The 2026 MD State FT Championship

This year, 2026, marked the 30th Anniversary of the DIFTA (Damascus Izaak Waltton League, Field Target Assocaition) range in operation.
To my knowledge, the oldest FT range in Continious Operation in the US, having started operations in 1996.

Back then the course was simpler, and the shooters were few, here are two pictures from the following year, taken from an old document. I apologize for the quality of the image:

Anybody that has been to DIFTA will recognize the "main path"
And here is another that anyone would recognize:

A trusty HW or perhaps a FWB of the times with a scope, probably a Bushnell Elite AO.

Far from today's equipment, still, we need to reflect on the vision and the accomplishments of the founders, among which were persons that are regarded, today, as foundational personalities in the US airgun scene, like Tom Gaylord, and Jim Maccari

So, 30 years down the road, here we are and we gathered at the DIFTA course for the 2026 MD State Match.
All in all, there were 14 shooters, distributed across Hunter (PCP and Piston), Open (PCP Only) and WFTF (PCP only).
Weather was very agreeable, but challenging due to the shifty winds and sudden calms.
Scores were not high, no information has been released about the layout, so if I had to estimate a TDR for the course, it would be in the 28->30 but it is just an estimation.

I was lucky enough to share the lanes with my friend Toby M. He shot well, me . . . not so much.
The challenges encountered at Atglen surfaced with a vengeance in a more difficult and challenging course.
Match High was a 46/60 (Hunter PCP), and that tells you a lot about the wind conditions.Top WFTF shooter shot a 34 and top Open shot a 39.
DIFTA has the bad habit of assimilating along Divisions, which makes little sense.
There is MUCH more in common between Hunter Piston and WFTF Piston, than between Hunter PCP and Hunter Piston.
Hopefully, the BoG's at AAFTA will soon give more guidance on this.

How did the lanes look?

We started on lane 11, the longer lane in a depresion; so, let's look at them: in the order they were shot.

General view and then detailed view, as always:

Lane 12: 

As you can see, Lane 11 is in a depression of the terrain, and lane 12 is on the "left uphil side" of that depression.
The picture also shows that, to the left of the lane, the land opens into pasture/field, allowing the full force of the wind to be felt.
At a certain speeds, the wind not only blows sideways, it start "rolling" over the ridge, with some very peculiar effects on the pellets.
I had my reservations about the near "gopher", so I made a mental note to check on it later.
​​
From there, it's an uphill hike to lane #1:

The second lane of the Match was Lane 3:

Lane 4:

Lane 5 was the Standing lane:

Lane 6:

 That little Blue bird in the "Near" position posed a peculiar problem, but more on that later.

Lane 7, with Long Tom at the middle position:

Lane 8:

There was no Lane 9, here is Lane 10, that was the Kneeling lane:

A good Match, with some reserves, but a good match overall. 

Somoeone asked in a forum about a picture of the REAR of Long Tom, to replicate the "Heart Attack" target, so here it is:

You can see that there is a LONG paddle that falls on a little "arm", that then pulls the target down.
Target has a stop because otherwise it would not reset well, and the paddle is itself thereset lever, being pulled by the reset string through the faceplate itself.
It's the long distance between the paddle and the little arm what creates the time lag. Just enough to give you a "Heart Attack" thinking you have missed.
​Here is another view:

It's a tough target, and it "hides" behind a tree.
Challenging indeed. I've gotten it down a few times, but it wasn't to be this time. Missed it twice.

Now, why was I so bothered by the "near Gopher" in lane 12?

​This is why:

A typical, and typically ignored problem, of small KZ's (3/8"s): the concentration of lead after a bunch of people have shot 20 ft-lbs pellets into the same spot. This level of accretion does not correspond to one match, this is a buildup over several.
​
Here is another look:

Yup!
There is a "buildup" of lead on BOTH sides of the paddle
This connects the paddle to the faceplate in ways that prevent the paddle from falling with less than 20 ft-lbs directly on the paddle.
The slightest contact with the rim of the KZ, and the target refuses to fall.

The other target that called my attention was that little Blue Bird on lane 6, and here is why:

In the dappled light of the forest, when the sun hits the KZ, there are reflections from the bare steel dents that create a "difuse" sight picture, to the point where I could not make out the exact rim of the KZ.
I do not know what is the material that this faceplate is made out of, but clearly it is soft enough that lead pellets create some serious dents and deform the KZ to the point where it is no longer truly "round".

As per AAFTA 2026 Handbook, page 6, Section: "Targets", Subsection: "B", and I quote:

"B. Hit-zones shall be round and shall range from 3/8" to 2" in diameter. No fake hit-zones may appear anywhere on the target."

This target should not have been set in the course.

For whatever it's worth I offered help to repair/maintain these targets a week ago, with no answer, yet.

Bottom line for me was that a new rig/system was in order, too much of a handicap shooting the Mauser with the old AEON.

A quick review of the "Hunter Division" rules told me that I could use my LGU with the "Varmint" stock even WITH the hamster attached, so that is what I will use.

FT is a never-ending process of learning, and re-learning; searching and finding; and that is one of the aspects that makes it so fascinating.
The other aspect, is the people that shoot FT.

Keep well and shoot straight!




HM