Got My First P today

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Been shooting CAS nearly two years and I got my first P today. And got it on the first stage!

Shooting out the windows of the train: right most window, double tap the four rifle tagets, reload and shoot the bonus. Set the rifle down (action open and empty) and move to the right center window. Shoot the five pistol targets from left to right. Holster. Move to the left center window. Shoot the pistol targets from right to left. Holster. Move to the left window, pick up shotgun and shoot down the four shotgun targets.

I was the second shooter. Rifle part went fine. Got the "bonus."  First revolver was fine. Move to the third window, draw the revolver and shoot the left target.
"D'Oh!" Yes, I think I actually said "D'oh!" The timer said: "What'd you do?" I replied: "Just got my first P." "You did?" "Yep." Aye, that was me, standing there, not shooting, and talking about it. So, since a person can get only one P per stage, do I continue shooting from left to right? NOOOOOOOOOooooo!! I take the time to move my eyes and revolver over to pistol target #4, the fourth from the left, and finish the sequence the way it should have been shot, right to left. 

Shot it clean. Subtract five seconds for the bonus, add ten for the procedural, and ended up with over 84 seconds for the stage. What an auspicious way to start a two day match!


Second stage I decided to allow myself to shoot the rifle faster than I usually do. Got a miss for that. The next two stages were very nice, for me. The targets were close, the sequences easy. Rifle and shotgun only, no revolvers. I actually got a 17.6 second stage! Whoo hoo!

Lunch break, then moved to the "hollow." Berm on three sides. No breeze. No shade.  99 degrees after fried chicken for lunch. Sweat rolling down my face and into my eyes. Sweat rolling into my dominant eye. There was no stopping it. Shot through a blur of vision. Ate three misses on that one.

Last stage for the day: six small knockdown pistol targets. Ten rounds to use to knock them down, any extra rounds to be dumped on another target. Missed the second one, picked it up with the next round, shot the rest, dumped the last three. Rifle was smooth, blasted down the shotgun targets. Done for the day. Take off the gear, stow the long arms and revolvers and go spot for other shooters.

When the day started, it was warm, but there was a little breeze and there was shade. I was thinking we could have shot all nine stages in one day. But when I finished that sixth stage, I was DONE. There was nothing left.

Home now, with the boots off, toes wiggling in air conditioning. My feet still hurt. My back aches. I want to take a nap, but if I went into my even more cool bedroom I may not get up again until 3 am. I am tired, worn, and dirty... and I am grinning. I had a BLAST.

Dang, it's great to shoot!!

By the way, the shooter after me on that first stage shot it exactly the same way I did! He did it a lot faster, though; he didn't stand there and talk about it a while before continuing to shoot!

AnnieLee, of course I was shooting Gunfighter!

[Arcey]

He shall remain unnamed.........

The gentleman, yeah, there are a couple 'moungst us, was runnin' the clock 'n tried ta help me on that stage.  Guns holstered, movement.  Got my attention for a second 'n almost tripped over the prop.

He was so sorry.  I don't know for what, he was trying to help.  I told him so too.

Guess who the RO was when it was his turn to shoot?  Heh, heh, heh.  Would I screw with him?  Heh, heh, heh.  Didn't but made a BIG deal of tellin' 'im I wasn't.

Right window, rifle.  Good.  Right center window, swept the wrong way with the first pistol.  When I saw 'im, I yelled "LEFT" but he cocked it and dropped the hammer anyway.

His reaction?  'Oh well.  Clean, 'bonus', procedural.'  Off to the unloading table with a smile.

Closing note:  Annie was kind, it was freakin' HOT!!!!!

[Birdgun Quail]

Delete!!!!

[Advertising]

[Arcey]

Just like a woman to start jabberin' and not know to shut up when one little thing goes wrong...Bwah-ha-ha...(knee slap)...Bwah-ha-ha!!!

Me bein' a man 'n all, I prolly doan know best.  But, I'd say Le Ping ta start with, Annie.

Just 'memberin' that quote ta preserve the evidence................................

Arcey - whut never holds a grudge.

..

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Oh, Birdgun.........~~~~~~~~~

!!!!!! Leigh PINGGGGGGG !!!!!!

Thank you, Arcey, good suggestion!


Oh yeah, after Sam and I did the same thing on that stage, the timers were meticulous about telling the shooters "Left" then "Right!"



AnnieLee

[Wymore Wrangler]

But did ya have fun....   I'm sure ya did, at a shoot last Sunday, they tied the shotgun knockdown reset ropes to a rope that is the firing line boundry, the knockdown ropes had loops on them and overlapped the long gun rack, never gave it a second thought until one of those loops caught one of the hammers on my shotgun and jerked the gun out of my hands.  First they were going to stage DQ me, but then changed it to a 10 second safety penalty.  It was a bad stage design, but you can either get mad or tease the RO (and club head RO) and have fun with it, I chose the latter way.  We do this for fun, and wheter ya get a P, miss a target, just make sure you had fun doing it....

[Arcey]

Tired 'n need ta get sum sleep.  Been up since 'bout quarter ta two this mornin'.  Did thit thing taday 'n gottah be a hunnert miles back tamarrah by 12:30 ta finish it.

The down-ta-the-wire stuff ain't whut that fellah 'n me are about.  He's a good shooter, just switched ta Duelist.  From time ta time we gottah yell "ONE HAND" cuz he forgets.  Old habits are hard to break.

Wildcat Will shoots Holy Black Gunfighter style agin them shootin' Gunfighter smokeless cuz that's what he wants to do. 

Chyle just wants ta shoot.  Black Powder, shotgun from the hip.

I'm the BP gamer of the bunch.  Both hands on a 357 Magnum.

Ain't neither one us gonna win the 50K grand prize..................

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

I'll pass you the Motrin before I go, Arcey, I'll be going to bed myself, shortly.

Yep, "that guy" is a good man and fun to shoot with. As are Wildcat Will, Chyle, and Arcey. I'm not on their posse this time, but I will be again sometime. Wouldn't be grinning, wouldn't be facing that heat again tomorrow along with the drive, if it wasn't fun.



AnnieLee

[Micheal Fortune]

It's the heat Annie, not your fault.   And like you said, it was a great time anyway.

I got one once, blasting away at 4 shotgun targets, double tapped all of them, course I wasn't supposed to but I just got on a roll and couldn't stop shooting them, good thing I ran out of ammo.......

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Actually, Micheal, it was my fault. I'm the one who signed up for a two day match in August, I'm the one who drove out there, I'm the one who chose to shoot in the heat and then to shoot from the left instead of the right.

Nobody's fauly but my own. And yep, I had a lot of fun, so much so I'll be going back there today.



AnnieLee

[Micheal Fortune]

That's what I get for being friendly and supportive, yep, you're right, it was all you fault!   Glad you had a good time too.

[Wes Virginian]

AnnieLee,

     YOur doin' it right! Have Fun! I used to have a Pard that would pout for 2 day's when he got a "P". Couldn't stand to be around him. When I got my first, it was a stage DQ. Thank goodness it was the last stage! I've had a few since (p's) but I still keep going back for more fun!

Wes

[Arcey]

Should anyone decide to break themselves of the habit of 'hettin' on a roll' with a shotgun, use a double on a ninety seven degree afternoon, loading sixty grains of 2f.  After six or eight shells, the barrels get a bit warm.

I did sixteen shells on one stage this afternoon.   I speak from experience.

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Day two:

Three stages today, supposed to be fast and furious because it was still HOT and we couldn't start shooting until 1.

First stage for us: clear TWO Texas Stars with the shotgun. Could fill a '97 with five rounds at the start, before the buzzer. I was still the second shooter. Stoked up the '97, said something semi-risque to the timer, the buzzer sounded and off I went. Cleared that first star with those first five shots. Then started fumbling the reloads. That second star swang around a lot faster than the first one. Took me twelve shots total to clear those ten moving targets.

The bad thing (for me) about being one of the first shooters is that the shooters who follow you learn from your mistakes. Most of the folks who followed me stoked the '97 full after those first five shots. It's a TON faster than individual reloads. One guy on our posse stuck to using his SXS. He got a TON of applause when he finished.

It was clouding up as we trekked over to the next stage and was drizzling a little as the stage directions were read. It started to really rain as the first shooter was finishing up, but it was still hot. The result was sweat and steam. I had a towel with me but it really wasn't helping. I dashed over to my cart to cover my spare long arms, and one of the guys started hollering at me. "Hurry up, they're waiting for you to shoot!" "What?" I replied, "it's POURING!" "They're waiting! Go shoot!"

So, I grabbed up my stuff and went to shoot. I staged the shotgun with action up, then turned it over because water was already starting to gather in it. Set down the rifle and told the RO I was ready. "State your line," said he. It was a simple, one word line, and I think I screamed it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" (meaning, "No, I don't want to be shooting in a downpour! No! My firearms are getting soaked! No, please don't make me do this!)

And the buzzer sounded.

I think I got ONE round off with the shotgun before my shooting glasses completely fogged over. Got the other one down, put down the shotgun and reached for the rifle. It was soaked. The wood was wet and slippery. I was vaguely aware of saying, over and over again: "I can't see a thing!" What I was *thinking* was: "Oh, pleasedearGodpleasedon'tletmedropmyrifle" as I  shot at this blurry blob in the distance. Jack a round, reload, shoot at the blob.  Rifle was done. Now it was the hard part: the revolvers... Gunfighter.

My hands were wet. My grips were wet. I actually considered defaulting on Gunfighter and shooting it duelist. But I couldn't. Five on the left target. ***BLAM*** with the left hand. (Oh crap, I almost dropped it.) ***BLAM*** with the right hand (Ohcrapthatonewasworseitnearlyflewoutofmyhand, pleasedearGODdon'tletmedroparevolver!!) Grip them tighter. *BLAM* tighter*BLAM* (ohpleaseno,don'tletmedropone,gripthemtighter!) *BLAM*. Done with the left blurrry blob, try to find the right one. "I still can't see a thing!" I yelled. But if I tilted my head in just the right way, there was a tiny patch in my glasses that was almost clear. I found the blob of a target.  I had my trigger fingers all the way through the trigger guard now, and was pulling the trigger with the base of my fingers.... slowly. Anything to keep from dropping a firearm or shooting one over the berm. *BLAM* pause *BLAM* pause, the cords standing out on my forearms from the tenseness and force of my grip on the revolvers.  *BLAM* pause *BLAM* pause *BLAM*.  (Okie,Iamdone.ThankyoudearGodformynotdroppingafirearm)

Soaked. Sagging with relief. Gathering up the longarms and nearly running for cover. Hearing someone behind me yell: "Clean!" As I made my way to the unloading table, the rain eased back off to a drizzle. The sun came out for about ten minutes, then it poured again. Nobody shot during that downpour.

Last stage. Two pistol dumps, five on the right, five on the left. No rifle, no shotgun. Shot slow, shot smooth. Was told I was making three inch groupings on the center of the targets. Done. 18 and some fractions of a second. Done. Happy. Grinning.

Tricky Trina took first overall ladies and first ladies traditional. Didn't get to see her shoot, but I'm glad she won. Missouri Marshall took first in Duelist. Arcey got first in Frontier Cartridge. Me? Came in fourth overall ladies and brought home wood for third place Gunfighter.

End note, and reprise... I've written before about being someplace in my shooting clothing and asked if I was Amish.

I stopped at a local produce stand on the way home. I was picking up sweet corn for dinner tonight while a couple was peering over the watermelons. The man smiled at me. "That's a pretty dress!" He commented. "Thank you!" was my reply. "Did you make it?" "No, I bought this one," said with a smile and a shake of my head. "Well, you look Amish!" He grinned. I grinned back. "Yep, I do, and I bet I look right at home in a produce market!" He and his lady laughed and I went to pay. As I was getting in my car, I had the thought of his looking on my passenger seat where my plaque reading "Third Place Gunfighter" was in plain sight.

"Now *that's* not Amish," I thought, and started laughing again as I made my way home.


AnnieLee

[Arcey]

All in all, I thought the Black Creek bunch with West Point support did a fairly nice job.  Especially for the first time running a two day shoot.  The stages were pretty much straight up.  Nice job with some of the props, the Pullman car was really nice.  Tombstones dotted the place for effect.

They must have badgered some local businesses for the door prizes.  Some were very nice.  And, they paid for some theirselves.

Lunch, covered in the entry fee, was more than I wanted.  Too hot out to eat.  I'll never believe I was too hot to eat anymore than two deviled eggs  (I know, Trina.  That's 'aigs').  Ice cold drinks.

On a personal note.  Since Pungo is gone I'm not seeing my pards like I used to and I'm not happy about that in the least.  This gave me an opportunity to play cowboy with them over a weekend.  That was priceless.

Not much can be done with the weather but hope for the best or change the dates.  It's August.  It's supposed to be hot.  Those of us who signed up knew that going in.

Suggestion for the next time, as if them folks didn't have enough to do, find a place for folks to stay.  Plan a dinner where we can meet and break bread together.

Bottom line - thanks for the fun.

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

Day two:


AnnieLee

OH MY LORD~~~  I am wiping the tears, I have laughed so hard. HaHaHa~
I was trying to read outloud and had to even stop cause I couldn't get through it all, we were laughing so hard.

 Thanks Annie.. That was almost better than being there...

[Big John Denny]

AnnieLee, you guys got rain. We would have killed for rain at the Saturday Mule Camp Cowboys shoot. It was so hot if you wanted to bake clay pots you didn't need a kilm. You could just set them out on the ground. It was so hot the pards picking up brass had to use welders gloves.

I'm not kidding. The heat index was over 108, and after the third stage all out clothes were soaked through with sweat. We had several shooters quit after two stages.

Even with all the sweat in my eyes I shot a clean match and shot both bonus targets, but when they called out the names for the clean sweep pins they didn't call mine. Seems like one of the guys acting as the recorder for a stage or two, who never got out of the shade, must have recorded a miss for me that wasn't called. Oh well, what the heck, maybe next month will be better.

[Missouri Marshal]

BJD , I can relate, Heat index at the shoot we were at was over 110.  We were soaked before we ever got ta shoot.  Had a great time but the heat........well I could do without it.

[Joyce (AnnieLee)]

Thank you MM and Tricky Trina for working up the scores so quickly and then mailing them out.

Thanks to the folks at KC's Corral, especially Sam Hades (I hate you, Sam!) who worked so hard to put on this match. I can't remember the name of the pard(s) who cut and painted the train and Yosemite Sam, but the artwork was awesome. Thanks to Sassy for the grub. Thanks to Kuba Kid for timing me in a downpour.

I understand the club members will be meeting tonight or tomorrow night for a post match rehash and they are thinking of moving the match to early spring. I hope they can manage it. For a first time two day match under very austere conditions, they did a great job.

Thanks for the fun,

AnnieLee

[Silver Creek Slim]

I've shot in the rain, too. Yep, 'bout all I could think of was not droppin' a gun. Glad ya had fun, Cuz. Ya need to wear a pin that says something like "I ain't Amish". 

Congrats Tricky Trina, Missouri Marshal, and Arcey fer getting first place in yer classes.

Slim