In a post I wrote the other week I showed a video of a kid shooting himself in the face with a paintball gun. It has been brought to my attention that this particular video was revealed to be a hoax. However, I can guarantee you that similar situations have occurred and that the people involved have actually been hurt.
Now most people do not like the idea of pain, some do, but from my experiences I have found that it is not a desired sensation. Through my paintball career I have found that fear of getting hurt is one of, if not the largest reason people do not get into paintball. I cannot even begin to recall all the times that I have been talking to someone that was on the fence about paintball and one of the first questions they ask is, does it hurt when you get shot.
The initial manly response that most players will give you is, no way, not unless you’re a wimp. But I have found that there is no real definite answer to that question. There are a lot of factors that go into what a paintball feels like when it gets to you. It depends on how close you are from the person that’s shooting you, it you are ten feet apart; it’s going to hurt a lot more than if you are one hundred feet apart. You have to take into account what the velocities of the guns are at; the higher it is the more it’s going to hurt. One other aspect is where you get hit, obviously there are body parts, you know where they are, that are more sensitive than others.
There are ways to reduce the impact your body feels from the ball. You can wear thicker clothing, but the more layers you add the less mobility you’re going to have and the easier it’s going to be to hit you. They also make pads, such as chest protectors, but what I’ve noticed when I play, if someone sees you wearing one it makes them want to shoot you even more. For the most part when you get hit you are going to feel it. It will probably sting for a couple seconds, sometimes it will leave a mark, but then after those first seconds you will forget about it. So now that we’ve covered getting shot, let’s talk about more serious injury.
You will not suffer any serious harm as long as you follow the basic safety rules of the game and the field you are playing on. You must always wear a mask when playing; this will protect your eyes and the rest of your face. When you are not on the field make sure you have a barrel plug or condom over the front of your barrel, this will prevent paintballs from shooting out if you accidently pull the trigger. Do not climb trees or other elevated objects. If you climb up something there is a chance that you can fall off of it. Plus, you will not have very much space to move around so you will be more susceptible to being shot.
Basic rule of thumb, if you are playing and you think to yourself, wow I could hurt myself if I do that, chances are you’re right. So just don’t do it, no matter how cool you think it will be.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Ear Plug Review
Since I have been talking about safety lately I might as well talk about the other safety equipment used by shooters and those are the ear plugs. I personally think they are necessary but I have not shot without them much and my hearing is still good, but I notice a lot of times other shooters don’t wear them especially older shooters that can’t hear anyway. There are many varieties of ear plugs, anywhere from the cheap foam ones that I personally think never work, up to ones that enhance all sounds except the sound of the firearm.
The ones I use are in the middle they enhance the sound but they do let you hear it and they shut out the actual blast of the gun. I got these at my local hospital and they are form fitted to my ear so they will stay in and work excellent. You can also buy these kinds at some of the bigger competitions that cater to vendors. They also offer them in just normal ear plugs but they are still custom fitted. The way the custom fitting works is that they inject the material for the earplugs into your ear and then let it dry and it will hold its shape when they take it out. After that I think they harden them further and round down the edges.
These are obviously not cheap but how can you put a price on ear protection. Mine ran me $90 but I believe it was worth it because most of the time I can just leave them in between rounds and not even notice. The cheaper ones are usually about $35 but it probably depends on the vendor. I would recommend these to anyone who is fed up with the cheap ones that never work or are not comfortable to wear.
These are obviously not cheap but how can you put a price on ear protection. Mine ran me $90 but I believe it was worth it because most of the time I can just leave them in between rounds and not even notice. The cheaper ones are usually about $35 but it probably depends on the vendor. I would recommend these to anyone who is fed up with the cheap ones that never work or are not comfortable to wear.
Scenario Paintball
For those of you who are getting sick of the same old capture the flag and elimination games, you may want to look into scenario games. What’s a scenario game you ask; well it’s kind of hard to say specifically. You see, in a nut shell, scenario is just what its name suggests. It is a type of paintball that is played based on a certain scenario in which the opposing team or teams have to carry out set objectives in order to win. The reason I say its kind hard to say is because that scenario could be almost anything.
Scenario games generally take a long time to play out, most play for several hours on end. They can be based on anything and everything you could think of. In games with fewer people, one team of players could have to rescue hostages from a building while the other team tries to stop them. Others can include a vast number of players in which historical battles are reenacted.
One of the coolest things though, in my opinion, is the leniency on regulations. Now you still have your standard safety regulations, and velocity caps, but besides that it pretty much run what you brung. If you have a gun that can shoot a thousand balls per second on full auto, you can shoot a thousand balls per second on full auto. Now some games may not allow you to but from my experiences with scenario game this has been the case one hundred percent of the time.
Not only that but in some scenarios they even have tanks. That’s right, paintball tanks. Now whether they look identical to a tank is up to the designer, but that’s just one other example of the different spins that can be put on the game.
Scenario games generally take a long time to play out, most play for several hours on end. They can be based on anything and everything you could think of. In games with fewer people, one team of players could have to rescue hostages from a building while the other team tries to stop them. Others can include a vast number of players in which historical battles are reenacted.
One of the coolest things though, in my opinion, is the leniency on regulations. Now you still have your standard safety regulations, and velocity caps, but besides that it pretty much run what you brung. If you have a gun that can shoot a thousand balls per second on full auto, you can shoot a thousand balls per second on full auto. Now some games may not allow you to but from my experiences with scenario game this has been the case one hundred percent of the time.
Not only that but in some scenarios they even have tanks. That’s right, paintball tanks. Now whether they look identical to a tank is up to the designer, but that’s just one other example of the different spins that can be put on the game.
It's Almost Here
Ready or not, deer season starts this Monday. With season starting, I would like to talk about where good places are to hang your tree stands and where the big bucks are going to be early in the season. You are a lot better off to shoot a buck early in the season because if you wait to long the buck could change his pattern or another hunter could claim him.
The best place to put a tree stand this early in the season is along a crop field, especially if you have been seeing bucks feeding in that field. It is best to figure out where the deer are coming in and out of the woods to the field and put a stand close to that spot. If you can not get a spot along a field then set up close to water. Deer have to drink and the hotter it is, the more they have to drink. It can be a pond, river, or creek as long as the water is moving and is fresh. Another good place to put your tree stand is along a deer trail through the woods that is well traveled. If you are patient you should catch deer traveling from their bedding area to where they feed or get water. If all else fails, set up near a white oak tree. No, I am really being serious. Deer don’t only feed on crop fields; they also like acorns from white oak trees. If you are sitting in a white oak then you are likely to get a buck coming for a little snack.
Where I hunt, in Kokomo, Indiana, is set up with three of the four ideal spots to shoot a deer that I described above. The field I hunt, owned by my grandpa, has woods along the back of it and a creek along one side of it that meets up with the corner of the woods. Between the creek and the field there is a twenty foot clover filter strip. The deer usually come out of the woods right next to the creek onto the filter strip. I set up right next to where they come out and I have had many close encounters. My spot has two places to feed (crop field and the clover), a place to get water, and a trail coming out of the woods to the field.
Now you know where the best places are to get a shot on a deer, but when is the best time to go on a hunt? In my opinion the mornings are the best. You can sneak in the woods early when it is still dark and be ready for the deer when they start moving at sunrise. In the evening is also a good time to go out. The deer will be going to feed after the day cools down and before the sun goes down. Just remember to get out there plenty early or you might not get there before the deer. The absolute best time to go deer hunting is after a cold front blows through and the temperature tops like thirty degrees. The deer don’t feel like moving a lot when it is hot so when the temperature drops they become very active. When I have gone out after a cold front, it is like a magic trick, there are suddenly deer everywhere.
If you follow these tips then you are almost guaranteed to see deer. When it is early in the season the deer are very relaxed and not as cautious. They haven’t had any encounters with hunters since last season so their guard is down. This gives you a great advantage over the deer so you are sure to get a good shot.
The best place to put a tree stand this early in the season is along a crop field, especially if you have been seeing bucks feeding in that field. It is best to figure out where the deer are coming in and out of the woods to the field and put a stand close to that spot. If you can not get a spot along a field then set up close to water. Deer have to drink and the hotter it is, the more they have to drink. It can be a pond, river, or creek as long as the water is moving and is fresh. Another good place to put your tree stand is along a deer trail through the woods that is well traveled. If you are patient you should catch deer traveling from their bedding area to where they feed or get water. If all else fails, set up near a white oak tree. No, I am really being serious. Deer don’t only feed on crop fields; they also like acorns from white oak trees. If you are sitting in a white oak then you are likely to get a buck coming for a little snack.
Where I hunt, in Kokomo, Indiana, is set up with three of the four ideal spots to shoot a deer that I described above. The field I hunt, owned by my grandpa, has woods along the back of it and a creek along one side of it that meets up with the corner of the woods. Between the creek and the field there is a twenty foot clover filter strip. The deer usually come out of the woods right next to the creek onto the filter strip. I set up right next to where they come out and I have had many close encounters. My spot has two places to feed (crop field and the clover), a place to get water, and a trail coming out of the woods to the field.
Now you know where the best places are to get a shot on a deer, but when is the best time to go on a hunt? In my opinion the mornings are the best. You can sneak in the woods early when it is still dark and be ready for the deer when they start moving at sunrise. In the evening is also a good time to go out. The deer will be going to feed after the day cools down and before the sun goes down. Just remember to get out there plenty early or you might not get there before the deer. The absolute best time to go deer hunting is after a cold front blows through and the temperature tops like thirty degrees. The deer don’t feel like moving a lot when it is hot so when the temperature drops they become very active. When I have gone out after a cold front, it is like a magic trick, there are suddenly deer everywhere.
If you follow these tips then you are almost guaranteed to see deer. When it is early in the season the deer are very relaxed and not as cautious. They haven’t had any encounters with hunters since last season so their guard is down. This gives you a great advantage over the deer so you are sure to get a good shot.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Safety Glasses or Not
In one of my earlier post I reviewed the Oakley Half Jacket Glasses, and I said they probably weren’t considered safety glasses so I figured I would give you my definition of a pair of safety glasses. There are many types of glasses made especially for shooters but these will cost you a little chunk of money and for young shooters they are generally not the “in thing”. However, they do offer good protection because they usually have big round lenses and are plenty thick and they also come in a variety of colors for optimum vision. These I would probably consider the ideal safety glasses for shooters.
Most beginning shooters will just where the big plastic safety glasses that their parents gave them so they wouldn’t shoot their eye out. These work fine and are definitely safety glasses but as you shoot more you will want to upgrade. Also these glasses are not the most comfortable and when you are shooting for an hour straight you want to be comfortable.
The upgrade from these would probably be the cheap safety glasses for shooters that will come in clear, yellow, orange, and dark color. These are fine Smith & Wesson actually makes a good pair that you can find at a farm store or hardware store for less than $20. After I had been shooting for awhile I actually bought a pair of glasses with 3 sets of interchangeable lenses from Cabelas for $30 which are pictured above but mine didn’t have the pinkish colored lens. I also upgraded from these after shooting for awhile and figured out I wanted something better.
I started to where my pair of Oakley sunglasses that I would where as everyday sunglasses. I decided I liked them and I noticed other shooters wherein them with different lenses. Now I don’t know if I considered them actually safety glasses but they are very popular with younger shooters and Oakley supposedly said that they will take a shotgun blast without breaking. So I guess that makes them good enough.
Another concern for glasses is if you are shooting an automatic which will sometimes throw residue into your face when fired. So it is important that your glasses wrap around your face more so that the residue doesn’t blow into your eyes. Again, Oakley makes the M-Frames that are also popular and offer that wrap around protection.
Now that I’ve told you what works I will tell you what doesn’t work or what I would consider non-safety glasses. First of all I would not consider the cheap $10 pair of sunglasses from Wal-Mart safety glasses; I would actually consider them the worst thing next to nothing to protect your eyes. Also prescription glasses while I will honestly admit I wore for about a year before I got contacts, I would not consider safety glasses because mostly today prescription glasses don’t cover the majority of your eyes. Also if you were shooting an automatic they definitely don’t protect your eyes from residue.
Are We Seeing a Balance of Powers?
A few years ago, I had some concerns on how paintball was developing as a sport. There was only ever one team that would win the big professional tournaments, and unless you know nothing about paintball, you know who I’m talking about, Dynasty. It seemed that every time there was a big tournament, Dynasty would win. They were basically the LA Lakers. This is not good for a sport that is trying to break its way into the main stream. Looking back, if they were still as dominant as they were back in the day, the sport would probably have lost a lot of interest around the world. Paintball would not be where it is today.
It all started when Dye began obtaining, or stealing (depending on who you ask), with their vast amounts of money. This made me think, “Who do they think they are? The Yankees?” And then it hit me; this was the moment that paintball was going to go big. Really big. Everyone loves to hear about how the big names in a sport are being tossed around to whoever gives them the most money. But the most noticeable thing that came out of this was: Dynasty stopped winning! After losing their big star Oliver Lang, they have never really been the same.
What has come from all of this in the last two years is a balance of powers. Dynasty has finally been challenged, and these events have made way for other teams to be in the winners circle. This balance is what the general public likes to see. No one likes to see the same team win every time (like the Lakers, or Patriots, or Yankees). This gives the general public a chance to like a variety of good teams from all around the world. This is what will make paintball a mainstream sport. Clocktapus says “The Lakers won a lot, and now nobody likes them.”
It all started when Dye began obtaining, or stealing (depending on who you ask), with their vast amounts of money. This made me think, “Who do they think they are? The Yankees?” And then it hit me; this was the moment that paintball was going to go big. Really big. Everyone loves to hear about how the big names in a sport are being tossed around to whoever gives them the most money. But the most noticeable thing that came out of this was: Dynasty stopped winning! After losing their big star Oliver Lang, they have never really been the same.
What has come from all of this in the last two years is a balance of powers. Dynasty has finally been challenged, and these events have made way for other teams to be in the winners circle. This balance is what the general public likes to see. No one likes to see the same team win every time (like the Lakers, or Patriots, or Yankees). This gives the general public a chance to like a variety of good teams from all around the world. This is what will make paintball a mainstream sport. Clocktapus says “The Lakers won a lot, and now nobody likes them.”
I was surfing the Internet this past weekend and fought that there was another college shooting that happened this Friday at the Delaware State University. There were two students shot and injured, one in critical condition and the other hospitalized. The college actually shut down the campus until Saturday and made students stay in their dorm rooms. I thought this was a little drastic to actually cancel classes and tell students they can’t go anywhere since the shooter only shot two people and wasn’t just going on a killing spree. Cops eventually arrested the man involved in the shooting and are charging him with attempted murder and possession of a firearm during a felony. For full details follow this link to Reuters.
Yes I feel bad for the victims and their families but I am also concerned about what will happen now with gun laws. With every school shooting I feel that we are getting closer and closer to stricter gun laws and gun bans. I also think that with more and more college shootings colleges will get rid of their shooting sports teams. Many colleges have already gotten rid of their shooting teams and I think that colleges with teams remaining will consider phasing out the sports. This personally affects me because I shoot on the Purdue Trap and Skeet Team and I know that Purdue doesn’t support us as much as I thought they would. Not that I’m complaining but Purdue only provides the transportation to and from shoots. This is still a tremendous help because that is probably the most expensive part of a shoot. Hopefully colleges will not take away the shooting programs but I am sure that gun laws will be stricter especially with the upcoming presidential election.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Indoor Archery
While the 3-D season is slowly ending the indoor season is ablaut ready to start. Indoor archery is a lot different than outdoor archery. One of the main differences is that you know how far away the target that you are shooting at is. Another difference between the two is that in indoor archery you shoot paper targets and not foam animals. So now you are probably wondering what the point of indoor archery is.
Indoor archery is just as important, if not more important, then 3-D competitions. The reason why it is just as important is because they allow you to shoot your bow during the winter. This keeps you in shape so when 3-D season comes back around you will be able to shoot your bow for a long period of time without getting tired. Another reason why indoor archery is important is because it is a great way to perfect your form. Since you do not have as many variables when you are inside you can focus on the exact problem you are having with your form. Outside it is often hard to fix these problems because there are too many variables such as wind, temperature, and unknown yardage.
While you are inside practicing you may find the need to change equipment. This is the perfect time to do this because you will be able to learn how to use your new equipment before you have to step outside. Some equipment that you might want to look in to changing would be your release, arrow rest, or sight. These items are changed and upgraded often due to the advances in technology. During the fall season and going into the winter season is also the best time to join a league. Leagues are a good way to learn from other in a competitive environment. The important thing though is to sign up early because these leagues can fill up very quickly.
The standard distance for indoor archery is 20 yards are 18 meters. These two distances are only about four inches apart so it shouldn’t make a big difference on where your pin needs to be. The amount of arrows that you shoot depends on which organization’s rules your particular league is following. You can expect to shoot between three and five arrows each in one round. This means that you should have at least six if not seven arrows in case one of your arrows breaks. Make sure you ask the person in charge of the league or range where the league is held the rules of the range. These rules are usually posted somewhere at the range but sometimes it can be hard to find them. Even if it is your first time shooting indoors you can still have fun!
Indoor archery is just as important, if not more important, then 3-D competitions. The reason why it is just as important is because they allow you to shoot your bow during the winter. This keeps you in shape so when 3-D season comes back around you will be able to shoot your bow for a long period of time without getting tired. Another reason why indoor archery is important is because it is a great way to perfect your form. Since you do not have as many variables when you are inside you can focus on the exact problem you are having with your form. Outside it is often hard to fix these problems because there are too many variables such as wind, temperature, and unknown yardage.
While you are inside practicing you may find the need to change equipment. This is the perfect time to do this because you will be able to learn how to use your new equipment before you have to step outside. Some equipment that you might want to look in to changing would be your release, arrow rest, or sight. These items are changed and upgraded often due to the advances in technology. During the fall season and going into the winter season is also the best time to join a league. Leagues are a good way to learn from other in a competitive environment. The important thing though is to sign up early because these leagues can fill up very quickly.
The standard distance for indoor archery is 20 yards are 18 meters. These two distances are only about four inches apart so it shouldn’t make a big difference on where your pin needs to be. The amount of arrows that you shoot depends on which organization’s rules your particular league is following. You can expect to shoot between three and five arrows each in one round. This means that you should have at least six if not seven arrows in case one of your arrows breaks. Make sure you ask the person in charge of the league or range where the league is held the rules of the range. These rules are usually posted somewhere at the range but sometimes it can be hard to find them. Even if it is your first time shooting indoors you can still have fun!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tournament Time
Being the tournament baller on this blog, I feel it is my duty to inform those of you who may not know about the different styles of tournaments there are. There are three main types of tournaments: three man, five man, and x-ball. Three man is usually for the start-up teams or teams that just can’t seem to find enough players to play in a five man. Five man is a little more advanced in nature and has a different sort of strategy associated with it. X-ball is…well x-ball is a different game all on its own.
Most local fields host the occasional three man tournament that will usually be limited to rookie or novice players (there is no real definition to these terms, however). There is a system of points given during a game that can vary from tournament to tournament, but the max amount of points in each game is always 100. Rules about the person carrying the flag can vary also. A wide variety of competition can be found at these tournaments, but these kinds of tournaments are usually targeted toward people trying to begin playing in tournaments.
Five man tournaments are usually a little more advanced and are a lot more competitive. The same basic rules apply to the point system. Usually local fields will not hold five man tournaments because of the staff and organization it requires because of the number of people involved. In five man it is a good idea to have one or two back up players to sub in for people. This is because the games are so fast and physically demanding with the number of people.
X-ball can be argued to be a completely different game altogether. Sure there are still paintball guns involved, but the point system is completely different and there are additional rules that do not apply in the other styles of tournaments. There is a 20 minute clock that counts down the round. The teams play as many games as they can in this time or until one team earns seven points. Each game counts as one point. The other glaring difference is the sideline coaching. Coaches can be on the side of the field yelling out positions of the other team and telling players when to come out to shoot. This makes for an extremely competitive game that fastest and hardest to play of all of the kinds of tournaments. Oh, I almost forgot; Clocktapus says "it's called X-ball because there is a big X in the middle of the field".
Deer but no Buck
I got a break from working on the farm this weekend so I went out to scout for deer. I did a post last week about scouting and different techniques to use when looking for deer. I would like to continue with this topic and tell you about my findings this weekend.
At about 3:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon I went out to our ten acre woods to look for any sign of deer. Below where I put my tree stand last year I found many deer tracks and some droppings. The droppings were moist and greenish- black meaning that the deer are feeding on a clover or wheat field. This gave me a pretty good idea of where they are feeding. Unfortunately, there were not any buck tracks in that area, they were all from doe. Next I looked in the thickets and tall grass to see if I could find where they are bedding but I didn’t have any luck.
Later that same evening I went out to one of our harvested corn fields with my binoculars to get a look at the deer in my area this year. There is a creek that runs along the edge of the field so I lay on the bank of the creek to avoid being detected. Right after I got positioned I spotted a group of deer about 400 yards out in the field. I knew that they had not seen me because they were working their way straight toward me. After watching them patiently for almost an hour, they had become very close. I counted six full size doe and one that was younger and they were all no more than fifteen yards away. That was all the closer they came because they picked up my scent and they didn’t like it. After that they took off and disappeared.
I am very pleased with my findings from this weekend but I am not satisfied. I was really hoping to see a buck in that group of deer or at least some buck tracks. I still have a couple of weeks to find those bucks so I am not too worried about it yet.
At about 3:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon I went out to our ten acre woods to look for any sign of deer. Below where I put my tree stand last year I found many deer tracks and some droppings. The droppings were moist and greenish- black meaning that the deer are feeding on a clover or wheat field. This gave me a pretty good idea of where they are feeding. Unfortunately, there were not any buck tracks in that area, they were all from doe. Next I looked in the thickets and tall grass to see if I could find where they are bedding but I didn’t have any luck.
Later that same evening I went out to one of our harvested corn fields with my binoculars to get a look at the deer in my area this year. There is a creek that runs along the edge of the field so I lay on the bank of the creek to avoid being detected. Right after I got positioned I spotted a group of deer about 400 yards out in the field. I knew that they had not seen me because they were working their way straight toward me. After watching them patiently for almost an hour, they had become very close. I counted six full size doe and one that was younger and they were all no more than fifteen yards away. That was all the closer they came because they picked up my scent and they didn’t like it. After that they took off and disappeared.
I am very pleased with my findings from this weekend but I am not satisfied. I was really hoping to see a buck in that group of deer or at least some buck tracks. I still have a couple of weeks to find those bucks so I am not too worried about it yet.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Big Game War Journal #2
It was day two of the 2006 Fall Big Game. The day before one of my teammates had twisted his ankle while maneuvering during a fire fight. He could put some pressure on it but was unable to travel long distances without breaks. In order to accommodate him, my team and I volunteered to take position at the castle and guard the flag from the other team.
The castle was composed of three levels, ground level, the second level and the third level, and every time the floor went up a level it became smaller. There were walls on all four sides with one point of entry. Now most people think defending one point of entry is a piece of cake. But when you are trying to defend from attacks on multiple sides of the base at one time, it can make it easy for a lone player to sneak his way through the door.
We took positions in the castle; two guys stayed on the ground and looked out the cutout windows, four guys took positions on the second level and three set up shop on the third level, right next to the flag. We waited patiently for the game to start and then the horn sounded and we watched the rest of our scurry off through the field and into the distant forest. We sat around for a good ten or fifteen minutes, and then finally we heard the sound of gun fire in the distance. We waited and waited and couldn’t see a thing. The rest of my team started to grow inpatient, and soon half of them left the base in search of some action. I stayed at the fort; the guns were still blazing in the forest somewhere. I scanned the area for the longest time and then finally spotted someone. It was a guy from my larger group, he told us to stay on our toes because the other team was coming and they were spread across the field. As time passed I began to see more and more people. Fire fights were taking place about one hundred yards from the castle, out of range for our guns, but not our eyes.
Shortly after that, one of my friends came sprinting back to the castle screaming my name. I asked him what the problem was and he told me he needed me and my flatline barrel up towards the front lines. I followed him down out of the castle and through the woods. He brought me up to the edge of about a five foot cliff; we had a perfect view of the field from there. I could see that the enemy had taken up position on a tall hill and there high ground advantage was taking its toll on our teammates at the bottom. I raised my gun, took a shot to judge ball flight and began firing as fast as my fingers would go. I littered the hill with paint and then watched as three guys raised their guns and turned around, as the others backed up.
Then my friend took me to the side where some guys were trying, rather poorly I might add, to hide themselves in some brush a ways off. I opened fire on them and they too took the walk of shame off the field. I continued to jump around from place to place helping my teammates who had left earlier dispose of the other team. We cleared the field and the forest and then the hill. We quickly advanced on the enemy castle, taking out the little opposition that stayed in the field as we marched forward. We came to the castle and set up assault positions around it. Everyone that had a flatline started shooting at the base, aiming at anyone we saw but concentrating more on keeping the other team pinned down as men ran up on the base. My team entered the base, a few of them were taken out but soon the last of the other team was walking out with them. My team ran to the top, grabbed the flag and we escorted it back to the base. We brought the flag back, hooked it to the pole and raised it high into the air. The game was ours.
The castle was composed of three levels, ground level, the second level and the third level, and every time the floor went up a level it became smaller. There were walls on all four sides with one point of entry. Now most people think defending one point of entry is a piece of cake. But when you are trying to defend from attacks on multiple sides of the base at one time, it can make it easy for a lone player to sneak his way through the door.
We took positions in the castle; two guys stayed on the ground and looked out the cutout windows, four guys took positions on the second level and three set up shop on the third level, right next to the flag. We waited patiently for the game to start and then the horn sounded and we watched the rest of our scurry off through the field and into the distant forest. We sat around for a good ten or fifteen minutes, and then finally we heard the sound of gun fire in the distance. We waited and waited and couldn’t see a thing. The rest of my team started to grow inpatient, and soon half of them left the base in search of some action. I stayed at the fort; the guns were still blazing in the forest somewhere. I scanned the area for the longest time and then finally spotted someone. It was a guy from my larger group, he told us to stay on our toes because the other team was coming and they were spread across the field. As time passed I began to see more and more people. Fire fights were taking place about one hundred yards from the castle, out of range for our guns, but not our eyes.
Shortly after that, one of my friends came sprinting back to the castle screaming my name. I asked him what the problem was and he told me he needed me and my flatline barrel up towards the front lines. I followed him down out of the castle and through the woods. He brought me up to the edge of about a five foot cliff; we had a perfect view of the field from there. I could see that the enemy had taken up position on a tall hill and there high ground advantage was taking its toll on our teammates at the bottom. I raised my gun, took a shot to judge ball flight and began firing as fast as my fingers would go. I littered the hill with paint and then watched as three guys raised their guns and turned around, as the others backed up.
Then my friend took me to the side where some guys were trying, rather poorly I might add, to hide themselves in some brush a ways off. I opened fire on them and they too took the walk of shame off the field. I continued to jump around from place to place helping my teammates who had left earlier dispose of the other team. We cleared the field and the forest and then the hill. We quickly advanced on the enemy castle, taking out the little opposition that stayed in the field as we marched forward. We came to the castle and set up assault positions around it. Everyone that had a flatline started shooting at the base, aiming at anyone we saw but concentrating more on keeping the other team pinned down as men ran up on the base. My team entered the base, a few of them were taken out but soon the last of the other team was walking out with them. My team ran to the top, grabbed the flag and we escorted it back to the base. We brought the flag back, hooked it to the pole and raised it high into the air. The game was ours.
How to Get Ready
Okay so you know that you should practice before you shoot, but now you’re wondering what should I do during practice? There are many different ways that you can practice before you shoot (both competitively and hunting). One thing that most archers do before they shoot is make sure that their equipment is in good working order. Go over your strings and cables and make sure that they are not fraying. If they look like they are starting to fray I suggest that you first get an opinion of them from an archery shop to determine if you need new ones. Then if they say you don’t need new strings but your strings still look like crap I would apply some wax to them. This wax can be purchased at nearly all archery shops. An important thing to note is that it is important that your string is dry when you apply the wax if it is wet you will be locking the moisture inside of it.
After reviewing the strings make sure you have at least four good arrows. This is important so that in case you miss you still have the opportunity to make another shot. A good arrow is consider one that has all three fletchings or feathers, is straight, has a good nock, and has a good tip on it. At the top is a picture of one that has all of the following characteristics. If the arrow does not have three good fletchings it may not fly as straight as it should. The fletchings are on the back of the arrow to make it spin faster which allow it to move less in its trajectory. If one is missing or if you have a bent arrow the arrow will appear to wobble when it is flying.
After you review your equipment it’s finally time to shoot your bow. Sight your bow in at twenty yards then sight it in every five yards until you are at forty yards using a field point that weighs the same as your broad heads. Though it can be done it is not recommended to shoot a deer from a distance over forty yards. This is largely due to the inaccuracy of the shooter. Once you have all of your pins adjusted try practicing with your practice broad heads. Most broad heads now come with practice broad heads that are shaped and weigh similarly to the actual broad head. The main difference between them is that the practice ones are dull and won’t ruin your target. It is important to know where your practice broad heads are going to fly because they will probably fly very differently than your field points. Some people practice out of a tree stand however I don’t because as long as you know the distance to your target, and that when you are shooting down you have a tendency to shoot high you will be fine.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Shooting Glasses Review
I have another set of product reviews for you. Anyone who has shot for awhile knows that eye protection is essential and lens color is important to see the bird. I also believe that comfort is key and my personal choice is the Oakley Half Jacket. Technically they are probably not safety glasses but I have seen many people use the Oakley line of glasses for shooting. I shot with just regular sunglass lenses for the longest time before I found the array I wanted on e-bay. Yes I know it sounds like I am an e-bay junky but it really is a good place to get a lot of stuff cheaper than retailers.
My array I got on e-bay had the Fire, Persimmon, and the Gray lenses which I find that the Fire and Persimmon show the orange of the bird really well. I use the Fire when the sun is out and the Persimmon when it is overcast or just starting to get dark. I know a lot of people like the G-26 for lenses but unfortunately they do not offer them in the Half Jacket, I wish they would because I know a lot of people would by them. Oakley even offers prescription lenses but I am not sure how much that would cost you.
Sub-gauge Tubes
On one of my recent posts I talked about UPS losing one of my Briley sub-gauge tubes and so now I am going to write a review about the tubes. I recently got a set of Briley’s new Revolution fitted tubes. I upgraded from Briley’s Sidekicks that did work good for me for 2 years and would have worked fine if I didn’t want to get really competitive in shooting. It took me 6 weeks to get the tubes from Briley but it was well worth it in the end. I have been satisfied with my tubes even though I did have problems with one of the 20ga tubes all the others have worked flawlessly and are much easier to put in my gun than the Sidekicks. For those of you who haven’t seen the new style tubes they are hammered in differently than the traditional style. Instead of hammering on the top of the tubes you actually use special tools that you actually insert down the tube and hammer on that. This I believe is less stress on the tube and will be better than the traditional style of hammering the tubes in. This is not the only improvement I believe that the larger extractors also help to improve the performance of the tubes. They are supposed to allow you to shoot the cheaper shells that did not eject well in the traditional sub-gauge tubes. I have personally not tried them but I’m sure I will sooner or later.
When I bought mine I bought the Ultralite tubes so I wouldn’t have as much of a weight difference, and so far I am pretty satisfied. I have noticed a little bit of a difference in the weight but not enough to get a barrel weight. I was not recommended to upgrade to the Ultimate Ultralite just because of the shear price to benefit ratio but if you want the best that is definitely the way to go. I also bought an Americase to keep my tubes, gun and all the extra stuff needed to care for the tubes. I would recommend the two-barrel Americase to anyone even if you don’t have an extra barrel just for the extra storage. The best place to find one I found was on e-bay just as long as you start looking whenever you send your gun in because you will have to be patient and wait for what you want and get a good price. So these products are my recommendations for the week.
Tips and Tricks Clockta-style Vol. 2
Last week, I talked about how one should handle a situation in which they are outnumbered. This week, I want all of you readers to try the opposite of this. When your team has numbers, you must end the game quickly. Do not give the other team time to regroup and dig in. Use your numbers to spread the field and run on them. If people are moving, this will keep the other team in a panic. There is nothing more frightening than seeing someone quickly moving up your weak side. When you have numbers, send one of your guys sprinting up the opposite tapeline that the players left on the other team are on. Meanwhile, have another player post on the bunker(s) that the remaining player(s) are in.
Another thing I want all of you to work on is your stance. The standard position is called the “power stance” where I come from. Get a strong base, feet spread about shoulder length apart. Squat down a bit, not too far but far enough that most of your weight is held on your knees. Tilt the marker toward the opposite hand that you are shooting with. This will protect your hopper by the bunker. The hopper is a huge target if it is hanging out too far. Lastly never point your gun down. Always have it pointed up, barrel looking down the field. This way you are always prepared for those unexpected runs by the other team. Clocktapus says "Keep your guns up and your mask on!"
Another thing I want all of you to work on is your stance. The standard position is called the “power stance” where I come from. Get a strong base, feet spread about shoulder length apart. Squat down a bit, not too far but far enough that most of your weight is held on your knees. Tilt the marker toward the opposite hand that you are shooting with. This will protect your hopper by the bunker. The hopper is a huge target if it is hanging out too far. Lastly never point your gun down. Always have it pointed up, barrel looking down the field. This way you are always prepared for those unexpected runs by the other team. Clocktapus says "Keep your guns up and your mask on!"
Practice, Practice, Practice
The A-5 is no more...for now
So in a previous post I talked about how the Tippmann A-5 was a beast of a gun and how I've never had a problem with it in the five or so years that I've owned it. Well, I went home for the weekend and decided to dust it off and play around a little bit.
I brought it out in my backyard to make sure everything was working properly and was shooting semi-auto for a little while, everything seemed to check out just fine. Then I decided to put it through it paces. I switched the W.A.S. board to 25 b.p.s. full auto and let her rip. I got about thirty balls out of the barrel and then the cyclone feed just stopped feeding. I couldn’t figure it out, I had plenty of air, my battery was good, but the balls were not coming out.
I took the gun back into my house and began disassembling it. I opened it up and nothing was wrong inside the gun itself so I went to the cyclone feed. I unscrewed the bottom and opened it up to see that the parts inside it were made of plastic. Up until this point the plastic parts in the gun had not given me any problems and I don’t think they would have under normal condition. However, with the addition of a electric trigger and the full auto setting the plastic just couldn’t handle the pressure and got worn down.
Now I’ve got Big Game in two weeks and a gun to fix. Hopefully my new metal parts will arrive in time.
I brought it out in my backyard to make sure everything was working properly and was shooting semi-auto for a little while, everything seemed to check out just fine. Then I decided to put it through it paces. I switched the W.A.S. board to 25 b.p.s. full auto and let her rip. I got about thirty balls out of the barrel and then the cyclone feed just stopped feeding. I couldn’t figure it out, I had plenty of air, my battery was good, but the balls were not coming out.
I took the gun back into my house and began disassembling it. I opened it up and nothing was wrong inside the gun itself so I went to the cyclone feed. I unscrewed the bottom and opened it up to see that the parts inside it were made of plastic. Up until this point the plastic parts in the gun had not given me any problems and I don’t think they would have under normal condition. However, with the addition of a electric trigger and the full auto setting the plastic just couldn’t handle the pressure and got worn down.
Now I’ve got Big Game in two weeks and a gun to fix. Hopefully my new metal parts will arrive in time.
Indiana State Skeet Shoot
This past weekend I went to the Indiana State Skeet Shoot held in St. Joe at the St. Joe Valley Conservation Club. On Friday they held the doubles event followed by 12 and 20 on Saturday and 28 and 410 on Sunday. The usual high scores were not the case for any of the gauges. There were few hundreds in the 12-410 and none in doubles. But that did not hurt the camaraderie of the event. My personal scores were not ones to brag about so I will not share them with you. However, I will share some of my experiences of what happened after shooting. The bad thing about shoots is that you will only spend about 6 hours actually shooting and then you will be sitting around for the rest of the three days.
Sitting around for 3 days might sound boring but if you have a good group of people it can be rather fun. Fortunately, my club always likes to have fun. Especially at the State Shoot we have built a reputation of always having movies at night after everything is all over. On Friday and Saturday after the shoot-offs and the dinner we always show movies on a projection screen outside at our campsite. This year it was so cold that we had to build a campfire near the projection screen so we could sit outside and watch the movie. It is always entertaining when a few of the other shooters get completely wasted. Now I don’t want people to get the wrong impression that we just get drunk and shoot stuff, everyone is always responsible and waits until after all the shooting is over to start drinking.
Watching movies and drinking is not all we do we also will also shoot trap and play trap games, and that is always fun because it is more shooting and everyone is giving each other a hard time when they miss. My fellow club members are also known for their dominance over the trap games. So all in all every shoot is always fun and exciting.
How to and How NOT to Fix a Paintball Problem
As I have mentioned in my response to chickenpotguy’s comment, my team is always notorious for having things break. In fact our last season ended early because in the middle of our last tournament of the year, more than half of our equipment went down. So, having my fair share of broken stuff, I am quite versed in different strategies of fixing said broken junk. Here are a few ways how and how not to fix paintball gear.
DO NOTS:
1. Do not just leave it broken! Small leaks can turn into exploding o-rings in time and there is nothing worse that being on the field and hearing your teammate’s gun explode. Lube your marker often and make sure the o-rings are not swelled or shredding.
2. Do not just buy new stuff! This tends to be my biggest problem. While things do get expensive, I just feel that buying new stuff is less of a hassle than sitting down to fix something. WRONG. Buying new stuff just continues the cycle of things breaking. This is why paintball gets too expensive for some people.
3. Do not send it in to the factory right away! Most fixes are very small things that can be solved with a little tweaking. Make sure it is a major problem before having to send it off to the company because no matter how small the problem is, they will most likely ream you for the labor fees (I’m sorry to say).
DOS:
1. Determine what exactly is not working properly. Sometimes failures in the inline reg or LPR can be attributed to too much pressure coming in from your tank. Chopping can be seen by a hopper feeding too quickly or forcefully for the ball detents to bear. So remember, it is not always the gun that is not working properly.
2. Consult your manual immediately. If it does happen to be your gun that is on the fritz, consulting the manual is the single most important thing to do. Now I know you’re saying “Duh”, but most people try to fix a problem without looking at their manual and wonder why the problem gets worse.
3. Ask someone at a local field for help. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Remember, Clocktapus says “Even though they look crazy, they’ve probably had a similar problem.”
DO NOTS:
1. Do not just leave it broken! Small leaks can turn into exploding o-rings in time and there is nothing worse that being on the field and hearing your teammate’s gun explode. Lube your marker often and make sure the o-rings are not swelled or shredding.
2. Do not just buy new stuff! This tends to be my biggest problem. While things do get expensive, I just feel that buying new stuff is less of a hassle than sitting down to fix something. WRONG. Buying new stuff just continues the cycle of things breaking. This is why paintball gets too expensive for some people.
3. Do not send it in to the factory right away! Most fixes are very small things that can be solved with a little tweaking. Make sure it is a major problem before having to send it off to the company because no matter how small the problem is, they will most likely ream you for the labor fees (I’m sorry to say).
DOS:
1. Determine what exactly is not working properly. Sometimes failures in the inline reg or LPR can be attributed to too much pressure coming in from your tank. Chopping can be seen by a hopper feeding too quickly or forcefully for the ball detents to bear. So remember, it is not always the gun that is not working properly.
2. Consult your manual immediately. If it does happen to be your gun that is on the fritz, consulting the manual is the single most important thing to do. Now I know you’re saying “Duh”, but most people try to fix a problem without looking at their manual and wonder why the problem gets worse.
3. Ask someone at a local field for help. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Remember, Clocktapus says “Even though they look crazy, they’ve probably had a similar problem.”
Friday, September 21, 2007
Get out the Gear
Before deer season starts it is a good idea to go through your gear to make sure you have every thing and that it is in working condition. You should wash all of your camouflage clothing with a scent- killing detergent. Hang them out to dry and then store them in an air tight container to keep them as scent free as possible. It is also good to have some Scent- Lok spray to use to make sure you don’t get sniffed out.
Tree stands should be carefully checked to make sure there are no lose or missing parts. Any worn out parts should be replaced and if there is a folding seat then it should be lubed to prevent squeaking. You should also practice hanging your stand close to the ground before you try to do it twenty feet off the ground. Along with your stand, you should make sure your safety harness is not cut or any of the clips broke. It is also good to have a small tool kit to carry just in case you need to fix anything while on a hunt.
The most important thing to check is your bow. If it is not properly maintained then it could ruin your shot on a big buck. Check the strings to make sure they are not nicked or frayed. You should also check the stabilizer, cable guards, sight screws, arrow rest, and quiver. If you have all of this gear checked and maintained then you should be ready to go when season starts.
Tree stands should be carefully checked to make sure there are no lose or missing parts. Any worn out parts should be replaced and if there is a folding seat then it should be lubed to prevent squeaking. You should also practice hanging your stand close to the ground before you try to do it twenty feet off the ground. Along with your stand, you should make sure your safety harness is not cut or any of the clips broke. It is also good to have a small tool kit to carry just in case you need to fix anything while on a hunt.
The most important thing to check is your bow. If it is not properly maintained then it could ruin your shot on a big buck. Check the strings to make sure they are not nicked or frayed. You should also check the stabilizer, cable guards, sight screws, arrow rest, and quiver. If you have all of this gear checked and maintained then you should be ready to go when season starts.
This Is Why Some People Just Shouldn't Paintball
So I was browsing the internet the other day and I just so happened to come across a video that left me yelling at my computer. It's about a kid, that obviously doesn’t know what he's doing, trying to figure out why his paintball gun isn't working. Notice that there is no sign of any protective equipment. He could have take five seconds to slide a mask over his face, especially sense it's more or less the only piece of safety gear you actually need. But no, he decided he would rather spend those five seconds making the rest of us look bad by demonstrating one of the main reasons most people who have no experience with the game do not want to get involved in it. I mean come on, what parent in their right mind would let their kid start up paintballing if they caught a glimpse of this first.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Scouting for Deer
Deer season is coming up and there are many things that have to be done to prepare for it. In the 2007 September edition of Outdoor Life there is an article called “The Big Buck Master Plan.” In this article they discuss the different things that are critical to getting that big buck. I will spend the next several posts explaining each of these points. The first thing to do is to find where the deer are at by scouting.
During the summer deer develop regular daily movement patterns. They will bed and feed in the same areas and usually about the same time every day. These patterns usually last through early season, up to right before the rut. The trick is to find a big buck and learn what his patterns are before season starts. The best place to look is on crop fields and food plots in the morning or evening. There are several different ways to find right where the deer are at. One way is to go out in the morning and/or evening with binoculars and spot the deer that way. You should record the time that you see the deer come to the field to feed and continue to go out daily to see if the deer are consistently going to that spot. You should also mark where they come out of the woods so you know the best place to put a stand. This is a very good way to learn their patterns.
Another way to locate deer is to put up trail cameras. These are cameras with a motion detector that you strap to a tree and it takes a picture when a deer walks past it. This method is pricey but it requires less time spent in the field. There are many different types of cameras. You can get a simple one that takes regular film pictures or you can go extreme and get a camera that will email you the picture when it takes it. Most cameras will tell you the time the picture was taken so you will be able to figure out the deer’s patterns. Trail cameras are a good way to get a good look at a buck.
The last way to find the deer is done without seeing the deer. Tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs are excellent proof that deer are in the area. The more tracks you find the more deer there are in the area. A print five inches long indicates a pretty big buck but there is no way to tell the size of its rack. The droppings can also tell you a lot. If you look what is in them then you should be able to tell where they are feeding. Beds are recognized as matted grass or leaves. A buck’s bed usually measures 45- 50 inches in length. Rubs are an easy way to know where a buck’s territory is. Bigger bucks make rubs about an arms length on a tree. Lots of times you will find a cluster of trees with rubs.
If you want to get serious about finding a big buck, then I suggest doing all three of these scouting techniques. I have not invested in any trail cameras but I do spend plenty of time glassing and looking for tracks. To shoot a big buck it is important to scout for them.
During the summer deer develop regular daily movement patterns. They will bed and feed in the same areas and usually about the same time every day. These patterns usually last through early season, up to right before the rut. The trick is to find a big buck and learn what his patterns are before season starts. The best place to look is on crop fields and food plots in the morning or evening. There are several different ways to find right where the deer are at. One way is to go out in the morning and/or evening with binoculars and spot the deer that way. You should record the time that you see the deer come to the field to feed and continue to go out daily to see if the deer are consistently going to that spot. You should also mark where they come out of the woods so you know the best place to put a stand. This is a very good way to learn their patterns.
Another way to locate deer is to put up trail cameras. These are cameras with a motion detector that you strap to a tree and it takes a picture when a deer walks past it. This method is pricey but it requires less time spent in the field. There are many different types of cameras. You can get a simple one that takes regular film pictures or you can go extreme and get a camera that will email you the picture when it takes it. Most cameras will tell you the time the picture was taken so you will be able to figure out the deer’s patterns. Trail cameras are a good way to get a good look at a buck.
The last way to find the deer is done without seeing the deer. Tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs are excellent proof that deer are in the area. The more tracks you find the more deer there are in the area. A print five inches long indicates a pretty big buck but there is no way to tell the size of its rack. The droppings can also tell you a lot. If you look what is in them then you should be able to tell where they are feeding. Beds are recognized as matted grass or leaves. A buck’s bed usually measures 45- 50 inches in length. Rubs are an easy way to know where a buck’s territory is. Bigger bucks make rubs about an arms length on a tree. Lots of times you will find a cluster of trees with rubs.
If you want to get serious about finding a big buck, then I suggest doing all three of these scouting techniques. I have not invested in any trail cameras but I do spend plenty of time glassing and looking for tracks. To shoot a big buck it is important to scout for them.
3-D Tournaments
Have you ever been hunting and all of a sudden a big buck walks right in front of you? If so you know all the different things that run through your head. The most important thing that should go through your head is, “Where should I shoot this animal to kill it humanely?” The most humane shot is one to the vital organs, knowing where these are located is critical in a successful kill. In archery they have tournaments called 3-D tournaments where shooters go from target to target shooting different three dimensional targets. These targets are designed for archers to simulate hunting. Above is a picture of a McKenzie 3-D deer target, and on the side there is a link to their website. The targets are pretty much life size, but they have the location of the vital organs located on them. By attending these tournaments archers begin to learn, and eventually memorize, the location of the vital organs for many different animals. You can also purchase these targets for your own practice in the backyard. The more you can memorize the “kill zone” the more likely your hunt will be successful.
Another skill that can be very important in hunting is being able to judge yardage. Judging yardage is the act of determining the distance between one object and another. Though there are devices out there that will do this for you it is still a very important skill to learn. At 3-D shoots you are not only required to shoot the animal in the correct spot, but you must judge the distance between you and the target without using a device that tells you the distance. This can be very difficult at times especially when there is a huge ravine between you and the target. In these cases it is important to judge the yardage of the path that your arrow will fly not the path that you are going to walk. The best way to develop this technique is by practice. Start at fifteen yards and look at the ground between you and the target, this distance will look different than twenty yards. Do this every five yards to about forty five yards. By setting these as known yardages in your memory you can then compare them to the target (or animal) that you are looking at. This skill is not developed over night, but with practice it can be greatly fine tuned.
Many conservation clubs especially in Southeastern Indiana host these 3-D tournaments on a weekly basis. All that is required is a shooting fee (usually between $5-$10) and your own equipment. The club rules are usually posted near the registration area so make sure to read them before going out on the course to shoot. Another thing to consider is the weather. Make sure you pay attention to the weather before and during the scheduled shooting time. If it rains the shoot will usually continue (unless lightning or thunder is observed) so make sure you dress appropriately. When attending these shoots it is never a bad idea to bring bug spray and rubber boots. Since these shoots are out in the woods you may encounter diverse terrain. However the most important thing about 3-D shoots is having fun.
Another skill that can be very important in hunting is being able to judge yardage. Judging yardage is the act of determining the distance between one object and another. Though there are devices out there that will do this for you it is still a very important skill to learn. At 3-D shoots you are not only required to shoot the animal in the correct spot, but you must judge the distance between you and the target without using a device that tells you the distance. This can be very difficult at times especially when there is a huge ravine between you and the target. In these cases it is important to judge the yardage of the path that your arrow will fly not the path that you are going to walk. The best way to develop this technique is by practice. Start at fifteen yards and look at the ground between you and the target, this distance will look different than twenty yards. Do this every five yards to about forty five yards. By setting these as known yardages in your memory you can then compare them to the target (or animal) that you are looking at. This skill is not developed over night, but with practice it can be greatly fine tuned.
Many conservation clubs especially in Southeastern Indiana host these 3-D tournaments on a weekly basis. All that is required is a shooting fee (usually between $5-$10) and your own equipment. The club rules are usually posted near the registration area so make sure to read them before going out on the course to shoot. Another thing to consider is the weather. Make sure you pay attention to the weather before and during the scheduled shooting time. If it rains the shoot will usually continue (unless lightning or thunder is observed) so make sure you dress appropriately. When attending these shoots it is never a bad idea to bring bug spray and rubber boots. Since these shoots are out in the woods you may encounter diverse terrain. However the most important thing about 3-D shoots is having fun.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Big Game War Journal #1
My team and I stepped onto the field; we had been led to a smaller cut down field in the middle of the park. It was long and narrow; there were groups of trees throughout the field and a small barrel field on the right. The uneven ground was riddled with small hills and shallow ditches.
The horn blew and teams scattered off the break. My team and I broke off from the larger group and ran towards the barrel field. Four of our men ran and slid up against the stacked barrels. My friend and I took cover in a patch of trees a few yards back and started laying down cover fire from the tips of our flatline barrels as the rest of the team spread out. We got caught in a fire fight for a good five to ten minutes and then I notice that things were starting to turn.
I could see a massive amount of players walking away with their guns held high in the air. There was just one problem. They were all walking back towards me and the other team was advancing quickly. I watched as my teammates up at the barrel field were taken out one by one. Then I caught the rest of my team start to fall out of the corner of my eye. I looked around and noticed that out of the twelve of us that had started the game, there were only three of us remaining.
The three of us pulled back to an L shaped fence at the right back part of the field. It was about four feet tall and it had slits in it just wide enough to stick the end of a barrel through. We took some shots out of the slots, taking out a few of the advancing players that were unaware of our presence. However, we quickly realized that this strategy was not working. We were taking out a few players but soon we would overrun, we had to rethink our plan, but to what? We were sitting ducks and the other team was just getting closer and closer. As the bullets flew over our heads we decided we had to make our last stand then and there.
We pulled our barrels away from the slots and checked to make sure that we all had enough ammo. After we were sure we had everything set up that needed to be, we counted to three. One, I could start to feel the anticipation of the attack, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Two, I started to get nervous, unaware of how things were going to go in that next second. Then, three, all of the feeling and emotion seemed to leave my body. The three of us rose up above the fence and unloaded as fast as we could. One guy came streaking from our left side of the field and was instantly painted yellow as our trio of guns traced him and fired. We continued to fire, shooting everyone that came within range. We pooled our resources, giving and taking ammunition as we needed it. The fight lasted for no more than five minutes but it felt like a lifetime. It was one of those moments when your senses seem to peak and time stands still.
Now I’d like to say that we came out of the battle on top but as we shot part of the other team flanked to the left and opened fire. I suddenly felt a thump in the side of my mask, followed by the unmistakable taste of paint. I stood up and raised my gun and as I did was pelted by more paint as the other team continued to fire on the other two. I walked off the field and turned to see the last of my teammates suffer my same fate.
The game was a loss but it was not forgotten. As the three of us left the field countless numbers of the other team approached us and commended us on our effort. We hadn’t realized we were the last ones from our team left on the field.
The horn blew and teams scattered off the break. My team and I broke off from the larger group and ran towards the barrel field. Four of our men ran and slid up against the stacked barrels. My friend and I took cover in a patch of trees a few yards back and started laying down cover fire from the tips of our flatline barrels as the rest of the team spread out. We got caught in a fire fight for a good five to ten minutes and then I notice that things were starting to turn.
I could see a massive amount of players walking away with their guns held high in the air. There was just one problem. They were all walking back towards me and the other team was advancing quickly. I watched as my teammates up at the barrel field were taken out one by one. Then I caught the rest of my team start to fall out of the corner of my eye. I looked around and noticed that out of the twelve of us that had started the game, there were only three of us remaining.
The three of us pulled back to an L shaped fence at the right back part of the field. It was about four feet tall and it had slits in it just wide enough to stick the end of a barrel through. We took some shots out of the slots, taking out a few of the advancing players that were unaware of our presence. However, we quickly realized that this strategy was not working. We were taking out a few players but soon we would overrun, we had to rethink our plan, but to what? We were sitting ducks and the other team was just getting closer and closer. As the bullets flew over our heads we decided we had to make our last stand then and there.
We pulled our barrels away from the slots and checked to make sure that we all had enough ammo. After we were sure we had everything set up that needed to be, we counted to three. One, I could start to feel the anticipation of the attack, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Two, I started to get nervous, unaware of how things were going to go in that next second. Then, three, all of the feeling and emotion seemed to leave my body. The three of us rose up above the fence and unloaded as fast as we could. One guy came streaking from our left side of the field and was instantly painted yellow as our trio of guns traced him and fired. We continued to fire, shooting everyone that came within range. We pooled our resources, giving and taking ammunition as we needed it. The fight lasted for no more than five minutes but it felt like a lifetime. It was one of those moments when your senses seem to peak and time stands still.
Now I’d like to say that we came out of the battle on top but as we shot part of the other team flanked to the left and opened fire. I suddenly felt a thump in the side of my mask, followed by the unmistakable taste of paint. I stood up and raised my gun and as I did was pelted by more paint as the other team continued to fire on the other two. I walked off the field and turned to see the last of my teammates suffer my same fate.
The game was a loss but it was not forgotten. As the three of us left the field countless numbers of the other team approached us and commended us on our effort. We hadn’t realized we were the last ones from our team left on the field.
I know I already have this pic on another blog but this is actually the field we played on. The barrel field is to the right and the fence is to the left.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tech Talk: VLocity
The VLocity is the new hopper recently released by View Loader. Just by looking at the structure and overall shape alone, one can see that this hopper clearly trumps VL’s previous Evolution II. Another plus side the VLocity is its speed. This thing is fast! It can reach 20+ balls per second which is more than enough for any legal firing mode. The wide mouth lid design makes it very easy to reload. No more straining to pry the lid of the Evo II open (and keep it open)!
When I first tried this hopper out, I noticed that even though there were balls blocking the eyes, the loader was still trying to feed and sounded like it was jamming up. I immediately thought it was another faulty piece of paintball junk until I learned why the hopper did this. The VLocity has eight tension settings, one being the lowest and eight being the highest. The VLocity’s drive cone puts pressure constant pressure on the balls to keep them flowing at a smooth rate. This is adjusted through a very simple, one button LED menu.
When I compared this hopper to the other leading loaders on the market (Halo and Reloader), I quickly favored the VLocity. Its design is so much simpler and user friendly. The first advantage it displays is its power switch, instead of a power button. How many times have we been standing there in the glaring sun trying to figure out if the button on the Halo or Reloader has turned it on yet? I know I have many times. I also favor its eye setup over the Reloader’s sound feeding system. The microphones in the Reloader never seemed to work right for me. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but Clocktapus says “View Loader is back on top with this hopper”.
When I first tried this hopper out, I noticed that even though there were balls blocking the eyes, the loader was still trying to feed and sounded like it was jamming up. I immediately thought it was another faulty piece of paintball junk until I learned why the hopper did this. The VLocity has eight tension settings, one being the lowest and eight being the highest. The VLocity’s drive cone puts pressure constant pressure on the balls to keep them flowing at a smooth rate. This is adjusted through a very simple, one button LED menu.
When I compared this hopper to the other leading loaders on the market (Halo and Reloader), I quickly favored the VLocity. Its design is so much simpler and user friendly. The first advantage it displays is its power switch, instead of a power button. How many times have we been standing there in the glaring sun trying to figure out if the button on the Halo or Reloader has turned it on yet? I know I have many times. I also favor its eye setup over the Reloader’s sound feeding system. The microphones in the Reloader never seemed to work right for me. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but Clocktapus says “View Loader is back on top with this hopper”.
Many techniques can be used when you are learning to shoot. The most important thing though is to learn how to shoot the correct way. By learning how to shoot the correct way you will be more accurate in the future. The first important part of form is your feet. The way you stand and the way your body is positioned during the shot is called the shooting stance. Your feet should be about shoulders width apart and parallel to each other. This will keep you from spreading your feet to far apart and messing up the rest of your form. The tip of your toes should also line up with the center of the target that you are shooting at. This will help you make sure that you are directly in front of the target. After you have your feet parallel to each other and at shoulders width apart make sure they are directly below you. This will help you from leaning forward or backward, and it will make it easier to keep your bow level in the future. Remember you must start with a good foundation.
The next part of form that is important is your torso. When you are getting ready to shoot your body should make a perfect “T”. The picture at the top illustrates this "T" stance very well. If you are leaning forward or backward your shot can be greatly affected. Instead try to stand as tall as possible. This will help you align your torso into the perfect “T” position. Another important element of archery is relaxation. It is very important to stay relaxed while you are shooting. One way to stay relaxed while shooting is to take a deep breath right before your shot. When you do this make sure you relax your shoulders at the same time. This will allow for a more fluid motion when you are shooting.
When you pull back the bow hold the bow at arm’s length straight in front of you and then pull the string back to you! This allows you to stay in the “T” position when you are pulling back your bow. Many people do this step incorrectly. What they do is put the string to their face and push the bow away from them. This does not allow them to stay in their “T” position. Once you get to this point many things can influence the trajectory of the arrow. However these techniques will allow you to start with a good foundation which is the key to accuracy.
The next part of form that is important is your torso. When you are getting ready to shoot your body should make a perfect “T”. The picture at the top illustrates this "T" stance very well. If you are leaning forward or backward your shot can be greatly affected. Instead try to stand as tall as possible. This will help you align your torso into the perfect “T” position. Another important element of archery is relaxation. It is very important to stay relaxed while you are shooting. One way to stay relaxed while shooting is to take a deep breath right before your shot. When you do this make sure you relax your shoulders at the same time. This will allow for a more fluid motion when you are shooting.
When you pull back the bow hold the bow at arm’s length straight in front of you and then pull the string back to you! This allows you to stay in the “T” position when you are pulling back your bow. Many people do this step incorrectly. What they do is put the string to their face and push the bow away from them. This does not allow them to stay in their “T” position. Once you get to this point many things can influence the trajectory of the arrow. However these techniques will allow you to start with a good foundation which is the key to accuracy.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
How to use a Squirrel Call
To squirrel hunt there is only one item that is required and that is a gun. To be more successful at squirrel hunting, I suggest a squirrel call also. There are many different types of squirrel calls on the market. The only squirrel call that I have used is the one that Remington makes. Using a call greatly increases the number of squirrel you will see when on a hunt.
Using a squirrel call is very simple. The top rubber part on the call is called the bellow. To make the sound of a barking squirrel you simply put your finger over the hole on the bottom and pat on the bellow. If done correctly the squirrel should bark back. A chatter call can be made by shaking the call back and forth. This imitates an excited squirrel, which causes other squirrel to come out to see what is going on. You can also get the same effect by making the squirrel in distress call by sucking air in through the open end.
A squirrel call makes a huge difference in the number of squirrel you get in a day. Before I was introduced to a call, I would go some hunts without seeing a single squirrel. Now with the call, at least one squirrel is guaranteed. You can purchase a squirrel call at almost any outdoor sporting store for around ten dollars. There are many calls for sale at Discount Hunting Supplies. If you squirrel hunt and don’t own a squirrel call, then I highly recommend that you get one.
Using a squirrel call is very simple. The top rubber part on the call is called the bellow. To make the sound of a barking squirrel you simply put your finger over the hole on the bottom and pat on the bellow. If done correctly the squirrel should bark back. A chatter call can be made by shaking the call back and forth. This imitates an excited squirrel, which causes other squirrel to come out to see what is going on. You can also get the same effect by making the squirrel in distress call by sucking air in through the open end.
A squirrel call makes a huge difference in the number of squirrel you get in a day. Before I was introduced to a call, I would go some hunts without seeing a single squirrel. Now with the call, at least one squirrel is guaranteed. You can purchase a squirrel call at almost any outdoor sporting store for around ten dollars. There are many calls for sale at Discount Hunting Supplies. If you squirrel hunt and don’t own a squirrel call, then I highly recommend that you get one.
Get pumped....Big Game is Coming!
Have you who have gone out to paintball and left feeling that your game was missing something? Maybe an extra 500 people or so? Well if your answer is yes, then I've got some news for you. Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, Paintball Sam's over in Waterford, Wisconsin has something they like to call "Big Game." For one weekend, that's right, not one but two days, they take the entire park, hyperball fields, barrel fields, and massive amounts of woodsball and turn it into a single gargantuan field. The goal, get the other teams flag from their castle and hall ass back to yours. I have been there numerous times with my crew and it gets better every year. We will be returning to Paintball Sam's on October 6th and 7th for the fall Big Game. More to come in later blogs....and yes, I am in these pictures, try and guess which one's me.
If your interested check out their website.
If your interested check out their website.
Tips and Tricks Clockta-style Vol. 1
Well, today is Saturday and you all know what that means, most people are practicing tomorrow! So I think it’s time for the first edition of Clocktapus’s tips and drills for more effective and smarter play. I’m not claiming to be the best player around, or that I don’t have anything to learn myself, but I’ve been playing tournament paintball for around 5 years now and I have picked up a lot of knowledge from many different players that I look up to. Tomorrow is my first practice with a new team. I joined my college’s paintball club and I am going in with an open mind to try to learn new things.
Here’s what I want all of you readers to try this weekend. If you find yourself in a situation where you are outnumbered two (or more) on one, make sure you are on your feet. You do not want to get caught sitting down, this will spell your doom. Make sure you give yourself enough room behind your bunker that you are still protected and have the largest possible range of sight. This will make sure you don’t get pinched in and bunkered.
The next thing to remember when you are outnumbered is: do not get tunnel vision! Keep switching hands! If you get caught starring at one player or one side of the field, there is always going to be someone moving up the other side. I can guess what you’re saying right about now. You’re saying “Who does this guy think I am? I’m not a magician, you know.” I realize that taking a 2 on 1, 3 on 1, or even 4 on 1 are some of the most difficult situations to turn around, but if you can take a couple down in the process, you will get mad respect from the other players and who knows, you might just pull it off. Remember Clocktapus says “Just keep shooting! Never give up!”
Here’s what I want all of you readers to try this weekend. If you find yourself in a situation where you are outnumbered two (or more) on one, make sure you are on your feet. You do not want to get caught sitting down, this will spell your doom. Make sure you give yourself enough room behind your bunker that you are still protected and have the largest possible range of sight. This will make sure you don’t get pinched in and bunkered.
The next thing to remember when you are outnumbered is: do not get tunnel vision! Keep switching hands! If you get caught starring at one player or one side of the field, there is always going to be someone moving up the other side. I can guess what you’re saying right about now. You’re saying “Who does this guy think I am? I’m not a magician, you know.” I realize that taking a 2 on 1, 3 on 1, or even 4 on 1 are some of the most difficult situations to turn around, but if you can take a couple down in the process, you will get mad respect from the other players and who knows, you might just pull it off. Remember Clocktapus says “Just keep shooting! Never give up!”
Now That You’ve Heard What/Who I Don’t Like…
If you read my first two posts, by now you’re probably thinking “Man, this guy whines a lot. What in the world does this guy like about paintball?” Honestly, there is nothing like this game. Taking the adrenaline rush of being shot at (and shot) in a safe, enclosed environment with a multitude of people, what is not to like? I have been around to quite a few paintball fields in the Midwest and there seems to be the same loveable cast of characters (staff) at every one.
Every field has, of course, an owner. The owner is usually a guy in his early to mid forties that may or may not still play the game. The owners of each field always possess the quality that I admire most among anyone that is affiliated with this sport. Every owner tends to have that sort of ere of the struggling business man that still loves his job. Running a paintball field is not easy or cheap, but somehow the fields stay open through the tireless efforts of the determined entrepreneur that took a risk on paintball.
Of course, every field seems to have the sponsored team that also serves as the refs at all of the home tournaments. While each one of them has their own personality, ranging from genuinely nice people to jerks, there is always one that stands out the most. This person is usually the best player on the team and most respected and revered person at the field. I call this person the all-star of the field. The all-star is always the friendliest person on the staff and usually the most trusted by the owner. The thing I tend to like most about the all-star of each field is that even though they are good enough that they could be a total ass to everyone, they never are. They are always the person out on the field giving younger and new players tips to improve their game in a very non-condescending way.
The last character that you will probably meet at every field is the big fat ref. This guy is always the funniest person on staff, with his jolly demeanor and “Santa Claus like” appearance. He is usually the least intimidating person to talk to and therefore the most approachable. I guarantee you that if you go to a new field and see the big fat ref, you will learn his name before anyone else’s (except for maybe the owner). And remember, Clocktapus says “Don’t mess with the big fat ref when it comes to a one on one gun fight, big guys can shoot!”
Every field has, of course, an owner. The owner is usually a guy in his early to mid forties that may or may not still play the game. The owners of each field always possess the quality that I admire most among anyone that is affiliated with this sport. Every owner tends to have that sort of ere of the struggling business man that still loves his job. Running a paintball field is not easy or cheap, but somehow the fields stay open through the tireless efforts of the determined entrepreneur that took a risk on paintball.
Of course, every field seems to have the sponsored team that also serves as the refs at all of the home tournaments. While each one of them has their own personality, ranging from genuinely nice people to jerks, there is always one that stands out the most. This person is usually the best player on the team and most respected and revered person at the field. I call this person the all-star of the field. The all-star is always the friendliest person on the staff and usually the most trusted by the owner. The thing I tend to like most about the all-star of each field is that even though they are good enough that they could be a total ass to everyone, they never are. They are always the person out on the field giving younger and new players tips to improve their game in a very non-condescending way.
The last character that you will probably meet at every field is the big fat ref. This guy is always the funniest person on staff, with his jolly demeanor and “Santa Claus like” appearance. He is usually the least intimidating person to talk to and therefore the most approachable. I guarantee you that if you go to a new field and see the big fat ref, you will learn his name before anyone else’s (except for maybe the owner). And remember, Clocktapus says “Don’t mess with the big fat ref when it comes to a one on one gun fight, big guys can shoot!”
Friday, September 14, 2007
Tippmann A-5, Nuff Said
If you have ever been to a field where woodsball is the standard style of play then chances are you’ve seen one. They are the perfect counterpart to any woodsball player and yep, you guessed it, I have one. Mine started out as a bare stock model. I got it from Santa about 4 years ago and let’s just say it is not what it used to be. The great thing about the gun is it’s effective, efficient, reliable and inexpensive. Not to mention the mods available for it seem limitless. It is basically the total package.
Now like I said, I do own one so everything I’m saying is completely based off of experience with the gun. This thing is one of the best guns I have ever used in my life. It is amazing right out of the box and I’m talking bare bones, stock mechanical trigger, 8.5 inch barrel, cyclone feed, etc. But that is only half of it. A stock A-5 is good enough, but why would you want to stop there. It serves as a solid base for a limitless world of modifications.
I myself have added on to my A-5. I have upgraded the trigger not once but twice, first to a response trigger, and then to an electric trigger. I replaced the stock grip with an air through grip and hooked that up to a vertical adapter in order to move it to the stock position. I’ve added a drop forward and an adapter block to move my tank up and down a few inches and then switch the trigger form single to double. I also added a flatline barrel for that little extra edge. The thing is a beast; it has never once failed on me and continues to shoot as straight and true as the day I bought it. I’ve got to tip my hat to the guys over a Tippmann. They made one hell of a gun.
Now like I said, I do own one so everything I’m saying is completely based off of experience with the gun. This thing is one of the best guns I have ever used in my life. It is amazing right out of the box and I’m talking bare bones, stock mechanical trigger, 8.5 inch barrel, cyclone feed, etc. But that is only half of it. A stock A-5 is good enough, but why would you want to stop there. It serves as a solid base for a limitless world of modifications.
I myself have added on to my A-5. I have upgraded the trigger not once but twice, first to a response trigger, and then to an electric trigger. I replaced the stock grip with an air through grip and hooked that up to a vertical adapter in order to move it to the stock position. I’ve added a drop forward and an adapter block to move my tank up and down a few inches and then switch the trigger form single to double. I also added a flatline barrel for that little extra edge. The thing is a beast; it has never once failed on me and continues to shoot as straight and true as the day I bought it. I’ve got to tip my hat to the guys over a Tippmann. They made one hell of a gun.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
My Beef with UPS
Ok so I don’t have a bigger problem with UPS but they did lose one of my packages. I was having problems with one of my subgauge tubes so I called Briley and they told me to send it in. So I packaged it in pipe insulation and put it inside a blueprint tube and taped up the ends and took it into staples to ship it. Luckily I got insurance the package and so it will all work out in the end. But I waited 2 weeks after I shipped it to call Briley to check on the progress because it was supposed to arrive 5 days after I shipped it. So I called Briley and they said they have no record of receiving the package, and so I went on UPS’s website to track the package and that is when I saw that it had been damaged and lost and that they were supposed to call me and let me know. Well I was never informed of this and it was fortunate that I found this out because if I had waited 2 days later and called my insurance would not have covered the item. So the moral of this blog is to tell everyone to make sure and insure all the packages you ship. I am fortunate because I am going to get $500 out of Staples to replace my subgauge tube.
Essential Basic Equipment
First, responding to a comment, to the best of my knowledge there is not an archery club at Purdue. I did search the internet for local archery shops and I found one called Hilltop Archery Pro-Shop which is located about 40 miles away. Its address and phone number to call are as follows, RR#1 Box 149 Wingate, IN 47994 765-275-2249. I would contact them and ask them if they have a shooting range that you could practice in. I’m sure that they will have qualified personnel there that could be able to train you. The closest archery range that I could find that I had been to before is in Galveston, Indiana. This archery club is really nice and frequently has indoor leagues and tournaments. However it is located about an hour and fifteen minutes away from Purdue. Their website has a link in the side bar.
For a beginner it is very important to have reliable equipment. In this post I will talk about some of the basic equipment that you need. The most basic piece of equipment that you are going to need is a bow. Now some are wondering should I start off shooting a recurve bow or should I start off shooting a compound bow? This depends on what you want to do with archery. If you want to hunt I would recommend using a compound bow because you have better accuracy and consistency. If you want to compete then you can use either a compound bow or a recurve bow. I very good beginner compund bow is the Genesis made by Mathews Inc. (picture at top of post). Many people believe that it is easier to learn on a compound bow then on a recurve bow. However it can actually be easier to learn the basics of form when you are shooting a recurve bow. This is because when you are shooting a recurve bow the shooter must be perfect so the arrow can go straight unlike a compound bow that can hide a lot of the mistakes made by the archer. In general beginners are best off learning the basics on a recurve before they start shooting a compound.
Another essential item for shooting is arrows. There are many different types of arrows available especially at a pro shop. Your best bet when selecting arrows is to ask the people working at the archery shop which ones would be the best for you. Ideally for beginners you want to have a durable arrow that is relatively inexpensive. When you are just beginning you will miss the target many times and some of the times you will be unable to find your missing arrow. I recommend getting an arrow that is made of carbon. Unlike aluminum that bends when it hits things, carbon will either stay straight or it will break. This will allow the beginner to have confidence in their equipment and not worry whether or not there arrow is flying wrong because it is bent. Wood arrows though cheap tend to be less durable and too heavy for a beginners bow. These two items are essential for the sport of archery and people should either research these products online or talk to an experienced archer before purchasing them.
For a beginner it is very important to have reliable equipment. In this post I will talk about some of the basic equipment that you need. The most basic piece of equipment that you are going to need is a bow. Now some are wondering should I start off shooting a recurve bow or should I start off shooting a compound bow? This depends on what you want to do with archery. If you want to hunt I would recommend using a compound bow because you have better accuracy and consistency. If you want to compete then you can use either a compound bow or a recurve bow. I very good beginner compund bow is the Genesis made by Mathews Inc. (picture at top of post). Many people believe that it is easier to learn on a compound bow then on a recurve bow. However it can actually be easier to learn the basics of form when you are shooting a recurve bow. This is because when you are shooting a recurve bow the shooter must be perfect so the arrow can go straight unlike a compound bow that can hide a lot of the mistakes made by the archer. In general beginners are best off learning the basics on a recurve before they start shooting a compound.
Another essential item for shooting is arrows. There are many different types of arrows available especially at a pro shop. Your best bet when selecting arrows is to ask the people working at the archery shop which ones would be the best for you. Ideally for beginners you want to have a durable arrow that is relatively inexpensive. When you are just beginning you will miss the target many times and some of the times you will be unable to find your missing arrow. I recommend getting an arrow that is made of carbon. Unlike aluminum that bends when it hits things, carbon will either stay straight or it will break. This will allow the beginner to have confidence in their equipment and not worry whether or not there arrow is flying wrong because it is bent. Wood arrows though cheap tend to be less durable and too heavy for a beginners bow. These two items are essential for the sport of archery and people should either research these products online or talk to an experienced archer before purchasing them.
Never Shot? Never a Problem
Probably the thing I like most about the world of competitive shooting is the people. The people at the shoots are always there to help you especially if you are a younger shooter; they realize that the future of the sport relies on the younger generation. When shooting in competition there is really no teams everyone is shooting against everyone else in their class. You would think that this would cause some rivalry between people but it doesn’t because most people are there just to have a good time. Yeah sure occasionally there will be some people competing against each other but it is always in good fun, and like all sports there are gonna be a few people that think they are the best and it goes to their head but then you just have something to talk about around the table after the shoot when they mess up.
Since all shooters are usually friendly it makes it easy to get started in a shooting sport. You can just go down to your local gun club and tell any shooter that you are new and they will probably hand you a gun and a box of shells and lead you out to the first station and teach you everything as you go from station to station. This is my experience in skeet shooting but I am sure that all shooting disciplines are like this and maybe even more generous and enthusiastic with new shooters. The picture below is a general layout of a skeet field so in case you are interested you can have an idea of what to expect.
Dinner is Served
I recently received a comment on my last post about what squirrel is good for once you have shot one. I am strongly against killing an animal just to kill it. I believe you should only shoot an animal if you are planning to make use of at least half of the animal. Most hunters butcher and put the meat in the freezer to eat and if the animal is descent sized then some may choose to preserve the animal. With squirrel, you can do both of these methods. I have a friend who shot a pretty big squirrel, so he decided to take it to the taxidermist to be preserved. They are actually a nice animal to have persevered because they are small. You can have the entire squirrel preserved and it really makes them appear real. I have never had a squirrel preserved, but I always keep the tails and dry them out. This is how my hunting buddies and I see who shot the most at the end of each season. They also make good décor. For instance, you can put the tail so it sticks out from underneath a closet door and see if that doesn’t draw some attention.
Now you may be wondering how you can eat a squirrel and if it is any good. Well there are actually many different recipes for cooking squirrel. My personal favorite and the easiest way is to cook the squirrel in a crock pot on low with BBQ sauce for about four hours. This makes the meat tender so it falls off the bone. The worst thing about using a shot gun to hunt is that you have to chew slowly because there probably is still some of the gun shot in the squirrel. There are many other different squirrel recipes that I am yet to try. If you are looking for a good squirrel recipe or you are just wondering what some are, there are many excellent recipes on Back Woods Bound. Many of the recipes require more than one squirrel, but I have found that one squirrel is about a perfect serving. If you haven’t had squirrel before and you ever get a chance, then you should definitely try it. Squirrel has a very unique taste and texture, but besides that it “tastes like chicken.”
Now you may be wondering how you can eat a squirrel and if it is any good. Well there are actually many different recipes for cooking squirrel. My personal favorite and the easiest way is to cook the squirrel in a crock pot on low with BBQ sauce for about four hours. This makes the meat tender so it falls off the bone. The worst thing about using a shot gun to hunt is that you have to chew slowly because there probably is still some of the gun shot in the squirrel. There are many other different squirrel recipes that I am yet to try. If you are looking for a good squirrel recipe or you are just wondering what some are, there are many excellent recipes on Back Woods Bound. Many of the recipes require more than one squirrel, but I have found that one squirrel is about a perfect serving. If you haven’t had squirrel before and you ever get a chance, then you should definitely try it. Squirrel has a very unique taste and texture, but besides that it “tastes like chicken.”
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Woodsball, A Game of Men
I have dabbled in all styles of paintball. I've played on air fields, hyperball fields, I've played in fake towns, and junkyards, almost anywhere and everywhere you could imagine. But there is just something about a nice big forest that I just cannot seem to escape.
That's right; I'm talking about woodsball people. In my personal opinion, it’s the best way to play. Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy the fast paced excitement of X Ball as much as the next guy, or girl for that matter. But woodsball just feels so much more real to me.
Being out in a forest adds so much more to the game because whether you know it or not, there is always one more person playing then you brought with, Mother Nature. She can be your best friend or you worst enemy. Nature forms the field to its own specifications and every field is different. It can be anywhere from a few yards wide to a mile across. Air filled bunkers are replaced by trees and rocks and Astroturf is replaced by, you guessed it, actual turf. Nature creates every little twist and turn you travel on and it can even control how you move throughout it. There can be a wide open field that you wouldn’t dare expose yourself in or dense overgrowth that blocks off your path and forces you to turn back. Not only that, but it adds a whole new level of field mechanics to the game, literally. The land can be elevated to give you the advantage on the high ground or it can be dug out to give you a ditch that you can use to travel through unseen in order to sneak up on your enemies.
But terrain is just the half of it. You also have to deal with the weather. In a moment’s notice your sunlight can disappear causing your vision of the field to worsen. It can start to rain worsening traction on the ground and causing your mask to fog up. And different temperatures can have many different effects not only on your body but on your equipment as well.
On top of having to deal with the environment, you have no idea where you’re opponents are at the beginning of the game. All you have is your gun and your teammates. You have to constantly be alert and aware of your surrounding environment and teammates alike. There are distractions everywhere in the forest, branches cracking bushes rustling, and little woodland creatures running around everywhere. You have to move quickly and silently, working with your team to cover as much ground as possible while concealing yourselves so as not to give away your position too soon. You use your camouflage as best you can while using hand signals instead of words to relay messages to your teammates. Every step you take you can feel the adrenaline coarse through your veins and your senses seem to strengthen in anticipation of battle. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. All styles of paintball are fun, but nothing beats woodsball.
That's right; I'm talking about woodsball people. In my personal opinion, it’s the best way to play. Now don't get me wrong. I enjoy the fast paced excitement of X Ball as much as the next guy, or girl for that matter. But woodsball just feels so much more real to me.
Being out in a forest adds so much more to the game because whether you know it or not, there is always one more person playing then you brought with, Mother Nature. She can be your best friend or you worst enemy. Nature forms the field to its own specifications and every field is different. It can be anywhere from a few yards wide to a mile across. Air filled bunkers are replaced by trees and rocks and Astroturf is replaced by, you guessed it, actual turf. Nature creates every little twist and turn you travel on and it can even control how you move throughout it. There can be a wide open field that you wouldn’t dare expose yourself in or dense overgrowth that blocks off your path and forces you to turn back. Not only that, but it adds a whole new level of field mechanics to the game, literally. The land can be elevated to give you the advantage on the high ground or it can be dug out to give you a ditch that you can use to travel through unseen in order to sneak up on your enemies.
But terrain is just the half of it. You also have to deal with the weather. In a moment’s notice your sunlight can disappear causing your vision of the field to worsen. It can start to rain worsening traction on the ground and causing your mask to fog up. And different temperatures can have many different effects not only on your body but on your equipment as well.
On top of having to deal with the environment, you have no idea where you’re opponents are at the beginning of the game. All you have is your gun and your teammates. You have to constantly be alert and aware of your surrounding environment and teammates alike. There are distractions everywhere in the forest, branches cracking bushes rustling, and little woodland creatures running around everywhere. You have to move quickly and silently, working with your team to cover as much ground as possible while concealing yourselves so as not to give away your position too soon. You use your camouflage as best you can while using hand signals instead of words to relay messages to your teammates. Every step you take you can feel the adrenaline coarse through your veins and your senses seem to strengthen in anticipation of battle. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. All styles of paintball are fun, but nothing beats woodsball.
The Squirrel that Came Back to Life
For those of you that aren’t hunters, squirrel season started almost a month ago on August 15th. I have already been out several times in the past month. At the beginning of season it is more of a challenge to bag squirrel because the trees are still full of leaves and there are no leaves on the ground to hear the squirrels wrestling in. It is also still hot and humid making the squirrels not very active. Considering the early season challenges, I have only managed to bag one squirrel so far this season. The one squirrel that I did bag didn’t go down easy either.
At about 6:30 a.m. my hunting buddy and I headed out to my ten acre woods for an early squirrel hunt. We found a good spot a couple hundred yards into the woods, so we sat down and waited for the squirrels to come out. Within fifteen minutes we could hear them chirping and wrestling in the tree tops but the trees were too thick to spot them. After waiting about thirty minutes, I spotted a squirrel on the side of a tree about thirty yards away. Without any hesitation I shouldered my twelve gauge shotgun, aimed, and fired. I watched the squirrel fall about twenty feet to the ground and then thump onto the forest floor. I got up and walked to retrieve my first squirrel of the 2007 season. When I came to the squirrel it still had a little life left, but it wasn’t long before it went limp. After the squirrel was dead, or so I thought, I picked it up and put it in the back of my game vest. We then walked further into the woods to find a different place to spot squirrel. After about ten minutes of walking through the woods I started feeling something scratching at my back. I reached around to feel the squirrel in the pouch on my vest and it was moving! I wasn’t sure which side of my back its head was on and I didn’t want it to bite my hand, so I hollered at my friend to come over and get it out. He reached in my vest, grabbed its tail, and threw it out. After it was out, we used a solid tree limb to make sure it was not going to come alive again.
I have shot many squirrels and I have never had anything like that happen before. Squirrels have tough skin that is hard to penetrate requiring a good shot to get a clean kill. The thing I dislike most about hunting is seeing an animal suffer. A hunter must know the right spot and distance to shoot an animal to get a clean kill. Squirrels are very fun to hunt, but make sure they are really dead before you claim them- just a tip.
At about 6:30 a.m. my hunting buddy and I headed out to my ten acre woods for an early squirrel hunt. We found a good spot a couple hundred yards into the woods, so we sat down and waited for the squirrels to come out. Within fifteen minutes we could hear them chirping and wrestling in the tree tops but the trees were too thick to spot them. After waiting about thirty minutes, I spotted a squirrel on the side of a tree about thirty yards away. Without any hesitation I shouldered my twelve gauge shotgun, aimed, and fired. I watched the squirrel fall about twenty feet to the ground and then thump onto the forest floor. I got up and walked to retrieve my first squirrel of the 2007 season. When I came to the squirrel it still had a little life left, but it wasn’t long before it went limp. After the squirrel was dead, or so I thought, I picked it up and put it in the back of my game vest. We then walked further into the woods to find a different place to spot squirrel. After about ten minutes of walking through the woods I started feeling something scratching at my back. I reached around to feel the squirrel in the pouch on my vest and it was moving! I wasn’t sure which side of my back its head was on and I didn’t want it to bite my hand, so I hollered at my friend to come over and get it out. He reached in my vest, grabbed its tail, and threw it out. After it was out, we used a solid tree limb to make sure it was not going to come alive again.
I have shot many squirrels and I have never had anything like that happen before. Squirrels have tough skin that is hard to penetrate requiring a good shot to get a clean kill. The thing I dislike most about hunting is seeing an animal suffer. A hunter must know the right spot and distance to shoot an animal to get a clean kill. Squirrels are very fun to hunt, but make sure they are really dead before you claim them- just a tip.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Archery for Beginners
Archery is a highly competitive sport that people from all skill levels can participate in. For the beginners the most important thing that you can do is to get connected with a local archery shop. Usually at these archery shop the will have people who know what they are talking about regarding both technique and equipment. It is important for beginners to learn correctly from the get go. From the coaching stand point it is easier to start with a clean slate then it is to try to retrain someone who has developed incorrect form. The best way to do this is to shoot with people who know what they are doing. By doing this you learn from their experiences and learn what they have found to work and not work. The main thing for a beginner to do is to learn from someone who knows what they are doing. I’ve seen many cases of people who have learned the wrong way and want to shoot the correct way put have a difficult time breaking their bad habits.
When you are at your local archery shop inform the people there what your intentions are with archery. Whether you are going to hunt, compete recreationally, or if you are plan to compete competitively. Though equipment is not everything it does make for a solid foundation especially when a person is just learning. When a person is just beginning to learn how to shoot it is important that they practice. However it is important to remember that practicing the wrong way is like taking three steps back. That is why it is important to either practice under the supervision of an experienced archer or under the direction of an experienced instructor. During your first meeting with your instructor your instructor should go over basic safety guidelines, basic form techniques, and evaluate your present equipment. If your instructor does not address these key points be sure to ask them their opinion on each of the points that they do not address. After addressing the first key points ask the instructor what you should do to prepare yourself for the next session. Remember you will not become perfect overnight you will shoot great some days and awful others.
When you are at your local archery shop inform the people there what your intentions are with archery. Whether you are going to hunt, compete recreationally, or if you are plan to compete competitively. Though equipment is not everything it does make for a solid foundation especially when a person is just learning. When a person is just beginning to learn how to shoot it is important that they practice. However it is important to remember that practicing the wrong way is like taking three steps back. That is why it is important to either practice under the supervision of an experienced archer or under the direction of an experienced instructor. During your first meeting with your instructor your instructor should go over basic safety guidelines, basic form techniques, and evaluate your present equipment. If your instructor does not address these key points be sure to ask them their opinion on each of the points that they do not address. After addressing the first key points ask the instructor what you should do to prepare yourself for the next session. Remember you will not become perfect overnight you will shoot great some days and awful others.
Monday, September 10, 2007
New Shooting Range: Camp Atterbury
This post is mostly for my fellow Hoosiers but if you like to travel to shoots or just like to learn about new clubs then read on. Camp Atterbury is a National Guard training and mobilization camp located in Edinburgh, Indiana. The camp has recently opened up a brand new shooting facility. This is one of the nicest ranges I have been to; although I haven’t been to too many ranges I am still confident in saying that this is one of the nicest around. The new range was built by the Department of Natural Resources and features a 66 station rifle and pistol range and 4 combination trap and skeet ranges.
At the shotgun range you can shoot skeet, international skeet, trap, doubles trap, and wobble trap. The shotgun range also holds NSSA and ATA registered shoots and is sanctioned by USA Shooting. The range recently held an NSSA registered skeet shoot over Labor Day weekend. The shoot consisted of 100 12ga, 20ga, 28ga, and 410. 12 and 20 were shot on Sunday and 28 and 410 were shot on Monday. The turnout for the shot was not the greatest but seeing as it was the first registered shoot for the club I am sure it will get better. Camp Atterbury is the only public range in the state of Indiana that shoots international skeet. The range also will be holding leagues throughout the year for shooters of all ages. The range also has a pro shop that offers rental guns, guns for sale, and many other necessities for shooters. The cost to shoot is reasonable $5 per round and I believe that you can buy a membership that drops the price to $2.50 a round.
The rifle and pistol range offers yardages from 7 to 100 yards. It is completely concrete and has benches for the rifle range and has stands with dividers between stations for the pistol yardages. The range officer on duty declares a 10 minute ceasefire every 20 minutes so shooters can check their targets and post new ones. It cost $1 per hour to shoot and there is a minimum of 2 hours. Or you can opt for the $80 one year membership and you can shoot anytime for free. The rifle and pistol range also has a pro shop where you can buy ammo, targets, Camp Atterbury apparel, and other shooting necessities. To get more information about the Camp Atterbury Shooting Range follow this link.
How to Spot a Poser (Paintball)
(A disclaimer to all who read this: these observations are generally true in my and my team’s experience. These are not necessarily facts or laws set in stone.)
Let’s say you’re new to a field or new to paintball in general. How do you know who to ask for help? How do you know who is in charge or knows what they’re talking about? You look around and notice and everyone seems to look pretty experienced. There is a group of guys around one table talking and laughing about something that is not related to paintball in any way and a few players at other tables getting their things together, alone. Before you make a decision on whom to ask for help, think! The people standing around laughing are most likely on the same team. The others preparing alone are probably not on a team. This means they will be little help with your technical problems, and are probably just as new to the game as you are.
Upon further investigation of the “pariah players”, you discover that every single piece of gear they own is from the same company and is the same color. I’m not saying that matching your clothes is bad, but these guys look like they just walked out of that company’s catalog!
You finally fix the problem with your gun and people start making their way onto the field. You notice that they group of guys standing together all want to practice together because they are on the same team. So you are on a rag-tag team consisting of you and the other lone rangers. The game starts, and immediately one of your teammate’s guns is down. One hangs in the back, firing his gun as fast as he can, but he doesn’t say much the entire game. The other….wait, he’s right next to you! You both went to the same bunker and your team looks doomed. What went wrong here? Who are these people?
My friend, I’m afraid your team consisted mainly of the fabled posers. Let’s recap so we can figure out how to identify these players.
- They stay away from big groups and most likely do not have a team of their own.
- Posers tend to dress and equip themselves with one company’s apparel.
- Before the game, there is no communication on where they are going to go.
- During the game they display only a fraction of the skills needed to excel at paintball. (For example: shooting fast but not communicating.)
- Or during the game, their gun goes down and they spend the whole game behind their bunker trying to fix it.
These are a few basic guidelines on how to spot a poser. As I stated before, there are countless exceptions, and remember Clocktapus says “Posers are people too.”
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