A little over 5 weeks until 2011 Canadian National Pistol Championships

It's just over 5 weeks to go until the 2011 Canadian National Pistol Championships in Calgary, Alberta. I still haven't decided if I'll break up the competition into two trips instead of staying the entire duration of the event. There are quite a few days between 50M and 10M events and I think there are at least 3 days where the 10M range wouldn't be open for practice.

Provincials were last week and I finished with a 561. Complete results can be found on the BCTSA website.

I've been watching a lot of the World Cup Series 2011 highlights on the ISSF YouTube channel.

Here are highlights from the 10m Air Pistol competition in Munich:

Registered for 2011 BC Provincials and 2011 Canadian Nationals

I'll be heading over to Vancouver Island June 10th-12th for the 2011 BC Provincial Championships and to Calgary July 29th-Aug 7th for the 2011 Canadian National Pistol Championships. I was thinking of going over to Calgary next month for the Alberta Provincials but won't be making that trip with the BC Provincials the following weekend which is the event I want to be focusing on.

In other news, I'm taking the first part of the NCCP coach training and certification program later this month!

Tied for 1st place at 2010 BC Airgun Championships

I ended up tied for 1st place at the 2010 BC Airgun Championships in Richmond, BC. The way the tie-break is done though is by counting back from the last shot to find who ended better. Out of 3 complete courses of fire (180 shots) both Edmond Lee and myself ended up at 1686/1800 points.

Congrats to my fellow Team BC teammate Edmond Lee who had a slightly better last target than me.

I'm off for a few weeks before getting ready for Provincials in Campbell River (early May) where I'll break in my new 50M pistol which should arrive in a couple of weeks. Next up after that, will probably be the 2010 Canadian National Pistol Championships being held in Granby, Quebec August 25 to 31, 2010.

566/600 -- Tied for 1st place at the 2009 BC Handgun Championships

What a great weekend! I'm sitting outside at the Campbell River airport enjoying the sun and fresh air.

I only shot in the Olympic 10M Pistol event this weekend and enjoyed watching the other events at the 2009 BC Handgun Championships. 566/600. That score is only a couple points lower than my personal best and several points higher than the Olympic Minimum Qualification Score. At Nationals this summer I'll need to be shooting at this level or higher so I can make the National Team. A 566 is likely enough to make the National Development Team.

I was tied for 1st place but in order to break the tie, the officials work backwards seeing who had the better last 10 shots. Edmond Lee's last string of 10 shots was just a bit better than mine so he's the official winner. Nice work Edmond! In 3rd place with a 562 was Tyler Johnson.

i wasn't in campbell river long enough to do much exploring...
but here's a photo of a shot up van near the shooting range ;)

Less than 10 weeks until Nationals... I need to get in some Olympic 50M Pistol training before then. It will be great to be shooting a 2nd event!

2009 BC Provincial Handgun Championships starts tomorrow!

I'll be travelling to Campbell River, BC tomorrow morning to shoot at the 2009 BC Handgun Championships. My first competition back since recovering from a shoulder injury nearly a year ago!

Registered for 2009 BC Provincials and 2009 Canadian Nationals

I've sent my registration in for Provincials in Campbell River, BC next month and for the 2009 Canadian National Handgun Championships in Calgary, Alberta in August. The 2009 Provincials next month will be my first competition back since last summer when I injured my shoulder.

It will be busy weeks leading up to both events. Next month I might be going down to San Francisco for a few days for a conference and I'll be volunteering at the 2009 World Police & Fire Games right before flying to Calgary. I've signed up for 10M and 50M pistol events for Calgary and will only be shooting 10M at Provincials.

2009 BC ISSF Handgun Championships

I just returned home from a 5 week business/vacation trip and will likely post up a few photos in the coming weeks.

Back to shooting...

The 2009 BC Handgun Championships will be in Campbell River, BC on May 29, 30, and 31. I'm definitely looking forward to this one and it's going to be great timing before Nationals in early August. The registration form can be found on the BC Target Sports Association website.

This will be my first event since my shoulder injury at Nationals '08!

Delivered a rushed performance at 2008 BC ISSF Championships

The great thing about going out of town for a competition is I tend to leave 'stuff' behind once that airplane takes off or I've driven out of town. 'Stuff' like work schedules, meetings, errands etc. With the competition being a local one yesterday and my schedule the way it was I didn't leave 'stuff' behind, it was another hectic business day and not a competition day.

I got to the competition in the late afternoon and there was enough time to shoot before the BBQ. Without really thinking about it for too long it seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately this wasn't a good idea and broke a lot of my regular competition habits.

It's a good idea to get a practice session the day before (if possible) to get a feel for the range. Knowing the conditions of the range helps with preparations.

Unfortunately for me, I rushed there, I rushed in, I rushed to start my match, and I rushed through all my shots (549/600) -- what I should have done is practiced that day and gone early to shoot the next morning. I would have known that the 10M range was outdoor, that the lighting changes, how the target system worked, and what the temperature was like. I think the last time I shot at that range was in the mid 90s.

Knowing the conditions and environment helps with packing the right tools and equipment (ie: a jacket if it's cold) and preparing mentally. I think this actually applies to almost anything in life.

This competition has reinforced that for me and I intend to make sure I get a practice session in the day before at Nationals in Calgary next month.

Registered for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships

I'll be attending the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships at the end of May. I'm waiting to see if my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence) gets sent to me in time so I can compete in the 50M Pistol and Standard Pistol events, both events are shot using .22 calibre pistols. Over the next few weeks I'll be making updates about my training for this competition as well as for Nationals in July.

Registration forms for the 2008 BC ISSF Pistol Championships are online now at the BC Target Sports Association website. The event will be held in North Vancouver at Pacific Shooters.