This Gran Prix event was held in Morro Bay which is a small community on the coast of central California. Nestled among the rolling hills less than 2 miles inland having coastal sea breezes with morning fog / high marine layer this venue offers a lot of change threw out the day/s you spend in practice and actual match competition.
Event this year was hosted by the SVFTC club out of Sacramento where the 300+ mile difference had us asking for and getting much support from the other field target clubs on the west coast. The Site location and course set up done by the SLSBA with Scott hull doing a bang up job in preliminary work. CASA members from Southern cal along with Diablo members from the Bay area also helped us pull this match off with no one getting too burnt out .... We're ALL shooters !!
The week started early with Jim C and Scott S arriving on Wednesday afternoon meeting up with Scott H to ascertain what & where finishing touches were required while walking the course and general site local.
Thursday morning final touches put on the 60 shot rifle rifle course to be shot Saturday with 5 new lanes established being 180* from lanes they would replace for Sunday having differing wind angles / direction along with the other lane shifts making up the 50% change required for the second day to be Gran Prix qualified.
Up next came setting up the Friday Pistol FT range. We had all lane positions established thanks to Scott H and just needed to establish target position / distances for each. We ended up with all 10 lanes in a row, tho having a near 90* fan spread to expose the shooters to differing wind angles for there 40 shot match to be held on Friday afternoon @ 3:00 pm The location was in the WIDE OPEN adjoining field offering Zero protection from the ever present breeze to wind !!
Yea it blows a bit on the coast ... Lol
By Thursday afternoon it looks like near 1/2 of the competitors have checked in, checked it out etc ... Come mid morning Friday we have got near everyone on site & checked in. Having many practicing there wind doping skill on the practice line that .... Lol, sits @ 90 degrees to actual match lanes. So what you learn practicing does not equate to what you will deal with during the match. It helps but not as much as you wish it would. *** Are we having fun yet ?
FRIDAY @ 3:00 a shooters meeting is called for all PISTOL shooters with 9 folks taking up the challenge. 10 lanes, 2 targets per lane , 2 shots per target = 40 shots.
Groans and giggles over the next hour and a half or so .... Wind yup, Right left to Left right as you move across lanes kept everyone on there toes trying there best to wait for wind lulls or just doping it !
A Really FUN sub match to start off the weekend !!! Pistol is not for everyone, but given some time to figure it out it can be a Very rewarding Field Target challenge.
SATURDAY @ 7:00 we get the practice range open. At @ 9:15 we shut it down and commence our shooters meeting. Issues of Range Safety, Personal safety, Course configuration and way the match is to be shot, Protest procedures and all the stuff needing to be said gets addressed. The Squad assignments of 2 persons each has already been established having day 1 be a mix and match of classes & shooters all jumbled up ..... No by class grouping letting mother nature and happen chance take its toll ... lol.
All are walking out and we call the line HOT just before 10:00 with 23 shooters spread out over 15 lanes.
During Saturdays rifle match we get a couple protests on the target functions and address them. Most are splits with one target that was not doing well with the lower power guns. All said we get everyone satisfied best we can.
SUNDAY starts a tad earlier so we can finish earlier allowing those who have a long drive to get out-of-town !! Practice open again @ 7:00 with shooters meeting at @ 8:15 with all walking out just past 8:30.
Day 2 changes things up, Like class shooters with closest score are paired up. During the squad assignments notes from saturday were made WHERE on course all shooters had started. So if you had the really exposed lanes day 1 late in the match we tried to get you there early .... Loosely but fairly.
A couple more protests on target function & resolved. Those 5 lane switches took there toll being Day 1 had ALL shot on the west facing side of road, the changes were 180* opposed going east ! Some V spread on targets 1 & 2 further screwed with ones ability to dope the wind. Did you read it that wind blows on the coast ?
RESULTS by Day, Class & Competitor
Friday August 13
Field Target PISTOL XX / 40
Limited PCP
Cameron K 36
Dana W 25
Son L 20
Pat C 13
Hunter PCP
Scott S 33
Scott H 31
Martin O 26 * Won by shoot off
John K 26
Vince P 22
Saturday and Sunday August 14 & 15
Gran Prix Rifle ( All classes ) XX / 120
WFTF PCP
Lauren P 50 / 47 = 97 * Won by shoot off
Son L 45 / 52 = 97
Garret K 41 / 48 = 89
Dana W 39 / 41 = 80
Open PCP
Kelly H 50 / 54 = 104 * High Match Score
Jim W 42 / 49 = 91
Vince P 47 / 41 = 88
Chris M 40 / 46 = 86
Pat C 34 / 41 = 75
PISTON Combined classes
Cameron K 36 / 50 = 86
Jim P 36 / 30 = 66
Freestyle ( Non AAFTA Class )
Art B 32 / 15 = 47
Hunter PCP
Scott H 55 / 47 = 102 * Highest daily score
Scott S 46 / 53 = 99
John K 47 / 47 = 94 * Won by 3 way shoot off
Jim C 44 / 50 = 94 *
John B 45 / 49 = 94 *
Fred B 44 / 47 = 91
AJ K 44 / 44 = 88
Martin O 43 / 45 = 88
Jesse A 33 / 34 = 67
Conrad R 25 / 35 = 60
John L 0 / 39 = 39 * Day 1 DQ over power limits
Scott E - / 23 * Joined us Sunday only
Now as too the festive and after hours times .... We had FOOD provided for everyone who hung around be it Breakfast stuff, LUNCHES as always along with Dinner Fri & Sat nights. Cooler full of water, sodas and even other more adult libations for after shooting hours. You could show up and camp on site and Never leave for 3 days and be taken care of .... a GREAT MATCH TOO !! This site even had a hot shower available, a cooking range and BBQ for those wishing to do there own thing. RV parking along with tent campers had electricity too.
This weekends weather started out with a fog inversion layer up high being 60* or so each morning, By noon the fog was gone on Fri & Sat leading to highs @ mid 70's On Sunday the Fog inversion hung around till nearly 1:00 having the morning staying cool and just a small breeze to deal with. Last hour or so of Sunday the fog left and breeze blew a bit harder as expected.
THANK YOU to all who made it to Morro Bay California this past weekend !!! Hope all had a Great time and challenging shooting experience !! Thank you to all who helped in this match getting done .. you know who you are .. Thank You !
On behalf of the SVFTC, SLSBA, CASA, DIABLO Field target clubs ..
Scott Schneider
Match director
Event this year was hosted by the SVFTC club out of Sacramento where the 300+ mile difference had us asking for and getting much support from the other field target clubs on the west coast. The Site location and course set up done by the SLSBA with Scott hull doing a bang up job in preliminary work. CASA members from Southern cal along with Diablo members from the Bay area also helped us pull this match off with no one getting too burnt out .... We're ALL shooters !!
The week started early with Jim C and Scott S arriving on Wednesday afternoon meeting up with Scott H to ascertain what & where finishing touches were required while walking the course and general site local.
Thursday morning final touches put on the 60 shot rifle rifle course to be shot Saturday with 5 new lanes established being 180* from lanes they would replace for Sunday having differing wind angles / direction along with the other lane shifts making up the 50% change required for the second day to be Gran Prix qualified.
Up next came setting up the Friday Pistol FT range. We had all lane positions established thanks to Scott H and just needed to establish target position / distances for each. We ended up with all 10 lanes in a row, tho having a near 90* fan spread to expose the shooters to differing wind angles for there 40 shot match to be held on Friday afternoon @ 3:00 pm The location was in the WIDE OPEN adjoining field offering Zero protection from the ever present breeze to wind !!
Yea it blows a bit on the coast ... Lol
By Thursday afternoon it looks like near 1/2 of the competitors have checked in, checked it out etc ... Come mid morning Friday we have got near everyone on site & checked in. Having many practicing there wind doping skill on the practice line that .... Lol, sits @ 90 degrees to actual match lanes. So what you learn practicing does not equate to what you will deal with during the match. It helps but not as much as you wish it would. *** Are we having fun yet ?
FRIDAY @ 3:00 a shooters meeting is called for all PISTOL shooters with 9 folks taking up the challenge. 10 lanes, 2 targets per lane , 2 shots per target = 40 shots.
Groans and giggles over the next hour and a half or so .... Wind yup, Right left to Left right as you move across lanes kept everyone on there toes trying there best to wait for wind lulls or just doping it !
A Really FUN sub match to start off the weekend !!! Pistol is not for everyone, but given some time to figure it out it can be a Very rewarding Field Target challenge.
SATURDAY @ 7:00 we get the practice range open. At @ 9:15 we shut it down and commence our shooters meeting. Issues of Range Safety, Personal safety, Course configuration and way the match is to be shot, Protest procedures and all the stuff needing to be said gets addressed. The Squad assignments of 2 persons each has already been established having day 1 be a mix and match of classes & shooters all jumbled up ..... No by class grouping letting mother nature and happen chance take its toll ... lol.
All are walking out and we call the line HOT just before 10:00 with 23 shooters spread out over 15 lanes.
During Saturdays rifle match we get a couple protests on the target functions and address them. Most are splits with one target that was not doing well with the lower power guns. All said we get everyone satisfied best we can.
SUNDAY starts a tad earlier so we can finish earlier allowing those who have a long drive to get out-of-town !! Practice open again @ 7:00 with shooters meeting at @ 8:15 with all walking out just past 8:30.
Day 2 changes things up, Like class shooters with closest score are paired up. During the squad assignments notes from saturday were made WHERE on course all shooters had started. So if you had the really exposed lanes day 1 late in the match we tried to get you there early .... Loosely but fairly.
A couple more protests on target function & resolved. Those 5 lane switches took there toll being Day 1 had ALL shot on the west facing side of road, the changes were 180* opposed going east ! Some V spread on targets 1 & 2 further screwed with ones ability to dope the wind. Did you read it that wind blows on the coast ?
RESULTS by Day, Class & Competitor
Friday August 13
Field Target PISTOL XX / 40
Limited PCP
Cameron K 36
Dana W 25
Son L 20
Pat C 13
Hunter PCP
Scott S 33
Scott H 31
Martin O 26 * Won by shoot off
John K 26
Vince P 22
Saturday and Sunday August 14 & 15
Gran Prix Rifle ( All classes ) XX / 120
WFTF PCP
Lauren P 50 / 47 = 97 * Won by shoot off
Son L 45 / 52 = 97
Garret K 41 / 48 = 89
Dana W 39 / 41 = 80
Open PCP
Kelly H 50 / 54 = 104 * High Match Score
Jim W 42 / 49 = 91
Vince P 47 / 41 = 88
Chris M 40 / 46 = 86
Pat C 34 / 41 = 75
PISTON Combined classes
Cameron K 36 / 50 = 86
Jim P 36 / 30 = 66
Freestyle ( Non AAFTA Class )
Art B 32 / 15 = 47
Hunter PCP
Scott H 55 / 47 = 102 * Highest daily score
Scott S 46 / 53 = 99
John K 47 / 47 = 94 * Won by 3 way shoot off
Jim C 44 / 50 = 94 *
John B 45 / 49 = 94 *
Fred B 44 / 47 = 91
AJ K 44 / 44 = 88
Martin O 43 / 45 = 88
Jesse A 33 / 34 = 67
Conrad R 25 / 35 = 60
John L 0 / 39 = 39 * Day 1 DQ over power limits
Scott E - / 23 * Joined us Sunday only
Now as too the festive and after hours times .... We had FOOD provided for everyone who hung around be it Breakfast stuff, LUNCHES as always along with Dinner Fri & Sat nights. Cooler full of water, sodas and even other more adult libations for after shooting hours. You could show up and camp on site and Never leave for 3 days and be taken care of .... a GREAT MATCH TOO !! This site even had a hot shower available, a cooking range and BBQ for those wishing to do there own thing. RV parking along with tent campers had electricity too.
This weekends weather started out with a fog inversion layer up high being 60* or so each morning, By noon the fog was gone on Fri & Sat leading to highs @ mid 70's On Sunday the Fog inversion hung around till nearly 1:00 having the morning staying cool and just a small breeze to deal with. Last hour or so of Sunday the fog left and breeze blew a bit harder as expected.
THANK YOU to all who made it to Morro Bay California this past weekend !!! Hope all had a Great time and challenging shooting experience !! Thank you to all who helped in this match getting done .. you know who you are .. Thank You !
On behalf of the SVFTC, SLSBA, CASA, DIABLO Field target clubs ..
Scott Schneider
Match director
