It's day one of the tournament and the Field Target world is preparing for battle. Final
checks and last minute calculations are being undertaken as each competitor stakes their
claim for the World Championship.
Okay it's day one of the competition, I'm feeling a little bit nervous but pretty confident.
The gun's shooting really, really well. We've been drawn on the black course on lane one,
which is maybe a good omen. A lot of the top shots are on course, on the black course as
well. So, I better get going, but we'll see how things go.
On the expansive German course John takes a wrong turn and heads the opposite direction
from his start lane, before turning around and heading back. Could his nerves be getting
the better of him? Is 2009 weighing heavily on his mind?
So we saw the sign saying nine to sixteen and we presumed that it start course was that
way, but it wasn't going, but it wasn't, so it's like a six mile hike to get back to lane one. Great start.
John knocks down both of his targets on lane one and the day has begun perfectly.
I'm doing very well actually, I missed 73 of them. I'm happy. I'm dropped two, just two. That's right two.
So far it's going pretty good. I guess we're getting close to halfway through, down a couple
of a shots. Drop one on my first lane, a kneeler, then got one reduced, they were small, very
close. Otherwise been a pretty good day. Hopefully it will continue.
Not good. Nicht good.
It's going pretty good. Targets seemed pretty reasonable. Nothing really too high up or
too low down. Reasonable sized kill zones, missed one stupid one. Asides that pretty good.
Struggling a bit, very tricky.
I'm happy but it's too bad for the rest.
With conditions good the course should provide high scores and it will be tight at the top.
Despite the weather being fair, the wind not too tricky and each competitor having practiced
thoroughly the World Championships bring their own pressures. Needing absolute concentration
and the ability to block out the world around you many shooters fall down under the pressure
they put upon themselves. After all, this is no club shoot, it's the world championships.
Don't mess it up.
I just missed on lane four, an uphill stander. Just a bit of bad technique and maybe just
losing the edge a bit. So, took down some juice and just crack on to the last twenty-four targets.
It's a tricky situation because here, there seems like there's no wind, but when you shot
you see the pellet go where it wants, so the wind is there, yeah. Even if it seems not,
it's terrible.
One down at this stage. Second target missed, it was a split so. Bad shot.
One went low, dialed the wrong range, and a close 15mm split the bottom edge on it.
Not the best shooting on my part.
Well, the old forget and the young don't know.
I think the most important thing for a new shooter would be get involved with a local
club. Go out, test out some rifles and some equipment and see what you like and then buy
the best thing you can afford as far as equipment goes and I tried to do the best you can afford
but just get involved in it, that's the main thing. Get started, go to a local club and
get with the guys there and they'll help you out.
Learn the wind. The big factor is wind.
Well the only tip is find a local club because everybody at that club will go out of their
way to assist, give advice, let them try their own rifle and give them good pointers, give
them good tips everything, just join a club. It's the best way.
My top tip would be find a local club and go there and talk to the people there and
like I did have someone to hand you a gun and tell you what's going on. That's the best
way to get started you don't have to invest any money right away. All you have to do is
just sit down and get shooting and they'll tell you everything you need to know. If you
get hooked on it, they'd be happy to set you up and hook you up with a gun to buy and spending
many, many thousands of dollars.
Just persevere and don't give up and take all the bollocking you can get.
Don't be cheap on your equipment. Buy the best you can afford and practice with it as
much as you can and ask questions.
My tip would be if someone want's to start shooting field target you should see other
shooters, practicing and in competitions observe them well. See how they do things and try
to speak with them, ask them questions.
Stick to it, it's not going to come right away. Get into it, if you enjoy it, you'll
stay with it and it's going to come.
Just enjoy yourself, that's the main goal. If you enjoy yourself you're a winner either way.
Concentration. When you sit down you have to do everything, exactly the same thing one
shot after the other. So you don't need to think about it, it just happens. If you shoot
enough you just sit down and concentrate. I know when I'm shooting, unless someone says
my name I don't hear nothing, I don't hear anyone talking or anything. Concentrate on
the hole in the middle of the target as you shooting it, that's the way I like it.
I think don't compete against everyone else, set a personal score and try to beat that
everyday or set one goal; trying to focus, or range find or whatever, try to work on
that instead of doing everything because there's a lot of factors in field target that people
don't realise.
And don't get down on yourself, especially when you're learning you should learn when
you make mistakes and don't beat yourself up about it. I know many people get quite
down. Yeah, it just makes it not fun just enjoy it.
Don't travel with Bertie.
I'll give them a few when I done that video. Well, I don't have any.
Stay away from alcohol.
Join a good local club and speak to experienced shooters within the field target club that
you're in and ask them as many questions as possible. Try out as many guns as possible.
You will find out that in a good club experienced shooters will have various rifles on hand
you can try. Whichever one's then suit you. What I will say is when you do find the one
that is most comfortable to use, that would be my choice of gun to pick. As long as, if
you're junior, mum and dad let you practice as much as possible.
Never push your granny when she's shaving.
Never watch your mother in the shower. And John Costello's got a lovely six pack. 91 00:09:08,260 --> 00:09:12, 000 According to Scott Robinson.
Um, cleared the last lane. Scored 48. Two down which I'm pretty chuffed with. Missed
two uphill standers which I should never have done. Should keep me in the hot zone. Yeah,
happy with that.
As day one draws to a close the field gather for a hot dog and beer as they discuss the
course and compare notes on the day's action.
In the Men's PCP open category it's a three way tie at the top of the leader board between
John Costello, 2011 World Champion Irishman Conor McFlynn and the USA's Greg Sauve. All
with a score of 48. Right behind them there's three more shooters on 47. Simon Ayers and
Craig McDonald of England and the USA's Harold Rushton.
In the other categories the leader boards look this.
Tune in tomorrow to see day two of the tournament and to see who rises and falls on the leader
board as the pressure ramps up at the 2013 World Field Target Championships.