CMP National Trophy Matches at Camp Perry, 2012

For those he don’t know, the CMP National Trophy Rifle Matches have been held at Camp Perry, Ohio every year since 1907. Camp Perry is an Ohio National Guard base, and was home to German and Italian POWs during WWII. The huts that housed those POWs still stand to this day, although somewhat worn by time and weather.

I ended up staying one of those huts with Jason and Charley, two other VFEMI shooters. I could not have had more fun. Well, not in a week when I'm getting up at 5AM every day, and giving up caffeine, alcohol, and sarcasm. Our hut came with a gnome. 

Monday: Presidents 100

I started off really well with a in the President's 100 with a 93 in Off-Hand (very happy). We went to 300 prone, and I shot a nice tight little group at 6 O'clock in the 8/9 border for an 86. I was a minute and a half low for some reason. The targets were backlit, and it was overcast, so it might have been the light. Some people say you just shoot high at Perry because of having blue-sky instead of a berm and the targets are high relative to the shooting positions. Who knows? Anyway, at 600, there was some wind, and I shot at the low end of my normal range (88) for a total of 267-- which put me solidly in the Secretary of the Treasury's 600.

Tuesday: NTI - F-Bombs Ahead

When we got to the line at 0-dark thirty, it was just starting to sprinkle and the wind was blowing like hell. It looked like a storm was blowing in, so we didn't know if we were going to shoot, or how we were going to shoot. By the time we started, though, it had blown past us and turned into a nice morning. I started off AWESOME in off-hand: 10, 10, 10, (this is easy!) 9, (Ok, I still have to focus) 10, 7 ( WTF?), black (I can't see!). My aperture had come loose, and was flopping around in the hood. I got the aperture out of the hood, and figured I didn't have time to try to get it back in, so I kept shooting. I actually could see the target OK, but I didn't really get back into my zone, so I ended up with an 85. (so I dropped 4 points with the first 6 rounds, and 11 points with the last 4 rounds. There was a pair of 6s in there somewhere. Ok, 85 is not good, but it's not death either. 

I got down in sitting. My head wasn't really where in needed to be, but the position felt good: Bang, bang. Reload. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. I counted 10 rounds, and I thought about giving the trigger one more squeeze, but I didn't for some reason. I had time. When the targets went down, I looked at my bolt. It was, strangely, closed. And when I opened it, there was a bullet inside. Fuck. It came up an 88, with a saved round. I figure I need a 470 to make the cut, and I am down 27 after two stages. Double fuck. But, there is still hope. Never give up. 

We move the 300, and rapid prone. The sun is now out, and on the face of the targets. I estimated that there was about a minute of wind from the left. Now I have to decide if I was low Monday because of the light, or because "It's Perry." I decide it was mostly the light, so I just use my normal zero. I shoot a nice tight little group about a minute out at 3 O'Clock, because I never actually put the wind on the rifle. I still managed a 93.

We move on to 600 prone, and holy fuck, we got the wind something terrible. It was a switching, gusty 5-10 mph wind. It just pushed me all over the target, and I didn't have the confidence to chase the spotter. I would shoot a 7, not change the sights and shoot another one right next to it. I'd finally change the sites, and the wind would change direction, which I would discover when the next shot was a 7 out the other side. Tuesday night, we drank. Not much, but enough.

Wednesday: Hearst Doubles

It's a fine morning. We are sharing the firing point with Team Remington. I'm partnered Jason, and we are both a little hung over. I start by shooting two 7s. It's going to be a lovely day. After that, I start to get my groove on, and end with an 88. Not bad, considering I started with two 7s. And hey, my aperture didn't fall out.

By the time we get back to 300, our hangovers are gone. I'm ready for 300 rapids, and the targets are backlit, but it's not overcast. I take a wild guess and come up a minute. I'm in there, and come away with a 99. Not. Fucking. Bad.

Before we shoot at 600, I score for Team Remington, so I get to look through the scope for 23 minutes watching the mirage while listening to them discuss what it means. This is the best wind reading lesson ever. By the time it's our turn to shoot, I not only have a good starting wind call, but a good idea on how to read the changes through the scope. Plus, the wind is being kind to us. There was one 7 that I knew was bad as soon as I sent it, but everything else was 9s and 10s. I was actually seeing that I was stacking them up on the right side of the 10 ring, and came left a quarter to correct. It was awesome.  I ended up with a 93, for a total of 280. Our team finished 101st.  If I'd shot these scores in prone on Monday, I would have made the President's 100.

Scores

President's 100
Rank	Standing	Sitting	300 Prone	600 Prone	Total
551/1242	93-1	n/a	86-0	88-1	267-2
Notes			Elevation 1.5 minutes low due to overcast / back-lit targets	The wind something terrible
NTI
792/1125	85 - 1	88 - 3	93 - 2	162 - 1	428 - 7
Notes	10,10,10,9,10 - aperture falls out. D'oh	1 saved round. In other words, one more squeeze would have made that a 97 or 98.	Got the elevation. Failed to add wind.	OMG, the wind.
Hearst Doubles
160/576	88 - 2	n/a	99 - 4	93 - 1	280 - 7
Notes . top 28%	Hungover. Started with a pair of 7s, then things started coming together.		Good coaching and wind call. Added a min of elevation for backlit target	Bam! Watching Nate and team Remington call wind was very helpful. Calling wind for my partner helped me.	Nice score. Quite happy. Take best ball standing from p100, and I'm in the P100 with a 285.