But sometimes it's really, really funny.
Out of the mouths of babes!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Presidential Message
Okay, so I'm a conservative and I think it's dispicable despicable a shame that those liberal tree-hugging Global Warming kooks ridicule Our President.
But sometimes it's really, really funny.
Out of the mouths of babes!
But sometimes it's really, really funny.
Out of the mouths of babes!
Monday, June 04, 2007
IPSC STEEL
You may recall from a previous article that "Pete" and "Re-Pete" (Mitch M. and Ramiro R.) from COSSA invited me to attend the IPSC Steel match at COSSA (Bend, Oregon) this weekend.
Since SWMBO was going to visit her sister. Jo, on Saturday at Jo's cabin just east of Sisters, Oregon, we decided that Jo's husband Bernie and I could go to the COSSA pistol match while SWMBO and Jo attended the "Health Fair" in Bend. In the actual event, Bernie chose to attend the Health Fair to get his aura read, so I went to the COSSA IPSC Steel match alone.
Turns out, it was a good choice for me.
As it happened, there were a number of "Psychics" at the Health Fair, and they were determined to tell the attendees what was wrong in their life. Since I already know what's wrong with my life (I'm not rich, not young, and not thin) this would have been a waste of time.
Note thatwhile the Psychics didn't offer to correct perceived deficiencies, they were more than happy to announce the deficiencies of everyone who came into their range. Frankly, I would rather be shot. Happily, that didn't happen at the COSSA Range.
IPSC Steel is essentially an IPSC match, except that all of the targets are steel with NO cardboard (eg: Metric or Classic) targets included in the stage designs.
The stages were generally designed 'on the fly', and the stage directions were not written down. Rather, they were entirely verbal and sounded like:
Note: do NOT do the math, it will only confuse you.
The stage designer was one of the 11 competitors, and there was usually some discussion before the match started about how to make the stages more interesting. Some of the stages were re-designed before the match started. Other stages were redesigned AFTER that match started, usually leading to more interesting stages.
If you haven't got the impression already, the stage designs were ad hoc and fluid, as was much of the range officiating. For example, I encountered some serious failure-to-feed problems on the first stage. After I shot two rounds and dumped three more on the ground, the consensus was that I should be allowed to correct my problems and reshoot the stage. While I was grateful, I also found this local ruling a little confusing.
Of course, I took full advantage of it.
The stages involved complex "shooting house" designs, with the addition of the type of targets which one usually encounters at "Speed Steel" matches. Essentially, they were either Pepper Poppers or round (or square) plates hanging from stands made of steel 'Rebar'.
The designs made full use of "shoot each target two times" philosophy, and most targets were re-engaged from several positions. This made it sort of a "Memory Match", but there was a decided advantage in that it was easy to set up (eight targets were the only elements in a 24-round stage) and easy to take down.
The host club actually set up only 3 stages. After all had been shot, they decided which seemed the most interesting and changed them slightly by moving (or removing) a few targets, and shot those stages again.
Scoring was similarly odd: a target which was not engaged was deemed to add 3 seconds to the competitor's time. Or else FTE and miss penalties were assigned ... I never understood what criteria were used to determine which penalty system was used for each stage, but I think the match administrators used whatever techniques 'felt right' for each stage.
Note that I'm not being critical. Nobody seemed to care any more than I did what scoring penalties structure was imposed on any given stage. Everybody who showed up was obviously there to celebrate a sunny early-Summer Saturday on The Range.
I already knew Mitch and Ramiro, having met them last weekend at Dundee. And I knew GM Scott Sprenger from many previous matches. I had met Brad some years ago, before he suffered a grevious injury from having a horse fall on him (ligament damage had been 'largely' repaired, but he wore a brace on his leg anyway ... and kicked my ass score-wise!) and I met his son, JD, who was teen-ager quiet but intense, man.
Other competitors included "Drive-By Don" and "180" (who lived up to his reputation), Mike who worked most stages as RO, and Jason of the Funny Hat. There were also a few other players whose names I failed to record. It doesn't really matter, because everyone was there for the fun of shooting, and we all had fun.
Unfortunately, I had a bad lot of ammunition (curses to my reloader, who turned out to me ... me!) so I came in Second Open. Ramiro came in Next To Last Open.
There were only two Open shooters ... okay to do the math this time.
I took a lot of pictures, and some videos. When I explained to Mitch that it was a drag to take a lot of videos at a match because it prevented me from actually enjoying the match ... it tends to interfere with talking to people ... Mitch generously offered to film severl competitors for me. With some hesitation, I accepted his generous offer. Some of the segments you will see below were filmed by me, but most of them (the best ones) were filmed by Mitch.
Thanks, Mitch!
The included match segments are selected at random, generally, but they're all typical of an IPSC Steel match. Most significantly (t0 me), Ramiro mentioned before the match began that an Open shooter has a disadvantage. The report of the pistol is so loud that in combination with Electronic ear muffs it's difficult to tell whether you have hit both shots on a given steel target. I as inclined to poo-poo his petty criticism, until I shot a couple of stages. While I rely on my ability to 'call the shot', in the confusion I found myself unable to reliably do so and thus I took a LOT of extra shots. I'm convinced that the extra shots were necessary, because somehow when you are 'clanging steel' you can't always tell what targets you have hit with which shot, or even (sometimes) how many times you have shot at it.
This is an extremely challenging variation on IPSC competition. If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to get together with a dozen of your closest IPSC friends and play with some stage designs.
I'm pretty sure you will embarass yourself almost as thoroughly as I did last Saturday.
Since SWMBO was going to visit her sister. Jo, on Saturday at Jo's cabin just east of Sisters, Oregon, we decided that Jo's husband Bernie and I could go to the COSSA pistol match while SWMBO and Jo attended the "Health Fair" in Bend. In the actual event, Bernie chose to attend the Health Fair to get his aura read, so I went to the COSSA IPSC Steel match alone.
Turns out, it was a good choice for me.
As it happened, there were a number of "Psychics" at the Health Fair, and they were determined to tell the attendees what was wrong in their life. Since I already know what's wrong with my life (I'm not rich, not young, and not thin) this would have been a waste of time.
Note thatwhile the Psychics didn't offer to correct perceived deficiencies, they were more than happy to announce the deficiencies of everyone who came into their range. Frankly, I would rather be shot. Happily, that didn't happen at the COSSA Range.
IPSC Steel is essentially an IPSC match, except that all of the targets are steel with NO cardboard (eg: Metric or Classic) targets included in the stage designs.
The stages were generally designed 'on the fly', and the stage directions were not written down. Rather, they were entirely verbal and sounded like:
"Start here, shoot this target twice. Then run over here and shoot this target twice. Re-engage T1 through this port twice, shoot these two targets twice from here, then shoot them again through this port again, then shoot these three targets twice through this port and finish at this port by re-engaging this target twice. Round count: 24 rounds."
Note: do NOT do the math, it will only confuse you.
The stage designer was one of the 11 competitors, and there was usually some discussion before the match started about how to make the stages more interesting. Some of the stages were re-designed before the match started. Other stages were redesigned AFTER that match started, usually leading to more interesting stages.
If you haven't got the impression already, the stage designs were ad hoc and fluid, as was much of the range officiating. For example, I encountered some serious failure-to-feed problems on the first stage. After I shot two rounds and dumped three more on the ground, the consensus was that I should be allowed to correct my problems and reshoot the stage. While I was grateful, I also found this local ruling a little confusing.
Of course, I took full advantage of it.
The stages involved complex "shooting house" designs, with the addition of the type of targets which one usually encounters at "Speed Steel" matches. Essentially, they were either Pepper Poppers or round (or square) plates hanging from stands made of steel 'Rebar'.
The designs made full use of "shoot each target two times" philosophy, and most targets were re-engaged from several positions. This made it sort of a "Memory Match", but there was a decided advantage in that it was easy to set up (eight targets were the only elements in a 24-round stage) and easy to take down.
The host club actually set up only 3 stages. After all had been shot, they decided which seemed the most interesting and changed them slightly by moving (or removing) a few targets, and shot those stages again.
Scoring was similarly odd: a target which was not engaged was deemed to add 3 seconds to the competitor's time. Or else FTE and miss penalties were assigned ... I never understood what criteria were used to determine which penalty system was used for each stage, but I think the match administrators used whatever techniques 'felt right' for each stage.
Note that I'm not being critical. Nobody seemed to care any more than I did what scoring penalties structure was imposed on any given stage. Everybody who showed up was obviously there to celebrate a sunny early-Summer Saturday on The Range.
I already knew Mitch and Ramiro, having met them last weekend at Dundee. And I knew GM Scott Sprenger from many previous matches. I had met Brad some years ago, before he suffered a grevious injury from having a horse fall on him (ligament damage had been 'largely' repaired, but he wore a brace on his leg anyway ... and kicked my ass score-wise!) and I met his son, JD, who was teen-ager quiet but intense, man.
Other competitors included "Drive-By Don" and "180" (who lived up to his reputation), Mike who worked most stages as RO, and Jason of the Funny Hat. There were also a few other players whose names I failed to record. It doesn't really matter, because everyone was there for the fun of shooting, and we all had fun.
Unfortunately, I had a bad lot of ammunition (curses to my reloader, who turned out to me ... me!) so I came in Second Open. Ramiro came in Next To Last Open.
There were only two Open shooters ... okay to do the math this time.
I took a lot of pictures, and some videos. When I explained to Mitch that it was a drag to take a lot of videos at a match because it prevented me from actually enjoying the match ... it tends to interfere with talking to people ... Mitch generously offered to film severl competitors for me. With some hesitation, I accepted his generous offer. Some of the segments you will see below were filmed by me, but most of them (the best ones) were filmed by Mitch.
Thanks, Mitch!
The included match segments are selected at random, generally, but they're all typical of an IPSC Steel match. Most significantly (t0 me), Ramiro mentioned before the match began that an Open shooter has a disadvantage. The report of the pistol is so loud that in combination with Electronic ear muffs it's difficult to tell whether you have hit both shots on a given steel target. I as inclined to poo-poo his petty criticism, until I shot a couple of stages. While I rely on my ability to 'call the shot', in the confusion I found myself unable to reliably do so and thus I took a LOT of extra shots. I'm convinced that the extra shots were necessary, because somehow when you are 'clanging steel' you can't always tell what targets you have hit with which shot, or even (sometimes) how many times you have shot at it.
This is an extremely challenging variation on IPSC competition. If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to get together with a dozen of your closest IPSC friends and play with some stage designs.
I'm pretty sure you will embarass yourself almost as thoroughly as I did last Saturday.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Mr. Completely: Red Dot Sights - How They Work
Mr. Completely: Red Dot Sights - How They Work
Mr. Completely has an excellent short article about the kind of sights typically used on Open Division pistols in IPSC.
I would attempt to add explanatory comments, but that would be gilding the lily.
This is a candidate for the shortest Geek-Length article in the history of Western Civilization.
I'm learning ...
Mr. Completely has an excellent short article about the kind of sights typically used on Open Division pistols in IPSC.
I would attempt to add explanatory comments, but that would be gilding the lily.
This is a candidate for the shortest Geek-Length article in the history of Western Civilization.
I'm learning ...
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Pete and Re-Pete
When I talked about the Memorial Day Dundee Match, I neglected to mention a couple of IPSC shooters in our squad that we had never met before.
Mitch M. and Ramiro R. usually compete at the COSSA Practical Shooters' Range, 21 miles east of Bend, Oregon. (This was the site of USPSA National Matches in 2003 and 2004, where SWMBO and I both competed and worked as Range Officers.) I'm not sure what COSSA stands for. "CO" is obviously "Central Oregon", and "A" is "Association (I think), but I have no idea what the "SS" stands for.
It doesn't matter, and by this time next week I'm pretty sure someone will have clarified the issue for me.
It's enough that Mitch and Ramiro left Bend at 5am to get to the match in Dundee by 9am. I assume it's because they love to shoot and have precious little opportunity to shoot IPSC matches every weekend, being as they are sited in the middle of a state the approximate size of Iraq.
We weren't acquainted with Mitch and Ramiro, so we asked if they were 'new shooters'. They laughed, and said that no, they had shot a couple of matches. (We later learned that they were B-class shooters ... clearly no tyros here.)
We enjoyed the company of Mitch and Ramiro, but as the match progressed we realized that Ramiro was experiencing some problems with his pistol. Worse, we watched as he experienced some Range Equipment Failures which necessitated reshooting the stages. That never works out well for the shooter, and by the time we started the 4th stage I was Range Officer when Ramiro came up to the line.
Ramiro groaned, accused me of jinxing him, but managed to shoot the stage clean (and beat me on the stage with his STI Race Gun!)
By the time we got to the last stage, I had told them that I was renaming them from Mitch and Ramiro to "Pete and Re-Pete". More groans.
I'm going to be in the Bend area this weekend, and I told them so. As it happens, COSSA iss putting on an "IPSC Steel" match this Saturday. This is an IPSC match in which no cardboard targets are used. This is the High-Plains version of an IPSC Winter Match. No problems with soggy cardboard or tape not sticking. No need to cover targets with plastic bags. They use only steel targets, which simplifies 'bad weather' matches.
"Pete and Re-Pete" were enthusiastic about encouraging me to attend the Bend June Match. The even offered to invite me to squad with them. So I'll be shooting in Bend this weekend, and I hope to have some interesting photos here.
By the way, you may ask:
Why in the WORLD do they need to hold a "Bad Weather" match in June?
In response, I remind you that the 2003 Area 1 match was held in Bend, the first full weekend in May. It snowed. Why did it snow? Because it was too cold for rain.
Wish me luck.
Mitch M. and Ramiro R. usually compete at the COSSA Practical Shooters' Range, 21 miles east of Bend, Oregon. (This was the site of USPSA National Matches in 2003 and 2004, where SWMBO and I both competed and worked as Range Officers.) I'm not sure what COSSA stands for. "CO" is obviously "Central Oregon", and "A" is "Association (I think), but I have no idea what the "SS" stands for.
It doesn't matter, and by this time next week I'm pretty sure someone will have clarified the issue for me.
It's enough that Mitch and Ramiro left Bend at 5am to get to the match in Dundee by 9am. I assume it's because they love to shoot and have precious little opportunity to shoot IPSC matches every weekend, being as they are sited in the middle of a state the approximate size of Iraq.
We weren't acquainted with Mitch and Ramiro, so we asked if they were 'new shooters'. They laughed, and said that no, they had shot a couple of matches. (We later learned that they were B-class shooters ... clearly no tyros here.)
We enjoyed the company of Mitch and Ramiro, but as the match progressed we realized that Ramiro was experiencing some problems with his pistol. Worse, we watched as he experienced some Range Equipment Failures which necessitated reshooting the stages. That never works out well for the shooter, and by the time we started the 4th stage I was Range Officer when Ramiro came up to the line.
Hi, I'm Jerry and I'll be your Range Officer for this state, and also for your Reshoot.
Ramiro groaned, accused me of jinxing him, but managed to shoot the stage clean (and beat me on the stage with his STI Race Gun!)
By the time we got to the last stage, I had told them that I was renaming them from Mitch and Ramiro to "Pete and Re-Pete". More groans.
I'm going to be in the Bend area this weekend, and I told them so. As it happens, COSSA iss putting on an "IPSC Steel" match this Saturday. This is an IPSC match in which no cardboard targets are used. This is the High-Plains version of an IPSC Winter Match. No problems with soggy cardboard or tape not sticking. No need to cover targets with plastic bags. They use only steel targets, which simplifies 'bad weather' matches.
"Pete and Re-Pete" were enthusiastic about encouraging me to attend the Bend June Match. The even offered to invite me to squad with them. So I'll be shooting in Bend this weekend, and I hope to have some interesting photos here.
By the way, you may ask:
Why in the WORLD do they need to hold a "Bad Weather" match in June?
In response, I remind you that the 2003 Area 1 match was held in Bend, the first full weekend in May. It snowed. Why did it snow? Because it was too cold for rain.
Wish me luck.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Evil Star 1.1
Memorial Day Weekend was a busy time here in Geekistan.
Saturday, we shot a Club Match at Dundee, where we were treated to Evil Bill's New and Improved Evil Star (Version 1.1 -- more on this later).
Sunday, we went to a BBQ at the home of Randomly Hittin' Witten and his charming wife, Donna. Many of The usual Suspects were there, including AJ and KJ who have been so busy riding their new Harley that they just haven't had time to get to the range for matches. AJ, however, did show up for the Saturday match and I regret that I was unable to include his Evil Star run in the attached video. Perhaps I can feature him in his own video later on, which would be worthwhile if only because he did a fine job on the stage regardless of his lack of recent practice.
Monday SWMBO and I went to my mother's house in Springfield and worked in her garden. Her sprinkler system is on the fritz, but my brother-in-law John fixed that before we got there. We spent a couple of hours doing basic gardening (weeding, and trimming & spraying her Rose Garden) until we ran out of steam.
On to the Evil Star.
Last month, Evil Bill introduced his Evil Star at the Dundee Club Match. There were a few problems with the design, mostly because:
We did experience one problem. The springs which hold the plates in place on the support arms are flimsy, weak material. Over time, they tend to wear out. We were the last squad to shoot this stage, and we found that the weakest springs tended to fall off the support arms. We were able to find and re-install the springs, but this reveals a design flaw in the original Texas Star.
Personally, I recommend Bobby Wright's "Five Point Surprise" as a viable alternative to this target design. The springs are much more robust, and many of the parts can replaced by a trip to you friendly local Ace Hardware Man.
Still the Evil Star proved to be a challenging and interesting target. Here's how it looked when real people were shooting real bullets:
(This video is also available directly from YouTube, here.)
Saturday, we shot a Club Match at Dundee, where we were treated to Evil Bill's New and Improved Evil Star (Version 1.1 -- more on this later).
Sunday, we went to a BBQ at the home of Randomly Hittin' Witten and his charming wife, Donna. Many of The usual Suspects were there, including AJ and KJ who have been so busy riding their new Harley that they just haven't had time to get to the range for matches. AJ, however, did show up for the Saturday match and I regret that I was unable to include his Evil Star run in the attached video. Perhaps I can feature him in his own video later on, which would be worthwhile if only because he did a fine job on the stage regardless of his lack of recent practice.
Monday SWMBO and I went to my mother's house in Springfield and worked in her garden. Her sprinkler system is on the fritz, but my brother-in-law John fixed that before we got there. We spent a couple of hours doing basic gardening (weeding, and trimming & spraying her Rose Garden) until we ran out of steam.
On to the Evil Star.
Last month, Evil Bill introduced his Evil Star at the Dundee Club Match. There were a few problems with the design, mostly because:
- The plates, when hit solidly, would sometimes fall back far enough to strike the backing IPSC targets. This didn't often slow the rotation of the array, but it did some physical damage to the cardboard targets.
- There was a lot of 'splatter' on the backing targets due to fragmentation of bullets which hit the plate-supporting arms. These supports were 1/2" (or smaller) rods, and any rounds which hit them tended to tear up the cardboard.
We did experience one problem. The springs which hold the plates in place on the support arms are flimsy, weak material. Over time, they tend to wear out. We were the last squad to shoot this stage, and we found that the weakest springs tended to fall off the support arms. We were able to find and re-install the springs, but this reveals a design flaw in the original Texas Star.
Personally, I recommend Bobby Wright's "Five Point Surprise" as a viable alternative to this target design. The springs are much more robust, and many of the parts can replaced by a trip to you friendly local Ace Hardware Man.
Still the Evil Star proved to be a challenging and interesting target. Here's how it looked when real people were shooting real bullets:
(This video is also available directly from YouTube, here.)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Server Problems?
Many of the photos and especially the link icons in the sidebar are not available at the moment. Also, the "Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery" is not available. I assume this is a server problem, and will be corrected eventually.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Texas Star design specifications
Over the past year I've posted a lot of photos and videos of "The Texas Star", Bobby Wright's "Five-Point Surprise", and Bill Marr's "Evil Star". Folks are attracted to these interesting, challenging target designs and they write to me with either general or specific questions about the design. The most common theme: "I'd like to build me one of these!"
Most of these correspondents are extra-national, which is to say they don't live in the United States where shipping charges are probably not going to exceed the purchase price of the target. (In fact, you may find one or more of these vendors at major matches in the Continental United States.)
But when you ask me to provide design specifications so you can build your own, I have to say ... I can't do that.
These folks are engineers, or machinists ... usually both. When they build a target, they have invested their time and talents and materials to provide a product. They have created these targets to sell. They're trying to make a living, and if I provide design specifications to you the result is that I am undermining their business.
I refuse to do this.
I have posted photos and videos of these products because I believe in a Free Market economy, and Capitalism, and if someone makes a better mousetrap (or a better IPSC target) they deserve whatever compensation returnable from the market which THEY have developed.
You can search my blog for keywords which may provide links to photos and movies of these new targets. If you can't find contact information there, please write me (my email address is ALWAYS available at the bottom of every page) and I will provide as much contact information as I have or I can find.
When you and the manufacturer of a product have access to each other, then you can decide whether you will buy a target, or a license (including design specifications and/or parts list) to manufacture or retail them.
Now, I know that this will not be a satisfactory to most of you who consider yourself perfectly competent to build a Star target. I'm truly sorry to disappoint you, because I share your enthusiasm for these designs and I would like to see them being used in IPSC matches all over the world.
Please understand that I have not marketing agreement with any of these target manufacturers. My only concern is to encourage the development of new target designs, and to allow entrepreneurs to reap the benefits of their ingenuity and their labor.
Again, I will do whatever is necessary to put you in touch with these manufacturers/designers. But my articles are intended for entertainment and general information only.
So please don't ask me to tell you how to build a Texas Star, or a Five Point Surprise, or an Evil Star. I'll just spend a lot of time telling you "NO". I'll feel bad because I cannot, in good conscience, help you to build your own pirated version. And you'll be disappointed by my recalcitrance.
Most of these correspondents are extra-national, which is to say they don't live in the United States where shipping charges are probably not going to exceed the purchase price of the target. (In fact, you may find one or more of these vendors at major matches in the Continental United States.)
But when you ask me to provide design specifications so you can build your own, I have to say ... I can't do that.
These folks are engineers, or machinists ... usually both. When they build a target, they have invested their time and talents and materials to provide a product. They have created these targets to sell. They're trying to make a living, and if I provide design specifications to you the result is that I am undermining their business.
I refuse to do this.
I have posted photos and videos of these products because I believe in a Free Market economy, and Capitalism, and if someone makes a better mousetrap (or a better IPSC target) they deserve whatever compensation returnable from the market which THEY have developed.
You can search my blog for keywords which may provide links to photos and movies of these new targets. If you can't find contact information there, please write me (my email address is ALWAYS available at the bottom of every page) and I will provide as much contact information as I have or I can find.
When you and the manufacturer of a product have access to each other, then you can decide whether you will buy a target, or a license (including design specifications and/or parts list) to manufacture or retail them.
Now, I know that this will not be a satisfactory to most of you who consider yourself perfectly competent to build a Star target. I'm truly sorry to disappoint you, because I share your enthusiasm for these designs and I would like to see them being used in IPSC matches all over the world.
Please understand that I have not marketing agreement with any of these target manufacturers. My only concern is to encourage the development of new target designs, and to allow entrepreneurs to reap the benefits of their ingenuity and their labor.
Again, I will do whatever is necessary to put you in touch with these manufacturers/designers. But my articles are intended for entertainment and general information only.
So please don't ask me to tell you how to build a Texas Star, or a Five Point Surprise, or an Evil Star. I'll just spend a lot of time telling you "NO". I'll feel bad because I cannot, in good conscience, help you to build your own pirated version. And you'll be disappointed by my recalcitrance.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Jerry-Atrics 1
The March 12, 2007 match at Albany Rifle and Pistol club is unofficially called the "Mothers Day" match. The squad I shot in is unofficially called the "Geriatrics Squad", because there were only a few of the 12 squadmembers who didn't fit into a Senior or SuperSenior category.
One of the non-senior shooters, John, is featured in several of the videos I plan to present and I gave him the URL for this website so he could watch his performance objectively.
There are a lot of videos of his shooting in this six-part series (officially completed as soon as YouTube comes back online and I can upload this video), but this one is especially interesting.
John ... seemed to have broken the rules.
The rules are, shoot the paper targets over the bar, shoot the steel under the bar.
He took a shot over the bar after he had APPARENTLY completed engaging all paper targets. Worse, the round hit the berm just over the steel target array.
Go look at the video. You be the RO. What would you do?
Music ("I Shot The Sheriff") by Mr. Eric Clapton.
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery. The video for this particular stage (a 16mb download) is here.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
One of the non-senior shooters, John, is featured in several of the videos I plan to present and I gave him the URL for this website so he could watch his performance objectively.
There are a lot of videos of his shooting in this six-part series (officially completed as soon as YouTube comes back online and I can upload this video), but this one is especially interesting.
John ... seemed to have broken the rules.
The rules are, shoot the paper targets over the bar, shoot the steel under the bar.
He took a shot over the bar after he had APPARENTLY completed engaging all paper targets. Worse, the round hit the berm just over the steel target array.
Go look at the video. You be the RO. What would you do?
Music ("I Shot The Sheriff") by Mr. Eric Clapton.
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery. The video for this particular stage (a 16mb download) is here.
Stage 1: Better Make Sure (CM99-50)
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)
The designer of this 8-round Comstock Classifier has not been identified. by USPSA.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Jerry-Atrics 2
Stage 2: Stupid Donut
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)
Music ("Knockin' on Heaven's Door") by Mr. Eric Clapton.
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 23-round Comstock stage, which includes 11 IPSC targets and 1 steel target.
Shooter starts in shooting box "A", and can engage all targets from that box and/or Shooting Box "B".
Shooting the Pepper Popper through the 'donut' activates the sliding window, which allows shooter to engage targets T1-T4 (not legally accesible from outside Shooting Box "A".)
Moving downrange through Shooting Box "B", targets T5-T6, T11 - T12 may be engaged.
Stepping on the activator box at the forward lateral wall activates bobbing target T8, as well as a no-shoot penalty target just behind the port (which is not an obstacle for tall competitors.)
Through the port, the shooter may engage moving target T8 as well as static targets T7 and T9. Note that the moving target is repetitively obscured by a steel-plate representing an IPSC target, and is considered "Hard-Cover".
All in all, it's a nifty little Mac McCarter Special stage design. Neat, but not gaudy.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The 2006 Hostility To IPSC Award
We interrupt this series of actual USPSA Shooting Match articles to bring this Breaking News to your attention:
Jerry the Geek has been awarded 2nd place in the prestigious "Hostility to IPSC" competition. (Click on the title of this article to see the original award webpage ... as long as it remains available.)
I take great pride in this award, and I vow to continue my efforts in hopes that I win first Place in the 2007 competition.
There's a chance that it will actually happen. I draw your attention to my 2007 May Day post: "Target Control".
If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will.
Quality, not Quantity.
In the meantime, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Jim Norman, the winner of the "2006 Hostility to IPSC" award.
Jim, I've watched your work for years and I have the utmost admiration for your accomplishment.
(Click on the image to see the full-size version. Click on the resulting image again to see a 'clean' version.)Note that, according to the "Page Info" option, this page was last modified "Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:11:30 AM", and it expires "Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:11:30 AM".
I think that means I'm fortunate that several of my friends cared enough to forward this link to me before it expired. Otherwise, you may have missed this
I'm sure you share my joy in this achievement, as well as my hopes that I can do better in the 2007 competition. IPSC must be very proud of the way in which the IPSC Secretary represents the International Practical Shooting Confederation!
Jerry-Atrics 3
Stage 3: Up And Back
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 22-round Comstock stage, which includes 9 IPSC targets and 4 steel targets.
Shooter starts in the large shooting box, hands are touching a "X-marked" spot on the lateral vision barrier. (Note: original requirement for toes to be touching the vision barrier were deleted due to safety considerations.)
Targets can be engaged from either end of a lateral wall, or from a port in the center. Shooting positions at the wall ends require backward movement to get around the arc of the v-shaped lateral wall to engage targets on the other end of the array. Steel targets are backed by no-shoot penalty targets.
Music: Eric Clapton - "Cocaine"
(Ignore the "Image Coming Soon" message. Push the button on this and all prior posts. It's a YouTube problem, the video(s) is/are UP!)
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Jerry-Atrics 4
Stage 5: Crap!Weak Hand!
You can see the original YouTube video here.
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)
Music will be provided by Mr. Eric Clapton, "Willy and the Hand Jive".
The videos for this (15mb) and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 21-round Comstock stage (Originally 'Virginia Count', but changed due to the presence of steel targets), which includes 9 IPSC targets and 3 steel targets.
There are 3 strings:
String 1: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol unloaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Free Style.
String2: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol loaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Strong Hand Only.
String3: starting with hands resting on window sill, pistol loaded and resting on barrel, on signal load and engage 3 IPSC, 1 PP Weak Hand Only.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Jerry-Atrics 5
Stage 5: Dundee Dang It
(Ignore the "Image Coming Soon" message. Push the button on this and all prior posts. It's a YouTube problem, the video(s) is/are UP!)
You can see the original YouTube video here.
(Click the link to view the Stage design and procedures in PDF format.)
Music ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") is provided by Mr. Eric Clapton.
The video (10mb) for this stage is available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is the designer of this 24-round Comstock stage, which includes 6 IPSC targets and 12 steel targets.
Shooter starts anywhere in the large shooting box, as long as toes are touching a fault line.
Targets can be engaged from either end of a lateral wall, or from a port in the center. Shooting positions at the wall ends allows engagement of targets in front, or at a diagonal to the opposite side of the bay. Targets are placed behind vision barriers so that some targets must be engaged at a diagonal. A plate rack can only be engaged from the port in the center of the lateral wall.
(Ignore the "Image Coming Soon" message. Push the button on this and all prior posts. It's a YouTube problem, the video(s) is/are UP!)
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Jerry-Atrics 6
The March 12, 2007 match at Albany Rifle and Pistol club -- the "Mothers Day" match.
Stage 6: Emmit's Best (Click the link to see the Stage Procedures and design.)
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is not only the Match Director but also is the designer of this 18-round Comstock stage, which includes 8 IPSC targets and 2 Pepper Poppers.
Shooter starts at the forward vision barrier, shoots through a low port and then backs up while engaging 3 IPSC targets. At the uprange edge of the large shooting box, 3 other IPSC targets may be engaged after moving to the other side of a fence which breaks the box into 2 lanes. Finally, having moved back to the downrange vision barrier, complete the stage while shooting through the other low port.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Stage 6: Emmit's Best (Click the link to see the Stage Procedures and design.)
The videos for this and all other stages in this match are available at Jerry the Geek's Video Shooting Gallery.
Mr. Mike McCarter is not only the Match Director but also is the designer of this 18-round Comstock stage, which includes 8 IPSC targets and 2 Pepper Poppers.
Shooter starts at the forward vision barrier, shoots through a low port and then backs up while engaging 3 IPSC targets. At the uprange edge of the large shooting box, 3 other IPSC targets may be engaged after moving to the other side of a fence which breaks the box into 2 lanes. Finally, having moved back to the downrange vision barrier, complete the stage while shooting through the other low port.
You can see the original YouTube video here.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Pistol Caliber Carbine Match - TCGC May 5
Tri-County Gun Club in Sherwood, Oregon, has lately been attempting to put on either a "Practical Shotgun" or a "Pistol Caliber Carbine" during most months. This month was a "Carbine" match on the first Saturday of May - Cinco de Mayo.
I had planned to shoot the match with my Mech Tech in .45acp caliber, but my Tasco Pro-Point I scope came up croppers the morning of the match with dead batteries. I had used it last month to show off to a co-worker, and neither of us had thought to turn the scope completely off when we were done. This is illustrative of the One Good Reason why battery-driven sights are Not Good.
When you really need them, they are invariably Toes Up.
I realized this at 7am on the morning of the match, and spent 2 hours driving 85 miles because I stopped at every convenience store on the way looking for a place which stocked these very different batteries. I didn't find one -- ONE -- on the trip.
What the heck, I decided to complete the trip so I could at least watch the match, maybe even get some pictures.
When I arrived at 9:30 am (a half-hour after the match was scheduled to start), I discovered that they were still setting up the six VERY challenging stages and nobody had started shooting yet.
I talked to The Hobo Brasser and explained my quandary. He replied: "I have plenty of ammunition, why don't you just use my gun?"
I accepted his generous offer before he had a chance to change his mind, and signed up for the match (and paid my $17 fee ... which included a 'tear-down' charge) immediately.
The 'tear-down' charge deserves comment.
In the Columbia-Cascade (CCS) Section of USPSA, match fees typically run about $15. Recently, the three clubs (ARPC, Dundee and TCGC) have established crews to tear down the stages and put away the targets and props. They charge an extra (not optional) two dollars to the match fees, adn when you're done shooting ... you can go home!
As it turned out, only about a dozen shooters showed up for THIS match, so the tear-down crew only shared $24 for their half-hour extra labor. But it encourages shooters to come out to the NEXT match, when they know that they don't have to work after the match has finished.
(Note that the last match in CCS, which was a Classifier match at Dundee, there were 70 shooters. This provided $140 to be shared among the two people who volunteered to tear down the stages. Not bad wages for a half-hour's work.)
The idea of a Pistol-caliber Carbine Match is that it provides a venue where you can use a notational rifle to shoot what is essentially an IPSC match, which is in turn an excuse to buy another gun.
Works for me.
I bought the Mech Tech last year just so I could shoot these matches. But I didn't count on the gun being hors de Combat in the actual event, which leads me back to the borrowing of Hobo's Beretta "Storm" CX4 9mm carbine.
The Beretta is currently available in 9mm, and is (supposedly) also available in several other calibers as well. To my surprise, the 9mm version using commercially loaded ammunition is entirely adequate to knock down plates and pepper poppers at 30 meters distance, and is still accurate at 50 meters distance.
Several of the people in my squad were using AR15 variants in 9mm, and although they had to modify their hi-cap (30+ round) magazines to fit the magazine well, they found that their carbines functioned reliably and got accurate hits at the distances involved in the stages designed by Gary "The Tool Man".
Note that Gary has been MD of several matches of this type in the past six months, and they are typified by high-round-count and accuracy-intensive designs. As an example, he puts a lot of bowling pins on the stages, at sometimes extreme distances. He also includes 4" square plates at distances out to 50 meters. This is an extreme challenge, and most of the competitors opted to use the electronic dot-sights to provide quick acquisition of tiny targets at extreme ranges.
Of the many minor events which (as is typical of IPSC matches) made the day interesting even for knowledgeable spectators, I note that Norm the Ungrateful quit after 3 stages. His own Beretta Storm was not retaining magazines reliably. The Hobo brasser faced the same challenge, but he had already learned from David (no nickname) that there was a 'fix' for this design oversight. The specifications for this are available at a previous post, here.
Ultimately, the story is that I not only got to shoot the match, but I now hunger for a 9mm Beretta 'Storm' of my own. The carbine is quick, accurate, reliable and user friendly.
It's also Star Wars sexy.
To illustrate what the Beretta "Storm" (CX4) can do in the hands of a Fat Old Man (in which category I definately claim membership), I offer this video of The Hobo Brasser shooting it in the first stage of the day:
This makes more sense when you realize that the Theme of the match was "Miami Vice", the 1980's Television show.
I had planned to shoot the match with my Mech Tech in .45acp caliber, but my Tasco Pro-Point I scope came up croppers the morning of the match with dead batteries. I had used it last month to show off to a co-worker, and neither of us had thought to turn the scope completely off when we were done. This is illustrative of the One Good Reason why battery-driven sights are Not Good.
When you really need them, they are invariably Toes Up.
I realized this at 7am on the morning of the match, and spent 2 hours driving 85 miles because I stopped at every convenience store on the way looking for a place which stocked these very different batteries. I didn't find one -- ONE -- on the trip.
What the heck, I decided to complete the trip so I could at least watch the match, maybe even get some pictures.
When I arrived at 9:30 am (a half-hour after the match was scheduled to start), I discovered that they were still setting up the six VERY challenging stages and nobody had started shooting yet.
I talked to The Hobo Brasser and explained my quandary. He replied: "I have plenty of ammunition, why don't you just use my gun?"
I accepted his generous offer before he had a chance to change his mind, and signed up for the match (and paid my $17 fee ... which included a 'tear-down' charge) immediately.
The 'tear-down' charge deserves comment.
In the Columbia-Cascade (CCS) Section of USPSA, match fees typically run about $15. Recently, the three clubs (ARPC, Dundee and TCGC) have established crews to tear down the stages and put away the targets and props. They charge an extra (not optional) two dollars to the match fees, adn when you're done shooting ... you can go home!
As it turned out, only about a dozen shooters showed up for THIS match, so the tear-down crew only shared $24 for their half-hour extra labor. But it encourages shooters to come out to the NEXT match, when they know that they don't have to work after the match has finished.
(Note that the last match in CCS, which was a Classifier match at Dundee, there were 70 shooters. This provided $140 to be shared among the two people who volunteered to tear down the stages. Not bad wages for a half-hour's work.)
The idea of a Pistol-caliber Carbine Match is that it provides a venue where you can use a notational rifle to shoot what is essentially an IPSC match, which is in turn an excuse to buy another gun.
Works for me.
I bought the Mech Tech last year just so I could shoot these matches. But I didn't count on the gun being hors de Combat in the actual event, which leads me back to the borrowing of Hobo's Beretta "Storm" CX4 9mm carbine.
The Beretta is currently available in 9mm, and is (supposedly) also available in several other calibers as well. To my surprise, the 9mm version using commercially loaded ammunition is entirely adequate to knock down plates and pepper poppers at 30 meters distance, and is still accurate at 50 meters distance.
Several of the people in my squad were using AR15 variants in 9mm, and although they had to modify their hi-cap (30+ round) magazines to fit the magazine well, they found that their carbines functioned reliably and got accurate hits at the distances involved in the stages designed by Gary "The Tool Man".
Note that Gary has been MD of several matches of this type in the past six months, and they are typified by high-round-count and accuracy-intensive designs. As an example, he puts a lot of bowling pins on the stages, at sometimes extreme distances. He also includes 4" square plates at distances out to 50 meters. This is an extreme challenge, and most of the competitors opted to use the electronic dot-sights to provide quick acquisition of tiny targets at extreme ranges.
Of the many minor events which (as is typical of IPSC matches) made the day interesting even for knowledgeable spectators, I note that Norm the Ungrateful quit after 3 stages. His own Beretta Storm was not retaining magazines reliably. The Hobo brasser faced the same challenge, but he had already learned from David (no nickname) that there was a 'fix' for this design oversight. The specifications for this are available at a previous post, here.
Ultimately, the story is that I not only got to shoot the match, but I now hunger for a 9mm Beretta 'Storm' of my own. The carbine is quick, accurate, reliable and user friendly.
It's also Star Wars sexy.
To illustrate what the Beretta "Storm" (CX4) can do in the hands of a Fat Old Man (in which category I definately claim membership), I offer this video of The Hobo Brasser shooting it in the first stage of the day:
This makes more sense when you realize that the Theme of the match was "Miami Vice", the 1980's Television show.
Guest Blog: CX4 Beretta Storm Magazine Adaption
Guest Blogger: The Hobo Brasser
(Click on the Image for link to Defense.com review of the Beretta CX4 Storm Carbine.)
It appears by disassembly and close examination, that Beretta may have forgotten a small bend in the magazine catch spring. The hole that the short end of the spring goes into is actually molded on an angle, and it appears that they forgot to bend the spring in the same approximate angle, and is not correctly seating into the hole.
I made a slight adjustment bend to the spring, and everything is working perfectly, and now has a very strong and smooth button, and NO slop and the mag is now being held properly. This will now let the catch properly grab the magazine for a sure grip.
When everyone's mag catch is not fully catching, the mags slip out and end up bending the catch.
While you have everything disassembled, slide out the little metal catch and turn it around for a NEW START.
Who Needs To do this?
Anyone who feels any lateral slop in their magazine catch button. Even if your magazines are staying in the gun at this time, eventually (soon) you may experience the dropping problem.
Disassembly pictures can be found at http://www.tacticalexcellence.com/ in the Gallery section.
http://home.wi.rr.com/drdanke/magproblem1.jpg
(http://svr20.thump.net/1190199/drdanke/images/magproblem1.jpg)
Geek Visual Additions, from the cited webpage:
Here's how the spring can be seen in the assembled state.
Here's how it looks in the removed magazine release
Click on the images for a close-up view.
(Click on the Image for link to Defense.com review of the Beretta CX4 Storm Carbine.)
It appears by disassembly and close examination, that Beretta may have forgotten a small bend in the magazine catch spring. The hole that the short end of the spring goes into is actually molded on an angle, and it appears that they forgot to bend the spring in the same approximate angle, and is not correctly seating into the hole.
I made a slight adjustment bend to the spring, and everything is working perfectly, and now has a very strong and smooth button, and NO slop and the mag is now being held properly. This will now let the catch properly grab the magazine for a sure grip.
When everyone's mag catch is not fully catching, the mags slip out and end up bending the catch.
While you have everything disassembled, slide out the little metal catch and turn it around for a NEW START.
Who Needs To do this?
Anyone who feels any lateral slop in their magazine catch button. Even if your magazines are staying in the gun at this time, eventually (soon) you may experience the dropping problem.
Disassembly pictures can be found at http://www.tacticalexcellence.com/ in the Gallery section.
http://home.wi.rr.com/drdanke/magproblem1.jpg
(http://svr20.thump.net/1190199/drdanke/images/magproblem1.jpg)
Geek Visual Additions, from the cited webpage:
Here's how the spring can be seen in the assembled state.
Here's how it looks in the removed magazine release
Click on the images for a close-up view.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
My Generation!
A remake of The Who's hit, by "The Zimmers".
The average age of the band is 78 years.
Hat Tip: Kim Kommando
The average age of the band is 78 years.
"Hope I die before I get old!"
Hat Tip: Kim Kommando
Trigger Fingers: 1 is good, 2 is not-good
Somebody doesn't know much about guns.
Ian Rankin is not a bad writer. He's very big in the UK, I understand.
Well, they haven't had legal handguns there for ... what, a decade?
In the process, they've become even more out-of-touch with the principles of gun-handling than the American Main-Stream Media.
For those of you who are at a loss when presented with the question "What's Wrong With This Picture", the answer is -- if you need two fingers to pull the trigger, give it up. You won't hit anything anyway.
Oddly enough, this was the cover illustration for Rankin's 1993 book "Witch Hunt", about a female assassin. (This is actually the cover for the 2004 republished edition.)
Ah my, The Brits. I love 'em, but they don't have much of an IPSC program there any more, y'know.
Ian Rankin is not a bad writer. He's very big in the UK, I understand.
Well, they haven't had legal handguns there for ... what, a decade?
In the process, they've become even more out-of-touch with the principles of gun-handling than the American Main-Stream Media.
For those of you who are at a loss when presented with the question "What's Wrong With This Picture", the answer is -- if you need two fingers to pull the trigger, give it up. You won't hit anything anyway.
Oddly enough, this was the cover illustration for Rankin's 1993 book "Witch Hunt", about a female assassin. (This is actually the cover for the 2004 republished edition.)
Ah my, The Brits. I love 'em, but they don't have much of an IPSC program there any more, y'know.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
It's a Whole Lot More Important
The Hobo Brasser sent me this video, and I'm including it here because ... well, the title says it all.
The story line of this ABC Television video is that a Texas man has made it his priority, "300 days a year", to go to the DFW airport every day with as many people he can talk into accompanying him, to meet the plane carrying American military service men and women as they return from active duty in a combat zone.
This video struck an intensely personal note in my heart, because when I returned from VietNam in 1969 the only person present to gladly greet me was my wife. Not that I didn't appreciate her welcome, but I remember thinking about the ticker-tape parades and brass bands of World War II veerans, and wondering whether there was something about my service which was less honorable than theirs.
At least these military men and women will not be haunted by this doubt, that their military service is unappreciated, for the rest of their lives.
This is also available in the original 6mb download here.
The story line of this ABC Television video is that a Texas man has made it his priority, "300 days a year", to go to the DFW airport every day with as many people he can talk into accompanying him, to meet the plane carrying American military service men and women as they return from active duty in a combat zone.
This video struck an intensely personal note in my heart, because when I returned from VietNam in 1969 the only person present to gladly greet me was my wife. Not that I didn't appreciate her welcome, but I remember thinking about the ticker-tape parades and brass bands of World War II veerans, and wondering whether there was something about my service which was less honorable than theirs.
At least these military men and women will not be haunted by this doubt, that their military service is unappreciated, for the rest of their lives.
This is also available in the original 6mb download here.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Target Control
We're all aware of the ongoing "Gun Control" movement. That is, an organized effort (at levels from municipal to the United Nations) to deprive private citizens from owning, possessing and [gasp!] carrying firearms.
But how many of us are aware of "Target Control"?
Well, those of us who are members, however removed, of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are aware that some targets are just NOT acceptable to some individuals, some NGOs ("Non-Governmental Organizations"), and some governments.
As an example, there are governments in this sad world which WILL allow its citizens to shoot at paper targets ... reluctantly, and with many restrictions ... but will NOT allow its citizens to shoot at 'humanoid targets'. That is, any target which however vaguely represents the human profile.
And as a consequence, IPSC several years ago designed and published the design for a "Classic" target (left), which looks much like a stop sign, for use in countries where it is illegal to shoot at a "Metric" target (right), which looks much like a Human.
In point of fact, in IPSC it's not only a matter of human-shaped targets, it's also a matter of 'perceptions based on scale. There are two metal targets in common use at IPSC matches which have a vertically rectilinear shape with a circular extrusion in the top third of the target.
These are called "Pepper Poppers". They come in two sizes: large, and small. The small target (called the "US POPPER") was advocated to represent a (larger) Pepper Popper as it would be seen at a greater distance.
It's not "politically correct" to present the two sizes together on the same stage.
Why?
Because someone commented that it "looks like a momma and her children", and as soon as that comment became widely known, IPSC Management (either International, Regional or Local) began to make rules forbidding their consanguinity.
Or should that be "Propinquity". I often get these big words mixed up.
Apparently, IPSC Management doesn't know the difference, either.
__________________________
Now that we have established the tendency of IPSC Management to concern itself with Political Correctness, let us discuss the legitimacy of the Texas Star.
I've recently been featuring a new variant on that target, which I have dubbed "The Evil Oregon Star". It's a shameless steal from "Some Other Folks", you can see the trail of controversy in recent posts and the link to the original design is found here, with due credit to the original post found at the Brian Enos Forum.
This design was noted by local mad-man Evil Bill, who immediately set out to build his own version. It was featured in an article here called Evil Bill's Oregon Star, featuring a YouTube video of ten seconds duration.
I checked my blogstats the day after that article was posted. In the first 24 hours, I had over 600 hits on that article as the entry point. Over 520 of those entries came from a forum called Canadian Gun Nutz (registration required) under the title " The most Evil IPSC traget array to date" (sic).
In a word, IPSC people are "interested" in a new, challenging target.
Early comments mentioned favorably the challenge of shooting what is essentially a Texas Star, with a 'windmill' array tacked on the back with four paper targets ... rotating in the opposite direction.
Within 9 hours, someone posted a reference to "carnival" stages, which I assume is a slightly derogatory reference to stages which are not purely 'practical' in nature. (Give that I've been competing in IPSC matches since 1983, and in the intervening years I have watched the sport veer wildly from the original 'practical' stages such as the venerable "El President" stage, I can only assume that this term refers to any stage which looks more like a carnival shooting gallery than a representation of the scenario which a person might reasonably engage when, for example, meeting the President of a South American Country and his two bodyguards and having to engage each with two rounds and then inexplicably having to reload even though I may have started with a race-gun loaded with a 25-round magazine.)
I know, that parenthetical comment was a run-on sentence. I don't care. The artificial restrictions on run-on sentences are discouraged because they are difficult to read, and the goal of good writing is to be easy to read.
But it does illustrate the difference between good writing and good shooting. Good shooting is not suppose to be easy. Whether a stage is colorful, challenging or looks like a small-scale Ferris wheel doesn't necessarily detract from the value of the stage.
Here's the deal:
As the dialogue continued (over 50 posts so far), the tone of the conversation changed from a tentative awe at the complexity of the shooting problem to the question of whether this target array or, in fact, the TEXAS STAR was legally permissible according to IPSC.
I posted to the forum, and mentioned my surprise that someone may question the acceptability of the Texas Star as a legal target. The first response:
The next day, the only response I had received was:
Another member replied:
You've got to question whether this is just local/section level decisions based on 'expectations', or whether someone is talking to IPSC Management. I know that's the big question in MY mind.
So I'm signing on to the IPSC Forum to see if I can find some reference to Texas Star.
I find "The Official IPSC Forum" is called "Global Village" with the URL of http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/
The progenitor of this forum?
Vince Pinto.
Here is the sequence of "authoritative" comments from The Official IPSC Forum. The topic:
Texas Star, Can I Use It In Level III Competition: (Registration Required)
Source: Velilzar, 4 Apr 2006
Response from An Authoritative Source (IPSC Canada):
Here's another thread from the Official IPSC Forum, only coincidentally started on 10 APR. 2006:
What makes a "Legal" target array?
Wait a minute, Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC World Forum Moderator) quoted Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC Secretary) as his justification for closing the thread.
Can he do that?
Well, I guess so.
Vince Pinto apparently not only owns the OFFICIAL IPSC World Forum, but also owns IPSC. It's his Forum, it's his International Practical Shooting Confederation, and it's his Big Dick. He can do anything he wants.
Three words immediately occur:
Even Vinny can't find a rule which will support his position, but still he seems comfortable with Rule by Fiat.
Dare we mention that he can't even agree with himself?
Vinny, my dear friend ... it isn't easy being you, is it?
__________________________________
Note: I offer my most abject apologies for not having noticed this situation earlier. I'm not doing my job. Fact is, I have avoided The Official IPSC World Forum for YEARS, because it is the love child of ... Vince Pinto.
But how many of us are aware of "Target Control"?
Well, those of us who are members, however removed, of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are aware that some targets are just NOT acceptable to some individuals, some NGOs ("Non-Governmental Organizations"), and some governments.
As an example, there are governments in this sad world which WILL allow its citizens to shoot at paper targets ... reluctantly, and with many restrictions ... but will NOT allow its citizens to shoot at 'humanoid targets'. That is, any target which however vaguely represents the human profile.
And as a consequence, IPSC several years ago designed and published the design for a "Classic" target (left), which looks much like a stop sign, for use in countries where it is illegal to shoot at a "Metric" target (right), which looks much like a Human.
In point of fact, in IPSC it's not only a matter of human-shaped targets, it's also a matter of 'perceptions based on scale. There are two metal targets in common use at IPSC matches which have a vertically rectilinear shape with a circular extrusion in the top third of the target.
These are called "Pepper Poppers". They come in two sizes: large, and small. The small target (called the "US POPPER") was advocated to represent a (larger) Pepper Popper as it would be seen at a greater distance.
It's not "politically correct" to present the two sizes together on the same stage.
Why?
Because someone commented that it "looks like a momma and her children", and as soon as that comment became widely known, IPSC Management (either International, Regional or Local) began to make rules forbidding their consanguinity.
Or should that be "Propinquity". I often get these big words mixed up.
Apparently, IPSC Management doesn't know the difference, either.
__________________________
Now that we have established the tendency of IPSC Management to concern itself with Political Correctness, let us discuss the legitimacy of the Texas Star.
I've recently been featuring a new variant on that target, which I have dubbed "The Evil Oregon Star". It's a shameless steal from "Some Other Folks", you can see the trail of controversy in recent posts and the link to the original design is found here, with due credit to the original post found at the Brian Enos Forum.
This design was noted by local mad-man Evil Bill, who immediately set out to build his own version. It was featured in an article here called Evil Bill's Oregon Star, featuring a YouTube video of ten seconds duration.
I checked my blogstats the day after that article was posted. In the first 24 hours, I had over 600 hits on that article as the entry point. Over 520 of those entries came from a forum called Canadian Gun Nutz (registration required) under the title " The most Evil IPSC traget array to date" (sic).
In a word, IPSC people are "interested" in a new, challenging target.
Please don't assume that ANY of the following comments are intended as a reflection on the members of this forum. I've been a member of this forum since January, 2005, and while I haven't been a regular 'contributing' participant I have enjoyed 'lurking' until the discussion focused on this article which I posted in my own blog.
Early comments mentioned favorably the challenge of shooting what is essentially a Texas Star, with a 'windmill' array tacked on the back with four paper targets ... rotating in the opposite direction.
Within 9 hours, someone posted a reference to "carnival" stages, which I assume is a slightly derogatory reference to stages which are not purely 'practical' in nature. (Give that I've been competing in IPSC matches since 1983, and in the intervening years I have watched the sport veer wildly from the original 'practical' stages such as the venerable "El President" stage, I can only assume that this term refers to any stage which looks more like a carnival shooting gallery than a representation of the scenario which a person might reasonably engage when, for example, meeting the President of a South American Country and his two bodyguards and having to engage each with two rounds and then inexplicably having to reload even though I may have started with a race-gun loaded with a 25-round magazine.)
I know, that parenthetical comment was a run-on sentence. I don't care. The artificial restrictions on run-on sentences are discouraged because they are difficult to read, and the goal of good writing is to be easy to read.
But it does illustrate the difference between good writing and good shooting. Good shooting is not suppose to be easy. Whether a stage is colorful, challenging or looks like a small-scale Ferris wheel doesn't necessarily detract from the value of the stage.
Here's the deal:
As the dialogue continued (over 50 posts so far), the tone of the conversation changed from a tentative awe at the complexity of the shooting problem to the question of whether this target array or, in fact, the TEXAS STAR was legally permissible according to IPSC.
I posted to the forum, and mentioned my surprise that someone may question the acceptability of the Texas Star as a legal target. The first response:
"No suggestion. Fact. Try and submit a match with it to IPSC (NOT USPSA) for approval. You'll find out pretty quick.My reply was a request for someone -- anyone -- to cite the rules by which IPSC had made this determination.
USPSA picks and chooses which IPSC rules they want to use; so in the US, you're probably GTG."
The next day, the only response I had received was:
I suggested that the source was not as definitive as a citation to the rule book, and subsequent responses indicated that they were not acceptable in Level III matches. Eventually someone stated:
There was a big discussion about this on the IPSC World forum. Vince Pinto had said that any L3 with a Texas Star would not be sanctioned.
I just received the word from our section coordinator. No t-star in any match above level 1 ( He just received the official notification)So the t-star must be pulled from the match.
Another member replied:
I'll double check my email when I get to work in the morning...but I'm pretty sure Level 1's would be out as well (any IPSC sanctioned match)At this point (five days after the original post), nobody has been able to cite a rule which would ban the Texas Star (let alone the Evil Oregon Star) from IPSC competition.
You've got to question whether this is just local/section level decisions based on 'expectations', or whether someone is talking to IPSC Management. I know that's the big question in MY mind.
So I'm signing on to the IPSC Forum to see if I can find some reference to Texas Star.
I find "The Official IPSC Forum" is called "Global Village" with the URL of http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/
The progenitor of this forum?
Vince Pinto.
Here is the sequence of "authoritative" comments from The Official IPSC Forum. The topic:
Texas Star, Can I Use It In Level III Competition: (Registration Required)
When looking through some stage designes (sic)I have often come accross (sic) a target called Texas star. As I have never seen it in our region I would like to know something more about it.For example what is it like,how does it react when hit,is it still or moving,how can I construct such one ?
Source: Velilzar, 4 Apr 2006
- Nobody Important, from Bulgaria
Response from An Authoritative Source (IPSC Canada):
I understand that Texas Stars can be great fun to shoot.Source: Neil Beverly - 4 Apr, 2006
However, they are unlikely to be approved for IPSC matches because they are more of a gimmick than a true IPSC "practical" target.
Certainly as the IPSC Shotgun Course Reviewer I wouldn't approve a stage that included a Texas Star.
If you want want a Texas Star for fun shoots at your club I'm sure you will get some useful feedback from other members.
- IPSC Shotgun Rules Chairman
- Resident of "UK"
- IPSC President's Council
- IROA Executive Committee
- USPSA member
- ... and other citations
I urge you, especially being a new Region, not to bother spending time and money making a Texas Star. Some people might think it's fun to shoot but, as Neil Beverley has already cautioned, you won't get IPSC Level III or higher sanctioning for any match which includes a Texas Star, because it's considered to be a "carnival" prop.Vince Pinto, 6 APR 2006, responding to an IPSC member from Bulgaria
- IPSC Secretary
I can assure you swingers and gravity turners are found at Level III + Matches .. WSXIV had an assortment of movers, single swingers, double swingers, gravity turners ..Kevin, 7 Apr., 2006
I shot a Level III Match in Feb, which had a total of 24 Swingers in 12 stages ..
In the context of an IPSC Stage, what does the Texas Star simulate ?
- Nobody special, just Member #63 from Singapore
Hey Kevin,Source: Vince Pinto, 7 Apr. 2006
Did you notice how the Texas Star is being defended by ....... Texans?
Of course they're also responsible for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, so I guess they're not all crazy! Must only be the ones from Austin & Houston?
- IPSC Secretary, from Hong Kong
Here's another thread from the Official IPSC Forum, only coincidentally started on 10 APR. 2006:
What makes a "Legal" target array?
The question put before this bunch of stalwart and true gentleman and gentlewomen is this:Source: Alex, 20 APR 2006
What makes a legal target array?
In another thread the question was raised, but not answered beyond the famous American politician quote about pornography ("...I will know it when I see it").
Some think that a target array has to be "practical" (vice "carnival") to be legal. However, there is no definition of "practical" (or "carnival") target arrays to be found in the rule book. Either the one half the world's shooters use, or the amended one that the other half of the world's shooters use (sic)
- Nobody (apparently) important. Sorry ... Important! (From Ankara, Turkey)
.....the moderators edit fast around here.Source: Mike, 10 APR 2006gif" border="0">
I thought Alex had a good question before his post was cut to 1/10 of what he wrote.
My reply to this thread is below as this issue has been bubbling for a while and I am no nearer understanding it.
I am sure I will be the unfortunate victim of some more swift moderatinggif" border="0">
---------------------------------------------
I think I am just as confused as some others here to be honest about what EXACTLY is an IPSC suitable way of thinking, as compared to one that would not be in the 'SPIRIT' of IPSC. This is not written down or taught anywhere. We hear from our well informed and experianced (sic) Moderators as to their views, but without this being documented its very hard trying to gauge the mentality or the methodology behind this ethos.
On one hand IPSC is trying to distance itself away from non PC self defence scenarios but on the other hand phrases are used where we are trying to still use this basis: hence I am confused.
- Nobody "Important" (from UK)
The thread was closed because the IPSC Secretary stated the official IPSC policy in respect of the Texas Star, namely that proposing use of such a target will cause Level III or higher sanctioning to be denied, and a further statement was made explaining the procedure necessary for that policy to be reversed.Source: Vince Pinto, 11 APR 2006
If you (or anybody else, for that matter) think the subject target is so fascinating, you're free to use it to your heart's content, but IPSC is also free to deny any application for Level III sanctioning. By the same token, if you want to host a match requiring that blackpowder (sic) guns be used exclusively, you're also free to do so, but that match will also be denied IPSC sanctioning.
Bottom line: Your "rights" do not trump IPSC's "rights".
- IPSC Secretary
Wait a minute, Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC World Forum Moderator) quoted Vince Pinto (in his capacity as Official IPSC Secretary) as his justification for closing the thread.
Can he do that?
Well, I guess so.
Vince Pinto apparently not only owns the OFFICIAL IPSC World Forum, but also owns IPSC. It's his Forum, it's his International Practical Shooting Confederation, and it's his Big Dick. He can do anything he wants.
Three words immediately occur:
- Arbitrary
- Unilateral
- Autocratic
Even Vinny can't find a rule which will support his position, but still he seems comfortable with Rule by Fiat.
Dare we mention that he can't even agree with himself?
Vinny, my dear friend ... it isn't easy being you, is it?
__________________________________
Note: I offer my most abject apologies for not having noticed this situation earlier. I'm not doing my job. Fact is, I have avoided The Official IPSC World Forum for YEARS, because it is the love child of ... Vince Pinto.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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