IDAHO AIRGUN FIELD TARGET CLUB Pocatello, ID

Idaho Airgun Field Target Club

Nov 5, 2009

Wednesday evening, November, 2009

Bell Target

Shooting sports have a long and rich history.  At our club even a poor hit on the target can be celebrated if you have a colorful excuse.  Here is a list of blooper lines from Germany. They were printed on a special target titled “A bad shot who has no excuse” and dated 1762.
               “The butt does not fit me.”
               “The rifle is simply too heavy for me.”
               “I was given an incorrect load.”
               “I have not shot for too long a time.”
               “I cannot understand the wind.”
               “I have no good powder.”
               “My main spring is too weak.”
               “Someone ran past me as I was firing.”
               “The sun dazzled me.”
Source: “Historic Targets” Anne Braun, Roydon, 1983
Shooting customs change very little with time.  Last night at our monthly airgun meeting we shot bell target.  No one shot a perfect score, but as we walked down range to score the target, creativity was offered up for any and all lapses in marksmanship. Here are some of the better blooper lines for 2009.
               “There was a cross wind from the heater.”
               “I need a new prescription for my glasses.”
               “These pellets are unsorted, and I dropped them on the floor.”
               “I drank too much coffee.”
               “I changed my diet, and now I am suffering from low blood sugar.”
               “I haven’t shot since March.”
               “I haven’t shot since February.”
               “I wobbled in as the shot broke.” (This was for a center shot)
               “Not the right pellets.”
               “There were too many jokes from behind the firing line.”
               “I didn’t get to the chiropractor this week.”
               “The nut was loose, “exclaimed the shooter.   “Which one” asked the scorekeeper?   “The one behind the butt plate,” he answered.
       So, how did we do?  Bell target is a 6 shot course on a target with a 5 point bull’s eye.  A 5 also rings the bell.  Jason Zicha shot a 27 which equals the highest score shot last winter.  Jason shoots an Anschutz.  Ash Covey shot a 26 with his FWB 300 and Ron Gill shot a 26 with a Heanel 311.
All scores were shot with iron sights.
       Many issues were raised.  Excessive target damage may have occurred from the “destructor” pellets launched at high velocity from the 311.
Excessive firing noise from Jason’s Anschutz was drowning out the sound of his repeated bell hits.  Ash claimed that his street shoes were a disadvantage, but he got little sympathy.

Ron Gill