Two fascinating videos of Camp Perry, and what's involved in Bullseye matches there.

I thought I had some idea of what goes on at a Bullseye Match.  I've only been in two matches so far, but they were exciting, mostly enjoyable, and sometimes very frustrating.  I thought that was sort of what you guys go through at the big matches I hear about more and more often.

Earlier tonight, I found the first video below.  I never knew what you guys go through....    and the second video was even more incredible.  In retrospect, I wish I knew about Bullseye 30 years ago, or more.  

By comparison with what you guys are doing, I'm still in kindergarten!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnVq0f_SWrU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEE2fC3295M

I guess I'm posting this more for people like me, who "have no idea", and not for those of you for whom it's just a normal part of life.

(....is this fellow exaggerating at all, or is this really what it's like, year after year????)

“It never rains on the Master relay.”

2013
The guy shooting next to me lost his shoe when we moved to the 25yd line.  There was 6" of standing water 15yds in front of the targets.  FUN!!!
- Dave

I shoot with Steve Huff and he doesn't exaggerate. I have seen the winds off the lake break the 2x4 uprights on the rifle targets and send 6ft by 6 ft target frames rolling toward the 200 yardline. The winds that day were 60 knots.

It can be muddy, you might stand in water. But the drainage is much improved in the past couple of years.

20-30 years later, I still remember Tom Ginovsky (teg2658) saying, “every time we get a forecast for heavy winds, I go out to the range and train.”  He won the CF (I think) championship one year in the ‘90s, in some of the windiest conditions that I ever experienced in 9 trips to Camp Perry. He straight up ran away with the match; I think the next closest person was 8 or 9 points behind him.

I'll never get there, but I awoke this morning to a dream of going out to a wet, muddy, rainy field, to practice - that, and a nagging thought that I needed to put a rotating fan alongside me, to make me even more miserable.  As I was getting up, I was thinking that the next time I can go shooting in a pouring rain storm (if the local outdoor public ranges are even open in weather like that), I should do so.  Fortunately there is a much more sane part of my brain that rejected all these thoughts as if they were a nightmare that would end when I got up. 

Thanks for posting the photo - and no, I could never picture myself shooting in conditions like that.  At least not until last night, when I watched the two videos.    Gee, if I ever did get there, and brought a waterproof Go-Pro camera, I could get some amazing video!

Is it at least done when the temperature is reasonable, and not when you're freezing or roasting to death?

I wish they would do a documentary/docudrama on the Nationals at Camp Perry.  Lord knows they've done films on nearly everything else.  Sure, there would be some squawking by the (___) group, but I think the overall result would be positive.  I have to believe many other bullsye shooter Nationals wannabe's would appreciate such a film.

Thanks for those videos Mike.

joke I heard long ago when I was shooting Service Rifle, 

3 competitors are walking down the line at Perry and come across a large mud hole, 

Smallbore competitor gets made, has a fit, and storms off to the Range Officers to make a complaint about the conditions, 

Bullseye competitor looks, steps over the hole, and continues on 

Service Rifle competitor slings up and goes prone in the puddle, waiting for the relay to start,

FWIW, I went 3 times as a rifle competitor,  and had a great time, 

only thing I did not ever get was cold, 

hot as hades, yes
rained on, yes
swept the spiders out of the hut, yes
relay's delayed for Eagles, yes, Boats in the impact area, yes, lightning, yes, 
drink too much beer,, yes
mosquitos the size of small planes that tried to suck all the blood out of you, yes

personally I think everyone should go, 
between the history of the place itself, 
commercial row
CMP North Store, 
and the good folks you will meet, 


there is a great little restaurant over in Oak Harbor 
and the last year I was there there was  BBQ guy just outside of Commercial row, 

good times

Here is a great video on arrival and check in.  Starting about 6:50 it's focused on rifle but you get a good sense of what is going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WSQVwqNYTw

USMC Pistol Team armorer trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwfVyVeakwY&t=7s

2010 Pistol matches, well done, highlighting Dr. Judy Tant, Zins, Henderson, Hemphill, with a minute of award ceremonies at the end!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GDtya_Sofk

- Dave

When I watched the two videos that Steve Huff did on competing at Camp Perry it was like having a "Vulcan mind meld" for me.  Everything that he was saying applies to high end competitions in all of the shooting sports.  After a little more research I decided on getting one of his pistols - even though I'm no longer competing.  One thing followed another and I decided to sponsor one of his pistols as an award at Camp Perry this year.  So, you military shooters have an Accuracy X Pro Plus pistol to shoot for as well as one of Steve's X Series pistols.  Good luck and keep your mental game on top!

Welcome to the forum!!

Actually, I've been here awhile.  But thanks.

Here's a good article on going to Camp Perry:

https://www.chuckhawks.com/camp_perry.htm

One morning just a couple years ago, it was down to about 50F early in the matches.  I saw all these guys who must have been from the deep South walking around in heavy winter coats.....

For 25 or 30 years, my home was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I made trips to Toledo all the time.  I wish I would have known then, what I know now, and started participating.

NuJudge wrote:One morning just a couple years ago, it was down to about 50F early in the matches.  I saw all these guys who must have been from the deep South walking around in heavy winter coats.....

Dear NuJudge,

50° is down jacket weather.

Sincerely,

California

Never, did I understand how huge this place is, until I watched this video:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WSQVwqNYTw

Is this what is meant by "the pits"?   People are sent down there to score?

This is from a guy competing in the rifle matches.  Maybe I can find a similar video more oriented to handguns.

....and....

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtwXbal8nUQ

Will try to find something similar for handguns.

....closer.....

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL9h20OKa3k

mikemyers wrote:....closer.....

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL9h20OKa3k

Looked over the Cabot video.  Then their web page.  Does Cabot make a no frills looking BE gun.  All I see are too pretty for the line.  Looks don't shoot.

When I got my Cabot S 100 I asked Rob at Alchemy Custom Weapons (now part of Cabot) if I could standard target sights on it.  I was told that Cabot only offers a fixed rear sight to go with their black blade front sight.  Obviously, Team Cabot gets whatever they want on their pistols.  I haven't pursued any such options directly with Cabot.  My S 100 is as plain as they come.

john bickar wrote:

NuJudge wrote:One morning just a couple years ago, it was down to about 50F early in the matches.  I saw all these guys who must have been from the deep South walking around in heavy winter coats.....

Dear NuJudge,

50° is down jacket weather.

Sincerely,

California

Dear John,

50° is tank top and shorts weather.

Sincerely,

Minnesota

Aprilian wrote:

john bickar wrote:

NuJudge wrote:One morning just a couple years ago, it was down to about 50F early in the matches.  I saw all these guys who must have been from the deep South walking around in heavy winter coats.....

Dear NuJudge,

50° is down jacket weather.

Sincerely,

California

Dear John,

50° is tank top and shorts weather.

Sincerely,

Minnesota

Don't forget the Teva's!
Also Minnesota

At 50 degrees us old guys in Florida break out the long johns.   That is not entirely true when I was working out doors pulling network cable I wore shotrs all winter even when the temp dropped into the 20s.  Probably why my legs now hurt so bad. Don