I didn't want to clutter up the Wind thread with these ramblings but I couldn't help marvelling that Lone Ringer was once a AA shooter and recently shot in wind so bad that he only got 2 x 10 pigs. There's hope for us all!
I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, so apologies, but I keep thinking of my first trip to Zwolle years ago, eavesdropping on some of the Big Boys talking about a recent smallbore match in Texas where the wind was awful and the scores were low.
"That's nothin'," says one guy. "We shot a match in '93 where two targets was hit."
"C'mon," says another. "A TWO won the match?"
"Naw," says the first. "Two guys each hit one out of 40 and nobody else hit nothin'."

I will say this admitting I'm no artist....Wind can be a mental game. AJJ and I went to a HP Match in Collage, TX (SP?) and there was enoungh wind to shake your 821 on the heavyest tripod (I checked them all), some seemed like they would go over... Alston and I did not know the scores were supposed to suffer. He shot a 22 and I shot a 12 spinning a chicken. The closest score to Alston's match winner was Pharr, I don't remimber any other double digit scores that match.

Wind can be what you make of it. I shoot average scores in the wind. Some say it's because I'm fat -read- "Big Boned", I think thats BS. I shoot good in the wind for 2 reasons...

1> I know I'm going to have a better than average chance of winning against shooters that will let it affect their mindset

2> It makes me concentrate, Become more in the moment.

As a REAL PRO says, "shoot stupid". I seem to be better at that in the wind. Place dot on animal and break the shot, not room in my empty head for little more than that in the wind...

FWIW,

Chicken

I was at the SB Nationals in Milroy, PA awhile back and watched Troy Lawton shot the wind so to speak. Waiting was the key and than take advantage of the lull.
He waited almost 1 and 1/2 minuets, gun on shoulder and ready before he took a shot. The wind briefly stopped and bam, bam, bam etc. he took all five shoots as quick as he could.
I learned a big lesson that day. Don't fight it.

George, I believe I shot 18 that match, and proud of it.
Shooting fast in lulls is a whole, separate skill I have yet to develop.
"Shoot stupid" is excellent advice. I saw a great Yogi Berra quote recently that I hadn't seen before. He was asked what he thought about in order to play so well. "Gee, when I'm really concentrating and things are going good, I don't have time to think."

Shooting under bad conditions is soothing and rewarding. Every hit is a celebration and misses are entertainment (how'd it land there?) Sure, game the wind, and just enjoy being there!

Well, I can pretty much assure everyone that we WILL have wind at OFGC's season opening match this coming Saturday. Everyone come on out and test their wind shooting abilities. Gates open at 9 match at 10. Old Fort Gun Club, Fort Smith Arkansas. Here is a link to the website where I believe you can find contact and match info, as well as a map to the range.

Kitty

Seems like there's always lots of wind at our matches?

Hot air too.........

Kitty

Comes in handy for winter practice.