USA Benchrest Nationals Open Class completed. ... Results

Yardage? Approximate group size or better yet target pictures would be welcome, I've been curious what kind of groups $5,000.00 can buy!

Thanks Harry

I was there. Lots of grousing about the wind, especially for the first two targets (they are shot in rotation "relays"). Regulars agreed the conditions were tougher than usual, even though Open Grove is considered to be tough in general. It's not just wind speed, but how fast and unexpected switches occur. ie, just as the flags show a shootable condition, one rotates in disagreement. Plus there are eddies and down-drafts coming off the shade awnings, nearby structures, etc. Very easy to get caught wrong.

That said the Open match was great fun, very well run, and all agreed we are very lucky to have a fantastic host like Joe. The battle to win was very close, and came down to Bill's last target. He shot superbly, with discipline and patience, but came up one short in X-count to take second to Garrett.

Kim

Ha ha thank you. I hope to have more to add after tomorrow's match.

Yrrah; Thanks for the follow up info, it makes it more meaningful. 

Vipha M shot phenomenally well in windy conditions for LV on Saturday.

Wind was horrendous today for HV. Dust blowing, some flags/windicators knocked down. IMO less a test of guns than low wind. 

The first set of targets started off very calm, and the scores showed it. Ron S 250, Mike N 249. After that the wild stuff started. The challenge wasn't so much high wind velocity as the rapidity and violence of switches. Flags would spin in circles, and tails sometimes stood straight up vertically. Yet it was shootable. You had to pick your spots very carefully - and pay close attention to the flags, tails, and windicator. The best for me (on this day) was right to left as a gust tailed down.

On my last card a tack blew loose and the upper left corner would pull down during gusts. I worried the card would blow off - but it held. I learned to put extra tacks next time!

Many who shoot regularly at Open Grove felt these were unusually harsh winds. I think I heard someone from the East coast saying he won't be coming back - but I hope he does. Certainly there was a luck element - if your card was during relative calm vs cyclone. Yet these conditions were good for learning, and good for making you dig very deep.