Correction- a bad novel. 
Having considered myself first and foremost a Realist ever since I could formulate an opinion of my own, I consider most weather forecasts of professional meteorologists to be roughly the equivalent of the Green New Deal of professional politicians and climate alarmists. That anyone lends credence to either, I find surprising. And that anyone lends any credence to “TEN-DAY weather forecasts”, I find utterly hilarious.
Nevertheless, since my superhuman powers of forethought and soothsaying apply only to matters requiring common sense and insight, meaning those powers don’t apply to weather forecasting, I figure it a good idea to follow weather forecasts I suspect TEXtreme shooters follow ever closer as match days approach. So it was that, as I’ve mentioned in more Match Announcement updates in the last week than ever before, for that same last week I’ve been following daily weather forecasts like climate alarmists following Al Gore! Thankfully unlike them, I’ve lent little to no credence to climate/weather forecasts despite them being such a necessary evil affecting a(ny) match director’s decision not only whether or not to cancel a match, but when to announce a decision based on all available evidence, factors and variables… like WEATHER.
So as the clock ticked torturously toward match day, I postponed the decision long as possible. Correction- Almost long as possible.
With enough shooters contacting me stating “I ain’t skeered to shoot in the rain!”, and a weeks worth of dire rain forecasts amounting to little more than a few sprinkles as an excuse if my decision proved disastrous, I decided to acquiesce putting off the decision till (self-imposed) deadline and announced, “The match is on” the evening before deadline. So OF COURSE the skies immediately responded with downpours that would make the past week’s forecasts proud!
Fearing fewer “I ain’t skeered”ers would show than boasted they would, not only did only ONE prove worthy of said fear, but many more Texans and Okies showed up than my most optimistic hopes (considering the fickle-ass weather). Be it because the attendees were happy for any respite from the Heat Wave of 2022, did not understand what rain is, or thought it a good opportunity to take their weekly Saturday night showers a little early, twenty skeeredless shooters contested Saturday’s match. Fortunately but not surprisingly, enduring nary a drop of precipitation.
Thankfully the Ranchito Robinson grounds proved thirsty enough to suck down overnight downpours like a sponge (somewhat, anyway); enough so that by the 2:15 PM “HOT LINE” holler the muddy ground also proved not (quite) as messy as an Alabama mud-wrestling pit (don’t ask how I know). Just as thankfully, my shooters heeded my pleas to transfer as little mud as possible from the muddy TEXtreme grounds into the TEXtreme World Headquarters Complex. Many, many, MANY THANKS, Friends!
Capturing the Fourth Place Airguns Of Arizona $100 gift certificate was FIRST-TIME field target shooter Brian Stafford! Brian traveled 400 miles (round trip) to post a fine 39/40 score with his .22 FX impact, shooting JSB Redesigns 940 FPS. I assume his rig was scoped. Excellent shooting Brian! I also assume your first field target match might not be your last. By the way, this might be a good time for all you skeeredless shooters to... GET SKEERED!
Mark Welker, purportedly of some place called Oklahoma, traveled 15 hours (round trip) to capture the Third Place $150 Airguns Of Arizona gift certificate with his Riton scoped .22 RTI Prophet shooting JSB pellets 972 FPS. Mark’s excellent 42/48 score suggests his superhuman skills with spring-piston guns cross over to less prehistoric airgun power-plants as well. He has made a habit out of shooting PCP-like scores in field target competition with sproingers, confirming my long-held suspicions he is actually a space alien masquerading as an Okie.
Great shooting Mark!
Continuing his (annoying
) habit of consistently placing on the podium in airgun competitions, Chuck Misenheimer captured the $250 Second Place Airguns Of Arizona gift certificate with a fine 43/48 score. Chuck’s Athlon scoped Daystate Safari serves him well, shooting 25 grain JSB pellets 970 FPS. Fine shooting, CM!
Bringing up the rear… Correction- FRONT, was some dang guy nobody’s ever heard of called Derrick Wall. This Derrick Wall character, apparently an utter newbie to airguns, somehow got lucky enough to post a 48/48 score to capture the $350 Airguns Of Arizona Match Winner gift certificate! Also known as a perfect score; also called “cleaning the course”, perfect FT scores are also rarer than National Champion FT titles. Considerably rarer! Apparently the DW guy also got lucky enough to stumble upon a rifle rig combination capable of cleaning the course- a .30 Kalibrgun Cricket topped with an Athlon Hilos (sic, I think) scope, and shooting 50.15 JSB pellets 870 FPS… apparently like a laser! Make that, a WELL-AIMED LASER!
FWIW, and not to understate his LUCK, this is the first time the TEXtreme field target rifle course has been cleaned. And again not to understate his LUCK, this is despite the fact the course evolves more difficult since TEXtreme get-go.
TRUTH be told, no-one is more deserving of achieving what extremely few field target shooters will ever achieve than Derrick. Huge congratulations, Bud. PHENOMENAL shooting!
Of other interest is the fact that four of Saturday’s twenty shooters were shooting their first TEXtreme Field Target match. Most, their first shooting competition of any kind. If I’m not mistaken, despite it being the lowest TFT turn-out yet, that’s the most new shooters to contest a TFT match yet.
I happy!
That so, and the next TFT match (December 3-4) being another prize-rich two-day competition declared The TEXtreme/Republic Of Texas Extreme Field Target Rifle And Pistol STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, I expect we’ll set an attendance record surpassing 30 shooters. Mark your calendars now to avoid the December 3-4 dates being hijacked by such important and FUN priorities as your wife’s sorority sister’s wedding to your lawyer ex-brother-in-law. Which brings us to closing thoughts of this Match Report/Bad Novel.
Despite the low turn-out resulting from ominous weather predictions starting with ten-day forecasts and continuing every day through match day, I had more fun this weekend than a barrel of drunken spider monkeys!
(No insinuations about other revelers intended, if you can believe that
). And unless I’ve badly misread the other attendees, so did they. No doubt witnessing an extremely rare field target feat most will never see again contributed in no small way to the fun and camaraderie.
Come to think of it, the fun and camaraderie likely also contributed in no small way to achieving the extremely rare FT feat we were privileged to witness first-hand.
SEE Y’ALL DECEMBER 3!
Happy, HAPPY Shooting,
Ron & Maggy
Having considered myself first and foremost a Realist ever since I could formulate an opinion of my own, I consider most weather forecasts of professional meteorologists to be roughly the equivalent of the Green New Deal of professional politicians and climate alarmists. That anyone lends credence to either, I find surprising. And that anyone lends any credence to “TEN-DAY weather forecasts”, I find utterly hilarious.
Nevertheless, since my superhuman powers of forethought and soothsaying apply only to matters requiring common sense and insight, meaning those powers don’t apply to weather forecasting, I figure it a good idea to follow weather forecasts I suspect TEXtreme shooters follow ever closer as match days approach. So it was that, as I’ve mentioned in more Match Announcement updates in the last week than ever before, for that same last week I’ve been following daily weather forecasts like climate alarmists following Al Gore! Thankfully unlike them, I’ve lent little to no credence to climate/weather forecasts despite them being such a necessary evil affecting a(ny) match director’s decision not only whether or not to cancel a match, but when to announce a decision based on all available evidence, factors and variables… like WEATHER.
So as the clock ticked torturously toward match day, I postponed the decision long as possible. Correction- Almost long as possible.
With enough shooters contacting me stating “I ain’t skeered to shoot in the rain!”, and a weeks worth of dire rain forecasts amounting to little more than a few sprinkles as an excuse if my decision proved disastrous, I decided to acquiesce putting off the decision till (self-imposed) deadline and announced, “The match is on” the evening before deadline. So OF COURSE the skies immediately responded with downpours that would make the past week’s forecasts proud!
Fearing fewer “I ain’t skeered”ers would show than boasted they would, not only did only ONE prove worthy of said fear, but many more Texans and Okies showed up than my most optimistic hopes (considering the fickle-ass weather). Be it because the attendees were happy for any respite from the Heat Wave of 2022, did not understand what rain is, or thought it a good opportunity to take their weekly Saturday night showers a little early, twenty skeeredless shooters contested Saturday’s match. Fortunately but not surprisingly, enduring nary a drop of precipitation.
Thankfully the Ranchito Robinson grounds proved thirsty enough to suck down overnight downpours like a sponge (somewhat, anyway); enough so that by the 2:15 PM “HOT LINE” holler the muddy ground also proved not (quite) as messy as an Alabama mud-wrestling pit (don’t ask how I know). Just as thankfully, my shooters heeded my pleas to transfer as little mud as possible from the muddy TEXtreme grounds into the TEXtreme World Headquarters Complex. Many, many, MANY THANKS, Friends!
Capturing the Fourth Place Airguns Of Arizona $100 gift certificate was FIRST-TIME field target shooter Brian Stafford! Brian traveled 400 miles (round trip) to post a fine 39/40 score with his .22 FX impact, shooting JSB Redesigns 940 FPS. I assume his rig was scoped. Excellent shooting Brian! I also assume your first field target match might not be your last. By the way, this might be a good time for all you skeeredless shooters to... GET SKEERED!
Mark Welker, purportedly of some place called Oklahoma, traveled 15 hours (round trip) to capture the Third Place $150 Airguns Of Arizona gift certificate with his Riton scoped .22 RTI Prophet shooting JSB pellets 972 FPS. Mark’s excellent 42/48 score suggests his superhuman skills with spring-piston guns cross over to less prehistoric airgun power-plants as well. He has made a habit out of shooting PCP-like scores in field target competition with sproingers, confirming my long-held suspicions he is actually a space alien masquerading as an Okie.
Continuing his (annoying
) habit of consistently placing on the podium in airgun competitions, Chuck Misenheimer captured the $250 Second Place Airguns Of Arizona gift certificate with a fine 43/48 score. Chuck’s Athlon scoped Daystate Safari serves him well, shooting 25 grain JSB pellets 970 FPS. Fine shooting, CM!Bringing up the rear… Correction- FRONT, was some dang guy nobody’s ever heard of called Derrick Wall. This Derrick Wall character, apparently an utter newbie to airguns, somehow got lucky enough to post a 48/48 score to capture the $350 Airguns Of Arizona Match Winner gift certificate! Also known as a perfect score; also called “cleaning the course”, perfect FT scores are also rarer than National Champion FT titles. Considerably rarer! Apparently the DW guy also got lucky enough to stumble upon a rifle rig combination capable of cleaning the course- a .30 Kalibrgun Cricket topped with an Athlon Hilos (sic, I think) scope, and shooting 50.15 JSB pellets 870 FPS… apparently like a laser! Make that, a WELL-AIMED LASER!
FWIW, and not to understate his LUCK, this is the first time the TEXtreme field target rifle course has been cleaned. And again not to understate his LUCK, this is despite the fact the course evolves more difficult since TEXtreme get-go.
TRUTH be told, no-one is more deserving of achieving what extremely few field target shooters will ever achieve than Derrick. Huge congratulations, Bud. PHENOMENAL shooting!
Of other interest is the fact that four of Saturday’s twenty shooters were shooting their first TEXtreme Field Target match. Most, their first shooting competition of any kind. If I’m not mistaken, despite it being the lowest TFT turn-out yet, that’s the most new shooters to contest a TFT match yet.
I happy!
That so, and the next TFT match (December 3-4) being another prize-rich two-day competition declared The TEXtreme/Republic Of Texas Extreme Field Target Rifle And Pistol STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, I expect we’ll set an attendance record surpassing 30 shooters. Mark your calendars now to avoid the December 3-4 dates being hijacked by such important and FUN priorities as your wife’s sorority sister’s wedding to your lawyer ex-brother-in-law. Which brings us to closing thoughts of this Match Report/Bad Novel.
Despite the low turn-out resulting from ominous weather predictions starting with ten-day forecasts and continuing every day through match day, I had more fun this weekend than a barrel of drunken spider monkeys!
Come to think of it, the fun and camaraderie likely also contributed in no small way to achieving the extremely rare FT feat we were privileged to witness first-hand.
SEE Y’ALL DECEMBER 3!
Happy, HAPPY Shooting,
Ron & Maggy
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Derrick is such a nice guy it’s always a little surprising when he gets behind the trigger and gets that steely eyed killer face just looking to put a beat down on the rest of the field…
