What seems like just a few days ago (because it was a few days ago) Team Umarex returned from Marengo, OH and the Pyramyd Air Cup. We always love attending the ‘Cup and for a wide variety of reasons. For one, there’s a wide variety of competition. Of course the main event is 100 yard benchrest, but there’s also Pyramyd’s take on speed shooting, GunSlynger, and Field Target.
Unlike other such competitions, there’s room for springer at the PA Cup. This year I competed in bench and Gunslynger with PCPs, but I also took along a Ruger Targis Hunter Max for Springer Gunslynger. While the last competition might seem tedious and boring to watch, it is anything but on both accounts. I found it exhilarating, even competing with a 100% factory and barely broken in break barrel air rifle. I will definitely be back for this competition. It is way too fun to ignore. Hey, if you haven’t jumped on the PCP wagon and are within a few hours of the Central Ohio area, you should give this a shot!
Gunslynger
PCP Gunslynger is a fast and furious affair. Pump and short throw action PCPs dominated this event. Well, that is to say this event was dominated by really top-notch shooters like Airguns of Arizona’s Lauren Parsons. No matter the event, Lauren is very competitive and usually hanging out among the leaders. You’ve been warned. I shot the .22 caliber Zelos this year in PCP Gunslynger. Unlike last year, I didn’t have 4 shooters sharing the same rifle and I had a handful of magazines rather than just two to work with. Even still, I only made it to the second round, narrowly missing the advance to the third round.
New Shooters to Field Target
The one event I did not sign up for was Field Target. Honestly, this event has been the most intimidating airgun shooting discipline for me. This didn’t seem to bother either Kolby Rasmussen or his wife, Umarex’s own Ashley. They jumped in amongst the veteran field target competitors and held their own considering. And “considering” is this: Kolby used the sub-$300 Umarex Notos topped with a Hawke 4-16 optic, educated guess ranging of the targets, and minus much of shooting apparati that most seasoned FT shooters tote with and use along the course. Ashley, on the other hand, was invited to shoot with a squad and allowed to borrow a rifle she had never shot, a Thomas made specifically for Field Target. I can’t recall what optic the rifle had, but she was barely able to see the reticle due to the diopter correction being dialed in for the owner’s eye, not her’s. All in all, the couple had a great time shooting and both managed to impress their fellow shooters with how quickly they picked it up using borrowed and “less than ideal” equipment. That Notos was probably the cheapest rifle and scope combination on the course by a factor of 6X. The moral of the story is, it’s not always an equipment game, even when you think it is.
East of the Mississippi? You Need to be at the PA CUP!
This Pyramyd Air Cup is a very approachable event. It is very welcoming to individual shooters which means anyone who wants to attend can easily sign up and make their way to the event. The facility, the Cardinal Shooting Center, is massive and hosts many much larger shooting events throughout the year. There’s plenty of AirBnBs and hotels within a 30 minute drive of the range and, if you are a camper, there’s plenty of RV and camper space if you want to stay at the facility.
With the Rocky Mountain Airgun Challenge and Extreme Benchrest anchoring down the Western half of the country, the Pyramyd Air Cup dominates the scene East of the Mississippi river. That said, people from all over the States and even a few folks from various corners of the world make their way to all of these events. You can, too! Join us next year!