TargetTalk

Through a series of events this last winter I know find myself living in Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia. My wife works for a large company and I have decided to stay home with my 2 young daughters.
Many years ago I participated in Bullseye competitions with my State National Guard team and did pretty well. I was on the brink of "Greatness" when I decided to pursue business interests which kept me out of the game for nearly 20 years. I was always a very good Rapid Fire shooter in Bullseye and I want to see how that translates to International style competition.
I met up with the renowned Mongolian National Coach Undrabat and have started training at his club called "Champions". Fitting, as he has coached the 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist O. Gundegmaa and Bronze Medalist Munkhbayer Dorgsuren. I have started training with a Walther LP400 with an XL grip, very, very nice. I have never shat an AP before and this has been very humbling. I am very close to breaking 90 after a month of training and feel very good about that. I just do not see how it is possible to hit that 10 at least every other time so I hope to move on to Rapid Fire Pistol very soon.
I have attached a few pictures of the facility located at the Defence University, Mongolia's West Point. It is located in the basement of the barrack halls, a very dark, dank place. It is hard to imagine that when I was shooting for my Army team that I would be training years later deep in former Soviet territory. All of those cadets running around with AK47s kinda makes the hair stand on end.
When you get down there it is all business, everyone does what they are supposed to do under the coaches watchful eye. I will keep posting updates as I get them if there is some interest. I am rooting for Gundegmaa to get the Gold in London!! Go Girl!!
http://s1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff488/Eaglemitch/
I hope the pics come thru!!

Nice pics. Mongolia is a fascinating place (at least from a distance) with a long and very interesting history that is not as well known as it should be in this country.

Good luck with your shooting. Oh, and keep an eye out for the next Genghis Khan - the first one proved to be quite a problem.

Roger

Eaglemitch wrote:I met up with the renowned Mongolian National Coach Undrabat and have started training at his club called "Champions". Fitting, as he has coached the 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist O. Gundegmaa and Bronze Medalist Munkhbayer Dorgsuren.

Allow me to add - by all means - Munkzul Tsogbadrah to the illustrious group as well. And "Munki" (Munkhbayar Dorjsuren) has been a German citizen and soldier since, oh I don't know, 15 years? Possibly more.

PS: Why Olympic Rapidfire and not ISSF Standard Pistol?

Alexander

Lot's of great Mongolian shooters with more in the pipeline!! I just had a great interest in Rapid fire events. My typical Bullseye scores were mid 80s Slow Fire, mid to high 90s Timed and mid to high 90s Rapid Fire. And that was with a Hardball .45.
My teamates would say "Just get up there and shoot your Slow fire in 15 seconds twice and you would have a better score" Well, maybe. I just thought I would get better at it. Now at age 50 I do know that it does not happen by "Magic", I have to identify what I need to do right and practice. I really feel that I am starting over and building a good foundation from which to build.
I am lifting dumbells everyday and dry firing as well. It has to help!! Just wish I was 30 years younger. I cannot wait to compete. Stand by.

Very interesting. One correction: Mongolia was a Soviet client state but it was never Soviet territory.

Eaglemitch, Being good at slow fire or the short line seems to be more of a personality thing. Most people are much better at one or the other. When in matches with less top notch shooters the short line is definitely the most important because it is 2/3 of the match but when everyone is shooting 98's to 100's on the short line, suddenly the slow fire score is what wins the match. Usually a person that is very laid back is good at long line and a person that is a little hyper is good at short line. Check around for the fundementals and try to follow them to the letter, mainly concentrating on getting the slow fire shot off sooner which is easier said than done. I know I don't like it, but dry firing is an excellent way to improve slow fire because the errors are obvious. As I am sure you are already aware from experience, the gun moves the least, shortly after putting it up, and the challange is to get it to go off during this time without upsetting the gun with the pull on the trigger. -- Bill --

"Free Pistol shooters live their life in slow motion."

You're absolutely right Alexander. If you are good at slow fire go to a free pistol and a Harry Reeves match and if you are good at time and rapid, go to International Pistol. -- Bill --

I said it with a light twinkling; maybe it was my inner envy that prompted me. When I shoot a better 10 seconds series in Standard Pistol than in 150 seconds (not often, but has happened twice, each time above 180), then something gnaws at my pride. ;-) ;-P

Alexander

PS: Just yesterday, my IZH-35 blew its extractor assembly (old Eley Club did it). Managed to find the retainer bolt, but not the extractor claw, nor the small spring. :-(((((((((((

Can you get parts for your IZH in old Europe. I heard it is quite difficult here in the U.S.

Benelli 32's can go through an extractor a month also but I learned that the new ones can be fitted to cause less problems ...and watch for dirt build up in the barrel groove.-- Bill --

Just got back from a visit to that part of the world (inner and outer Mongolia}

What type of company is your wife in?

There are more "billionaire" per 1000 people in that part of the world than anywhere on earth.

Is your wife's company into sheeps, coal, rare earth, or natural gas?

Copper and Gold. A huge mine in the Gobi Desert. It is giving me time to shoot but my allowance from her is still meager. The Club has a great selection of pellet and rimfire guns, Pardini, Walther, Steyr. They have a few centerfire pistols but cannot get ammo so training will be done with APs.

AP is a popular subject on TT. Do a Search and you'll find a huge amount of information to play with.

It's now my personal favorite event and one I took up as a "training tool" for Bullseye, but it got me into International style shooting.

Thanks very much for posting! This is very relevant to my interests. In the summer of 2013 I have 6 months off and I've been thinking of doing some intense training abroad (and just traveling around). Going to Mongolia and possibly training there for awhile has been a thought. Please provide more details about how you found the place and been allowed to use it.
Thanks!
Shane