I joined a local gun club recently , and participated in the informal Monday night weekly .22 Steel Plate Match. The format is : 5 steel plates of 10" dia. , 3 white , 1 red , 1 white in that order. 10 yards , muzzle down till timer starts , total time for hitting all 5 targets - red must be last. For all I know this is a standard format?
Having never participated in such an activity it was my fear that I would empty my magazine without hitting all 5 targets. Most of the 15 guys were really well equipped ; I was shooting my venerable Ruger MKI with iron sights w/custom color highlights. (daughter's nail polish.) On the first round I hit the 4 whites with 4 shots , but missed the red and foolishly stopped shooting. The timer guy suggested that I keep shooting ; I then got the red on the second try. Despite the pause I clocked a 7.5 seconds - enough to bolster my confidence. After a few more tries I managed to hit 5 in 5 , clocking 5.4 seconds - much better that I had anticipated. The best guy of the event clocked 3.4 - he had been there before.
So , is this a standard format? Any of you folks have similar experiences or advice to share? My take is : lots of fun , and a good confidence builder. Moving aim from target to target is challenging and rewarding. Glad I went to the club.
Having never participated in such an activity it was my fear that I would empty my magazine without hitting all 5 targets. Most of the 15 guys were really well equipped ; I was shooting my venerable Ruger MKI with iron sights w/custom color highlights. (daughter's nail polish.) On the first round I hit the 4 whites with 4 shots , but missed the red and foolishly stopped shooting. The timer guy suggested that I keep shooting ; I then got the red on the second try. Despite the pause I clocked a 7.5 seconds - enough to bolster my confidence. After a few more tries I managed to hit 5 in 5 , clocking 5.4 seconds - much better that I had anticipated. The best guy of the event clocked 3.4 - he had been there before.
So , is this a standard format? Any of you folks have similar experiences or advice to share? My take is : lots of fun , and a good confidence builder. Moving aim from target to target is challenging and rewarding. Glad I went to the club.