Northeast Regional Field Target Championship Held At Crosman Corporation
Event Introduced Shooters of all Ages to the Sport.
ROCHESTER, NY –-(Ammoland.com)- The 2-day Northeast Regional Field Target Championships ended on Saturday, July 10, and the response from participants and spectators alike was energetic.
Crosman Corporation, long known for innovation and quality in the shooting sports, hosted the sanctioned event at Crosman’s field target ranges in Bloomfield, New York. More than 60 competitors competed in the event and for many of the spectators, it was their first look at a field target event.
Why compete in a field target shooting event? According to Crosman’s Shooting Services Manager, Mark DeBoard, “Field target shooting can be done no matter your age, gender or size. Since this is a sport of discipline, each shooter must use everything he or she has learned to knock down the target. Breath control, trigger squeeze, range estimation and follow through, are only a few tactics. But what makes this sport unique is that you can compete at an event like ours, right next to world class shooters. I can’t think of any other sport that offers such a great opportunity to compete next to the greats.”
From as far away as Alabama and Maine, competitors ranging in age from 10 to 75, including some National Field Champions, descended on Crosman’s target ranges, eager to try their hand at shooting the metal targets. The crow, turkey, squirrel and ram, shaped targets were placed on the field from 10 to 55 yards out. The small, outdoor target falls when the 1.5 inch hit zone is hit with an airgun pellet.
“It sounds easy, but it’s a lot harder than it looks,” said DeBoard. “The trajectory of a pellet is much different than a rim fire or center fire rifle. You need to know your point of impact from 10 yards all the way out to 55 yards. Depending on wind conditions, you may also have to adjust your aim. You immediately realize it’s not as easy as it looks. When shooting an air rifle, the wind is not your friend, even more so than with powder-powered rifles,” he said.
DeBoard noted that for more than half the competitors, it was their first experience shooting in an airgun field target match.
“People walked away really surprised by how much they liked the challenge and camaraderie the event produced for shooters of all ages.”
For those who arrived on Friday, some extra shooting excitement was on tap. The legendary “Quigley Bucket Challenge,” a nearly impossible shot, was re-enacted.
” The contest gave challengers a chance to test their skill by hitting a 1.75” bucket-shaped target from 55 yards away. “That’s a tough shot on any day, but a real test of determination and skill with an air rifle in the wind and rain,” said DeBoard. Forty-one shooters walked away having stepped up to the challenge, only four were successful.
Ray Apelles, Match Director, began the formal competition by grouping shooters in teams or “squads”. This gave each shooter a partner to mark his or her score sheet and work the clock.
According to Apelles, “We matched novices with veteran shooters to ease them into the sport of competitive airgun shooting.” The sanctioned championship followed AAFTA rules, allowing two shooting rounds of forty shots each, totaling eighty shots per shooter. Each firing lane had two animal shaped targets placed at unknown distances from the firing points. Shooters had two shots per target and were timed at four minutes per lane. “I’ve competed at a lot of matches and never seen as many new people come to the sport, excited about giving field target shooting a try,” said Apelles.
For the PCP division, John Monarte won with 70 points using a Theoben MFR airgun and Crosman Premier Heavy pellets. The Piston division was taken by Jeff Paddock with his DDHW97 airgun and Crosman Premier Light pellets. He earned 55 points. Bill Day won the Hunter division using his AA MFR airgun with JSB Exact pellets earning 62 points. The World Field Target Federation (WFTF) division was won by Harold Rushton. He shot an EVZ airgun and cleared the field with 67 points using JSB Express pellets. Dave Carpenter won the Off-Hand division using a Benjamin Marauder with Crosman Premier Heavy pellets. He earned 51 points.
“The best thing about being a part of this event,” said DeBoard, “was the warm, family atmosphere.
It’s not every sport where kids, parents, and grandparents can compete at the same level together and have fun.”
For further information on Crosman Corporation’s hosting of the field target event or on any Crosman, Benjamin, CenterPoint Hunting and Outdoors Precision Optics and Archery, or Game Face Airsoft products, visit the Company’s web sites at www.crosman.com, www.centerpointhunting.com, www.gamefaceairsoft.com, or write to
Crosman Corporation 7629 Routes 5 & 20 Bloomfield, NY 14469 (800) 7–AIRGUN (724-7486)