An Inside Look At Airgun Competitions!

I wanted to write something up about what it’s like to shoot in bigger tournaments than just your local club events. Reading Airgun Nation you will notice that only a small percentage of us compete, but many readers and shooters are interested in “what it’s like” to go to EBR or RMAC, or even a mid-size tournament like the one you are reading about today, the “Oregon Extreme Field Target and Extreme Benchrest Competition.”

So I’m not going to lay out the typical match report – I got there, I zero’d my gun, I shot, here’s how I did, how it was there, throw in a few pics, then I went home…  Instead, I want to talk more about what its really like when you actually step to the line in that first event, or when you set your gun on the bench for that final 100-yard card.  Or as I’ve said before on AGN, Step into the Arena.

The Oregon Extreme Field Target and Extreme Benchrest Competition is in Ashland, Oregon and is in its first year. This event, includes both Extreme Field Target (EFT) and Extreme Benchrest (EBR). I decided to attend the event even though I had an 11 ½ hour drive each way and was joined by four more Team Centercut members. Friday was practice, but I didn’t get there in time. So a quick practice on Saturday just before the first competition would have to suffice. I brought my new .25 Daystate Delta Wolf to shoot in both events and shot in the 100 FPE class. Although new, I did have some time to meld with the gun, get my dope correct, and ensure it was ready to roll…. I’ll talk about the EBR event another time, and concentrate on the EFT event, which for me is more fun anyway.

First event, first day, and the Extreme Field Target portion was on the agenda. I happened to be partnered with two very good shooters and luckily It was not that windy yet, but slight swirls made the longer targets challenging (25 to 100 yards). I’m in the Hunter FT position (shooting off a bucket and sticks), and not yet super steady, but close enough. I MISSED the first two targets at about 52 yards! Huh? Is it me? Is my dope off? Did the gun shoot faster, or did I jerk the trigger? Crap, I haven’t even really started and already I’m doubting myself and my equipment.

Funny how you can be totally calm, ready to rock, and then this load of bricks gets dumped on your head and you’re thinking “now what?”  40 points maximum and already I’m down two. I decide “what the heck” and I kept everything the same. To my surprise I started going 4/4 or 3/4 the rest of the first round, and end up with a 33…  Ok, I can live with that.  The new Daystate Delta Wolf is shooting well, set for about 875 FPS with .25 King Heavy, and staying within a few FPS the entire morning.  Funny enough, all three shooters in my group shoot 33, just a few shots off the lead.

  As I shot each lane, I would try to put the misses behind me, look at the wind prior to each shot, pull the gun in snug against my shoulder, steady up and favor the  side of the  target the wind is coming from.  It wasn’t really blowing hard enough to hold outside the targets, although timing was important as the wind was shifting frequently. Tricky for sure, but not nuts like later on in the afternoon for the EBR event.  

  Sunday morning, I was paired with the other two high score shooters in my power class. Just like Saturday, I started off S L O W.  Lane ten was off hand, which many of you may know is my arch nemesis. There was no big surprise that I ended up hitting 1 for 4 on this lane.  Feeling a little frustrated and knowing I’m not that great offhand, I attempted to brush it off. Then my shooting partners go 2 for 4 and and the other 3 for 4.  Uh oh they have taken the lead.  To top it off, we go to lane 1, and I MISS two shots on the same target that I missed on Saturday.  Oh happy days!  I through to myself, “Great start Mike, starting off 3 for 8, what next?” 

The Delta Wolf is shooting where I wanted, my nerves are still good even after those misses, and I started to GRIND. I mean really GRIND HARD.  The “fat lady hasn’t sung yet…”  It’s something I learned watching Bobby C shoot in competitions. It is the look that Bobby C gets when every single shot is the most important shot of his life.  I think back to a past Extreme Field Target event in Phoenix, Arizona early this year, where I shot in the Slug Class and started off 1 for 12 before grinding hard to go 25 for 40 and the win!

Back to the competition at hand. I only miss three more from lane 2 to 9, and end up with a score of 32. For those of you keeping track, that would be a total combined score of 65. Which, as luck or skill would have it, was good enough for the WIN!.  Whodathunk?  Starting on lane 2, I just sorta blanked out and slipped into the zone.  One shot at a time, grind it hard, and give it your best effort, your MAXIMUM EFFORT. This also happens to be the Team Centercut motto.  No Fear – Never Quit! 

Equipment Used: Daystate Delta Wolf in .25 caliber, Athlon Midas BTR gen2 4.5-27x, STO Falx moderator, ScopeWerks elevation turret, UTG Accu-Sync one-piece mount, and Caldwell Carbon Fiber bipod.

Team Centercut is proudly sponsored by Airguns of Arizona (AoA).