That you can determine the range to the quarry by sight, and then place an accurate pellet where you want to?
That you can do this in different positions, under varying light conditions and wind patterns?
That you can do this time and time and time again?
That your gun is absolutely consistent over a day of shooting and that it can go through a full day of shooting without changing POI?
Well, here is a challenge:
DIANA and Connecticut Custom Airguns will sponsor the awards and prizes for the Open Piston Class at the Field Target Nationals that will be shot on October 5, 6, and 7 at Pleasant Hill, in North Carolina.
While there are a bunch of rules, that you can read here:
http://aafta.org/Assets/handbook/2018/AAFTA_Handbook_2018.pdf#page=19
and here:
http://aafta.org/Assets/handbook/2018/AAFTA_Handbook_2018.pdf#page=25
The few things you REALLY need to know are:
1.- No rangefinders. Use your scope or your eyes.
2.- Under 20 ft-lbs at the muzzle, you will be chronoed to establish that you are legit.
3.- No x-pods (where x may be 1, 2, or 3), no resting the gun on anything but your good old self. There will be some forced positions (standing, kneeling). If you have ever hunted with a Price Harness, bring it over, it is legit.
4.- You will shoot about 120 times over two days, rain or shine. No changing guns unless it is a catastrophic failure and you are not allowed to re-sight in if the failure is mid-match. Take a RELIABLE gun.
5.- You are expected to be a good sportsman and a nice person.
6.- You will meet some fantastic people, eat well, and you will have a lot of fun!
Awards to 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Prizes will be Pyramyd Air gift cards as follows: $500 for the 1st place, $250 for the 2nd and $125 for the 3rd.
If we have enough shooters, there may be further awards by AAFTA (American Airgun Field Target Association)
The reason why this is in the General Airgun Talk forum and not in the FT forum is because I think that there are a lot of NON-FT shooters that could enjoy themselves immensely if they tried the sport. And so does DIANA. So, we're putting our money where our mouth is.
Come join us in beautiful North Carolina over the Fall!
Register here:
http://www.thagc.com/2018-us-field-target-nationals/
Thankss for reading!
HM
Hector,
Tar Heel Air Gun Club appreciates DIANA and Connecticut Custom Airguns (and you) for the kind support you are giving to Open Piston. We believe this will increase interest in Open Piston.
Tar Heel is providing the National Championship trophies for all classes that have at least five entries (AAFTA rules require at least five shooters in a class to name a National Champion). Your additional awards and prizes in Open Piston should get us up to and beyond the minimum needed to also award National Championship trophies in Open Piston.
Thank you again.
Sincerely yours,
Scott Allen
Tar Heel Air Gun Club
I think Baker Airguns, my employer, is scheduled to attend this event. If so, I'm definitely participating! I'll use my RWS 34.
As someone relatively new to field target, I can substantiate the insinuation that things like ranging and all day consistency are not so easily achieved. It takes a monumental amount of preparation to be competitive. I know this because I'm constantly under-prepared. LOL
Still, I love field target. It tests your entire skillset as a shooter. Even if Baker isn't coming...I'll still try to make it. This sounds AWESOME!
Donnie Reed
Sales Manager
Baker Airguns
All Things Airgun
Great post.
But, why not mention Hunter Class?
David Enoch
David;
"Hunter" Division needs no help. It is doing real well. Although it is not attracting those persons that are not already interested in FT.
Open has the potential to do so. That is why we want to give a little push to Open Piston, which is where most "Joe Average'' would feel comfortable trying.
As long as they have fun in their first match, there is a good probability that they will return.
Let's see it is all an experiment.
HM
Hector,
I never said I was a good airgun hunter.
I said I was a good hunter who owns airguns.
As you know, VEGETARIAN, is an old native american term describing a poor hunter....?
Well, Frank, if practice makes better, then come practice with us!
It's all for fun and, who knows, you may EVEN like it, LOL!
Hope you decide to join us in a beautiful setting during the fall. Just the trip is interesting!
😉
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
Sonny,
There's a LOT of fancy equipment in Hunter PCP, from Daystates, & FX's to Steyr's & Thomas's.
Nothing wrong with that in itself, but it is just one of the reasons why we decided to sponsor Open PISTON.
Given the current state of affairs, it seems a more logical entry class than the now highly rarefied PCP classes.
Hope this clarifies the intent.
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
I think your intent is good, and that a lot of shooters might be interested in FT. I've considered it many times before. FT is just so out of touch with reality that on so many levels that it would be hard to justify that you are a good hunter by placing high in an FT tournament. The guns I've used to take countless game would never make the cut in FT such as a .22 Dual Magnum or .22 HW90 TB. The rigs used in these events are outrageous, along with many other contraptions you would never use in a practical hunting environment (harness, rolls, etc.). For example, a great hunting platform is a .25 Marauder. However, you would never use such a gun in FT. You would have to dumb down the power, and switch to .177 for higher hit rate in an FT kill zone. On top of that, you cannot use the environment to your advantage such as a tree or ranging a target for proper holdover/under. Taking tools out of the equation for making less humane kills does not make any sense.
Son,
While I do agree with you that FT has done a disservice to itself moving away from its hunting roots, it's quite impossible to revert that in the WFTF. The Olympic push will take us even further away. So, that is what it is.
But as a lifelong hunter I'm not so sure I agree that practical hunting rigs are out of the running in an FT match. Last year I placed 3rd using a perfectly hunting viable 0.20" cal. D54 @ 20 ft-lbs. So, you may not be up for the top spot, but you can still beat guns in the $3000 to $4000 region, LOL!
Furthermore, if the USA followed more closely the course design practices that are more and more standard for WFTF courses (basically, eliminating all KZ's smaller than 3/4" or 19 mm's), High Power Piston shooters would be less handicapped.
I wouldn't use a 0.25" Marauder for anything smaller than a Maryland Whitetail, but that's just me.
While I am a firm believer that Fieldcraft is more important than shooting capabilities in any practical environment. I do think that a good hunter will be even better if he is also a good shooter. So, there is a good reason to pick up FT, even if it's only for practice.
And that is one of the key points, it is practice. Once you are out in the field, there are no stinking rules! Do whatever you need to be ethical and effective.
The practice WILL make you better.
About the Price Harness, I would like to remind you that it WAS invented by a hunter, TO hunt. So I would not think it is part of the "outrageous" gimmicks and aids that are the main source of rules and discussions.
Anyway, it's just an experiment. We'll see how it goes.
Keep well and shoot straight!
HM
I originally took up airgun silhouette and (later) field target competitions to improve my hunting-related shooting skills; those competitions having their roots in hunting, and to various degrees, hunting scenarios and hunt-worthy equipment. But as competitions mature, equipment and rules evolve away from original intents. Nevertheless I've stayed true to hunt-worthy equipment in my 30+ years of airgun competitions, and have managed to remain competitive at the highest levels against the most advanced and competition-specific equipment falling within (evolving) rules parameters.
Early in my competition experience I adopted a brain-shots-only hunting ethic for the sake of inflicting as little trauma as possible on the quarry, and credit silhouette and FT competition with making that possible (brain-shots only). After becoming proficient at braining squirrels and rabbits, brain-shooting larger prey like hogs and large varmints was simply a matter of waiting for the right presentation.
But with hunting having become such a CASH-CROP in Texas, for the last few decades I've gravitated toward airgun competitions almost to the exclusion of hunting.
My point? These competitions do make you a better hunter by making you a better shot! Few folks would argue that competitive shooters aren't the best shots out there.
Ulterior points are that hunting often entails very little actual shooting, but competitions entail plenty! Also, you don't have to skin and gut a wall-plaque or pay a taxidermist to commemorate your success!
I have to agree with you Hector that practice would be very beneficial element to these competitions. I suppose gun safety would be another great benefit.
Just cannot get myself to detune a gun to 20 ft. lbs. to limit my kill range. Additionally, the targets do not move! In 45 years I've never seen a live target not move. It's not for everyone. Thank you for the insightful perspective.
