Western WildCat Matches -- Day 3

The 2012 WildCats say hello to one and all. (click to expand)

Where was the wind they promised?
    It was supposed to blow like crazy today. The forecast was for 20 mph wind starting in the SE and then veering around to the NW by afternoon. We all put all the clips we had on our target frames, but the big wind never blew in.  It was windy enough so you had to hang on to the targets when putting them up, but I don't think it got more than 8-10mph in the morning and maybe 12-14 in the afternoon.  Even though it was somewhat windy, it seemed the wind was really not much of a factor for the 2nd Iron Sight match of the 4 days of the WildCats.  The wind was steady, it blew from 5 o'clock and there were few reversals. 
   It was also slightly overcast for the 1st match -- the Dewar.  This meant I could see the target better and more easily get a decent sight picture. Bright sun on the targets is not good for my old eyes.  Sure enough I could see pretty good and my hold seemed way better than yesterday. Got a 200 on the 1st 50yd target and then lost 2 to a let off on the 100 yd target. Well this is going well.  I almost cleaned the Dewar ! 

   The two 100yd targets didn't go as well, I got a pair of 196s. I could not get my right eye to focus very well -- no sight picture, no points.  We moved the targets in for the Meter match and took the  Group shot posted above. The light was down and my eye cleared up for the first target and I lost one pt there, but a whopping 5 on the next target.
   I welcomed the  50 yd match and the larger 10 ring, and by this time the wind had veered to S and SW and also diminished somewhat.  I shot quickly to take advantage of the lull, and lost  2 to elevation, but cleaned 2nd target. Two High Masters shot 400-40x scores -- Joseph Hein and Eric Uptagrafft with Joseph getting the match win on tie breakers. In the Ex class, Ken Nelson continued his domination with 400 -28x. My total for the day ended up at 1582 -- a good solid Ex score from my point of view. However It  was only good enough for 9th in the Ex class
 .  Ken Nelson dueled it out with my neighbor to the right, Barney Higgins, and Intermediate shooter Luke Harper all day, but neither one could keep up with Ken at the end or beat his 1593 to take the Ex class win. 
   Among the HMs, 4 hardholders shot clean 1600 scores -- Erick Uptagrafft, Rea Kemply, Christopher Abalo, and Mathew Wallace. This was Erick's 2nd 1600 in two days, and today he gets the Match Win.
--Hawkeye

Day 3

Allen Elliot shooting Xs