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The DIFTA shoot on November 11, 2017

11/26/2017

2 Comments

 
It's always nice to shoot at DIFTA,

And when we can bring together friends from faraway places, it is even better.

It was just a few days after the Nationals that I received an EMail from my good friend Sean McDaniel stating:

"I’m considering going to the next DIFTA match. Would I be able to stay with you, Veronica and the kids? Maybe come up Friday and stay until Sunday?"

Of course the answer was a resounding "YES!"

Sean is an incredible friend with whom we have spent many fine hours at the Rochester Brooks Gun Club whenever he hosts the Crosman All American Field Target Championships, and also when he was kind enough to convince us to go to the Canadian Nationals.

And to have on top the company of Eric Brewer, Hunter Piston shooter extraordinaire and also a good friend, it was shaping up to be a weekend we would certainly remember!

As time approached and I kept watching the weather forecast, it was becoming increasingly clear that conditions would not be easy.
But, suddenly the trend of the forecast started warming up and suddenly 40° to 50° didn't seem too bad.

HA!

Anyway, Sean and Eric arrived late Friday and after the normal courtesies, we called it a day and went to rest to prepare for the next day.

In hindsight, I can honestly say that I lost the Match when I got dressed. But we'll get into that later.

Early morning breakfast and off to the Match.

Along the way, I told Sean I was sad that Joe (his father) would not be able to make it to the shoot.

Upon arrival and after helping Dean set up the sight in range, we started the process of sighting in when all of a sudden Joe McDaniel shows up!
WOW!

We talked a little and shot a lot and when everyone was done with the sighting-in, we had our shooters' meeting:
Picture
Jan acted as MD in lieu of Paolo and once the formalities were over, we all went to shoot.

I got squadded with  Eric Brewer, who had just won the Nationals in his class (Hunter Piston), but this time he was playing the "IronMan" and shooting two rifles: his usual Spring-Piston LGU and a new-to-him BSA R-10.

Soon. we were all spread out​ in our starting lanes and as the Hot Line! shout propagated along the line of fire, we started shooting.
Picture
Once we were on the lanes I realized how badly I had dressed for this party.

Contrary to what we expected from the forecast, the temperature was below freezing, AND there was a steady 4-5 mph wind that came from the open field on our left that cooled you further and further as time/exposure passed by.

At first I didn't feel it, but by the 5th lane, when I completely missed an offhand shot, I knew there was something wrong. But, anyway, the show had to go on and I decided to do the best I could.

Eric started real good with his PCP, shooting first the piston gun, and only after that shooting the PCP
Picture
Eric has managed to squeeze quite a lot of info into his "DOPE" sheet!

Sean was using a new FX Streamline that has undergone some "teething problems" but is now shooting as it should.
Picture
Except for the fact that the stock is, quite literally, minuscule as far as Sean's needs are:
Picture
Make no mistake, the gun is sized a LITTLE on the small side, but there is a good reason why I call Sean "Big Papa Bear", LOL!
Hopefully, he will be able to get the stock to fit better, I am sure he will shoot better scores with a better fitting stock.

We all soldiered on and at the lane before last, on the long kneeling target, I simply forgot to hold off for wind, with the result that I missed a shot that I should DEFINITELY have made.

AH, well, next time I will dress warmer. Whatever the forecast says, it is easier and better to peel off layers than go through the shivers and brain drain that low body temperatures impose on you.

When all was said and done, Rex Gori (45) beat me by one point to take First in Open Piston with his ProSport, Mark Mayer (46) bested our scores by another point to take the First in open PCP

Eric Brewer (44) followed real close behind with only 1 point difference between us.

High score was posted by Dean's "Air-Ma Deuce" at 50 which was, essentially, a clean course because Dean foregoes the offhand lanes altogether.

The fact that Open and Hunter, Piston and PCP ended so close tells you that the course was excellently designed as far as AAFTA official Divisions and Classes are concerned.

And once the elastic bedding of the 54 was removed after the Nationals, and the trigger readjusted in let-off point, the gun shows all the promise at High Power as its short-stroked sisters show at WFTF  power levels.

It is also important to say that to this DIFTA shoot we had shooters from as far away as Ohio and Upstate NY, and that tells you the quality of shoot that Paolo designs and Jan and Mark help implement and run.

Many say that in FT you shoot against yourself, to improve on your past performances and that is all that counts.
I beg to disagree; we shoot against the elements: wind, light, temperature and pressure variations; and against the cunning knowledge that the MD and local crew have of their OWN home-turf.
The more experience you have in many different venues the better you will tackle the subtle but important differences that make or break a successful shot.

​At the end of day, we all had a lot of fun and went home happy and smiling, even if a little cold, LOL!
Picture
From left to right: Sean McDaniel, Mark Mayer, Joe McDaniel, Eric Brewer, Ted Andro, Rex Gori, Jan Vandenberg, Vince Sempronio
Make it a point to attend one of DIFTA's Matches!


Keep well and shoot straight!





​HM
2 Comments
Eric Roehrle
11/28/2017 19:36:42

Please say hello to everyone at the DIFTA shoot next time you see them. I truly miss shooting there. It was such an honor to be part of that group.

Reply
Hector Medina
11/29/2017 12:56:13

For sure I will!

Keep well and shoot straight!



HM

Reply



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    Hector Medina

    2012 US National WFTF Spring Piston Champion
    2012 WFTF Spring Piston Grand Prix Winner
    2013 World's WFTF Spring Piston 7th place
    2014 Texas State WFTF Piston Champion
    2014 World's WFTF Spring Piston 5th place.
    2015 Maine State Champion WFTF Piston
    2015 Massachusetts State Champion WFTF Piston
    2015 New York State Champion WFTF Piston
    2015 US National WFTF Piston 2nd Place
    2016 Canadian WFTF Piston Champion
    2016 Pyramyd Air Cup WFTF Piston 1st Place
    2017 US Nationals Open Piston 3rd Place
    2018 WFTC's Member of Team USA Champion Springers
    2018 WFTC's 4th place Veteran Springer
    2020 Puerto Rico GP Piston First Place
    2020 NC State Championships 1st Place Piston
    2022 Maryland State Champion WFTF 
    2022 WFTC's Italy Member of TEAM USA 2nd place Springers
    2022 WFTC's Italy
    2nd Place Veteran Springers

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