[JG26_Irish]

IR50/50 22BR match (my first) - 1.) If given the chance to warmup or practice before the match, use your chosen match ammo, not some bargain brand. This allows you to judge the wind conditions and make final optics adjustments (if any) BEFORE the match begins. 2.) Zero your scope in dead calm conditions and then leave it alone. Just alter the aim point to compensate for wind. If you zero it in the wind, it will be off when the wind stops or shifts. 3.) If your rifle likes to have 10 shots thru it to warm up and settle down, don't try to shot the bulls for score after 5 (shot four 9's in the first five bulls !@#$%^&*). 4.) If the course of fire allows you 20min to shoot, then use all the time. Don't rush, no matter if you are the last shooter on the line. 5.) Always verify that you are aiming at your tgt before you press the trigger. 6.) A stable rest is better than a loose/shaky rest. Fix it before the match. 7.) When shooting indoors or in dead calm conditions, a battery powered fan may?? reduce the heat mirage in front of your scope. We shot from a heated building thru little plexiglass window ports onto outdoor tgts. The mirage from heat escaping the building thru the ports as well as from your bbl was an interesting challenge.

IPSC/USPSA - Aim fast, shoot slow. A slow "A" is better than a fast miss. Friends don't let friends carry mouseguns.

ARA 22 BR (my 1st time) - 1.) No matter how good your Winchester model 52 shoots, it is still 1932 technology and is not in any way close to competitive in modern BR competition. 2.) Have fun, it is still a game. 3.) Do not switch ammo in the middle of the match. Those small differences seem to get magnified. 4.) Wind flags? What are those for?? lol 5.) The affects from wind that is from right to left is different than when it is from left to right. 6.) When the wind is from left to right close to the bench and from right to left at the tgt, the affects are not cancelled out. 7.) Ammo, rifle, trigger, bbl, stock, optics, rest, wind, temp, humidity, shooter, all these affect the precision and accuracy of the total package. Some are controlled before the event and some during the event and some are not within your control. Deal with each to the best of your ability and at the appropriate time. i.e. On match day your choice of scope is no longer a variable. It becomes a fixed component. But you can still swap ammo or manage the shooter on match day. 8.) Just like racing cars/motorcycles, martial arts, or other forms of human competition, no matter how physical it may appear, competition is usually 90% mental and 10% physical. So the use of the mass between your ears may be the most critical variable of all. When the green flag drops, slow everything down and execute. You have to be slow to go fast (or score well). This applies just as much to road racing as it does to IPSC or BR shooting.

Finally, write down what you learn each time. You might be surprised how much is forgotten after a few days.

Irish