Competitive Shooting Too Expensive?

Julie Golob: Barriers to Shooting Competition Too High - The Truth About Guns:

Speaking at the NSSF Industry Summit in Austin today, Smith & Wesson pro shooter Julie Golob reckons competition shooting isn’t inclusive enough. There are too many rules, the equipment costs are too high, the travel distances are too far, OFWGs aren’t welcoming, many safety officers are insensitive Neanderthals, some pro shooters are *ssholes and ranges lack WiFi.

I'd like to say that I don't know what OFWGs are, but I assume it means Old Farts With Guns.
(And if that's not what it means ... it's still an interesting tag name.)

I'm welcoming, honest, to new shooters!

Generally speaking, a lot of the "practical" shooting sports are becoming a lot more complicated than they use to be.  In 1983, we had STOCK division, and that was because folks were moving past 1911 .45acps with 7 round magazines and looking at 9mm, or 11 round (really!) mags for their 1911.

And a few brave fools were experimenting with what later became Major 9mm.   It was expensive for THEM because KaBOOM!  (Lots of guys grew beards to hide the scars, no joke.)

Still, this IPSC thing (and associated competitive shooting) is doubtless very expensive, especially if you get hooked on it for 30 years or so.

And it's worth every minute, every cent because .. well, see below.

Colorado considering sponsorship of Gun Ranges

I'm not from Colorado, but if my 'home state' decided to use the state taxes on firearms and ammunition sales they had collected from me to build gun ranges ... I'd think:  HOORAY!

Colorado senator taking another shot at government-funded gun ranges | Colorado Springs Gazette, News:

Is it the nanny state if the government is building gun ranges? Does it matter if bureaucrats are doling out tax dollars from purchases of guns and ammo? Does it change the equation if liberals are behind the government push to get gun owners to practice? Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, a Clintonite from Denver, is among a bipartisan quartet of senators behind legislation to use federal tax dollars to pay 90 percent of the cost for five years for states to build and run shooting ranges.

Anything that encourages firearms owners to practice is A Good Thing.  

This is the kind of program which could be expanded:
. Perhaps more firearms and ammunition sales would provide funding to teach Firearms Safety classes state-wide?
. Encourage (or fund, or subsidize) "Eddie Eagle" type programs?

Advice to new Competitors

Don't go buy a bunch of stuff before your first IDPA or USPSA match | Triangle Tactical:

Oh, internet. You so special. I’ve seen a bunch of people recommending new shooters who are interested, but haven’t shot their first match yet go buy a bunch of gear before they’re first match. What a lie. Just go shoot your first match, you probably have a “good enough” holster, and if not I bet you can borrow one.

Good advice, and I entirely support the premise.

I've been training new USPSA shooters for 6 -7 years, and I've seen a lot of shooters who were initially enthusiastic about competition ... but soon tired of it.

A REAL-LIFE CASE IN POINT:

Mr. and Mrs. "X" came to te class and seemed to do just fine, except that Mrs. X couldn't seem to keep her finger off the trigger when reloading during a match.  She came back for a 'refresher' class, then went to a match and still was Disqualified at the next match.  They never came back. Pity; they both had potential but were discouraged.

 In the meantime, they spent about $1,000 on new equipment; belts, holsters, etc.

Often people go through the class just to compare their skills with others; other people value the training for safety purposes (although my home club offers other classes to develop those skills).

But these people had sometimes spent hundreds of dollars on equipment which was specifically designed and marketed for competition purposes, even though they would have done as well with the generic gear they had at the first class.

At least 50% of the people who take the training never even attend the FIRST match, let alone work past a DQ and keep coming back until they have demonstrated the level of proficiency which they wish to attain.

I ALWAYS caution New Shooters to NOT spend money on new equipment until they have experienced at LEAST one match. Their perceptions may change as they get more experience.

EXPECTATIONS NOT MET:

Take A Liberal To A Gun Range Day

Liberals Try Shooting Guns For The First Time - Buzzfeed - The Scene:
August 18, 2014

As you might expect, they weren't that into it.

Baloney!   Many of them loved it.  (Follow the link to see the short video.)

Quotes from various participants:

"... You don't realize (I didn't realize) when you shoot a gun, just firing one?   That took a lot out of me.  I was ... it was like I fired once and then I wanted to take a nap." 

"My hands are sweating ..."

"Oh my God, I can't .. my heart is like racing so fast right now"

"You can feel it throughout your whole body, and I'm not as scared as I was.   But (unintelligible) gonna buy a gun, definitely."   (big smile)

"Never in my life did I think I would shoot a shotgun!"

"I felt kinda bad***, when I was cocking the shotgun.   Yeah, that's a "bad***" gesture right there ..." (simulates cocking a pump-action shotgun, with the smallest secret smile the Universe has ever seen)

"No, I don't want to do it anymore."

"It was kinda like ... enjoyable? But then I was getting sickened about me feeling enjoyable about it." 

"Shooting a gun did not change my mind about Gun Control ...."  (this from the guy who called pumping a shotgun a "bad*** thing")

"... this is a 'fun thing', but not every 'fun thing' is legal". 

"You know it's a rush, it's a Adrenalin rush, and you get all ****** up, and I feel confused and conflicted about it all. I would probably come back and [nods] do it again."

Shooting in "The Zone"

What can be more boring than watching someone else shooting at Bullseye Targets?

The USOC (United States Olympic Committee) recently ran a study of alpha-wave vs beta-wave activities of a member of the US Olympic Pistol Team, and they found some relationship between the shots fired when (in the words of the shooter) "... it just happened the way it was suppose to".

This video is also available under "Isogora muscle and brain wave activity during shooting" and on YouTube under "Muscle and Brain-wave Activity while Shooting". (Published on May 22, 2013Pistol athlete Teresa Chambers works with USOC Psychologist Lindsay Thornton who is measuring her muscle and brainwave activity during shooting.  It's an 18 minute video.)

[H/T: BOREPATCH]

(I don't claim to understand the relationship between "Alpha Waves" and "Beta Waves", but I do think I understand that your body talks to you in ways that your mind doesn't.)

Surprisingly, the best circumstances didn't necessarily focus on the highest-scoring shots; in fact, it pretty much focused on the shooter's very personal "feelings" about each individual shot.

Which means ... what?

Essentially: when you feel good about a shot ... when you know that you did everything right even though your sights might not have been perfectly aimed at the 10-ring or the A-zone ... your body works with you so you 'feel' that you have performed well.  Even though you didn't necessarily achieve your goal of a perfect hit, your brain may know that you didn't aim perfectly, your body knows that you did what you trained it to do, perfectly.

And it rewards you.  Positive feedback is necessary to encourage you to come back another day to continue your quest for perfection, whether you can get all the parts together or not.

(Which may be the reason why only 5% of IPSC shooters are Grandmasters, and the rest of us continue to "feed the kitty" even though we know we may never win a match!)

This requires some background information, to establish a context:

USPSA: Building Membership Geometrically

Those readers who have followed this blog for more than a couple of months are aware ... sometimes painfully* aware ... that I not only teach an "INTRODUCTION TO USPSA" class at my local gun club, but I also tend to report on these training sessions. 

*(the 'painful' part is that sometimes I'm unable to curb my enthusiasm when writing these reports).

Today's "First Saturday" class was refreshing in a couple of ways.

First, every one of the six class members was competent, knowledgeable and exhibited excellent gun-handling skills. Compare that to my first class  several years ago (13 students, no helpers, and at least half of the participants had little or NO experience shooting their pistol; one didn't even know that his 1911-style pistol had a safety), and you will understand how refreshing it is when I hold a class and I don't find one single instance when a participant performs an "unsafe action".

Second, two of the participants had already taken the class! 
They enjoyed the experience to the degree that they not only had not only encouraged a friend to sign up for this month's class, but also accompanied their friend and took the entire class all over again!

While I would love to posit that this was due to the excellence of instruction (ahem), it was obvious that these are people who just LOVE to shoot, and in IPSC/USPSA have discovered a wonderful excuse for spending a day at the range and getting in a lot of trigger-time.

One of the Good Friends Who Brought Good Friends (Anthony) was a member of the February class.  Due to inclement weather (12-14" of snow, and ice on the freeways), the February club match was cancelled.  Anthony hadn't even been allowed to shoot a single match, but he not only convinced his friend to attend the class, but accompanied him because "it was too far to ask him to make the drive alone".

Some people will resort to any excuse, to spend the afternoon at the range.

----

We meet the nicest people "At The Range" ... and people wonder why we give free classes?

ARPC Match; September, 2013

The 2013 IPSC season is winding down in Oregon ... kind of ... but you couldn't tell it by the September match at Albany.  There were 66 competitors at the match.  For reasons too complex and boring to go into, I didn't compete but I did show up toward the end of the match to watch a couple of people shoot.  Also, I had a half-dozen people in the last couple of month's "Introduction to USPSA" class who I had hoped will complete their certification, and I wanted to see how they did.

In the actual event, only 2 of the recent class participants actually competed.  Note that this is the final phase of Certification Training; each participant must complete a scheduled match without incurring a Match Disqualification (violation of a Safety Rule) before the training is deemed to have been successfully completed.

The two class members were "Hodgins" (because he looks so much like the Bug&Slime Guy on the television show"BONES") and his partner, Kelsey.  A young couple, they were typical of the people who show up for class:  enthusiastic, gun-savvy, and with great gun-handling skills.  (More on this later.)  I didn't get to watch "Hodgins" shoot, but Kelsey looked like she had been doing IPSC matches for years on the one stage I witnessed.   It was a six-target stage with movement between shooting positions ... looked like a Classifier, although I can't name it right now.   Her last two shots were snake-eye A-zone hits, and she wasn't wasting a lot of time;  she was focusing on accuracy, which is exactly what she was suppose to be doing.    I was impressed by her no-nonsense "Get It Done" attitude.  No nervousness,  just having fun and being safe.  The accuracy was a pleasant bonus.  (She seemed more nervous during the class than at the match!)

Funny Stories:
No-Shoot Targets are Penalty Targets.  We all know that they are introduced into a stage design in order to force the competitors to tighten up on their accuracy.  Almost invariably, the no-shoots (or "WHITE targets ... the backside of IPSC targets are colored white, as opposed to the 'shoot targets' which are brown in color found on the front side) are strategically placed so they they overlay at least a portion of one or more 'shoot targets'.

This confuses and confounds many of us 'average shooters' because we have to slow WAY down to focus on accuracy.  The better shooters shrug it off, because they ALWAYS shoot accurately.  In fact, at this club the top shooter is often Gene, with second place being the real race.  There are a half-dozen very good shooters (usually Master class) who really have to fight it out amongst them.  This race is complicated by the division in which they choose to compete at any given match.  A few stick with Open gun, while a few have chosen the more 'challenging' divisions; on example was Bill the Elder who chose to compete in Single-Stack Division shooting a 9mm (Minor Power) pistol.  No surprise that Bill won Single-Stack, because he is just that good.

But in this case, Trevor -- who is always working hard at everything he does -- allowed himself to get distracted by the White Target on one side of his final stage.  He ended up with a "D-hit" and a Miss, but as he told me later "... at least I didn't get a No-Shoot!"

That was sufficient to put him down a slot; Yawn got 2nd Place and predictably Gene won the match "overall".

On the other hand, my old friend Whitefish (so nicknamed for his penchant of selecting white-target-seeking bullets) actually shot a clean match!  No misses, no penalties!  It's not QUITE as unusual for him to shoot a clean match than it is for me, but rare enough that it's worthy of notice.

Unfortunately, he did have on single little .... incident.

You know those new magnetic magazine carriers which are guaranteed not to drop a mag until you SLIDE it off the surface?  He had positioned one on his gear belt a bit too close to his holster.  Apparently, it had not occurred to him that this was problematic, until he drew on one stage and caught the muzzle-brake (or forward end of the slide ... not clear in the telling) on the magnet.  He tugged and tugged, he could tell that he had cleared the holster, but he could not raise the pistol!

Finally, he looked down and saw that it was stuck on the magnet.  It was no great chore to then 'slide' the gun off the magnet and commence shooting, but he lost several seconds of stage time trying to resolve the UNIQUE problem.

When he told me this story after the match, I asked him to please photograph his equipment belt when he got home and send me the photo.  He demurred, saying: "I moved the magnet to the back of my belt, and that's where it's going to stay!"

Then he and I and Mike the Revolver Guy swapped stories about using race-gun holsters and failing to unlock the gun before drawing.  Think: grown men swearing while pulling their holsters (and underwear) toward their armpits.  No, it's not a pretty picture.

Gun-Handling Skills:
At the pre-match "Introduction to USPSA"class conducted the weekend preceding the class, there was one young woman who had a very limited amount of experience with shooting, especially with a pistol.  She participated in the Classroom Discussion and demonstrated a good understanding of the rules and procedures, but Classroom work is all intellectual; it doesn't test actually physical skills, nor does it necessarily lead to safe shooting practices.

Due to limitations of time and resources, there was no way she could be incorporated into the class without taking away from the other participants, all of whom were experienced   So she graciously sat through the entire 3-hour class while waiting for her friends to finish ... including the guy who owned the car that was going to take her home.

I advised them then to register her into the "Basic Handgun" class offered by the club on a monthly basis.  And for myself, I will alter my 'boilerplate' instructions to New Students to emphasize that the "Introduction to USPSA" is an ADVANCED class, and only open to participants who have sufficient experience and expertise to meet the minimum requirements.

Until a while ago, I had expected that the applicants for the class would go through the Discipline Director first, and he would ascertain their experience and qualification.   Essentially, he would question the people who wished to take the class, and if they were not qualified he would direct them toward the training which more accurately built their skill-sets.  The club has re-organized, and we haven't got all of the "vetting process" resolved.  Since this young woman was an adolescent (17) I had required that she be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian .. and so she was.  I explained to her and her attendant parent that I could not allow a tyro to participate in the Live Fire Exercise, so she was relegated to the Peanut Gallery while she watched others (including her drive) shoot.

No, IPSC is not a Spectator Sport.  She was very patient, but had it been me I would have been quietly fuming.  She had to watch everybody else have fun shooting, and she didn't even get to gear up!

This business of training shooters is an iterative process, and often the instructors learn as much as do the students.  For every potential student (those who express an interest by the process of contacting me to register for the class) I send a several-page "Boilerplate".  This supposedly covers all the questions and requirements which may be helpful to the students.

Unfortunately, I have not yet thought to revise it to specify that the class was available only to "EXPERIENCED" pistol shooters.   Nor have I identified the class as an "ADVANCED CLASS".

I shall revise the Boilerplate to emphasize that requirement, and I do hope that this will serve to avoid disappointment to future attendees.

There's always something that can be improved in every course of instruction.  The trick is to identify it before discovering that one has just disenchanting a prospective Competitor,

Trashing a stage 101

Trashing a stage.

You know how it happens.

You've looked over the stage, you know where you're going to do your reloads.  You know how many targets there are, and of what type, and .. oh hell, you have got this staged KNOCKED!.

Then  the first shot goes all golly-whampus, and the game plan goes out the window.  You don't know what to do next, you don't even remember the game plan, because .. you had not expected this!

It don't matter what your plan was, or what the stage looks like.  All that matters is that you hear someone screaming "DO-OVER" ... and you realize, it is you.

I'm going to show you a video of that exact same scenario.  The shooter is experienced and competent, and when I saw it happen, I thought "Oh gee, tough break; but he'll do just fine as soon as he gets his "Do-Over" strategy.

But it didn't happen.   And that's a misery.

Here's how it looked:

Here's the breakdown on the stage performance:

1. GOT A JAM ON HIS FIRST ROUND.  Doesn't matter whether it was a high-primer, round loaded too long or too-short ... the shooter didn't have good ammunition (couldn't be a magazine malfunction) and he had to drop the magazine to make it go away.  Good choice.  but ..
2. FORGOT HIS GAME PLAN.    We can only assume  that the reason why he left the first shooting position was because he forgot that he had to engage three, not just two, targets from there.   He probably had walked it through carefully before he shot the stage, but was so distracted from the near-disasterous MALF (Malfunction) that when he rebooted his gun, he rebooted his brain.
3. FUMBLED HIS RELOAD.  This is something which he has probably practiced at home, and it's so thoroughly a part of 'muscle memory' that he doesn't even have to think about it.  But .. if he did "think about it", it completely trashed his stage.  If you have to 'think', or 'concentrate', you're not competing at 100% of your competence.
4. STOPPED TO PICK UP, AND LOADED, A DIRTY MAGAZINE.   If your magazine hits the ground, you are best off just forgetting about it and loading a new magazine.  Chances are that it will pick up dirt and grit (as it obviously did in the demo video), and it won't feed ammunition reliable.  And the grit will remain, even if you drop that magazine and grab a new, clean one.  The damage has been done, and until you clean your gun you can only expect more jams.  (WHY did he pick up his dirty magazine?  Probably because he only brought two magazines to the stage, and he had no choice but to risk it.   We can be pretty sure that he owned more than two magazines, but he was 'certain' that he wouldn't need more.   That decision certainly played a part in Trashing The Stage.  Can you say "HUBRIS", childeren?  I knew you could.)
5. QUIT, AND GO HOME MAD.   When your chamber is fouled, the best you can do is to quit.  Don't try to get more POINTS, because the TIME between each shot is going to trash your stage points anyway.  Use the time between now and the next stage to clean your gun, your magazines, and your ammunition.

Lessons Learned:

1. Carry more ammunition than you expect to need.
2. Carry more magazines  than you expect to need.
3. When you have a jam, just drop your magazine and grab another.  You have extra mags, right?
4. Never pick up a dropped magazine:  it costs time, you run the risk of sweeping yourself, and the magazine and/or ammunition may be dirty.  That will foul your gun until you can clean it, your magazine, and your ammunition.
5. When you've trashed your stage, perhaps the best thing you can do is to quit.  It's like the old adage:  When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

You may think that the answer is to go to OPEN Division, where you can carry 25-round magazines and you'll likely not have to reload that often.  SO ... when you're walking through the stage, you don't need to worry about Ammunition Management.

Wrong!

Ammunition Management is all about not having to make a "Standing Reload", except that it's also about not having to make more reloads than necessary .. if you can't make a reload 'on the move'.

If you are shooting in a class which requires a very low magazine capacity (eg: Production, Single-Stack, Revolver or Limited-10), the basic rule is:
If you're moving, you should be reloading!

Avoiding "Standing Reloads" is much more important .. and it should be the basis of your Game Plan no matter what division you're competing in.  Granted, in Limited or OPEN Divisions your magazine capacity may be from ten to thirty rounds (LIMITED Division has a maximum magazine length of 140mm in USPSA/IPSC competition, while OPEN Division allows magazines as long as 170mm).  For example, in my Limited gun, I can load either 17 or 18 rounds of 10mm (same diameter as .40 SW) in my 140mm magazines.  But in my open guns, I can usually load 25 rounds in my .38 Super (same diameter as 9mm Luger) in my 170mm magazines.  Some Open shooters can load more rounds in their Open Gun magazines.

The problem with shooting in Open Division is that one tends to become complacent.  You know that you have 'many' rounds in your magazine, and so you tend to equate that with  "I have ALL THE ROUNDS I'LL EVER NEED"  in your magazine.

The thing is, if you have a 23 round stage (for example) and you're sure you can complete it in 25 rounds or less, you may forget to manage your ammunition.  So, if you take an extra shot or two to make up a miss or a weak hit ... you lose the wisdom you had learned while you were shooting in divisions where you had less ammunition in your magazine.   Essentially, you forget that you really do NOT have "all the ammunition in the world!"

Here's how it looks In Real Life:

Tactical Action Shooting: Rules and Regulations

"Introduction to USPSA" certification: Why?


I've been teaching the Introduction to USPSA class at Albany Rifle and Pistol club for a while now, and I'm surprised that I have yet to hear a participant ask "why do we need to do this?"

The short answer is: "you need to know the rules before you compete. And frankly, I don't want to be on the range when someone who hasn't been trained is running-and-gunning."

But there's more than my personal timidity involved. There are other action shooting sports (besides IPSC/USPSA) that also require a higher-than-average skill set when competition involves moving around with a loaded gun, engaging targets in a variety of venues, and time is one of the deciding factors.

For some ranges/clubs ... if you have proven that you are qualified to compete in USPSA matches, they will accept your participation in other shooting sports.

Tri County Gun Club is one of these clubs. They have just released their first-in-a-decade update to rules and regulations for "Tactical Action Shooting".

I'm not going to get into a detailed discussion about exactly what Tactical Action Shooting is. For the purpose of this article, it's enough to understand that it's another shooting competition which involves "Running-and-Gunning".

Here's the latest update, in full. The portions which specifically address the opening question are highlighted in italics.

TRI-COUNTY GUN CLUB

TACTICAL ACTION SHOOTING

RULES AND REGULATIONS

November 15, 2000

Updated: March 25, 2010

The Competitor:

Tactical Action Shooting is open to all civilian and certified law enforcement persons interested in the safe and effective use of defensive firearms. While no longer required, it is recommended that civilians obtain a concealed carry permit, so that experience gained during matches can be transferred to the street. All civilians (non-law enforcement personnel) need to be approved for use of the TCGC action range. This can be accomplished in one of three ways:

1. IPSC/USPSA certification at TCGC or other USPSA sanctioned club. Proof of certification may be required of a new shooter unknown to the discipline chair and not a TCGC member.

2. Completion of “Wild Bunch” certification in the use of 1911 type automatic pistols by the TCGC Cowboy Action Shooting group. This certification does not preclude a competitor from using other types of semi-automatic pistols.

3. A person who has tactical shooting experience with another club and is familiar with the range commands in use by IPSC/USPSA. Proof of prior shooting experience may be required.

All certified law enforcement personnel, whether active or retired, who have completed their department’s firearms training program are welcome to participate.

Military personnel that can show firearms training are also welcome with approval from the discipline chair.

The Equipment:

Any legal carbine, revolver or semi-automatic pistol which could be used in a defensive capacity is approved for use with certain restrictions. Only calibers 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP may be used in semi-automatics. Revolvers in .38 Special, .357 Magnum (using .38 Special ammunition), .40 S&W, .44 Special, .44 Magnum (using .44 Special ammunition) and .45 ACP or Colt are also approved. Additional calibers may be approved by the discipline chair. (Currently .30 carbine, FN 5.7 and 7.62x25 have been approved.)

Optical sights are not allowed on handguns or shotguns. Optical sights are allowed on carbines. A laser sighting device that does not alter the concealability or carryability of the handgun may be used. For civilian competitors, all handguns will be concealed from view along with ammunition carriers. Those electing to use law enforcement duty gear may wear their gear openly. Duty gear must be of a type approved by the individual’s own department.

Shotguns may be semi-auto or pump action, with or without extended magazines, in 20 or 12 gauge. Magazines cannot be loaded with more than 8 rounds at any time. No form of optical or laser sighting device is approved for use on the tactical shotgun. Speed loaders or any device that allow the loading of more than one shell at a time into the magazine are not allowed. All spare ammunition for the shotgun and carbine may be carried openly, on the weapon itself, or in any manner deemed appropriate by the discipline chair. As the tactical shotgun and carbine are not normally concealable, spare ammunition need not be either. Ammunition approved for use in the shotgun must be bird shot of number 4 or smaller, standard slugs, and standard power buckshot.

The Course of Fire and Targets:

All courses of fire will specifically emphasize the use of proper firearms tactics in relation to the use of cover, magazine changes and retention, movement between shooting positions, etc. The only time sound tactics may not be required is a particular course of fire that is designed to teach or practice a specific skill such as shooting on the move or shooting from the support side.

Courses of fire should not be designed so the competitor has a risk of failing or committing and error which would require a stage or match DQ. As safety conscious individuals we must all endeavor to compete well, but do so within the limits of our own limits and abilities. If at any time a competitor feels that performing a particular task called for in a match stage is beyond his or her abilities, it is that person’s responsibility to bring their concern to the match director before the course is shot. Appropriate steps may be taken at the discretion of the match director to lessen the requirements of the stage for that person with appropriate time added to their score, so as to negate the possibility of a DQ or other dangerous situation.

All targets will be standard IPSC cardboard. The scoring rings on the IPSC cardboard target will have the following values: A zone - 5 points, C zone -4 points, D zone – 3 points, Upper A/B zone – 8 points. These values apply to handgun and carbine hits only. Eight points are required on each target to be considered neutralized. One shotgun slug within any scoring zone will be considered neutralized (unless designated differently by the stage design.)

Additional paper and steel targets will be designated by the discipline chair. Stationary steel targets which ring when hit will require two hits to be considered neutralized unless designated differently in the stage design. All falling targets must be knocked down to count as neutralized, unless a particular target fails to fall with what is deemed by the range officer to be a fair hit. Steel targets must be shot from a minimum distance of 10 yards.

Stage or Match Disqualification:

Errors that would require a match DQ would be firing a round out of the shooting bay, dropping a loaded firearm, unintentionally firing a weapon, or any other act that puts the competitor or others in danger. All shots will be aimed fire at an appropriate target.

Stage DQ’s can occur if: the 180 degree line is broken horizontally, a firearm is pointed above the shooting bay berms, a competitor proceeds in front of a downed weapon that is not properly cleared or in violation of the stage design, dropping of an unloaded firearm or any other unsafe gun handling that does not put the competitor or others at risk.

There are other scenarios which may occur that would require a stage or match DQ. These will be at the discretion of the discipline chair or match director.

Introl to USPSA: 09-10 and 09-11

The ARPC match this weekend not only allowed the November Introduction to USPSA class members to complete their training and certification, but it also served as a forum for earlier class members to 'show their stuff' now that they are no longer under the burden of proving that they can shoot a match safely.

All five of the graduates from last weeks Introduction to USPSA class graduated with honors: they engaged all targets of the six stages safely, and at least one (Brandon) won an award for finishing high in his division/class.

We emphasize in the Live Fire portion of instruction that participants should conscientiously avoid trying to move and shoot fast, but Brandon is such an accurate shooter that he prevailed against several difficult stages; he certainly performed much better than I did in most stages.

(In my own defense, I mention that I competed without the bifocal glasses which permitted me a clear view of the sights. But Brandon shot accurately, avoiding the temptation to shoot faster than his skills and experience would permit; I was impressed by him, and I doubt I could have beat him even if I had been better able to see my sights.)

Ultimately, all of the class participants proved to be not only very capable/accurate shooters, but comfortable with the USPSA rules, gun-handling, and competitive priorities.

It's a joy to see competent shooters enter into the realm of USPSA/IPSC competition. I wish I had been able to watch all five of the class of 09-11 (November, 2009) during their First Match. Lord knows I was struggling to complete the match with a reasonable finish, but they not only did well on Standard stages, but also on the more bizarre Field Courses. (Match results available here.)

When I left for the match, the ambient temperature was 32 degrees; when I arrived at 8am, the temperature was 36 degrees and I had finally defrosted my windshield and the rear widow of The Egregious Explorer. I "armored up" with Rain Pants and Rain Coat, but in truth the weather was much more mild than I had expected. I kept telling my squad-mates that it would "rain before we get out of here", but it didn't rain all day -- disregarding the pessimistic forecasts of weather.com. In my mind, that only proved that even God was willing to ignore His previous intentions to prove me wrong.

I love it when a plan comes together. I often wear rain-gear and even carry an umbrellas, on match days which coincide with dubious forecasts. If it rains, I'm a reliable prognosticator; if it doesn't rain, I have obviously sacrificed my reputation to the benefit of my squad. This weekend, I may have appeared to be A Dolt but I consider myself a Weather Hero.

Well, we take our successes where we can.
___________________

Long story short: we had a lot of fun with 09-11 shooter Brandon (who kicked our butt), and 09-10 shooters Gerry-with-a-"G" and Luc. All new shooters learned a lot ... including the proper definition of "unsupported strong-hand shooting" and how to engage a multi-target stage when shooting Production Class. ("Don't count your rounds; determine where you need to reload and follow your ammo-management plan religiously. Except for when The Plan doesn't work.")

We always enjoy new shooters, and these were no exception.

Oh, and if you are a New Shooter, please feel encouraged to bring your Better Half to the range. We like to meet the family, and be assured that we will do our best to coerce her to start shooting the matches, too.

SWMBO says so.