hockeyref Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 I shot a USPSA match where the RO for our squad told me to "Go ahead and get ready" as I was standing at the starting position. Then warned me that he should DQ me touching my gun before he says, "load an make ready". "Huh? What? But you just told me.... Uhm... Ok, sorry"...... pretty easy confuse "Go ahead and get ready" with "load and make ready" wearing plugs and muffs as you stand at the starting position. OK, so I get the spirit of the rule and the letter of the rule so I searched the rule book and I do not see "load and make ready", all I see is "Make Ready"..... Coming over from NRA High Power, there are separate commands for calling the competitors to the firing line, when they are allowed to handle their firearm, and when they are allowed to load their firearm and prepare to commence firing. I cannot find any similar specific range commands in the rule book, only "make ready". Different shooting discipline and different range commands, but not having an official command telling the shooter that the range is clear and to take their position prior the "MAKE READY" command doesn't make sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 You are new. "MAKE READY" is ingrained into your head eventually. The clipboard RO SHOULD BE ANNOUNCING WHO IS UP. That's when you move to the general start location so the guy running you can tell you to "make ready". As for your experience at that Mach you simply had a bad RO. Good RO's don't talk much at all to keep from confusing a shooter. They NEVER use the word ready until giving "make ready". And they certainly know the range commands. He probably shoots IDPA. But still no excuse. It's sad that this happened to you but with xperience it will be less of an event. Heck, you can shoot area matches and hear terrible range commands and unnecessary chatter from RO's. There's no getting around it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Yes, as I remember it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back... That's even worse. RO's need to keep up with rules changes. I am a newb with only 8 years in the game and it's been "make ready". I'm not saying we all have to be perfect. God knows I have made rules blunders, but geezul, range commands?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBunniFuFu Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 When I RO majors the only thing out of my mouth are the range commands until range is clear. The only time I deviate from that is if the shooter asks me what the start position is. Here is Florida you have a bunch of IPSC guys traveling through and some of the time their grasp of English is not the best. Stick to the current range commands. Sorry to say that you had a bad RO. Talk to the MD or RM and tell them the issue. As a MD I would pull the RO to the side and reiterate what the commands are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyref Posted July 4, 2016 Author Share Posted July 4, 2016 As for bringing it up to anyone, It's not worth stirring things up.... I'm the newbie here and I need to pay closer attention..... I still remember what it was like being a newbie - I have to learn the ropes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 (edited) The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back... 2004 rule book. Edited July 4, 2016 by ChuckS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickBlasta Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 I've seen a half dozen or so DQs overturned because the RO said something like 'think you're ready?' or 'ready to go?' and the shooter started loading their gun. No grounds to send someone home for that (or threaten to do so). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBunniFuFu Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 I'm the newbie here Do you know the range commands? Then in this instance you are not the newbie, they are. The problem is that people defer to the "experience" of the older shooters and don't feel right in correcting the range commands. Like nick said. Unless the commands are exact, DQ's have been overturned before and RO'S have gotten a silent chewing off to the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 If I'm standing in the starting box, and I hear the word "ready" or any variation thereof, as far as I'm concerned, I'm clear to handle. Period. If an RO tried to give me guff for what you did, I'd be having very public words with him, because as far as I'm concerned, if an RO did ANYTHING to cause the shooter to handle before the RO was prepared for the shooter to handle, then THE RO IS THE ONE who created an unsafe situation. And the only point of an RO's existence is to be the safety net against unsafe situations. What the hell else could he possible have been indicating to you when he said "ready"? For you to straighten your collar and tie your hair in a pony tail before really getting ready??? Okay, after going through that rant, I've made it a personal habit to never handle unless the RO is looking directly at me when he says something that positively indicates that I'm clear to handle. If he says something but isn't looking at me, then I'll ask him, "I'm sorry, but did you say that I'm clear to handle?" and that will always make them look at me and answer either in the affirmative or negative. It's not unusual for RO's to be screwing around with the score keeper behind us and say some remark over his shoulder that sounds like I'm clear to handle, but I won't do it unless he's looking straight at me. If he wants to look at me and say "make ready" AND THEN screw around with the folks behind me, then at that point I just figure it's his range, and I can't let it get to me while I do my thing, but I'm not going to let him trap me the way your RO did. I've been in situations where I'm squadded with somebody that I'm directly competing against in the same division, they'll RO me, and do something totally BS to either get me out of my game face or even force me into a re-shoot. That happened to me a few weeks ago, and I'm not sure if it was on purpose because the RO/Competitor was way less experienced than the final scores indicated or if the shooter did it on purpose to gain an edge over me, but I'm leaning towards the latter. Unfortunately, I let that competitor get the better of me in that instance. To me, what you described stinks of one of those situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back... Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example. http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 (edited) The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back... Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example. http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Oh never mind. The use of the IPSC term drives me nuts... Edited July 5, 2016 by ChuckS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back...Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example.http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Oh never mind. The use of the IPSC term drives me nuts...If you read that entire link you will see they have bigger problems than inserting IPSC commandsInto a USPSA match! That place needs serious work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClaw Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 As someone who ROs more than his fair share. I don't think too much to ask for anyone that picks up the timer use the actual range commands. Several guys I know have hem printed on business cards to hand out to people. I know shooters new and old that have adopted to them very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redial Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 In Highpower, "Load and Make Ready" is the command prior to the start of Rattle Battle (Nat'l Trophy Infantry Team Match) stages and has been since 1922. Maybe your RO was a Service Rifle shooter as well, or more likely, the command has been around for so long and in so many disciplines that it still pops up from time to time. When I hear an unfamiliar command, I always ask politely for clarification with something like, "OK to load?" No butthurt that way and they understand that their commands are unclear. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perttime Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 IPSC uses (quote): "Load And Make Ready" (or "Make Ready" for starts with an unloaded firearm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Very simple thing to do is, ask the RO "Did you say "Make Ready"?"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teros135 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 With all due respect, you didn't have an RO, you had a "timer holder". No matter how long (or how short) someone has been in the game, or how many other disciplines he shoots in (or shot in, a hundred years ago), the range commands are the range commands. There are only 7 range commands, and the longest one has only 8 words. Anybody who can't handle these either hasn't read the rules or doesn't care. Actually, the first clue you have that he's a Timer Holder is use of the wrong commands. They just aren't that hard. If I'm unsure of what the RO said, the only thing I ask is "did you say 'Make Ready'", because that's the command and it's the only one I can unholster the gun for (and won't produce a DQ). Real ROs don't mind repeating it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back...Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example.http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Oh never mind. The use of the IPSC term drives me nuts...If you read that entire link you will see they have bigger problems than inserting IPSC commandsInto a USPSA match! That place needs serious work! I wasn't talking about IPSC commands. It turns out that this tip sheet is an artifact from a club that held its last match over 7 years ago. But yes, it needs to be updated. The old club had "IPSC" in the name and the new one doesn't but the domain does. Arrgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanks Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back...Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example.http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Oh never mind. The use of the IPSC term drives me nuts...If you read that entire link you will see they have bigger problems than inserting IPSC commandsInto a USPSA match! That place needs serious work! I wasn't talking about IPSC commands. It turns out that this tip sheet is an artifact from a club that held its last match over 7 years ago. But yes, it needs to be updated. The old club had "IPSC" in the name and the new one doesn't but the domain does. Arrgh. I shot there last Sunday (July 3rd). The portable sign that directed people still said "prg-ipsc". Their FB page also says the same thing on their logo. https://www.facebook.com/PradoRunningGun/?fref=nf Other than the website though, the match and stages were fun and people were safe. If I have to criticize one thing it is the fact that while they use Practiscore for scoring they do not use it for sign ups. That makes initial sign up and squadding time consuming, especially if there are bunch of shooters that have not shot there before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 The old command was "Load and make ready" wasn't it? Several years back...Problem is that a lot of clubs have not updated their web sites, and new shooters read and expect old commands. An example.http://www.prg-ipsc.com/site/new-shooter-info/#commands Oh never mind. The use of the IPSC term drives me nuts...If you read that entire link you will see they have bigger problems than inserting IPSC commandsInto a USPSA match! That place needs serious work! I wasn't talking about IPSC commands. It turns out that this tip sheet is an artifact from a club that held its last match over 7 years ago. But yes, it needs to be updated. The old club had "IPSC" in the name and the new one doesn't but the domain does. Arrgh. I shot there last Sunday (July 3rd). The portable sign that directed people still said "prg-ipsc". Their FB page also says the same thing on their logo. https://www.facebook.com/PradoRunningGun/?fref=nfOther than the website though, the match and stages were fun and people were safe. If I have to criticize one thing it is the fact that while they use Practiscore for scoring they do not use it for sign ups. That makes initial sign up and squadding time consuming, especially if there are bunch of shooters that have not shot there before. One of the more interesting parts of that "fact sheet" is allowing LEO/CCW to use safety areas to unload their guns. Yikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 One of the more interesting parts of that "fact sheet" is allowing LEO/CCW to use safety areas to unload their guns. Yikes2.5.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermobollocks Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Safe areas and load/unload stations are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 One of the more interesting parts of that "fact sheet" is allowing LEO/CCW to use safety areas to unload their guns. Yikes2.5.1I say again , yikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now