Shooting a big match...

[264Charlie]

Guys a lot of talk around the big or highly visible matches now days. We need to be humble in the way we approach them and remember shooting is a you vs. you sport. The "socal" shooters have done well at a few events over the last year or so but really only in the last year. If you look at the shooters that have done well it is the same 3 - 5 guys. Speaking strictly to NorCal they have a huge pool of great shooter not just a few all-stars. Frankly a team match would most likely be a massacre.

A lot of credit needs to go to Randall & Brad for pulling this site together and getting SoCal shooters to man up and get to the range. We all know we still struggle a bit getting guys out consistently. Each and every shooter has an opportunity to get better with steady well ran match to shoot at every month thanks to guys on this forum. Now it's up the the individual shooter to take advantage of the resources and become better. Don't fall back on the few good guy's on this board and start thinking "us". Since the first day Randall damn near forced me to shoot a Sac monthly match I have only hoped to shoot as well Randall, Brad and Ryan.

Some of you might not know that 2010 was really my first year shooting. Before TBRC 2010 I shot every weekend, sometimes two days in a row for months. Including as many trips to the Sac monthly matched as I could make. What did this do for me? Well I earned a 33rd place at TBRC. That is with great gear and months of training. Are you ready to shoot TBRC 2011 or any big match?

Preparing for a big match includes a few things, physical conditioning, equipment understanding, mental focus, load dev, and honing your shooting skills. I blew at least 10 spots due to mental games, James can confirm my frustration. If you want to shoot a big match you need to be dry firing every night, shooting as often as you can at both steel and LR paper. Really, how often do we SoCal guys even get to shoot paper at 1K? The NorCal boys get to every month and they have home court advantage at TBRC.

We do get a lot of practice on steel and pressure shooting at the CaPRC monthly matches. Are you attending? If so, I can tell you that you should be shooting with a score equal or better than Randall, Brad and Ryan if you want to place well at TBRC. James mops up many of the CaPRC shoots and he got 18th at Sac, even with a 10xs of the paper stage. Guys this or any big match is not easy and you and only you can improve your shooting skill. Don't wait for a CaPRC event to go shooting. Get out to Sac if you can and compete as often as you can. I know Randall, Ryan, James don't just set around a wait for a CaPRC event, they shoot often.

Some thinks to think about...

Can you make 200 yard+ cold bores consistently?
How comfortable are you with your gear?
Are you comfortable reading wind a 1K?
Are you cleaning the positional stages at CaPRC events?
Have you cleaned a 10 dot drill on the first try?

[rksimple]

Good post Charlie. I think it really takes shooting a big match to realize all the different shit you have to work on to really do well. It shows you your weaknesses in a hurry.

[dlouie87]

I'm still new to all this. Is that TBRC that big of deal? I might have to check it out this year

[rksimple]

Is that TBRC that big of deal?

When a match fills in the first minute of open registration, its kind of a big deal.

[264Charlie]

When a match fills in the first minute of open registration, its kind of a big deal.

Yes it is... Not only did the match fill in the first minute of registration, I think if filled twice. Above on beyond that is a very well ran shoot with some top level guys shooting the event. Hey last year I even had George form GA Precision buy me a beer.

[dlouie87]

When a match fills in the first minute of open registration, its kind of a big deal.

I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying it like that. I just didn't know about it.

BTW, most of these shooters, what ages are they from? mid 20's -50s?

I'm 23 and I'm starting to get into this sport.

But I dont mean to thread jack. Back on topic.

[rksimple]

I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying it like that. I just didn't know about it.

BTW, most of these shooters, what ages are they from? mid 20's -50s?

I'm 23 and I'm starting to get into this sport.

But I dont mean to thread jack. Back on topic.

From 20-60 or so. All types, all kinds.

[DirtRacer151]

I think that was an awesome post Charlie.

To add to what you wrote about me winning a bunch of the monthly's the past year. I have made goals along the way. First i wanted to win. Then i wanted to beat Randall. Then i wanted to beat Ryan. I'm happy to say that i have actually beat them both at a CaPRC monthly match. What does this mean in a REAL match? JACK SHIT!!

Guys like Ryan, Brad, and Randall have been doing this much longer then me. I have gained the confidence to shoot very well over the past year. The difference is that I have a handful of VERY good stages in any given match and then usually a few zeros along the way. I fuck up too much!! To do well at a big match it's all about endurance and consistency. The difference is that these guys are seasoned vets.I don't think Ryan zeroed 1 single stage at SCPRC. Now that's impressive!! It's also the key to success in a long 2 day match. At TBRC i shot more 10x's then anyone else by probably double yet i still only got 18th It just goes to show you why the vets do so well. They don't try to out do themselves every stage. They shoot a clean and consistent match and most importantly they don't fuck up!!! That why they end up near the top in the at the end of the weekend. That's something that is hard for us newer guys to understand at first. We just want to go out and kick ass!!

My strategy this year is to train hard and work as a team. I will do my best to stay consistent and shoot my own match. I will focus not on getting as many points per stage as i can but instead not loosing any more then i have to. No more zeros!!

[264Charlie]

I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying it like that. I just didn't know about it.

BTW, most of these shooters, what ages are they from? mid 20's -50s?

I'm 23 and I'm starting to get into this sport.

But I dont mean to thread jack. Back on topic.

Don't think you offended anyone... All kinds shoot the match it's kind of funny actually good mix of people.

[Short Action Precision]

Great post Charlie. Even with the Ball Bustin I was doing I didn't mean to harm anyone just ruffling some feathers! I have the utmost respect for all the shooters up North and Down here. I want to continue to do better and better. Do I want to win first? Of course some day. But for right now this year I want continue to improve each week. What I think we new guys don't understand and are learning from you vets is how to Train. Other then Practicing Dry firing every night in different positions. And getting are ass off the bench and supported prone. So any tips are much appreciated. Looking forward to getting out as much as I can this year.

[264Charlie]

Great post Charlie. Even with the Ball Bustin I was doing I didn't mean to harm anyone just ruffling some feathers! I have the utmost respect for all the shooters up North and Down here. I want to continue to do better and better. Do I want to win first? Of course some day. But for right now this year I want continue to improve each week. What I think we new guys don't understand and are learning from you vets is how to Train. Other then Practicing Dry firing every night in different positions. And getting are ass off the bench and supported prone. So any tips are much appreciated. Looking forward to getting out as much as I can this year.

Was not directed at you man... just all in general.

[dreka]

Extremely glad to read this post. I wanted to join a club that was really passionate about competition shooting as I was hoping to do the same. I'm glad that I found you guys.

I'll make my commitment here and now that I will do my best to better my abilities as a shooter.

[Chris]

Extremely glad to read this post. I wanted to join a club that was really passionate about competition shooting as I was hoping to do the same. I'm glad that I found you guys.

I'll make my commitment here and now that I will do my best to better my abilities as a shooter.

Just for future reference, Desert Marksman has now made a minor rule change that if you are the only person on the range, you may shoot from the 1000 yard perch on paper until anyone else arrives. This means that during the winter especially, there is a 2 hour window every morning that you can shoot and practice and often much longer. Tomorrow I don't expect anyone else to be there until well past ten if they come at all and I will be there before dawn. Of course, it often means that it's butt cold and tomorrow I still expect five or so inches of snow on the ground but hey.

[Gnzrme]

Chris, what are you using as a target? The frames or the steel? Steel on hill is way bigger than the targets at Sac. Will try to met up with you tomorrow. Don't know though as it's late now and I am still up

[hochung]

I will focus not on getting as many points per stage as i can but instead not loosing any more then i have to. No more zeros!!

Wise. Very wise. I've taken a good look at the past match results. The shooter with the least number of zeroed stages almost always won the match.

[Gnzrme]

Charlie is right. Its very much a mind screw. I should have looked carefully at the Poolball target and realized that I did not have solid shots on all the other balls before shooting the eightball....That cost me 60 points right there....If I had not shot it, I could have just kept the points for hitting all the other balls, but no, I had to be a point hog and try and get 100 and ended up fucking up....(didn't listen to that voice in my head). After I shoot the monthly matches, I save the COF sheets and then take them to my home range and attempt to duplicate the COF for practice. I find that I can usually shoot better without the timer, so its the pressure that fucks with you....I am also resolving to practice more this year....looking forward to more matches....

[grandslam]

Great post Charlie.