My First Field Trial Match: Things I Learned
I've mentioned in past entries that I would like to try Field Trial competition just to see what it is all about. Sure, I've read the posts online about competition, and I've gone to a match as a spectator, but I've never had the opportunity to sit down and actually be one of the shooters.
Well, a week or two ago I got my chance. There was a Saturday match being held in Tennessee, so I made the 3 1/2 hour drive and shot in my first FT match. And what an eye opener it was!
Here are some of the things I learned at the match:
1. My equipment was woefully inadequate for the job at hand. Having a gun that will shoot minute-of-squirrel will not suffice for FT demands. You REALLY need to be able to call your shots within minute variances of impact points.
I was using an R-10 with a simple 3-9x40 scope. I don't believe I saw another scope anywhere with less than 16 power or higher on it. I was also the only person present shooting a break-barrel gun, to my knowledge.
2. FT is all about range estimation. Once you have your gun set up to your liking, the rest of the process boils down to being able to accurately call the range you are shooting at. Quality scopes help you with this, as does countless hours of practice.
3. A comfortable shooting position takes some getting used to. I don't hunt from a shooting position that in any way resembles the positions most FT shooters use. So I'll have to do some practicing in order to get comfortable with the more commonly used shooting positions.
4. The drive is worth it. You meet some of the nicest people at these matches, and all of them seemed more than willing to discuss shooting matters with a new person. My shooting partner was someone I knew from online chatting, but had never met in person. We had a great time visiting and shooting together.
5. FT shooters are GOOD! They practice, and they can call their shots with stunning accuracy in my book. If I had been hunting, most if not all of my targets would have died from my shots. But in FT, you are working on the equivalent of shooting out the eye of the squirrel at 30 yards, rather than trying to hit the boiler room (heart/lung area) with your shot. The precision required is demanding, and I failed miserably in knocking over my targets.
So, am I going to shoot some more FT? I sure hope so! I have a few things on my list I want to get before trying again.....better scope, perhaps a different gun, a scale to weigh and sort pellets on, and some true FT targets that will let me practice so that my next showing will score higher. It's a challenge I look forward to as time and money allow, and I hope to enjoy the great sport of Field Trial again in the near future!
