Post by Danny Creasy on Jan 24, 2011 22:22:39 GMT -6
You stand at the firing line with your rifle in one hand and your throw down bag in the other.
You can hardly see the five tiny steel silhouettes on their staggered perches almost a football field away.
The RO calls for the line to "load and make ready".
You slide the 10 round magazine in your .22 sporter.
Your heart rate pics up a little.
Then the RO barks "start" and his thumb punches the stop watch's right button
You smoothly swing your throw down bag out to the front of your shooting mat and go prone as the sporter comes to rest on its support as your free hand naturally finds its position just ahead of the toe of the stock.
Your firing hand slaps the bolt closed as your eye aligns behind the scope.
You fight the feeling of urgency to start shooting because you know that a few seconds spent perfecting your firing position will mean fewer misses.
Finally, you're solid and the crosshairs come to rest on the far left of your five birds.
A pause - remember it's 80% trigger.
Bang and the 40 grain lead slug sends the 1.5" by 2.5" chicken flying just as your eye lid rises from the blink.
You cycle the bolt and track right.
Wow, this is taking forever.
There it is.
The second target.
Remember to breath, relax, aim, sight, squeeze, and bang.
#2 jumps straight up with a hit right at or just below its base.
Bang and #3 flys to the left with your tail feather shot - cruise control - superman or have you lost ......
Control!
Still tracking right - gee that 4th bird is on a high pipe - slight shift in hold.
Bang - oh no - you snatched the trigger.
You see the dead weeds in the berm wiggle just above #4 - high.
Stay calm - cycle the bolt - squeeeeeze - bang.
#4 is still standing and you can't even mark the errant slug.
Panic - crank the bolt - roughly shift to #5 in frustration - it's on a low pipe.
Scrunch down on the elbows to draw a bead on this short bird.
Magic, rock solid, clear picture, squeeze is perfect and ...
Bang - #5 looks like a Van Tiffin extra point as it soars straight back several yards behind the pipe stands.
Is there time for a last shot at the glued down #4 bird?
At least your mechanics are good as there is a fresh round in the chamber and you are already adjusting your position for that high shot.
Why has the RO not stopped this - surely 60 seconds have passed?
There is that last bird quartered in your crosshairs.
Wait - pause - squeeze - bang!
The bird slowly topples and then dribbles down the left side of the pipe as the RO yells "Stop".
Sigh - got em all - chuckles from behind make you remember that old gem, "I'd rather be lucky than good".
Slap the bolt back, remove the magazine, show clear, insert the yellow chamber flag, and lift your gear from the line.
Now, if you can only do it two more times and don't even think about the inevitable shoot-off.
There is nothing quite like the Raptor Match.
See you on the 29th at 9:00 AM.
You can hardly see the five tiny steel silhouettes on their staggered perches almost a football field away.
The RO calls for the line to "load and make ready".
You slide the 10 round magazine in your .22 sporter.
Your heart rate pics up a little.
Then the RO barks "start" and his thumb punches the stop watch's right button
You smoothly swing your throw down bag out to the front of your shooting mat and go prone as the sporter comes to rest on its support as your free hand naturally finds its position just ahead of the toe of the stock.
Your firing hand slaps the bolt closed as your eye aligns behind the scope.
You fight the feeling of urgency to start shooting because you know that a few seconds spent perfecting your firing position will mean fewer misses.
Finally, you're solid and the crosshairs come to rest on the far left of your five birds.
A pause - remember it's 80% trigger.
Bang and the 40 grain lead slug sends the 1.5" by 2.5" chicken flying just as your eye lid rises from the blink.
You cycle the bolt and track right.
Wow, this is taking forever.
There it is.
The second target.
Remember to breath, relax, aim, sight, squeeze, and bang.
#2 jumps straight up with a hit right at or just below its base.
Bang and #3 flys to the left with your tail feather shot - cruise control - superman or have you lost ......
Control!
Still tracking right - gee that 4th bird is on a high pipe - slight shift in hold.
Bang - oh no - you snatched the trigger.
You see the dead weeds in the berm wiggle just above #4 - high.
Stay calm - cycle the bolt - squeeeeeze - bang.
#4 is still standing and you can't even mark the errant slug.
Panic - crank the bolt - roughly shift to #5 in frustration - it's on a low pipe.
Scrunch down on the elbows to draw a bead on this short bird.
Magic, rock solid, clear picture, squeeze is perfect and ...
Bang - #5 looks like a Van Tiffin extra point as it soars straight back several yards behind the pipe stands.
Is there time for a last shot at the glued down #4 bird?
At least your mechanics are good as there is a fresh round in the chamber and you are already adjusting your position for that high shot.
Why has the RO not stopped this - surely 60 seconds have passed?
There is that last bird quartered in your crosshairs.
Wait - pause - squeeze - bang!
The bird slowly topples and then dribbles down the left side of the pipe as the RO yells "Stop".
Sigh - got em all - chuckles from behind make you remember that old gem, "I'd rather be lucky than good".
Slap the bolt back, remove the magazine, show clear, insert the yellow chamber flag, and lift your gear from the line.
Now, if you can only do it two more times and don't even think about the inevitable shoot-off.
There is nothing quite like the Raptor Match.
See you on the 29th at 9:00 AM.