Yesterday was the first annual Long Range Airgun Championship at LDs place east of Temecula, CA wine country. The day was absolutely perfect, blue skies, breezy but not too gusty, and about 80 degrees in the early afternoon.
The SETUP:
The range was from the side of LDs garage and work shop, across the small canyon to the other side. Distance was about 115 yards. We shot at orange clay pigeons hung from a wire, 5 per relay, total of 3 relays. We had 7 flights of 4 men per flight. We allowed single load only, 5 pellets (pellets only, no slugs or bullets, maximum of .22 caliber) to the line, 3 minutes per 5 shot flight. No external support of the gun was allowed except your hand or arm/elbow on the 2 foot tall wall we shot behind. No sighters, and because of the hay bales behind the targets, you couldn't see your misses. Shots had to hit the targets in left to right order. If you hit one out of turn, it didn't count plus you lost that shot. We did have a practice range set up a hundred yards left of the target range at the same distance, in order to get your gun dialed in before your relay.
The competition range, 115 yards, five clay pigeons per relay.
LD (winner, 2011 EBR main event) and Justin Welch (runner up, 2018 EBR main event). We shot from in back of where they are standing
Between the second and third relays we had a nice picnic lunch, chicken from El Pollo Loco with all the fixins'.
The RESULTS:
Bobby Corcorran came in first (DS Red Wolf HP .22), James Brinkley second (DS Wolverine R HP .22), I came in third (EDgun R3 Long .22), Matt Saenz fourth (Dawson custom .22), and Jim Ziegler fifth (USFT .22). There were nice cash prizes for the top five places. We did have a shoot off for 4th and 5th, as we had a 4 way tie for fourth place after the final relay. Matt, Jim, LD, and Carlos Iglesias had a five target shoot off with Matt and Jim coming first and second in the shoot off for fourth and fifth overall.
Thanks to LD for setting everything up, and the use of his facilities. Thanks also to James Brinkley's two teenage daughters (Natasha and Annabel) for acting as spotters and target setters the entire day. They earned their tip jar! Everything went smoothly and all had great fun! I think it was more challenging than a lot of people thought it was going to be...
