IR5050 Nationals... 2 thoughts

M

MaxxPower

Active member
First, the weather tomorrow for the Sporter Nationals looks beyond nightmarish. Heavy rain and 20 mph winds... who knows what the gusts will be. I like a challenge as much as the next shooter but this will be bloodbath. Should the Sporter Nationals be moved to Saturday? A double header with the 3-Gun Nationals. I know it's a lot of targets for one day but shooting targets where you're just hoping to get a minus 2 and not a minus 5 is not fun in any way. Plus, there would probably be more Sporter shooters on Saturday because of work.

Second, many shooters have a very long drive after Sunday's match. How about having the meeting at 7:30 am before the UL Nationals? We'd have a 1 hour limit and probably much better attendance and everyone wouldn't be looking at their watches.

Thoughts from shooters coming to Fairchance?
 
I have been watching the weather closely. What the weather shows and what actually is, is usually not the same. You would love to be shooting right now. Overcast calm. Humid. I think this is what the rest of the weekend is going to be. But, it is absolutely unpredictable and it could be terrible. It’s been like this last few days. 35% chance of rain. Looks like it’s going to storm, but it’s been kind a still. I seen the Radar and IDK. It looks like mostly light stuff. It all really depends on how fast it’s moving east. Like by the time that mess hits us it might just be east of us. So I do think it’s unpredictable at this point.
I’m sure others are watching. What do you think?
 
Frank.
Anybody show up to test TODAY??

Shooting in the rain is CHEATING 😱🤬.
It is a VISUAL AID...YOU CAN SEE THE WIND💨💨.
I did NOT say it would help...just saying.
 
I’m at work today till 11pm.
Gary said they would be there sometime today.
I didn’t want to say but 4-13 mph is kind of normal to mild for Fairchance. Now 37 mph gust another story. I think 8-12 mph to 20 mph gust kind of normal.
It has been really calm out. With very light rain, like a sprinkle. I think could possibly be great conditions. But maybe not. Such is the nature of it.
 
MaxxPower said:
First, the weather tomorrow for the Sporter Nationals looks beyond nightmarish. Heavy rain and 20 mph winds... who knows what the gusts will be. I like a challenge as much as the next shooter but this will be bloodbath. Should the Sporter Nationals be moved to Saturday? A double header with the 3-Gun Nationals. I know it's a lot of targets for one day but shooting targets where you're just hoping to get a minus 2 and not a minus 5 is not fun in any way. Plus, there would probably be more Sporter shooters on Saturday because of work.

Second, many shooters have a very long drive after Sunday's match. How about having the meeting at 7:30 am before the UL Nationals? We'd have a 1 hour limit and probably much better attendance and everyone wouldn't be looking at their watches.

Thoughts from shooters coming to Fairchance?
Click to expand...
Bruce,
I am not in favor of a 12 card day on Saturday. You and I both know from experience what shooting the old 'Iron Man' tournaments were like. I have seen weather from about 4 different sources, and one does match your information, and another was close. Percentage spread for rain was about 23%-71% depending on source. Toss a coin?

If the meeting was moved to before the UL on Sunday and held to 1hr, you would have at least one extra attendee.....me. I was going to leave first thing Sunday, being I don't shoot IR UL, but would leave 1-1/2hrs later to attend the meeting.

JMO opinions on both subjects........Scott
 
Naturally it’s changing. I keep watching hoping the closer it gets the further east it goes. Definitely going to get some of it.
Now showing 45% chance of rain. Which means here maybe rain maybe not.
Now showing 40 mph gust late afternoon 3-4pm. But 20-30 mph earlier.
But if we don’t actually get the gust or they are not long and plentiful it might not be too bad.
IMG_1430.png
 
Wind out of the NE has that mess stalled just south of us. I don’t know how but as of now Saturday and Sunday look much better. I mean if it’s accurate and I would bet it would change. Sunday shows 2-5mph with 10 mph gust. Really mild conditions. But wind out of the East and SE. yucky orange condition. Orange condition can be tough. If it’s light and changing fast. All bad. You will need orange condition ammo. I don’t have any of that. Mine likes green. Orange is a battle.
 
Bruce, was driving down Thur as I read this today.
Any version of “ not shooting on Friday”, as it turned out, would have been great. It was a first class sh.t show weather wise, far worse than forecast, 25 mph with 180 deg switches. I have never dropped out of a match in my life but saw zero point in continuing in the afternoon.
Best part of my weekend was meeting a bunch of guys…..thanks.
 
I partially agree with the above. Seeing old friends and meeting some new ones, to include Tim as we have talked but never met, was a great time.

The weather/conditions on Friday were atrocious for shooting, but sanctioned outdoor RFBR matches are just that, outdoors. There were no dangerous conditions, as in lighting or life threatening winds/floods that the rules of either of the top two RFBR sanctioning bodies would consider warranting a stoppage of competition. So, you get what you get. There really never was a honey hole on the line either. I was not comfortable shooting Friday as the conditions were above my talent level, but I was not uncomfortable from a safety aspect. IMO, as both a MD and a competitor, Friday's tournament was handled just the way it should have been. Both IR and ARA have no provisions in their rules to cancel or reschedule a match for the conditions we had Friday. Lessons learned from Friday did help me on Saturday and I was able to scratch out a better 6-gun finish in 3-Gun.

I will also say whether the conditions are great or not so great, or almost as some would claim 'unshootable', the cream always rises to the top. The OP here, who has willing given some great mentoring to me over the years, got second at yards, first at meters, and won the 6-Gun on Friday. Now this is the IR Sporter Nationals, the hardest rifle in RFBR to shoot good scores with in any conditions, and amongst some of the best Sporter shooters in the country! I'll bet he was glad we shot on Friday. Was it pleasant for him or the rest of us, NO, but he hung in there and let his talent lead him to an overall win.

'there's no crying in baseball' and there's no wriggling around nasty, but safe, outdoor conditions in RFBR!!

Kudos to the gang at Fairchance, Gary Hittie, TKH, and Jerry Rosenberger for their promotion and administration of the nationals! Thank you all and look forward to next year!

Scott
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top