Name one thing you learned at your last match...

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Gryff

New member
Weigh your gun and chrono your factory ammo.

Shot an IDPA state championship last weekend. I knew in advance that my ammo probably wouldn't make chrono, but it was all that I could find. What disgusts me is that this was American Eagle factory .38 Special. IDPA reduced the power factor for Stock Service Revolver (SSR) division down to a ridiculous 105,000 simply because most factory .38 couldn't reach the required 125,000. I was appalled to discover that AE .38 only made 97,000. They really should title the ammo "Perfect for little girls."

Additionally, I never weighed my revolver because it is a bone-stock S&W 686 (with the exception of having Pachmeyr grips on it) and I assumed that I was well below the division maximum weight. Turns out that the gun is already close to the max in stock form, and the Pachmeyrs put it over. I missed making legal weight by 1/10th of an ounce. I knew I was going to have problems with ammo, but I never expected to have a weight issue with the gun. But I assumed, so that is my bad.

So, don't assume your gear is legal. Verify!
 
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Jeff22

New member
make sure your ammo makes the power factor

I shot in the state IDPA match using a Glock 19 and Federal M882 GI spec 9mm ammo.

I shot in the state USPSA match using a Glock 35 and GECO .40 cal ammo that I got from weapons world.

In both cases, the guns easily made power factor. I always use the GI spec if shooting a 9mm in a classifier match or a state match. I had not used any GECO ammo before, but I was quite impressed. It was loaded hot and held a tight group.
 
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cryogenic419

New member
Started shooting highpower service rifle this year, learned a few things along the way.

Take Advil and antacids...just in case. You never know you might get a headache or heartburn and that alone could wreak havoc on your shooting.

Have plenty of water and food on hand on hand.

A comfy chair can make all the difference in the world at long matches.

Never underestimate any of the other competitors, especially a 12 year old girl.

Most importantly....HAVE FUN. I'm not saying to not take the matches seriously, but remember why you started doing this in the first place...it was fun. Don't lose sight of that.
 
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GLI45

New member
Shot my latest IDPA match last week (ESP with an STI Eagle) and have to keep re-learning the same simple lesson, smooth is fast. On the third stage I got nailed with a procedural for not finishing my reload prior to advancing to the next shooting position. (Damn new rule is going to take some getting used to!) Never the less, I then felt the need to "make up" for the procedural and went too fast. Smooth went out the window resulting in more points down over the following stages. I would have been better off putting the procedural behind me and shooting at my pace. The reduced times didn't make up for the points down.

Smooth is fast...
Smooth is fast...
Smooth is fast...
 
J

JG26_Irish

New member
What I learned in my last match

IR50/50 22BR match (my first) - 1.) If given the chance to warmup or practice before the match, use your chosen match ammo, not some bargain brand. This allows you to judge the wind conditions and make final optics adjustments (if any) BEFORE the match begins. 2.) Zero your scope in dead calm conditions and then leave it alone. Just alter the aim point to compensate for wind. If you zero it in the wind, it will be off when the wind stops or shifts. 3.) If your rifle likes to have 10 shots thru it to warm up and settle down, don't try to shot the bulls for score after 5 (shot four 9's in the first five bulls !@#$%^&*). 4.) If the course of fire allows you 20min to shoot, then use all the time. Don't rush, no matter if you are the last shooter on the line. 5.) Always verify that you are aiming at your tgt before you press the trigger. 6.) A stable rest is better than a loose/shaky rest. Fix it before the match. 7.) When shooting indoors or in dead calm conditions, a battery powered fan may?? reduce the heat mirage in front of your scope. We shot from a heated building thru little plexiglass window ports onto outdoor tgts. The mirage from heat escaping the building thru the ports as well as from your bbl was an interesting challenge.

IPSC/USPSA - Aim fast, shoot slow. A slow "A" is better than a fast miss. Friends don't let friends carry mouseguns.

ARA 22 BR (my 1st time) - 1.) No matter how good your Winchester model 52 shoots, it is still 1932 technology and is not in any way close to competitive in modern BR competition. 2.) Have fun, it is still a game. 3.) Do not switch ammo in the middle of the match. Those small differences seem to get magnified. 4.) Wind flags? What are those for?? lol 5.) The affects from wind that is from right to left is different than when it is from left to right. 6.) When the wind is from left to right close to the bench and from right to left at the tgt, the affects are not cancelled out. 7.) Ammo, rifle, trigger, bbl, stock, optics, rest, wind, temp, humidity, shooter, all these affect the precision and accuracy of the total package. Some are controlled before the event and some during the event and some are not within your control. Deal with each to the best of your ability and at the appropriate time. i.e. On match day your choice of scope is no longer a variable. It becomes a fixed component. But you can still swap ammo or manage the shooter on match day. 8.) Just like racing cars/motorcycles, martial arts, or other forms of human competition, no matter how physical it may appear, competition is usually 90% mental and 10% physical. So the use of the mass between your ears may be the most critical variable of all. When the green flag drops, slow everything down and execute. You have to be slow to go fast (or score well). This applies just as much to road racing as it does to IPSC or BR shooting.

Finally, write down what you learn each time. You might be surprised how much is forgotten after a few days.

Irish
 

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The Rukh

New member
Name one thing you learned at your last match...

that someone wanted my Blade-Tech holster more than I did. Now I have to buy a new one.
 
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tahunua001

New member
to tell the truth not a derned thing. it was a CMP shoot and they tend to cater to the fellers that aren't used to timed drills. many of the things they taught were awkward and difficult and though I'm sure they all have a really good reason for teaching that method, I still reverted back to my own way of doing things.
 
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80viking

New member
"that someone wanted my Blade-Tech holster more than I did. Now I have to buy a new one."

That sucks, You would like to think that the gun crowd would be the more honest folks. I had someone mess with the sights on my rifle once.
 
Z

zincwarrior

New member
(IDPA)
I learned by watching another person - DON'T DROP YOUR REVOLVER! :eek:

Also to be more aggressive around corners. I tend to baby toe around them. Its a game I can go around them faster and not be shot.
 
N

Nick_C_S

New member
Just a Novice

(IDPA)

When shooting the first stage, slow down!

My front sight - the red ramp - looks completely different in full sun than it does under a covered range. For whatever reason, I tend to point it upward when I can actually see it as red - instead of just a dark silhouette. (Smith revolver) I get used to it real quick - in just a few rounds. Or in just a few missed shots - however you want to look at it :D
 
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Jim Watson

New member
IDPA and USPSA
When the years mount up, you may not be as quick or sharp sighted as you used to be. Take the conservative approach and get your hits in, don't take the high risk option to save a little time and blow a stage.
 
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Reinz

New member
That when shooting from cover many get called and penalized for "not enough cover". But when Jimmy Fast Gun does the exact same thing,he does not get penalized!

Subjective calls should NEVER be incurred as penalties in ANY competition.
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Eye Protection!!

We were shooting a match yesterday and a round came back and hit a gentleman square in the safety glasses. :eek:

I once caught a fragment that slit open my chin badly.

Also, don't shoot crappy. :(
 
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g.willikers

New member
Yessir, anyone who doesn't use quality safety glasses is downright nuts.
I once caught a chunk of bullet jacket, that had bounced back off of a steel target.
It got me right in the bridge of the nose, after glancing off my glasses.
It took a pair of pliers to pull it out.
Bled like the devil, tool
Don't want to even think of what would have happened without glasses.
 
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StrangeBird1911

New member
turn off electronic ears

I shoot speed steel wearing electronic ear muffs. I sometimes have trouble hearing the ping when I hit the target. Today I tried turning off the amplification and it really helped me hear the ping. I think that the electronics were cutting out the ping along with the gun shot.

I told my buddy. He tried it but had a harder time hearing the ping.

My conclusion: experiment, standing close to another shooter and the timer, and determine what works best for your ears.
 
D

Don P

New member
With the wife happily joining me in shooting USPSA, ICORE and Steel I am burning through a big bunch of ammo.
The benifit is I don't hear all the complaining about, "you going to the range again":D
 
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Jeff22

New member
be careful firing insurance shots

I have made this mistake myself, although not in a long time.

Some USPSA stages have a limited round count, and some are unlimited. In the stages with an unlimited round count, you can keep shooting to make up a miss, if you realize that you've missed on a particular target.

However, if that target is partially screened by hard cover, or particularly if it is screened by a "no-shoot" target, take the time to downshift and be accurate and get your hit, or don't fire an insurance shot at all.

In each of the last two monthly matches I've seen somebody on my squad fire an extra shot to make up for a miss (or perceived miss) and rush too much and jerk the trigger and hit a no-shoot target, incurring a greater penalty than they would've had with just a miss.
 
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