OK, sorry I was gone for so long. Lots of little things keeping me busy. Namely having to reload my entire operating system on my computer as it had become the victim of a series of corrupt files. A buddy of mine who knows a lot about computers told me that google images has a lot of little traps loaded with a virus just waiting for someone to click on them. Who knows where I got it (I'm sure it couldn't be the midget porn I was looking up) but I was lucky enough to be able to be talked through the process and it didn't cost me a dime.
Tactical match: The 2010 Goose Creek Tactical Match was a blast! Even if the weather stunk, it was a very well thought out match and even a bit of realism compared the the IPSC matches I have been used to shooting. I have shot IPSC 3 and 4gun matches but this would be like one of those on steroids. The first thing you'll notice is that IPSC gamers show up in very colorful and bright clothing. The competitors run the gambit of occupations. The tactical matches are different and the competitors are mostly in law enforcement and or military and are dressed in tactical clothing.
The match was held on the Goose Creek Tactical Range, located on Gunville Rd. (BIA 2) on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The owner of the range is a tribal officer who is in the guard and recently back from Iraq.
The weather didn't cooperate but about 22 shooters showed up anyway. (One shooter was bitten by a rattle snake while practicing and didn't make the match) The wind and the rain kept several other fair weather shooters home, safely tapping away on their laptops. Temp was 43degrees, wind was out of the west at 24 to 36mph and it intermittently rained/poured during the carbine/pistol stage. It was miserable but you rarely heard anyone complain about it.
IPSC stages are usually 25 to 40 round count stages and the top shooters usually can blow through a stage in about 20sec. and the range officer runs behind the shooter with a timer. The GCTM carbine/pistol stage was 1.2 miles long and the fastest time was 27:53 and the range officer rode an ATV and followed the shooter! Last year a guy puked before completing it. (it was hotter last year)
The terrain was the Moreau River bottoms. Steel plates had to be knocked down or hit twice. Most rifle targets were set up so the shooter couldn't see them if he proned out so another position had to be utilized. After engaging several rifle and pistol targets, the shooter ran about 200yds to a low crawl station where after completing it he picked up a ballistic shield and ran to the next station about 50yds away where he shot 2 more pistol targets from behind the shield and then drop it and run to where he shot a steel plate located across the river and about 125yds out. Then get up and run a couple hundred yds to the next station which was a 200yd rifle target with a 25mph cross wind. The onto the next station where you find a 38 cal revolver and fire two rds at a single steel. Then run to a series of mostly rifle targets at distances of 100 to 150yds (stiff cross wind but you could go prone) Then you had to unload and climb over a wall. Eventually you came across a shotgun and had to fire two rds at a target. Then on down and keep running till you get to an old pick-up truck where you fire out the passenger window at a steel popper then around the windshield at two poppers. After that you can get out and engage 8 falling plates. Then it's off to a station where you find an old SKS and fire two rounds from it at a target 100yds away. Next you run and find another six shooter and you fire two shots from it at a steel. Then on to a station where you find a Browning Buckmark and can fire five rounds from it. Now you were headed around to the last few targets. They were rifle and pistol targets and were relatively easy targets. You had 30 minutes to complete the stage. If you had not completed it, you would be stopped and be only allowed to keep the points you had accumulated up to that point. Only 3 shooters made it through in under 30 minutes.
After that, we ate lunch that had been brought in to us by the match director in an huge army tent. We laughed about how we all pretty much sucked and were out of shape about to die.
After lunch was the long range portion. Targets were from 77, 200, 300, 600, 800 and 1000yds. A mile target had been set up but no one shot at it as the wind was blowing at a 90degree angle at 24 to 36mph. Most shooters had trouble hitting even the 12" 600yd gong.
I came in 3rd on the rifle pistol stage with the fastest time and I tied for 3rd on the long range leg. I wasn't able to put it together past 600 and felt lucky to get my hits there. I was so sore the next day, I could hardly walk.
Rumor has it that there will be a night time tac match there later in the summer.
Tom
Thats OK though, it gives me a reason to get back in shape. Maybe my Dad will get to see me shoot this time.
