All,

I'm looking at making my first trip to Camp Perry to shoot FT/R. I would like to hear from those that have been there concerning:
1. What to do
2. What not to do
3. Travel and lodging tips
4. Any other helpful tips, suggestions, recommendations, etc.

Thanks,
Keith

1. Bring fans and stay in the huts.

2. Jump off the pier into Lake Erie


3. Bring bicycle


4. Cedar freaking Point!


5. Go check out the trophies of past winners and see GeneralV's name on a couple of them


6. ????


7. Profit

Bring or have access to lots of money. The merchants will have all kinds of "stuff" that will be less expensive than at your local gun shop. There will be things that you didn't know were available. Again, lots of funds (cash/checking account/plastic).

Cash is best since your significant other won't see the costs in the monthly statement and then say "And you have the nerve to say that I spend money excessively". Also, don't buy the first great deal that you see. Go through all the venders and then buy the same item at the best price.

Take a cooler and get ice in Port Clinton. Put your perishables in the cooler (milk, soda, beer, fruit, etc). Plastic bowls, utensils, and breakfast cereal for your morning meal in the dark. You probably won't want to go for a ride to get breakfast instead of another hours sleep at that hour.

Take a poncho or other rain gear.

Take in the sights and enjoy the experience.

Have fun and meet other folks. Be ready to filter the info you don't need and absorb the info you do.

Don't get all bent out of shape because it's Perry. Just shoot your match.

If you have a small dorm-room size fridge and a small AC unit, the huts are bearable.

Figure out how much money you're going to take. Now, double it.

Prepare for weather ranging from sub-arctic monsoon to desert heat (or sub-arctic heat to desert monsoon...it could go either way).

The 1st time I went to Camp Perry I asked the same thing. The best advice I got was to have my gear ready to go when waiting to be called from the Ready line to the firing line. Within 2 minutes, and it always seems like 70 seconds,  your 3 minute prep period will begin and you need to use that time getting your NPA and looking at mirage. Have your sweatshirt and coat on, scope in hand, and whatever cart your gear is in, and set up quickly. Have your magazines already loaded, timer out, data book ready, adjust elevation and windage. If it's rapids, sling up. Don't forget to hand off your scorecard to your scorer, and do not forget to sign it when needed. And if you're scoring, don't forget to put your shooter's scores on the second card, in addition to the one you're using. Check your card before having your scorer hand it in, and make sure they marked the X circles. I lost one X one year, not that it really made any difference the way I was shooting, but every X and point counts.

When you sign in, take one of your ID stickers and put it on the back of your name tag. That will have all the matches you're signed up for as well as the firing point of each. Easy reference to prevent you from going to Rodriguez when you need to be on Viale, e.g. There is always someone who is hoofing it from the other range because they forgot, or didn't look at their tags.

And, as noted above, take a lot of money. More than anything, shoot safely and have fun.

He's shooting F/TR which is NRA week. It's waaaaaaayyyy more relaxed then the CMP hurry-up shuffle.

Guys,

I really appreciate you taking time to post here.

Thanks,
Keith

And most of the vendors have gone by NRA week.

Also all the huts are air conditioned now. The old huts are all gone.

I could be mistaken, but it is my understanding that ther is no F-Class at the Camp Perry nationals this year.

There's mid-range but no long range.

Yes there is. The long range matches are July 29th through the 31st  Then the PALMA matches August 1st to the 2nd.


Here is the calendar of events     Match schedule here


EBR666

F-class

I was wrong anyway. The F-class mid-range is being held in Phoenix as well.

Okay, probably a stupid question for the commercial row experts, but I need some M1 & M1A parts (or to look for them anyway), from the various rifle vendors.
Anybody know what date in July, roughly, these guys open at Perry? Springfield Armory, Fulton Armory, etc.
Don't want to go later only to find everything picked over.

That schedule is maintained by Camp Perry itself, and I personally don't know the answer to that. I've always arrived after the inital openings were over. On the other hand, there always seemed to be plenty of M14 and Garand parts up there.

Powder, primers and projectiles on the other hand...

THIS.

A BIG wheeled garden cart is the way to go.

I made one using a set of wheelchair wheels. Then I got into trouble over it when someone asked me where I got the wheelchair wheels. Of course I got them from a wheelchair headed to the dump on trash day but I had to be a clown.

There are things a man just has to do.

"I was at the airport and there was this handicapped guy on the shitter..."

Sir, while others have answered your questions to varying degrees I'll provide some answers from my own perspective.  FWIW I've been a competitor at CP for CMP and NRA week for twenty-two consecutive years.

What to do:  Have fun, regardless if you shoot CMP or NRA having your gear in order and developing a process for rapidly moving your equipment to the line and getting into position is helpful.  New shooters have a tendency to feel rushed.  Know the rules and obey all range commands.  You can argue your disagreements with line officials with the protest committee, the line is not the place.  Bring food to eat during the day and water, gatorade, etc.,  be sure to hydrate.  

What not to do:  Be careful where you park your car.  The ONG can be fairly anal about parking on the grass.  Park only in designated areas.  If you have a CCW make sure your carry gun is unloaded, as should be all of your firearms except when actually on the firing line and the command to load has been given.  A firearm with a magazine inserted is considered loaded regardless if it has cartridges in it or not.  Dry firing except in the designated area at the Petrarca range is not allowed, unless part of an actual competition or match.

Travel and lodging tips.  AFAIK all of the old huts have been demolished.  Some were still in use last year but near impossible to get into unless you had juniors in your party.  The new huts are much nicer, have AC but there were only about two dozen available last year but only for NRA week.  Short term lodging is available in Port Clinton but expensive.  Make reservations early.  Last year I stayed at a motel in Fremont.  The motel was marginally acceptable and reasonably priced but I would have preferred nicer and closer.  If you're traveling from NC hook up with the North State Shooting
Club and the many shooters and juniors that go to CP from there every year.  They can probably facilitate your accommodations and advise auto routes.  I travel from Va. into WVa and north into Ohio crossing the Ohio river in Marietta then continue north to the Ohio turnpike.  It's a good route and traffic is better than more easterly routes.

Other:  There's plenty to do in the area beside shooting every day.  I took a head boat fishing for walleye from Port Clinton a few times.  If you have the chance and time a trip to Put-in-Bay is worthwhile and fun.  Cedar Point is a must if you like roller coasters.  I even went to an Indians game in Cleveland last year.  For me the drive is over 700mi one way, NC is obviously a bit further, you might as well check out some of the sights.  HTH, 7zero1.

Been thinking of making this year my first at Perry, but doing the Vintage Sniper match.



Anyone done the vintage sniper match before and have tips/pointers/whatevers?

 
Yep.  Will be there again for it this year.  

CMP Games (Garand, Springfield, Vintage, etc) are a good way to ease into the sport.  My group started with the Garand match several years ago and slowly branched out to the "serious" matches.

The small arms firing schools are also great classes to take and get to know Perry

I'll keep that in mind for next year. This year got put on hold due to some sudden vehicle repair costs , but maybe I can work it out to be more than a single day trip for next year.



 

Springfield Armory was open today.

Here is a vendor list and dates for commercial row this year:

http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/CommercialRow.pdf

I would call ahead just to make sure the places are open before you trek out to Camp Perry. The dates are when the vendor has the space reserved, but when they actually get there and get set up might be slightly different.

Sir, as you can see in the linked listing of vendors some are there only for a particular phase of the matches, ie:  pistol, HP rifle, small bore, etc.  For M1/M1A parts a number of dealers generally have surplus parts on hand for these rifles, Sherluk comes to mind beside Clint and SA. 7zero1 out.

Sorry for the necro-post, but wanted to add for anyone that may find this thread...

Soldiers (AD, USAR, ARNG) may attend the SAFS classes but may not shoot in the introductory M16 EIC.  I learned this the hard way my first time at Camp Perry.