Region 2 Smallbore and Field Pistol Championships, Gainesville, GA

[wheelgun7360]

hey guys, just confirmed that cherokee gun club near gainesville ga. will host the 22 and field pistol regionals on memorial day weekend in may. allen

[AtomicGun]

The Official dates for the Region 2 SB & FP Championship hosted at Cherokee Gun Club - Gainesville, GA are: May 28 - 31, 2010

[HandgunHTR]

This will also serve as the GA state championships.

[armorpl8]

How bout some info on camping? Motels?Contacts? Will there be fifth scale?

[HandgunHTR]

From speaking with Ron on Saturday, we will not have 1/5th scale this time around.

There is a Hampton Inn pretty close to the range and Sherri usually works to get a group rate, but I am not sure on that one.

Not sure about camping as well.

My suggestion would be to contact Randy Fussell to ask your questions. Randy is also in charge of scheduling and T-Shirts, so if you plan on attending, contact Randy to let him know when you want to shoot and to order T-shirts.

[RockinHRacin]

Less than two weeks before this match starts... Contact Randy Fussell to schedule shooting times. For those that don't have it, his email address is r_fussell at bellsouth dot net.

[RockinHRacin]

Well everybody, I don't know how today turned out, but Friday was BUSY! Lots of shooters and lots of guns.

I had decided early on that I would shoot 4 guns. I don't know why, but that was my goal. Keep in mind that 1) I drive 2+ hours each way, every day I shoot (not unusual), 2) I'm not used to shooting 60 round matches, and 3) especially not 3 out of 4 relays in creedmore. My back was really starting to bother me. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

I opened a really nice morning shooting my Ruger Charger in UAS. I cleared the first 40 targets! YAY ME!! Wait, what? I have to shoot 20 more? You guessed it... I missed the first turkey on the third bank... I was not happy... Then came Rams, where I completely fell apart, missing 2 in each of the first two banks... Final score - 55 of 60...and I was NOT happy. Next up Production...

As I was filling out my card for P, I couldn't remember what classification I was so I checked with the Mrs. Dixon(s) (we had two of them in the Scoring Room! LOL) and I realized that I was unclassed according to my new and old scorecard that I had with me. I could have sworn that I shot P within the last year, but it was not recorded. Now, I can't shoot P because I'm "unclassed" (not NO classed, just unclassed...I can hear you snickering...)... and my morning gets even better... next up, Standing...

Well, since I can't lay down and shoot my T/C, I might as well stand and do it. Why do we shoot sighters? They just lie to us...I shot 5 sighters, admittedly I hit 4 (yay ME!) with one miss being my fault (more on this later as it became the running gag of the day...) So, 4 out of 5 hit the target and even more amazing I hit each animal once! Sight settings must be perfect! I move to my position for score and have a "normal" day of standing. Every time I started to get a run on the animals, I'd break down and miss a bunch. Randy Fussell calls over to me and says, "I know what's wrong with your shooting, Chris". I have a TON of respect for Randy and many of the other shooters I shoot with here in IHMSA. He now has my full and undivided attention. "Yeah, Randy? What is it?" I'm expecting, your grip is too tight, you are flinching, etc...any pearl of wisdom... So Randy replies, "The front end of your barrel is moving. You need to stop that to hit more targets." I have never seen that line delivered more perfectly with a straight face than that one right there. It was a thing of beauty. As his "advice" sinks in I realize that was exactly what I needed...this is still a game and it's meant to be fun. It allowed me to smile and laugh for the first time since I dropped the hammer on the first round in UAS. Thanks Randy, I really did need that. My score was nothing to write home about... No Match Leg or nothing... Next up - Lunch (lol)

Two PBJs later it's time for the Revolver. So, I pulled out my little stainless Single Six with the 5 1/2" barrel (I love that little gun...) and moved to the firing line. No sighters because I was behind on time...Oops...leg guard is still in the truck. So I run the 150 yards to the truck and back... (Note to self - Don't run to the truck and back right before shooting for score. You are a fat, old enough to know better, man...) I hear the "Fire" command as I'm still dumping ammo in my hand and trying to catch my breath... But I end up hitting 4 out of 5... not too bad... Rest of the relay went about average. I don't remember exactly what my final score was right now, but I do remember the valuable lesson I learned with that gun... "ALWAYS WATCH YOUR LIGHT BARS!" I'd line up the horizontals on my sights and just as the hammer would fall, I'd realize that the left or right light bar was either too skinny or non-existent and I'd miss to that side... Dang... This sport is like golf... Once you get all of the things you worried about taken care of, you learn about more things to worry about... LOL Still not a happy day and I notice that I'm starting to hurt...a lot...

Now, I shot all three of these guns without a spotter. No big deal, I'm used to it. I have been bringing a friend lately, but he likes to shoot as much as I do so we'll spot for each other occasionally... He had family in town, so he skipped the Friday match and might try to sneak in on Sat or Sun... Let me back up a little. Mikkel Broas spotted for me on either R or S starting about the last bank of turkeys. I think it was R but it's such a blur right now. A big thanks goes out to him.

Because I was hot, sweaty and hurting, I decided to skip the 4th gun and head out. I moved to the scoring shack and handed a blank card back to Sherry. She was cordial and understood. Then I heard those fateful words..."Sorry Chris, because it's a Regional Match, we don't give the entry fees back." Oh the HELL you say!! LOL I couldn't do that. I want my $7's worth! I told Sherry I was going to re-run UAS because I was really unhappy with the way I fell apart on Rams the first go-round. I hurry to the line and get ready. No sighters (I interpret the rule as I already used my five sighters on the first go-round...) and I'm shooting for score. I was scared to death on that first chicken until I saw where I hit it. As I moved from mowing down chickens to pigs, I was really getting uncomfortable on the ground, wishing I could use a pillow or something to support my lower back. I even fantasized about piling empty .22 brass under my back hoping that it was legal...by now I'm clean through the first two banks of turkeys... but I'm so distracted by my back that all I could think of was, "5 more shots then you can move again...just 5 more shots". Oooh, clean through turkeys and on to rams. I think every one is as tired as I am at this point. They've all got something going on and are quite attentive to it. Bank 1 falls then Bank 2. Mikkel and Dave Chaney come over to say goodbye as they were headed out for the night. I jump up to wish them luck "tomorrow" (Sat) and mention that I'll be leaving as soon as I'm done here... Dave looks down and sees the last Ruger magazine on the ground (my original black one that came with it) and says, "Don't forget your magazine". I tell ya, that was the closest to a face palm I've had in a long time because about 4 seconds after he says that, I hear "FIRE"! Uh oh... I jump back into position as they walk off. I knew I had plenty of time. I'm shooting a semi-automatic at 5 targets in 2 minutes... I can nap between the time I finish shooting and they call a cease fire. But now I'm a little shaken by my lack of concentration... I really need to rein it in now... I take a very long time (for me) to drop that first hammer, but the target falls anyway. Second target acquired, and falls. Third target falls... (this might actually happen!) Fourth target falls (NO WAY! I'm gonna blow this...even though I haven't missed the 60th target yet today...) Again, I take my time with that last target, making sure that the cross hairs were perfect when the trigger broke, and the 60th target fell.

Wow... It was as if a huge weight was lifted. I really wasn't even trying for it until that last bank... I already had 1 leg up into Int and I couldn't shoot a second 40 to save my soul. I had to do things the way I always seem to do them...the hard way... 60X60. After what started out being a really cruddy day of shooting, I drove home with a great big grin on my face.

Thanks to all who participated in the Region 2 SB/FP Championships. You all are part of a great memory for me.

Also, I mentioned it directly to them on Friday, I want to put this out there on the internet for them. There were two gentlemen there who were target setting for us. I didn't think ahead enough to write their names down. It wasn't until I was halfway through my UAS re-entry that I realized that they had not dropped a single hammer all day. They were there to chase and paint our targets for us. I didn't hear either one of them complain once. Again, my hats are off to you guys. Come on out anytime. I'll let you shoot any of my guns and provide you the ammo.

Oh, even though I'm not involved in this one... I want to put a special thanks out to Ron Dixon. When Mikkel Broas stepped up to the firing line for score and broke a hammer spring on the first animal, Ron had the gun fixed and back on the line so quickly that Mikkel only lost the one bank of animals. Great job!

Chris

[Rodent]

Great post Chris. A very good report. Congrats on the fine shooting. Maybe, I can make it to a Regionals some year.


Mike

[RockinHRacin]

Oh, in my haste to complete that novel, I forgot to mention something. I wanted to thank everyone involved in the planning and execution of the Regionals. I know Ron & Sherry did a lot of work. There were others that worked hard on it too, but I don't want to mention names for fear of leaving someone out/getting names incorrect with their contribution. Y'all know who you are.

THANKS!!

Chris

[braud357]

Good report Chris ! Wish I could be there, but had a conflict that I could not avoid. Hope to share the range with you soon !