HoldHard
08-16-2010, 03:50 PM
The day started out as usual, sunshine and blue sky, crowded parking lot with 90 competitors all gearing up for the rifle, shotgun and pistol competition. Small crowds gathered behind beat-to-shit vans driven by local gunsmiths. The banter was about weaponry, ammo and driving through the 'hood with short shaven heads while transporting enough arms to supply a Marine Long Range patrol...
Rounds slid into magazines and gear was checked before being stowed. The match meeting was called and the organizer informed us he was trying something with off-hand shooting on one of the rifle stages this month. (Oh, good, I have never shot my AR left-handed...).
First stage was shotgun / pistol with all metal targets. Tough shots getting two 6" plates perched on the shoulder of two different "no threat" (penalty) targets. Shotgun jammed several times so dumped it and went with the pistol.
Next stage was the "switch hands" rifle stage where you had to start on the left side of the range and while standing engage 3 tan targets, switch hands, move to a second position and engage 3 white targets, switch hands, move to a third position and while kneeling engage 3 tan targets, switch hands and move to a fourth position and engage 3 white targets while still kneeling then stand and engage another 6 targets.
They have built a "dark house" on the range. It consists of a completely enclosed stage that you do not get to preview. The targets are behind shootable maniquins adorned with hats and shirts. You have to determine "threat" from "non-threat" by what is in their hands. If it's a weapon, you have to neutralize the target. If it's a non-threat and you shoot it, it's a penalty. You cannot see the actual cardboard targets as they are tucked up tight against the maniquin half-body so 'calling' your hits is impossible.
Of course, it's pitch black inside. You have to bring your own illumination on the weapon if it's a rifle or carry one in some manner if you're using a pistol. Sucked on this stage with 3 failure to neutralize penalties (30 seconds). Was using a Glock but didn't get three rounds on the targets. Was over confident that the two shots taken were in the "A" zone....
Next was a 40 round rifle stage with targets from muzzle length out to about 50 yards. Did OK on this stage with the fastest time in the squad to that point.
Next up, they turned a relatively simple 20 piece steel stage into a "hide 'n seek" by constructing vision barriers between you and the targets. The weather was moving in and the light drizzle started to turn heavier. I decided to go first and found that I had one steel left standing. I scampered up and down the shooting line trying to figure out where to shoot it and eventually found that it could only be engaged by kneeling and shooting under a vision barrier. My time could have been recorded on a sundial....
But the upside was the remainder of the squad appreciated what I had demonstrated.... Now they didn't have to go through that excercise.
Then the rain came. It was raining so hard, the air turned gray... a lightning bolt struck within a half mile illuminating the rifle range as though someone had turned on floodlights... The match director came by and announced a cease fire until the weather passed. So we sat under cover, drenched but thankful for the cooling temperatures. Now the humidity would raise havoc with protective eye gear and rifle optics on the next stage.
The last stage was fairly straight forward. Nine steel shotgun targets at about 12 yards followed by ten 8" round rifle targets at 100 yards from two different firing positions. The Saiga suprised me by functioning flawlessly and I forgot to shoot one of the steel before dumping the shotgun and picking up the rifle. Another 'failure to neutralize' penalty....
Great fun. My goal is to actually get through a match without a penalty.... yeah, I know... lofty. But ya gotta have goals... :D
HH
Rounds slid into magazines and gear was checked before being stowed. The match meeting was called and the organizer informed us he was trying something with off-hand shooting on one of the rifle stages this month. (Oh, good, I have never shot my AR left-handed...).
First stage was shotgun / pistol with all metal targets. Tough shots getting two 6" plates perched on the shoulder of two different "no threat" (penalty) targets. Shotgun jammed several times so dumped it and went with the pistol.
Next stage was the "switch hands" rifle stage where you had to start on the left side of the range and while standing engage 3 tan targets, switch hands, move to a second position and engage 3 white targets, switch hands, move to a third position and while kneeling engage 3 tan targets, switch hands and move to a fourth position and engage 3 white targets while still kneeling then stand and engage another 6 targets.
They have built a "dark house" on the range. It consists of a completely enclosed stage that you do not get to preview. The targets are behind shootable maniquins adorned with hats and shirts. You have to determine "threat" from "non-threat" by what is in their hands. If it's a weapon, you have to neutralize the target. If it's a non-threat and you shoot it, it's a penalty. You cannot see the actual cardboard targets as they are tucked up tight against the maniquin half-body so 'calling' your hits is impossible.
Of course, it's pitch black inside. You have to bring your own illumination on the weapon if it's a rifle or carry one in some manner if you're using a pistol. Sucked on this stage with 3 failure to neutralize penalties (30 seconds). Was using a Glock but didn't get three rounds on the targets. Was over confident that the two shots taken were in the "A" zone....
Next was a 40 round rifle stage with targets from muzzle length out to about 50 yards. Did OK on this stage with the fastest time in the squad to that point.
Next up, they turned a relatively simple 20 piece steel stage into a "hide 'n seek" by constructing vision barriers between you and the targets. The weather was moving in and the light drizzle started to turn heavier. I decided to go first and found that I had one steel left standing. I scampered up and down the shooting line trying to figure out where to shoot it and eventually found that it could only be engaged by kneeling and shooting under a vision barrier. My time could have been recorded on a sundial....
But the upside was the remainder of the squad appreciated what I had demonstrated.... Now they didn't have to go through that excercise.
Then the rain came. It was raining so hard, the air turned gray... a lightning bolt struck within a half mile illuminating the rifle range as though someone had turned on floodlights... The match director came by and announced a cease fire until the weather passed. So we sat under cover, drenched but thankful for the cooling temperatures. Now the humidity would raise havoc with protective eye gear and rifle optics on the next stage.
The last stage was fairly straight forward. Nine steel shotgun targets at about 12 yards followed by ten 8" round rifle targets at 100 yards from two different firing positions. The Saiga suprised me by functioning flawlessly and I forgot to shoot one of the steel before dumping the shotgun and picking up the rifle. Another 'failure to neutralize' penalty....
Great fun. My goal is to actually get through a match without a penalty.... yeah, I know... lofty. But ya gotta have goals... :D
HH