This is what I do in my "spare time"

   On Monday and Thursday nights, I go to a shooting class. In this class, you shoot .22 rimfire rifles in four different positions. These positions are prone, sitting, kneeling, and offhand (standing). Prone is easiest, because you're on the ground. When shooting offhand, you can't use a sling, but you can wear your shooting jacket. It's tons of fun! You can earn different ranks. They are Pro-Marksman, Marksman, Marksman 1st Class, Sharpshooter, Expert, and Distinguished Expert. After you earn Sharpshooter, you have to earn 9 bars. To earn bars, you shoot the 4 positions, at different levels of difficulty. I am earning bars right now, and last Monday I earned bars 2 and 7. Thursday night, I have to earn bar 5 then I'm an Expert. It takes a lot time, and tons of hard work to get to Distinguished Expert .
     
   In the picture below, there is a target. There isn't a X ring, so it's a pretty hard target! The 10 ring is 1/8 inch. The 9 ring is almost 1/2 inch. We shoot this target at 50 feet. We have a little block that holds 13 rounds. When sighting in, you use 3 of the 13 rounds, and shoot at the bullseye in the middle. Then 1 shot at each bullseye.



Click to enlarge



Wes Hall Memorial

   Today, there was a match at Plantation. It was fun. On my first string, my fingers were so cold. It was hard to shoot at the right time with frozen fingers! I had a 197-9X, I pulled one nine, the wind got me on one, and the other one was unexplained. I was hoping for a higher score and X count, but it didn't work out. On my second and last strings, I dropped one point each. I finished with a 595/600 with 28 X's. I wasn't too happy with how I did, but it was still a high master score. In the pits, I had to be careful when pulling targets. It was really muddy where the shots impacted, and little globs of mud would fly back when someone shot! I was dodging mud every shot, and trying to pull targets at the same time. I had a good time, and I can't wait until the next match!

   Finally! There were four girls shooting besides me! Shooting is really for girls, so I was happy they were there. Natasha, Gabby, and Haley were shooting service rifles. Natasha had a 488 with 1X, Gabby had a 467 with 1X, and Haley had a 533 with 11X's. This was Natasha and Gabby's first match. Also, Annette Wachter was there, she had a 598 with 41 X's. She had a very good X count! She shoots the same kind of rifle as I do, a match rifle. We were shooting on the same relay.

   My dad was shooting my 6BR in F-Open. He shot a 594 with 27 X's. Last year, he shot this match and won F-Open. He is going to sell my 6BR, so he can build me a palma rifle. Hopefully it sells, because the rifle I'm shooting right now is borrowed and I need my own.

     There's not much going on right now, except dry-firing and loading ammo for matches. I was prepping and priming brass a few days ago. I already loaded my ammo for a practice this Sunday, and now I am going to load for a match on the 22nd. On Sunday, Haley, Luke, Natasha, and Gabby are going to the practice with me. This will be the first team practice that they are going to. It will be lots of fun!

     Our "match" went very well. It was fun, and VERY cold. Before my first string, I got out some hand warmers, so when I wasn't shooting my hands would be warm. I set them on my range bag, but when I was getting ready for prep time, I couldn't find them! So, I shot my string with numb fingers, but I got a 100/100, with 2 X's. I was thinking someone had "stolen" them, but I found them inside my range bag after my string! On my second string, My fingers were numb again, I shot a 7, a 8, and two 9's! I was SO mad, but it was hard to pull my trigger, because my hands were FROZEN! The whole day, my feet and hands were frozen, even when I went by the fire. Everybody shot very well in the cold yesterday. Hopefully they were happy with how they shot, because it was hard with no wind flags, and cold hands! I hope they had fun, even in the cold! I haven't shot a match since early December, so shooting this was lots of fun for me! 

~All of us at the "match"~



 I haven't shot in the cold since, a while ago, but I will be shooting a match this month at Plantation. I'm sure it will be just as cold then, as it was yesterday. I am looking forward to shooting more matches, because in the late fall and early winter there is only one match a month. I like it when I shoot two (sometimes more!) matches a month, because the more I practice, I learn more, and become a better shooter.