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Iowa Field Target club

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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

I am starting a Facebook page and a club in Eastern Iowa. 
please join the Facebook page if you want and if you are in the Eastern Iowa area please join in and help bring the sport of Field Target to Iowa.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/s5qZmyzy3m8zBBBa/?

 

 


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

Updating the status of
The Iowa Field Target Association.

So the Facebook group has 15 members. That is a surprise to me.

I feel like an important aspect of getting the club going is consistency. So I post something every day. And that is getting tough for ideas.
Any help with that would be greatly appreciated.

I think I can take a step back from competition topics and look more at fun beginner topics . Just to get people interested without the big investment in time and money.
Currently I am taking each week and featuring different aspects of airguns. From antique guns and history , Co2 or big bore. Most people here don’t know much about airguns.

Now that winter is here I am focusing on indoor shooting . Building a range in the basement and all the safety precautions required.

Also I am starting an on line target competition. So if anyone wants to join that. It would help encourage people to participate.

Probably the 12 bullseyes at 10 meter. Will be the start. I’ll start in January with that. Just post up your best card from the month. This is the target I am recommending.

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/air-venturi-quiet-pellet-trap-incl-ballistic-putty-steel-backstop?a=5382

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/national-target-air-rifle-target-12-bullseye-100-ct?a=3539


   
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(@knobs)
Maryland
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 387
 

The steel pellet trap is worth the extra money. I used ballistic putty for years and  am glad I bought this one.

 

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/do-all-outdoors-bullet-box-pellet-rimfire-trap-10x11?a=5281


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

You are 100 % correct on this. Beside it is 25 dollars cheaper. and it is capable of handling heavy pellets. You can add the putty if you want. 
thanks.

also the wood one is backordered 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

There is a long-standing "combo" competition that is run in England by the NEFTA, it is called the NEFTA Classic:

https://www.neftaonline.org/nefta-classic  

As you can see, the combination is Metallic Silhouette and FT. I would suggest you incorporate at some point those ideas because one of the challenges of FT is that you do not have a "spot" to shoot at. In THIS sense, Silhouette is a similar challenge.

A few shooters here have attended, IIRC, Greg Sauve and Knobs have been there. Perhaps one day I will get to go too.

 

Years ago I ran a postal Silhouette match over winter, it attracted friends from all over the world. For that purpose I developed a special target because the Beeman Silhouette targets do not really reflect the actual difficulty of outdoor Silhouette.

You can find the target here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/qf5u1mqn1jahccv

And the instructions to ensure that everyone prints the target at the same size here:

https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/zimmer-silhouetten.html  

It is a bit more fun and more in line with FT than the "Match" target.

Apologies that I do not "DO" Facebook, but let me know if we can be of further assistance.

Best of lucks, keep well and shoot straight!

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

Thank you sir.

I am not a Facebook fan. But I am drawing from my group of Radio Control enthusiast that seem to have the same sort of disposition to enjoy the challenges of airguns. they are all on Facebook. And it can drawl people from various forums. 

Do you still shoot with DiFTA? 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
Moderator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

Yeah, sadly FB is now a "must" in some aspects, LOL! 

I am still a member of WAC (The Izaak Walton League chapter that houses DIFTA) because I also shoot other stuff.

I was present at the Outdoor Airgun Range "Open house" that attracted several new shooters and some Jrs. Took 4 rifles, a bunch of pellets, and some targets. Helped with the setup, the running, and the clearing.
I will support any and all activities that truly promote FT in ALL its aspects.

Keep well and shoot straight!

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

I truly miss shooting with that group. 
quite an honor to be teamed up with Ray and Hans Apelles, 

Palo always made the corse a fun challenge. 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

We met Ray and Hans in 2010:

image

It was always easy to spot them on the firing line:

image
image

After the WFTC's in Germany. Ray asked me to make him a spring gun, which he then proceeded to chop and modify to his tastes:

image

 And together with Veronika, we started putting spring-piston FT on the map again after years of fading, in 2014 we took 2nd place Team in NZ:

image

And the rest... is history.

Hans demise was sorely felt and Ray has opted for other forms of shooting (pool, I hear).

They are both missed from the FT scene, true Sportsmen and Gentlemen.

Hey! Life happens and the best is yet to come.

Congrats on your starting the sport in Iowa. Everything always start from a small seed.

Keep us posted!

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

Ray came down to shoot after the state championship in New York. He had a very bad showing.  I thought I had a chance to score well against him. Turns out he shot the corse with open sight just for fun and still finished in the top ten or something. Needless to say he shot very well that day. 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

Yup!

That's Ray for you. Sometimes, between Paul B., Ray and myself, would shoot the traditional DCPA  "Winter" shoot offhand and iron sights.

It was a ton of fun.

Still miss the guy.

Let's hope he come back to FT.

Keep well and shoot straight!

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

I am pleased to announce that I am joining the West Liberty gun club.
Located in West Liberty Iowa . I plan to use the beautiful facility as a home base for the Iowa Field Target Association starting in 2025.
Things are shaping up.

https://www.westlibertygunclub.org

Currently after two month there are nineteen members in the facebook group. I post up videos everyday showing anything I can find about airguns. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions please help me think of content. 
and please join just to help boost numbers and start some conversation. Iowa has very little exposure to airguns. 
this is the link to the group. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14xztwaHB1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Iowa Field Target Association 

 


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

I have found a home base in West Liberty Iowa.
https://www.westlibertygunclub.org/

If you are in the area I encourage you to join. It is a very nice facility. I took the tour and they seem pretty safe and welcoming.

This is the Iowa Field Target Association update for the end of the year 2024

The Facebook group has almost at 25 members!
We still need to keep growing the Facebook group. So join if you want and tell your friends.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12CaDjUYbWk/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Over the winter I need to get together with the gun range officials so I can get to work building an airgun field target corse.
I need to get a lot of stuff together.
This is what I plan for the first competition.

The plan is 15 targets in five lanes. There will be three targets per lane. Each target will be between 10-55 yards apart. You will have seven minutes per lane. Two shots per target. And we will go through the corse twice for a total of 60 shots. The reason for going through the corse twice and two shots per target are two fold. We only have a limited number of targets. And most people are new at this. Having four chances to hit the target is a good learning curve. The corse will not be difficult at first.
I will use the Troyer scale for each corse.

There will be a sighting in range set up with a chronograph.
We will have hunter and open class of both PCP and spring guns.
We will set up in squads of three or four.
And have a cookout with some burgers or something directly afterward. This is done while all the scores are tabulated.
We will work out the details about a field target competition schedule for the spring summer and fall.
At this point I plan to be at the range every Saturday morning till around noon. And have a competition for the last Sunday or Saturday of the month. But that’s in the details. In the mean time keep practicing.


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@ Racer-X

Congrats on moving this along, and I would encourage you to "shoot for the stars".

Just a couple of comments:

- 7 minutes is way too much for 6 shots. It may be good for your first match, but with time you will see that it drags the match unnecessarily. We still use 6 minutes at DIFTA, and it has proven to be plenty of time.

- 4 person squads are too large. Just consider that if EVERY shooter takes 7 minutes, it will take almost half an hour to move from one lane to another. Springer shooters will need to take two into the ground every time it's their turn because the guns will have gone "cold". Make it 3 at most and keep the time down at 6 and then you will be lucky if each squad/lane takes ¼ hour.

- Plan a Chrono lane from the start, either as the first lane, or the last, we tend to be very "cavalier" about the energy limit in the local matches, so, getting your group to be scrupulous about this will be a huge advantage when they go to a GP, or start competing internationally (this is what I meant by "shoot for the stars"); and try to make the Line of Fire (LOF) between 300' and 450' (100 to 150 yards) long. This will allow you to grow by interspersing lanes, rather than by extending the Line of Fire.
In GENERAL, every lane should be 3-4' wide, and the lanes should be 6-10' apart, if you consider what you will need for a "mature" FT venue, you will need 25 lanes, plus chrono, entry, and exit you can understand where the above lengths come from.

- 5 lanes can still accommodate 15 shooters and that is a good attendance for an FT match. A a M o F, if you have three shooters per squad, you can have one "floating" squad that is chronoing and then walking from the end to the start of the LOF. This allows you to plan for 18 shooters.

- Plan your layout so that, now or in the future, you can have TWO LOF's. If possible, at an angle forming an "X";. This will enable you to have a match in TWO "STINTS". When the first stint of 15/18 shooters finishes the first round on one of the lines, they can then all together tackle the second stint, from a different line that will change the distances to the targets. If the lines form an "X" in plan, then some targets will be closer while others will be farther away. There will be no "simplifying" or unnecessary repeating.
This is a relatively easy way to get 30 different distances/ranges with wise use of few targets. Yes, every target is shot four times, but only twice from each range/distance.
When you get more targets, then you can just intersperse more lanes, but if you are doing this with limited resources, this is a good way to provide "diversity"

- There is nearly ZERO participation in "Open Piston". All of the Northeast has ONE shooter. I know that the WFTF rules seem "terrifying" for newbies, but if you start with ONLY the 12 ft-lb restriction, you may be able to grow up a good WFTF crew in time. In any case, Springers do not behave too well much above 13½ ft-lbs, so there is little difference there.

- At PSA, 20-30 minutes are allowed "off the record" to go back and "take revenge" on the ornery targets. LOL! It sounds silly, but IMHO it is one of the BEST ideas ever. Because you can choose one or two or even three targets that you simply cannot fathom out and work at them for a few shots. Believe me, this has been a huge learning help for me, and I know it has been of help to others. It is one of the aspects that have allowed PSA to continue to grow and attract more and more shooters even while upping the game.

- There is still a grill at DIFTA, but it seldom gets used. IF the matches were 60 instead of 72 shots, AND with an earlier start, there COULD be a chance; but by the time we're done, most shooters really need to get home. Plan your starting time and ending time. Think that EVERY shooter will take his/her FULL TIME, and add some for BS'ing and moving from one lane to the next. We're all humans and we are social animals. AND FT is an eminently social sport (or hobby).

- You didn't mention this, but it's something that, even at AAFTA level, is often forgotten:
Keep good statistics.
Not only of scores and equipment, but of hit rate of each target/location combination. It may seem as useless work at the beginning, but in time, this will allow you to "tailor" the shoots to your audience, achieve better results, see more successful shooters spreading the good word, and grow the attendance, and the sport. SOME MD's can do this "instinctively" but not everyone can. Keep the score cards and on idle nights, do the stats. The tabulation is ephemeral in the sense that it only applies to THAT match. Stats per target/placement will enable you to design better and better courses.

- Last, but definitely not least, creating an FT Club is not a "sprint", it is a full Marathon. Don't try to go it alone, start recruiting help from the start, let every shooter know that he/she is expected to help with the take off and stowing. Sure some may have a "hurry" every now and then, we all do. But FT is a team sport in the sense that the MD is always in need of assistance.

Again, congrats, good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

Thank you very much. 
These are the details I need.
being the match director is new to me. I am excited and terrified. I will need to see the skill level of the group. And the first time event will set the tone. 

it really does seem ti be happening. I just need to be consistent and keep the momentum going. 


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

It s sad about open piston. That’s what I shoot. I finished behind Scott Hall at the 2015 Nationals. There was almost no participation. I went to WFTF after that. 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
Moderator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

My pleasure!

Yes MD'ing is terrifying LOL! As a former MD of international shoots where MUCH more was at stake, I can tell you that MD'ing FT'ers is not as hard as other shooting sports. FT'ers are mostly good people, and there is not so much at stake. Just relax, hang loose and stay fluffy.

AND remember: "There is no rule more unfair than the one that is not enforced"

😉

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

I come from land speed racing. The rules are important because people die. And to keep the records valid all the rules must be adhered to or the recorded book becomes useless. So safety is all I’m concerned with. The rest is fun. And I don’t want to spoil the fun. So abiding by rules and checking the power over the chronograph are important. The other thing is consistency. I don’t want people to invest money and time then there be no competition to use it. 
so I am committed to being there every week and every month. 


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

The Iowa Field Target Association monthly report.

The Facebook group has 27 members as of January 31st.

Not much activity but it is there and I post up videos that I hope will get people interested or at least aware of airguns. I am mainly focused on education at this point . But I think I’ll move back toward field target specific content. As the season draws near.

 

I am in contact with the gun club and will start to discuss airgun activity when it’s appropriate. At this point I don’t have enough information to put together a proposal that can be submitted to the board.  I am confident it will be all good. But it’s a process.

 

I have ten targets all modified and a proposal written. It’s just waiting for the weather to brake.

If you are interested in joining the Facebook group. I would appreciate it. And if anyone wants to have an airgun discussion. It might help the majority of the group. Because most don’t have airguns yet.

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14hdZ92tEW/?mibextid=wwXIfr


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

Just joined, let me know when I can be of help.

Keep well and shoot straight!

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

Thank you for joining the group. We have a long way to go but I am amazed at the progress so far.  

The next step is to get to the range with the range officer and discuss a permanent airgun shooting range set up. Once we agree on everything I will wright up a proposal that must be submitted to the board of directors. 

I plan to have a permanently set up sight in range. 60 yards with a peg every yard from 10-55 yards so people can set up and proof their scope. That will double as the chronograph lane during a competition.
Next to that I want to make a double lane with a 2x4 planted every ten yards. There will be some home made spinners or spoons attached to rods going through the 2x4. That will be a sight in range. Being permanent the rifle club members can utilize the airgun range anytime. 
next to that I’ll lay out the FT corse using as much area as I have available. I will probably leave a couple of the self resetting targets out there for members to use. But will only set up actual field target corse when we have a competition or practice .

I hope this all works out. I am confident it will because they have a perfect area available. And I am financing the whole thing and supplying the labor. All proceeds from the competition and public range use goes to the club. plus new membership dues it may generate. That’s the plan anyhow. But like racing or fighting all the plans change when the bell rings or the flag drops. 

 Do you know Miguel Sanchez from North Carolina? He sold me his HFT 500. It I was built by Will Paitt. It’s my prize possession. And the whole reason I’m doing this. Just so I can use it. Crazy huh?

 


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
Moderator
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@racer-x 

Well, congrats on the spirit and enthusiasm.

Yes, I know Miguel well.

Keep me posted if you need any help.

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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(@bf1956)
Wisconsin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 522
 

@hector_j_medina_g  more on Ray's springer build please and don't forget pics.


   
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Racer X
(@racer-x)
Iowa
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 38
Topic starter  

@hector_j_medina_g 

I will.

when I first received Miguel’s Rifle I treated it like a museum piece. I would not even adjust the scope.  But he lives in North Carolina and I live in Iowa. The rifle was not ready for such low temps I guess.  One night the O ring on the front of the regulator leaked air. As a result the 1000 psi on the back side pushed the regulator forward  creating a leak out of the vent. I had to go in and figure out what was happening. Very long story short I replaced all the O rings and also the striker valve piston. Because that was also showing some ware. Good as new now. Or better because it is a regulated HFT -500 shooting 18 ft lb. Now I am totally familiar with every aspect of the rifle. All the parts and adjustments had to be redone because I disassembled the regulator and needed to get it back to the specification it had before I let it get cold. Now I feel confident if I have a problem at a competition I can deal with it.


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1316
 

@bf1956 

The most I can tell you is that I put together for RAY TWO D54's in CCA/WFTF format.

He then took the one that shot better and re-did it! LOL!

The CCA/WFTF D-54 has a lot of changes done to the basic platform:

Custom Piston
Custom Spring, Guide and TopHat
Modded Cocking lever
Modded cocking lever Linkage
Custom Pins all over
CCA Reinforced Breech seal
Trigger work (stoning, retaining rings, adjustment)
Shortening of Leade and rectification of the breech
Buttoning of the front sled
Self leveling washers bedding
Barrel Regulation
Custom leather cheekpiece

Of course, many of the mods I made, he had to undo when he built his bullpup stock, but he did keep the "essence" and the ideas behind the CCA design.
The other thing he did was to create an electronic trigger that was really smart.
At some point, we talked of making a proposal to DIANA about the electronic trigger, but he didn't really want to get into that.

Have I mentioned how much I miss him? LOL!

Anyway, last I heard he was healthy and happy and that is all that is important. Everything else is icing on the cake.

Keep well and shoot straight!

 

HM


   
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(@hector_j_medina_g)
Maryland
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Joined: 7 years ago
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@racer-x 

Good for you!

Nothing beats the self assuredness gained from solving problems.

🙂

Keep well and shoot straight!

 

 

 

 

HM


   
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