Prairie Dog Match follow up Round 2

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05-18-2013, 20:39
islandermyk

Prairie Dog Match follow up Round 2

Didn't know if I should've combined my 2nd experience or bumped my first Match: http://www.ar-15.co/threads/94773-My...irie+Dog+Match

But here it goes.

My second shooting match. All I can say is it is still sobering, humbling, and very entertaining (at least on my end[Coffee]) being out there with a bunch of really cool guys.
At first, I was awright... the only differences from then and now is there's a target 600+ yards away... cool.. cool... Boy was I wrong!

If this flag had the ability to move up and down on how hard the wind was blowing and swing around as it already does.. that pole would probably be thinner than it already is and be screaming out for some lube of some type... yeah..., that's what it felt like out there for me shooting in this sh*t [LOL]
http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/p...psfd200644.jpg

I admit.. I still had a little awkwardness through the beginning of it all. Sh*t, on the 2nd string... I didn't hit anything!!! I was lucky to even hit dirt! I don't know... maybe cause I was shooting alongside seasoned shooters or maybe cause I came out there with my reloads that were pulls? Or was it cause I was shooting beside a complete stranger? I could blame all the sh*t in the world for my lousy performance.

The fact is: I came out there without my game face and fun face on. I came out there first thinking it'll probably all be the same with the exception of that 600 yard target... and it's more than likely, I approached all this a little too comfortable and then lost it on my first shot (which was a horrible miss). Most importantly, on the first and second string I almost forgot to have some fun with it!

Things started to soak in for me. Hoser made things easier for me and reminded me what the f*ck was going on! Yep... my shooting was off, and Hoser helped point that off, and the name calling was the wake up call... "HAVE FUN DUMB ASS!" Thanks Hoser [Beer]
That wasn't the only best part of it! The shooters beside me were talking all this lingual (half value, full value, etc..) and communicating where they were holding, some wind calling, and watching your hits (misses in my case) and calling them out to you in case you didn't follow through.. and all this while the match was going on! Everyone was trying to help each other out in making corrections along with everything else... while the match was going on! This was sobering and very humbling for me.

I've only been doing this long range shooting for a little over a year now and I admit.. (as many of you may feel the same way) I still feel a little (okay REALLY!) intimidated knowing that I'll be shooting alongside more experienced shooters with more serious hardware, but in the end it's not you against them... it's that f*cken steel prairie dog target that's flippin you the big one[LOL]

Hopefully this read will get you guys out there to smack some steel. Going to this Prairie Dog Match so far been one of my greatest shooting experiences... [Beer]

Here's a pic from my shooting position

http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/p...psecf9bfca.jpg
05-18-2013, 20:44
OtterbatHellcat

Very cool, Mike.

Someday I would like to be able to participate in one of those, don't know that I'm capable yet though. Glad you had some fun brother.
05-18-2013, 20:53
islandermyk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otterbatcat

Very cool, Mike.

Someday I would like to be able to participate in one of those, don't know that I'm capable yet though. Glad you had some fun brother.

This is the question I keep asking myself too.
If you are not ready... you will definitely learn a lot! If you are ready... all I can say is slay those damn steel targets [Coffee]

Only one way to find out is going out to one. I believe you will enjoy it as long as you remember to have fun out there [Beer]
05-18-2013, 20:58
OtterbatHellcat

Well then..... I'm willing to tell you that I'll give it a try.

When and where is the next one, and what do I have to do to get on the list or whatever?
05-18-2013, 21:22
islandermyk

I believe there are many other matches out there like this one I went to http://www.ar-15.co/threads/6763-Pra...atch-In-Pueblo

but I chose this one cause I knew there would be seasoned shooters that attend this match. So much to learn here and a lot of great info that is being passed around as well.
As they say "a hungry mouth don't get fed with it shut".. when your out there don't be afraid to interact with everyone.

I kinda felt bad, guilty for not communicating where I was holding and everything... I was shooting "pulled bullets" and didn't want to mislead anyone with my sh*t...

http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps4e0ca1a7.jpg
05-18-2013, 21:29
OtterbatHellcat

Thx Mike...I'll check that thread and hope for something much closer to me than Pueblo area.

I'm not afraid to talk with folks... :) it is my desire to meet up with folks here and do some shooting and friend making !
05-18-2013, 21:46
islandermyk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otterbatcat

Thx Mike...I'll check that thread and hope for something much closer to me than Pueblo area.

I'm not afraid to talk with folks... :) it is my desire to meet up with folks here and do some shooting and friend making !

Right on Brother! Just don't forget..! Enjoy yourself! [Beer]
05-18-2013, 22:08
Delfuego

I'm proud of you Mike. [Beer]

It is not easy (well maybe for Hoser), but it is fun and you feel like you accomplished something even if you score poorly (like me). I wanted to shoot the match this week, but just couldn't get it together (chickened out). You should go out to CRC next Saturday for that match. It is just as fun, and maybe a little easier (depending on wind), lot of the same bunch of guys. I learn something every time I participate.

Hoser's Tactical match is fun ass hell too! And just as challenging.

In the immortal words of Wayne Gretsky: "you miss 100% of the shoots you don't take"
05-18-2013, 22:13
Madusa

Did you say 600+ at prairie dogs! Kind of puts a strain on the old AR 15.
05-18-2013, 22:20
islandermyk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delfuego

I'm proud of you Mike. [Beer]

It is not easy (well maybe for Hoser), but it is fun and you feel like you accomplished something even if you score poorly (like me). I wanted to shoot the match this week, but just couldn't get it together (chickened out). You should go out to CRC next Saturday for that match. It is just as fun, and maybe a little easier (depending on wind), lot of the same bunch of guys. I learn something every time I participate.

Hoser's Tactical match is fun ass hell too! And just as challenging.

In the immortal words of Wayne Gretsky: "you miss 100% of the shoots you don't take"

Thank you!
You'll be getting a PM inquiring the CRC match here this week [Beer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madusa

Did you say 600+ at prairie dogs! Kind of puts a strain on the old AR 15.

yep 600+ yards with brutal winds!

Believe it or not, but I struggled with 200+ yard targets today... elevation was good and I was always off to the right.. sh*t! Come to think of it.. I don't think I hit any of those 200+ yard targets, but Oh yea... I got everything in between [Bang] [LOL]
05-18-2013, 22:56
Delfuego

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madusa

Did you say 600+ at prairie dogs! Kind of puts a strain on the old AR 15.

Very small P-Dogs.... [fudd]
05-19-2013, 05:21
eneranch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delfuego

Very small P-Dogs.... [fudd]

^^^ That's no f*&^ing joke right there ^^^^

I went into this match thinking it's just another target set out a little farther than we normally shoot; boy was I WRONG [facepalm]
Had we been shooting in favorable conditions , a target that size at 600 yds is a challenge for sure; but when you toss in the windy conditions (putting it mildly) things took on a whole new dimension of CRAP [shithitsfan]

I somehow managed a hit on that itty-bitty-black-smudge-in-the-distance on the last string; glad it was over for the day & looked forward to returning next month.
05-19-2013, 10:35
buckshotbarlow

granted, it's a match, but any shot in wind at that range is a chore...
05-19-2013, 18:09
Hoser

Mike you shot a great match considering you were shooting pulls. Once you settled in and focused on shooting you did fine.

I dont know if we were the first ones to run a match like this, but I know we were one of the first. I think we started these matches in 2007 while I was between deployments.

They are not easy, but you can really learn a lot in just 40 shots.

Here soon, maybe next month, we will open it up to 22s. My focus these past couple months was getting us up there. Now to get the 22 targets placed so we can safely use them
05-19-2013, 18:09
Hoser

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madusa

Did you say 600+ at prairie dogs! Kind of puts a strain on the old AR 15.

If it was easy, girls could do it.
05-19-2013, 19:15
islandermyk

I will be there again next month for sure, and will probably post up another one of these threads again [Coffee] [Beer]

I'll be working on my 22 for a little bit till I get to partake in these 22 matches... this one I'm really excited about!
05-20-2013, 11:05
C Ward

Most of us started / use the local , PWSA , CRC , NRAWC SRM , ETC. for practice for the big matches during the year . For the most part except for the big matches everybody talks to each other about the wind calls and stuff they see to help the other shooters out . The SRM match is the best place for that because you spend the whole day on the course with your squad . The other part of the learning curve is learning who's wind calls to use , they ain't all the same .