(Match Report by Tyler Patner) September 16, 2023
On Sunday, September 17th, 22 shooters came out to the last regular match of the 2023 season at NOA. A smaller turn out than we have grown accustomed to this season, especially before Nationals, but not a bad thing as we were able to cruise through the match pretty quickly. Temps were in the high 70s with the sun poking through the clouds around noon and heating things up. The wind was mild on our field course, but the course was still just as challenging as ever.
Over half of the course was set beyond 40 yards, with an average target distance of just under 39 yards. The troyer without taking lighting and wind into account was a 34.4T. There were a few ½ inch targets that were set in the close 20’s that were also quite difficult and from a pure troyer rating standpoint, were the hardest targets on the course. From a 12 FPE shooter's perspective, the wind was manageable through the day, kicking up here and there. A lot of the long shots required a bias either right or left of center, but only two of my shots required me to move outside of the kill zone.
We had a few stoppages for protests, none of which amounted to any actual issues thankfully. And as shooters came off of the line, it seemed that everyone had their own sets of issues throughout the day. Some were dealing with temp shifts in their scopes, others with difficulty ranging a few of the targets on lane 15 (which is extremely dark) and a few just plainly didn’t shoot their best. But nonetheless, it was an enjoyable day on the lanes.
Shooters enjoyed our usual pizza as they came off of the line. The top of Hunter PCP was tight as usual, with 2nd-4th place being separated by just one point per spot. Jeff Swartz posted a 52 for third, with Doug Cunningham edging him out by one for second. But Bill Rabbitt posted a 57 to take the top spot for the day in Hunter. Dan Putz shot an absolutely awesome 52/60 in Hunter Piston with his TX200.
Another high score, Roger Barker posted his personal best of a 55 to take the top spot in Open PCP, beating Larry Gromacki by two shots. Equalling Roger’s 55, was Rick Smelko in Unlimited, who bested Tim Baylor by just one shot. Our lone WFTF Piston shooter Eric Jones, posted a 27 as he is still figuring out his TX200 from the ground. And in WFTF PCP, Tyler Patner came off the course completely unscathed to be the first shooter to clear a course at NOA, posting a 60/60. The Thomas and the March 10-60 were spot on all day, and each pellet found the mark.
Thank you to everyone that has come out to support the club this season, we have had a great turnout and the continued support is greatly appreciated. For those of you that we will be seeing at Nationals next month, we look forward to having you. To all of our dedicated club members that continue to help us set up, tear down and maintain the courses, thank you for your time and effort. We are excited for the future of both the club and field target here in the US and look forward to resuming regularly scheduled matches next year! Until then, shoot safe and we will see you on the lanes in 2024.
