Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Old Man and the Rifle.

Scott Bronson from Tuba City, Arizona and I on Viale before the LEG match.  Scott is a Navajo so I asked him if we ought to do an X-Ring Way or an AR-15 Way.  He said we could try but if we got it wrong it would probably rain corn and toads, so we didn't.  Both of us still shot pretty well.  I shot a 484X11 for 35th place.  Scott shot a 475 and got 10 points toward his Distinguished Badge!
Cheaper than Scott Fuller and Dave Watters, a Texan who lives in Australia.

Scott Bronson from Tuba City, Arizona.  During the LEG Match 200 rapid fire.

Some young man from the Coalingua Rifle Club.

Range food.  Pickles, banana chips, olives, painkillers.

Emily Hogg.

Random Bransomness.

Reading results.  I beat up on old people.

Your 2012 CMP Senior Trophy Champion at our favorite restaurant.


  Under the berm walkover in the middle of Viale pits, on the catwalk is a clift swallow nest.  There's one frantic youngster on it, just hours away from flying.  The crowd this week has run his parents off though they make frequent passes flickering by like arrows in the air as the gunfire crackles.  The odds of him being alive in 24 hours, unless the parents can pack in the food between cease-fire and dark, are about 10%.  I'm going to see if he is there tomorrow.

  We fired the 50 shot LEG match today on both ranges.  About 1100 folks fired.  When we rolled out it was dark and spitting rain with lightning in the West.  The wind was gusting enough to interfear with walking.  I figured on a two hour rain delay at least but the sun came up, the sky lightened and the wind dropped.  They called us to the line and away we went.

  It's a long day on the range with six relays and alibi strings being shot after every rapid string.  The sun was out most the time, I put on full protection and ran the water through.  Makes for a long day.

  I shot well on several yardlines.  96 standing, 100X6 sitting, 97 at 300 and then I got to shoot first in a terrible wind at 600.  I took an educated look and decided it was 3 1/2 minutes of left wind.  I was off by a minute.  First shot was just in the 7 ring at 3:00.  Put on 4 1/2 minutes of wind and away I went.  Once I got in the X ring I shot as fast as I could, finishing in about eight minutes.  20 shots.  They ran a snappy target.  Finished with 484X11 which was about 35th overall and won the Senior Trophy.

  Winning the Senior trophy, as John Rynard would say, is like being the fastest mule at the Kentucky Derby.  Still, they have to give it to somebody and I did manage to beat Don Tryce.  Pretty crazy to get this old.  I'm compensating by mocking young shooters for their youth and inexperience.  I was five times the age of a 12 year old who was firing on my point.  12 years.  Holy cows......er....calves.

  Perhaps my goal should be to win anything that has "senior" or "vintage" in the title.  I'm still National Vintage Military Rifle Champ for a few days and now I'm the CMP Senior Champ.  Maybe I'll get a handicapped parking tag to go along with it and spend my time griping about young people, the good old days and the government.

Update:  163 old men shooting the Senior Trophy.  That's a lot of handicapped parking.  Ended up 35th of 1148 overall competitors.

  I hope that two week old chick under the overwalk made it to Thursday.



No comments: