00309 Shot

So we (the Guernsey Smallbore club) were in Jersey this weekend for the annual match against the Jersey lot. I shot pants (I'm using "pants" as a verb here).

93, 98, 96, 95, 95, 95, 95, 98. Now we all though that the markers were a bit tight, but everybody was marked to the same degree of tightness, so there's no complaints there. End of the day, if it 'ain't in the middle, it 'ain't in the middle.

Did I say we lost? No? well maybe I don't want to talk about it. Anyway, here's the scores

And for no other reason that "I can", a selection of signs from the weekend:

And, naturally, other stuff:

It was, however,a good weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Plus, on a trivial note, I got to take a picture of my rifle. I'm not a big "gun head" and I generally see it as a means to an end, but it would seem a shame not to have at least one or two images of it, seeing as it forms part of my life. I've always been of the opinion that guns are very functional things and even though I can appreciate their aesthetic, I'm much more interested in the therapeutic and generally psychological effects of target shooting and how very closely it is allied with things of a meditative nature. Not to mention the respect you have to treat these weapons with to use them safely and properly.

00207 One last cup

So it would seem that the last of the non handicap cups has fallen to me for the small bore season. I was in a three-way tie shoot-out with Dave Allen and Ron Le Prevost. Fortune smiled on me and I won with a 98, versus the other two's 96 and 95.

It has to be said that in the inter insular I got a 98, 94, 96, 100 and to be honest, I'd rather ditch a cup in the individual for a better performance in a team event.

Also, so that it stands noted, the Guernsey 'B' Team for the Hampshire League, of which I was one of five, were the victors. So I guess that that would be the best win of the season, being a team shoot.

00201 Winning again

Another cup - this time is called the November cup. I can't remember what the criteria are for winning, because it happened so long ago. The deal is that I had to do a tie shoot against Pete Jory, but we didn't get round to having it until now. The good thing about this one, like the championship, is that there were no handicaps allowed, so it's just down to the score. One more tie shoot to go for the Falla cup - a three way shoot out. This one was my first tie shoot and it was quite nerve wracking - Pete got 96 and I got 98. I don't think I got him on top form, but there you go.

00199 Won

So it would appear (because of the facts of the matter) that I am the Island .22 Rifle Champion - or "World Champion" as Meriel likes to call me now (this will probably become annoying, after which she will be happy, having achieved her aim).

All bow down before me or I'll be better than you at shooting (maybe).

00195 Winning?

Unbelievably I may have won the Guernsey smallbore shooting championshion. I had a good start to the season and have managed to hold a slim lead until yesterday, the last round. I've just got to wait 'till Thursday when the last of the competitors get to shoot - there weren't many, but hey. At worst I got a 99,97,96,98 in the last round and had a two point lead, at best it's a 100,99,97,98, so using a sort of law of kind of averages I reckon it's a 99,98,97,98 which would be a tall order to beat with a two point deficit to overcome. Still, as long as it's not a draw - anything but a draw. I don't think I could handle a shoot-out (not a duel).

00191 Possible

100
Originally uploaded by Lenny & Meriel.

Got my first ton the other day. Never thought that would happen. On the other hand, now it has, I think I could probably do it again. I've got a slim lead in the island championship with one more round to go. It 'ain't over 'till it's over.

00169 The Channel Island Championship

Taking the whole thing down

Having qualified to shoot in this individual event, we spent the weekend shooting. 300, 500 and 600 yards on Saturday in Guernsey and then off on the evening ferry to spend the night in the Jersey clubhouse, after which we shot at 900 and 1000 yards.
Did reasonably well, especially considering I'd never even seen a 900/1000 yard range - man, those targets are hard to see that far out, it's no wonder so many people fired on the wrong targets.
The team event (which I wasn't in, thankfully) was Jerseys win. Now, I have dropped ten points out of 50 on a very, very bad day. They dropped ten points out of 1200. Not bad. Bet they were smug about that.

00165 Two things (one of them a thingy)

Wheeee and the compass thingy

Covering two (or perhaps even three) of the obsessions I currently entertain:

1. Rakeart - Grande Roques. I was walking down the beach with a rake, headding for the nice flat featureless sand further down the beach and decided to stop on the way to try out a couple of things. Naturally I didn't get any further and ended up drawing the compass thingy (I've got to find a more suitable name for these ... thingys. See, that also brought the KAP into it. The Maxi Dopero was flying like a dream, so it seemed rude not to capture a few shots from the air. The fact that I roped Meriel and Cara into the shot was just a bonus.
Really pleased with this one, but I think things are going to get better. It's all down to confidence with the rake, and that's going to come from practice.

2. Shooting - Fort le Marchant. Up and down today. 32, 35, 32. So 99 out of a possible 105. I just couldn't seem to get them in, although they were all really, really close. I'll take some advice and improve.

00163 Low scores and reasonable air with a doodle

Three balls and tentacles

In a week of weddings and hangovers, I managed to get a whole load of experience in the fullbore department. A score of 40-2 out of a possible 50 at 300 yards showed me that I needed to sort something out. My coach, Sylvia, suggested that I hunker down a bit further - it was really windy and we were trying allsorts to lessen the impact of the wind. The elevation on the 300 yd score was really good, so I knew it had to be something to do with the wind buffeting the rifle. I tightened the sling and wore a jumper, which made it almost painfully tight and almost difficult to hold the rifle. But it did the job and I hit a 47-3 and a 47-5 at 500 and 600 yards respectively. So it looks like that worked, then. Pity I had to find out the hard way. To make things easier, I was put in the reserve squad (there were two of us), so my score had no impact on the team. Still, I was very pleased with the elevation on all the ranges and it bodes very well for the future.

Kitesurfing session at Ladies bay, with griff going upwind over to the Northern end of the bay by going around the big rock island in front of the sand bar and downwind into the Northern bay. As the tide came up he was watching it until it just came over the sand bar and then shot across it declaring "The bar is open!". And so it was. Good session, good conditions (if a bit choppy) and a few decent airs, especially when I used Dan's advice - popping off the chop or the swell. It really works, but I've got to get out more to practice it as often as possible in the hope of really cracking it.

I also got to do a quick ten minute doodle on the sand at Grand Roques, but forgot the kite line. Doh!

00158 Katchup

Portelet slipway

So it's come down to this, a look back at the week. I thought I'd be able to avoid this, but hey.

This image and a couple of others were taken from an impromptu session with the Maxi Dopero (first KAP sesh) when we went to Portelet with Caroline, Steve and the kids. Iwas just showing them how it worked and it seemed a little pointless to miss an opportunity to KAP on a blue-sky day.

The kitesurfing was not so hot. Underpowered at the South and then the North ends of Vazon (I think it was Tuesday and then Sunday). The first outing at the South end of Vazon was quite a revelation. As usual I was suffering from the lack of low-end grunt from my 15 (because of the 5th line, as far as I know), and Mike lent me his 12 meter Cabrinah Switchblade. What a thing that was!. Powered up fully in 9 knots of admittedly constant wind. I'll be trying it out when he moves down a size to check out the high wind ability. If that's good, then I'll sell the Flexis (with a tear in my eye) and buy just the one 12m Bow. Man, that was a real moment.

Shooting was good. Coached again (by Peter Jory). Got a 73-10 followed by a 73-11 at 500 and 600 respectively. Would've won the B class trophy for the day had it not been for the lack of membership to the club (and perhaps the coaching). Shucks.

0157 Fullbore!

500 Yards - First 12 shots

The first time since the summer of '89 and it was good.
A 48-4 at 300 followed by this 49-6 made me a very happy man after I'd figured out what the scores meant.
It did help that it was a sunny afternoon, although in my defense it was a new rifle and I hadn't done it for a bit.
The other club members were helpful to a fault as I've come to expect - what a nice bunch.

00155 Medal

Medal

Got this for best score in the 'B' team for the inter-insular between Jersey and Guernsey. Which we lost. Bummer.
Anyway it was over 15 yards and I managed a 98, 96, 99, 96 - obviously could've been more.
The final scores are here
Good day.

00152 Air n' high scores

Another kitesurf/shooting double yesterday.

Kitesurfing at Pembroke - superb. After so many gusty sessions in a SWerly, finally a nice constant NEerly. Got some good jumps in and a rotation - albeit unintentional. Also better speed control in overpowered situations and som nice little jumps off the waves. Just great.

Shooting - four cards at 15 yards gave me a 96, 96, 97, 99. What an improvement, especially with the Jersey inter-insular coming up. My only problem is consistency and I don't know if this upward trend is going to plateau or go down. Thursday's the last shoot before the competition, so we'll get an idea then. I have been told to expect a drop of about 8-10 points because of the different lighting conditions and the added stress. We'll see.

00137 Update

So, just as a kind of diary type thing for the record I was out at Ladies Bay on Saturday and a tad underpowered with the 11 meter - I tell you, I'll definately be down to Vazon in those winds next time with a bigger kite. Griff went there instead and I knew it would be better.
The shooting last night was a mixed bag, a good 96 - with a 7 no less! and than a rather all-over-the-place 90. Don't know what went wrong there. Anyway new jacket arrives soon so hopefully that'll mark the beginning of a new upward trend (it's the one at the top)

00133 Shootin' diary

I've been logging on to shooting diary - http://www.shootingdiary.com/ - to get some sort of analysis done on my progress. It's OK, but I think a quick conversation with one of the local programmers might yield an offline solution which I can manipulate to give me a more useful analysis (what am I saying?).
I'll be buying a jacket soon, although we could probably do without the expense - not forgetting that I'll be buying spars for the giant Dopero soon. Money, money, money. Where will it all end?
Thursday's shooting was good, although the first card was a bit farcical 'cos of a mix up with the turn direction for windage. I kept adjusting the sights to bring the shots back left and they kept going farther and farther away. The next card was a tidy 94, and only then with a couple of wierd pulled shots. Improvement is on the way, I can feel it.

00129 Shootin' better

Two cards on Thursday (16th), the first coached by Martin Mace, the club secretary. He didn't move my sights, so the group was well off center, but tight as a gnat's. The second, coached by John (who's father's name I don't know - this is how he's known to me), was sighted, adjusted and scored at 92. Yeah, I could justify this with suitable excuses. And so (as Dan mailed me the other day) it begins. Maybe I'll cook up a shoulder injury next week. That should sort me out with a six point drop. 94.

00124 Surfin' and shootin'

Target

Wednesday was kitesurfing, Thursday was small-bore shooting.
The kitesurfing was the first initiation into jumping. The new board was really good with an overpowered 15m and the jumps were pathetic to start with, but once I got the hang of sending the kite back into the window it was superb. 'Course I did land every one on my arse, but that's the way it starts. More soon, I hope.
The shooting was good. Just some grouping to start with, so that I can ease myself back into it again. The groups were nice and tight, so at least my eyesight hasn't deteriorated too much yet. I'll try to go every Thursday, but they'll be closing up the small-bore and moving to full-bore at the end of March (I think). I haven't shot Full bore since I was 18. Why not try it again, eh? Anyway, the first experience of it over here was much better than the time I did it in London. Everyone seemed very welcoming and eager to help. I might even get to join the OE team. Man, that'd be wierd.