- Speed
- Power
- Accuracy
In the original design of this article, we defined ACCURACY and POWER first. But that's not why you're reading this, so we're going to talk first about SPEED, and then if you're still interested you can read about the other ' not very interesting, but necessary ' parts later:
SPEED!
SPEED is all about getting the shots off in the shortest possible time.
Right?
Wrong!
SPEED is all about getting the job done in the shortest possible time, without giving up POWER and ACCURACY.
The reason POWER is important is that with Major Power Loads, it takes you hundredths of a second more to recover for the second shot when you're double-tapping a target.
The reason ACCURACY is important is two-parted:
- you get more points with more accurate hits;
- it takes you tenths of a second longer to get more accurate hits
POINTS less PENALTIES divided by SPEED
Assuming you don't get any penalties (misses, procedural penalties, etc.), it's really great to get a lot of points but if you take a LOT of time to get those points .. you get burned if your trying to be 'Competitive'.
Let's look at the numbers:
Take for example an "El Presidente" stage where there are sixty points possible over three targets (shoot 3 targets twice each, reload, shoot the same 3 targets twice each). "
Virginia Count", 12 shots,60 points possible.
Shooter 01 gets all A-zone hits .. doesn't matter what his power factor is (as long as it's at least minor power) he gets sixty points. He does it in 10 seconds.
His Stage Factor is Points less Penalties, divided by time: 60 - 0 / 10 = 60/10 = 6.000
Shooter 02 gets (of the 12 shots (six A-zone, six C-zone, shooting MAJOR) in 11 seconds)
His score is 54 points divided by 10 seconds; Stage Factor is (54/10) 5.40.
Shooter 03 gets 8 A-zone hits and 4 C-zone hits, in 8 seconds, shooting MINOR.
His score is (8x5) + (4x3) = 40 + 13 = 54 points.
Divided by 8 seconds, his Stage Factor is (54/8) = 6.750
The winner? Shooter 03. Even though he's shooting MINOR and gets less points for 'near misses' (C-zone hits), and even though he got as many points as Shooter 01 .. he did the same job faster, so he wins the stage by a wide margin.
From this (obviously contrived) example, you're probably thinking WOW ALL I GOTTA DO IS SHOOT FASTER AND I WIN!!!!!
Well, it's not that easy. Actually, there are TWO parts of this exercise/stage that you need to control
First is the "Facing uprange, wrists above shoulders, on signal turn and draw and ...: yadda yadda yadda,
This is important, and it's really hard, right?
Right?
Wrong! I know it's not something you do all the time, but geez, how hard can it be? Turn ... THEN draw? That's all you have to know.
(Yes, I've seen Grand Masters muck this up at National Matches. That's "Match Nerves" .. has nothing to do with you. Ignore it; it's easy.)
That was a trick.
Here's the 'important' (not hard, just important) parts:
Part 1: The Draw (and first hit on the target)
You got to get that first hit. Make it good, make it solid, make it smooth and OWN it. It builds confidence, sets you up for the second shot (double-tap?) and all you have to do is get the same sight picture on every target during the rest of the stage. Make it solid, make it good, make it be your ideal. Take enough time to GET that first show. Know it; own it. Do it 11 more times. Piece of cake.
Part 2: The Reload
Oh, you didn't notice that you had to do a reload? You didn't notice? Gee, you had the (link to) the Stage Procedures ...you didn't know? Here's the rule: if the stage procedures require you to do a mandatory reload, you're penalized 10 points for each shot fired after the mandatory reload and until you (eventually, maybe) DO the reload. If you don't reload at all, that's six shots for sixty points, which means *(DUH!)* YOU ZEROED THE STAGE.
Geez, it took us a LONG time to get to the point of the lesson, but I hadda sneak up on ya, didn't I?
The thing is, you don't get to be FAST by shooting fast. You still need to get the sight picture, squeeze the trigger, do your double-tap thingie (which does NOT mean instinctively pulling-the-trigger-as-fast-as-you-can twice .. but we'll talk about that later.) What you do have to do is know when to cut down your time .. and when to make the time work for you.
Essentially, make the time work for you by getting a good sight picture, sight alignment, and trigger pull.
Don't make your time up by cutting down on ANY of these essential elements of shooting!
Emphasize with lots more exclamation marks: !!!!!! Do not do not do NOT!!!!!
Make your stage faster by cutting down on the three time-wasters of IPSC:
- Movement
- Draw/First Show
- Reloads
So, here's the lesson, courtesy of Max Michell:
ACCURACY
The third principle is Accuracy. That means hitting the target. Preferably in the "A-Zone" .. the highest scoring area of the target. If you can do that, it means that you are awarded five (5) points for each hit. That's the maximum number of scoring points you can get.
POWER
The second principle is Power. If you are shooting a low-recoil caliber (such as the 9mm), you will probably be shooting 'Minor Power'. Compare this with, for example, the .45 ACP cartridge. Typically, this is defined as 'Major Power'. The difference is defined by the momentum of the bullet. If you have a heavy bullet (eg: .45ACP, 230 grains traveling at a speed of 800 feet per second).
Here's where it gets complicated.
"Power" is determined by weighing the bullet, then shooting the ammunition (same bullet, different cartridge but with the same gun and amount of gunpowder) over a "Chronograph". This is a device which meaures the speed of the bullet when fired from 'your' gun. The bullet (or a typical sample) is also measured, by weighing it on a scale which measures the weight in grains within one one-thousandths of a grain. That's 1/1000 grain.
A 230 grain bullet, then, would measure out as 'something close to' 230.000" grains.
The .45ACP (.45 caliber, Automatic Colt Pistol) round was MILSPEC (Military Specifications) assumed to be shooting a 230 grain bullet at a velocity of 800 Feet Per Second (FPS).
There is a formula for determining what is called the POWER FACTOR. Essentially, a 230 grain bullet shout travel at about 800 FPS. This gives a POWER FACTOR (PF) of about 174.
Here's the formula for determining POWER FACTOR:
PF = M V / 1000
That is: Mass (230 grains) times VELOCITY (800 FPC) = PF.
For simplicity, you divide that quantity by 1000 to get the PF.
Here, that PF Calculation would look like this:
230 grains x 800 feet per second = 17,400Divide that by 1,000, and you get a PF of (17,400 / 1,000) 174.
Now, the current regulations of USPSA define two different Power Factors *:
Major Power:
Minor Power:
According to the USPSA.ORG rule book a pistol/ammunition must meet or exceed 170 PF to be rated as MAJOR POWER
And a pistol/ammunition must meet or exceed 128 PF to be rated as MINOR POWER.
* Power factors lower than Minor Power may still compete, but their scores are not recorded and the are not eligible for competitive placement.)
(Note that these Power Factor Ratings have been adjusted from year to year .. check your current rule book at under "RULES" at USPSA.ORG)
Why should you care?
The score for each scoring zone (other than the A-zone) differ whether you are shooting a firearm/ammunition combination which is rated as MAJOR or MINOR power
Here's the break-down:
MAJOR POWER:
- A-Zone: 5 points
- B-Zone: 4 points
- C-zone: 4 points
- D-Zone: 2 points
MINOR POWER:
- A-Zone: 5 points
- B-Zone: 3 points
- C-Zone: 3 points
- D-Zone: 1 point
SO .. IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO SHOOT A GUN/AMMO COMBINATION AT MAJOR POWER?
(We'll leave this subject for discussion in a future post. Just now, we're merely telling you about the rules, not the tactics.)
With a Major Power rating,
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