Winter Range, Partners, and Adversaries

Most of the fastdraw loot at Winter Range came home to Shady Mtn. I won the SASS fastdraw sidematch on speed and the 45 revolver on luck. Shady Mike cut through 78 shooters to win the jackpot shoot without a loss.  Miss Kitty won Bracket C of the jackpot shoot.

I have to believe the games we play on Shady Mtn may have something to do with it. Shady and I shoot marble matches about twice a week. It is just a 3 out of 5 match for a marble, a $1 gold piece. It is good to shoot against someone that is a little faster than you or a little more accurate with something on the line.  It simulates those shoot off matches. We used to shoot for all the marbles about twice a year, but one of us got tired of that game.

The SASS side match was interesting, fun, and useful for training.  At our town alley the SASS shooters got to shoot 10 shots for free, the first five being practice and not counting for time, and the second five for time with the sum of the three fastest counting for a score.  You had to hit three to get a score. If a shooter wanted to improve his score he could buy an additional 5 shots for $5.  All proceeds went to a SASS charity.  Each SASS shooter got a ticket for each 5 shots for a drawing for a 45 revolver, one for men and one for ladies.  Shooters could try as often as they wanted to. Only open to members of SASS  who also competed in  SASS event (I did long range but not very well.)

It was a good training match, the fact that you had to hit 3 out of 5 put pressure on you to be accurate.  To improve your time put pressure on you to be quick.  I purchased extra rounds every day and improved my time each day finally reaching a .394 average which was the winning time. I only shot SASS rounds once or twice a day and had to declare them to be SASS rounds before I shot, no picking a good 5 shot string.  Last year it took me to the last day to catch the leader.  This year my last day round was also the best.  Trying to get that last few milliseconds while hitting better than 60% is really a good training routine.

I always shoot better against Shady, about 30 mls faster, and he helped me by shooting against me in my SASS matches.  Some were also marble matches, don't know if I can afford to show up on Shady Mtn cause the tab is due. I have to add  I always had one shot quicker than his fastest shot, but since he has been tuned up to about 80%, sadly he got all the marbles but one.

The SASS matches would make a good club practice match.  You could have two tin cups one being a daily pot and one a monthly pot.  Five shots would cost $2, $1 in each pot.  Pot strings have to be declared before they are shot.  The fastest total of 3 shots wins the daily pot. Must have 3 hits to get a score. One might think the daily pot might go to the fastest gun, but may more likely go to the most accurate.  Quick only matters if you can hit that which you are trying to be quick about.  Monthly pot would go to the shooter that improved his time the most during the month.  I went from 1.223 to 1.182 over five days improving each day. Hard to shoot 60% while finding that last millisecond of speed.

I had the pleasure of hand judging a match between Holli Day and Honey Badger. It was something to behold.  Holli Day had a .374 and Honey Badger a .375.  Neither would give in or give up a millisecond, but I would add the match was determined on accuracy not speed.

Many thanks to all those 78 shooters who came to our bracket jackpot shoot, especially those bandits from down on the border, those Deputies from the coast, and those Shootists from the mountains.  Think I only have one more bracket shoot left in me, that being Cave Creek.

Took my winnings and spend them on sutter's row, so you will just have to come to the Four Corners to see what the dog drags in.