| Date | Location | Offhand | Sitting | Rapid Prone | Slow Prone | Aggregate | |
| 4/6/03 | Bonfield | 94-1 | 100-8 | 99-2 | 195-8 | 488-19 | 97.6% |
| 4/12/03 | Sycamore | 100-4 | 99-1 | 96-0 | 200-7 | 495-12 | 99.0% |
| 5/3/03 | Bonfield | 190-5 | 200-11 | 197-5 | 198-13 | 785-34 | 98.1% |
| 5/4/03 | Bonfield | 99-2 | 97-2 | 97-3 | 196-9 | 489-16 | 97.8% |
| 5/15/03 | Racine | 98-3 | 100-4 | 96-3 | 194-9 | 488-19 | 97.6% |
| 5/17/03 | Milan | 195-3 | 200-11 | 192-4 | 193-6 | 780-24 | 97.5% |
| 5/18/03 | Van Meter | 193-6 | 194-4 | 196-7 | 372-3 | 955-20 | 95.5% |
| 5/22/03 | Racine | 98-2 | 100-8 | 99-4 | 191-10 | 488-24 | 97.6% |
| 5/24/03 | Lodi | 96-2 | 99-4 | 98-3 | 188-5 | 481-14 | 96.2% |
| 5/25/03 | Lodi | 186-4 | 200-10 | 189-1 | 389-11 | 964-26 | 96.4% |
| 5/29/03 | Racine | 97-6 | 100-4 | 96-1 | 193-4 | 486-15 | 97.2% |
| 5/31/03 | Milan | 187-2 | 199-8 | 195-5 | 193-7 | 774-22 | 96.8% |
| 6/5/03 | Racine | 95-0 | 100-8 | 99-2 | 195-5 | 489-15 | 97.8% |
| 6/12/03 | Racine | 98-1 | 100-8 | 99-6 | 199-11 | 496-26 | 99.2% |
| 6/14/03 | Camp Atterbury | 196-8 | 200-13 | 199-7 | 195-9 | 790-37 | 98.8% |
| 6/19/03 | Racine | 96-2 | 100-3 | 99-6 | 196-7 | 491-18 | 98.2% |
| 6/21/03 | St. Louis | 193-4 | 200-10 | 196-5 | 190-7 | 779-26 | 97.4% |
| 6/22/03 | St. Louis | 97-4 | - | 99-4 | 94-2 | 290-10 | 96.7% |
| 6/22/03 | St. Louis | 97-2 | 98-4 | 95-0 | 192-8 | 482-14 | 96.4% |
| 6/26/03 | Racine | 93-0 | 97-3 | 98-1 | 183-4 | 471-8 | 94.2% |
| 7/3/03 | Racine | 95-1 | 100-1 | 99-4 | 197-11 | 491-17 | 98.2% |
| 7/5/03 | Bonfield | 94-1 | 100-3 | 100-3 | 198-7 | 492-14 | 98.4% |
| 7/10/03 | Racine | 95-1 | 100-4 | 98-3 | 189-6 | 482-14 | 96.4% |
| 7/12/03 | Bonfield | 197-7 | 196-14 | 197-11 | 200-14 | 790-46 | 98.8% |
| 7/13/03 | Bonfield | 96-3 | 98-2 | 96-0 | 197-8 | 487-13 | 97.4% |
| 7/17/03 | Racine | 91-2 | 95-1 | 96-0 | 193-4 | 475-7 | 95.0% |
| 7/19/03 | Van Meter | 96-1 | 99-2 | 99-5 | 194-8 | 488-16 | 97.6% |
| 7/19/03 | Van Meter | 98-1 | 100-7 | 98-2 | 194-9 | 490-19 | 98.0% |
| 7/20/03 | Van Meter | 194-7 | 196-7 | 199-6 | 192-2 | 781-22 | 97.6% |
| 7/25/03 | Racine | 95-2 | 100-3 | 95-2 | 185-6 | 475-13 | 95.0% |
| 7/26/03 | Lodi | 189-5 | 200-12 | 194-2 | 189-3 | 772-22 | 96.5% |
| 8/2/03 | Milan | 192-4 | 198-13 | 186-2 | 186-1 | 762-20 | 95.3% |
| 8/5/03 | Camp Perry | 97-3 | - | 100-2 | 84-3 | 281-8 | 93.7% |
| 8/6/03 | Camp Perry | 97-3 | 100-4 | 99-5 | 193-7 | 489-19 | 97.8% |
| 8/8/03 | Camp Perry | 93-1 | 96-3 | 100-1 | 198-8 | 487-13 | 97.4% |
| 8/10/03 | Camp Perry | 94-0 | 100-6 | 100-7 | 196-3 | 490-16 | 98.0% |
| 8/12/03 | Camp Perry | 188-2 | 198-10 | 198-5 | 196-7 | 780-24 | 97.5% |
| 8/13/03 | Camp Perry | 191-5 | 198-8 | 199-12 | 199-10 | 787-35 | 98.4% |
| 8/14/03 | Camp Perry | 193-2 | 199-9 | 198-6 | 194-5 | 784-22 | 98.0% |
| 8/21/03 | Racine | 95-4 | 100-4 | 100-2 | 197-6 | 492-16 | 98.4% |
| 8/24/03 | Bonfield | 96-2 | 100-4 | 99-3 | 197-6 | 492-15 | 98.4% |
| 8/30/03 | Milan | 195-7 | 189-9 | 193-1 | 194-9 | 771-26 | 96.4% |
| 9/4/03 | Racine | 95-2 | 100-8 | 96-1 | 198-6 | 489-17 | 97.8% |
| 9/6/03 | Bonfield | 195-4 | 199-10 | 197-5 | 200-9 | 791-28 | 98.9% |
| 9/7/03 | Bonfield | 99-2 | 98-3 | 99-3 | 198-7 | 494-15 | 98.8% |
| 9/11/03 | Racine | 97-3 | 100-2 | 96-1 | 195-6 | 488-12 | 97.6% |
| 9/20/03 | Milan | 196-11 | 195-11 | 195-3 | 197-8 | 783-33 | 97.9% |
| 9/27/03 | Bonfield | 193-5 | 198-9 | 197-9 | 198-11 | 786-34 | 98.3% |
| 9/28/03 | Bonfield | 197-6 | 200-12 | 200-7 | 198-10 | 795-35 | 99.4% |
| 10/12/03 | Bonfield | 196-4 | 199-6 | 190-1 | 199-10 | 784-21 | 98.0% |
Yet another highpower season is approaching. I have spent the entire winter committing myself to 4-P indoor smallbore. While not as successful as I would have liked, my scores were on the upswing at the end of the season and reflected the practicing that I was doing.
March has been a month of highpower training for me. I've been dry-firing and establishing a control for all three positions. My goal has been not only to have solid positions but also ones that allow me to shoot consistent scores. They will be the baseline that I will make improvements from.
Towards the end of last season I was averaging at about the 97% level. This year I want to improve my performance to the 98% level. I'll have to see if I can do this consistently, but that is my general performance goal.
American Legion Cook County Rifle League Service Rifle Championship. A cold and breezy day. Whenever I took my gloves off, my hands went numb. Certainly not a comfortable start to the season. Even in the cold and wind I stayed in the black in offhand and my new sitting position felt very stable. My rapid prone group was larger than what I had expected. I found that I had to muscle the rifle back onto the target after each shot. Sight picture was bit of a problem in slow prone but my position was comfortable. I was the overall match winner.
Offhand: 94-1x
Sitting: 100-8x
R. Prone: 99-2x
S. Prone: 195-8x
Aggregate: 488-19x
A 100yd. reduced match. I don't usually shoot at 100yds but I hate passing up the opportunity to shoot. By about the 7th shot in offhand my heart was really pounding. If I felt that I was too nervous I would stop, breathe, and approach the target again. I felt I would clean standing some time this year but it's good to do it so early. I could have used a few more clicks up in the rapids with all my lost shots out the bottom. The groups were fair but it scares me to think what my aggregate score might have been if I had good zeros.
Offhand: 100-4x
Sitting: 99-1x
R. Prone: 96-0x
S. Prone: 200-7x
Aggregate: 495-12x
I was shooting and running the line at the same time. Made things a little more hectic. Offhand did not have a good hold and I wound up shooting several shots that broke as the sights were dancing around erratically. Sitting groups were well centered although their size should be smaller. First string of rapid prone was low but I cleaned the second. For slow prone it seemed like every time I shot, the target came up with an X. I had eight of them in my first ten shots.
Offhand: 190-5x
Sitting: 200-11x
R. Prone: 197-5x
S. Prone: 198-13x
Aggregate: 785-34x
Today was overcast and much darker and cooler than yesterday. My offhand hold was good and I would wait out the wind gusts and wobble to break the shots when the sights stopped. Most shots were inside of call with the lone 9 caused by trigger control. Both rapid strings had a loose position with my rapid prone going low. Slow prone was fair but with the overcast skies a good sight picture was harder to acquire.
Offhand: 99-2x
Sitting: 97-2x
R. Prone: 97-3x
S. Prone: 196-9x
Aggregate: 489-16x
Clear skies with slightly cool weather. I'm trying to get some zeros for a re-barreled upper and I'm fairly confident with what I have at 200 but not too sure at 300 and 600. Offhand started out well with a nine on shot 8 and shot 10. Sitting was shot quickly with the sights returning to the target each time. Rapid prone group was strung out about 5 o'clock with a position that felt fair but a sight picture that wasn't consistent. At 600 my zero was quite a bit left of where I thought it would be. I was disappointed because this should have easily been a 490s day.
Offhand: 98-3x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 96-3x
S. Prone: 194-9x
Aggregate: 488-19x
This was my first traveling match of the season. The day started off well with only five points dropped at 200 yards. Prone was not very good with elevation being just as problematic as windage. I wound up 2nd overall by two points.
Offhand: 195-3x
Sitting: 200-11x
R. Prone: 192-4x
S. Prone: 193-6x
Aggregate: 780-24x
The Iowa service rifle championship. A bad trigger control in offhand caused two 8s. Both sitting groups had some loose shots at 11 and 5 o'clock. A tighter rapid prone position helped my score on the second string. The wind was blowing for us at 600. In both slow prone events I was getting blown from one side of the 8 ring to the other. At the end of the day I came in 4th overall.
Offhand: 193-6x
Sitting: 194-4x
R. Prone: 196-7x
S. Prone: 189-1x
S. Prone: 183-2x
Aggregate: 955-20x
The skies were clear but it was very cool for this time of year. Offhand was decent and sitting was good. I was finally able to get into a more secure position in rapid prone and had a good sight picture. That put me three points down going back to 600 yards. In slow prone I was shooting elevation 8s and corner 9s. My last six shots had 5 Xs and a 7. My immediate thought was that I was not getting proper front sight focus on each shot.
Offhand: 98-2x
Sitting: 100-8x
R. Prone: 99-4x
S. Prone: 191-10x
Aggregate: 488-24x
4-Man team match in Lodi, WI. Standing was sub-standard with more wobble than I'm used to. The rapids were not great but they didn't hurt me very much. I only dropped 2 points in my first ten shots in slow prone, then another 10 points in the last ten shots. Both windage and elevation.
Offhand: 96-2x
Sitting: 99-4x
R. Prone: 98-3x
S. Prone: 188-5x
Aggregate: 481-14x
The Triple Crown Regional Championship. Offhand had quite a gusting wind that would give me fits. I tried to wait out the gusts but was only marginally successful. Sitting was good but rapid prone was a disaster with both groups going high and to the left. The conditions were calm for slow prone but I still had elevation problems.
Offhand: 186-4x
Sitting: 200-10x
R. Prone: 189-1x
S. Prone: 193-3x
S. Prone: 196-8x
Aggregate: 964-26x
A very nice night to shoot with pleasant temperatures and very calm conditions. I had an acceptable offhand with a good x-count. My rapid prone group was way up high with four 9's. I had my typical problems in slow prone with elevation and I lost as many points there as I did at 200 and 300. This is getting frustrating.
Offhand: 97-6x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 96-1x
S. Prone: 193-4x
Aggregate: 486-15x
This was the Illinois Open Highpower Championship. In the morning there was a breeze with heavily overcast skies but the sun came out as the day wore on. My wobble in offhand was huge compared to what it has been and I shot a whole string of nines in the middle of the string. The lone 9 in sitting was just slightly out. My problem in rapid prone is with the rifle butt slipping down my shoulder during a string. This causes my group to wander up high. Slow prone was disappointing but it was the same as other service rifle shooters.
Offhand: 187-2x
Sitting: 199-8x
R. Prone: 195-5x
S. Prone: 193-7x
Aggregate: 774-22x
Just didn't feel focused today and shot my upper from last year. Offhand had acceptable wobble but terrible trigger control. Sitting had a good group but it didn't look as tight through the sights. I tried to not bring my right leg up so far in rapid prone. This let more of my weight fall on my right elbow and kept it planted on the mat a little bit better. My position in slow prone wasn't as relaxed as it should have been and I had a hard time getting comfortable.
Offhand: 95-0x
Sitting: 100-8x
R. Prone: 99-2x
S. Prone: 195-5x
Aggregate: 489-15x
I have finally gotten a pair of glasses and I wanted to try them out to see if they would help get rid of the vertical shots that I've been having. They were useless at 200yd. because they made the target very sharp and the post was hard to focus on. I went back to my regular shooting glasses and shot a decent offhand and good sitting. I decided to try the glasses at 300 and my group was good with a called 9 just off the line at 12 o'clock. For 600 I thought that I would wear the prescription glasses and see how that went. It turned out that while I had to work hard to keep the front sight in focus, when I did that the shots went in the center. My last shot of the day was a 9 because I tried to make it too "pretty".
Offhand: 98-1x
Sitting: 100-8x
R. Prone: 99-6x
S. Prone: 199-11x
Aggregate: 496-26x
The Indiana Regional Championship at Camp Atterbury. It rained in the morning so the whole range was wet and the air was humid but the conditions were calm. Offhand went well except for the called 8 and sitting was about what I was expecting with a few more x's. Keeping my right leg further back has helped my rapid prone position a lot. I held a little high on one shot in the second string and that cost me a 9. Once we got back to 500 the wind had picked up but it was mostly downrange. While wind speed was not great, it was switching back and forth and I had a hard time staying with it. Once, when I wanted to wait out the condition, I thought I knew what windage I had on the rifle but I was wrong. That cost me an 8. It all worked out though because I won the match and the Gold Regional Medal.
Offhand: 196-8x
Sitting: 200-13x
R. Prone: 199-7x
S. Prone: 195-9x
Aggregate: 790-37x
Cool and breezy with gusting winds. I waited out the gusts in offhand but my trigger control caused the shots to go out. The sitting group looked pretty sloppy through the sights. I was trying to cope with an uneven firing point in rapid prone and I didn't feel like I got the best position. Still had a few elevation shots at 600.
Offhand: 96-2x
Sitting: 100-3x
R. Prone: 99-6x
S. Prone: 196-7x
Aggregate: 491-18x
Missouri Service Rifle Championship. Offhand went fairly well until I shot 9s on the last two shots. A bad NPA on the first string of 300 rapid gave me a 96 out the left. At 600 the wind was not overly strong but it was switching. Of course it seemed like it would switch between the time I looked in my scope and the time that I broke the shot. While my aggregate wasn't very good I still won.
Offhand: 193-4x
Sitting: 200-10x
R. Prone: 196-5x
S. Prone: 190-7x
Aggregate: 779-26x
A no-sighters President's Course team match.
Offhand: 97-4x
R. Prone: 99-4x
S. Prone: 94-2x
Aggregate: 290-10x
Leg match. I used all my time in offhand and then was rushed getting into sitting. My position was wobbly and I felt like I was shooting all over the target. Rapid prone was a disaster because of a position that allowed the rifle to shake left and right. Slow prone started with a 7 out the top but I was somewhat able to keep up with the wind. Even though I tried to do everything I could to lose, I still won the match. Unbelievable!
Offhand: 97-2x
Sitting: 98-4x
R. Prone: 95-0x
S. Prone: 192-8x
Aggregate: 482-14x
A windy day at Racine with gusting winds 10-15 mph measured by a wind meter on the line. I did relatively well in standing but certainly not sitting. I didn't shoot with sighters today and my first shot at 600 was a 7 on the left. That was easier to take than my second shot which was a 6 straight out the bottom. That was definitely NOT on call. After dropping 16 points on the first string, I shot a 99 on the second. Boy, I with I could figure out what's going on.
Offhand: 93-0x
Sitting: 97-3x
R. Prone: 98-1x
S. Prone: 183-4x
Aggregate: 471-7x
Calm conditions but hot and very humid. I felt exhausted. In offhand I just wanted to be finished so I gave up on several shots. I did not shoot with the corrective lenses today because they don't seem to sit in the same place each time. This makes me look through different parts of the lens. I'm expecting a pair of Junkers glasses to arrive soon.
Offhand: 95-1x
Sitting: 100-1x
R. Prone: 99-4x
S. Prone: 197-11x
Aggregate: 491-17x
Team practice. I like the feedback I get from coaching in rapid fire. But sometimes I think I subconsciously over correct based on the calls that the coach gives me. Offhand was disappointing with a bunch of nines. The rifle just didn't seem to want to settle down and there was more movement than I was used to.
Offhand: 94-1x
Sitting: 100-3x
R. Prone: 100-3x
S. Prone: 198-7x
Aggregate: 492-14x
The skies were dark with a heavy overcast and a downrange wind blowing. My recent offhand has been below par because of lack of focus on breaking a good shot each time. I feel like I'm rushing and just sending shots down range instead of concentrating on making each one count. Sitting was another reliable clean. My first shot at 600 was a 7 and then I had a couple of eights. These were not on call. The same thing happened on June 26. My second string was a 99 and left me scratching my head.
Offhand: 95-1x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 98-3x
S. Prone: 189-6x
Aggregate: 482-14x
Sunny and warm with very calm conditions. The shots were breaking well in offhand with a slight mistake giving me a 9 on my last shot. I took my time in my first string of sitting so the last shot was fired as the target was going down for a 6 at 12 o'clock. The second string was a 10x clean! My first rapid prone group felt better than the second for some reason. Slow prone went well with 9 x's on the first string.
Offhand: 197-7x
Sitting: 196-14x
R. Prone: 197-11x
S. Prone: 200-14x
Aggregate: 790-46x
Same conditions as yesterday but now everything was winding up left of call. My hold in offhand was OK but just about all the shots were off-call. Sitting was a group at about 10 o'clock. I had a good position and sight picture in rapid prone. The group was pretty good but it was straddling the 10 line on the left side. I couldn't figure out why. Slow prone was a fair performance but acceptable considering the other problems I had today.
Offhand: 96-3x
Sitting: 98-2x
R. Prone: 96-0x
S. Prone: 197-8x
Aggregate: 487-13x
Cool, windy, and overcast. Windy enough to affect my hold in offhand and I did alright considering the conditions. While the wind was pushing me in offhand, there wasn't much moving the bullet. Both of my rapids were to the left because of the windage that I put on. At 600 yards, I came off with two clicks left.
Offhand: 91-2x
Sitting: 95-1x
R. Prone: 96-0x
S. Prone: 193-4x
Aggregate: 475-7x
Team match at Van Meter, Iowa. I just received a new pair of Junkers shooting glasses. I'm hoping the astigmatism prescription and the plus diopter will make it easier to focus on the front sight. Offhand started out a bit loose. At one point the sights were pointed in the eight ring and I broke the shot anyway. Go figure. Sitting was out to the left, again. A change in zero is in order. 300 rapid was acceptable although the group was on the left side. Slow prone performance was fair. The new glasses really made a difference in seeing the front post. I'm not straining to focus on it and it looks dark and sharp. We won the team match.
Offhand: 96-1x
Sitting: 99-2x
R. Prone: 99-5x
S. Prone: 194-8x
Aggregate: 488-16x
A leg match follows the team match. The zero correction made my sitting group centered with a good x-count. I pushed a couple of shots in rapid prone out to the left. In the middle of my slow prone I got a little behind the conditions and it took me a few shots to get caught up. At the end of the day I won the leg match on x-count.
Offhand: 98-1x
Sitting: 100-7x
R. Prone: 98-2x
S. Prone: 194-9x
Aggregate: 490-19x
Regional championship. Very humid and hot with thunderstorms moving in later in the day. The range faces east and the sun was right in my eyes which made it hard to see the sighting black on the target. I dropped three points on my first two shots. Boy, I wish I was taking sighters. I dropped one 9 on my first sitting string but had a high group on my second. 300 rapid position was tight and the sights came right back on target after each shot. The wind started moving around by the time we got back to 600. With a heavy overcast there was very little mirage to watch. Unfortunately, I had problems with corner shots more than anything else. I came in 5th overall.
Offhand: 194-7x
Sitting: 196-7x
R. Prone: 199-6x
S. Prone: 192-2x
Aggregate: 781-22x
Beautiful evening with a light wind switching a little. It was a good night to be in the 490s but I really crashed and burned. Since I was on second relay I started at 600 and moved forward. My first shot in slow prone was a six out the bottom. The second shot was a seven on the left side (with the same elevation as the previous shot). I got centered up after that but I was already way behind. At 300 a degrading position pushed my group out at 10 o'clock. Standing was a disappointment with an eight and three nines. I cleaned sitting but I had most shots at the top of the ten ring. While my performance tonight was not up to standard I still can't figure out the first two shots at 600.
Offhand: 95-2x
Sitting: 100-3x
R. Prone: 95-2x
S. Prone: 185-6x
Aggregate: 475-13x
Only one week left before I leave for Camp Perry and I'm shooting every weekend. Today had a switching breeze with overcast skies. I started offhand well but lost my concentration towards the end. Sitting was good but rapid prone had some large groups. I got the wind right with the first shot in slow prone but started to put shots out the top. At one point in the string I shot eight 9's in a row.
Offhand: 189-5x
Sitting: 200-12x
R. Prone: 194-2x
S. Prone: 189-3x
Aggregate: 772-22x
Illinois Regional Championship. I was able to hold my own at 200 yards but things went downhill from there. At 300 I pulled right through the second stage on my trigger and the rifle went off when I didn't want it to. Although, I did realize that I've trying to get too high of a position in rapid prone. In slow prone I was off by a whole revolution on my windage and put the first shot in the seven ring. Generally a bad day.
Offhand: 192-4x
Sitting: 198-14x
R. Prone: 186-2x
S. Prone: 186-2x
Aggregate: 762-21x
I'm now at Camp Perry for the 2003 Nationals. President' Rifle Match. Offhand went smoothly with a fog that slowly rolled in during my relay. Using a more natural lower position I was able to clean 300. Going back to 600 only down three points gave me a lot of confidence. But I greatly under-doped the wind for my first shot and got burned for a seven. Half way into the string I pulled the trigger as I was coming back down to the mat. The bullet probably didn't even reach the berm. That miss destroyed my chances for another President's 100 placement.
Offhand: 97-3x
R. Prone: 100-2x
S. Prone: 84-3x
Aggregate: 281-8x
National Trophy Individual. Another 97 in standing and a clean in sitting started the day off well. The shot that was just out at 300 was so close that the other shooters around me said that I should challenge it. I did and I lost. By the time I shot 600 it was getting dark and I was losing the contrast on the target. Because of this I started getting elevation shots, including one 7.
Offhand: 97-3x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 99-5x
S. Prone: 193-7x
Aggregate: 489-19x
National Trophy Team. There was some breeze in standing but it affected me more mentally than physically. The sitting was the worst score that I've shot in some time. I came back strong at 300 with the coach having me favor as the wind picked up. I was very pleased with my 600 yard score. We came in 3rd civilian team.
Offhand: 93-1x
Sitting: 96-3x
R. Prone: 100-1x
S. Prone: 198-8x
Aggregate: 487-13x
Rumbold Team Match. I felt we had a very strong team with 4 good shooters. My offhand hold just wouldn't settle down and I threw away a bunch of 9s. My rapids were good but I couldn't get centered up at 600. My performance has been improving and I'm looking forward to the NRA championship.
Offhand: 94-0x
Sitting: 100-6x
R. Prone: 100-7x
S. Prone: 196-3x
Aggregate: 490-16x
Championship Day 1. Probably the calmest offhand conditions I've seen at Perry. Even so, my heart was pounding and I had a hard time getting settled. This should have been a mid-190s offhand day but in the end I dropped 12 points. Sitting was a pair of 99s. At 300 I dropped 2 points in the first string and cleaned the 2nd.
Offhand: 188-2x
Sitting: 198-10x
R. Prone: 198-5x
Championship Day 2. The wind had died down for our relay but it was dark and drizzly. I gripped the pistol grip firmly and steered the sights to the target, all the time trying to shoot as fast as possible. For some reason I'm having a hard time cleaning a string of sitting. The wind at 600 was consistent with one let-off that gave me an 8.
Offhand: 191-5x
Sitting: 198-8x
S. Prone: 196-7x
Championship Day 3. Even though I could only clean one string of each of the rapid fire matches, I could live with a couple of 199s. The wind in slow prone was even more consistent than yesterday allowing me to get centered up and to shoot fast. By now I had dropped 34 points and I felt that if I had a decent day tomorrow I could break 2350 for the week.
Sitting: 199-9x
R. Prone: 199-12x
S. Prone: 199-10x
Championship Day 4. At this point in the championship I was pretty tired but I tried to keep my goal in mind. I didn't need to try to set any records, I just had to avoid making mistakes. I settled into a groove in offhand and shot a lot of 10s on the left side. Rapid prone was another pair of 99s with the lost shots just out of the 10-ring. 600 gave me some problems but I was able to minimize the damage and reach my 2350 goal.
Offhand: 193-2x
R. Prone: 198-6x
S. Prone: 194-5x
Championship Aggregate: 2351-81x
Hot and humid night at Racine. Enough wind to play with my mind in offhand. The rapids went well even though they really weren't centered up. I've been happier with my slow prone recently and this one went fairly well.
Offhand: 95-4x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 100-2x
S. Prone: 197-6x
Aggregate: 492-16x
Sunny, warm, and a beautiful day to shoot a rifle match. My hold in offhand has really deteriorated recently with half my shots today being off call. My rapid prone group was still high after I came down one click from my sighters. I had quite a bit of pulse moving the sights left and right in slow prone. I'm still trying to figure out what made that worse than normal.
Offhand: 96-2x
Sitting: 100-4x
R. Prone: 99-3x
S. Prone: 197-6x
Aggregate: 492-15x
Illinois Service Rifle Championship. I won the standing match. For my first string of sitting rapid I took too much time dressing up the sight picture and fired the last shot as the targets were going down. The bullet hit the target frame but it was a miss. At 300 everybody on my relay was pushed out to the right. I tried shooting some Nosler bullets at 600 just to see if they shot differently than my Sierras. I shot an uncalled 7 at 1 o'clock.
Offhand: 195-7x
Sitting: 189-9x
R. Prone: 193-1x
S. Prone: 194-9x
Aggregate: 771-26x
Offhand disappointed me with an eight on my last shot. Sitting was centered. I had a difficult time getting a good sight picture in rapid prone because the front sight was illuminated by the setting sun behind me. For 600 I tried shooting 75gr. AMAX bullets through my 6.5 twist barrel. I had two nines on the left side.
Offhand: 95-2x
Sitting: 100-8x
R. Prone: 96-1x
S. Prone: 198-6x
Aggregate: 489-17x
I finally figured out what the problem with my offhand has been. I've been shooting with a more open position and facing towards the target more than I should have. In both rapids I cleaned the first string but couldn't repeat. In slow prone I took my time to get a good comfortable position and natural point of aim and focused on the front sight.
Offhand: 195-4x
Sitting: 199-10x
R. Prone: 197-5x
S. Prone: 200-9x
Aggregate: 791-28x
A good offhand day but I was unhappy with my sitting. Whereas normally I'm very steady when I sit down, today I was wobbly and was breaking the shots when the sights crossed the center. My aggregate score was good but it was the little mistakes that cost me a point here and a point there.
Offhand: 99-2x
Sitting: 98-3x
R. Prone: 99-3x
S. Prone: 198-7x
Aggregate: 494-15x
My last Thursday night at Racine. I was on second relay so I started at 600. I rushed some of my shots and lost a couple to elevation. My 300 yard group was good but it was about 11 o'clock. It was getting dark at this point and I might have been holding just a bit high. By the time we shot standing I couldn't see the target very well and one shot was an 8. Still, not too bad considering the loss of light.
Offhand: 97-3x
Sitting: 100-2x
R. Prone: 96-1x
S. Prone: 195-6x
Aggregate: 488-12x
My last weekend shooting at 600 yards this season. Offhand was good with a great x-count. Every shot was inside of call. I shot another late shot in sitting and got a six at 12 o'clock. At 300 either I don't know my zero or I can't judge conditions because I was way out to the right on my first string and I cleaned the second. My aggregate scores are good even though I keep screwing up one stage. I need to work on that for next year.
Offhand: 196-11x
Sitting: 195-11x
R. Prone: 195-3x
S. Prone: 197-8x
Aggregate: 783-33x
State 300 yd. reduced championship. Things didn't start off well with an 8 for my first record shot in offhand although I wound up shooting a marginally acceptable score. Snatching at the trigger in sitting cost me two nines on my first string. My slow prone has really improved this year and I was disappointed with the two dropped points considering the mild conditions.
Offhand: 193-5x
Sitting: 198-9x
R. Prone: 197-9x
S. Prone: 198-11x
Aggregate: 786-34x
Team match today. I shot a good score today but I didn't care. My mind spent most of the day thinking about teams and who shoots on them. In addition it was a chilly, overcast day with a hint that winter is right around the corner. Standing was another case where the shots were coming up inside of call. I got back into my old form in sitting and in rapid prone I was finally able to put two good strings together. Going into slow prone I just wanted to get the match over with. A good score to finish up the season with.
Offhand: 197-6x
Sitting: 200-12x
R. Prone: 200-7x
S. Prone: 198-10x
Aggregate: 795-35x
Cool but cloudless day with the trees turning colors. Offhand was acceptable and a minor mistake in sitting caused a mid-ring 9. My first string of 300 rapid was a 99-1. The second string was all out the bottom including an 8! Very disappointing because it was easily a 790s day. I came back in slow prone but my terrible performance in that rapid prone string really annoys me.
Offhand: 196-4x
Sitting: 199-6x
R. Prone: 190-1x
S. Prone: 199-10x
Aggregate: 784-21x
This brings the 2003 highpower season to a close. Overall it's been a good season for me with marked improvement from 2002. My goal at the beginning of the year was to consistently shoot at a 98% performance level and I feel I accomplished that.
As with every year, my biggest challenge was at the Nationals at Camp Perry. My performance there was good and I was especially happy to shoot in the 2350s in the Highpower Championship. On the other hand my miss in the President's match really irks me and shows that no matter how good your shooting is, you can't make stupid mistakes.
In other matches this year, I was able to win a Regional in Indiana as well as the Missouri Service Rifle Championship. I also won two Leg matches.
I'm happy with what I've been able to accomplish this year and look forward to improving for 2004.