The Mason-Dixon Shootout

It is hard to tell when an event like this actually gets started.

In this case, it probably started last year, the 2013 season, when we had the opportunity to start trying to coordinate the calendars between the 9 clubs that make up the Minutemen League. 

We had already put together, with the invaluable help of the BCSA FT Club and the EFTCC the Cross Catskills Challenge the previous season, and studying the logistics of a two day event made up of two one day events, other possibilities cropped up, among the foremost ones: A shoot between  DIFTA and FTRPA.
Some negotiations had to be conducted because the new Minimum Troyer Average rule came into effect this year and neither of the Clubs was too happy as the pure number deviates from their "normal" shoots, but both Clubs complied and the shoot was possible.

Taking into advantage the close proximity of the dates between the shoot and Memorial Day, and going back in history to when Memorial Day was "Decoration Day", as a tribute to BOTH sides: Confederacy and Union, we decided to propose calling the shoot the "Mason Dixon Shootout".

LIttle did we know that our preparations would be interrupted by a business trip to Hong Kong and Thailand! LOL!

Still, Jet lagged and tired, the show had to go on!

And so started the adventure.

In past events, we have had the pleasure and the privilege to host a Team from Venezuela. Among those, the North East Regionals and the AAFTA Nationals.
Because this year, Team Venezuela is planning on going to the "Open Euzkadi", they could not come to the NERFTC's, but they still wanted to come shoot with us.
We decided that the Mason-Dixon GP event would be a good opportunity to share the lanes with excellent shooters from South America and also a way to strengthen the ties that join FT shooters all over the world.

From Left to Right: Franco Porco, Juan Ugueto, Giuseppe Avanzo, José Perez Luna y Luis Nevett

As in other events, we have had the invaluable help and partial sponsorship from Pyramid Air Gun Mall. Our sincerest appreciation to them for their help.

Because Team Venezuela needed a "Range Day", in order to prepare for the match because they had emptied their air tanks in prepration for air travel, we convened on the Friday before the match with Jan VandenBerg, from DIFTA, who very kindly agreed to stay with us the whole day for that "range session".

Of course, once it was posted that there would be a range day, Ray Apelles and Paul Bishop decided to join the fun! And which FT event is complete without food?

From left:
Giuseppe Avanzo, Luis Nevett. Veronika Ruf, Paul Bishop, Ray Apelles, Franco Porco, Jan VandenBerg and Juan Ugueto.

After a burger (or two , , ,), we returned to the range:

Here Jan and Ray are zeroing in their guns.

The next day saw us organizing everything and making sure that everyone had their hats, their welcome bags (furnished by Pyramid Air), and their names and rigs were properly annotated. After that as shooters arrived, the sight-in range opened and all shooters got their turn at sighting in their guns:

Here Bill Day greets us with a big grin! I guess we all loved to be in the outdoors on such a fine day!

After sighting in was done

The customary shooters meeting was held and the squads were directed to their starting lanes:

Tom Wade, Al Otter and Juan Ugueto preparing to shoot

Sue Tenney has taken position, Franco Porco is watching and talking with Skip Tenney

Skip and Sue, tired. but happy.

Larry Bowne is watching, Ray Apelles seems to be taking care of the scores and Dean Mihailovits walks to the shooting point. In the background, Jim Wilcox discusses some of the finer points of FT.

Some of the Deans of airgunning: Juan, The Elder Canoles brother , Richard Bassett, and Art Deuel. Sitting in the bakground, Mark Martin.

One of the lanes with the three targets. Follow the string if you cannot find them off hand.

José Luis Perez Luna with his best effort at the kneeling position. By the end of the second day he was doing rather well.

Luis Nevett, towards the end of the day. Smiling.

While the scores were being counted and tabulated, the "Shootoff" was held.
It is not common for the modern rifle shooter to learn how to shoot "on command". Specially the precision oriented shooter.
Trying to give everyone a small "taste" of what must have been to shoot in the Civil War, 3 squads were lined up. One made of the local non-committed shooters, another squad made up of those that had signed up for the Union, and a squad made up by those that signed up for the Confederacy.
Squads have to have one piston, one hunter and two free shooters. Two had to shoot kneeling, two had to shoot standing.

The oddball squad, then the Union and then the Confederate squads, preparing to shoot "on command"

Three LolliPop holders with 4 lolli-pops each were set at 20 yards and after a brief explanation, the commands were given:
Ready!
Load!
Aim!
Fire!
.
.
.
NOTHING!

We all laughed our sides off. Here are some really good shooters and out of 12 shooters NO ONE hit a lolli-pop at 30 yards?

Let's try again!

Ready!
Load!
Aim!
Fire!

NOTHING!
.
.
.
.
See? it is not so easy!

The lolli-pop lines were advanced to the 20 yards line.

The odd squad connected one shot, the Union squad connected one shot, the Confederacy connected 3 shots. This victory, at least for this year, went to the Confederacy:

From left to right: Hector Medina, Giuseppe Avanzo, Luis Nevett and Jim Wilcox. Watching in the rear, with some disbelief, Skip Tenney

There was a tie to be solved and it was solved offhand by uniform consensus:

Richard Bassett

Stan Lipinski

After the tie breaking, awards were given for this section of the Match, first the WFTF PCP shooters:

Franco Porco captures the third place for the First Skirmish. In the background Jan smiles.

Tom Holland places Second on this Skirmish.

Luis Nevett captures First Place in this Skirmish.

Now the turn was for the WFTF Piston shooters:

Veronika Ruf gets Third Place

Hector Medina places Second

Ray Apelles places first and posts the Match High for the day. You can see Jan's face about a spring-piston shooter posting the Match high.

Now come the Offhand Shooters:

Andy Stevens placed Second

AJ Stevens beat his dad to take the First in offhand.

The Open Piston top shot was Paul Bishop:

The Hunters:

Tom Wade took Second Place

Erik Thesing took First

And what comes after a Match? FOOD of course! We stopped at a Tavern on the mid-point to FTRPA and had a very good lunch.

Next day saw us at FTRPA:

After sighting in, Richard Bassett called the shooters meeting, assigned the squads and we were off!

FTRPA has to be one of the prettiest ranges in the country.

Tom Holland, Juan Ugueto and Art Deuel at the lanes.

He's thinking "What the heck????"

Some targets were short, some were long (mostly), but all were fun and challenging.
By the end of the day, and once scores were tally'ed, the places for the whole shoot were as follows

THE Hunters From left to right: Sue Tenney, Silver Medal; Bill Day, Gold Medal; Tom Wade, Bronze Medal

The OPEN PCP's: Skip Tenney, Gold Medal; Richard Bassett, Silver Medal

The OPEN Pistons: Larry Bowne, Silver Medal; Paul Bishop, Gold Medal

The WFTF PCP's: Franco Porco, Bronze Medal; Luis Nevett, Gold Medal; Tom Holland, Silver Medal

The WFTF Pistons: Hector Medina, Bronze Medal; Ray Apelles, Gold Medal; Veronika Ruf, Silver Medal

Scores and system's Stats.

It should be noted that attendance to BOTH venues was 36 shooters EACH day. We here list ONLY the 20 repeats that registered to the GP circuit. Meritory shooters like Stan Lipinski and Al Otter did shoot both days but they did not want to shoot under pressure of score. Having ALL lanes full and even some "floating squads" is always an interesting situation. It is VERY nice to see that the sport is growing. And we cannot but recognize that the fact that even one day is part of a GP event, does draw more shooters.

We again, give thanks to Pyramid Air Gun Mall, who so kindly contributed to this event!

We CANNOT close this report without acknowledging our debt of gratitude to BOTH clubs' MD's: @ DIFTA: Paolo Amedeo and Jan VandenBerg; @ FTRPA; Richard Bassett, Jim Wilcox and Larry Bowne, their unstinting support of the sport is commendable.

Also thanks to ALL the shooters, those that shot with us the two days, those that shot only one day. ALL shooters are important part of this sport. It is what gives it variety, interest and keeps things fun!

Special thanks to our friends from Team Venezuela, that flew several hours and went through all their hoops and loops to be able to come shoot with us! Gracias Amigos!

As tired as we were, we have to say we had a ball organizing this GP and we are already looking forward to the 2014 Cross Catskills Challenge, that will be hosted in August by BCSA.

See you all there!




HM & VR