Yes, it even works when your search is in German.
This helps me to determine when I'm writing about something somebody wants to read. If they submit a search, and it leads them to an article on my website which provides the information for which they are searching, everybody is satisfied with the results.
Unfortunately, some of the search results are ... unsatisfying.
The people who are doing the searches are looking for specific information, and at this website they find only a reference to the information, or else they don't find as much of what they are looking for as I may have attempted to provide' elsewhere'.
The purpose of this is to provide links to the actual information you're searching for.
Two of the most common Searches-Gone-Wrong are IPSC SHOOTING VIDEOS, or some variation, and almost anything about reloading data.
IPSC VIDEOS, IPSC MOVIES:
The first search, some combination of "IPSC" and "SHOOTING" and "VIDEO" or "MOVIE", is obviously looking for real videos of IPSC shooting competition. Depending upon the actual verbiage used in the keyword search, you may be directed to an article which provides a few pictures, perhaps links to three or four videos, but you have to be determined to mine the website if you want more than a few movies.
If you want to see a LOT of movies, or videos, which show people shooting IPSC stages, you have to look over to the right. Carelessly hidden under the archive of most recent articles, under the general heading GEEK LINKS, you'll find "Jerry The Geek's Video Shooting Gallery".
If you click on that link, you will find over a hundred videos mixed in with over a thousand still photos. Every movie (and many of the stills) I've linked to in this blog can be found at that link ... and a lot more, besides.
Go there and you will find an index of a large number of matches. Those which contain videos will have the word 'video' in the description. When you look at each album, the entries which have the image of a movie camera are videos. They're usually "WMV" format, which means that the movie has been edited and reformatted from the original MPG format (four to 25 megabytes each) to the WMV format, which is usually two to four megabytes, sometimes as much as eight megabytes, and therefore they download faster. (Note: these files aren't exactly 'compressed'. Instead, the pixle count per inch is changed; higher to lower. That means the visual quality of the WMV version of a video is not as good as the original MPG version. I generally try to avoid lowering the quality so much that the video isn't viewable, and unless you compare the original and the reformatted videos you may not even notice the difference. On some of them, you will; these are usually the videos which are so long that it would require a file so large that download time would be 'considerable', even with a high-speed internet connection. As a service to you, the viewer, I try to achieve a reasonable balance between video quality and download time. I'm not always successful, but I do try.)
Many of the movies so edited include titles and clues on what points of interest they feature, and some of the (especially, but not exclusively, those of the 2005 Croc Match) have music to help you get into the mood for the video.
Want to take your OWN videos?
Good idea! If I'm not shooting IPSC, I can enjoy taking pictures and videos, editing them, and posting them to my own photo gallery. If you don't have your own photo gallery, may I suggest YouTube. They have a 'group' of people who provide videos of IPSC competition which you may find interesting, and if you join (membership is free), you can post your videos there. (Note: these files are DRASTICALLY reformatted for a very fast download time. The quality of the videos are not always satisfactory, but I have often used YOUTUBE to provide fast, direct links from my blog to the video. Anything I post on the blog using YOUTUBE is available in higher-quality versions on my Video Gallery.)
Warning: not everybody depicted in these videos is an entirely safe shooter, and you may see examples of unsafe gunhandling. Do not attempt to emulate these practices. My own videos include people who are "DQ'd" for unsafe gunhandling, as well as a few who perhaps should have been match-disqualified, but weren't. Learn from the mistakes of others, and remember that nobody was actually injured during the filming. It doesn't mean that someone could not have been injured. It just means that Someone looks out for drunks, children and fools ... sometimes.
Reloading Data:
Those searches which seem to be looking for reloading statistics -- powder type, powder weight, bullet make/shape/weight, primer, over-all length, etc -- often end up on the page where I talked about the Dillon XL650 press. There's a lot of good information there, but it's all anecdotal. I very carefully have resisted the urge to discuss the loads I use, because I don't choose to be responsible for providing reloading information which might be misinterpreted or misused. Sure, reloading data can be safely provided if sufficient warnings and supplementary data are provided, but I just don't have the energy or desire to become a source of reloading data.
Enter Jeff Maass.
Jeff has a long-established website which deals specifically with reloading data for IPSC competition, including the IPSC-specific calibers of .40 S&W, 9x21, and .38 Super.
There, Jeff takes the time to talk about safety issues and precautions, as well as providing (with suitable warnings) actual loads used by actual IPSC competitors. He describes the guns for which the competitors have used these loads, too, so if you plan to load for a single-stack Limited 10 pistol, you won't be tempted to use a load which is probably only safe in an Open Gun. (eg: compensated, which uses MUCH heavier loads of slow-burning powder, designed to make the compensator 'work' by generating excess gasses to vent through the compensator ports.)
I've linked to Jeff over there in the sidebar, under "IPSC Resources I Recommend". Look for "Maass' IPSC Resources", which not only includes reloading information but also stage designs.
Jeff has been shooting IPSC, and collecting IPSC load data, for many years. I trust his judgement, and use his reloading data with confidence because I always, always, follow his advice to start at least 10% under the cited powder charge and work the load UP using a chronograph to determine whether the load is generating excessive velocity -- and therefore, probably excessive pressure -- in the gun for which I am developing the load.
If you wish to load for 'other' calibers, may I suggest the excellent reloading page of MD Smith. I've used his loading data for 9mm and .45acp and 10mm, as well as .22-250 and .30-06 rifles. (Unfortunately, he doesn't have loading data for my favorite rifle, the venerable wildcat .25-06 although he DOES include data for the somewhat-similar .270 Remington Rifle.)
Jeff's webpage includes this link, as well as links to a large number of other ('powder and bullet manufacturers') reloading pages. I use them; you may, too.
They usually include warnings about using reloading data wisely, carefully, safely. That is, always make sure your firearm is safe to shoot, and never use the maximum cited powder charge in your first attempt in your firearm, and be sure to use only the reloading information cited for the specific poweder and bullet weight and bullet shape and bullet manufacturer as a reliable guide.
Obviously, reloading ammunition is something that you only want to attempt if you are experienced and knowledgeable. If you are not, don't attempt it on your own. Instead, find someone whose experience and knowledge you absolutely know to be reliable and extensive, and get that person to help you get started.
Don't know anybody that fits that description? Then you need to get out to the range more, and meet more people.
Until then, buy commercially loaded ammunition, and spend part of your range time meeting new people.
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