2018 Cajun Spring Classic 4/27-29

So, let me tell you it's an 18 hour drive given 70 mph speed limit 90% of the time and it's honestly not that bad. Eric and I just came back from an absolutely wonderful weekend spent with our new friends at the Bayou Airgun Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
They picked the perfect time of year because it's not too hot and the bugs aren't out in force. We had high's in the high 70's/low 80's and the lows at night got down to 50. The hospitality of the folks down there is just amazing -- the southern hospitality and charm is strong in these parts and I was immediately drawn in.
We left Wednesday at 1pm, took a break between 3:30 am and 6:00 am which got us arriving there at 11am. So with the time change the trip down, with stops for gas and food took us about 22 hours. After we checked into the camp ground we went to the club to sight in our rifles and pistols. Eric was an immediate hit as Don was talking to him and relaying how he has the same gun and it shoots horribly. So Eric went through all of the do's and don'ts, modified the trigger a bit and explained what he found worked best to hold and shoot that gun. Don sat down and took some shots and the look on his face was pure joy! His frustration was gone and he was absolutely delighted at the difference in accuracy by changing your hold and lightening the trigger. He also used the pinch method that Veronica Medina mentioned to Eric and Peg many years before.
Well Eric worked a miracle for Don, so suddenly everyone knew Eric and he was more than happy to talk springers with them.
Friday we helped set up the sight-in range and got ready for the pistol match. The course was 40 targets spread out over 10 lanes and it was a great course. You go down a path into the woods and they have chiseled lanes out of the thick bush that Louisiana is known for. They had targets on the ground and in the trees offering a great variety of shots. Eric ended up being tied for first and ultimately won the shoot-off. While I didn't win I did a lot better than last week at our monthly match. My pistol was sighted in better this time and I was able to double my score from 15 to 30 and ended up 9th out of 13.
Friday night we went out to dinner with Don at a place called Sammie's and it was amazing. The food in Louisiana is amazing. This night we tried Alligator and had Po-Boy sandwiches both of which are amazing.
Saturday came and we got up early, got to the range and started sighing in. Eric heard a "thud" while cocking his rifle and immediately knew that something was wrong. With just a couple of minutes until the match he was left to figure things out on the course. Ultimately he didn't do very well on Saturday and spent the day trying to figure out where his gun was shooting. At the end of the day he wasn't very happy and wasn't near the top like he usually is. This is where Eric really shines. He has an uncanny ability to figure out and track where his gun is shooting as the match progresses.
I managed to somehow sneak into third place in Hunter PCP by the end of Saturday.
Saturday night we went out with 30 other shooters and some of their wives to Sammie's again and had a great time swapping stories. This time we tried crawfish, which tastes just like lobster...YUM.
Sunday came and Eric was at least able to get numbers for his holdovers and also found that his gun was shooting 45 fps slower. So he suspected that the spring had broken resulting in the "thud" he heard yesterday. With his numbers ready we went off to the 2nd course. Eric ended up doing much better and was 4 shy of 3rd by the end of the day. Mine was a bit worse and I ended up going from 3rd to 7th. I only shot 2 lower than the previous day but the rest of the group shot really well. What threw me was the amount of light/dark. Targets in the dark definitely range different than if they were in direct light -- something to work on.
After finishing Sunday's course Eric took his rifle apart and found that the spring had broken in TWO places.... and he still came in 4th. Wow, just wow.
We made it home safe and are looking forward to next year's 30TH Cajun Classic. Despite the long drive this was well worth it.

---