Humbled

Well...today was an interesting day. I shot a real high power match. The course of fire was 80 rounds and you know, I don't think I can even remember what it was. I am so physically and mentally exhausted I can barely type let alone think!

I know I shot some off hand (standing) and some sitting and some prone. There was slow and rapid fire and there was 200 yards, 300 yards and 600 yards. The first course of fire was 22 shots (two sighters, 20 for record), off hand slow fire, at 200 yards. The last course of fire was 22 shots (same as above) slow fire prone, at 600 yards simulated. Everything else in between is a blur!

The temperature was around 90 degrees. It was sticky humid...the air so thick you could stir it. The sun was blazing most of the time...although there was an occasional merciful cloud in the sky. The only saving grace was a gentle breeze from time to time.

As the title above states, I was humbled. After last week's monumental success, my giant head was deflated today. I can't report my exact scores on each course of fire, I didn't write them down (clue, clue, clue)...I will tell you of one very sorry experience.

Picture this...course of fire is 10 shots rapid fire sitting at 200 yards. I am at the ready...first siter is in the 10 ring. I am ready to go. Site picture looks good...position is giving me some grief but I feel okay. Ready, steady now...remember follow through...don't raise your head off the stock...and go. Load magazine...one, two, three, four....shoot.....one, two, three, four.....shoot. Drop the magazine load another with eight cartridges and go...one, two, three, four....shoot.....and so on until the bolt stays open.........................finished.

Rest.....Ahhhhhh..........Target drops and nothing more to do but wait for my shots to be scored. Target comes back up and a question comes from the pit, "what do you want to do about target seven...is she going to shoot her course?" WHAT DO YOU MEAN IS SHE GOING TO SHOOT HER COURSE? I SHOT MY COURSE!

I looked at the target. There was nothing on it. I completely missed it. Yet I am sure that when I was looking through the sites I had a great site picture...I just don't know what I was looking at. But whatever it was it was consistent cause not one bullet hit that target. I guess if you are going to be that bad you should at least be consistently bad.

So that is how the rest of the day went. To paraphrase one of my favorites, when I was good...I was really good and when I was bad...I was really bad. Humbled I may be...but certainly not discouraged.

I will be back...and when I return hopefully I will have some of my own equipment...that should really help. In addition, I am optimistic the weather conditions will improve. With these mere changes I am sure I will see an improvement in my ability. Afterall, it can't get any worse than zero out of 100 now can it?.