Thoughts From A Rookie At Camp Perry

This was my first trip to Perry.  First, it was a GREAT experience.
What I learned.
Stayed in the huts.  
They were very clean and had air conditioning.  
Four bunks with mattresses as hard as the floor.
Each bunk had one electrical outlet, one locker (you need to bring your own paddle lock).

I would STRONGLY suggest going with someone who has been there before.
I would REALLY STRONGLY suggest going as part of your State's team.

You do NOT have to be a good shot, just love bullseye.  I am living proof you do not have to be good:-)
Central showers/bathrooms are VERY clean.

BRING mud boots.  Everything I head about the rain causing massive amounts of mud on the ranges are TRUE!
There was mud around the huts, but it looks like they just planted grass this year so might not be as bad by the huts next year.

Bring cleaning supplies and clean guns each day.  If it rains you WILL shoot in the rain.

While you have to turn off your phone when you shoot, when you are waiting video the line as they shoot.  Seriously cool to see 100 shooters on the line shooting at the same time.

Bring some kind of cart to carry your gear and a chair to sit on if your cart will not work as a chair.

Attend the competitors' meeting!

Take more ammo than you think.  At least 300 rounds of 22, center fire and 45 ammo.

I would suggest ear plugs AND ear muffs.

Bring money...vendor row is amazing and prices are great.  This year I saw well over 60 eight pound jugs of Bullseye powder.  Dozens of jugs of Titegroup as well.  Hundreds of cases of 22 ammo.

The history of Perry is amazing.  
Visit the NRA trophy room on vendor row.  The trophies and history of Perry and Bullseye winners was a moving experience.  It gives you an idea of the essence of the wonderful sport of bullseye.

Also the entire camp is immaculate and the staff/range officials go out of their way to help you.

Chip

My first time also. It was an all around great experience. I'll add one more thing. Practice getting set up in 3 minutes exactly. There is no opening your box early!!! A lot of the matches I go to are a little forgiving with getting your spotting scope set up prior to preparation time. Not at Perry!

orpheoet wrote:.... Practice getting set up in 3 minutes exactly. There is no opening your box early!!! A lot of the matches I go to are a little forgiving with getting your spotting scope set up prior to preparation time. Not at Perry!

Great advice! For that first slow fire target - take your time and dry fire another couple of minutes after the firing begins to help settle the newbie jitters!

Gear advice for anytime there is rain - 2 gallon ziplock baggie for your score cards while scoring, and bring a spare for the guy scoring your target.

- Dave

First timer also! Everything that has been said is true! I was only there the first two days, but, my boots stayed dry in the car! bad, bad.

3 minutes? yeah, right lol.

I was surprised how tight the shooting schedule was, but, the range officers were understanding about being late for the first relays of the reeves, when you were still firing the service pistol match in the monsoon...

got to meet a few of the Bullseye-l guys, they recognized the hat.

oh, if you have a Gold Cup Trophy with pachmayr grips... bring your slabs  along... because the vendors don't open early!!

Had a helluva good time, next year, we're going to do the whole week.

Jim Chapman

some pics from Perry

The biggest lie at Camp Perry?

"You will be given time to adjust your equipment."

john bickar wrote:The biggest lie at Camp Perry?

"You will be given time to adjust your equipment."

I have never read a truer statement. But the one that I really liked was being pulled out of prep for someone to go down range before the time was up. Then being given no time.


My mags were loaded before I was at the line. That helped. 

My most important lesson was NEVER put things in a different place in the pistol box. NEVER. There is not enough time to look for things at Perry.

john bickar wrote:The biggest lie at Camp Perry?

"You will be given time to adjust your equipment."

Somewhere I heard the they give 45 seconds after the command to open boxes. I guess 45 seconds is an amount of time. They don't say "You will be given sufficient time to adjust your equipment". One of these years I need to remember to time it.

To all the first timers - Cherish your first Perry experience. Cherish the confusion, overload, stupidity, stress and also cherish the experience, camaraderie, small victories and participating along side the best in our sport with over 100 years of history on those lousy fields. Every trip to Camp Perry is an experience, but you only get one 'first time'.

Best regards,
Steve Turner

This is wonderful to share.  I remember my first time and how gobsmacked I was by the whole thing.  Every time I stepped to the line I was about to fire my best ever score at Camp Perry National Matches.  I must say the allure of camp perry is fading with the smell of all my gear stinking up my garage.  What ever they paid for drainage should be refunded.  That range pudding on CMP day was pathetic but still better than 2013.

I'm glad I stayed around to get the "real" Camp Perry treatment.... lol

This was my first trip to Perry too. I learned to bring bags to water proof your gear. What ever amount of bags you think you need, double it. Then add a few more bags for good measure. Then put all of those bags in a bag too. Just bring a bunch of bags.......


And calf high water proof boots.

Don't forget a clamp for all those bags

This has been one of the best general topics on bullseye L. Some good info, some good first timer stories, and some good times remembered by us old timers, and some good fun poking fun at ourselves.

Let's repeat this topic for 2016.

My first trip to Camp Perry 16 years ago was my 4th bullseye match.    I didn't know enough to be intimidated by any of the differences and more difficult conditions there and shot about the same score as on our home ranges.   That hasn't happened very often since.   Had a great time and have been going back every year since and plan on being there next year.   I highly recommend it to those who are uncertain about coming though there is no way to truly describe the experience.   You just have to do it to understand.  Only problem is once you come you will want to come back again.   And again.

They are working to improve the facilities and the new huts are a vast improvement over the old ones, which are no longer used.   Some sidewalks to get us to the latrines without worrying about any mud (not always very visible in the middle of the night) and better drainage on the ranges would go a long way.

I have more pictures to add to my collection and will update the permanent post here once I have time to upload them.

It sounds to me like they give you lots of time to set up. Set up at your leisure, fire the slow fire in 2 five shot strings in 20-30 seconds per string then sit back and wait for the slow pokes to finish. This may not be the best approach if your actually young enough to concentrate for the whole 10 minutes or have the dot stay in focus but it works good for old eyes and body. YMMV

This was my first trip to Camp Perry.  I was glad I went with someone who has been many times before.  I will bring better mud boots next time, but it wasn't too bad if you were prepared.  I didn't really like shooting the 22 day with rain in my face and glasses, but I shot on relay 3 that day so I had it easy compared to others.

I definitely had my share of stupid over the 22, CF and 45 days, including crossfiring a couple shots during slowfire, thinking a rapid fire string was timed fire and having to run to my van two ranges away at the end of slowfire in order to have the correct ammunition to complete the rest of the match on 45 day (yes, I was that out of shape guy running down the parking lot sucking in a ton of air).

At the same time, though, I did shoot well in spurts.  For some reason I really shot well during the team matches.  I'm glad I shot on my state association's team.  It was a good way to meet more shooters that I will probably see again.

I'd recommend future first time Camp Perry competitors make sure they make it to Larry's Guns/Ultradot's chicken dinner, get some Andy's ice cream, bring some muck boots, bring large ziploc bags for score cards, and try to sneak in a trip to the Liberty Aviation Museum at the Port Clinton airport (it was a great display and there is a diner there on site with great food).

I also shot my air pistol at the indoor CMP range.  That facility is awesome.  Definitely something that would be missed if the nationals moved somewhere else.

Doug

So! That was YOU!!!!


LOL

I liked the part where they short timed us on rapid fire, asked if wanted to shoot over, or eat the rounds we held, then called us to the line while we were running to the parking lot for new targets. Lotsa people sucking air!

And when the rains soaked the targets at 25y and you realized you were now shooting at an offset 50 y bull backing your 25 target, lol

I've attended Camp Perry "just" 4 times and if I didn't have to fly out there, I would like to shoot it every year.  Meeting and talking to so many shooters was the highlight for me.  Experiencing the variation in weather was the next best thing which we don't get out here in California.  Shooting under the open sun was challenging and one friend commented that my complexion turned 4 shades darker by the end of the week and he didn't recognized me.  I enjoyed the quick match pace thoroughly which should discipline every shooter to concentrate on what is important and forget the rest of the nonsense between each string.  The most fun was shooting the preliminary match as we move our gun boxes back and forth between 50 and 25 yards for the .22, CF and .45 matches.  I would welcome a "Camp Perry" pace to the local and state matches just for the fun of it. 

Norman