I did indeed attend the CMP shoot today at ORCO. So, I now can say that I shoot CMP
What follows is a brief report on my experience.
First, the folks at ORCO were great, and the range was very clean and well equipped for the shoot. The only issue I noticed was that the lane dividers somewhat limited my ability to get in position. Of course, this is little different from a tight AS line, so, no big deal.
Initially, I wasn't certain that I would be able to attend at all. We were supposed to get hit with some serious snow, and my little Fiat just ain't the greatest snow car. Anyway, we did get some snow Friday afternoon/night, but the roads were clear in the morning. Alas, my driveway was not, so I began the day shoveling a two foot drift. Once I got on the road, it was mostly clear sailing and I arrived in plenty of time to fill out paperwork and for rifle inspection.
Speaking of rifle inspection, as it turns out, my Ruger American Rimfire with its 22" barrel and large scope weighs too much. Well, according to my bathroom scale anyway. Thus, I ended up taking my Remington 597. I also picked up some CCI Standard Velocity, which I've never shot out of the Remington (I have stuck primarily with high velocity stuff prior to today).
I had big plans to dry fire nightly for a week prior to the shoot. Unfortunately, I have been battling a cold, and practice didn't happen. I did at least study the course of fire and the line commands, which was good, because they are considerably different from AS. Some of the bigger differences I noticed are:
- No sling from standing
- Slow fire stages in addition to rapid fire in both seated and standing
- Rapid fire stages are split in two (i.e., no magazine changes)
- Single targets for each string (i.e., no NPOA shifts)
- Targets are ROUND! So weird...
- Shooters begin with empty chambers, but with magazines inserted
- Line commands are COMPLETELY different
Anyway, because I took some time reading the shooter's guide (downloaded from the CMP website), I had no trouble adjusting to the differences. Coupled with the helpful range personnel, this wound up being a very enjoyable and relaxed shoot.
I shot the second and third relays. Total possible score is 600. I shot a 547 in the second relay and a 539 in the third. Not great, but, without any practice, not terrible either. I will say, the Remington was not a huge fan of the standard velocity. I dropped one shot in each of the relays due to malfunctions. Interestingly, all of the malfunctions occurred from the standing position. The Remington is typically very reliable with high velocity, so I will likely stick with that moving forward.
Of course, while the malfunctions did contribute to my low scores, my shooting has much room for improvement. Dry fire would have been advisable. It's pretty sad when a couple hours of shooting leaves me with severe neck, knee, and back pain lol. I went ahead and digitized my targets, but I have yet to "listen" to what they have to say. I've attached relay one below. Ultimately, it was a fantastic way to get in some winter practice, and I am looking forward to the February and March shoots.
