NCAA Rifle Team - Anyone Got Info?

[JeremiahJohnson]

My son made the rifle team at Rose and apparently they're pretty good. #22 nationally over all and #1 division 3 last year. He's been on the end of a rifle most of his life and is one of the best shooters I know, so it doesn't surprise me he made a team, but I know nothing about it. I know they shoot .17 air rifles and .22 rifles, there are 10 people on a team but they only score the top 5...

There are meets, but I don't know if anyone's allowed to attend - is this a spectator sport?

Any additional information would be appreciated - first hand stories much appreciated.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

There's my shooter, taking out prairie dogs in Wyoming last month.

 

[menzzer37]

I shot on the Rose rifle team. Most matches are going to be away. We shot Xavier, Kansas, Kentucky...OSU, Purdue. The problem with spectating is that Rose's range is not set up to watch. You can't be inside the range and you basically only have a breezeway and some windows to watch from. Not really much to see. They don't have digital scoring or anything. Congrats to him! It's fun but Rose sure isn't when it comes to tests, etc.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

There's my shooter, taking out prairie dogs in Wyoming last month.

Looks more like Austrailia.

 

[Westside]

you tube is your friend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gAIVHWNH34

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I shot on the Rose rifle team. Most matches are going to be away. We shot Xavier, Kansas, Kentucky...OSU, Purdue. The problem with spectating is that Rose's range is not set up to watch. You can't be inside the range and you basically only have a breezeway and some windows to watch from. Not really much to see. They don't have digital scoring or anything. Congrats to him! It's fun but Rose sure isn't when it comes to tests, etc.

Well sir from what I'm finding out you must be quite a shooter - no slouches on that team for sure. So I'm guessing long bus rides; we're used to that from football. Can you share a little about how a match goes and what it's like?

 

[menzzer37]

It all depends on his team position. If he shoots both air rifle and small bore, you typically shoot air first, standing only. The 22 will be shot in 3 position. Prone, standing, then kneeling. It's fun but man kneeling wears you out! All the binding clothes and wood soled shoes. Rose has good guns at least...but again depending on your team position influences how nice you get. They use to (5 years ago) have Walthers for Air and Anschutz for small bore. I love Anschutz and own some myself!

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

It all depends on his team position. If he shoots both air rifle and small bore, you typically shoot air first, standing only. The 22 will be shot in 3 position. Prone, standing, then kneeling. It's fun but man kneeling wears you out! All the binding clothes and wood soled shoes. Rose has good guns at least...but again depending on your team position influences how nice you get. They use to (5 years ago) have Walthers for Air and Anschutz for small bore. I love Anschutz and own some myself!

"wood soled shoes"?! What's the advantage there?

I think he prefers small bore because of the three different stances, and because it's gun powder. You're right about that. Practice has started and they're all shooting for position I suppose.

That brings up a question - maybe you can help. Four seniors graduated last year and that apparently opened up 4 positions on the team. We're familiar with several athletic sports and this is the first time ever positions are secure once you make the team. Why?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Wood soled shoes don't bend/flex...so you don't cramp up yer feet/ankles. A "binding" for your feet, essentially.

 

[Slawburger]

Does the team buy the wood-soled shoes or does everyone go "Dutch"?

That actually sounds pretty cool. Congrats to your son (and retroactively menzzer37) on making the team.

 

[menzzer37]

"wood soled shoes"?! What's the advantage there?

I think he prefers small bore because of the three different stances, and because it's gun powder. You're right about that. Practice has started and they're all shooting for position I suppose.

That brings up a question - maybe you can help. Four seniors graduated last year and that apparently opened up 4 positions on the team. We're familiar with several athletic sports and this is the first time ever positions are secure once you make the team. Why?

Because a rookie who's never shot the sport has no chance of unseating the top ranking team members. It's not that they won't in time, but without knowing the game, it's very hard for someone to walk up and shoot in the 500's. Form, technique, weapon, target, etc are all foreign. They always have "tryouts" but I never saw a new shooter unseat an upper classman.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

So...if a new walk-on Freshman shooter was to show up shooting better scores than the lowest Sophomore, you think they would reconsider? I can understand not having a team member shoot during tryouts, because they're well aware of the capability of their team members, but what if there were 4 graduating seniors, but 5 kids show up that are better than the 6th guy from the get go? Whould they have a shoot off for the 6th spot? Just seems odd. There are highschool and club rifle teams. Some of the kids trying out had been shooting on teams since middle school.