While it's not the first time I have RO'd a match, this most recent time was nice mix of shooters. From established PRS Competitors to Military Teams, to newer shooters looking to gain experience. This does tie into the Contrived post I made, as this goes in the other direction.
Watching every shooter solve a stage is very good way to look at matches. It's a deep dive into all sides of the match, from the perspective of the match director, what were they thinking, to the translation by the competitors, it gives a nice overview of where people stand in the competition world today.
My first day stage was 3 targets inside 100 to be shot unsupported standing then movement to a position in order to engage a target across the valley at 730 yards.
The second day, it was a handgun stage, 3 targets 15 to 25 yards away, then movement to the same location to shoot a small target across the valley at 800 yards.
There was a nice variety of talent on the hill, so it was nice to every options tried.
To me, it was about the process...
From the moment you approach the Range Officer, to end of the stage, I want to see how you address your equipment, yourself, what is your process ? My basic observations from this point:
98% don't have a process...
Where does my rifle and pack go, most copied the guys in front of them. Several asked me, where do I put my rifle, and even more wasted about 40 seconds trying to decide.
The lack of shooter education shows, the guys who constantly compete, they have a plan, some of them, the rest wing it as they go. Even in the team setting, who does what, why, and where will be position ourselves is lost on most. They get in each other's way.
It was crazy, one team, a very good team from the military, Tier One dudes, asked me some questions about the Kraft Quick Wind on Friday during my clinic, the next day on my stage they were talking to each other in MPH for the winds across the way. The answer after the first guy shot, 3 MPH coming from the left.
I was actually very surprised by my observations in terms of the big picture. I expected my opinion to be smaller when you put rifle to target under the clock. In a way it has gotten no better, sure equipment has, the tripods are the real heroes today, as well as the calibers / cartridges that mitigate recoil.
Other observations, using the bags on the tripod without either actually set correctly, meaning it falls off after the 1st or 2nd shot. As well the idea of going to the Game Changer when clipping in was available, using a good equipment, or putting the Game Changer on a ball head that pushes the bag off during recoil. If you look at the Apex of the tripods, the number of shooters who have their Apex completely out of whack was very high. As in, the legs are wildly out of shape causing the tripod to be off center.
Gear management was lacking in a big way, one of the military teams came through, the junior shooter needed in his bag right as he came to the line. He could not find what he was looking for, and I joked to the senior shooter, "Is he a PFC?" and the reply was, he acts like it. This was common, guys carrying too much gear, or not being able to access what they needed in time, on the clock or off.
This why contrived stages and match design hurts people in the long run. There is no real goal, they get to carry stuff any way they want, doesn't matter, unlike making guys start a stage the same way with gear stowed, and they deployed on the clock. it would create a method and process that doesn't exist today.
When left on their own, people will trial and error anything, but when you create a system to educate, this stuff grows much faster, and with better results sooner. To me, this stuff has hit a plateau ... I think it has been watered down to the point the learning is over, now you are capped at the level of your equipment.
