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2015 Nationals Match Director’s Notes

2015 AAFTA US Field Target Nationals – Match Director’s Notes

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595 Saddle Mountain Church Road

Ennice, NC 28623

Dear Nationals Competitors:

Each competitor is expected to know the AAFTA rules.  The 2018 handbook is available at www.aafta.org.    During the registration process you must acknowledge you have read the handbook and will abide by it.

Best regards,

Scott Allen, 

cell: 919.210.0081

sallen@allenspence.com

 

Pistol Match 

  1. Paul Porch  is MD of the Pistol Match.
  2. Pistol Match will begin at 1pm Friday.
  3. Shooters Meeting for pistol match will be at 12:30pm Friday.
  4. Do not put away your pistol and gear until shoot offs are announced.
  5. Shoot offs will occur as soon after the pistol match as possible.
  6. Pistol Awards will be on Sunday.

Sight In Range

  1. Open Friday morning at 9am until 5:00pm
  2. 7am to 8am Saturday and Sunday.

Layout of course of fire and targets; electronic rangefinders:

  1. Targets shall be numbered and shot in order.
  2. There will be a mix of open and wooded lanes.
  3. There will be targets placed in trees.
  4. Standing and kneeling lanes will be marked on the course:
    1. THAGC will provide any offhand stands or stands for ranging or resting your gun.
    2. Shooters may not bring their own off-hand stands onto the course but you may use them in the sight-in area.
  5. Electronic rangefinders:
    1. Not allowed on the course of fire either before or during the match and may not be used for any reason on or around the lanes.
    2. They may be used on the sight-in range but may not be used there to range any target used for a shoot-off.
  6. Only marshals and the match director may go onto the lanes beyond the shooting box.

Hunter Bipod Rule:

  1. The 2018 bipod rule is interpreted by the nationals match director for enforcement at the 2018 nationals as follows:
    1. With the rifle resting on the bipod, if the rifle is lifted and the bipod falls away it is legal and within the rules.
    2. If the bipod does not fall away when the rifle is lifted it will be deemed to be an attached bipod and connected with a stud or device that restricts gun movement in violation of the rules.
  2. This is a shooting rule and only applies if the bipod is used to shoot with.
  4. Use of Timers:

 

  1. Timers will be provided on each lane and must be used per the AAFTA Rules; if you are not used to shooting with timers please familiarize yourself with the rules.
  2. Time allowed is one (1) minute per shot with one (1) minute set-up time per lane.
  3. You should anticipate that the lanes at the Nationals will have two targets per lane with two shots per target; therefore your time will be set at 5 minutes for that lane.
  4. In teh event of a cold lane stop teh timer and add 30 seconds.

 

Concessions Requests:

  1. Per the AAFTA rules, any concession requests regarding handicap or equipment should be delivered to the match director a minimum of 24 hours prior to match commencement.
  2. I may be reached via email at sallen@allenspence.com and we prefer any such requests via email time stamped no later than as required by the rule.

 

Mandatory Shooters Meeting – MD Notes/Outline

Topics

1 Welcome comments and recognition of certain individuals.

2 There will be a red course and a blue course.  Red goes clockwise 1-15.  Blue goes counterclockwise, also 1-15   It is approximately 4/10 mile around each way.    Each course has 15 lanes.  30 lanes total.

The color of your scorecard indicates the color of the course you will be shooting on a given day.  Your score card will indicate the lane number you will start on and you will proceed upward from there.  No shooter or squad is to skip ahead of another squad.

Some shooters will start at the chronograph station.  If you are to start at the chrono station you will see the word “Chrono” as the starting lane on your scorecard.  From there you will proceed to the next lane your designated red or blue course.

Targets will be shot near-to-far.  Two shots per target.   If a shot is made and the target does not fall the card shall be marked with an “O”.  If a shooter knocks down a target his or her score card for the relevant shot will me marked with an “X.”  if a shooter shoots a shot out of order it shall be cored as a miss even if it results in a knock down.

The rule clearly provides that when a gun is shouldered any discharge of air down the barrel and/or disengagement of the sear shall be recorded as a miss if the target does not fall.    I read that rule as written; therefore, an accidental discharge while raising the rifle up but before it is on your shoulder is not a miss.    Now that is a safety concern for the other shooters in a squad but it is not, under the rule, to be recorded as a miss.  Once that rifle is on your shoulder, unless you call that you are shooting into the ground, a sear break or air down the barrel is a miss.   That means that if you fail to load a pellet, put it to your shoulder and shoot, it’s a miss.  

A shooter may announce their intention to discharge the gun into the ground without penalty of a miss.  

The accidental discharge scenario raises a point about safety.   The only time  a rifle is to be loaded is when you are at the firing line in the process of getting ready to shoot.   You should load with the barrel over the shooting line.

Remember as well, when the shot is made the end of the barrel is over the line and the trigger guard is behind the line.

In your group the order of shooting shall be Hunter, WFTF, and Open. where the groups are mixed.

Because of the proportions, some groups will have more than one shooter from a division.

You may agree in your squad who operates the timer and the method of the resetting of targets.   Some of the targets could be in dark locations.   Please observe those carefully to make sure there is agreement that there is a knock down.

Before your squad leaves a lane, make sure all targets are reset in the upright position.

3 Target issues shall be resolved as outlined on pages 37 and 38 of the 2015 Rules.   Go over basic rules.

4 Identify and introduce course marshals.

5 Explain procedure for calling cold lanes or section.

6 Bathroom locations and air refill stations.

7  The sight in area will be closed until all shooters are off the course.

8 Artie Claudino will be handling the chronograph station each day, he is our Chronograph Marshall.   If he has an issue or question he will radio me.  When you reach the chronograph station  you must use the same brand and weight of pellet that is on your registration.   Your scorecard will be marked by Artie once you pass the chronograph check and you may proceed to next lane.  If you fail the check Artie will radio me and we will address it per the rules.

9 Additional Safety issues.  I have addressed when rifles are to be loaded.  A loaded rifle is not to be carried about.  Also, no one wants to have a gun pointed at them so please be conscious of what you are doing and where your barrel is pointed.

It is of critical importance that if you need to fire a shot off because you call it or there is a cold lane called, that you discharge the pellet into the ground.

We have a great turn out of piston shooters.  The AAFTA rules say that you will hold the coking lever or barrel while loading.

If you see a shooter doing something you believe is unsafe say something.   I would rather deal with hurt feelings than a physical injury.

10 Rule clarifications (if any).

11 Time limits:   1 minute setup.  2 minutes per target.   Explain what counts as a shot.  Timer operation.  Review pages 18 and 19 of rules.

12. Sportsmanship. Respect your fellow shooters and their needs for quiet concentration.   Follow the golden rule.   There is enough room so that when going between lanes you can give those shooting a wide birth.

13.  Procedure for turning in scorecards.   By the end of the match I will be at the scoring table, please have your cards signed and one of your groups shooters drop the cards and clipboard off with me at the table.  At that time lunch will be served.

14.  Starting:

The shooters will have fifteen minutes from now to find their starting lane.

In approximately 15 minutes you will hear one blast of an air horn and that will indicate that you may begin the match.

If you hear two blasts of an air horn that means there is a course-wide stop and you should stop shooting.  Another blast will indicate you may resume.    If dangerous weather or another reason requires me to recall all shooters from the course you will hear five air horn blasts in a row.  At that time quickly collect your gear, record any shots made so far, and leave the lane to come back here for further instructions.