Unexpected trip to Hendrick Hudson

I had a family command event in CT.  I noted that Dick Dorman was holding his match that Saturday.  I chucked the gun and some bullets in the car and headed on to the family weekend.  As I think many folks experienced, Friday and Saturday were rain outs.  I am blessed with an understanding family who said go ahead and play outside in the rain.  So I did.  Just 170 miles round trip.


Match Nerves:

The best part about heading to Hendrick Hudson is I can be a pure visiting competitor.  The bad thing about visiting an unfamiliar club is I find even after 11 years of this silly game I suffer from match nerves.  On the first ready command of the match I managed 4 chickens.  By the end of the match, I managed 10 rams.  Go figure!  Something to work on.  I'm not really sure how to work on it.  One thought, get my airgun out and once a day I get one shot.  It has to be a good shot or I have to clean the cat boxes.  Something so I can get over first shot syndrome.  Of course in this case, it was all 10 shots!

Fun at the ram line:

HHF&G shoots in yards.  That means the rams are 28 feet closer than what we are accustomed to in NH.  They just seemed easier to hold the dot on the animal and if I got a clean break, they fell.  I managed to hit 8 in a row.  Now the brain starts working.  I spun 9.  Now the brain really started working!  Take a clean 10th shot!  I did and it fell.  The good news, the 9th ram was off the pad touching the rail so it was a hit.  I went for a long run and only managed to hit the first animal.  They start the long run right in the middle of the match so that is somewhat uncalming.  At least I got one.  Second shot went right where it broke, just over the horn.  Ah well.

First Loser:

I first heard the term from my dear friend Bill Motl.  Talk about a great shooter with an even greater attitude toward life.  Bill is always up beat and never gets flustered when the animals don't fall.  So, I use the term with his same positive outlook on life.  After a very inconsistent 28 caused by a shakey start on chickens, I was determined to improve the number when I shot SBR in the afternoon.  As a rule I don't count misses.  I just shoot as well as i can.  8 chickens certainly confirmed what I already knew.  First pig shot, I yanked the trigger on that giant pig and went over the back.  DUH! Got serious and cleaned the next nine.  Long story short, I could only manage to put 30 animals in the dirt with yet another turned ram.  This one however did not lean on the rail so poof!  I tied Ken J. who bested my 6 turkeys by one animal and the day was done.  Woulda coulda shoulda.  Maybe next time!

Traveling:

I really enjoy traveling to matches and meeting new faces with like interests!  I got to meet the Staten Island gang and it is always interesting to hear the issues other MD's are dealing with.  It was a great match and worth every mile and rain drop.  Having 22+ shooters all working on the 1/5th animals is neat.  HHF&G has two approved NRA matches left in the 2012 season.  Sept 15th and Oct 6th.  Note, these are squaded matches.  One match in the AM and a second match after lunch.  It is not a re-entry match so you can only shoot one NRA rifle per day.  I.e., you can shoot SBR in the AM and SBHR in the PM.  Or, shoot SBR or SBHR in the am by shooting back to back and then shoot a fun 1/2 scale rimfire cowboy match in the afternoon.

Picture....first loser mug.  Just for fun and add some color to the blog after no pics for a while.

HHFG Aug results