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Old May 12, 2010, 08:52 PM   #276
Gryff
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Know when your reloads should be taking place (nothing worse than pulling that trigger one or more times after the slide is locked back).

On a lowlight/flashlight stage, memorize the target locations ahead of time (in case your flashlight decides not to work...or just plain sucks).

Reload in front of your face, not in front of your navel.

If you have a plan for a stage, don't leave it in your shooting bag when the buzzer goes off.
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Old May 24, 2010, 06:34 PM   #277
Glenn E. Meyer
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If you shoot in a contorted on your back position, next to a barrel - an ejected hot 45 ACP round can land in your arm pit, after bouncing off the barrel.
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Old June 10, 2010, 09:18 AM   #278
Don P
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The rules are learned 3 seconds at a time


Quote:
I've discovered that the device the SO is holding is not a timer....it's a MIND ERASER!!!
Also known as a brain fart maker!
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Old June 30, 2010, 11:55 PM   #279
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I learned that if there is going to be more than 15 people in a squad I am going home.

Over 20 people per squad at the last match I attented. By the end of the third stage I was ready to leave.
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Old July 5, 2010, 06:26 PM   #280
RickB
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Just because you've never seen a high primer on one of your reloads, don't get lazy and decline to check every round. I've never had a high primer, in over ten years of weekly shooting, but had one at the last match, causing a feed failure and costing me two seconds.
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Old August 22, 2010, 08:23 PM   #281
Jesse Tischauser
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I actually learned a bunch from Phil Strader whom was shooting with our squad after we all finished his two day class.

The biggest thing I learned was that pros like Phil get their gun up and on target much sooner coming into a position.
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Old August 31, 2010, 12:12 AM   #282
ice9_us
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hummmm

I learn't that i can't run and gun as good as i figured.
I also found out... I am not the only one, so i shouldn't feel so bad.. just pratice more...
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Old September 4, 2010, 02:09 PM   #283
Tack
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IDPA

-Great bunch of guys and gals
-Head shots are fun. Why waste time re-targeting from the body if you can put three in the head faster.
-Autos have problems.
-Revolvers have problems.
-Anticipate problems, so practice malfunction drills. I hope dry practice makes me smoother.
-Smooth is fast. Dumb is really slow.

I shoot with a really great bunch of guys and gals.
Rob
North San Diego County
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Old September 4, 2010, 04:44 PM   #284
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This past Wednesday, I learned: 1. Never show up on an empty stomach and starving- that will smite thee with a terrible case of the shakes. 2. Friends should be highly encouraged to purchase brass catchers.
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Old September 4, 2010, 05:34 PM   #285
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If everyone will help tape up holes and pick up hulls, you can move thru stages quicker.

only 1 RO should yell scores. To many ROs yelling can seriously mess up a score keeper.
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Old September 5, 2010, 09:54 PM   #286
Jesse Tischauser
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Taking multiple shots on steel is like missing paper. You should never ever do it.
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Old September 9, 2010, 10:51 AM   #287
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SLACKERS

Never let yourself get squadded with a bunch of Slackers.
I am too old to be carrying both ends of the stick to keep the Squad moving.
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Old September 9, 2010, 10:58 AM   #288
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I learned that I hate small children,,,

Especially the ones who step up to a Steel Challenge box,,,
And turn in a time that is 10 seconds better than I will ever be able to do.

No, I don't really hate small children,,,
In fact if I am ever in a real live gun fight,,,
I want that 11 year old girl and her Ruger MkII on my side.

She was absolutely amazing!

.
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Old September 9, 2010, 03:11 PM   #289
"JJ"
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I need at least 1 more mag!! The 2 on order should fill that need, plus an extra!!
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Old September 9, 2010, 03:22 PM   #290
Jesse Tischauser
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I ws taught to have enought ammo on your belt to shoot the stage. The mag in yoru gun is considered extra. That way if you have a mag go down on you there is one extra.
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Old September 13, 2010, 11:24 PM   #291
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You gotta bring a lot of ammo. My daughter and I shot our first IDPA match Saturday and we ran out after the thrid stage. I also learned that it is hard to stay calm through a whole stage. The longest shots were at the end of the stage when it was hardest to stay focused. Too much adrenaline pumping.
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Old September 16, 2010, 08:48 AM   #292
blueorb
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No matter how prepared you think you are, no matter how many times you have run the course mentally in your head, the shot timer buzzer REALLY will make you forget everything...amazing how that happens.
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Old October 25, 2010, 08:14 PM   #293
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Have fun with it! The moment you take it too seriously is the moment your game goes to heck!
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Old October 26, 2010, 10:30 AM   #294
langenc
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Never do that kind of a BR match again!!
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Old October 27, 2010, 03:35 PM   #295
Don P
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I should bring my accurate gun instead of bringing the one that can't hit squat.
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Old November 17, 2010, 07:35 AM   #296
911JB
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Good , no make that great sights are very important!
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Old November 18, 2010, 04:47 AM   #297
Jeff22
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Last weekend I shot in a local USPSA match.

The Classifier stage was CM 99-47 "Triple Choice" which involved three strings of fire. There were five targets to shoot at, each mostly obscured by hard cover. In each string of fire you put one round on each target.

The first string was fired freestyle.
The second string was fired strong hand only.
The third string was fired weak hand only.

I had identified "engaging targets partially screened by cover one handed at 10 yards" as a skill I needed to work on after shooting a bunch of classifier matches in the spring. So I invented a practice course that focused on those skills.

There were 75 points possible, and I got a target score of 67 with no misses.

My times weren't anything too spectacular, but many people shooting the match went WAY too fast on this stage and so they crashed and burned, and I ended up finishing 2nd for that particular stage.

I still have to continue to practice shooting strong hand only and weak hand only on partial targets. Once I get consistant at 10 yards, I'm going to back it up to 12 yards and then to 15 yards.
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Old November 27, 2010, 04:55 PM   #298
thebrassexchange
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slow is fast

start off slow, practice your technique and the speed will come
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Old January 6, 2011, 07:31 AM   #299
Jeff22
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practice one hand only shooting

You may well need the ability to shoot strong hand only or weak hand only in real life. You'll for certain need those skills if you shoot IDPA or IPSC/USPSA matches.

I shot in a USPSA special classifier match last weekend. There were 5 stages. Firing with strong hand only and weak hand only was required in 3 of the stages.

I didn't do as well as I should've -- I hit a "no shoot" target shooting weak hand only and missed two headshots, one strong hand only and one weak hand only, but other than that things went okay.

I practice shooting one hand only all the time, so I should've done better.
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Old January 17, 2011, 08:08 AM   #300
Jeff22
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a few more thoughts on competitive shooting . . . .

I shot in a local USPSA match on Saturday. We shot 1 classifier (CM09-02 "Diamond Cutter") and 3 high round count field course type stages. All of the field courses were more complicated than they needed to be, and two of the stages had some significant problems in the way they were designed.

(I'm a cop and much prefer simpler stages involving use-of-cover, some targets partially obscured by hard cover and some no-shoots. I like the IDPA course design philosophy, actually)

We had several fairly new shooters. A few things I observed:

(1.) Make sure your gun works. Come to the range with the gun clean and lubed. If using a water-based cleaner, don't store your gun in your gun bag in the trunk overnight in January in up north. Firing pin safetys may freeze up. If shooting outdoors in cold weather, don't use a heavy grease or slide glide. Both will thicken up in the cold and cause the gun to cycle slowly and malfunction.

(2.) For self defense or competitive purposes, make sure that you use quality ammo. Now that ground combat operations in Iraq have nearly ended, ammo is more available and the cost is coming back down. Consider using generic factory ammo or good quality commercial reloads (UltraMax, Black Hills, BVAC, etc.) for matches. If you're reloading for yourself, make sure you know how to resize the cases and properly seat the primers and seat the bullets to the proper OAL and etc.

(3.) Wolf primers are apparently very hard and don't always go off.

(4.) Buy a gun of reasonable quality that will be reliable.

(5.) Get a decent holster!!! IMHO, don't buy any product that says "Fobus" on it! Buy a good quality leather or kydex holster and a sturdy belt to mount it on. Get a belt at least 1-1/2 inch wide. (My preference is 1-3/4 inch wide leather garrison belts like they sell at the police equipment store) If you are using a less-common brand of gun, you may have difficulty getting a good holster for it.

(6.) Buy some pants with big pockets in them, so you have a place to put extra ammo or magazines or whatever. Buy pants that are loose in fit so you can move and drop to kneeling without binding up. (I prefer khaki or green BDU type pants provided that the rear pockets are really big and the pants have a "regular" rise. If the rise is "long" it doesn't fit me right. YMMV) Some guys have to wear suspenders attached to their belt to hold all that stuff up, depending upon their physical build.

(7.) Tuck your shirt in so it doesn't get in the way of your holster or other equipment!! If shooting from concealment, then wear a concealment garment long enough to properly conceal the gun.

(8.) Learn how to run your gun. I was surprised how many people shot their auto pistol to slide-lock and then looked at it in confusion. Or how many people had a malfunction while shooting and had absolutely no idea how to clear the stoppage or what to do next.

(9.) There are many good books written about tactics and self defense and every aspect of the shooting sports. There are many good web sites that have lots of good information. Consider doing some research and some reading. If you are diligent, you can self-educate yourself to a high degree. And if you do get some kind of formal training at some time, prior study will mean that you have a greater understanding and grasp the concepts quicker.

(10.) Practice before the match. Practice strong-hand-only and weak-hand-only shooting. Practice at distance. Shooting lots of rounds at 7 yards really won't teach you much under most circumstances. You have to get back to 10 or 15 yards (or farther) to really learn how to integrate sight picture / sight alignment / trigger control, relative to the size of the target you are engaging and the distance of engagement.

(11.) If you don't reload, and want to practice for cheap, get a .22 conversion unit for your auto pistol. You can also practice lots of gun manipulation skills dry fire or with an air soft gun.
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