A point to remember.....

[Curtley78]

G'day Fellas,

Last Tuesday was our last shoot in the year for the Club Championship of Sutherland Small bore Association, there had been 40 long evenings over the last 12 months including the changes associated with season and the variations that follow such as Rain, Heat, Cold and of course wind. I also experienced the frustrations of sourcing ammunition and experimenting with other brands and finding exactly what the rifle prefers. At times the experimentation's cost dearly, on one night I dropped 10 points whilst trialling Tennex Ultimate.

I had intended to go out on a high note as I had been shooting some very impressive cards, earlier on the season I had also declared a jihad on the existing Club Champion of three years-I believed it was time for he to step aside. For most of the year I had been just behind him- I can almost recant the evenings that I had faltered.

Last Tuesday was a perfect evening the air was almost still, although it was a bit Pearl Harbourish, with a nasty nip in the air. Upon sighting in my old Annie I had to readjust the point of impact half an inch as Leanne uses the rifle on Sunday-not a great concern, I have done this numerous times over the last 12 months.

It was that cold that it took ten rounds to get some heat into the barrel, when she starts driving them through the one hole, I then begin the card.

I completed the first 6 with ease nailing the center with each two shots required for each sight picture, then came target identified as number 7, realigning the rifle I felt a gentle breeze-slightly greater then what had been blowing, so I paused for a moment with the rifle at the ready, I then made the decision to squeeze of the chambered round (believing that the conditions had eased) the shot drifted across to two thirty position, *@#K I stammered under my breath, that was it, I was now shooting for a 199.

Before firing off the final round for sight picture no. 7 I inhaled some of the nights cold air to check the breeze and the direction of travel and for the remaining 6 shots and I used this method and held off whilst squeezing the trigger for each successive shot.

Having shot a 199 and having left the mound I was confronted by the Club Captain who said "That was exciting, I was just watching you through the spotting scope, do you know what happened"?

I replied, yea the wind. He said no, "I had just been finalising the results when I realised that if you had of shot a perfect card you would have been equal with Jim and in that case you would have both had to have shot from the mound for the Club Championship and we haven't had one of those for years".

Not to worry I replied, I will get it next year. Had I have shot a perfect 200 there would have been a shoot-out for the Club Championship.

Once bitten twice shy. Not for me, that's the second time now that I have ruined a card having decided to shoot through a gentle breeze, at least this last time I remember the fall of shot.

It's a point to remember..

[chris.tyne]

Sean, even with flags..........................there is opportunity for a lot to happen in 50mtr's.
I can sympathize with you,till last year I have been beaten for club champ every time by a couple of points due to not being able to shoot on every comp day,but I won last year as I had enough points that I could miss a couple .
Like you said there is alway's next time.


Regards Chris.