DarkStar
There are those who have crossfired. . .
Pair firing is required at certain team events, specifically at the CMP National Trophy Team Match (6-man team). I think it's required at the Hearst Doubles (2-man team match). I know I've always pair fired that one. It can be optional at other team events (NRA and CMP 4-man team events).
A lot of the above responses are about Fullbore 2-to a mound or 3-to a mound pair fire where one of the competitors who is not shooting is also the scorekeeper. In the U.S. team events, another person from another team/target comes over to be the scorekeeper.
A big one for the team pair fire is HOW that is conducted. All slow fires stages are shot pair fire. The team brings their first pair of shooters up to the firing point for 200 yard standing and then later for 600 yard prone. One on the left, one on the right. Smaller team matches may have the shooters coaching each other, but typically there will be a team coach up there with the shooters, as well as the scorekeeper from another team.
When firing begins, the shooter on the right must fire first. The shot is recorded and the shooter on the left then fires. Then back to the right shooter. The most important in this pair firing is to NOT GET OUT OF ORDER. A shot fired out of order (ie: the shooter on the right fires twice) must be recorded as a miss. And it can happen.
When team matches do not require pair firing, many teams still do. One reason is that pair fire for a whole team is faster than single shooter firing. There is no stopping to do shooter changes, the time for the stage is a block time and the team brings up single shooters or pairs of shooters as necessary.
Also, another thing for the wind coach at 600 yards is getting the rifles married up. This is much easier when the pair of shooters have a similar rifle/load. Once the wind coach gets the two rifles pretty closely in sync, he can call commands such as "both rifles one minute right." If the rifles are very different, or the loads dissimilar, the wind coach may have to keep up with and give extra commands to the shooter with the "lower performance rifle/load."
I've had some of the most fun as a shooter at team matches. Me and the guy I've been partnered with at the 6-man team up at Camp Perry will talk smack to each other while we're firing, especially at 200 yard standing. It was always fun to give him crap when he'd shoot a 9. "Thanks, man. Now I'm gonna get pulled in that direction. You're a piece of crap." And other such shenanigans.
A lot of the above responses are about Fullbore 2-to a mound or 3-to a mound pair fire where one of the competitors who is not shooting is also the scorekeeper. In the U.S. team events, another person from another team/target comes over to be the scorekeeper.
A big one for the team pair fire is HOW that is conducted. All slow fires stages are shot pair fire. The team brings their first pair of shooters up to the firing point for 200 yard standing and then later for 600 yard prone. One on the left, one on the right. Smaller team matches may have the shooters coaching each other, but typically there will be a team coach up there with the shooters, as well as the scorekeeper from another team.
When firing begins, the shooter on the right must fire first. The shot is recorded and the shooter on the left then fires. Then back to the right shooter. The most important in this pair firing is to NOT GET OUT OF ORDER. A shot fired out of order (ie: the shooter on the right fires twice) must be recorded as a miss. And it can happen.
When team matches do not require pair firing, many teams still do. One reason is that pair fire for a whole team is faster than single shooter firing. There is no stopping to do shooter changes, the time for the stage is a block time and the team brings up single shooters or pairs of shooters as necessary.
Also, another thing for the wind coach at 600 yards is getting the rifles married up. This is much easier when the pair of shooters have a similar rifle/load. Once the wind coach gets the two rifles pretty closely in sync, he can call commands such as "both rifles one minute right." If the rifles are very different, or the loads dissimilar, the wind coach may have to keep up with and give extra commands to the shooter with the "lower performance rifle/load."
I've had some of the most fun as a shooter at team matches. Me and the guy I've been partnered with at the 6-man team up at Camp Perry will talk smack to each other while we're firing, especially at 200 yard standing. It was always fun to give him crap when he'd shoot a 9. "Thanks, man. Now I'm gonna get pulled in that direction. You're a piece of crap." And other such shenanigans.
