Yea well, I suck...

[280plus]

 

Shot the states yesterday. Could NOT put a slowfire target together. Or more precisely I could NOT find the 10 ring in slowfire. Plenty of 8s. Not too many 7s though. 

Generally I'm a couple points over 90/100 usually. First was an 85, second an 88 and third another 88.  So already I know my dreams of the top 5 and maybe, on a good day the w word, are done. What a way to start a match. 

Anyhoo, I finished off the sustained fire targets (6 total) in the 97-99 range and finished up at 842/900 or 280.666... about 1.5 points off my average this year, which was 11th place when I left. Chances are a couple more beat me during the rest of the day so I'm probably 13th this year which, now that I think about it, would be appropriate given the lack of luck (and or luster) in this particular match.

Lame excuses: I shouldn't have cleaned my gun. I had coffee before the match. I had two FTF (alibis). I shouldn't have shot the 8 am match on Sunday, that never works for me. I haven't shot a 25 yd/turning target match since the states last year. Uh, I forgot to tie my left shoe in a square knot and my right shoe in a Granny. Some days you got it, some days you don't.  That's why they call it an "average".  .

Ahh, but the kicker, We also shoot a team match and I was assigned to a team called "Mystic Prophets". I cam only assume they are from Mystic. At least I hope so. Rumor has it "They're a bunch of good guys". We shoot our round for the team matches immediately after the individual matches. So go ahead, guess what I shot, go ahead, guess. 90 SF - 97 TF - 99 RF = 286/300 

I'll say one thing. There are those that say the 50 ft SF pistol target is the toughest target to shoot there is but if you ask me I say the 25 yd SF target is a bit tougher. It may be bigger MOA wise but it seems that even the least bit of movement will put you out a lot farther than it will at 50 ft. Outdoors SF is shot at 50 yds. Same thing, you move a hair at your end and you're off in the ozones at the target end. 

[280plus]

So the bright side, the nationals are next month. Gun is apparently past the "shoots like **** right after you clean it" stage and I shoot them at 1100 am instead of 8. Which means I won't be able to use either of those as lame excuses next time. 

The best match ever was the nationas a couple years back where after the match I ate homemede chili and listened to the Murphy cousins tell me all about the donnybrook they got into at a bar the night before on St Patty's day. Can you get much more Americana than that? 
 
 

[230RN]

<ahem> I say again:  More guns, cameras, small boys, and coffepots have been ruined by excessive cleaning than any other single cause.  <ahem>

Aren't you allowed fouling shots?  I remember at the .30 high power matches I believe you were allowed something like 2 fouling shots (and I think I recall 3 sighters.)

I like the left-shoe-right-shoe-tying excuse.  Beats using that "damned tricky breeze from nine o'clock" excuse that I've used at a 25-yard indoor range.

Oh, and "the sun was in my eyes," too.

I learned not to drink coffee the days I had matches.  Or have anything "buzzy," like a spicy breakfast.

:) Eating gassy stuff is OK, though.  The pressure in your guts makes your body more rigid. :)

And over the decades, I've found that some guns simply shoot better dirty.  I guess the accumulated crud takes up a little slack here and there --seriously.

I'm not signing this one so nobody will know who posted it.

[280plus]

And over the decades, I've found that some guns simply shoot better dirty.  I guess the accumulated crud takes up a little slack here and there --seriously.

My thoughts exactly. it just runs better dirty but how dirty is TOO dirty. It looked "too dirty" so I cleaned it to avoid malfunctions. Of which I had two anyways. lol

We don't get fouling shots. It's my bad for waiting till the last minute to clean it and not have any time before the match to run a few rounds through it. 100 seems to be the magic number. I'll use the "I was too busy" lame excuse for my personal malfunction. 

Someone one time had a numbered list of "Excuses for why I did bad in the match" so instead of wasting a lot of breath you could just call out the numbers. 

[230RN]

Maybe someone can come up with a "100-Shot Fouling Spray" in a can.

You reminded me of the old joke where a barracks full of soldiers had heard all the jokes, so to save time, they numbered them.  So one guy calls out "27!" and they all laugh like hell.  Another calls out another number and they all laugh.  So it goes, until one guy calls out "31!" and nobody laughs.  He looks around, says, "What's the matter?  I thought it was real funny."  So someone finally explains, "Awww, you didn't tell it right."

<rim shot>

Terry, 230RN

[280plus]

21st dammit, 21st!! 

 

I'll tell you though. There were names on that list I've never even seen or heard before and the winner of the Expert category shot an 871, That's a 290.333... avg. Top o' the mark for Expert is 284.9. Shoot a 285 avg in NRA events and you're a Master. We call guys like that "sandbaggers", they artificially keep their avg low by screwing up one match or another so they stay in a lower category and then when the championships come along suddenly they shoot 290s. The Expert winner shot a higher score than the MASTER winner. I'm sure he was just having a good day. 

To me it's not even a win for the guy. It's a fail.

If he had any balls he could have been the winner of the Master category. Mucho more prestigious.

[KD5NRH]

Maybe someone can come up with a "100-Shot Fouling Spray" in a can.

Make your first shot a handload with Pyrodex.

[brimic]

I'll tell you though. There were names on that list I've never even seen or heard before and the winner of the Expert category shot an 871, That's a 290.333... avg. Top o' the mark for Expert is 284.9. Shoot a 285 avg in NRA events and you're a Master. We call guys like that "sandbaggers", they artificially keep their avg low by screwing up one match or another so they stay in a lower category and then when the championships come along suddenly they shoot 290s. The Expert winner shot a higher score than the MASTER winner. I'm sure he was just having a good day.

oh, can you drop points and be reclassified at a lower classification? I thought once you were classified sharpshooter/expert/master etc, the classification stuck and only the High Master classification can be lost? I could be wrong...

I've seen it in highpower where the first place in a match is usually shooting scores at the high end of the next classification up, but they have to shoot two consecutive matches at that level before they were bumped up in classification. Is the guy shooting at a master level when he needs to and dropping points to keep his Expert classification the rest of the time??

[230RN]

(A)

Anyhoo, I finished off the sustained fire targets (6 total) in the 97-99 range and finished up at 842/900 or 280.666... about 1.5 points off my average this year, which was 11th place when I left. Chances are a couple more beat me during the rest of the day so I'm probably 13th this year which, now that I think about it, would be appropriate given the lack of luck (and or luster) in this particular match.

(B)

Shoot a 285 avg in NRA events and you're a Master. We call guys like that "sandbaggers", they artificially keep their avg low by screwing up one match or another so they stay in a lower category and then when the championships come along suddenly they shoot 290s.

Hmmmm....  the implications...



(Just jokin', 280plus, just jokin'.)

[280plus]

oh, can you drop points and be reclassified at a lower classification? I thought once you were classified sharpshooter/expert/master etc, the classification stuck and only the High Master classification can be lost? I could be wrong...

Apparently if your scores are dropping off for one reason or another and you are not shooting at the level your classification requires anymore you can request one time only to have your classification dropped one lower.

I've seen it in highpower where the first place in a match is usually shooting scores at the high end of the next classification up, but they have to shoot two consecutive matches at that level before they were bumped up in classification.

As I understand it you must shoot 3 matches in a row for pistol at or above the next level before you can qualify for the step up. Very easy to "blow one" as needed to avoid being bumped up.

Is the guy shooting at a master level when he needs to and dropping points to keep his Expert classification the rest of the time??

This would be the impression one gets. You don't average below 285 consistently and then suddenly shoot a 900 match well into the Master level (871 is a 290 average)unless you're fudging things a bit. We've seen it before. It's like they get an unofficial asterisk by their names. Yes, you won but we have reason to believe you was sandbagging. Which, of course, they'll deny vehemently. We had one guy, he would shoot .22 very high but then he'd shoot full power loads for .45 matches which kills your score and claimed he was practicing for the ball ammo "Distinguished" matches when in reality he was just keeping his average down so he could stay an Expert. All matches are averaged together regardles of caliber or distance. He won the States with a 289 as an Expert and not too long after that he stopped using full power loads and made Master. Funny coincidence, no?

[280plus]

So, I was sitting next to te state champ last night scoring targets and darned if he didn't mention the word "sandbagger" in reference to the Expert category winner.  

Better still though, typical of your competitive shooter, this guy (The Champ - Larry Clark) shot a 99 slow fire .22 at 50 ft last night. Right? 9 tens in a row. Choked on the last shot and pulled a 9. Got a serious case of chicken finger from what he was saying. He was happy but then again he wasn't because of that last shot. I defy anyone to shoot a 99 slowfire but this guy's not happy because he pulled a 9 on the last shot. That's the thing with shooting pistol. a perfect 300 is nearly impossible and even the best can't do it with any consistency. So we all have to come to terms with the fact that regardless of what we like to think,we are not perfect.  

Me? Couldn't find the 10 ring in slow, again, last night. First two shots were 10s and were touching dead nuts in the center. The next was an 8. Then it got ugly and nary another 10 to be found.   

 

[280plus]

I think, regardless of the outcome, if you can call your shots and then look in the scope and see them where you called them, you're doing ok. If you cant call your shots correctly, you're blinking at the moment the gun fires which means you are anticipating the recoil. You need to let the gun go off all by itself, so ity's a surprise, and then you will blink a split second the gun goes off. And, even if you eyes don't blink, your mind does. 

[brimic]

hehe. I got razzed for sandbagging at the first HP match for the season a few weeks ago. I decided to shoot without a spotting scope (and especially keeping my paws off the sight knobs)and simply work on my form, breathing and trigger control. I got a score of 6 on the Slow fire prone and that was because of a flyer- I made a tight little group in the upper left hand corner of the target outside of the scoring rings. I still ended up with a 279 out of 400 possible

[280plus]

Yup, I've not used a scope and reeled stuff in and found nice tight groups off in left field. I learned to do the first couple to see where I'm spotting before I go "blind".

The guys at the range liked my new granny knot vs square knot excuse. They say it makes sense because it's all about balancing the chi... 

[CNYCacher]

:) Eating gassy stuff is OK, though.  The pressure in your guts makes your body more rigid. :)

Then you can adjust your NPOA by letting a little out.

[280plus]

I've done that! 

[Doggy Daddy]

Yea well, I suck...

Wrong forum.  "Classifieds" are all the way at the bottom.   

DD

[230RN]

CNYCacher:

Quote from: 230RN on February 14, 2011, 12:48:26 PM
 

Eating gassy stuff is OK, though.  The pressure in your guts makes your body more rigid.

Then you can adjust your NPOA by letting a little out.

 
280plus:

I've done that!

 
Yeah, and blamed it on that smelly Wolf Ammo, no doubt.
 
 

[280plus]

Dammiit, another trade secret out in the open...