February 9, 2002

T WAS A GLORIOUS DAY FOR A SHOOT, sunny and 70 degrees is not something to count on in February, even in North Carolina. Sadly, I didn't shoot so gloriously. I didn't shoot all that badly, but I didn't have a single clean stage all day, which was somewhat odd for me.

My brother came along with us to watch the festivities and he dressed the part, sporting a cowboy hat, boots, etc. For some reason, our posse was shorthanded and he was put to work as a spotter/brass picker. He did a good job, though I think he was getting a little tired of it towards the end of the match. Pixelwiz was recruited to keep score now and then, but she knew the drill after having done that job in Rocky Mount the previous weekend.

Stage One: - Around the Horsey
This was a stage I'd done before (or at least, one very much like it). There was a wooden "horse" table on which I staged my rifle (on the left side) and shotgun (on the right). Downrange were two pistol targets, three rifle targets and a pair of knockdown shotgun targets. The course of fire called for alternating shots with the first revolver, holster and move to the rifle and shoot three sweeps, secure the rifle and move to the other side of the horse for alternating shots with the second revolver, and finally finishing with the two shotgun targets. I missed once with my right hand. There went my mythical "Clean Match!"

Stage Two: - On the Horsey
This time we sat on the "horse" instead of working around it. All weapons were staged in front of me. There was a little variation in target order: pistol alternating between its two targets, two sweeps of 3 rounds with the rifle, two blasts from the shotgun and then the final pistol. The trick here was not picking up the empty revolver to shoot the last batch of pistol targets, which I saw a couple guys do. Because I shoot with each hand, it was easier for me to keep track of my revolvers and I could position my guns accordingly. I missed one shot with my left hand this time.

Stage Three: - Indians!
I began this stage with an arrow in hand, and on the beep was to toss it back at the "Indians" attacking me, pick up my rifle and engage 4 targets with a 10-shot Nevada Sweep. Secure the rifle and move to the picket fence to shoot a pair of Nevada Sweeps with each pistol, move back to where the shotgun was staged and take out four targets. I missed once with each revolver.

Normally we take a break after the third stage, but today we were moving through quickly and decided to just go on through all of the stages before lunch.

Stage Four: - Hearts
Wicked Wanda designed this stage and she put a bunch of little pink and red hearts on the fence. I began this stage with my hands on them, drew the first revolver and had to shoot two of the three targets (any order), holster and draw the second gun and hit the remaining target with 5 shots. Move to the rifle and double-tap the four rifle targets and then hit the tiny little cowboy target for a 5-second bonus. Secure the rifle and take out the four shotgun knockdowns. I missed once with my left-hand revolver, hit the bonus target (which negated the "miss") and had to make up one of the shotgun targets, too. I've been working the triggers of the scattergun with some speed recently, but need to practice loading the shells; I'm still fumbling with that too much.

Stage Five: - In the Box
I've shot this stage before, too, and it's a fun one. Both revolvers are staged in a closed box on a table, with the rifle next to it. The shotgun is on another table a ways to the right. At the buzzer, I had to open the box, grab the first gun and shoot a Nevada Sweep of three targets and repeat with the second revolver. Pick up the rifle and run a Nevada Sweep of four targets (7 shots), move to the shotgun and drop four targets. I missed twice with my right hand; I was going too fast and had my finger wrapped too far around the trigger, pulling my shots low and left. Argh!

Stage Six: - Shotgun Fun
I like stages like this one much more now that I've gotten quicker with the scattergun. The double-barrel is working well for me, though I'm still dreaming of picking up a 12-gauge lever-action Winchester model 1887 for blackpowder shooting... Anyway, on this stage I began by shooting four shotgun knockdowns, moving over to a table at the left where I put down the "street howitzer" and picked up my rifle. After double-tapping the four rifle targets, I shot each revolver 2-1-2 over three targets, and finished with two more shotgun blasts. I continued my missing ways, dropping one shot with each handgun. Sigh.

Something had also changed on my reloading press, since I was having difficulty chambering some of the rounds in my revolver. I thought maybe it had to do with the .429" bullets not fitting the throats of the cylinder, but after Royal Barnes kindly looked the guns over, he decided it was the crimp on the ammo. Some cartridges would slip into the cylinder just fine, others I had to really push to get in. I've since readjusted all the dies on my Dillon press and it looks like things are back to normal. If it ain't one thing, it's another...

We left before the results were announced (Wifey was starving and my bro' wanted to get back home), so I have no idea where I finished or who won the match. The scores haven't been posted online, either, so the numbers are incomplete.