I shot my first steel match in some years this past weekend, and it was a good time. I shot carry optics, the busiest division these days, and came in 2nd. My time was good enough for 3rd overall, and the two guys who beat me were GM’s, one in CO and the other in Open. My stage times were anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 seconds off my pace from some years ago, but not practicing will do that to you. They were still good enough to place well at nationals if you go by last year’s scores, so I am training and looking forward to this year’s nationals, which are coming up pretty quick.
In addition, my friend Jim from Milt Sparks fame joined Julie and me for the match. It was a great time shooting and hanging out with friends and family.
Though I can be down on competition when I shoot too much of it, changing sports can be refreshing, and it will definitely let you work on different skills. I will go into more detail about steel challenge as my training progresses, but if you have not tried it, find a local match and give it a go. You may enjoy it and you may get better, so what’s not to like?
