The airgun nut that brought Rifle and Pistol Field Target to Texas, and Pistol Field Target to the U.S., last weekend brought Extreme Rifle and Pistol Field Target to Texas. On March 19 - 21 airgunners from around Texas, Arizona, and Oklahoma gathered at Ranchito Robinson for the 2021 Republic of Texas TEXtreme Field Target Championships weekend featuring four matches over three days of extreme airgunning competitions.
In order to allow a wide window of opportunity for travelers to arrive, and a relaxing first day to meet, greet, and settle in, the Ranchito Robinson venue opened at 9 AM Friday for practice and sight-in until the 2 PM Shooters’ Meeting for Friday’s combination Extreme Pistol/Fun Rifle Field Target competition. The 40 shot match had a rifle Troyer Factor in the low twenties, hence the FUN Rifle moniker. However, those same targets, lanes, and course translated into mid-thirties Troyer Factors for the Extreme Pistol FT shooters.
Jeff Cloud won the Fun Rifle match with an excellent 38/40 score with his Kahles-scoped .177 Rapid Air Weapons TM1000, shooting 8.44 grain JSB Exact pellets. Nice shooting, Jeff.
Match Director Ron Robinson won the Pistol Extreme Field Target match with a 31/40, using his 1960s-vintage Crosman Model 187 Co2 rifle converted to regulated HPA bottle pistol. Ron’s Frankenstein FT pistol shoots 8.44 grain JSB Exacts about 780 FPS… into tight little groups at fifty yards averaging .67” center-to-center that can be covered by a nickel. Ron earned a 20 ounce, leather-wrapped insulated aluminum cup with embossed TEXtreme Field Target Match Winner logo for his pistol efforts.
John Tafoya prevailed for the win in Saturday’s 35 Foot Pound (maximum) Extreme Field Target match with an excellent-for-conditions 29/42 score, taking home a 30 ounce version of the insulated TFT Match Winner logo-cup, a framed Match Winner certificate, and a Match Winner hat pin. John used his new (and gorgeous) walnut-stocked .22 Daystate Red Wolf equipped with a Tract Optics scope, shooting 18.1 grain JSBs at 873 FPS. Nice shooting, JT.
Saturdays Extreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match included a 35 Foot Pound class and an 80 Foot Pound Class. Derrick Wall won the match overall with his 80 FP Class rifle, posting a superb 38/40 score. Derrick used an Athlon Optics equipped .22 RTI Prophet, zinging 25.39 grain JSB Redesign pellets 970 FPS! DW carted home a 30 ounce TEXtreme Field Target Match Winner logo cup, and a framed Match Winner certificate. He also hit ten-in-a-row chickens, pigs, and rams. Awesome shooting, Derrick!
Jim Clarke won the 35 Foot Pound class in the Extreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match with his gorgeous walnut-stocked, Hawke Optics equipped .177 Daystate Red Wolf. Jim posted a 25/40, shooting 16.2 Grain JSBs at 980 FPS. Good show, Jim.
Sunday’s 100 Foot Pound Class Extreme Field Target match might be considered the main event of the TEXtreme Field Target weekend. Fifteen shooters from three states contested the match, a large majority shooting their first-ever Extreme Field Target competition. However you’d never know it was Jeff Cloud’s first EFT experience. Jeff won going away, posting an awesome score of 35/42 with his Sightron-scoped .25 caliber Rapid Air Weapons HM1000X chassis rifle. That awesome shooting machine was pushing 33.95 JSBs at 850 FPS; obviously a very effective combination. Jeff carted home a 30 ounce TFT Match Winner cup, a framed Match Winner certificate, a Match Winner hat pin, AND A SCOPED DIANA GAS-RAM RIFLE DONATED BY TFT SPONSOR AIRGUNS OF ARIZONA! I think Jeff had to rent a U-Haul to carry home all his winnings. Great shooting Jeff!
Airguns of Arizona also donated five extreme field targets to the cause of helping promote the new, high-power field target game in Texas, and schwag-bag items including Aztec Optics lycra arm sleeves, Napier airgun oil, and Napier pellet lube.
Jerry Cupples of PelletGage fame also donated five extreme field targets to the cause, PelletGage promotional writing pens for the schwag bags, and two PelletGages each to the Match Winners of the 35 and 100 Foot Pound Extreme Field Target matches. Many thanks, Jerry.
Other highlights of the weekend included group dinners at local eateries, a 60th birthday celebration for Airguns of Arizona co-owner Robert Buchanan, on-site airgunsmithing courtesy of Bobby Corcorran, and free tank fills courtesy of Airguns of Arizona.
The Match Director would like to take this opportunity to thank TFT sponsors Robert Buchanan/Airguns of Arizona, and Jerry Cupples/PelletGage for their generous donations and contributions to the 2021 Republic of Texas TEXtreme Field Target Championships weekend. Extreme Field Target competition in Texas could not happen without these generous supporters of American airgunning. Many, MANY thanks, Gentlemen! I apologize for the many oversights and bobbles of the Match Director, and make no excuses beyond those you've already heard.
Which brings us to the fact the Ranchito Robinson venue will now be hosting quarterly Extreme Field Target matches; weather permitting, the first Sunday of every third month (June, September, December 2021, March 2022, etc.). The EFT matches staged on those third months will be instead of our usual Bench-Rest Silhouette matches. However the Bench-Rest Silhouette matches will continue on the usual (first Sunday) schedule every month other than EFT months.
Happy Airgunning Y'all,
Ron
Jeff Cloud dominating the TFT course
You'd never know this was Derrick Wall's first-ever field target match! Nice form, Derrick.
Robert Buchanan engages a distant target.
Left to right- Match Director Ron Robinson, PelletGage Jerry Cupples, and two Match Winner Jeff Cloud.
TFT Lane 6- A 1" KZ Dove at 18 yards, and a 3" KZ Coyote at 95 yards.
In order to allow a wide window of opportunity for travelers to arrive, and a relaxing first day to meet, greet, and settle in, the Ranchito Robinson venue opened at 9 AM Friday for practice and sight-in until the 2 PM Shooters’ Meeting for Friday’s combination Extreme Pistol/Fun Rifle Field Target competition. The 40 shot match had a rifle Troyer Factor in the low twenties, hence the FUN Rifle moniker. However, those same targets, lanes, and course translated into mid-thirties Troyer Factors for the Extreme Pistol FT shooters.
Jeff Cloud won the Fun Rifle match with an excellent 38/40 score with his Kahles-scoped .177 Rapid Air Weapons TM1000, shooting 8.44 grain JSB Exact pellets. Nice shooting, Jeff.
Match Director Ron Robinson won the Pistol Extreme Field Target match with a 31/40, using his 1960s-vintage Crosman Model 187 Co2 rifle converted to regulated HPA bottle pistol. Ron’s Frankenstein FT pistol shoots 8.44 grain JSB Exacts about 780 FPS… into tight little groups at fifty yards averaging .67” center-to-center that can be covered by a nickel. Ron earned a 20 ounce, leather-wrapped insulated aluminum cup with embossed TEXtreme Field Target Match Winner logo for his pistol efforts.
John Tafoya prevailed for the win in Saturday’s 35 Foot Pound (maximum) Extreme Field Target match with an excellent-for-conditions 29/42 score, taking home a 30 ounce version of the insulated TFT Match Winner logo-cup, a framed Match Winner certificate, and a Match Winner hat pin. John used his new (and gorgeous) walnut-stocked .22 Daystate Red Wolf equipped with a Tract Optics scope, shooting 18.1 grain JSBs at 873 FPS. Nice shooting, JT.
Saturdays Extreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match included a 35 Foot Pound class and an 80 Foot Pound Class. Derrick Wall won the match overall with his 80 FP Class rifle, posting a superb 38/40 score. Derrick used an Athlon Optics equipped .22 RTI Prophet, zinging 25.39 grain JSB Redesign pellets 970 FPS! DW carted home a 30 ounce TEXtreme Field Target Match Winner logo cup, and a framed Match Winner certificate. He also hit ten-in-a-row chickens, pigs, and rams. Awesome shooting, Derrick!
Jim Clarke won the 35 Foot Pound class in the Extreme Bench-Rest Silhouette match with his gorgeous walnut-stocked, Hawke Optics equipped .177 Daystate Red Wolf. Jim posted a 25/40, shooting 16.2 Grain JSBs at 980 FPS. Good show, Jim.
Sunday’s 100 Foot Pound Class Extreme Field Target match might be considered the main event of the TEXtreme Field Target weekend. Fifteen shooters from three states contested the match, a large majority shooting their first-ever Extreme Field Target competition. However you’d never know it was Jeff Cloud’s first EFT experience. Jeff won going away, posting an awesome score of 35/42 with his Sightron-scoped .25 caliber Rapid Air Weapons HM1000X chassis rifle. That awesome shooting machine was pushing 33.95 JSBs at 850 FPS; obviously a very effective combination. Jeff carted home a 30 ounce TFT Match Winner cup, a framed Match Winner certificate, a Match Winner hat pin, AND A SCOPED DIANA GAS-RAM RIFLE DONATED BY TFT SPONSOR AIRGUNS OF ARIZONA! I think Jeff had to rent a U-Haul to carry home all his winnings. Great shooting Jeff!
Airguns of Arizona also donated five extreme field targets to the cause of helping promote the new, high-power field target game in Texas, and schwag-bag items including Aztec Optics lycra arm sleeves, Napier airgun oil, and Napier pellet lube.
Jerry Cupples of PelletGage fame also donated five extreme field targets to the cause, PelletGage promotional writing pens for the schwag bags, and two PelletGages each to the Match Winners of the 35 and 100 Foot Pound Extreme Field Target matches. Many thanks, Jerry.
Other highlights of the weekend included group dinners at local eateries, a 60th birthday celebration for Airguns of Arizona co-owner Robert Buchanan, on-site airgunsmithing courtesy of Bobby Corcorran, and free tank fills courtesy of Airguns of Arizona.
The Match Director would like to take this opportunity to thank TFT sponsors Robert Buchanan/Airguns of Arizona, and Jerry Cupples/PelletGage for their generous donations and contributions to the 2021 Republic of Texas TEXtreme Field Target Championships weekend. Extreme Field Target competition in Texas could not happen without these generous supporters of American airgunning. Many, MANY thanks, Gentlemen! I apologize for the many oversights and bobbles of the Match Director, and make no excuses beyond those you've already heard.
Which brings us to the fact the Ranchito Robinson venue will now be hosting quarterly Extreme Field Target matches; weather permitting, the first Sunday of every third month (June, September, December 2021, March 2022, etc.). The EFT matches staged on those third months will be instead of our usual Bench-Rest Silhouette matches. However the Bench-Rest Silhouette matches will continue on the usual (first Sunday) schedule every month other than EFT months.
Happy Airgunning Y'all,
Ron
Jeff Cloud dominating the TFT course
You'd never know this was Derrick Wall's first-ever field target match! Nice form, Derrick.
Robert Buchanan engages a distant target.
Left to right- Match Director Ron Robinson, PelletGage Jerry Cupples, and two Match Winner Jeff Cloud.
TFT Lane 6- A 1" KZ Dove at 18 yards, and a 3" KZ Coyote at 95 yards.
Not really; I knew they would.