Oh darn it...mumble...mumble...can I avoid talking about it?
Well I had been thinking that I will shoot the black out and hit 370 this year. Cause at home I could put 40 odd shots inside the rifle target's black at six meters.
Began by going on Sat and registering for the first detail. All is good, just then range master comes and chucks me out for wearing jeans. I had forgotten this rule as I had decided to shoot the match and then head to work. S
o leaving my competitor's card and thinking I would shoot the next detail, I rushed home.
At home the voice of reason spoke and said that I could always shoot Sunday morning. So went of to work, asked a
friend to keep the card with him.
On Sunday carted wife and baby to range and then got into another spin. The guy allotting the slots says that you have already shot the match. Cause unknown to me he had marked me for Saturday's second slot. To cut the story a bit, I got this sorted out and got the second detail.
Baby decides that she is gonna scream out to me whenever she doesn't see me. There is no language to hush up a nine month old. Wife looks very embarrassed and says you go shoot while I take her out for a spin. After twenty minutes my detail is called. Prep time gets boring as I had already done a few dry fires etc. When the sighter's start is when I get the first surprise...there is no record of the shot...eh what?? I shoot another one with the same result. I call the range officer to take a look. He takes a look and says shoot one, he then tells me that the pellet is hitting the lower frame. As I take in this he notices that the rear sight unit is floating around. We set the sight together. Next shot...10. So that is that and I shoot some fifteen sighters. All is well, mostly nines and an eight and a seven.
So I go for the record shots...first shot...6. For a while I thought that the monitor is showing inverted 9's. Anyway I cackle at my own pj and move to the next shot...5. Wee haw ! Try to recover with a few 8,9 and then a random 10. The first series is horrible, a darn 74. So I regroup and remember to shoot in three shot sequences. 10's and 9's return this series is a 91 set. Next set shoot a five in between two 9's, recover with a 10 and then shoot another 7. This one hits 85. Last set, I am determined not to rush. Three 10', 8, three 10', then the bloody 7 and a few good 9's and my day is over with another 89 or so.
Pack pistol,
kiss referee and go to wife and
shake hands with baby.
So go and get some lunch, by now wife needs to get baby home. Check 25m pistol range for detail and enter name somewhere. They tell me to be back fast. As they want to wind up by 4 pm and the best part was that I don't have a pistol to shoot SP with. Anyway I find old friend Amit Gupta who sweetly agrees to lend me his pistol. Thinking that I have things sewn up, I go to the car to give wife and baby ride till auto stand.
Some smart guy has parked his car behind me, I am stuck. Finally, smart guys assistant is turns up, he can't drive but he has the keys. In true saddi Delhi style I give him and ear full and drive the car near the where the langur is tied. I was hoping that the langur would have a bowel movement on the car.
Nee way see family off to an auto, get back in and rush to the range. Here I am told that standard pistol detail 2, has already begun. The flunkie in charge guides the attention of the range master to me as Mr.Wajid Ali give me a steely look I mutter about baby needing to go home etc. He melts and shoves me into the next detail.
Now, here is the brilliant part, I am shooting national rules which means I shoot only 30 cartridges straight and I get to go for the GVM...but I haven't shot a standard pistol for a year and by now I am feeling tired. So I decide that I will enjoy getting the chance of shooting a firearm.
When we load for the first series of sighters I am almost smirking,'Billy the Kid is ready'. And by golly if the first five shots didn't justify the smirk 3 10's and two 9's. And now as I loaf for score I look at the Delhi State head and renowned shot Rajiv on the lane next to mine. With a nod of the head I wish him luck. Heh...heh...he was gonna need it.
So first five shots for the 150 second or precision round, 7,7,6,8,9. Damn my group must have moved half an inch.
Next 150 second detail goes 10,8,9,7,5. ahhh getting better...nope the twenty second first detail I shoot some 7's, some 8's and 6's. On the second twenty second detail I manage a 10, 9, 8, X< X. Yup Billy the kid has two bullet left and the light has turned red...damn.
First 10 second detail, I am shooting so fast that my two shots sound like one. It is a straight line over the target. It begins from the five goes up to the three, leaving the ten and nine un-scarred. I am determined to shoot the next ten better. I align my pistol once while the ref is away, by raising it. Then the light turns green I shoot a 10, two 9', an 8 and a 7. Brilliant relay but Billy the Kid has left the building.
So that is what I went thru the lack of practice showed. But its not all darkness, last years score allows me to shoot the gvm in air. A friend whom I shall not name but am now un-friending on FB, picked up a free pistol for the first time and laughed his way to a silver medal and qualifications. Looks like Rajiv didn't need my luck he was as always in top form. The stuff marked in red are all the mistakes.
To ride, to speak up, to shoot straight.
Anyways, thanks a lot for the update and your wishes. Are you going for the MAWC? My best wishes for you! If I get the dates, I might very well see you in action. 
