Pin Shoot Report - 10/08/05

Mr. C. and Rainey in the Optical Sight finals

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I guess that's one of the things that makes single-elimination pin shooting so much fun, you just never know how it's going to turn out. Today was a case in point.

As I usually do, I entered two guns in the optical class, my High Standard, and my S & W 422, both with Simmons 42mm. red dot sights. (They oughta give me free sights, as much as I plug them!)

I qualified with the fastest and third fastest times, although I was struggling with the 422. "Evil Al" and my other nemesis, JimP, were second and fourth. KeeWee was seventh or eighth, I'm not sure.

The result of qualifying as I did meant that I would meet Al in the first round, using my High Standard, and that I would meet Jim in the first round, shooting my S & W. (Note to self: I've gotta learn to sandbag!!)

Al beat me on the first table, and thanks to a mis-feed, beat me on the second. That ended the day for the High Standard.

My only hope was to pull off a couple of miracles with the S & W, or the Optical Sight class was over for me. Two close tables later, I had retired Jim from the optical sight class.

A mixed blessing, as that meant I was now back against Al, the same Al who had just clobbered me and my High Standard. This time, however, I was shooting a slower gun!

Using a "Taco" grip like I use with the 422, where you hold the gun in close and put your weak-hand on top of the sight, has one advantage. You usually can get the first shot off, as you don't have to raise the gun very far. If you can get the first pin first, it makes the other shooter play catch-up, and sometimes that can be just what you need.

I managed to get the first pin first, twice in a row, and ended up retiring Al from the optical sight class. Al kicks my butt when I'm shooting my fast gun, then I beat Al when I shoot my slow gun. Go Figure!!

KeeWee narrowly got beat by Pegi, who then narrowly lost to Rainey, resulting in a final between Rainey and I. Rainey is not the fastest shooter, but she is definitely one of the steadiest, and that gets her into a lot of finals. If you make any mistakes, she's got you! Try to shoot too fast and miss a few, she's got you! Get too conservative, "Say Goodbye!!"

I concentrated on trying to not slow down too much, but be sure every shot hit a pin. I must have guessed the correct tempo, as I was able to eke out a narrow win. WOO HOO!!

Iron sight class only had six shooters, and after qualifying, I ended up against Jim in the first round. Close tables, but I managed to knock Jim out, and here comes Al again! In the iron sight class, against Al, I absolutely have to shoot my very best, and then get lucky, to stay with him. Like the saying goes "Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you....".

Today was Al's day in the iron sight class. This was his first outing with his new Smith & Wesson Model 41. I ended up third overall.

I hate to think how fast Al's going to be when he gets used to the new gun.....