My 1st NRA Bulleye competition is tomorrow.

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  • Triton

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 3, 2020
    68
    18
    New Albany
    I just finished cleaning and lubing my Ruger Mark IV and CZ Shadow 2 for the match tomorrow at 9am.

    I've been anxious to try this and have been practicing on and off for the past year. Finally in January I started attending the weekly practices. Over the next few months I learned a lot from the older gentlemen there, great bunch of guys really. They really helped me with the basics and understanding how to improve my game. Finally around the end of March I was hitting high 80’s and shot a 94 several times. I was feeling confident enough to try my first match. Signed up and was ready to go, then COVID hit.

    Since April then I’ve only shot 1 time. Only a few rounds and I was mainly playing with the dueling tree. Wasn’t really practicing bullseye. I got the email last week that matches were approved and a 2700 match would be held the next weekend. I signed up after a few nights consideration.

    To be honest, there are still things about bulleye that aim trying to get used to. Scoring is one of them. Takes me a while to figure it out. At least when around ppl who have scored targets for decades lol.

    I still have a decision to make. I do not have a 45 so I have 2 options:
    1. Shoot .22 for all 3 matches - if I do this I am not eligible for awards.
    2. Shoot 22 for 2 matches and my 9mm for the centerfire round. - if I do this I am eligible for awards. However, I only have iron sights and to be honest I just am no where near as precise with it as I am the 22.

    And lastly, as I finish my digital novel, I can’t remember the last time I competed for something. I’m a bit nervous as well as excited. Anxious to see what kind of score I will end up with after shooting 270 shots.

    pics just because. The target is my best round from my last practice before COVID
     

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    Twangbanger

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Oct 9, 2010
    7,062
    113
    Good luck and enjoy it.

    You have hopefully gotten good pointers from your mentors, but I will post the following, in case there are any other first-timers out there reading this.

    I would recommend going ahead and taking the 9mm for center-fire, and either use that for the .45 match, or possibly even better, going back to the .22 for the .45 match to get an idea how much your shooting changed over the course of the day (you can compare your .22 score in the morning to the afternoon).

    A few pointers in no particular order. I is almost a 6-hour match, so take hydration and some nutritious food, because fatigue can really get you towards the end of the day. I often times didn't prepare well enough on that, and started getting headache-y toward the end of the day and my eyes were just really tired.

    Take chamber flags, or zip ties to use as substitutes. Most places are requiring them now and have been for some time.

    Take extra batteries for your scope.

    Clipboard
    a couple pens
    a staple-gun if you have one
    a roll of masking tape, to paste any holes in the white region of the target (it happens).

    Fill out your score-cards with your name at the beginning of the match, then hand them to the person on your left or right (depending on whether you score the competitor to the left or right). You take the cards from the other person, and put them on your clipboard. When they call you down to score, ignore your own target at first, and go straight to the target of the person you're scoring. You record highest hits first. It should look like, "X-X-10-10-9-9-9-8-8-7" or similar, then you total it up and write "90-2X" on the scoresheet, and again on the corner of the paper repair center for the shooter to review. Then you check your own target, and make sure the person scored and totaled it up right. Staple up your repair center and leave the scoresheets, etc. laying in the grass below the target frame.

    You will start with .22 in the morning, shoot 30 shots slow-fire at 50 yards, going downrange with a repair center to score every 10 shots, and remember the last 10 shots get scored on the lower line of the scorecard marked "NMC" (National Match Course). Then you move back to 25 yards (remember to change your sights, if applicable), and repeat for timed fire and rapid fire.

    As for range commands, when they call "ready" if you're not ready, just yell "not ready." The RO will give you some more time and will not start the string until everyone has their guns ready. If you have a jam on timed fire or rapid (it happens), just raise your hand. The RO will note you have an "alibi string" and if the misfire is allowable (you're not over your limit), you will get another string of fire on the alibi string after everyone finishes. If the person you're scoring for has an alibi string, make sure you ask for assistance from the RO when scoring. He will have more than 10 hits on the paper, and for example if he has 13 shots, you throw away the 3 highest-scoring shots, and score the lowest 10.

    Have both mags loaded before the string of 10 begins.

    Don't rush on timed-fire. 20 seconds is plenty of time to get off five 10's.

    On rapid, make sure you have that first shot ready to fire as soon as the target turns. Your sights should be in crisp focus, before the target turns (don't focus on the target turning, then waste time adjusting focus back to the sight).

    Have fun, report back, and...(get in bed!). Good luck.
     
    Last edited:

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
    Staff member
    Moderator
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    35   0   0
    May 12, 2013
    31,687
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    Camby area
    Good luck.

    Breathe.

    Relax.

    Concentrate on just not DQ-ing. Survive the match and have fun. The rest will follow. Because if you are stressing, its no fun. And its supposed to be fun. Dont worry about the awards and winning. Concentrate on everything else (being safe, breathing, NPOA, etc) and if you are supposed to win, it will happen.
     

    peterock

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 95.8%
    23   1   0
    Jun 24, 2008
    510
    59
    Indianapolis
    I just finished cleaning and lubing my Ruger Mark IV and CZ Shadow 2 for the match tomorrow at 9am.

    I've been anxious to try this and have been practicing on and off for the past year. Finally in January I started attending the weekly practices. Over the next few months I learned a lot from the older gentlemen there, great bunch of guys really. They really helped me with the basics and understanding how to improve my game. Finally around the end of March I was hitting high 80’s and shot a 94 several times. I was feeling confident enough to try my first match. Signed up and was ready to go, then COVID hit.

    Since April then I’ve only shot 1 time. Only a few rounds and I was mainly playing with the dueling tree. Wasn’t really practicing bullseye. I got the email last week that matches were approved and a 2700 match would be held the next weekend. I signed up after a few nights consideration.



    Where are you shooting this match?
     

    Triton

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 3, 2020
    68
    18
    New Albany
    Well. First one down. I came in last with a score of 1904, out of 2700.
    here is what I learned:
    1. This requires a lot of gear. - I now have a list of basic items I need. (Tape, good stapler, brass catcher so your casings don’t pelt the guy to your right)
    2. spotting scope is needed
    3. i need to bench my CZ Shadow 2 and figure out where it’s hitting
    4. 50 yards is a freaking hard shot with iron sights
    5. i need much much more practice with my CZ
    6. if shooting 22 for the 45 match, clean it before the match starts
    7. scoring for the alibi shots is confusing
    8. pace yourself with slow fire. - this is where the spotting scope would have been really handy to check each shot and I wouldn’t have finished in a minute and a half
    9. strength training. - start holding the 5lb dumbbell while watching tv. - I stopped doing this and noticed quicker fatigue and more arm wobble
    10. 50 yds is a heck of a freaking hard shot even with a red dot
    11. most people there are really great and open to help out, they have been doing this for years
    12. the Pachmyar box I ordered off EBay won’t work, it doesn’t allow for scopes pistols (back to gear again
    13. i will need to buy a .45
    14. i will need to start reloading
    15. i will need to figure out a way to convince my wife these things are needs

    all in all I had a great time. Pride is bruised from the low score. But that’s how it goes. Sometimes you just need to jump in and get started.


     

    russc2542

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Oct 24, 2015
    2,111
    83
    Columbus
    You don't need the stuff but there's a reason for the common format: it does make some things easier. plus you look like one of the cool kids when you roll in with the same gear as the others lol.

    Don't sweat the irons, I'm shooting irons for all 3. tape over the glasses for your non-sighting eye and using an aperture on your other. it does wonders. I'm sure I could do better with a dot but I'm stubborn.

    My club's only doing 900s, I think my eyes would fall out by the end of a 2700. Not to mention my shoulder.
     

    Twangbanger

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Oct 9, 2010
    7,062
    113
    Well. First one down. I came in last  with a score of 1904, out of 2700.
    here is what I learned:
    1. This requires a lot of gear. - I now have a list of basic items I need. (Tape, good stapler, brass catcher so your casings donÂ’t pelt the guy to your right)
    2. spotting scope is needed
    3. i need to bench my CZ Shadow 2 and figure out where itÂ’s hitting
    4. 50 yards is a freaking hard shot with iron sights
    5. i need much much more practice with my CZ
    6. if shooting 22 for the 45 match, clean it before the match starts
    7. scoring for the alibi shots is confusing
    8. pace yourself with slow fire. - this is where the spotting scope would have been really handy to check each shot and I wouldnÂ’t have finished in a minute and a half
    9. strength training. - start holding the 5lb dumbbell while watching tv. - I stopped doing this and noticed quicker fatigue and more arm wobble
    10. 50 yds is a heck of a freaking hard shot even with a red dot
    11. most people there are really great and open to help out, they have been doing this for years
    12. the Pachmyar box I ordered off EBay wonÂ’t work, it doesnÂ’t allow for scopes pistols (back to gear again
    13. i will need to buy a .45
    14. i will need to start reloading
    15. i will need to figure out a way to convince my wife these things are needs 

    all in all I had a great time. Pride is bruised from the low score. But thatÂ’s how it goes. Sometimes you just need to jump in and get started.

    First of all, congratulations on getting that first one done! Most will never accomplish that. Your learning curve is steep right now, and, it will pay off later.

    Brass catcher to your right is for saving your empties, once you start shooting .45. Piece of hardware-cloth mesh clipped to your shooting box to your left, to keep the other guy's hot ones off you :):.

    The best piece of advice I can give you right now, to get yourself to the next rock in crossing the stream, is to get that .45 and start dry-firing with it. Every day. It is better than a dumbbell. Do it until you can see it in your sleep. Do it until you see God.

    The Springfield RO with the square black front sight is honestly the best start you can get. The priority on spending money on modifications is to get a 3.5lb. trigger job done by a good gunsmith first, about 100 bucks usually. This will allow you to 1) dry fire, dry fire, dry fire with that gun, 2) live fire factory loads with it occasionally, although your range sessions will focus around the .22 for now. All .45 factory triggers are pretty much too daunting for beginners to use shooting one-handed precision fire. A good 3.5 pound trigger makes the shots go off easier and gets you started down the road, watching those sights line up and the shot go off, time after time.

    Next step would be getting an inexpensive red dot sight milled to the slide; I recommend a Vortex Venom ($200 range). I prioritize this as "next," because it will be a substantial help in making those 50-yard one hand shots less intimidating. I also place it "after" the trigger job, because shooting a dot one-handed on a centerfire gun with a heavy trigger is extremely nerve-racking. I realize this type of optic is not in common use with bullseye shooters. They are a very traditional lot, and most are still using accu-dot tube scopes because of the rebuild policy. I simply believe there's no reason for a beginner this day in age not to take advantage of the good reflex dot sights that are on the market, at modest price, that are light weight and can be easily mounted directly to the slide without affecting the cycling of the gun. This avoids two problems; cycling issues with a heavier slide-mounted scope, or having the frame drilled and tapped for a frame mount, which is more extensive work because to do it right, the (later) accuracy job now involves squeezing and lapping the slide rails to the frame to make sure the slide+barrel mate consistently to the frame (where if your optic is slide-mounted, the gunsmith really only needs to worry about getting the barrel mating up repeatably to the slide, which is less work).

    Next step is reloading, because the .45 is two-thirds of your match in bullseye, and you want _soft_ ammo for this (talking like in the 650~700 fps range with a 200 gr. wadcutter). This type of ammo is not reliably commercially available, so you have to load it yourself. When you start shooting light ammo, you will need to put in a 15-lb (or possibly lighter) spring so the gun will cycle (but remember to pop the heavy 18~20 lb. one back in if you shoot any factory loads, so you don't batter the gun unnecessarily).

    Getting the gun accurized would be the next step, a little bit down the road yet, but hopefully you identified a good gunsmith for the job when you had your trigger job done in the first step (if you liked his work, send it back to him to have the recoil lugs welded up and a match bushing fitted).

    The priority of the above steps is of course debatable. Some might say start reloading soft ammo before doing gun work. I cannot necessarily argue with that, but it involves buying a press, and I think if you're still in the beginning stages of exploring this, the Springfield RO with a red dot milled in the top of it is a much less-risky investment, because even if you don't stick with bullseye shooting, you are still going to _love_ having that gun. And if you ever want to sell it, will get decent money out of it easily.

    And obviously, if you hit the lottery and the missus is in a good mood...just do it all at once :yesway:. But I realize that's a lot, and most people (myself included) end up doing it in stages.
     

    USMC_0311

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    Jul 30, 2008
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    Anderson
    It gets better with practice but that is not bad for your first match. I have to admit I wish I would have seen this before you went, when you said CZ, I kinda cringed a bit. CZ is fine gun I have p-09. I wouldn't take it to a bullseye match, combat yes! 50 yards will always be a long shot with a pistol but when you throw down a 90 on a single stage it is very rewarding. Those guys at SIRP will humble you, some of them come up for the state match at MCFG. Be a sponge around them.

    I love Bullseye, pure marksmanship competition, one hand. Take your time but invest or build a .45. You can buy an out of the box Springfield range officer for approx 800 and if you are good you will break 2000. A Bullseye gun built by a gunsmith will get you to 2500 score or close. I shot on the pistol team while in the corps, took the guns and gear for granted. I had no clue how much it cost until I got out and thought I jump in a Match with an old rattle .45. Humbling

    Different story now :):
    I love this target and already showed it to many times but this is from 25 yards, timed fire for my .45 and .22, just a practice round but gives you confidence when you do get to compete.
    IMG_0247.jpg

    The Pachmyar box will still hold your spotting scope and guns when it is open, I use one like that, and just carry my guns in a soft case from the trunk to the line.


    As far as number 15. Forgiveness is easier than permission, just from my experience (22 yrs)
     

    USMC_0311

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    Anderson
    I totally agree with this "the Springfield RO with a red dot milled in the top of it is a much less-risky investment"

    I have an RO, I use it for the leg match. Just using it as an comparison to custom built bullseye gun.
     
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