![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/crosman.jpg\" "\\"crosman\\"")
ROCHESTER, New York, (June 15, 2011) \u2013 Crosman Corporation, long known for innovation and quality in the shooting sports, will host the American Airgun Field Target Association (AAFTA) Northeast Regional Field Target Championship (NERFT) for the second consecutive year. The competitive shooting event is scheduled for July 8, 9 and 10, 2011, and will take place at the company\u2019s field target range in Bloomfield, New York.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe first hosted this event last year and it was a big hit among veteran field target competitors and those new to the sport,\u201d said Mark DeBoard, Shooting Services Manager for Crosman. Competitors traveled from all over the mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast, and the 2010 champion, Harold Rushton, came all the way from Alabama.<\/p>\n
This year the competition expands from a one-day event to two days. A one-day pistol competition has also been added. \u201dFolks who are new to the sport are welcome to come out and participate in a single-day shoot,\u201d added DeBoard. The exciting Quigley Bucket Shoot will be back and should the winner compete with a Crosman-provided Challenger, they\u2019ll take home a Paul Bishop Custom Challenger.<\/p>\n
Sanctioned by the American Airgun Field Target Association (AAFTA), the event will be conducted according to the rules for the 2011 AAFTA Nationals. Ray and Hans Apelles will serve as Match Directors to ensure the event comes off without a hitch. \u201cThe Crosman campus, located in western New York, provides for a deceiving field target course. It\u2019s difficult enough to challenge national competitors yet forgiving enough for rookies to feel good about their effort,\u201d said Ray Apelles.<\/p>\n
According to DeBoard, \u201cThis competition is a great way for shooting enthusiasts unfamiliar with the sport of field target competition to learn by participating in the sport. Those new to field target shooting will have just as much fun as the seasoned competitors,\u201d he said. \u201cExperts and world class shooters are eager to help guide you and promote the sport, and spectators are more than welcome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ray Apelles notes, \u201cField targets are constructed from heavy gauge steel cut into silhouettes the shape of small game typically hunted with an airgun,\u201d he said. \u201cThe animal targets have a hole cut out in the \u2018kill-zone\u2019 and a disc that fills the space behind the hole. The only way to make the target fall is with a direct hit to the kill zone. The shooter aims directly for the center of the disk plus any hold off to compensate for wind drift. A direct hit will cause the paddle to rotate backwards and the entire animal falls over with a thunk,\u201d he said. The steel targets are re-set by pulling on the attached string. They are placed at random distances, forcing the shooter to accurately estimate the range from the firing line to the target. Each target that falls earns the shooter a point.<\/p>\n
Anyone is welcome to participate in this shooting competition. Beginning shooters through National Champions will take part and shoot alongside one another. The match fee is $60.00 per shooter and includes lunch Saturday. \u201cOn Friday we\u2019ll have hands-on, new product demonstrations and a tour of our manufacturing facility,\u201d said Crosman\u2019s DeBoard. Friday also features the Quigley Bucket Challenge. Rules: Best of 5 shots at a 1.75″ bucket placed at 55 yards, 10-meter gun (6.5 ft-lb limit), Open and Iron Sights or non-magnified sights only. (Guns will be available for those who do not have the proper equipment but wish to compete).<\/p>\n