Where do I start?

First of all, I hail from the twin cities in Minnesota. My dad was really into this sport and I thought I might make a go of turning it into a family tradition. I am trying to piece information together, but there are a TON of things I need to learn, and I have to admit I am a bit overwhelmed.

After practicing the last few months, I promised myself I would dive right in after a trip overseas and I'm now back from that trip, so...

I believe I saw some matches scheduled this month at Oakdale, MN and a club I am not familiar with in St Francis, MN. Who do I call to get signed up for a match? The club where it's happening, or someone else?

I know I am going to suck it up hard on a first match, but hey, best to just get it over with, right?

It is best to just show up, shoot, and get the first match out of the way. Don't worry, we are all here to help.

Welcome. Find a match. Call ahead. The match director can often help you get gear for the match.

Around here, you would have no problem getting someone to keep an eye on you and give you pointers. I bet it's the same where you are.

Bullseye is a great sport with helpful people.

Shooting Sports USA is an e-zine with the matches listed. It includes links to the match director. It will help you coordinate matches with other activities. WELCOME!

http://www.nrapublications.org/index.php/shooting-sports-usa/

Honestly, just let them know that you are interested. If the group in your area is anything like the guys and gals at my local club, they will do everything they can to make you feel welcome and also tell you and teach you everything you need to know. About October last year I went to a my local clubs monthly meeting because I wanted a place to shoot my 9mm carry gun. I didn't even know that BE existed. By the end of that meeting I had agreed to check it out. There is one member that I already knew and a half dozen others or so that walked me right through it and coached me, loaned me everything (and still are). They have become friends, mentors and friendly competitors. I found the BE crowd is mostly old school (honest, friendly and helpful) and that's hard to find anywhere else.

Matt
Elkhart, IN

It is great to see how helpfull most everyone is in the sport. Im a ...err future new guy.. myself. I havent found a ton of places in my aera, and finding info on comps is kinda tough, but everyone I have met has been MORE then helpfull!!!! Im hoping to be up and running, and training after the hubbub of summer is over.

Darkwolf,
If you're into a drive, we're hosting a Regional match here in Bismarck, ND on Fathers Day, June 16. You're welcome to come on over. Just let me know asap, range capacity is 18 and we're getting close.

Same offer to anyone else in the vicinity. Just let me know.
Al Schirado
www.BMRPA.org

Sorry I didnt get back to you Al. June 16 wasn't a possibility because I had other events here that weekend.

There is a shoot near me tomorrow, and I will be attending, assuming I can get some ammo for it. I think I can get some 230 grain Magnum at a place outside the twin cities, but I'm wondering if that will work well for this kind of match. Some day it might be nice to get into reloading. My dad's old equipment is still lying around and I plan to use his Caspian tomorrow, so I'm sure I could put his old recipes to good use.

And, as I said to the match coordinator, it will be a minor miracle if I can even hit the paper at 50 yards!!

Darkwolf:

Be careful shooting that hardball full load ammo with your dad's Caspian.  It might have a soft recoil spring in it and that heavy ammo will batter the slide stop pin and the slide stop pin hole in the frame.  Then it's no longer a match gun--just a gun.

When you get to the match ask around to have someone lend you a hardball spring.  I'm sure at that match there will be at least one person with a spare they can lend you.
Better yet see if someone has enough extra ammo to let you shoot the soft stuff!  It really helps!

By going to a match and LOOKING and ASKING for help you WILL find it.  It's a great way to make new friends!

Crap, I wish I had known this earlier. Ive been buying 230 grain for months because that was what was available at the range I go to. Been doing that simce february.

Don't worry yet.  When you get to a match where us bullseye shooters are, they can survey the spring you have and see if everything is ok.  In these days where ammo is hard to come by, and since you don't reload yet, we should set up your gun for that 230 Hardball that you can get.

Maybe you will make a friend right away that can hook you up with target loads.

Unfortunately it looks like the only centerfire rounds that seem to be available in the area are 230 grain do you know what green of bullet I'll be wanting to use?

230 grain Hardball is the most common store-bought round.  You aren't going to find the target loads everyone else will be using at the store.  You will either have to mail order target ammo, start reloading, or make friends who will give you some reloaded target ammo, or make some on their equipment.
It's not the grain of the bullet that matters so much--it's the amount of powder that's loaded under the bullet.
But to answer your question, Most people shoot target loads of 185 grain lead semiwadcutter bullets.  I shoot 185gr Jacketed Hollow points for the 50 yard line.
I also shoot 230 grain Full metal jacket ammo for EIC matches--but I have to change the spring in my gun to do that.
My target loads have 3.8-4.2grains of powder.  My 230gr FMJ loads have 4.8 grains.
Your store-bought rounds probably have closer to 5.2grains--whatever maximum is.  Way more punch than you need, but there is nothing wrong with shooting hardball.  Back in the day, there was very powerful G.I. .45 rounds, and people shot that and only that.
It's 100% OK to shoot 230gr hardball as long as your gun is set up for that.

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Thanks Cecil I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on shooting bullseye as anew shooter the information was very valuable.  I don't think I have seen this on the bullseye encyclopedia site but I think it should be.

This weekend did not go as planned, unfortunately. I was out and about Friday evening trying to get some ammo, and having no luck when a huge storm rolled in. I was driving on 694 when it hit me like a freight train and for a moment I thought I might get blown off the road. After about 20 minutes continuing like this I decided I would give in and head home.

When I got back to my apartment, I found the power was off, so I called it in to Xcel energy, and they quoted 2 hours. A couple hours later I called back in to check, and a new estimate was up: By Sunday, midnight. Shortly thereafter I called again- by Monday, they promise.

Slowly, I got more information on my family and found out Grandma was without power and 2 70 foot pines were down in her back yard. So instead of my first shoot I spent the weekend cutting up trees and clearing out her back yard.



well, at least that gets me some time to figure out where to get some softer ammo.

Cecil, 

As a new to BE shooter myself, I've been reading, shooting, talking with other shooters trying to absorb as much as possible in an effort to steadily improve my scores. Your download is most informative and fun to read as anything I've run accross and I just wanted to say thanks for putting it out there. With your permission, I'd like to run off a few copies and pass it out to the other "new" shooters in my little group, I think it will really help them along.

Wingshot, WVBEShooter, etc.  Thank you for the responses.  Please feel free to use and post with credits as needed. Have fun shooting and learning.  

Cecil

Darkwolf-
I had another idea.  Order a new 18 and 20lb recoil spring and use the heaviest spring that the ammo you have will work with.  That way your gun is protected.
http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/recoil-parts/recoil-springs/1911-auto-govt-recoil-springs-prod7553.aspx

Nice idea Rob! Finding people in the area to talk to is taking a fair amount of time, so this will be a big help!

I finally shot a competion for the first time Saturday in Hibbing, MN. What can I say other than what a blast! The best part is I learned I don't suck as bad as I thought I did! On .22 I got a score of 555, shooting a Ruger MK I. Need a new .22...

In centerfire my score went up to 611 and 45 I managed 640. It's a real mental challenge, but a great way to spend a day.

I ended up sticking with the spring already in the Caspian and used some ammo my dad had reloaded years ago. I only had 100 rounds, though, and now I am down to five, so reloading will be an absolute must. Next time I would like to use the caspian for both CF and .45, so I will need a fair bit more ammo.

Next step, figure out how to use the press.

Dont be too quick to get rid of the mk1. On Saturday I came two points short of High Master with a 53 year old mk1.

I don't plan to get rid of it, per se. It's a favorite of my sister's, and a fun gun to shoot, so I am hoping it will go back to her. There were other . 22's in my dad's collection. I believe one has a weighted barrel, and that is the one I would like to move forward with.

sounds like a nice time, and you learned alot!!  Im still working toward my first match.

I may of missed it, but what are you using to shoot the centerfire rounds?

I used a .38 single action revolver for the centerfire. Very difficult for my first time out, but I know with some practice I could become proficient with it in timed and rapid fire, and it shoots very clean, accurate shots.