USPSA fixed time stage

cougar gt-e · October 29, 2016, 02:12 PM

Hi, never shot a fixed time stage. Exactly how does it work?

An example is the Baseball Standards classifier. Four strings of fire,each is 4.5 seconds. I understand beginning with the beep, but how do you know when to STOP?

I tried six weak hand only shots and it was 6 seconds. I'm pretty sure there is no way I would hear a par time beep over the gun firing. Does the RO stop the shooter, or is it on the shooter to not go over time?

g.willikers · October 30, 2016, 08:14 AM

Unless you're trying to win the match, just shoot all the targets as quickly and as accurately as you can, and accept the penalties if it's over the time limit.
It probably won't make enough difference in your final score to matter.
The idea of going to a match for most of us is to have fun and the more you shoot the more fun it is.
If you're bound and determined not to go over the time, just ask the range officer to holler out when the timer sez stop.
There's all kinds of ways to make sure the competitors hear the stop buzzer, from a smack on the shoulder to an air horn.
One of the places I used to attend used a stop plate connected to a timer, and everyone shot until that one was down, penalties acquired as earned.
No arguments with that method.

Don P · October 30, 2016, 12:50 PM

Quote:

I'm pretty sure there is no way I would hear a par time beep over the gun firing. Does the RO stop the shooter, or is it on the shooter to not go over time?

I'm hearing impaired to a degree. You can hear the beep over the gun fire. It's not the RO's responsibility to stop you from shooting. Once the beep has occurred the RO will let you know "IF you didn't hear it" It's common practice and also in the rule book for the RO not to interfere with the shooter during the course of fire unless it is a safety violation.
To answer the question its on the shooter, not the RO. When you have time go here, www.uspsa.org and take a look at the rule book

g.willikers · October 31, 2016, 08:39 AM

Don't sweat getting range officer assistance if needed.
If you are a new match goer, you will probably get more than you asked for anyway.

RickB · November 1, 2016, 10:39 AM

I've shot lots and lots of fixed-time classifiers, and you do have to be quick to react to the timer - if you can hear it.

Generally, if you trigger a shot at the moment you hear the timer, that shot won't be late, since (IIRC, haven't shot a USPSA match in three or four years), you get a .3 second "grace period"; your shot won't be late unless the timer reads 4.81 seconds.

When I was a nooby, I used to decide, in advance, how many targets I could hit in the provided time window, and just shot that many rounds. I figured three alphas was better than three charlies and two mikes.
As my shooting improved, I could at least get off the minimum number of rounds in the allotted time.
Ultimately, I think the best single classifier I ever shot was a fixed-time stage.

October 29, 2016, 02:12 PM	#1
cougar gt-e Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2009 Posts: 1,003	USPSA fixed time stage Hi, never shot a fixed time stage. Exactly how does it work? An example is the Baseball Standards classifier. Four strings of fire,each is 4.5 seconds. I understand beginning with the beep, but how do you know when to STOP? I tried six weak hand only shots and it was 6 seconds. I'm pretty sure there is no way I would hear a par time beep over the gun firing. Does the RO stop the shooter, or is it on the shooter to not go over time?

October 30, 2016, 08:14 AM	#2
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Unless you're trying to win the match, just shoot all the targets as quickly and as accurately as you can, and accept the penalties if it's over the time limit. It probably won't make enough difference in your final score to matter. The idea of going to a match for most of us is to have fun and the more you shoot the more fun it is. If you're bound and determined not to go over the time, just ask the range officer to holler out when the timer sez stop. There's all kinds of ways to make sure the competitors hear the stop buzzer, from a smack on the shoulder to an air horn. One of the places I used to attend used a stop plate connected to a timer, and everyone shot until that one was down, penalties acquired as earned. No arguments with that method. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

October 31, 2016, 08:39 AM	#4
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Don't sweat getting range officer assistance if needed. If you are a new match goer, you will probably get more than you asked for anyway. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

November 1, 2016, 10:39 AM	#5
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	I've shot lots and lots of fixed-time classifiers, and you do have to be quick to react to the timer - if you can hear it. Generally, if you trigger a shot at the moment you hear the timer, that shot won't be late, since (IIRC, haven't shot a USPSA match in three or four years), you get a .3 second "grace period"; your shot won't be late unless the timer reads 4.81 seconds. When I was a nooby, I used to decide, in advance, how many targets I could hit in the provided time window, and just shot that many rounds. I figured three alphas was better than three charlies and two mikes. As my shooting improved, I could at least get off the minimum number of rounds in the allotted time. Ultimately, I think the best single classifier I ever shot was a fixed-time stage. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.