TargetTalk

I'll compete in my first bullseye match tomorrow. Actually, it'll be the first I've ever seen. I know my performance will be laughable but I figure one way to improve is to get on the firing line with better shooters.

I also figure I'll have fun. I always have fun when I'm shooting.

What was your first match like?

What part of Texas?

My first match was me with a borrowed Ruger MKII with iron sights and Federal bulk ammo and a cheap spotting scope. Hopefully you have everything you need. Here's a quick list.

-empty chamber indicator - piece of yard trimmer line will work.
-3 magazines
-a pen and a small clipboard if you've got one
-calculator if you don't score well in your head
-spotting scope - 20x is good enough
-stapler and extra staples
-a towel
-100 rounds of 22 at minimum, 150 is better.

Load your mags up ahead of time with 5 rounds. Remember everyone else was a newbie and generally everyone is very helpful; you probably won't meet a nicer group of shooters in general.

My first match I shot a 711-16x I think. But I had practiced a lot before that indoors shooting bullseye style. If you're shooting irons, remember to keep focus on that front sight and maintain alignment.

Hopefully you already know the cadence and routine of the match. If not, PM me or you can read it online.

ahhh......its been so long I cannot remember my first match. Nevertheless, I have had the pleasure to introduce quite a number of new shooters to bullseye and what you can expect to find is a bunch of friendly shooters willing to assist you any way they can. You can expect lots of fun, some nerves, and smiles all around from your fellow competitors. The range officer will be very strict on safety rules but forgiving on everything else for you. The range officer will probably put you on the end of the line without a "hospital" target to help prevent cross fires. A "Hospital" target is a target placed on a shooting lane that is not being used so that every shooter has the same opportunity to shoot at the wrong target.

Let me take this opportunity to provide a couple recommendations for your first match, which will help it be a sucessful match for you!

First off, introduce yourself to the range officer or range master. Let him know your a newbie and ask that he let you know as soon as possible anything he would like to see you improve upon. He will appreciate the introduction and welcome you to the shooting line.

Secondly, if your shooting a 900 point match, get a list put together that says Target 1 Slow Fire 10 mins, Target 2 Slow fire 10 mins, Target 3 Slow Fire Ten mins. Target 4 Timed fire 20 seconds. Etc Etc Etc you get the idea. I have one taped to my shooting box and it helps me to remember if i got five rounds in 20 secs or 10 secs.

Thirdly, most important thing you can bring is a smile! Your excited for your first match, and your having fun so let everybody know how much fun your having by smiling! The shooters next to you on the line will return your smile with interest! Remember, a smile is one of the most contagious things on the face of the earth!

Other things to bring are a couple rags to wipe the sweat off your hands, a sweat band since your down there in texas, couple bottles of water to take a short swig off between targets, eye protection, ear protection, a hat, and sunscreen if your outdoors.

Last thing, and especially if your shooting indoors, when you bring your gun to the target in preparation to shoot, raise it up to the target and no farther! I think that it is ingraned in our instincts to raise a gun up to the sky and bring it down on the target, probably comes from our caveman ancestors when he was clubbing the terydactyl for dinner but what worked for the neanderthals does not work too good for the modern bullseye shooter. My indoor range has enough holes in the roof thank you!

I am sure its going to be a great experience and let us know how you do!

Regards,
Cranky

Empty chamber indicator as my good buddy TUJ pointed out. If your near houston, I would recommend hooking up with TUJ and he will get your bullseye career off to a great start! You will be able to get buy with just two magazines, not three (sometimes TUJ gets confused)

tuj wrote:What part of Texas?

I'm in Spring, north of Houston. The match is at Bayou Rifles near Bear Creek Park.

As for your list, thanks. I'm packing now and I would have forgotten a chamber flag.

Ben: I will be at that match tomorrow. Set up next to me and I'll make sure you have a fine match.

tuj wrote:Ben: I will be at that match tomorrow. Set up next to me and I'll make sure you have a fine match.

Way to go TUJ!!!!!!!

tuj wrote:Ben: I will be at that match tomorrow. Set up next to me and I'll make sure you have a fine match.

It's a deal. When you see the unfamiliar fat guy with the out-of-control beard, that's me.

Per the instructions I got from Mr. Mahan, I'll introduce myself to John Herman first and let him know that I'm a noob. (It'll be obvious, actually.)

cool, the newer shooters usually setup on the left side of the line. I will usually setup on bench 18 or 20, I should get there around 8:30 to setup my stuff. I'll be the guy with a shaved head and a limp.

John Hermann is a great guy and good shooter. If you read this before you leave, tell him that Kate said hi. If Dave Howland or Van Canfield are there, tell them hi also. Kate

So tell me,,, How did your first match turn out?

Cranky

Ben did really good. I'll let him post his score if he wants but it was very respectable for a first outing plus a few malfunctions he didn't take alibi's for.

As for me, I shot a 99 which is one of my best competition targets ever, but man I was cursing myself for that '9'. Ended up with a 819.

Lessee, lots of impressions besides the obvious "Dadgum, it's hot out here..."

First, tuj took care of me and I can't thank him enough. Seriously, guy, the day would have been a disaster for me without your moment-by-moment help. I hope I didn't distract you too badly.

Second, all in attendance made me feel welcome. I noticed, for example, that a number of folks stopped by to peer into my pistol box to see what I brought. I think some were just curious to confirm that it was actually an ancient MK 1 in there. That's not a complaint. In a very good way, it reminded me of 35 years ago when I started in pistol silhouette and everyone was learning from each other; it's a sign of mutual acceptance, a sort of "We're all in this together" attitude. That was nice and felt, for lack of a better term, "homey".

Third, Kate - Dave and John both say "Hi" right back.

Fourth (and the only thing really on point about Conventional Pistol, per se), I didn't realize how the match procedure, what with the walking downrange after every 10 shots, so fundamentally shapes the whole process. This is hugely different from punching a button to retrieve a target hanging from a carrier or tossing $20 into a coffee can to pay the target setters who actually go downrange and do the heavy lifting while I sit on my butt in the shade behind the line.

Fifth, I need a brass catcher. Policing brass from the range sucks.

Sixth, it's generally a good idea to write scores on the correct score card and on the correct line. I managed to screw up both of those things. That was just dumb but tuj, thankfully, didn't feel compelled to box me about the ears for making a mess of his scorecard.

Seventh, I owe tuj about a half a box of white pasters.

Eighth and finally, I shot a 600 with 2 or 3 x's. I found that disappointing. I honestly thought I could do better. Thus, I have two tasks before me: return next month to do better and work on compiling a giant list of plausible excuses to use until my scores become respectable. I assume I can come here for help with that last item? :-)

Ben, don't worry, you shot really well for shooting bullseye for the first time. I will have to send you an old score-sheet so you can see how first-time marksman usually do.

Next time out, let me know if you need a pistol; I have a MKIII with an ultradot that you are more than welcome to use. You can figure that a dot will add 20-30 points to your score at this point.

Ben, congrats on the first shoot. I hope to see you next month too. If you come out to practice let me know, I usually go on Sunday mornings. Yea, I was one drooling on the nice MK I also, what a great classic pistol. Good shooting for your first time out and hope to see you again.

TUJ, great shooting yourself.

See y'all on the line

Don't you worry about good excuses. No one believes them anyway. A hearty, "Waaaahhhh!" will get you much further.

BrewCol wrote:... the nice MK I also, what a great classic pistol. Good shooting for your first time out and hope to see you again.

Thanks.

I took the MK I because it has a nicer trigger than my MK II and my MK II with a dot sight won't fit upright in the pistol box I inherited. It's a Pachmayr from the 1950s or 1960s.

I had several failures to fire with known-good ammo so I've set aside the MK I until sometime in the future when I can spend some time figuring out where and how it's worn.

Next match will be either the MK II or a Britarms. The MK II has a dot and I don't see them well. Actually, I don't see them at all. Other people tell me they see a dot. I see a bunch of dots and some flare off to the side all packed together in a misshapen lump. I don't like shooting dot sights.

If I stick with opens, I might as well shoot the Britarms. It has much better sights and trigger than my MK II. Unfortunately, I don't even know if it's legal. The trigger is light and the palm rest wraps quite a way around my hand. I'm hitting the sack now but tomorrow I'm going to have to do a bunch of reading in the rule book...and maybe fire up my Dremel.

Thanks again for the kind words and I'll see you next time.

Rover wrote:A hearty, "Waaaahhhh!" will get you much further.

Good to know. Thanks.

Still, that's a bit of a shame. I already had a pretty long list of potential excuses and it seems a pity to let them go to waste.

Ah, well. Such is life.

BenEnglishTX wrote:[quote="BrewCol"
Next match will be either the MK II or a Britarms. The MK II has a dot and I don't see them well. Actually, I don't see them at all. Other people tell me they see a dot. I see a bunch of dots and some flare off to the side all packed together in a misshapen lump. I don't like shooting dot sights.
Thanks again for the kind words and I'll see you next time.

Sounds like uncorrected astigmatism; time for a trip to the optometrist. Take Norman Wong's eyecare guide with you.

Hi there, new guy here!!

What a great thread this is!! As a new guy to to shooting, that wants to get invalved in Bullseye, there is a ton of info here!!! Thanks!