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The Grizzlies set another jr record today in the 6man,breaking a record they set 4yrs ago.
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Keep it simple! -
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I'm in Chicago on my way back home from the 2016 National Matches (CMP phase). I didn't have time to shoot NRA week this year unfortunately but I wanted to give people a debrief from a first time competitor.
The great news is that anyone can go and enjoy the matches, it is not just for those who want to win and there is so much to do and so many interesting shooters to meet that it is a really wonderful trip even not including any shooting. I was particularly taken by how amazing all the junior teams are, these kids are squared away and they have a level of confidence in themselves that makes spending time with them like spending time with enthusiastic smaller adults. I can't say enough about how thoughtful, polite and respectful the juniors are from all the clubs I met. I was constantly wrong about how old these kids were, thinking that they must be older high school students to speak so well and be so aware of their surroundings only to find that many were not yet out of middle school.
If you have a child who is interested in shooting you owe it to yourself and to them to start investigating the California Grizzlies. You would be hard pressed to find an environment that instilled a greater sense of maturity and self awareness in a youngster. I simply figured that kids like this didn't exist anymore, and then I spent a week with 23 of them.
Personally I had a hard P100 and NTI, as I just couldn't get the jitters out of my head. I took a day off and pulled targets for the juniors on Wednsday and then shot the six man team match (NTT) out of competition. I had a great team coach/captain who gave me a little extra time in offhand and it was exactly what I needed to square my head and shoot a personal best. I finished 35th out of 500 or so shooters and I couldn't be more happy. Friday brought my favorite match of the program "Rattle Battle" and our California team ended up third overall of civilian teams. Our juniors beat us taking second overall.
My memories of this trip are not going to be of the shooting, although it was sweet at times. It will be of the friendships, and the mutual support that seems unique to this sport of highpower. Where else do people coming off the line at the most famous rifle match in the nation (P100) share with you the wind call they made and if it worked, even knowing that they are handing you the chance to beat them?
Colors at 0700, the howitzer booms out and a single bugler who played the national anthem every day that week tones out across the base where people have shot these matches since 1907. It really did feel significant staring at that flag and listening to the anthem of our freedom.weg: That device is obsolete now. They replaced it with wizards.
frank: Wait a minute. There are more than one wizard? Is [are?] the wizard calibrated?Comment
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It really bites to come back to "reality". California has the best Team in the U.S. That does not necessarily mean the best shooters, but a great group of individuals that come together to form a cohesive TEAM. Although the Grizzlies won EVERY award, except one. Not too bad for a gun-banning state.Comment
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It is a really neat crowd to hang out with. There's something beautiful and oh so American about a crowd of 1500 people all wandering around the range with their rifles. Lots of fun conversations with good people during pit duty, the chance to watch some freakishly talented shooters perform, and the camaraderie with friends keeps me going back.Comment
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Congratulations to the Grizzlies. Totally impressive. Especially coming from a state that is trying so hard to limit gun rights.
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