Two Hours = A Lifetime

Today was the Mentor Match, which concluded of what could be called a day off for the competitive shooters. However, many of them didn’t take it as a day off. A total of 51 teams competed in the 2008 Mentor Match.

To say that they competed, though, would be wrong. Sure, they were firing at targets, and an award will be given at the 2008 NRA Smallbore Prone Championships. None of these competitors -- at least, none I'd talked to -- thinks a trophy is the only reward.

Parents paired up with their children. Grandfathers and grandmothers shot next to their 13-year-old grandson. Complete strangers who may have never even met before today shot side by side. Experienced shooters who have been in the business for quiet some time became a “mentor” for a young shooter with huge ambitions.

The official name for this match is the Randle Doubles/Mentor match. Each team is made up of one adult, one junior, and one coach, which is optional. The course of fire is Dewar, any sight.

One group in particular was active during this match. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit took time away from a chance to rest their body and their mind for what will probably be the most focused and intense two days as the Any Sight Prone Championships begin tomorrow.

Steve-O is working on a story on how today, with the Whistler Boy and the Mentor Match played a big role in shaping the future of our sport. Check back for that.