(Match Report by Tyler Patner) October 6, 2024
The end of the 2024 Field Target season is coming to a close here in Northeast Ohio and it was time for our last match of the season. October can be hit or miss with the weather, but we were fortunate to get about as perfect of a day as one could hope for. With temps in the mid-70s and mostly sunny, it made the woods a perfect place for some Field Target fun. And while it kept shooters cool, there was an awful lot of wind that I know gave many folks issues.
We had 28 shooters join us, including two new shooters that were at NOA for their first time. It’s always great to see some new faces and introduce more shooters to FT. Though, it might not have been the best course to do it on. I say that because the course was set intentionally on the more challenging side. 20 targets were over 40 yards, with 14 of those 20 over 45. This might have been the longest course we have ever set at NOA. The average target distance was 40 yards, and the Troyer before environmentals was a 33.8T. Interestingly, after wind was factored which applied to most targets over 45 yards (at least for the WFTF folks), the Troyer bumped up to a 37.2. So, suffice it to say, this was a very challenging course.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, despite (or maybe because of) the challenging course and conditions. The wind was very tricky.
You had to contend with the wind in the following ways:
1) The sound of wind at the tree tops (which can cause some to assume there’s wind at ground level that’s not truly there)
2) Small leaf movement downrange through the scope that can be hard to tell which way the wind is coming from
3) Differing winds between your wind flag and the target
4) Gusts that occasionally ramped up into the 20 MPH range
It was a lot to take in, regardless of experience or skill level. And most shooters' scores reflected that. In Hunter PCP, Ryan Spanagel took top honors, posting a 51/60. He was a few shots ahead of Jeff Swartz (48) and Eric Jones (47), and did very well aside from the positional shots. In Hunter Piston, Al Duster shot a solid 33 and while he may not have been happy with it, it was enough to put him ahead of Nick Lawrence (23) and get the win. In Open PCP, Roger Barker shot a 43 to earn the top spot. And Dan Putz, shooting Open Piston, also shot a 43 which is a great score with that wind and a springer.
In WFTF PCP, yours truly (Tyler Patner) shot a 57, making it through most of the day clear until some wind on lanes 3, 5 and 6 got me. We had a three-way tie for second, with Bill Rabbitt, Lucas Marusiak and Keith Walters all shooting 49s. Lucas ended up taking second after a coin flip, as none of the shooters had enough left in the tank for a shoot-off. John Cerne was a lone WFTF Piston shooter and posted a respectable 40. And in Unlimited, Rick Smelko bested Tim Baylor by just one shot with a 53 to take the win.
Our 9th season is in the books, and it’s been a real pleasure to see the continued growth and strength of our Field Target community here in Ohio. We cannot do it without the support of our members, fellow shooters, and of course, Anne and Ashley Reily, the owners of the Twin Oaks property. Thank you all for your continued support, both of Field Target and our club. And don’t forget that while our season may be over at NOA, there are still US Nationals and the WFTF Worlds in the coming weeks, and we wish all of our members the best of luck in those comps.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone back in 2025 for more FT fun!
Until then, stay safe and we will see you on the lanes.
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