Posted: 10/2/2011 2:43:55 PM EDT
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I had the opportunity to rent an M1 Garand and do my first CMP Match in Central Florida today.
A few thoughts about today: * First of all, I was thrilled to attempt to field strip and shoot the M1 Garand Rifle today. * I confirmed once again that when you're not familiar with the firearm that you're shooting that results are likely to be lack luster. * I never thought that I'd get carpet burns going to the range (we had carpet scraps for shooting mats) so knee and elbow pads for me next time. * A a piece of 30-06 hot brass can and will brand you like a steer. * Awkwardness with my M1 Garand and bodily discomfor aside, I had a GREAT TIME! * I wouldn't mind shooting the M1 Garand again by my next CMP will be done with my AR-15. 
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I had the opportunity to rent an M1 Garand and do my first CMP Match in Central Florida today. A few thoughts about today: * First of all, I was thrilled to attempt to field strip and shoot the M1 Garand Rifle today. * I confirmed once again that when you're not familiar with the firearm that you're shooting that results are likely to be lack luster. * I never thought that I'd get carpet burns going to the range (we had carpet scraps for shooting mats) so knee and elbow pads for me next time. * A a piece of 30-06 hot brass can and will brand you like a steer. * Awkwardness with my M1 Garand and bodily discomfor aside, I had a GREAT TIME! * I wouldn't mind shooting the M1 Garand again by my next CMP will be done with my AR-15. Sir, FWIW the first time I shot a garand I was 18 and that was many many years ago. I wanted one ever since but had no idea how to get one. When the DCM (now CMP) began selling them to qualified civilians in the '80s I was eager to get one. I've been shooting high power since about that time as one of the requirements was to show proof of active participation in competition. There is no substitute for experience and you have just acquired some very valuable experience, grow with it! Go to the CMP and NRA web sites and get copies of the respective rule books and familiarize yourself with the rules regarding legal equipment. Make sure any equipment you acquire complies with the rules. Welcome aboard, 7zero1. |
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Congratulations on discovering a great sport. I recently did the same. I will shoot my third CMP style match this month... love it!
For me a good sling and top grade ammo made quite a difference in scores. I hop to buy a CMP Garand in a month or so for "Old Soldiers" matches. Can't wait. |
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Congratulations on discovering a great sport. I recently did the same. I will shoot my third CMP style match this month... love it! For me a good sling and top grade ammo made quite a difference in scores. I hop to buy a CMP Garand in a month or so for "Old Soldiers" matches. Can't wait. We might not see service grades untill jaunaury :( Anyway I shoot "short sleeved " sometimes of you position your matt at a bit of an angle your elbows will thank you I'm wrapping up my first season I wish I started years ago Ps my first match I got a "132 out of 300" and not one person gave me shit over it :) |
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Fincho, You beat my first score by 5 points! I'm honestly a better shooter but I don't know that I've ever been so uncomfortable before. it has literally taken all season for me to finally brake the 200 mark so don't feel bad just keep shooting against yourself. no one will give you a hard time over your scores. and the positions take some practice but it'll never be 100% comfortable :) |
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Fincho, You beat my first score by 5 points! I'm honestly a better shooter but I don't know that I've ever been so uncomfortable before. it has literally taken all season for me to finally brake the 200 mark so don't feel bad just keep shooting against yourself. no one will give you a hard time over your scores. and the positions take some practice but it'll never be 100% comfortable :) If it was comfortable, it wouldn't be a sport
Seriously though, the positions are awkward and uncomfortable because they're new to you. Shoot as many matches as you can, practice dry fire in position at home, and before too long the positions will become second nature and a lot less uncomfortable and less physically stressful. That will allow you to relax your muscles and concentrate more on the front sight. At that point, you should see a significant improvement in your scores. |
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He's right. You don't really notice, then you hear people talking about being sore after a match, and realize you don't anymore, but then you remember when you used to as well, but you don't anymore.
There is no exact perfect one size fits all position. There are however a lot of perfectly acceptable and successful starting pointsor foundations we all use. My advice to you guys starting out is to talk to people. Find the masters, high masters and ask them to demonstrate thier position to you, and have them analize yours. Take everything they say and show with an open mind, and try it, and see what piece works for you, and eventually, you will find a combination of techniques that suit YOU, that you tweaked just so, and it will literally fall into place for you before you know it. Just be open to it. When I started out, I got lucky and ended up shooting with a very good group of guys, and when I got to the Team, a whole 'nother world was opened up to me. Just talk to people, Best thing about HP is no one has a secret, everyone wants to and will help. i have said it befor but this is the only sport I know of that I could drive to any range anywhere in the US where no one knew me, with nothing but a good attitude and a match fee and a " hey, I want to try" and people will make sure you have everything you need. A better bunch of guys you will not find than at the HP range. 
And when you get home and you want to practice and dry fire, try some stuff out. How and where you place your hand, how you can get comfortable and adjust your NPA and maintain that comfortable position and NPA through some changes. Building NPA is where dry fire is your BFF. And the biggest way to be able to asses a position and start learning to call shots accurately, get your trigger ingrained in your subconcious, start building that subconcious program that makes everything just "seem right", you know, comfortable.  and then your freed up to learn the wind, for the rest of your life like the rest of us,,, seems that lesson is always being taught.
Another thing to make that time or practice time at the range more fulfilling, is don't ever get frustrated. if you do, just set the rifle down, drop the gear, and go do somehing else for a few minutes. Don't allow hat negativity get in your program. It makes it more fun too when you can weed that frustration out of your shooting. And if you get to the range or the basement range, and your having trouble getting that offhand steady, stop. Try sitting for a second, or prone, don't keep trying to force something thats not going well for you that moment. If you get there and you find your just on fire with a position, keep doing it. Don't stop at a string or a few snaps because its good, keep going, burn that into your subconcious as much as you can while your doing good at it. You will have days when you can't hit the dirt standing, and days when you can't seem to miss. Practice what your good at while your practicing, it will change everytime you go out for awhile, so don't worry you will have alot of time to practice everything over a few sessions a week. You want to get to the point where you get to the firing line prepared, mentaly. You already packed your gear correctly at the house, rechecked it when you unloaded. So, loose that little bundle of worry, You already figured out where you like your cart and scope and mat, right? so once its all set up, loose it too. Prep time is a time best spent finding your NPA on that piece of property you got for your relay, its yours, feel it out find your best spot when you put your gear down, conciously do this, and then conciously find your NPA in prep, and spend the last 20 seconds or so going through your mental check list, where your mags are, your sights are set, you make that last judgment call on conditions and set it. So now you are physically prepared, equipment is set up and ready, your in a great spot, sights are good, you made a good call on conditions, your ready to go, right? YES you are! so stop worrying about all that stuff. Now your dry fire and position work and trigger control that you practiced and burned into your subconcious in the basement and on the range will pay off. Now when the Targets come up, You easily without much thought,get into position, briefly conciously verify NPA, and now its all subconcious. don't think about it too hard. You can only conciously process and perform one action prfectly at a time, let all that practice and subconcious training do the work, your there to have fun right? Not to work! Let it happen and just keep that front sight clear, and centered, and your very powerful and intelligent mind will make the rest happen. I promise! Of course alot of this reads like rapid fire, and it is based mostly on that, as its usually the stressor stage for most. Offhand and Prone slow are different but I think you get the idea.
Alot of this stuff I had read from Lanny Bashum (sp?) book, the audio tapes and It sounded and read great but I could never seem to apply it Until i met and started shooting with people that did understand it and could relate it to me in thier own words. That really connected the dots for me and opened my mind up to everything I had been hearing, reading and seeing all that time I was starting out. You get some tips here and there, and the match your too busy just trying to compete to really learn a whole lot at once. People always say go home and practice, dry fire, atc, but no one ever really tells you how to practice. It can be frustrating and a little dissapointing at times for a brand new guy. Believe it or not, everybody from you to Grant Singly has had a first day and been new.
Seeing as I am laid up from surgery in my foot for a little while, I think I will write up a few posts detailing specifics on what I was taught and have learned and what I have seen work. I am not saying I have all the answers, but I do have a little more free time right now than most, and I have also been blessed to train with and shoot with some of the finest men in the game. I love this sport and I want it to grow and new talent to emerge and grow, and I will openly share anything i can with anyone if even just one word helps another guy out. |