over to a Wolverine HP .177 and did almost as well, but you could tell the difference at 75 yards on the Rams, he was hitting them, but they didn't move nearly as much as the .22 at 35 ft-pds did.

I would really like to shoot the FHT with sticks and hope that it takes off in this country. We used the silhouettes because that's what we have and it's OK as you can use the high-powered guns that most of us have here in the US. I think that I might be the only guy in the club that has a sub 20 ft-pd air rifle. The closest club that is shooting Field Target to me is 250 miles one way, that is a far piece to do in one day for an old guy. The only way that I could shoot it would be offhand or on the sticks, and I'm getting too old for that much offhand shooting. So, maybe some people will read some of this and we can get the pot stirred and get some interest, I hope!

RB

 

[cavedweller]

Hey Franklink and others that are curious...UK HFT is shot 80 percent on the ground, laying on a mat to keep out of the mud/dirt. The lane marker " the Peg" must be touched by the shooter while taking a shot. The butt of the rifle is allowed to rest on the ground (but nothing else) and its usually your front hand that has a shooting glove on it, (not only to rest the rifle on, but to avoid splinters, etc.) is holding the peg or pushed up against it. The prone shots are very steady, but they also shoot Unsupported standing (just like our standers) and Supported Standing (which is usually using a tree for support). Then theres the Kneelers (like ours) and supported Kneelers (again, usually against a tree of some sort, or a really long peg). The targets are placed between 8 and 45 yards. Killzones are as small as 15 mm to 40mm (but you never see a 40mm at a big shoot, only as big as 35mm). The rifle of course is less than 12 foot pounds, and they chrony on the course, and if your over the limit, youre DQd and send walking off the course. Most guys shoot 10x Optisan CP scopes, with some MTC connect 3-12x24 and 3-12x32 thrown in there. you set your parallax focus to abut 25-30 yards and are not alloowed to touch the scope during the comp. Typically targets below 18 yards are blurry and when theyre at the minimum of 8 yards, theyre really blurry. Focus is good from 19-40ish yards, then gets slightly blurry at the max 45 yards. Since theres no clicking of the scope allowed, Holdover is the method to hit a target. So between our Mark 1 eyeball, and scope blur, and maybe bracketing (very rare since course designers dont make that possible cuz it helps us out, haha) , we try to figure target distance and knock down targets. They have 30 shots per comp, 30 lanes of a single target. If you miss the face plate (which happens occasionally), you get a Zero. Hitting the face plate scores a 1 and if you knock down a target you get 2 points. Match score of possible 60. The top guys rarely missed more than a few points during a match.

side note.........around the kill zone theyre required to have a minimum of 10mm of steel, before any cuts and holes appearing in the face plates. I thought there was no way to get a Zero, until I saw the Spider web out at 45 yards with all the holes in the face plate...haha UK HFT is great fun and very rewarding when you knock down targets. I love it...................BC

@BC reviving this ol thread for the sake of a personal interest.
I'm left wondering, in a world of advances, and the associated changes, why would WFTF or our European field target shooters or our USA shooters and thus governing bodies, choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryears tech?
It would seem to me, that no matter the location of an event (< 12 ftlbs taken in to consideration) that for any sport to grow, it must adapt to the changes that occur as a result of technological advances. If ya got it, use it... but of course limiting a shooters support does make sense like no tripods etc..
By not allowing a shooter to adjust the focal point on a scope (to me) is like saying "take a shot anytime anywhere with your best guess and if it's not a clean kill... meh... the critter is just a critter and suffering is acceptable". After all aren't we modeling our sport after hunting / pesting endeavors?

 

[drsquall]

@BC reviving this ol thread for the sake of a personal interest.
I'm left wondering, in a world of advances, and the associated changes, why would WFTF or our European field target shooters or our USA shooters and thus governing bodies, choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryears tech?
It would seem to me, that no matter the location of an event (< 12 ftlbs taken in to consideration) that for any sport to grow, it must adapt to the changes that occur as a result of technological advances. If ya got it, use it... but of course limiting a shooters support does make sense like no tripods etc..
By not allowing a shooter to adjust the focal point on a scope (to me) is like saying "take a shot anytime anywhere with your best guess and if it's not a clean kill... meh... the critter is just a critter and suffering is acceptable". After all aren't we modeling our sport after hunting / pesting endeavors?

I totally disagree there is nothing in FT that resembles hunting at all. People say that to make them selves feel better. Hunting is dynamic and shooting can be very quick or long wait for the animal to present the right shot. Nothing in the UK or US does this but hunting. FT is fun and great and I enjoy it and will continue to do it. A hunter knows the distance and makes adjustments to make that shot if safe and ethical to do so. Personally when I hunt rangefinder is a necessity and I dial if I got time but also have holdover on side of gun. I love FT and to me the UK HFT would be more fun but the US HFT is more about being accommodating for all generations and easier to get into position. To each his own and I've often thought about just shooting unlimited and using range finder and practice how I hunt when I play the game. I am just grateful we can do this and enjoy it and share with others. All I've every shot is hunter class but will be doing open later this year.

Have a good day

 

[cavedweller]

I totally disagree there is nothing in FT that resembles hunting at all. People say that to make them selves feel better. Hunting is dynamic and shooting can be very quick or long wait for the animal to present the right shot. Nothing in the UK or US does this but hunting. FT is fun and great and I enjoy it and will continue to do it. A hunter knows the distance and makes adjustments to make that shot if safe and ethical to do so. Personally when I hunt rangefinder is a necessity and I dial if I got time but also have holdover on side of gun. I love FT and to me the UK HFT would be more fun but the US HFT is more about being accommodating for all generations and easier to get into position. To each his own and I've often thought about just shooting unlimited and using range finder and practice how I hunt when I play the game. I am just grateful we can do this and enjoy it and share with others. All I've every shot is hunter class but will be doing open later this year.

Have a good day

Makes Sense on a few levels but not on others, I've also considered trying unlimited.

 

[drsquall]

Makes Sense on a few levels but not on others, I've also considered trying unlimited.

Well I know many clubs have the unlimited class to allow just that. OKC,Tulsa and ASC does around me

 

[thomasair]

Ft is just a game. The core principles of the game aren't based around hunting simulation.

Silhouette is also just a game that shoots at steel animal shapes. Despite that, the game is not centered on hunting simulation. Nobody is going to take an offhand shot hunting if there is any way to avoid it. I also don't know of any people that hunt chickens.

They are just games with their own rule sets.

Mike

 

[drsquall]

Ft is just a game. The core principles of the game aren't based around hunting simulation.

Silhouette is also just a game that shoots at steel animal shapes. Despite that, the game is not centered on hunting simulation. Nobody is going to take an offhand shot hunting if there is any way to avoid it. I also don't know of any people that hunt chickens.

They are just games with their own rule sets.

Mike

Agree they all are just games but people say that all the time it based on hunting. Also, silhouette started in Mexico by Pancho villa shooting cattle and tied off sheep,chickens.

History of IMSSU | IMSSU

imssu.org

 

[Garrettkq]

why would WFTF or our European field target shooters or our USA shooters and thus governing bodies, choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryears tech?

Remember, in most countries around the world, equipment choice is limited to legal limitations.

In addition, the more you allow auto range finding, trajectory calculating, and underwater satellite geosynchronous gyroscopic stabilized rocket-propelled advances, the more you detract from the sport. It's kind of like saying... Hey in archery, why don't we just allow guns, and not "choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryear's tech"?

 

[drsquall]

Remember, in most countries around the world, equipment choice is limited to legal limitations.

In addition, the more you allow auto range finding, trajectory calculating, and underwater satellite geosynchronous gyroscopic stabilized rocket-propelled advances, the more you detract from the sport. It's kind of like saying... Hey in archery, why don't we just allow guns, and not "choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryear's

Remember, in most countries around the world, equipment choice is limited to legal limitations.

In addition, the more you allow auto range finding, trajectory calculating, and underwater satellite geosynchronous gyroscopic stabilized rocket-propelled advances, the more you detract from the sport. It's kind of like saying... Hey in archery, why don't we just allow guns, and not "choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryear's tech"?

Archery does now it's called known 45. Rangefinders allowed and dialing. Not like when a shot years ago. This is the same debate between ASA vs IBO. Yes there is different classes but it's the same equipment race we have in FT. I gave up playing the game and went back to traditional archery.

 

[scotton]

I would be curious to see how things would look if we got rid of classes and just had a 20 fpe limit. Or maybe two classes, 12 fpe and 20 fpe. Then the springers and WFTF people could shoot in the 12 fpe class and everyone else could shoot in the 20 fpe class. Maybe the next time Jeff goes out of town I'll have a "no limits, no crying" match with known distances.

 

[humbled]

I would be curious to see how things would look if we got rid of classes and just had a 20 fpe limit. Or maybe two classes, 12 fpe and 20 fpe. Then the springers and WFTF people could shoot in the 12 fpe class and everyone else could shoot in the 20 fpe class. Maybe the next time Jeff goes out of town I'll have a "no limits, no crying" match with known distances.

I've toyed with the idea for setting up a regional leaugue. 20fpe and -12fpe power levels. Springer and PcP divisions. No equipment restrictions other than you have to drag it with you all match. I'd likely put wheels on a portable bench with everything needed secured. Anyways the other rule would be timers. 1min for setup, 1min per shot. I might have to rethink the bench setup. Timers will keep inconvenient and complicated setups from being common. Otherwise, have fun.

 

[Franklink]

...... Anyways the other rule would be timers. 1min for setup, 1min per shot. I might have to rethink the bench setup. Timers will keep inconvenient and complicated setups from being common. Otherwise, have fun.

Most matches I go to could really benefit from timers.

I shoot fast. On the clock at Ultimate Field Target events all four of my shots are gone before two minutes are used up. And I shoot similarly fast in AAfTA type matches. I always get a kick out of the wind-waiters who are "in the box" for 10+ minutes to take their 4 shots. I'll often finish the match 30-45 minutes before a squad with a "waiter." It gives me supreme satisfaction to beat the wind-waiters.

 

[cavedweller]

Agree they all are just games but people say that all the time it based on hunting. Also, silhouette started in Mexico by Pancho villa shooting cattle and tied off sheep,chickens.

History of IMSSU | IMSSU

imssu.org

 

[cavedweller]

Remember, in most countries around the world, equipment choice is limited to legal limitations.

In addition, the more you allow auto range finding, trajectory calculating, and underwater satellite geosynchronous gyroscopic stabilized rocket-propelled advances, the more you detract from the sport. It's kind of like saying... Hey in archery, why don't we just allow guns, and not "choose to limit the sport or themselves to the antiquity of yesteryear's tech"?

Big difference between a gun and a bow but I get your jest… progress is inevitable and incorporating it is a necessity - am I allowed to chuck spears at an FT target? Humor intended

 

[cavedweller]

I would be curious to see how things would look if we got rid of classes and just had a 20 fpe limit. Or maybe two classes, 12 fpe and 20 fpe. Then the springers and WFTF people could shoot in the 12 fpe class and everyone else could shoot in the 20 fpe class. Maybe the next time Jeff goes out of town I'll have a "no limits, no crying" match with known distances.

Ooooh I like the sound of that!

 

[humbled]

Big difference between a gun and a bow but I get your jest… progress is inevitable and incorporating it is a necessity - am I allowed to chuck spears at an FT target? Humor intended

Light flechettes

 

[carey54]

We have been bouncing around the idea of having a match with two classes. PCP and Springers. Sit where you want to sit and use your scope as you wish. 20fpe or less.