First-Time Shooters at a Field Target Match

October 28, 2006

Recently, WLOPA conducted a first-time shooter field target match as part of the Step Outside program sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.  The invitees for the program were members of a clinical team from a major pharmaceutical manufacturer in Connecticut.   In addition to no prior experience in field target competition, many members of the group were totally new to rifle shooting.

Before the event took place, we arranged to have a certified NRA firearms safety instructor conduct a class with the group on the basics of firearms safety.   Additionally, experienced field target shooters from WLOPA and nearby Westfield Sportsmans Club were solicited for assistance as squad instructors.  This allowed for squads of three shooters with one FT experienced shooter on each squad to monitor safety and provide firing line guidance on techniques used to be successful at field target shooting.

In addition to safety orientation, each member of the group was given an opportunity at the hotel training site to handle the airguns as well as learn how to appropriately assume a position that would allow a full field of view through a rifle scope.  From past experience, new shooters have a difficult time with eye position relative to the scope, and this group proved to be no exception, so this first step after proper safety instruction proved to be a valuable one prior to actual firing practice.

A skunk  field target with a 2" kill zone was placed 30 yards from a picnic table at the WLOPA facility so that each member of the group could gain an initial taste of success.  As the participants arrived at the event, they were given an opportunity to first shoot this 'generous' field target from a bench rest position.  As each  participant took their turn in shooting the field target,  anticipation began to build for a successful day of FT shooting.   Once all new participants had an opportunity to knock down the target, then we proceeded to the sight-in range and placed the shooters in pre-assigned squads with their match squad instructors.

The skunk provided a perfect 'first target'

Here an interesting benefit of teaching multiple new shooters using field target as a first experience was revealed.   Because airguns are so quiet relative to regular firearms, this promoted a lot of dialog between the new shooters and their assigned match coaches.  For about an hour there was the constant sound of 15 people exchanging a lot of information on safety, shooting positions, trigger control etc as the match hour approached.

On the sight-in and practice range

In designing the match, the course was purposely kept simple and short.  The match consisted of 32 shots at 16 targets with an overall Troyer difficulty level of 19 (easy).  All but three of the targets were less than 20 Troyer in difficulty to assure that everyone would knock down several targets.  However, three targets were placed that could challenge shooters with moderate to advanced shooting skills to give everyone a feel for what difficulty level could be expected in a more competitive match.  In doing this, another interesting behavior was observed.  After the match was over, almost all of the shooters lined up to take practice shots at the most difficult target on the course that is appropriately named Psycho Bunny.  In addition to the unusual distracting paint scheme of the target, the very small kill zone was concealed by the paint pattern.  This target was placed on the same lane as another target with a 1.75" KZ to gain contrast in shooting difficulty between easy and hard targets.  Hence the name Psycho Bunny....not because the target is crazy....but because the target is psychologically challenging to even the best shooters when placed right after an extremely easy target in the course of fire.

Also, instead of conducting the match so that everyone competed against everyone else, each squad was competing against the other squads in the match. This resulted in a lot of encouragement between squad members as well as engagement of the trainers in the success of their team.  At times, the cheers with downed targets sounded almost like spectators at a football game!

Although the day was cold and a bit windy, by the time the match began, nobody seemed to notice, or at least, nobody was complaining about the weather.  The sounds of pellets hitting targets followed by targets falling and people cheering for one another told almost the entire story.....a successful introduction of a group of new shooters to the sport of field target. 

The rest of the story was told in the awards ceremony and afterwards.  It is pointless to spend a lot of time with words on the awards as the pictures tell the whole story.

After the match was over, the plan was to go to a really good local Italian Restaurant, treat our trainers to a good thank you meal, and let the bragging and excuses flow freely which they certainly did!  However, our exit to the restaurant was delayed by one small detail.....everyone wanted to go back to the line of fire and shoot Psycho Bunny just one more time....well that is a bit of an understatement....it was actually about a tin of pellets that went downrange to this unfortunate field target before the setting sun finally called an end to a fine day.

The dreaded 'Psycho Bunny' received a lot of post-match punishment!

Later on while analyzing the shooter scores, it was discovered that the women shooters, as a group, significantly outperformed the new male shooters......Enough said about that!!!!!

What a fun and rewarding day this was!  Well - rewarding for all but the guys below that we had to carry away for a few cosmetic procedures!!!!

Off to the refurb factory!