ASHLAND AIR RIFLE RANGE match report 1/14/12

W

Wayne Burns

Guest
Ashland Air Rifle Range - Pistol Field Target Match Report 1/14/12

After a 20 degree start, the day warmed quickly to 40 degrees by match time and into the 50s by midday, with partly cloudy skys , and light, but switching winds, from the SE, SW, W, and NW. The early morning sun was in the shooters eyes, and those without wide brim hats and scope sunshades had a hard time seeing targets.
Chris Lovitt, Barb Rodriguez and Steve Ware made the 50 mile journey down from Grants Pass to shoot with us. Steve, after shooting a 66/72 last week, let Barb use the Crosman prototype Marauder/1701P, while he tested pellets and practiced “Production Class” bench rest with the .177 Marauder Rifle. Barb is new to air guns and is shooting better each week! Steve and Barb are new shooters to Pistol FT and Bench rest.

Targets are placed from 9 to 30 yards with kill zones at ¾” to 1- ½”. We’ve been testing the “Gamo” targets exclusively recently, and found that they have the least problems with “I hit the kill zone, but the target didn’t fall”… actually, we have not had one complaint in the last three matches with the Gamo targets, and I’m the one shooting the 4.5fpe rig, so I’d be the one complaining

We took a lunch break for some of my turkey, bean veggie soup and muffins, and then shot the second round of 36 shots.

Pistol Field Target:

Allan Heggem - 1701p @ 7fpe 66/72
Mark Gravelle- .177 Marauder @ 12fpe 64/72
Chris Lovitt - Marauder with custom .177 Styer barrel @ 12fpe 63/72
Wayne Burns – Air Arms Alpha @ 4.5fpe 62/72
Barb Rodriguez – Marauder prototype .177 @ 12fpe 51/72
Bob Pont - .177 Falcon @ 11fpe 49/72


BENCH REST:

After the PFT match, Mark, Chris and I shot a little bench rest, as the short day darkened on us. For the new Production class, we all shot the same Marauder, my .177 as it came from the box, except for adjusting the trigger, we haven’t even adjusted the tuning as yet.. We shot it last week and this week, here are the scores for both weeks..

Production Class Bench Rest: shot 1/8/12

Mark Gravelle – 218–2X, 230-1X, 215-2X total 663–5X
Wayne Burns – 217-0X, 219-0X, 217-3X total 653-3X
Chris Lovitt – 216-1X, 209-1X, 214-0X total 639-2X

Production Class Bench Rest: shot 1/14

Wayne Burns – 219-3X, 227-1X, 216-2X total 662-6X
Chris Lovitt – 224-3X, 203-1X, 221-2X total 648-6X
Mark Gravelle – 221–3X, 198-1X, 194-0X total 613–4X

HV Class Bench Rest: shot 1/14

Wayne Burns, USFT #6 – 245-5X, 244-9X, 243-7X total 732-21X

Respectfully submitted,
Wacky Wayne Burns,
Match Director,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
 
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Wacky,
No venison stew or chili to keep people warm? You have a reputation to uphold so I'll just assume it was there but not mentioned.
Great news that so there's so many new shooters enjoying both disciplines.
Mike
Rogue River Air Rifles
 
Mike,

If you had come on down last Saturday, with Steve, Barb, and Chris.. then you would have enjoyed my turkey-bean soup and homemade bran muffins... so my reputation is holding up just fine:)

Yes, I'm loving the crossover were getting with the pistol field target and bench rest.. But! I want YOU!.. you're the next contestant to "COME ON DOWN" and guess the price is right.. well... or shoot some pistol FT and outdoor benchrest in some of the most challenging conditions one might shoot in. Although sometimes it's pretty decent, most times we get swirling, winds around the "open both ends", airplane hanger we shoot from.. some humble pie is in order for you guys.. or.. maybe you'll kick butt in these tough conditions too. It's time to find out!

I know you, Ron, Tommy, and Oliver are use to shooting 250s all the time... and ..this location might not provide the conditions for those kind of scores, but you folks need a challenge, cause you'all are so bored in the perfect world of 25 yards indoors, and Carol shouldn't have to cook all the time.. I'll cook for her next time... Besides it's cold and miserable shooting outdoors now.. how can you say no to that?:)

I bet you wish you hadn't commented about the soup now... huh?:)

Wacky Wayne
Ashland Air Rifle Range
 
Wayne,

I feel a little better after today with my Hammerli Pnuema. Not official for scoreline. I was hard on my own scoring. 230, 231,238 699 10x light winds best conditions in a while. I hope to get a chance next weekend to shoot a friends Maurauder
Best part of the day was recruiting for the production class. I may have landed two for sure maybe three. They will shoot our guns to decide what best to purchase. One of these guys may shoot the springer class with a break barrel piston gun.
199.00 total cost.

Bob
 
Bob,

Now that's what were after! Two new ones.. maybe three.. in one day.. very good indeed.

It actually feels good to be posting some "realistic" scores that new folks won't be intimidated by... I like to shoot my USFT on the same day in HV class just to add perspective. Passing the same rig around to other shooters, new and experienced, also gives perspective.

There is merit to the $700 price limit, as in this case.. but I can also see that there are lots of folks with higher priced rigs who need a place to start also.. and that's not our regular LV, HV, and Open classes... But the more I think about it.. it's all good.. these are local matches and not a championship, so we match directors only need to note on the report what folks shot, and mix them into this starter class.. whatever we call it.

Wacky Wayne,
Match Director,
Ashland Air Rifle Range
 
Wayne,

I did some calculations that may be disturbing to some. Looking at a 249.00 rifle, that can score in the 233 range on the same target at 25 meters. against rifles in the 2000.00 plus range that will average in the 243 range. The cost per point is a surprise, especially when you add cost of some of the front rest that are used in the other classes. It seems that you can purchase extra points at about $150.00 each. Excluding the rest of course. When shooting my 249.00 rifle, do I have less fun? No! Do I feel more of a challenge? Yes! Now I know why my friend Joe, who has never had an official class except in USFT where his class is simply un-regulated over 600 fps, chuckles a little when I show him a .03 ctc or a .009 group with a more expensive rifles. He has just as much fun and we have the fellowship of shooting. Production class out of the box rifles may have a great future. I can speak for many air gunners I know... that they are not likely to move up. The fun is there, the challenge is there along with a outing with friends. I have started not to mention competition, but the fun of a challenge, to get the best from any rifle against the wind and to beat your last best score. I also mention the smile with each trigger pull, knowing I have saved at least .17 cents to .25 cents. I calculate that the $10,000.00 worth of air rifles I own, have been paid for with about $32,000.00 left over the 21 years plus of air rifle competition. That if I had fired the 210,000 shots with match grade rimfire, forgetting all of the .38 cent center fire in the mix. As to the guys with an extra 200.00 bucks or so...... if the no internal mods and factory barrel and no regulator, I would suspect that the scores would still be similar. I think, as you do, the class will evolve including as many new shooters as possible with factory (basically out of the box) rifles. The cost of scope mounts will not buy any points, where a scope with a finer cross hair and higher power might. Keep the faith it will all work out.

How is that for Wacky.....

Bob Zimmerman
 
I think there is a flaw in trying too hard to use the fun per dollar analogy by hitching it to a low price stock gun wagon. See I feel there is perhaps even MORE fun to be had by allowing simple, inexepensive mods to be made to the equipment, and alow, if cost is a serious issue, for SURE it seems unusual to ignore USED guns. Now often, used guns have alredy been modified a bit prior to buying em, and often these mods add nothing to the price, but do improve performance. Finally, I think a used 10M target rifle that costs $300 is a fine bargain, and if the TRUE intent is a fun per dollar game, its perhaps the most attractive.
 
LD,

Though we often do not agree. I see no problem here. The local match director as in FT can do anything and everything to attract shooters. The same applies here. There are postal match rules that one must follow because they are not under the MD control but set by others. At the range where the host and MD are in complete charge, the only rules are his and his alone. Do as I will do. If a shooter shows up and wants to shoot I will make that possible. As far as the used guns out of production we have to look at what the going price is and make a local decision. If I cannot put two or three shooters in a class that is pretty level then the odd man will have to be just that. We can try but never please everyone. It is a local problem. We do not have a problem as I see it. We have I think 5 scores turned in and I do not think any to the scoreline. When we get 20 shooters we can look at the mix and solve the problem then. Have it your way, as I will at my local matches.

The flaw in fun per dollar has existed since shooting competition began. Every extra x or point is purchased either in the initial purchase price or in extras and fees paid to the air smiths. The buyer decides his budget. If I run into a interested shooter with a regulated marauder with a third party trigger or different barrel. The price alone will put him out of the postal competition. I will let him shoot but I will not risk losing any shooters because he out scores them with a gun that does not fit the model.

The production class is work in progress and what happens will happen lets not disagree when we do not know what is out there. I showed my gun to a guy that has a barrel cocking gamo at 199.00 with a scope and rings. He will shoot in the springer class on my range or in the Production class if he chooses. I honestly think he will by a PCP.

As always......

Have fun shooN'

Bob
 
Yes,

I wasnt even trying to include anything about postal matches, buy only (still) on the issue of fun and getting and keeping new shooters coming. Last weekend there were several new shooters at my monthly shoot, three more just since the beginning of the year. I am even thinking to add more cover and extend the apron on the line. when we begin seeing a dozen or more I might think about more strict classifications .... IF the regulars ask for this.

I agree things should be kept loose and changes only made as the shooter base needs to maintain interest.
 
Agreed LD..

I won't be telling new shooters about the rules of their "class" until they ask.. I just want them to find the fun first, then they can figure out where they want to fit into the classes.

Wacky Wayne
 
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