I certainly did not intend to cause all this ballyhoo about scope powers. I fully understand that different people will prefer different equipment in the shooting sports. I will repeat that I quit shooting 25 years ago and I didn't think it was humanly possible keep one's rifle weave on a silhouette target for more than two to three seconds with any scope. I'm trying to catch up to the new standards as to what a top rifle shooter can do. I must admit that my preference is a 10x leupold with a .5 inch dot, and I have a variety of scopes. Just to try seeing reality through todays class shooters eyes, I purchased a 12-42x nightforce benchrest scope to mount on my 54.18 Anshutz. I'm going to train with this scope to see if I can keep the dot on my target for 3 to 4 seconds. I could shoot in the high 20's and low 30's ,25 years ago, so I'm not starting from square one.
ifldned

ifldend, come out a shoot, you know enough to know it doesn't really mater what the score is, you are out to compete against yourself. As for raising a voice or two, remember, most of the people on SC are here now because they are weather bound and haven't burned any ammo in several months. Something happens to the brain with out our sniff of burning powder on a more regular basis, and the discussions tend to get heated here in Feb/Mar time frame, they cool down after the ammo starts flying in another month or so.

Look forward to seeing you at some of the matches.

Innocent M

ifldned,

I can give you one example of of current shooting trends. In smallbore, I usually get somewhere between 32 and 34 out of 40 and have a couple 36s and a 38 in the last year. Although we do have quite a lot of good shooters up here in Washington, there are several up here who I am not even close to being in the same league with. Now multiply that by all the states across the nation and hopefully that will give you an idea of how good a lot of shooters and equipment are nowadays. Welcome back to the sport and I hope to see you at one of the big matches this year.

Thanks,

Jason

ifldned, come on down to Winnsboro if you want to meet the tribe! Just bring body armor, cause' this group does get rowdy...

Jason wrote:ifldned,
I can give you one example of of current shooting trends. In smallbore, I usually get somewhere between 32 and 34 out of 40 and have a couple 36s and a 38 in the last year. Although we do have quite a lot of good shooters up here in Washington, there are several up here who I am not even close to being in the same league with. Now multiply that by all the states across the nation and hopefully that will give you an idea of how good a lot of shooters and equipment are nowadays. Welcome back to the sport and I hope to see you at one of the big matches this year.
Thanks,
Jason

No slander to everyone else intended but... Jason, I think you overestimate some of the other states. This is not an exact science but from what can be observed at the Nationals... The majority of the Master Class shooters are from Washington. There could be close competition from Pennsylvania & Texas.... After the three listed it gets less with several in California Colorado and California and a few other states. That being said, you are shooting with a competitive crowd there.

Disclaimers..
This is not intended to discard the quality of individual shooters from idividual states.
There may be other states with similar numbers of Master Class shooters (after the first three listed) that were not mentioned.
This is intended only to point out that the quality of competition in Washington is not comparable to most of the other 49 States in the USA.
The above is not intended to ignore Pennsylvania and Texas as having a lot of Master Class shooters.
Reading too much of this can give you nausia, headaches, diarrhea and low scores in Rifle Silhouette.

Jerry

Everybody always leaves out Hawaii....Imagine how tough it would be to travel across the country and shoot a few matches...poor guys

Okay, now this thread is officially jacked...

Kitty

For shooters stuck indoors because of winter conditions. I've got a confession to make. Looking out my bedroom window ,there happens to be a cutout of a black steel chicken on my neighbors garage wall 40 meters away. I don't even dry fire, or use snap caps, I just try to get that rifle weave down and smoothly compress the trigger without causing any rifle movement. These days I don't have time to drive to the range on weekdays.
Jason, thanks for giving me the lowdown on how far shooting has progressed up to today. I knew Washington state had alot of good shooters. I like your bike. I've got a "busa".

BCloninger, I've got a skin as thick as a gator and my class 2a vest is hanging right beside me two feet away.
Hope everyone shoots 40/40 at least once in their lifetime.
ifldned

I think we here in Warshington have a "higher" group of master class shooters because were lucky enough to shoot 4 weekends a month most of the year. there may be a couple months where one of the clubs has something going on like a----- oh what do you call those things where everyone dresses up like moutian men and have competions and such, or hunter sighting. After shooting here in Wa. for 4 years i'd probably go out of my mind if i could only shoot one weekend a month. only being able to shoot highpower once a month is bad enough. At most of the matches we have on average of 10 master shooters(me included) that you have to compete against for the match win. I can personally tell you that having that many master shooters makes a guy(if he has a competative nature) want to beat those other nine master shooters for the win. Having won some matches, and a state title against those guys really makes it fun. I think during the CBC we have at least 20 master shooters if not more. Man this sport is FUN . a little side note almost shot a 37 last sunday but missed one of those damm pigs

Shakes, you're fortunate to have alot of top competition to shoot with, it makes us set our sights high. Mary is right about "we are only competing against ourselves," but us guys know there is only one top dog. In my shooting career I've had the privilege of knocking of two top dogs and they passed the mantle to me. I quit shooting and went on to racing motorcycles and cars before I got a chance to pass that shooting mantle to someone else. I was lucky also to have top notch guys to compare myself with.
congratulations on your 37/40
ifldned