Second Freeper Postal Match - Rifles

CapandBall | 05/20/02 | CapandBall

[CapandBall]

Following Free Republic's successful & fun first postal match (How about a Freeper Postal Match?) for pistols, I'm sponsoring a rifle match. A "postal match" is conducted by mail, hence the name "postal" and should not be confused with a contest that involves shooting up your co-workers in a rage.

Shooters in different parts of the country compete against each other in a contest of marksmanship. Shooters are mailed numbered targets which they shoot. The targets are returned via the mail (hence "postal") and scored. Obviously, the honor system comes into play here.

The rules (up to this point) for this match are as follows:

1> A rimfire and a centerfire rifle are required. You will need 30 rounds for each weapon.
2> Iron sights only. No scopes, red-dots, lasers, etc.
3> Diatance is 100 yards.
4> Ten shots each position; standing, sitting, and prone for each type of rifle.
5> Ten minutes for ten shots, each position.
6> The following are not allowed:
...a> match rifles
...b> match ammo
...b> use of spotting scopes between shots
...c> compitition type "cuffed" slings
...d> shooting jackest

You can see the result of the First Freeper Postal Match here: First Freeper Postal Match Results!

There are 6 targets total, all type SR-21, that you will receive in the mail. We have 8 confirmed for this match so far, and need 7 more to fill it out, 15 total. To date I have snail mail addresses for:

Shooter 2.5
NY.SS-Bar9
ctdonath2
umgud
KG9 Kid
chookter
M1911
CapandBall

Freep mail me with a mailing address if you are interested. We had some problems using regular mail in the last match, so I'll probley use priority mail. First come first serve.

[umgud]

It is all for fun, the only bet$ I'd make is that I'll not be getting high score.

I'll bet that I am among the top 25 shooters (he he).

[glasseye]

Targets went out this afternoon. :-)

I ended up shooting a friends rifle, a Winchester 94 legacy in 44 mag for the CF legs. I could not get my Mausers to group at all off the bench, don't know why. Might have something to do with 3 stories I have heard of CCR rifles comming apart in the last month. I know I was thinking more about these old rifles failing than just shooting solid.

The rimfire rifle I used is a Romanian trainer I picked up a few years ago at big-5 sporting goods.(not a target barrel) It has to be the best shooting 75$ rifle around.

It is hard on my ego to know without the trigger job, match barrel, spotting scope, bells & whistles I am not the shooter I want to be. Although my scores were embarrassing I found the format challenging and fun. I need to spend less time at the bench and more practice offhand.

Good luck to the 'big dogs'.......think I'll stay here on the porch....lol

[NY.SS-Bar9]

I may not have done too well in this match, but I "shot out the star" again last night at the local VFD fair. Only took two tries.

[Shooter 2.5]

Yay!! Hand that man a ceegar!!!

[CapandBall]

OK shooters, I believe I received the last set of targets today - I count 14 total responded (out of 22, not bad). I've been waiting till I got them all before I start scoring them, and I should have the results up early next week.

I'll ping the entire list proper.
Rgds,
-C&B-

[umgud]

Does this mean I'll be among the top 14 shooters? BTW, I went shooting today. Went up in the mountains and did a little varmint and target shooting. I shot long range with a rested and scoped 22-250. None of that iron sighted freeehand stuff today.

[Shooter 2.5]

80,000 Freepers.
a couple of thousand regulars.
400 posts on gun threads detailing what kind of gun to buy.
14 actual, real-life, honest-to-God rifle shooters.


Sigh.

[Jerry_M]

Well, before you are too hard on the FR community at large, there are a couple of extenuating circumstances.

I just lucked on to the thread, and during the 12 or so hours that it took to get the proper number of entrants. I even invited one of my FRiends to sign-up, but by the time he checked in the list was closed.

Additionally, the rules were a bit stiff, and there are probably some who don't have iron sighted, non-match rifles for this competition. I presently don't have a scoped CF rifle, so I would have been out of luck with different rules

I was just glad that I had an opportunity to participate, and to do my shooting with chookter.

I hope that CapandBall will ping me to the next match, how about blackpowder? Either traditional patched ball rifle, or modern sabot would be OK with me, although I prefer the former (and flintlock to boot!). Or, a percussion revolver match. I have an 1851 Navy replica that is almost as accurate as my 1911s and Makarovs. With a screen name like CapandBall, I imagine there would be some interest there!

[Shooter 2.5]

It's just disappointing. I can understand that the shooters had to be limited but the few that accepted the targets knew what the rules were. In the pistol match, the people who asked for targets had a slot and had an obligation to shoot since others were turned away.
I made a comparison between Americans and people from other countries. Since we have a lot of disposable income, we buy a lot of toys. Too many times we become what we buy and at the same time, we don't take the time to master what we own.
I have a friend that buy stuff and keeps it only long enough to find out that he isn't good with what he bought and then he sells it. He's been married three times.

[umgud]

Ditto all that....... BTW, these matches are good for Freeper morale and comaraderie. It is good that Freepers fellowship with each other and it is healthy where they have common interests. We have many political and activist functions, why not good clean fun too. I'm pretty proud of my last Freeper pistol match scores and I probably would have been better ducking this match so as not to be seen as a crappy rifle shot, but I said I'd do it and I did it and I'm glad regardless of where I place. I may not compete in all upcoming matches, but I hope there will be many more.

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks for the support and shooting in the match when it was obvious that you of all people had a rough time of it.
How is the eye coming along?
I was really happy when I found out that you could still shoot. I can't imagine what my life would be like if my trigger days were over.

[umgud]

My eye area is still a little uncomfortable. The scars itch and the lid area feels artificially tight. But, I can assure you that I probably wouldn't have done much better if my eye was a 100%. I can and have shot deer, pig and other large game offhand, even without a scope. These shots were short range at large targets. Iron sighted at 100 yd targets is pretty tough (but fun). it's a real learning curve. My big downfall, due to the eye injury, was that I had no real practice time. I am looking forward to upcoming matches. BTW, I don't have any black powder, air or archery equip. Keep your powder dry (I know this is hard in Texas right now). My in-laws have a game ranch near Rock Springs.

[Shooter 2.5]

I understood that you had the metal pierce your eye lid and the eyeball. How much more damage did you have?
I talked over your problem with the muzzle brake to a gun shop owner and he mentioned a gunsmith that puts them on without a lathe and they are constantly being shot off.
I don't hunt but I'll keep your in-laws in mind. Most of the people I know shoot Prairie Dogs.

[umgud]

It did penetrate the eyelid and cut the right side of the eyeball. There is still a very slight blurrines but only periferally. This is supposed to heal completely. The bone area beside my eye, near the temple still smarts if I press it hard. I just went varmint hunting in the mountains and used a scoped 22-250. I had no problems.

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks for letting me know. I was at a match the other day and a guy was complaining his glasses were fogging up. He wanted to use contact lens. I told him that doing away with safety glasses wasn't a good idea. Then I realized he wasn't wearing safety glasses. His regular glasses would have just added to the shrapnel. I've seen .223 brass flying as far as 25 feet. I can imagine a Garand tossing a 30-06 empty and breaking someone's glasses.

[spunkets]

I was unable to shoot at all. I've been too busy campaigning. The one day I could shoot I had to leave the guns at home, 'cause they would have been on my bike and accessible to thieves at other times of the day/night.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Sigh.

Here's something to cheer you up:

Until C&B proposed this match, I limited myself to bullseye pistol, usually alone, as my local range has approximately one match a year.

I went out and bought a Bushmaster because, 1 - I thought it was a pretty neat rifle, and 2 - I didn't want to be shamed into not shooting for lack of a CF rifle. At the time, I knew nothing of "highpower".

I have since found a thriving community of shooters (In NY, imagine that!), Shot several matches and done really well, and I am now starting to reload.

Last week I was shooting next to a 16 year-old girl and there are extensive junior programs in the area.

I guess shooting ain't dead yet!

[CapandBall]

Results are on a new thread here .

[CapandBall]

Bang for new thread.