Field Target Club

TRAC match – May 18, 2021

Ahhhh…….Another wonderful day in the neighborhood.  Hazy blue skies and bright sunshine.  Temps starting at around 77 degrees and warming to 85 by the end of the match.  Winds were constant and a bit more pronounced over last week’s match at 5 to 7 mph, but building to 10 mph by the end of the match with occasional gusts to 18 mph.  They seemed to be constantly fluctuating from the SSE to the SSW and back again; fishtailing rapidly.  It was tricky determining where to hold because it changed so quick.  When holding up the strings, they made lazy “S” shapes that undulated.  Wayne even commented that he experienced some updrafts down at the targets.  Much easier to see the pellet flight with a PCP that way.  It did create some interesting face plate impact patterns on the targets.  Just another good learning experience.

We had 6 lanes / 2 targets per / shoot thru twice / 48 shot match.  We set the course, then headed to the sight-in/warm up targets.  Quick shooter briefing and then started the match…..almost.

We had a visitor in the form of a healthy, young, about two foot long rattlesnake, with 5 buttons on his tail, at lane 5.  He must have been in one of the gopher holes at the edge of the firing line concrete pad and crawled out to bask in the early heat of the day…..and that is where he stayed.  We moved the strings and the lane cone, and called BASF liaison officer, who arrived in a short while to relocate him.  We even named him.  Started out with SOB, then sum-bee-itch, but finally settled on BJ (for Basketball Jones).

BJ was no bother.  He just turned his head to watch the shooters go from lane to lane.  Didn’t even bother to flick his tongue to taste the air.  He just laid there until Dave Williams came to evict him.  That tidbit of action over with, we completed the match.

Old man Mike did his usual win, today with 47/48 and only missing his 3rd shot into the match using his Thomas.

Barry was next in line, shooting his Redwolf for a 42/48.

Mark shot 37/48 with his TX200 springer.

Scott was hot on Mark’s heals with 36/48 and using his Brocock Sniper

Wayne also used his Brocock Sniper (popular little gun) and shot 34/48.

We also had a spectator today.  Bob Ewing came out to watch the action.  Not sure whether he is going to participate, but knowing old man Mike, he will certainly work on him.  Having ridden with Mike anyway, he was a captive audience.

We will be at the Rifle silhouette range, under the canopy, this coming Saturday for our monthly match and again next Tuesday for the final match in May.  The first two Tuesdays in June will be on the pistol silhouette range.  Seems as if we are playing ping-pong with the range changes, but we are fitting in to the BASF schedule and still able to shoot, so what’s the difference?

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Kauffman

Secretary, Airgunners of Arizona, Inc.