IPSC has as its motto, D V C, that is to say, Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas, or accuracy, power and speed, and these three are indivisible in the concept of IPSC shooting. However, the ratio of accuracy, power and speed is up to the competitor.That's what IPSC says.
In reality, it is a challenge to find the proper balance between shooting fast and shooting accurately.
The 'power' factor is determined before the competitor even starts his trip to the range, being decided by the caliber, bullet weight and the velocity of the ammunition he has chosen for the match.
The balance between SPEED and ACCURACY is partly determined by choices which are similarly made before the match. For example, tuning the trigger and practice determine the speed with which the competitor can make 'double taps' quickly and accurately.
The best way to increase the speed is to move quickly rather than to shoot quickly. For example, evaluating the geometric relationship between targets and shooting positions can save steps, and thus can save time which might otherwise be spent moving.
Choosing the best place and time to reload will also save time, if the choices are wisely made. Generally, the best choice is to reload while moving; 'standing reloads' are anathema to the IPSC competitor.
Equipment plays an important part in IPSC competition. Choosing sights which match your visual acuity, tuning magazines so that they feed ammunition and so that they drop quickly when the magazine release is pressed, both can enhance either accuracy or speed ... or both.
Firearm reliability is based on careful and frequent cleaning, care in reloading ammunition, changing springs as appropriate to insure that every part works correctly every time -- all of these preparatory measures will enhance the competitive experience.
On the range, the competitor needs to know his strengths and weaknesses.
If he is agile and quick, he may find it advantageous to move to the position which is closest to the targets before engaging. If he is accurate, he may find he performs better by engaging targets from a further distance and save time by saving steps.
The cautionary note here is: if you're all A-zone hits, you're probably shooting too slow.
Every competitor needs to know his strengths and weaknesses. Capitalize on his strengths, avoid being caught in a situation where he must rely on a skill in which he is not comfortable.
Free-Style stage design allows the competitor to choose from his personal skill set, rather than be forced to do something he does not perform with alacrity.
This stage allows every competitor to choose his own personal 'best way' to engage the variety of targets. Although the title of the stage suggests that he "MOVE!", it's possible to engage all of the targets from no more than two shooting positions. Ammunition restrictions (magazine capacity) may make it unpalatable to do so.
Those competitors who are limited to no more than 10 rounds in a magazine may find that they need to reload before they can take advantage of the stage, but fortunately the interim targets are readily accessible during movement, if he realizes that he can move as close as he wishes.
All of the difficult targets can be engaged from a position which allows the competitor to stop, plant his feet firmly, and shoot at them after he has taken a breath and acquired a steady, comfortable stance.
Not all competitors recognize these possibilities, and the video demonstrates the ways in which a small group of shooter either take advantage of the design, or else allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the challenge of shooting 26 rounds in less than 30 seconds.
If shooting a stage without malfunctions is a factor which you have not assured, the video, unfortunately, also explores the ways in which firearm reliability can either save you or sink you.
While watching the video, you can test your own grasp of these principles by determining whether you can tell what each competitor is doing correctly, versus what each competitor is mistakenly choosing the wrong skills for this stage.
This video is also available as a 15MB download from Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery, as 7t95.wmv
No comments:
Post a Comment