Looks like things may be running behind at WFTC’18 Poland! By Midnight (Polish time), no scores had been posted for 21 out of the 236 PCP competitors. The leader board was headed by Ferenc Sas of Hungary with a score of 48.
Hector reports that he didn’t finish either, as a matter of fact, they still have about 8 lanes to go (1/3) so I don’t think they will post Piston scores until MAYBE tomorrow midday for today’s session and tomorrow night for the morning (Piston session)…
Here’s Hector’s report for Day Four of WFTC’18 Poland.
Day 4 WFTC’18 Poland was a tough day for Piston shooters!
I was at the range early morning, to try to ratify or rectify the results of my maths from yesterday. And once a final set of numbers had been arrived at (luckily the maths were correct), I needed to create a paper form because after Lisbon (2016), ALL electronic devices are forbidden from the shooting line.
Below. Easy shot, right? But see where the next one is…
So I cannot have my tablet and use it as a ballistics table. I need to write down all the different trajectories for the different inclinations. I start at 20 degrees and go every 5 degrees to 45 (plus the horizontal base line). That makes for writing down 630 times 4 digit numbers. Not my favorite activity, but something that is demanded by a rule driven by ignorance, intolerance, and fear…
I was writing down my numbers in the shade provided by an inflatable tent, when the rest of Team USA arrived. With Cameron Kerndt we were almost fully complete, ONLY Leo Duran was missing his rifle (that had been missing for 5 days already) and he had taken the train to Warsaw to see if it arrived and if he could pick it up.
A few friends from England and Canada joined us in the shade, and I have to say that even for someone born in the Sonora-Arizona desert, the sun was relentless, falling on you like a shower of molten lead.
Those that ventured out usually had a good coating of SPF fluids, or like Matt Brackett, borrowed a page from Lawrence of Arabia. Yes that is a genuine “Kheffia” as we can see in our heading photograph, above.
Originally, we were supposed to start at 2:00 PM and shoot until 6:00 PM. But by 2:00 PM, none of the PCP shooters had come out and we were getting worried.
We were told there would be an hour’s delay, but unfortunately they didn’t tell us from when they were counting that hour 
At approximately 3:00 PM we all made our way to the Shooters Meeting area and waited. And waited. And waited. And then waited some more.
To be honest, that was the most tiring part of the day. But it did allow Leo Duran time to arrive from Warsaw with his gun, so now Team USA Piston was TRULY complete for WFTC’18 Poland.
And by the time we started, we only had less than 3 of hours before sunset (7:57 PM).
I was squadded with Alexandre Bessa, from Portugal and we had a good time. We were also pummeled by the course!
Here is one of the most important and interesting aspects of FT. You do not shoot against the other shooters. Your enemy is the course and the atmospheric conditions.
Whatever Mother Nature (Or Father, depending on the weather), throws at you is a challenge.
Lots of small (for World’s Standards) kill zones, and all sorts of placements challenged the shooters, and to that we had to add a diminishing light at an angle that tainted everything red/orange.
Luckily, this time (unlike Lisbon) EVERYONE stopped shooting more or less at the same time and we will all resume our shooting tomorrow.
Though I know my numbers are good, and though I connected with a fair amount of 45 to 55 yarders, I was also missing some easy 38 yarders as well as the standers and kneelers.
Ah, well that’s Field Target for you, it is an incredible sport, but it is also a grueling and humbling experience.
As for the low position that some targets were placed at, the solution is that you CAN cross the firing line with your feet. In Germany, that is illegal, but not here at WFTC’18 Poland. So you edge up a little bit to the edge of the gully and get the clearance you need.
As long as the trigger guard is behind the firing line, while the muzzle is in front, you’re good.
Thanks to all of you that expressed concern about this!
Let’s see what will bring tomorrow at WFTC’18 Poland and if it rains, as is forecast.
Thanks again Hector. To catch-up on his previous post, click here.
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