Today was the first match for the 2016 season. As usual, I was shooting my M1 Garand. First up was the slow-fire prone stage. Ten rounds in ten minutes. While I was pushing to the left a bit, I was fine with the resultant 91-1X.
Next up was the rapid-fire prone. Ten rounds in 80 seconds with a reload starting from the standing position. Loaded with an empty chamber and standing, the command to fire given. I tried to get to my knees are smoothly as possible. Nope. I could hear them crunch as I they hit the ground before I pushed forward into the prone position. Finally in position, I chambered the first round and tried for a smooth let off. Then the second round fired and the now empty enbloc clip ejected out of the rifle with it’s iconic pinging sound. I reloaded with a full clip of eight rounds and paused a moment to look through my spotting scope. Sunlight coming from behind the target illuminated a pair of “9”s at about 11 o’clock. With an unknown amount of time remaining, I rushed the last shots. I was done well before the rest of the competitors. I pushed everything to the left and strung my shots up and down for an 85-0X.
Last stage, the infernal slow-fire standing offhand. Ten shots in ten minutes shot standing without any support. My first two rounds were a pair of “9”s at 6 o”clock. From there it went downhill. Especially the zero just outside of the “5” ring at 7 o”clock! So I finished the stage with a dismal 69-0X. My total for the match was a lousy 245-1X out of a possible 300-30X, a full fifteen points off my average.
Myopicvisionary 