Day Three is always where complications start presenting themselves, and we will go into that later. But, as usual, the 2018 WFTC day started with a hearty breakfast and then off to the main range…
Someone should have told us that we needed a 4 wheel drive! LOL!, well not quite, but as is the case with many countries in the old Soviet Block, the roads have received little attention, apart from those thoroughfares that are the lifeblood of an economy. The access road to the range is not even paved and since there is rain in the forecast for Friday, I am not sure what we will do then.
I parked the car and proceeded to the range. Map courtesy of Polish Field Target Association.
As is expected on a WFTC the sight in range was very well set, and the Marshals stopped the shooting frequently to renew the most shot at paper. Fantastic management and activity by these Marshals at the 2018 WFTC!
You can see some of them in the yellow hi-viz vests at the sight-in range below.
The caliber of shooters present on the sight-in range is, in a way, humbling. The top of the top, the creme de la creme, is there, to your right and to your left. All languages are spoken, but one common language prevails: FT
It is so nice to see everyone getting along together when there is one common thread of understanding. Russians getting along with Ukrainians, Turks getting along with Greeks. I guess that if the world’s problems were left to these FT shooters at the 2018 WFTC, some really interesting solutions would be found.
After checking ALL my ranges, and finding out that the elevation numbers tracked perfectly, but the windage numbers made no sense at ALL, I decided to call it quits and walk the course.
The range is set in a disused cement quarry, and so the mountains are made, literally of what was once ocean floor. You realize that when you find Fossils all around.
Human activity created a lunar landscape, where cliffs and sinkholes share the space in less than 30 yards.
I was more interested in how long it will take tomorrow to walk from the sight-in range to the shooter’s meeting area, and then to the lanes, than about what the lanes look like, but still you cannot avoid looking at the obvious and two things popped up:
One is a lane that is up a cliff, I mean a REAL cliff, see the human’s sizes for scale.
And then look at the detail of where the targets are…
A wind from your back is going to play some VERY interesting tricks there.
Kill Zones are not that small, distances are not that big, but the currents and eddies and topographically induced drifts in the trajectories are going to be the REAL challenge!
The other is the location of some targets that are really challenged in the visibility. I’ve added red arrows into the photographs to indicate where they are, otherwise you’ll never see them!
I have a very low shooting position, so sometimes I HAVE to take shots from the kneeling position that other shooters can take from the sitting position.
The photos were taken from my shooting position, so you can clearly see that there is an interference of weeds and grass with the trajectory.
We’ll see tomorrow if we can find a solution to that…
After the sight-in and the walk through the courses, I went back to the hotel to do some serious maths because even though the vertical drops were tracking, the windage numbers made no sense.
After a careful analysis, my conclusion was that, somehow, the magnification ring had moved between Maryland and Poland. Baggage Handlers? Curious TSA inspector? who knows!
Luckily I was able to spot it and I THINK I have corrected it.
Tomorrow we will take another shot at checking all the distances and drifts and see if my solution is correct.
After making so many serious calculations, I was up for something light and fun, and luckily, the 2018 WFTC group photo and the welcome dinner were up.
Remember that I said that FT Shooters could solve together some of the problems of the world? Well, I take it back because the 2018 WFTC groups photo was en exercise in disorganization! But it was fun, seeing everyone together and being all as baffled as the next guy was fun!
What we did not know then was that the Polish organizers had prepared a Medieval show.
There was one at the 2015 WFTC in Lithuania. After all during the 10th to the 12th centuries, the Poles and the Lithuanians fought each other for the hegemony of Europe. You can read a bit more about that at:
https://www.ctcustomairguns.com/hectors-airgun-blog/the-2015-wftcs-in-dubingai-lithuania
It was a lot of fun, specially, the cannon fire. It was LOUD!
After a lot of swordplay, jokes, volunteers from the public, and good laughs, we moved to the Welcome dinner.
Team USA had been assigned a good, large table and with some corrections, we were able to fit all there.
After a good meal, we agreed on plans for tomorrow and we said good night.
Hope you all are enjoying the 2018 WFTC as much as we are. Tomorrow the serious competition starts!
If you missed Day Two of Hector’s 2018 WFTC report, you can see it here.
The post Hector Medina Reports From The 2018 WFTC in Poland – Day Three appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.