dirtypool40

Only been 13 odd years since I posted in this thread. Been back shooting about a year, and set some goals. Sadly, the greatest division EVER, LIMITED is almost dead, but whether I shoot LO or LIM I'm finishing with the CO M's so that's not terrible. Gonna try OPEN and LO next year, with side trips to LIM for Nationals and IPSC. I might have been a little too ambitious this year, and adulting and gear problems have gotten in the way, but I've had a lot of fun and now have a good group of guys to shoot with next year. Headed to the IPSC Nationals in Florida tomorrow, and planning to keep going through the 2025 world shoot. Stay tuned.

howdy, long time listener, 1st time caller.... The grip is tough. It's like trying to learn karate out of a book. You can LOOK like you're doing it right and still be screwing it up badly. After flailing away in the dark by myself for years, it took classes with Jerry, Todd and Manny to turn on the "easy light" for my dumb ass. After "ice skating uphill" by myself for 6+ years, I took a small group intensive with Jerry Barnhart. He did this thing where he had you fire some rounds and stay on target, then take your left hand off the gun. His left hand grip was so different it made my hair stand up. One of THE big secrets in shooting is that grip. At least for Limited division guys. Not nearly as important for minor or comp guns, IMHO. For me at least, the big revelation on "the grip" wasn't so much HEAPS of pressure with the support hand, but how you BUILT the grip. I changed that, in dry fire, quit "punching" the gun into my support hand. That helped me stop that 1970's vintage "Dynamic pressure" push pull sh...stuff, and got me pushing everything TOWARDS the target with greater consistency. For ME at least, it made a HUGE difference in neutrality, and predictability / sight tracking. Everyone learns differently, and needs their own trick as to what to think about or how to groove it. For me, I slide the left hand thumb along the track formed by the strong hand, and when the grip is finished it "feels like" I am pushing the fingernails of my right hand back into the nail bed. NOT just crushing them against the grip. Hope that helps.

Ok, Mods, It's been a while since I started a topic and I can't find the humor section. Feel free to move this. So I am rolling to a stop at a traffic light yesterday, and caught this out of the corner of my eye. Quick as I could I grabbed the phone for a quick (ok, and crappy / low rez) pic. It WAS what I thought I saw. This guy was done up like he was waiting for extraction, but was just wheeling a little hand truck along OBT, with AT LEAST two rile cases on board. This was in front of a strip mall and bank parking lot. I have no idea if it's illegal, just snapped my head around "WTF?? Is that really what I saw????" Dude was NOT placarded as LEO, I didn't SEE a weapon, and he wasn't "acting" like anything was up, it was just..... REALLY ODD, and I thought you guys would get a kick out of it.

http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHND10/ Ayoob wrote up an incident I was following for AH. The article starts on p89.

http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHND10/ Ayoob wrote the incident up for AH. I think the article begins on p89 http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHND10/

Wow, the months drift by. Just a quick update to friends, I am so out of shooting I use Brian's page like "Facebook", LOL. I just got accepted to Law School, here in Orlando. It's been a rough couple of years, and this is a BIG positive for me and my future. Haven't really been shooting, but had dinner w Paul W last night, he's a great guy, a real friend and he's doing really well. Since I keep boring you guys with POOL updates, I will continue. I've been playing pretty well lately, had a string of near perfect matches; I beat a "6" 75-4 in the city playoffs, broke and ran 3 of 8 racks played and never missed a ball I shot at. The next week I broke and ran 3 of 5 racks of 8-ball I played, and the week after that 2 of 5. Last weekend they had the local "tournament of champions" (about like a local club match charging $25 instead of $15 and paying cash back once a year). The Tournament director moved me up to the highest handicap the week before the tournament as a subtle invite NOT to attend. It had the reverse effect though, and just pissed me off. As you guys know, I tend to be kinda goofy, unfocused and chatty. But pissed off, I tend to focus pretty well. I took the bit between my teeth, and underdog in every match, I played like I was possessed and ended up winning $400. Anyway, it's off to school soon, but that was a nice little capper.

Just a long overdue update and kudos. Kenny had em', fair price, and was shipping the thing to me before I could even cut him a check. Thanks Kenny!!!

I shot with Roberto in the 2004 Bolivia Open, in fact he put me out of the shoot off. :-/ Fun guy, WAY out of the box gunsmith. He must've had 4-5 guns in that small field, each one more "Star Wars meets Robocop" than the next.

LOL thanks Randy, how've you been bud? I am still here as a resource if I can help at all. Feel free to email me or call any time.

Not that I am one of "those top shooters" but as I fit the M/GM class, I figured I would chime in. I had a tough couple of years, was on the edge of a rough divorce at the 06 Nats, and got laid off two weeks before 07. I really didn't shoot well at either, a clear head is invaluable at big events, and it made me take a hard look at things. I was explaining our sport to someone,how much I loved it, the great people, and how much fun I had.... how hard I worked at it. Then it got to finances, and I explained how I was spending on my hobby, while I was really struggling, and the answer became pretty obvious. No, a local match once in a while isn't that bad, but traveling to matches got expensive, components sky rocketed, gun prices topped $3k. With a few weeks off for rest, holidays, family, job, and weather, let's say you are "active" 30 weeks a year. Add it up: a new gun every year or two, new ears, cleats, mags or parts here and there (call it $1500 a year for gear conservatively)... and let's say you "only" shoot 20k a year, that's what? About $3500? Plus hitting "only" 4-5 big matches a year, at easily $500 per with travel expenses, plus nationals or World Shoot. Practice once or twice a week (call it 40 practices a year), shoot one local a week (let's say 30 locals a year), keep your gear current, and shoot 4-5 matches a year, plus one nationals, you easily spend something upwards of $10k a year CASH on a hobby. And that's before 3-gun, the World Shoot, IDPA, crossing into SS or PROD. Sure, switching to PROD would make buying NEW gear cheaper, and ammo is less expensive than .40 JHP, (although still 2x what it used to be). I don't think it's about being an M/GM, those numbers would be very similar for any avid, active IPSC junky. Even though I know I am "past my prime" and no threat to knock off the top dogs, the love, lust and drive are all still there. It's not about sour grapes for the field getting tougher, I never looked for an easy win or a soft field. I am the guy who will only switch divisions to shoot WITH the toughest guys instead of avoiding them. I LOVE guiding a new shooter through their first match, and "matching up" with another guy my speed (whatever that is) and competing tooth and nail to the last stage. Simple, sad truth, I just couldn't afford it.

Thanks Andy! I'm not really back, but I will try to come out once in a while to say hey. I am still playing pool and sssssssssssssssslowly getting better. I don't wanna jinx it, but I have been playing well lately; my last two league matches, I only missed ONE ball ball each match, and I'm undefeated for the session so far. It's a screwy 9-ball, handicapped, counting balls league. They have me as an 8 (9 being the highest), but I suspect a promotion is coming soon. I beat another 8, 65-13. Then a couple close ones, where I still won but it wasn't a blow out. Then the last couple weeks I went something like 65-4 and 65-5, each time only missing one ball I shot at. Both times I "Broke and Ran" 2 of the 7 or so racks we played. It's only on 8-foot tables, so I am the medium fish in the small pond, but it feels good just the same, and I enjoy the competition and pressure. I played a few "action $ets" this past weekend, on tough 9-footers. My break has improved and it's giving me opportunities to "B&R" I never had before. In one set I broke and ran out three separate times. I had at least one B&R each set, and going to 5, that means I was at least 20% B&R. I am also trying to learn ONE POCKET, which is like chess on a pool table, it's the toughest, mind bending game out there. Less about a big break and firepower, and more about moves and control, and strategery. Playing last night against a guy I had been going back and forth with, I lost the first two, then beat him seven in a row. Anyhoo, that's all for now, talk to you guys later.

the interview went well, Mas was great.

bumpage.

Not sure where this falls, and I trust the mods will move (or delete) it as appropriate. Almost 13 months after the attempted robbery, the intended victim will be on http://armedamericanradio.org/ with pro-gun defense lawyer John Monroe and Mas Ayoob talking about the experience. Call in, say hello from the BENOS-verse. (the clip in the top right of that link talks about this show).