MD24,
Matches are FUN, or they're supposed to be!
So, have fun. If you need to borrow equipment, most shooters will share. As
@DownhillFromHere mentioned, Sunscreen & Water are huge. Be sure to hydrate and bring a couple of hats. Eric B. and I are shooting the CD Team Safari coming up (hike & shoot) and I'll bring two hats - one brimmed hat to hike with and one baseball style to shoot. For Guardian, I'll still probably bring both.
Not sure if you have "bags" packed for your range trips, but I do. I have two bags for shooting at my range - first bag has my magnetospeed for checking velocity on that day's range day if I'd like, tools, various lubes, greases & cleaners - but not enough for a full cleaning, targets and plenty of extra crap that I don't always use for LR steel; the other bag is my "shooting bag" it's the same bag that I normally take for every range trip - includes rangefinder, ammo, bore snake, tools, small bottle of gun oil, shooting glasses, ear protection - and some spare foamies, timers, shooting bags/plates, spare longer bipod, kestrel, clean-filled hydration bladder, tripod, belt mag carriers ( have 2, only one is usually on, so I do have a spare), a couple of pens and some data cards, etc. (BTW, I have made a shooting bag list and I do check it - but I'm lazy at the moment to look at it so I'm going from memory) - and there is likely more small stuff that I'm forgetting too.
For Guardian, I've also taken all my pistol items out of my bags - and
everything that I know that I WON'T need for that match. If I think I may need it, I'll put it in the (first) bag and keep it in the truck, not the shooting backpack.
BTW, for backpacks to carry your crap at a match, there are some really great ones out there - and they're pricy too. I've sort of stuck with 311 bags and use either the 48 or 72 hour bags for my shooting bags. I have both and I tend to only use the 72 hour bag, but it's never full - but with a tripod attached to the side of the bag it carries better. Oh and on the bottom of either bag is a rolled shooting mat, just in case.
Finally, I tend to bring too much crap with me - and it tires me out carrying everything all day. I'd suggest that you carry only what you know you'll use, but that take time and more practice/competitions to figure it out - so be patient.
One last, most shooters carry 2-3 shooting bags. It'll take a while to figure out what you like best. Just my $0.02, figure out what stages you do the
worst on, then buy bags for those stages. For me it is always the free standing barricade - I suck at it and I'm old and creaky, so finding a position that shoots best for me has been tough - plus with two hip replacements and two rebuilt shoulders, my small stabilizer muscles are the best at holding me in position - but again, that's me. Tank traps, improvised shooting positions - except the barricade - I'm pretty decent on a good day. Barricades still kick my a$$.
Anyway, back to bags, I've found that for me, a plate on the ARCA rail, then a bag gives me more stability for good barricade shots - for me just a bag doesn't cut it. You will need to figure out what works for you - a low key match like Guardian fits that bill nicely.
Anyway, I'm rambling a bit and need to get back to work. See you there!
John
