I was happy to help my good buddy Joe Garland set up his first field target match in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. It is about 20 mins from his home in Tennessee, located on his fathers and his ancestral property.
With a rapid running creek dividing the course, it was not what I consider a starter friendly course for new shooters. Especially for people that never shot FT before. Not to mention it started as a 62-shot match that graduated to a 64-shot match…
Joe’s goal was to see if there was enough interest in the FT game to have matches regularly and possibly start a new club in this area.
Showing folks, the FT game and how to play it was paramount. He smartly added a 100-yard bench rest “turkey Shoot” that would interest many shooters. It worked!
Still even though several locals cancelled out, a good group of area people came to try their hand at the sport. One who wanted his son to try and told me he was not shooting, ended up shooting and besting his son. Huh…
This was not considered a newbie friendly course. At a Troyer of 30.6 without the 5 or so elevated targets, it would be a challenge.
Joe made it a little harder, as we had veteran shooters coming from the Tar heel Air Gun Club, Central Carolina Air Gun Club, and the PHA club.
First, I want to thank Joe’s family.
Joe’s Wife Laura and Daughter Emma. They took care of the registrations, the food, home prep for signs and the such. Worked the tables to be sure shooters signed the waiver, and a myriad of other chores that are essential to a good match.
Thanks to Joe’s son Josh. He watched the line, assisted in showing how to load the rifles, filling the tanks, distributing tanks. Also for crossing the log foot bridge to save this old fart from resetting targets that were pulled off the block over there.
A special thank you to Joe’s father for his participation. Mowing, clearing, etc. Especially for letting a bunch of rednecks and mountain folk tromp around his house and property. I was very happy he allowed
a “damn Yankee” there at all….LOL
I want to thank the support of my fellow members of the Tar Heel Air Gun Club, Phillip (Deadeye) Hepler and his wife Lynda (Lady Deadeye) Hepler. Philip did the announcements and posted on his FB site.
Thanks to members Matt Stark and Joshua Winslow coming to support the event.
Thanks to friend Johnathon Reyes and his step father June for coming. Thanks to Jerry Cupples, owner of Pellet Gauge for coming and his support. Thanks to buddy Artie Caludino, owner of Lexington Air Guns and founder of the PHA , Piedmont Handgun Association Air Gun Club.
Thanks to Gerald Long and his wife “Bench Rest Betty” her real name Sheryl. Gerald is the founder of the Central Carolina Air Gun Club. He is having his first three-day Grand Prix match Sept 17-19 2021. It is at my favorite course to hate.. (Always a challenge at his course)
As I said above, We were trying to get folks into FT. While Lura and Emma worked on getting the registrations and food prepped, I worked the sight in line. Most were using loaner guns Joe supplied in piston and pcp.
Craig Stevens who works with Joe, brought his son to try it. I asked Craig is he was going to shoot, and he said he’s just there for his son Jacob. Well, at Lunch I found out Craig did end up shooting, sharing the rifle, and bested his son!
On the sight in line I first offered some advice on placement of the bipods, to better steady themselves. Most had the bipods straight up in a very unsteady position. I have to say, all throughout the day on the sight in line and the course, advice given was accepted.
I did not experience and “Stink Eye" or any, “ I know everything about shooting” attitudes. All took the advice given and ran with it.. Really a great bunch of people.
Joe and I ended up shooting while still helping the new shooters while we waited to move to a new lane.
The field target match went well. We had some target issues but nothing serious. Several fell off the blocks across the creek that separates the course. A Gamo target had a bolt vibrate loose and fall out. Easy fix. One of Joe’ tiny targets I made him, would not go down for Gerald and his 12 foot pound rifle. A spring was caught and easily fixed. I had him re-shoot the target and we moved on.
After a big lunch, and licking our wounds from our misses, we were back at it.
Joe set paper turkey heads out at 100 yds, and the turkey shoot began. We had 9 shooters and we used Joe’s .22 Daystate Safari. And his .25 cal RAW HMX1000.
The closest to the brain won it all.
I won the cash purse, using the RAW, with a 5/8” distance to the brain pan. All who shot, actually hit the head with the three shots and a couple with 2 shots.
I do have to mention that Joshua Winslow chose to shoot his HW97 .177 cal PISTON rifle in this turkey shoot.
I must say it was impressive!
Not only did he hit the turkey head three out of the three shots we took, but was just over an inch from the bullseye. WHAT!
After the Turkey shoot, we than did a challenge I made up. I put one of my new Extreme Field Targets of a grizzly bear, beside the 100-yard turkey targets on a block. The challenge was to drop the bear hitting the 2” kill zone!. OFF HAND…! $3 for three attempts.
Matt Stark, Gerald Long, Artie Claudino, and I were the challenger's…..
Matt Stark went first with the .22 Daystate Safari. He dropped the target twice and missed on the third….!! What!
Gerald was next, and after looking at the target with the Safari, turned and looked at me like,….Are you kidding? He did not drop the target…
Artie decided to use the .22 FX impact after picking up the Daystate and RAW checking the weights. He told Joe he wanted to use the .22 FX Impact. Artie said it is shorter. Joe said “Yep, It’s definitely smaller as a bull pup”. Artie grabbed the gun and immediately told joe, “This thing is heavy! Joe quipped “ I said it was short, I didn’t say it was light”)
After the laughter died down, Artie made his three attempts and missed.
I was next and chose the big RAW as it served me well to will the bench rest competition.
While looking down at the tiny kill zone at that distance wavering, I realized, what the hell was I thinking?
Well after not hitting metal on the first two shots I concentrated as best I could, and at least hit metal. Matt took the money prize and it was well deserved…..
Now Gerald’s wife Sheryl, took the table and the .22 safari trying to shoot the bear for fun. After a few shots (and she does not shoot field target or competitions at all). She dropped the bear. That was it! She hung on that table like a bee stuck on honey. The look in Gerald’s eyes was, Great! Now I need to get HER a gun….
It would be safe to state that Joe’s first attempt was wholly successful… With his support, the venue, and the ease of walking the course, he has a winner!. I only whish I was closer. That 6.5 hour drive is restrictive for me to come there regularly.
We never got the chance to use the four wheelers to go up the mountain and see if another course there was feasible due to the angle… Mabey next time.
Thanks Bud, I had great time.
