1st Perry - Oddball advice.

OK.  So I've committed to going to Camp Perry this year.  I'm an expert who keeps bouncing against the master score but never stringing enough in a line to seal the deal.   I've seen the videos.  There's wind.  Maybe I shoot better in a muddy tornado?  There's 600 shooters so mess-ups happen.  I'm chillaxed with that.  Other than that, give me one piece of advice you wish you'd known.  Stay away from Madam Maybelles?  Don't rent a car from Shifty Bob's EZ rentals?  Anything.  Thanks! Any must-sees?  I'm from Oregon, so some local culture, from opera to combine-demolition-derby, would be educational.  If I must-see Maybelle's, well, let me know...Thanks, Simon.

You will hear the phrase "you will be given time to adjust your equipment" - this is a lie. Make sure you organize yourself so that when you move to the short line bench everything is as ready as you can make it. I screwed up the NMC timed fire more than once before I got the hang of that.

Shooting in the rain isn't that hard. Scoring can be. Bring a couple 2 gallon zip lock bags to keep your clipboard in, big enough to actually write in without removing the clipboard.

Score hard and honest. It's OK to call something out that's close. That's what plugs are for. Don't hesitate to call for one.

There's only one good brewery, Twin Oast. I find myself there multiple times during the week. Food is good too! It's about 15 minutes out, though.

Getting there a day early to check in is not a bad idea. It will take you an hour or so to do it, if you’re lucky. Line doesn't move super fast.

Dave

A cart!

Bring some rubber boots/footwear and rain jacket no matter what the forecast says.

sklarcpa wrote:Bring some rubber boots/footwear and rain jacket no matter what the forecast says.

So true. There are days you will need both a raincoat AND sunscreen. Gotta love Ohio weather!!!

Dave

Prepare a packing list ahead of time and depending on your method of travel when you pack be sure you've checked off what you have packed. Life can find a way of happening just before you leave and during the distractions you can forget the things you're supposed to be packing.

In addition to what others already suggested, here's my 2c:
- Store all your guns in a separate range bag and leave it in your trunk when you are at the base. Then on each day take only the guns you will be shooting on that day and put them in your gun box. Same is for ammo. In general, only bring things to the firing line that you will need for that match (main and backup guns, ammo, etc). If you stay in a hotel, you can take just this bag with guns with you to the room and leave the rest of your stuff in the car.
- Amazon sells pens that can write on wet surfaces, I used one last year and it worked great.
- CMP now requires all triggers checked and score cards stamped, so I suggest you do it early. Last year I was there 10 min before the armorers truck was open and there were already people in front of me. 
- Bring a lot of sunscreen! SPF 50 or better!
- Most important - I always tell myself that I'm going there not to win anything, but HAVE FUN, meet old friends, make new friends and enjoy every precious moment there. A positive attitude is the key!
- Second most important - if you see any primers for sale and the prices are reasonable - don't buy them and let me know so that I can buy them )) On a serious note, save some money, because you may run into a good deal, or just buy something that you always wanted. Last year shopping was pretty sad, but hopefully this year it will improve.

Find a way to get a good night's sleep!

It was my first Perry last year and I did the hotel + rental car approach for the entire Ohio/Indiana tour. It was very expensive and I hardly got a decent nights sleep over several weeks - not conducive to good shooting - or even good temper!

I initially booked in the Arlington Inn right on the water front in downtown Port Clinton - it was a disaster. Loud, live music each night till 11pm in the bar which was only 200ft away from my room window. Then the fishing boat charter guy starts his boat engines at 05.00 and sits with his coffee chatting loudly to his mates at a bench immediately below my room. I cancelled and moved to a hotel more distant from Perry! Ho hum.

There's a brand new Fairfield in Port Clinton, I stayed there last year and it was very good (but priced as a four-star resort, which it is not ))
Of course, a little sip of single malt before the bedtime also helps

Ask some experienced shooters to guide you and make sure you are where you need to be when you need to be there and with what. It can be overwhelming and there is not a good source of info. Your schedule may say Range 2, but there isn't a big sign saying "Range 2". FWIW Range 1 is to the West (by the windmills) and Range 4 is to the East (by the water tower and flagpole). The ranges face North so if you are looking downrange, 1 is to the left and 4 is to the right. It is a LONG walk from range 1 to range 4.

I prefer to stay on base, but you have to make some sacrifices. There are a few motel rooms, but they are usually booked up by the military and match staff and they aren't cheap. The 2 years I stayed in them I just called the lodging phone number every week to see if anything was available. 

The huts are not bad, but you have to walk outside between 30 and 100 yards to get to the bathroom. 

The barracks are not bad except that they are, well... barracks. They are usually less than half full for pistol week. During rifle week you are sleeping with 20-30 people. It's still a bit of a walk to the bathrooms, depending on where you bed is, but it's all indoors and air conditioned.

If you are not ready when they give the range commands, put the gun down and step back. Tell the range official you weren't ready. You will be given a chance to shoot without giving up your right to a malfunction refire.

Go to the airgun range see what civilized shooting is like. Air conditioning, indoor plumbing, smooth floors, electronic targets. It's pretty sweet. They have rental guns if you don't bring your own.

I can't think of any other places you MUST go while you are there, except for the matches and vendor's row. The Jolly Roger is an institution (fried fish). If Andy's Party Mart is open this year you will always see fellow shooters eating ice cream after dinner. If Andy's is still closed Toft's Ice Cream is the next best place.

The best place to meet other shooter is on the ready line before shooting, during teams matches and on vendor's row.

If you have time, and like old airplanes, the Liberty Air Museum at the Port Clinton airport is pretty cool.

Semper Gumby.

LIBERTY AIR MUSEUM 

Those pictures are from the diner at the airport (it's good). The tour of the Liberty Air Museum hanger is separate.

That's as close as Jim gets though :-)

Congratulations on deciding to make your trip to the National Championships at Camp Perry! There is no equal and the destractions to you shooting well are plenty. One more helpful piece of gear you can have are several bungee chords. They work great for quickly strapping down gear in danger of blowing away and are perfect for securing your gun box to the shooting bench.

From any of the big matches that I have been to the biggest take away, Do not under any circumstances argue with someone working the line or worse yet a Referee or Match Director.  Chances are you will look the the idiot your village doesn't want back. Does not matter if you are 'right',  unless it is a safety issue, let it roll and move on.

Snap up all the freebies and low inventory count parts on vendor row so there is nothing left for rifle people the following week.

Also spend all the time you can in the air gun range.

My advice is to just have fun.

The wind is real. If possible, try to make it to the Cardinal leg of the Triple Crown for good practice heading into Perry.

Dave

This thread is really helpful.  This year will be my son's (junior shooter) first time at Perry and I was wondering if there was a packing list, so to speak.  He only shoots 22LR and normally at our range he brings his pistol case (not box), a gym bag full of equipment (ammo, notebook, mat, tools, monocular, timer,..), and a spotting scope.  

What else should he bring.  Can someone show how they set up their firing point?  Would he be better off using a pistol box as opposed to just bringing his pistol case and gym bag?

Can someone talk about scoring and should he be bringing a clip board?  Can I as a parent, help him with scoring targets?  Do we have to paste up targets between series?

As you can tell, this will all be new to us. Thanks in advance for your help!

elbthesurfer wrote:...Would he be better off using a pistol box as opposed to just bringing his pistol case and gym bag?

Can someone talk about scoring and should he be bringing a clip board?  Can I as a parent, help him with scoring targets?  Do we have to paste up targets between series?

I think he should bring whatever gear he usually brings to the line. You'll see any number of approaches, and it's best to be totally comfortable with your setup.

One thing to be aware of for a 22-only competitor is that CF and 45 stages throw brass that you might not normally experience at the line. A box does give you the option of raising a screen, if that's likely to be an issue for him.

Absolutely bring a clipboard with a pen attached on a lanyard. He's going to be handing it to the shooter on the right, who will do a much better job on the flat writing surface and is less likely to see it flutter away in the Lake Erie gusts.

Read the NJ Pistol threads, they're very useful.

Hip waders are a must have.