Some would say that for a competitive target shooter,
the shooting season never ends. Maybe it
would make more sense if I were to say that one season somewhat seamlessly
transitions into the next. To explore
this further, I will review what transpired since the summer of last year and
what I have to look forward to this coming summer.
There is no question that the spring/summer of 2017
was quite busy. It started off with a
series of regional matches and some training camps. First, there were the Victoria Day match at
the Connaught Ranges in Ottawa. The
shoot took place over the Victoria Day long weekend 2017. It focuses on individual competition (only
one team shoot) shot at distances of 300, 500, 600, 800, and 900 meters with each
shot once to three times. Being the
first competition of the large bore season, it allows the shooter to get
his/her bearings on a range and determine sight zeros for all distances.
Added to my particular shooting calendar, there was
the Bisley Training Camp. It took place
at the Connaught Range during the second weekend in June. The purpose of this camp is to prepare for
team shooting that occurs later in the summer at the Imperial Match, a match
that takes place in Bisley, Surrey, in the United Kingdom. We shot at all distances, but this time
simulating the conditions of team matches.
Next, there was the June Match, again at the Connaught
Range, normally shot during the third weekend of the month. Having already warmed up a few short weeks
before, the shooter could now test loads they have fine-tuned since the last
match. It is an individual match shot at
500, 600, 800, and 900 meters. This
time, more emphasis is placed on 800 and 900 meters, the first shot twice and
the second three times.
We then come to the first match of the summer: the
Long Range Match, at the Connaught range.
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this match last year because I was
leaving for the U.K. the day after. As
the match name suggests, we shoot only long distance targets. The individual match includes two shoots at
800 and four shoots at 900 meters. There
are two team matches shot at 800 and 900 meters respectively. This match is specifically designed to get
the shooter used to dealing with wind and mirage at the longer distances. Long range loads can also be tested.
The Imperial Match at Bisley is a highlight of the
large bore season. Although we get to
Bisley early in July to acclimate and practice, the match takes place over a
ten-day period in mid-July. The
competition brings together the best shooters from all over the world. Last year, there were more than 900
competitors. The match is a combination
of individual and international team matches shot at distances including 300,
500, 600, 900, and 1000 yards. It is
demanding in both skill and endurance.
The first weekend in August, we had the Ontario Rifle
Association (ORA) Annual Provincial Matches.
We had the opportunity to shoot 300, 500, 600, 800, and 900 meters. Although primarily individual in nature,
there is a long range team match shot at 900 meters. These matches allow the shooter to prepare
for the next major competition later in the month. It also allows for the selection of
provincial team members who will compete in national team matches.
In mid-August, we had the Canadian Fullbore Rifle
Championships put on by the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA). The national level competition includes the
best shooters from across Canada, but also shooters from several other
countries including the United States, the U.K., Jamaica, and others. The matches are shot at 300, 500, 600, 800,
and 900 meters. National and international
team matches are interspersed within the individual matches. The matches culminate with the chairing of
the Governor General’s Final winner. The
matches allow for the selection of the Canadian Bisley Team members who will
attend the Imperial Match in Bisley the following year.
I was fortunate enough to attend the World Long Range
Championships training camp the last weekend in September 2017 at the Connaught
range. As with the Bisley training camp,
we again simulated team shooting. We
focused on distances of 700, 800, and 900 meters. This time, however, we shot at International
Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA) targets. These targets include bullseyes that are
significantly smaller than those we use at all of the other matches throughout
the summer. This allows us to be better
prepared for the World Championships taking place in February 2019.
Although the fullbore season was now at an end, for
the first time since 1979, I opted to shoot smallbore over the course of the
fall, winter, and early spring. Because
I hadn’t shot .22 inch long rifle for so long, I chose to limit myself to
shooting indoors at 20 yards instead of including the outdoor 50 meter
distance. The Lakeshore Small Bore
Association (LSBA) puts on winter matches once a month from October to March
inclusive, this in preparation for the Provincial Indoor Championships that
take place in April. Over and above
practice, I was fortunate to compete in three of the winter matches. What makes this style of shooting difficult
is that the bullseye is the head of pin.
Essentially, any movement can put you out of the center, thereby
preventing you from gaining the full 10 points per shot.
The coming of spring brings with it the onset of the
outdoor fullbore season. This means that
I have to develop and test my loads.
Amongst other things, reloading entails cleaning, annealing, trimming,
weighing my brass as well as other steps required to put together my
cartridges. For those who reload, this
is a tedious and time-consuming enterprise.
In so many words, I have come full circle, since I am back into the
regional matches. To say it plainly, I
have put a lot of rounds down range and will continue to do so for as long as I
can.
- Bernard Pepin