CampPerry2012

July 9th 2012 - Day 1 at Camp Perry...

Thank goodness the heat wave has broken from the previous weeks temps of around 100 or I would not be having a great time. It was in the mid 80s, but a cool breeze helped keep things good. Check-in on base was easy enough and registration for the NRA matches also was pretty simple. Within an hour of arriving on base, I was already bumping into people I knew and in typical Bullseye shooter fashion, everyone wanted to help me learn the ropes. It just amazes me sometimes how kind all of us competitors are in this sport.

After Anatoly gave me a quick run down on the happenings and a tour of the base, we were able to watch the opening shot ceramonies. That was a fun event to watch and it added a sense of 'importance' to the event. We then went into the advanced SAFS training program and it was well run and well presented by Jim Henderson and Sargent Franks and a few others in the early presentations. Lot's of opportunities for Q&A and the speakers did a great job of being very proffesional. The final part of the program was a panel of guest speakers including: John Zurek, Judy Tant, Brian Zins, and Steve Ridder who took turns answering questions for the audience. The entire event was a great learning experience and a great opportunity. Steve and Judy really went out of their way to talk with one of the junior shooters and really offered some great and personal advice.

The commercial row was almost completely open by afternoon so making the rounds there was important and I picked up a Thumblers Tumbler along with some Stainless Steel tumbling media - part of me lead abatement program of which I will write more about at a later date. Throughout the day it was always a fun surprise to see other shooters I know and shoot with. It seemed like about every hour I would bump into someone new.

At the end of the day, six of us (Steve T., David N., Al k., Anatoly A., Ludamila A., and myself) got together for dinner in Port Clinton and had a very enjoyable time with lots of laughs. Looking forward to tomorrow even though I won't be shooting, there is still plenty to see and do and plenty of people to talk with.

July 10th 2012 - Day 2 at Camp Perry...

The weather has been cooperating with clear skies and low 80s temps. No shooting for me today so I spent some time checking out the base. They have a small outdoor museum of military vehicals which are always exciting to look over. The on base beach is nice place to relax eve if you are a land lover. There is a long pier you can walk out on and look back towards the base, or to relax, just watch the waves roll in.

Another sight to see on base is the air gun range - talk about a state of the art facility! Targets are electronic and measure to the tenth of a point. The digital targets are displayed on monitors at each shooting bench and on larger overhead screens. The facility is very well lit and air conditioned. Too bad all shooting ranges couldn't be setup like this.

The CMP store was another interesting visit. They had lots of M1 Garands and some 1917 Enfields.

We had our team meeting at 5:30, I was late arriving to that due to finding a place to relax and totaly zone out. I zoned out so bad I completely lost track of time, however, while this may be the biggest pistol competition in the country, it is also my vacation so a little time to decompress was appreciated. After the meeting we went into Port Clinton for another great dinner and conversation.

Tomorrow starts the preliminary matches so now is the time to do some dry firing and mental prep.

July 11th 2012 - Day 3 at Camp Perry, Preliminary matches...

The weather was good again today, sunny skies, mid 80s, and a cool and constant wind. My performance was less than "good" so far. I ended up with a 819-15x (91%) which is about 4% down from my average. My team, ISRA Gold ended up in 11th place with an 822-16x.

Larry's guns put on their chicken dinner event to raise funds for the junior shooters. The food was great and the conversations were great, so an overall good time was had.

July 12th 2012 - Day 4 at Camp Perry, 22 matches...

The weather was good again today, sunny skies, mid 80s, and a cool and constant wind. Further disappointment in my performance. I shot way below average again.

For the team match I was able to step up a bit but still wasn't able to shoot my average.

July 13th 2012 - Day 5 at Camp Perry, Centerfire matches...

The weather was good again today, sunny skies, mid 80s, and a cool and constant wind. Performance is still a mind-numbing horrible, I didn't even break 800. Whatever the problem is, I am very consistent.

The team match started out good for me, I believe I had a 91 or 92 slow fire and it all felt good, too bad I was not able to continue as I spiraled down from there.

July 14th 2012 - Day 6 at Camp Perry,45 matches...

The weather was good again today, first relay had overcast skies and cool temps in the low 70s. Started the 45 match out pretty bad but by the end of the slow fire I was finally getting things together. My trigger control was finally starting to show itself again. By the time I shot timed fire, I was shooting only about 2 points off my average and things started to feel real good. I ended with an 823-21x which, while still a bad score for me, was a marked improvement for the week.

After the 45 match I went to the practice range to see if I could squeeze a few more points out and a discovery was found. On the practice range I was able to discover what I think was the cause of my low scores all week, performance anxiety. My slow fire shots were still not fully up to standards, my timed and rapid fire scores were solid and consistent. Never thought I would cave to the pressures of competition, but I did.

The team match was the final stage to see if I could wrestle the anxiety under control. The first 5 shots of slow fire were very low, a 6 click adjustment up brought the shots into the 9s and 10s. My timed and rapid scores were right up there with my average so I was pleased. I shot a 265 with a 77 slow fire in moderate winds. The sight adjustments seemed to be a real problem to deal with and a few other shooters had the same problems. Not being one to shoot outdoors for practice, it was a heck of a learning experience.

Summary of my experience at Camp Perry...

Obviously I was very disappointed with my shooting performance during the entire week, however, in spite of that, I really enjoyed myself. It was fun talking with the other shooters, some of who I shoot with locally, others who I met for the first time. I enjoyed waiting under the canopies for our relay to start, again, talking with fellow shooters. The shooter to my right was Japanese (now living in Hawaii) and the shooters to my left were from the east coast. It was fun talking with them and relaxing while we waited our turn. Lunches were always enjoyable especially since the weather was so good, it was like a picnic everyday.

I am glad our team did good, 2nd place expert is something to be proud of, I am disappointed I didn't shoot up to my standards or even close, all we needed was two more points to achieve 1st place and I take full responsibility for that failure. It was good to be part of a team, that was the first time I shot on a team and it added a special feeling to the sport which is primarily an individual activity. The support and encouragement from the team members and other friends at Perry was amazing.

Visiting the air gun range was an eye opener for me. I was amazed by the technology of the electronic targets and how great the whole facility was. I certainly hope that it strengthens the desire for more young shooters to pursue this sport. There were a good number of juniors in there with their coaches and they all seemed to have an interest.

Below are some photos I have taken and collected from other shooters. As I look over them I can say that they bring back fond memories of that week and I look forward to Camp Perry 2013!

Team ISRA Platinum, second place Expert with a 3258-64x. From left to right:

Chris DeHut (me), Anatoly Andrianov, John Dervis, and Steve Turner.

On the firing line, left is John Dervis and right is Chris DeHut (me).

Ready and waiting, left is John Dervis and right is Chris DeHut (me).

Opening shot ceremony

Advanced SAFS panelist discussion. Left to right, Jim Henderson, John Zurek, Judy Tant, Sgt. Franks, Brian Zins, Steve Reiter

Photo from the pier looking back at the firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

Photo of firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

Photo of firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

Photo of firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

Photo of firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

Photo of firing line - click on image for a larger photo.

The "Justin Case" guys who are always ready Just In Case something goes wrong - click on image for a larger photo.

The folks at Larry's Chicken Dinner - click on image for a larger photo.

The folks at Larry's Chicken Dinner, lot's of shooters here! - click on image for a larger photo.

Commercial row, where money seems to disappear. - click on image for a larger photo.

A row of huts. Not much if you are used to staying in a hotel but they are shelter! - click on image for a larger photo.

This is a view from a local eatery in Port Clinton looking west towards Camp Perry. It is hard to tell for sure but I believe the sun is setting directly over Camp Perry - click on image for a larger photo.