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Mindset and playing your own game. Thanks, Willie and Lunger...


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This post came about in reference to my earlier post regarding buying an 87 because I used to have fun shooting an 87 and a 1860 Henry. I also mentioned that I had train wreck after train wreck at this year's Winter Range. As a result, Lunger left me a PM with his phone number and told me to call him if I wanted to talk about 87's, which I did. We talked about a whole lot more than 87's, and something he said during the course of the conversation really caught my attention, which is that basically, in CAS last place and first place take home the same amount of money. Bingo! The light clicked on for me and I sort of realized where I'd gone wrong at Winter Range.

 

So I called my traveling partner Willie and told him what I'd just been discussing with Lunger. His reply was that we went to Winter Range this year to win buckles, and it took all of the fun out of it, and the light got brighter. Two years ago when we were at Winter Range we had an absolute blast, and we both did pretty well. This year, on the other hand, we went down there too seriously. There was no banter between us at the stages and we were too quiet at the end of the shooting day. It was all, "Oh, I did so bad on that stage!" A couple of times I even found myself muttering, "I don't know why I'm here!" Instead of going into it with fun as the foremost objective, I spent too much time worrying about my screwups, and as a result things got worse instead of better.

 

I normally mangle starting lines on stages, I'm smiling the whole time, I'm harassing Willie and he's harassing me, all that sort of thing. None of that went on this year. We had fun, because we were away from work and we were shooting, but we didn't have FUN!!! if that makes any sense. We weren't relaxing and playing our own game, and it bit us both on the hiney.

 

So I guess what I'm saying here is, you can't miss fast enough to win, there ain't no money in it if you do win and five years from now nobody will remember where you placed anyway, so just go and play your own game your own way, and most of all enjoy the game you're playing! Have fun! The bottom line is that we're out there dressed kinda silly and flinging bullets at chunks of steel! How serious can that really be? How much you get out of the game has nothing to do with equipment and everything to do with your mindset and your attitude. If those are right, the rest will follow...

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Some of my best stages have come when I'm laughing about the verbal exchange between me and the TO.

 

One that comes to mind was with I think it was Bijou Blade running the clock. I got up there, took my deep breaths, hitched up my belt, etc, and he says to me 'Grizz, you need an f'ing haircut!' Not sure what I said I was laughing so hard it might have just been 'let's go'

 

I would surely like a buckle one day, but like you when I focus too much on that I tend to have less fun and shoot worse.

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The stages that I remember most ARE usually train wrecks! :D And I've had some darn good one too!! :P

 

Knarley

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I worked my tail end off a few years back...

All winter long.. Down in the basement... Practice, practice, practice... :(

Got purty darn fast... :)

I finally "Won first place" in my catagory at a local club big annual the next Spring...

 

On the way home I was proud as punch.. :)

But... Talkin with my wife Lacey on the way home

I told her.. "I don't think I really care to work that hard to stay at the top.."

I've slowed down some.. But I have more fun.. :)

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin... Yep Charlie.. I still take home the same amount of $$'s as 1st place does.. :)

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Thanks for the kind words Charlie! Going to rattlesnake gulch tomorrow with my lassiter 87 for the first time, and leaving my skb at home. I'll have six opportunities to work my friends over with the lever shotgun! Can't hardly wait! Lol!!!!!

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Thanks for the kind words Charlie! Going to rattlesnake gulch tomorrow with my lassiter 87 for the first time, and leaving my skb at home. I'll have six opportunities to work my friends over with the lever shotgun! Can't hardly wait! Lol!!!!!

 

Are you going Classic Cowboy now Lunger? Hope to see you and yours in July for the Montana State shoot.

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Kit took me several years to find my place in sass. At first I practiced a couple times a week shot every weekend I could and made all the annual matches I could afford. After about five or six years I began to burn out and got a motorcycle and still shot some event but rode the bike a lot. Then I had the wreck. It took me out of competition all together. I tried to go back to shooting about four months after the wreck but wasn't able to shoot the whole thing between my back pain, my diabetes neuropathy pain in my feet at the time and the pain in my leg from the wreck. In 2014 I went to EOT to try and shoot clean since my movement was labored and unnatural. I had a riflr round lock the firearm up costing me several misses and then on the next stage I was thinking about the misses and got a procedural then on the next stage I got some more misses because I was beating my self up over the p. The next year at EOT I did manage to shoot clean that was my whole focus for being there. Not enough pressure to effect my shooting but accurate enought to hit every target. Then the last stage was very deliberate. I went to winter range this year with the plan on shooting faster but clean until I saw the amount of movement in those stages then it went to just shooting clean.i was barely able to move the require amounts for each stage I started off at the ult watching it until I swapped out with someone then I quickly gathered my ammo reloaded my shotgun belt and this all while sitting on my still. Then when I felt I had the stage in my mind I would grab my stool and head for the lt. Someone would kindly bring my long guns over I would load and sit giving ng everything a break from the pain. Then when my time I headed to the expiditor spot and sit if possible until my time to stage the guns. Unlike my preferred meathod of right to left engagement I shot it focusing on the shortest movement from lt to rt only as far down range as needed to comply with staging instructions. I shot like this the first day which was the last wave my favorite for the first day then the middle wave for the second day and early wave for the last day. My reasoning is it gives me the greatest amount of time to setup the cart and makesureneverything is where it needs to be the second day is what it is and the last day by shooting the early go allows me the opertunity to pack up and leave after shooting if I'm not planning on anything else. Last two years at EOT and this year WR rotation allowed me this timing. The heat at WR had me retreating to the Motorhome for AC and cooling. I normally try to have a g2 prior to the first stage, one on each stage and one after the last stage to keep me hydrated with electrolytes as I'll be soaking wet even hear in the desert after a shooting. I also have pepperoni and cheese for snacks on each stage I used to use granola bars but they were more sugar than anything. My plans for EOT this year is hopefully thought out well and works as planned. I'll arrive upon the 15th to ABQ park at Kirtland AFB arrange for a rental car so I can make my eye dr appt on the 16th take my dog to the vet on the 17th and stock the trailer up with supplies. Then I'll fill fresh water to the brim plus ten plus extra gallons for reserve. Fill utv tank with gas plus ten plus extra gallons of gas plus fill trailer generator with gas. The two five gallon tanks will be for the utv and this generator then fill the mottohome up with deisel and ten plus gallons of deisel reserves. I plan on having a 12 volt cooler in the trailer for aqumenting the fridge raptor and I might even throw another long range cooler with frozen jugs of water to augment the freezer. Trailer is storage and shop and maybe practice range if it goes as planned.no guns or accutraments in the motor home unless absolutely needed to finish a repair all guns locked in locked trailer. Coolers and reserve fluids will be stored in trailer if needed otherwise they will ne chained cabled between rigs.the utv will be parked ny my bedroom . I'll move over to the ranch that Monday hopefully part of the reason is aclimatation in steps. Plan on warmup stages ontuesday Wednesday I've got some thing I'd like to pass on at the swap meet otherwise I might try plainsman if I felt up to it but I expect that if I shoot any side matches it would be the rim fit R revolver and derringer if I bring the guns and ammo. I wish that they would do a friends of the NRA banquet at most annuals WR and EOT at a minimum... Between now and then I need to reload more 38-40, 45 colt I have several cases of aa lrln plus will be ordering more along with primers and powders plus som Desparado cowboy Bullets in 38, 40 and 45, I shop my reloading components at these type matches to get show specials and lack of shipping. I'll try to pick up some more clays, red dot and trailboss powder plus federal lg/sm pistol primers win sm/ lg primers, shot if available, win shot she'll primers and win small rifle primers. That with the bullets that I have, primers that I haven't dumped and the powders I been aquiring if I can cart aloof them will give me a ides what I have and can reload both smokeless CAS and modern an bp CAS ammo.it will be nice to be able to shoot something for an event by knowing you have plenty of rounds loaded then reload them when you return home. I hope once I get the back brass and recover from my leg surgery without and problems that I'll be able to shoot more matches. Load the trailer up pack the Motorhome load the dog and myself and maybe a traveling partner and hit event after event. My idea would be work east to Charleston for givens ferry spend thanksgiving with my daughter spend the next three or four weeks in sc,ga then back to charleston for Christmas then after the first of the year head west hitting matches until the tombstone annual in February the up to fire and ice then to winter range then stay in that area until about may or so then head to Albuqurque see the Drs and shoot locally until EOT then start over hitting things like comin at cha and other matches in Texas until time to head for givens ferry unless we change direction and hit nv and ut.

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Hi Blackey. Thanks for your post. I was on the same posse you were on at Winter Range (Posse 30!) and instead of feeling sorry for myself and beating myself up I should have taken a page from your book: do the best you can with what you're dealt, and have a good time, which you seemed to do. I wish I'd been thinking instead of just feeling...

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I compete only with myself. Sure, I can look at some of the people that have way better times then me and appreciate the time and effort and expense they put into it.

For me, while I would love to be top of the pack, just nature I guess, I enjoy more dressing up and using different guns as the mood strikes. Thus, never going to be at the top but then again I am competing with myself.

 

Can I beat today with the lightning what I got last time with the 92? How about the top breaks today vs the vaqueros last time? That sort of thing.

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That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. Normally I just play my own game, put on the flashy clothes and go shoot. This time I didn't do that. I let the whole "National Championship" idea overwhelm what little common sense I may have, and as a result I ruined what should have been a fabulous trip for myself...

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Shoot C&B revolvers... that'll teach ya patience and humility! And, a REAL sense of accomplishment when you get a clean stage. Well said, Charley!

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Shoot C&B revolvers... that'll teach ya patience and humility! And, a REAL sense of accomplishment when you get a clean stage. Well said, Charley!

I only have a couple clean matches under my belt in the six years I've been shooting. Both with C&B!!

Can't seem to get it done with the Vaquaros. It's not their fault either, I usually choke with the rifle. (It shoots straighter than I do!!)

 

Knarley

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No, I'm not shooting classic cowboy. Shot the 87 today, while Tillie made fun of me. Tried to beat her with everything I had, but may have failed. Lol! My times were low to mid 20s running the new sg. Had a lot of fun today! We'll try to make the Montana state shoot, CW.

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Charlie,

Lunger is a good guy, with a lot of knowledge running around in his hrad. Hopefully "just enjoy yourself" sticks with you. Sometimes I start taking it way to serious myself, but at the end of the day, the only one leaving in a caddy is the ones who arrived in a caddy.

 

Hope we get the opportunity to shoot together again.

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Charlie been there and done that. If you can t laugh at yourself when you make a mistake who can? When your doing good just to be there everything else is a bonus. I really enjoy the shooting and the comradeship that I haven't found since retiring from the af. It brings back many summer afternoons and weekend mornings watching westerns. Bfor some reason they were not on the channels we got at home. But at my grandparents I remember watching these shows afternoon after afternoon or each weekend morning.

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i did not give this a great deal of thought prior to your post , i live what you said and ive not really thought it through , i know a lot of great shooters - they win the matches , i know a lot of fun shooters sometimes they even win , i enjoy both , but if i spend time at the campfire its with the fun ones , i appreciate both - all - and enjoy my shooting , when that stops ill stop

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Mind Set… Playing your own Game…. OK, I’ve read all of this and can’t help but wonder about some of the comments. It appears that some have the idea that Winning and Having Fun do not go hand in hand. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Winning is fun… if it can be done without agonizing over losing. The fun comes for the journey, not from the arrival in the Winners Circle. I know MANY in this game that spend a good amount of time in the Winners Circle, and they all have Fun. I know many more that never spend any time in the Winners Circle, and they have fun too. IMO, there are two types of losers in this game. The ones that try so hard to win that it puts their whole life into a knot, and the ones that “Claim” that they don’t care, and thus just walk through the stage firing their guns and giving a full commentary while they do it. Geeze… that is just a cover up for being afraid to try. Have fun… hoop it up at the match, and poke and prod your pards… and then for the time it takes to shoot the stage, do the best that you can. No matter how high or low in the standing that you finish, you will be a winner in this game. Anyone that Claims that they don’t care if they hit the targets or not, is just not being honest with themselves. Next time you go to a match, pick out someone that is on a par with you, and silently strive to beat him/her. You don't have to make a big deal out of it.. but it will be fun, and you will feel good when you achieve your goal.

 

Snakebite

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Mind Set… Playing your own Game…. OK, I’ve read all of this and can’t help but wonder about some of the comments. It appears that some have the idea that Winning and Having Fun do not go hand in hand. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Winning is fun… if it can be done without agonizing over losing. The fun comes for the journey, not from the arrival in the Winners Circle. I know MANY in this game that spend a good amount of time in the Winners Circle, and they all have Fun. I know many more that never spend any time in the Winners Circle, and they have fun too. IMO, there are two types of losers in this game. The ones that try so hard to win that it puts their whole life into a knot, and the ones that “Claim” that they don’t care, and thus just walk through the stage firing their guns and giving a full commentary while they do it. Geeze… that is just a cover up for being afraid to try. Have fun… hoop it up at the match, and poke and prod your pards… and then for the time it takes to shoot the stage, do the best that you can. No matter how high or low in the standing that you finish, you will be a winner in this game. Anyone that Claims that they don’t care if they hit the targets or not, is just not being honest with themselves. Next time you go to a match, pick out someone that is on a par with you, and silently strive to beat him/her. You don't have to make a big deal out of it.. but it will be fun, and you will feel good when you achieve your goal.

 

Snakebite

Exactly, Snakebite. Winning is fun, and I go out there every time with that in mind. But as you said, you can't agonize over losing.

 

Beating yourself up when you don't do as well on a stage, or in a match, as you think you should have is where it all falls apart. If you don't care if you hit the targets, you might as well stay home and shoot BB guns in your back yard. It'll accomplish just as much. The thing to do is to put yourself out there, do your best and don't agonize over losing. Take the bad with the good and be thankful that you have the chance to play cowboy and don't stop looking for the top; just don't let it become the be-all and end-all of your life.

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Charlie,

Lunger is a good guy, with a lot of knowledge running around in his hrad. Hopefully "just enjoy yourself" sticks with you. Sometimes I start taking it way to serious myself, but at the end of the day, the only one leaving in a caddy is the ones who arrived in a caddy.

 

Hope we get the opportunity to shoot together again.

Lunger is a good guy, and he's not hesitant to share whatever help he can.

 

Willie and I will be back for Winter Range in 2018. Maybe we'll be on the same posse again.

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Exactly, Snakebite. Winning is fun, and I go out there every time with that in mind. But as you said, you can't agonize over losing.

 

Beating yourself up when you don't do as well on a stage, or in a match, as you think you should have is where it all falls apart. If you don't care if you hit the targets, you might as well stay home and shoot BB guns in your back yard. It'll accomplish just as much. The thing to do is to put yourself out there, do your best and don't agonize over losing. Take the bad with the good and be thankful that you have the chance to play cowboy and don't stop looking for the top; just don't let it become the be-all and end-all of your life.

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Howdy Charlie!

 

I agree with all you have said except for this statement " five years from now nobody will remember where you placed anyway"

I think it's more like " 5 DAYS from now nobody will remember where you placed anyway" ;)

 

muck

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Howdy Charlie!

 

I agree with all you have said except for this statement " five years from now nobody will remember where you placed anyway"

I think it's more like " 5 DAYS from now nobody will remember where you placed anyway" ;)

 

muck

Good point, Muck! :D

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True words from Snakebite, and Runumuck. On the lighter side, the results are in. Tillie has beaten me by a staggering 2 seconds, and matched me on rankpoint yesterday. Words were said, and a rematch will happen after my new 87 gets the stock shortened! Now those are some results that probably will be remembered for 5 yrs.

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If the truth were known, you would have probably won had it not been for those Lyin, Cheatin, Blind Spotters! ;)

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If the truth were known, you would have probably won had it not been for those Lyin, Cheatin, Blind Spotters! ;)

Yeah, there is always that to keep in mind! :D

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