The Queen's Prize, Stage 1

Long and the short of it, I don't progress to Stage II.

Started out very well with a 35-5 at 300yds. Finally managed to shoot to ability at 300. Read the wind cautiously and carefully and started with two Vs for sighters which I converted. It really helps make the shoot shorter.

Then over the hill to Stickledown, where I shot a 46-4 in very difficult conditions. It would have been an excellent 48-4 had I not missed a "flip over the nose" where the wind shifted from left wind to right wind and shot a magpie 3. As it was, I am very happy with my shooting there because when it did flip, a brief har arose and the rain came directly into our faces (for the first time ever spattering my front sight lens with water droplets making it quite hard to see).

I had learned from shooting with my friend Mike Maurer that one can center up a grey blob so I did so, and finished 5-V-V-5 in conditions where one could barely see the target.

Then race back over to Century to shoot the 2nd match in Queen's I from the 500yd line.

That's where the wheels fell off.

I have two rear sights, one of which - with Vernier scales - I've devoted to use at 800, 900, 1000. I zeroed it for this bullet (which drops precipitously at 900) and so it's two minutes up and 3/4 minute left for 500yds. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to swap it out for my short-range sight, which is dead-nuts on at 600 yds and less.

So my first sighters are way out of the bull and I have to really work my plotomatic to get my group in. Result: 32-2. When one superimposes the group over the bull with the plotomatic (one can do that, which is why we find it superior to paper graphing) I shot a group that if centered would have been a 35-6.

So now I'm down three points out of 105. That's pretty much the maximum one can drop in Queen's I and have any hope of progressing. It has to be a tough year for that score to get in, generally it takes 103 or better (out of 105).

Three hour break and back to 600 to shoot the final match.

It starts well with the short-range sight properly in place and by the 4th shot I'm thinking I might actually preserve the 102 and have a faint shot of getting into Queen's II (where the scores are erased and one starts fresh).

I think I must have lost focus because the 5th shot is an inner 4, out at 10 o'clock. I'm done for. Now no hope of making the next stage.

I fired the next two shots not caring what the result was.

I'll be back next year to do this again. It was definitely within my skill level to get through to Queen's II with a 102-103 (600 was quite a difficult shoot with winds flipping left and right) and I'll give a try again. And again. LOL

It's been a wonderful time and a frustrating time and a learning time. I'm working really hard to separate my joy about shooting here from my disappointment of not progressing in either the Georges or Queens.

That's another lesson for me. Don't equate results with happiness.