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

[4runnerman]

Last Match was 2 Hrs ago. I learned 2 things
I can't read the wind very good yet 20 mph kiddy wampass direction
Don't go to a match with a load you have never tested

Scored a 186, 191, 193. Ickyyyyyyyy

 

[Duzell]

well i guess...

i keep running low on magazines , so i have to stop and reload one then fire, or i reload all of them, then i go back and fire


- a slow precise trigger finger, using just the front digit and a bull pack method
-the more stable you shooting platform the better
-know your gun, so you can compensate for unforeseen issues
-keep it clean and smooth

 

[Don P]

Slow down and shoot faster with regards to hit factor and clock time. Amazing what using the sites will do with regards to accuracy.

 

[Jeff22]

In the month of May I shot an IDPA classifier with my Glock 19. I shot pretty good this time, but I still (as always) need to further practice engaging multiple targets from behind cover. I'm right handed, and often practice shooting weak hand with support (mirror image) when shooting around the left side of cover. Doing so was a requirement in the PPC course we used as a QC back when I started as a cop in 1981.

So for this match I did that when shooting in Stage III when required to shoot around the left side of cover. My hits were pretty good. I plan to continue shooting that way in that circumstance.

I also shot a USPSA special classifier match with my Glock 35. As usual, I wasn't very fast but I was quite accurate. But I did discover myself making a few errors:

(1.) I was bouncing the trigger when trying to go fast at close range, which is to say my finger was breaking contact with the trigger as I was resetting the sear. So, when I pressed again to take the shot, I bashed the trigger a little bit and a few rounds went left at 9 o'clock as a result.

(2.) I had several D zone hits. In both cases, it was the second round fired on the first target engaged in a particular string of fire. Probably caused by the aforementioned bashing of the trigger.

(3.) In one stage I found myself riding the sights while transitioning from one target to another when engaging an array that had three targets placed close together. In multiple target engagement, it works best to switch your visual focus to the target AND THEN bring the gun over. When you do look/shoot properly it prevents you from over running the center zone of the target and having poor hits or misses or hits into hard cover or a no-shoot.

Fortunately, I caught myself right away and actually didn't drop any points on that stage.

 

[Wwrhodes91]

Don't get frustrated when a popper won't fall after repeated hits.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Don't be scared of .......

thinking outside of the box when it comes to shooting.

Over the weekend, I remembered how a big guy would shoot his bolt action .22 rifle in the early variants of our rapidfire matches (back in the early 90s). He was inspired by the British Army's rapidfire technique of shooting their SMLEs.

I practiced it today on a rack or two at the range. Whoa, Nellie! It works:

I am holding the bolt handle knob with my thumb, pointer finger, and index finger, and I'm just touching off the 13 oz CZ trigger with my ring finger (obscured in the photo). I was shocked by both the speed and accuracy I was getting.

Actually, I have issues with shooting this light triggered rifle in the normal way. The trigger was modified with a Brooke's Kit, and it yields a light pull but not a crisp one. It is light and soft (not creepy, just soft). Thus, I tend to have a tendency to snatch it off when shooting using my pointer finger and pull the shot. For whatever reason, it actually seemed more natural with the ring finger today. Go figure.

The friendly little local competitiion I intend to try it in is this Saturday. We call it the Rapidfire Rimfire Match. This is the steel silhouette setup we shoot at from a distance of 25 yards:

I put the little cardboard card up with dots on it for sighting in on a practice day. It is not usually there.

A shooter engages the rack of targets in four strings - rams, turkeys, pigs, and finally the dastardly little chickens. An RO instructs the shooter to load and make ready. After a "fire when ready" command, the shooter starts when reasonably ready. The RO starts a stop watch with the first shot and then stops it when the last standing animal in a string is down. The RO calls out the time to a scribe and the scribe records the time. If a shooter goes six for six (no misses on a string), he/she get's a three second deduction as an accuracy bonus. The shooter's score is his/her aggregate time for all four strings less any accuracy bonuses. The RO moves down the line after the first shooter finishes with a string. After all four shooters (we have four racks) have completed the same string of critters, the RO comes back to the first shooter, and they repeat the drill for the next string of silhouettes. The shooter loads and readies his/her rifle as soon as he/she completes a string and the RO has moved down the firing line to the next shooter. The shooter engages the safety or leaves the bolt back, and lays the rifle flat on the bench. They pick it up after the RO cycles back to him/her, and the shooter prepares to fire on command. Thus, things keep moving smoothly and safely.

There are two classes - scope/aperture sights and open sights. The game is dominated by semi-autos. However, if one wants to compete with a manual repeater, we have compensating time deductions:

semi-auto = zero
pump = 18 seconds (deducted from the shooters aggregate time less any accuracy bonuses)
lever = 24 seconds
straight pull bolt action = 30 seconds
conventional bolt action = 36 seconds

I won last month shooting the above pictured CZ 452 American. But, some good semi-auto shooters crashed and burned. Thus, I lucked up. I am trying to grease things up a little further in anticipation of the talent that will attend this weekend. To first timers, I always say, "You can't miss fast enough to win. So, take aim and get hits."

 

[darkgael]

last match

My last pistol match was at the National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio.
What I learned was that, even though I have been shooting for a long time, I remain perfectly capable of making rookie mistakes... like crossfiring onto my neighbor's target. He was a real gentleman about it. ("happens all the time. We are very close together. Forget about it.")
It bothered me more than it did him.
And Murphy was close by....a gun that has been remarkably reliable for years gave me a double alibi in the last two strings of Rapid fire in the .22 match.
Pete

 

[10-96]

The last highpower match I shot at- I was shooting on my target, but had my spotting scope on the wrong lane. That will give a guy the most unholiest of conniption fits. But even with all of my unnecessary fidgeting and sight adjustment/re-adjustment I still managed to pull off a 452 out of 500.

And at my last Running Target match- I misread the score standing board. Dang near had a relapse of those above mentioned conniption fits.

 

[Jeff22]

Springfield M1911 in 9mm

So I spent the summer shooting my G22 in USPSA matches & my G19 in IDPA matches. Now that my club has moved matches indoors for the winter I decided to shoot the Springfield 1911 pattern gun in 9mm for a few months.

I had a few problems with failures to extract so I purchased a heavy duty extractor from Evolution Gun Works. The extraction problems ceased.

I bought some Wilson 9 round magazines which work great once they get broken in.

After further consideration I've decided that gun does NOT need any trigger work. The trigger is fairly light & crisp as it is with a short reset. I have discovered that if I try to go fast shooting one-hand only I sometimes bash the trigger a little bit & hook the shot to 3 or 9 o'clock.

I sometimes have that issue with other guns too but it was particularly easy to notice with the single action auto pistol.

 

[RickB]

That I really will turn around at the range entrance and drive 35 miles home, rather than shoot an IDPA match in the rain.

 

[semi_problomatic]

That a glock 30 isn't the best choice in 3 gun. Lol. But it was all I have. Looking for a 34 now.

 

[Bart B.]

Noticed Danny Creasy's picture of his offhand trigger hand positon he liked.

Top ranked offhand competitors who shoot rapid fire (biathlon events when standing) get best results with their trigger hand gripping the stock; thumb wrapped around the grip and their most sensitive and repeatable finger on the trigger. Ones index (usually pointing) finger is the one that's best controlled in moving it. And that's what's needed on triggers. The two fingers furthest from the thumb are the least controllable of all.

Especially when heavier triggers are used. Otherwise, the shock of the trigger finger stopping as the finger lever hits its stop move the rifle point of aim a little bit.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Actually, Bart, I went back to using my pointer ..

finger with greater success And, I switched to my other CZ American which has a somewhat heavier trigger. For our local match, I sacrificed some speed but gained accuracy. Using the pointer finger on the trigger helped me to take the 4th Annual Sporter Master Match championship last week:

Pigs - Center rack - Next to top row - Cleaned 'em - six for six - earns the shooter a three second time deduction
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128992557@N06/15447848777/

 

[RichII]

Best Score

Shot my best during my last Steele Match. Learned to keep my arms fully extended while moving from target to target. Also, used a handgun apprpriate for the task (changed from a Baretta 92 to a Glock 34 Gen 4).

 

[Dragonflydf]

Trying to shoot with the sun coming up over a mountain and making your front sight all but disappear.

 

[tedbeau]

Shot 5 stages of IDPA all in the cold and dark in Michigan in October. I learned that shooting in the dark while holding a flashlight and doing reloads will double your score!

 

[Jeff22]

Take your finger off the trigger when clearing malfunctions

I shot in a local USPSA match yesterday.

We had a relatively new shooter using some variety of CZ pistol who had malfunction problems on one stage. He was a little rattled and his malfunction clearance drill consisted of working the slide and THEN tapping the bottom of the magazine (the recommended procedure is to tap the mag to make sure it's seated and then cycle the action)

In any case, he did that about three times and then put a round into the particle board barricade because he was trying to clear the malfunction with his finger on the trigger. He received a match DQ for having the accidental discharge but he handled that well.

I don't know if he was using reloaded or factory ammo and I don't know what was causing the malfunctions.

 

[Jeff22]

take your finger off the trigger while moving

And I just saw ANOTHER negligent discharge at our club match on Tuesday night.

Experienced shooter, right handed, attempting to move from left to right while reloading a 1911 pattern auto pistol. The gun was out of battery/at slidelock. He clearly had his finger on the trigger, and when he slammed home the magazine he cranked a round into the backstop.

Fortunately, the muzzle was pointed safely down range.

 

[Ifishsum]

I learned that using a real carbide smoker really does make your sight blacker than the spray on stuff. Another regular shooter had it lit up in the lane next to me and offered it up. The difference was noticeable to me and I even shot a PB with the M1.

 

[Jeff22]

the same things keep happening

Shot a few indoor matches so far this year, and my first USPSA special classifier match last weekend. I still see the same issues coming up:
(1.) Remember when you move, reload, or clear malfunctions, your finger should be OFF the trigger and OUT of the trigger guard. I didn't see any negligent discharges, but I did see about four people warned.
(2.) Practice your one hand only shooting.
(3.) If you reload, gauge all your rounds that you plan to take to the match. Twice this year I've seen guys with expensive race guns have serious problems because the guns wouldn't run with their homemade ammo. If you reload, you need to pay attention to your quality control. You don't want to have a squib or an overcharged round or a bunch of rounds that aren't properly sized or taper crimped.