Armistice Day Match at KFGA

It’s a tradition at my club to shoot WWI rifles at the November CMP match. 

I brought along my Rock Island 1903 and my Old Eddystone 1917. 

I shot the 1917 first. The 17 and I haven’t always gotten along. However I was able to focus on that tiny front sight due to some suprisingly good light. Slow prone went well. In both rapid and off hand I was low. I either moved the sight or changed my cheek weld but it happens. I’m happy I kept them in a group off hand. That had been an issue for me at Perry this summer.

I rarely shoot my Rock Island 1903. Not that there is anything wrong with it, in fact it’s nice to shoot as it has USMC sights and a nice smooth action. 

Anyway, excuses aside, I did okay with that old rifle. I had some trouble remembering how the windage worked and bounced back and fourth across the target in slow prone. Four MOA per 1/4 turn is a little delicate.
I haven’t been happy with my offhand with the wood guns all season, but I managed to post one of my better off hand scores with this rifle. It turns out trigger control is important!

Service rifles, Bolt Guns and Garands at York and Kimberton.

I’ve been busy the past few weekends! 

Shot some good some not so good and some mediocre matches.

Started off with a 600 agg service rifle match at Kimberton.


It was a 100 yard walk and paste. I shot a solid  Master score, came in second overall, and cleaned my first target in competition!

      
Headed across the river the next morning for York Riflemen’s last 800 agg of the season. I dropped too many points in rapid prone in this one blowing the group out the other side by over correcting. Still squeaked in a master level score. 


Took a few days off from shooting to work for a few days (boring) then hauled back to York for their fall Garand match. The weather was not cooperating but they ran two relays twice. So we were able to reenter which was fun. I shot my Garand first and posted some ugly scores then my A3 and posted a better score but still missed the cut. I’m blaming that one on the two 8s I managed in prone due to the rain. Totally not that 5 off hand!

The next weekend I had big plans to haul to Bridgeville and shoot their full course 800 agg. But hurricane Matthew had other ideas. So I headed to a walk and paste at Palymra Sportsmans Club. They do two back to back walk and paste 800 aggs which is a bit grueling. But it’s under a roof and no pit duty which is nice. 

I did well in the first match and not so well in the second. The second match I was soft on the ends. I had trouble finding my groove in off hand and not really sure what I was doing in slow prone.

It was a nice match and good practice. I’m going to try and go to more of those matches next season.

Just a couple more weeks until my last EIC and XTC match of the year!

Running to Camp Perry!

  I hate when bloggers start post with “sorry it’s been awhile”mostly because I’m snobby. I am, however, behind on  posting but It’s because I’ve been busy shooting!

After I got back from Talladega I was determined to dial it up a bit and shot as many full course matches as I could!

First weekend back I went to Wilkes Barre to shoot a reduced 200 yard National Match walk and paste. After posting some not so hot scores at Talladega I turned around and posted my personal best at this match!

The next weekend I drove down to Cumberland Maryland to shoot a full course NRA 800 agg. I kept the streak going and shot my first master level score across the course! Just one point less than my high at York the month before! 

The next weekend I had two days of reduced course matches at Kimberton and York. Well that kill my steak, bleading points allmost every stage. 


Went back to the lab a bit shot on my scatt a little and practice with my m44 training rifle. Then hauled back to Ft Hill looking for some redemption. Well, it wasn’t a great day in the hollar. I let a mistake in rapid prone get in my head which cost me in the end. 


I hit the range after work this week and applied some new things I’ve picked up along the way this month and I feel optimistic I can kick the slump. 

Just 2 more weekends before the National Matches! I’m focusing on service rifle this year, my poor Garand has only fired once this month! I’m not going to let up yet. I’m packing the next couple weekends with an 800 agg, a 3×600 and a EIC at New Holland!

Movin’ on up: Matches at New Holland, Kimberton and York

In the run up to the CMP eastern games I shot a series of matches over two weekends.

First the season opener NRA 800 Agg at New Holland.


With the exception of a saved round in sitting due to a round that turned out to have some moisture in it, this turned out to be a great match for me. I shot slightly better than my average which should have been enough to earn an expert card!

Kimberton NRA and Garand Matches.

Back at my home club for the first NRA service rifle match of the year. This was my first match at this club with my new 2016 service rifle. It is a reduced course 100 yard 600 agg on a dark range which really gives the scope an advantage as it’s easier to see. I posted my first master scores and I was most proud of a pair of 99s I posted in slow prone on that tricky MR-31 target.


York Rifleman Spring Garand Match and 500 agg. 

Despite all the travel games I’ve been to York Rifleman’s Garand matches are some of my favorite.

I have been to every garand match at York since 2012 and I’m happy to report I finally made the medal cut. It was a close one due to a bad LC round (At least that’s my excuse) but it felt good to break the York curse!

 



October 2015 Garand Match at KFGA

It has been far too long since I made it back to Kimberton, I missed the September match for the MD State Championship and missed High Power the day before due to some family obligations.

It felt good to be back on that short line on a beautiful fall day. 

  
I punched a pair of 95s in the prone stages. I didn’t smoke my sight so I caught some glare on my front sight post which I rectified before off hand.

At the western games I had really struggled with off-hand which held me back. I took my time establishing NPA and off-hand came a little easier this time. 

Off-hand wasn’t all fun and games. I left a whole 3 minutes on the clock which seemed odd to me. Well, I learned why During the brass and trash call! I left a round in the box…. Whoops.

  
I was still able to squeak past the bronze line. Perhaps in the future I’ll remember to shoot all 30 rounds.

The season is winding down with just a service rifle match at WBRP and a couple more garand matches before the shooting season is over and the handloading season begins!