August 23

For sure we're in late summer and the rush was on to beat the heat with a forecast 97/98°F today. Match director was first on site being a tad before 7am, Chris K shortly after. Both head on down to range #9 with all the gear getting after the setup chores. As is about normal give or take 1/2 done with setup others start rolling in giving us an idea on how many might be brave enough to make it out in the forecast heat and being this time of year with schools just starting, late season vacations, obligations etc. We end up with just 14 shooters today -- the lowest count this year.

Today's setup was 13 lanes, 2 targets per. One shot only at each. So we sit down & range, resolve hold solution 26 times (Which is an equivalent of a 52 shot 2 per match regular set). Then took a half-hour break to have a light lunch, drink some fluids & chat a bit...then go through the 13 lanes once again doing the same 26 repetitive steps to get one chance that a target falls!!  

Now this created 52 times one has to get their act together and take one shot the most resolved and accurately delivered as their skill allows being equal to shooting 104 shots sequentially if playing 2 shot per target set!! Whoa! Yes indeed, a very mentally taxing way of playing the FT game, challenging even the most experienced.

We had a forced Kneeling lane and well Offhand lane in the mix today that, for those in the know & those not, was basically a 1-Day GP format. Winds stayed pretty calm during the first round and scores were really high with several shooters being only down 2 shots! Now the second round things had changed as the typical Ione wind starts blowing pretty much straight at us to start, then started quartering us creating some shots to be wind corrected for. Indeed a tad more sighs and noises down the line of missed shots and the normal banter of the boys having fun. As in, if you can't giggle about it you're likely in the wrong sport.

TODAY'S SCORES By Class / Shooter / XX of 52

WFTF PCP

Lonnie S 44

Hunter Piston

Bill C 38

Hunter PCP * 3 way high score shoot off, listed in order of result

Hunter B 48

Chris K 48

Scott S 48

Erick S 47

Conrad R 44

Darren T 43

Kevin H 41

Sam R 41

Joe B 41

Marty G 41

Kirk W 19

Jeff A 16

Scores clearly show the guys really dug in their heels and tried really hard to make every shot count which was the intent of the MD. Moral being: if you always try and make EVERY SHOT as if it was your one and only chance for score you will shoot better overall!

We had at least half the guys stick around post match and shoot for fun till about 3pm when the heat was just too much to call it fun any more.

THANK YOU to all those who made it out and hope you had fun today. So until we play some SVFTC games once again on September 27th at range #9 stay practiced and healthy as we have only two more FT club shoots this season ( October 25th is the last match for 2026). 

Thank you,

Scott Schneider

SVFTC Match Director