Four Boxes Loaded And Ready For The State Championship

[AzShooter1]

Cleaned my guns and loaded my blocks. Ready for this week's State Steel Challenge Championships.

I'm set to fire one complete match for practice after setting up the match on Wednesday and then shooting for score Thursday with the other staff members. I've got the blocks and 10 DS-10 speed loaders all set and ready to go.

I did pretty good this past weekend so I'm hoping to do the same or better.

 

[Smokin Gator]

Nice. Good luck. It's always a good feeling getting your gear together especially for the bigger matches. I'm going to the USPSA Gridiron in Linden, Ca. at the end of the month. A local this weekend.

 

[AzShooter1]

Nice. Good luck. It's always a good feeling getting your gear together especially for the bigger matches. I'm going to the USPSA Gridiron in Linden, Ca. at the end of the month. A local this weekend.

Have fun and do your best.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I hope you do well. The gun club is going to have the winter pistol league this year. 22 lr one handed. This will be my 1st time. Plans in the past were foiled with covid.

 

[Armored farmer]

Oh I remember the thrill of the state and national competition when I was trapshooting.
Best wishes. I hope your gear holds together. Your mind is fresh and your concentration is high.

 

[Armored farmer]

Tell us about your competition gun and gear.

 

[AzShooter1]

Tomorrow I'll be shooting my Smith & Wesson 617 -6 four inch with C-More RDS and 12 MOA dot. I did the trigger work and it's set to 8 pounds 5 ounces Double Action. Single Action is 2 pounds 6 ounces but I won't be shooting SA.

My speed loaders are all from DS-10 and I made my own steel lined holster. The boxes are from 4WheelGuns.com but he is out of business. Now Speed Beez makes 100 round boxes.

I got my speed loader rack from 4Wheel as well.

Steel Challenge consists of eight stages with five targets per array. Distances are from 7 to 35 yards and plates are either 10 or 12 inch circles and 18 X 24 plates. There are 5 strings of fire under time and you throw away your worst run. There is no division for Rimfire Revolver so I'll be shooting against the automatics. Love it when I beat a few of them.

 

[doubleh]

Where is the follow up?

 

[AzShooter1]

Fortunately I got to shoot with the ROs on Thursday. After helping set up Wednesday and Thursday morning I was a bit tired but we had excellent weather. I shot a little below my average but had a great time.

Friday was a practice day for the competitors. Weather was starting to get abysmal but would hold out until Friday night when the rain came. As shooters showed up for Saturday I was doing registration and telling them to go to Walmart and pick up waders since the range had flooded overnight.

It rained all day and we had to stop shooting for an hour do to lightning. The afternoon squads really had bad weather and many shooters decided it wasn't worth the effort to continue.

Sunday morning the rain had subsided by shooting time but the damage had been done. The mud was about 6 inches deep and people had to stand in the shooting boxes that seemed to be sinking as the day progressed. I saw about 10 shooters just leave before their squad start times. Too bad because other than the mud it turned out to be a very nice day.

I don't think we've ever had weather like this in an October match. Hopefully next year will be better.

The people that enjoyed it the most were the Boy and Girl Scouts that came to paint the targets between shooters. They loved slipping and sliding as they ran down range to the targets. Most were covered with paint and mud but all had smiles.

 

[Jim Watson]

One reason I don't go to preregistered, prepaid, room and board shoots any more.

A friend got lightly rained on last Saturday; I was at a match farther downwind and only got sprinkled on while driving home.

 

[Smokin Gator]

During the winter I will skip some local matches when the weather looks like it will be too much. If it's a bit cold, ok, but cold and windy or rain, not fun. Some of the clubs will cancel but one shoots rain or shine.

I do like going to several big matches during the year but they usually aren't held in the winter. Only once did it just pour on us and they eventually had to throw out 4 out of 8 stages. I'm in northern California so we don't shut down for the winter like in some northern states.

 

[sparkyv]

Well said!

I hope your gear holds together. Your mind is fresh and your concentration is high.