I've loved shooting competitions since I was a boy!
Funny story coming;
Age 14, our local county fair, at the BB gun competition booth. I was in first place until my Doctor, of all people, edged me out, lol. He got that Ithaca 22 and you know what I got?? I got a friggen rubber dingy, lol. I never did like that thing and of course it sprung a leak on the maiden voyage, lol.
I found out many years later that Doc was a national bullzeye pistol champion about the time of the great county fair battle we had, so I felt better, lol!
5 years ago, I ran into ole Doc on the street, I invited him to our local Field Target air rifle match. Doc comes to it, see's what it's all about, and comes back the next month with a $2000 air rifle and all the other stuff. A year or so later, at 82 years old, he won his first FT match! BTW, I need to mention for perspectives sake, that our Bobby C, the current US national champion, resides within our club!
One more thing, ole Doc, instructed by his adult kids, was asked to sell most of his guns and related items because those kids didn't want to mess with selling them upon his passing. Well Doc sold me a unfired 80's vintage 40x for $500 even though I offered more money. I guess that makes up for missing out on the Ithica 22, doesn't it! Thanks Doc and hang in there!
Discovering ... I worked myself up to B stock national champion at the American Handgunner World Shootoff in the 90's. Then went up to mid A. You know what I found out??? I could barely afford the 5000 rounds of rigorous practice the two months prior to the match, then there was the time to practice as well, and if I planned on winning "A", it'd require 15-20,000 rounds of practice. Nope, the mortgage, 3 kids in the home, etc, wasn't allowing. I was done because I knew I'd never advance. I did and do shoot local pistol matches, but only occasionally now. The cool thing is, at almost 58, I can shoot a whole match and stay in the A zone or sometimes for challenge I shoot all heads. Well also I have an olympic match air pistol that I practice with once in a while, that helps a bunch, and hitting a giant head shot is relatively easy compared to a 1.5" steel with the airgun, right?!
Continuation of the theme discovering... I have the ability to be a world FT air rifle champion, but I just don't have the energy or desire, I actually never did. I don't care for travel, the expenses, the practice involved to help ensure a win, so basically I found out I just do this stuff for fun which takes the pressure off and let's me really enjoy shooting. Instead, I host our local FT match, we all - my friends - including my nice wifey and their wives, and I, will camp out and plink, which to me is as fun as gets. This Saturday we'll have our first "tactical style" air rifle side shoot, sounds fun huh?!
Same thing with Tactical matches, I got into this stuff too late. My eyes suck now, body waning, don't want to travel, can't afford it, blah, blah, blah. But I did have my days in the sun for a time by winning a local series. I do love long range though, that's for sure. Just yesterday I was beating up a 15" plate at 981Y with my new 223AI using those 88gr ELDM, man that was good times.
The recent NRL22 has been a lot of fun! I'm sure glad this was started up in my locale.
Keeps my mind thinking about tactical centerfire matches, I just can't stop thinking about them. I need to get my eyes fixed and get off my lazy ass to exercise.
I'm very blessed because a close friend owns 80 acres backing FS so every Wednesday we have a shootfest, ELR to air rifle and everything between, you name it. That can include, exotic machine guns and a civil war cannon!!!
Trigger time, just staying a little in tune, it goes a long way come comp day. PCP air guns - try em out.