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Old June 30, 2005, 08:47 PM   #76
Tim R
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Fer High Power....don't count yourself out even when better shooters are there. Even they have bad days.

But I've got to tell you the WOP upper I have sure shoots!
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Old July 2, 2005, 07:59 AM   #77
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Clean your gun
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Old July 4, 2005, 08:02 AM   #78
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Shooting USPSA

There are just as many uspsa shooters that do not like the rules of their game as there are those in IDPA. USPSA does not have the Bill Wilson factor though.

USPSA is fun to shoot, but a pain to reset the stations.
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Old July 4, 2005, 09:19 AM   #79
OF
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At my last match? I learned that Simonich Gunner Grips will hold a busted plunger tube in place just fine for a full 6-stage USPSA match and an IPDA classifier.

I also learned that I need to learn how to make hits at 40 yards...
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Old July 9, 2005, 11:43 PM   #80
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For 800-yard BPCR buffalo silhouette shoots (Quigley Match)

It takes my 450gr .45-70 bullet just over 2.5 seconds to connect with the steel buffalo once it leaves the muzzle. Sometimes the charcoal smoke clears in that time, sometimes it doesn't.

The bullet trajectory, when zeroed for that range, climbs over 300 inches (25 feet!) above the horizontal before it arcs back down towards the target.

And my spotter can tell me before the "clang" whether it's gonna be a hit or miss.

When he yells "hit" it still takes time for the "clang" to get back to my ears.

That's kinda neat.
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Old August 11, 2005, 03:08 PM   #81
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Prepare for weather conditions....

For summer:

Bring suntan lotion and a baseball cap.

For winter / rain:

Use boots, and have an extra pair of shoes for driving home.

For all matches that run more than 1 hour:

Bring ice cold water and extra food. Nothing beats trying to shoot on an empty stomach with an ulcer coming on.
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Old October 16, 2005, 02:30 PM   #82
Brian Dale
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Highpower—Service Rifle:

1) My first impressions at two other matches, on two other ranges, a thousand miles away, weren't a fluke--they weren't just 'cause those folks there happened to be terrific: I love this stuff!

2) Sux to have waited four years between my second (9-8-2001) and third (9-11-2005) matches.

3) I'm getting better; apparently, I'm teachable.

4) "Squared away" is good: this time I had the gear organized a little better, and it helped.

5) You really can call your shots, and a good spotter is a terrific asset.
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Old October 20, 2005, 12:52 AM   #83
Jeff22
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lessons learned

(1.) SLOW DOWN!
(2.) Getting hits is more important than pure speed. Under competitive conditions, even if you are not consciously trying to go fast, you will probably go faster than you do in practice, so downshift about half a gear, control the trigger, watch the front sight, and get your hit.
(3.) When engaging multiple targets, the best method is probably to LOOK at the target you're about to engage and then move the gun and SHOOT that target. If you try to move your eyes and your gun mount all at once, you will probably over-run the target and pull a shot to the side.
(4.) DON'T CROWD YOUR COVER! If the configuration of the cover allows it, back off about arm's length. You expose less of your body to hostile fire that way, and it gives you more flexibility in engaging multiple targets from a cover position.
(5.) Practice shooting with strong hand only and weak hand only.
(6.) Consider practicing using your weak hand with support, aka shooting bilaterally or "mirror image". Depending on the configuration of cover and the position of the target in relation to that cover, this may be the best way to get hits on target without exposing too much of yourself to incoming fire.

(I'm a police officer who shoots PPC, IPSC and IDPA and so my frame of reference is defensive shooting more than pure compeition shooting)
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Old October 20, 2005, 01:11 AM   #84
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and another thought

(1.) Dress for the weather. If it's warm out, always wear a hat and use sun screen. If it's cold & windy or rainy, dress in multiple layers with a breathable water resistant outer garment (I usually use a GI Gore-Tex parka). If you will be active helping RO the match or scoring targets or resetting steel or something, don't dress as heavyily and be sure you don't overheat.
(2.) At all times HYDRATE! Don't drink too much coffee or Coke or other products that may act as a diruetic (although I think you can get away with a little bit. Need that caffeine to get your motor running . . . ) Cold water works best, but electrolyte replacement drinks like Gatorade or ERG are also a good idea as part of your hydration regimen. (I like iced green or herbal tea with a little bit of honey in it during the summer). I've seen plenty of instances at matches and during training exercises where a guy's performance will suddenly deteriorate, and it's because they're starting to overheat and get dehydrated. (I particularly saw this when I was in the MPs, because we always shot wearing BDUs and helmet and LBE and usually with armor, and it was really easy to get overheated)
(3.) Don't eat too much before the match (except maybe in cold weather). The process of digestion diverts blood flow from your brain to your guts and can make you a little foggy and unfocused.
(4.) If it's a longer event, or you have to wait around for a long time, snack on something between stages. (there is a lengthy discussion on the forum on the Brian Enos website about how to eat before and during a match). I like to take an assortment of power bars, but I've also used raw carrots, bananas, and home-made trail mix with lots of dried fruit and nuts in it. This summer I saw several IPSC shooters experimenting with the energy gel type products that runners and cyclists use. I've never used them myself, and have heard that they can create a quick and massive sugar low if you aren't involved in lots of physical exertion. I always take handi-wipes to clean up with before I snack on anything.
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Old October 21, 2005, 12:06 AM   #85
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That I'm much faster than I think when I trust myself.
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Old January 13, 2006, 05:55 AM   #86
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lessons learned, continued . . .

(1.) As one who usually carries and competes with an auto pistol, I find it helps me if once a month on one of my range sessions I take a revolver and shoot drills with it for an hour. I'm not sure why this is -- maybe shooting a dis-similar weapons system makes me concentrate on the basics more? My strong hand only & weak hand only shooting has improved (a little) since I started doing those drills with a Smith & Wesson revolver.
(2.) Last weekend I shot in an indoor IPSC special classifier match. I shot smoothly and got good hits, although I wasn't particularly fast. On the last string of the last stage I did get a little quick on the trigger and jerk a shot ever so slightly into a "no shoot". I don't know if my concentration faded or if I was just unconsciously trying to go too fast or what.
(3.) One of my shooting buddies just put Dawson Precision fiber-optic sights on his Glock 34. Shooting outside, even on cloudy and overcast days, he was very pleased with the bright contrast the sights provided. In the sometimes shadowy and weird lighting of the indoor range, his sights were much less visible and sometimes appeared as kind of a blob.
(4.) I saw several shooters have good runs on individual stages ruined because of ammunition related weapons malfunctions. Be sure your ammo works in your gun! (I always use W-W generic ball from Wal-Mart for matches)
(5.) Even when shooting factory ammo, inspect every round you load. Last month a friend opened a fresh box of W-W .45 ball he was issued by his PD and loaded up without paying attention. In that fresh box was one .40 cal round, which, when fired, expanded and split in the chamber. No injury and no harm done, but it was very disconcerting to him . . .
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Old January 13, 2006, 04:16 PM   #87
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#1 never give up as the pretenders will always fold down the stretch
#2 when behind you know the competition knows you are coming and it worries them
#3 When ahead go for the throat as it will get to them in the future
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Old January 17, 2006, 12:11 PM   #88
OWad
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Lesson one: Practice, Practice, Practice.....
If I have not handled my firearms during the week before my chintzy local club match- It shows.

Lesson two: Its better to make New Mistakes instead of the same old ones- That means you are learning

Lesson three:
Stock Glock 21 $500,
Fobus Plastic Holster $21,
Blazer .45 cal rounds $7.25/ box of 50,

Beating the Top Dog/ Club President' s open .38 super with optics,a compensator, buffer, and arrendondo speed holster in a 1 v. 1 steel challenge:
PRICELESS
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Old January 17, 2006, 06:00 PM   #89
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Shot my first IPSC acouple of weeks ago. Slow down and take time to really aim at target. Then build up to speed as you practice more. Had a blast!
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Old January 18, 2006, 12:37 PM   #90
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The older you get, the better you was!
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Old January 18, 2006, 09:36 PM   #91
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1. Take a chair.
2. Take a leak before your turn shooting.
3. Take your time and get consistant hits.
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Old January 20, 2006, 01:50 PM   #92
Mike T
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Use oil and not grease on the rails of your Rock River Limited Match when the temps are below 50. While it's interesting to see your slide cycle in slow motion, it's not really too good for the gun.
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Old February 2, 2006, 10:43 AM   #93
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I learned

itis against the rules to shoot the Saftey officer or the guy with the clip board
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Old February 4, 2006, 11:11 AM   #94
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Retain Partially Loaded Dropped Mag

I dropped the mag to clear a FTF and left it on the floor when I moved to the next station. PROCEDURAL PENALTY!
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Old February 13, 2006, 10:10 PM   #95
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Slam the mags home because having to do a tap & rack really kills your time.
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Old March 6, 2006, 01:56 AM   #96
Jeff22
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watch the front sight!

I shot in an indoor IPSC match on the 18th of February. In fact, I was the match director and selected the courses of fire.

And I didn't shoot particularly good on either stage. I shot too fast (even though I WAS NOT consciously pushing for speed) and lost my front sight a couple of times on transition from target to target. No misses, but a bunch of hits in the C and D zone do hurt your score . . . for some reason, any time I'm engaging a target array with more than three targets, I unconsciously speed up as I progress and end up pulling some hits off to the side on the latter targets. The proper technique on multiple targets is "Look-shoot" -- lock your visual focus onto the target and THEN bring the gun over, lock on target and engage. This helps prevent over-running the target during transitions. AND I KNOW THAT. But still, almost always when faced with a target array with more than three targets, I unconsiously speed up and get a little wild. I need to practice more on multiple targets, I guess.

I shot in IPSC matches on Saturday & Sunday. First time in my nearly 30 year competitive shooting career that I ever shot matches on consecutive days. I remembered my previous problem, and so I down-shifted about half a gear or so and shot A LOT better. I'm not particularly speedy, so I'm in no danger of escaping the middle of C class in "Production" but I was A LOT smoother and didn't have any misses or hits on no-shoots or procedural penalties or anything.
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Old March 16, 2006, 07:35 PM   #97
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Dry fire practice pays!

I shot my first IPSC match in July of last year, then once a month since then, and I'm progressing well. At the last competition there was a stage where I averaged about 2 shots a second accurately. I doubt I would have even been able to get that many shots off that quickly at all, let alone on target, at this time last year. I've also noticed that my shooting has vastly improved with any kind of gun, from shotgun to rifle to BBs, now that I know how to control the trigger.
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Old March 20, 2006, 05:57 AM   #98
Jeff22
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I've discovered that I can't work a double shift and then go shoot in a club level match . . . I'm usually slow and accurate. Saturday night I was just slow.

I've also discovered that I really need to get a 150 round practice session in the week before the match to sharpen up a little bit. When I do that, my results are much better than when I don't.
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Old March 20, 2006, 12:11 PM   #99
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3-gun Lesson

Pay close attention to the weather report...then plan for cold driving rain regardless - Loading a Pump SG with cold fingers is Not Fun!
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Old March 20, 2006, 08:26 PM   #100
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Have an extra magazine beyond what the stage requires.

I dropped a magazine while going for a mandatory reload, and I had to skip another manatory reload as a result. 80 Point PROCEDURAL PENALTY.
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