Anybody shoot "over-the-log" matches?

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My son and I shot the match for the first time. A few months ago you responed to my questions about the shoot and you were very helpful. Thank you. We both had a good start during the practice time with good groups. During the match the shots were all over the place. My son shot in the first relay and I shot the afternoon relay. Using a 45 Cal., 28" barrel Investment Arms Hawken Rifle, I did not have any great hopes of winning anything. To my surprise my son won third place out of the four juniors in the competition and I won a barrel for being in 150th place. :shocked2: I felt rather odd accepting a prize with such a pitiful score. I was told if you are going to lose, it is good to lose in the right place. We had a great time and we are looking forward to doing it again next year.
 
I saw you a couple of times during the course of the day. KanawhaRanger and I talked a little both Friday and Saturday.

A friend had tried to get me to shoot during the first relay but I've always shot the second down on the end near the trees with John Braxton and some KY boys. After what the wind did to my string I kinda wish I had listened and shot the first, but oh well you live and learn I guess. I had a wonderful time anyway and am cooking some of my hamburger as I type this. :wink:
 
Congratulations! :applause: They're right, when you lose it's good to be 150th. Every year that Paul wins, he donates the barrel he wins to the shooter who comes in 150th.

As for having a good practice group and then having the shots go everywhere after posting a score target, well, join the club! That happens to everyone at one time or the other. At a shoot a week before the York, I had a real tight group and once I stuck my targets up, I was all over the place. This weekend, my practice group was loose as a goose for a while, but I finally got two holes touching. Then I had a few good score shots. As always, I managed to get a couple into the white.

It doesn't take a fancy rifle to win or place. As long as you are consistent with your loading and shooting and can read the wind and light, you can do a bang up job with just about any rifle. It does help to have a heavy barrel for stability and a long barrel will give you a longer sight radius which will help you immensely. I've seen some great scores shot with plain offhand rifles. If you devise a cant block that you can fasten to your barrel, that will help you stabilize your rifle and help you keep your sights at the same angle every shot. A few little tricks like that will help you improve. Once you get more proficient, then you might consider building or buying a rifle designed for this type of shooting. And if you get a chance, shoot with more experienced chunk gunners and see what they do. And don't be afraid to ask questions. And most of all, PRACTICE, PRACTICE PRACTICE! That's something most of us don't do enough, especially me.

I'm glad you had a great time. There are a lot of nice people that shoot chunk and at the York shoot you get a chance to meet most of them. I remember the highlight of my first trip down there was getting to talk to Andy York (Sgt. York's son) and have him tell me about his Dad and Gary Cooper who played him in the movie. I was able to spend a little time with him again this year. He's a fine feller. If you get to go next year, by all means go. I guess I'll try it again if I'm able. It kinda gets in your blood I reckon.
:thumbsup:
 
The wind shouldn't have been as bad down by the trees unless you were too close. But then, it did pick up a lot more after the morning relay. The sun coming up and getting under my rear shader was making it rough for me and a couple of others I was shooting with. We would stand behind each other and cast a shadow when we shot until the sun got a little higher. I might just make a new full length shader that will extend behind my rear sight a few inches.

I'm glad you got your hamburger. We almost didn't. That mob looked like a pack of hyenas going after a wagon load of guts. Pretty pathetic looking, but I was right in there with 'em! Last year we didn't get in there in time and didn't get anything. Two of our group won some pork and since one of them and his wife was heading for Florida after the shoot, he gave his to me and the other poor guy who didn't get any to split. So I still ended up with half a tenderloin. Had some for supper last night.

It was good to see you there. Maybe next year we'll see more members there.
:thumbsup:
 
Sure sounds like you all had a great time down there! I gotta try this. BTW, I see a sandbag or two on top of the chunks in the photos. Are sandbags legal to use during the competition?
 
Skychief said:
Sure sounds like you all had a great time down there! I gotta try this. BTW, I see a sandbag or two on top of the chunks in the photos. Are sandbags legal to use during the competition?

You gotta try it sometime.

You can use sandbags, though I wonder how long that may go on. There is a rule against having slots or guide rails on your chunk and if you think about it, a sandbag gets a groove formed in it either before or during the shooting. If you're using a cant block, you don't need a bag anyway. I'd say the great majority of those using a sandbag don't have a cant block and use them to protect their gunstocks. I've used them when using my longrifle at chunk matches.

Personally, other than protecting my stock (the top of my chunk is rock maple), I'd prefer not to use a sandbag. As you shoot, the bag will settle a little after each shot and that will change your point of aim a little. And that is something you want to avoid at all costs. I do use sandbags under my chunk to raise and level it where needed. I pack them down as good as I can with the base of the chunk. I plan to make an adjustable chunk soon. Then I won't have to carry those bags around or worry about them settling any.
 
Hey Bob, One good turn deserves another. I found this in the pics I took.

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:grin: Thanks

The person across the table in front of my is my Dad, and to the right carrying the rifle is my "half" Uncle Paul :hatsoff:
 
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