RobMoore

I love this program. I use it for stage design as well (and I use Jim's work a ton as well), but I use it as my final step. I printed off little 1"x1" versions of all the props and targets, and I sort of "sand table" them until I have a good idea of what I want to do, then I fire up the computer.

Your mind is cemented enough, by how you view the other side, its not worth trying to change.

^ What keeps you from shooting limited?

Funny teen-aged level of movie. If you're expecting a higher quality of cinema, wait a year or so for World War Z to come out, or go rent 28 days/weeks later. It had a good amount of funny parts, and it had lots of gunplay, some of it even not-entirely inaccurate. I liked it, because it was fun and spolier.... 3.5 stars (out of 5).

How many times did you watch it?

I used the exact same bag as my carry-on to nationals, as as my range bag for nats. I got a 100oz camelback bladder that fits nicely in the dedicated compartment for it on the bag.

You live up to your current nickname/title I really like the way you put it, going too fast for the conscious mind to keep up. The "trick" may be in how to get the subconscious to engage, so that you don't fall flat on your face. I'm reminded of that stupid Geico commercial with the CEO asking the Gecko to catch him as he falls backwards, trusting that his fall will be broken. Some people have a sturdy brute of a subconscious waiting there, and some of us have a Gecko.

I've had the chance to scan back through a bit, but nowhere near enough to read some of the short essays. For my first two years shooting competitively, my total focus at matches was to go as fast as I could go. I accepted whatever sight picture was there when I brought the gun to bear on a target. It got me a few trophies as an expert and even MA at smaller venues because even though I had 30-40 more points down than second place, my raw times were that much quicker. Sometimes I'd crash and burn and get nothing. A few weeks before the USPSA Nationals, I focused myself on "shooting alphas". I made an "Alpha Bet" at the IL Sectional with my friends, and although I didn't know anyone at Nationals, I still kept that attitude that I was competing for alphas. The result was that I shot slower than I am accustomed to. Not a lot slower, but I was seeing differences of 3-4 seconds per stage between me and people I should have been as fast as. At a local match this weekend, my behavior was the same. I had no more than 1 point down on my first 3-4 stages, but I started to see people I KNEW I was much faster than turning in times within tenths of mine. I woke up and said to myself "Why the heck are you shooting so slow?" So, I went out and "turned on the afterburners", and wound up with no more points down, but I was about 3 seconds quicker. I haven't yet learned this voodoo trick of "shooting subconsciously", but I have done it on occasion. I know the two MA level USPSA classifiers I have on record weren't my conscious mind steering the gun. It just happened, and I thought "coooool" when it was over and I was standing there with my gun staring at the targets before I realized it was time to ULSC. I knew I was only able to do it because I'd practiced trying to do it. I just haven't been there often enough to know how to get there on-demand. Its not an easy thing to convey to someone else either, that is why I think sometimes the best thing to tell a MM/SS is to shoot accurately in matches, and in practice try to maintain that 70-80% accuracy while going as fast as that will allow, and on occasion go "balls to the wall" and see where the limit is.

I don't think SIG did a very good job on the 250. Its not in a position to compete with the Glock, XD, and M&P because it is not as good a gun as they are. The bore axis is typical SIG; too high, and the trigger is not designed for fast shooting.

Another vote for trail running shoes. The traction on them can be aggressive, but unlike cleats, it is soft and won't turn flat wood surfaces (like those "porches" you see on ranges that share with Cowboy Shooters who build permanent structures) into a slip-n-slide. They serve three roles for me. IDPA shoe, USPSA shoe, running shoe. Here are mine. Salomon Speed Cross 2

Getting a -1 hit cost you .5 seconds. That gets to be a lot if you add them up. Could you have hit the zeroes with less than .5 seconds each extra worth of aiming and trigger press? Probably so. Think about shooting at two different targets. One you get -2, one -0. With a whole second worth of extra time, couldn't you have been 3 inches more accurate with your shots? The thing about speed vs accuracy is that accuracy you can quantify easily in your head as you go. You know how accurate you're being if you're calling your shots. Do you really know how fast you're going until the time is written down at the end? Its very hard to focus on just going fast and hope your shots are accurate. Its much easier to focus on the accuracy and let the speed take care of itself.

I can't wait to hear more.

The formula for Production works. I would hate to see a change in the mag capacity or allowing major PF to affect it negatively, which I think it would. One of the challenges to Production is working in all those reloads. If that isn't working out for you, there is nothing stopping you from loading up and shooting Limited. Also, 9mm out of the box semi-autos have a good home in Production. Allow major PF, and now we have to share what was a nice house with a big overbearing roommate.

The only one I got on tape

I have to write this off as poor stage design. If MDs can't make courses of fire that test the skills they want to test AND follow the rulebook, they should go back to just being an SO or regular competitor, or just copy proven stages from other matches. The IDPA rulebook is small enough to read 3 times in a single sitting. Its not difficult to follow, and it only becomes confusing when its read with an attempt to insert personal ideas about tactics into the mix. When read literally, the trouble spots become very small in number. "The MD has final authority" gets used too often. I think sometimes its used as an excuse for veering off the prescribed path.

I'm seeing a trend at this match in the form of Camelback backpacks for range bags. In fact, I think the backpacks, camelback or not, outnumber the typical big boxy range bags. Its definitely easier to carry from stage to stage. I thought I was being inventive buying one before coming out, only to find so many others had the same idea. I also used mine as a carry-on, but as someone who sidesteps the screening process, I stowed all my ammo in my carry-on rather than deal with shipping or checked bag limitations. 450 rounds, a laptop w/ cords, a DVD case, and water is friggin heavy.

Stage 7 Spinning Star

From the first few days, when the squad assignments still had division and class, I thought I remembered seeing Jerry listed as production.

I have some stuff to upload after I eat dinner. For now though, I'll just leave you with my award for most unexpected conversation overheard: Rob Leatham, Matt Mink, and Ben Stoeger discussing (and quoting) South Park episodes.

I feel your pain. I use a government computer, but my work-browsing has improved since I got a blackberry with internet.

Funny I should see this today. I just had a near collision about an hour ago because of this. I'm on a "2-lanes each way" blvd with no turn lane. I'm in the left, with my signal, approaching a turn off to a side-road on the left. There are two cars side-by-side approaching from the opposite direction, but far enough off that I can safely make the turn. As I do, some middle aged guy in a 20 year old 3-series BMW tries to make a left off the road I'm going onto, running the stop sign he had, crossing my path. I guess he wasn't looking to his right long enough to see my blinker, thinking I'd be passed by before he got onto the blvd, and was more concerned with beating the cars to his left so he could shave 5 seconds off his trip. Well, here we are, nose to nose, sitting in the opposing lanes, taking up the whole other side. Both of us on our horns, with the two cars coming at us (remember them) hard on their brakes so they don't t-bone each of us. I shifted down into 1st and zoomed around him and onto the side-street, leaving him looking at me like I'm the jerk. The funny part is that I wasn't that far ahead of the rest of the traffic behind me, so now he is sitting there blocking southbound traffic, waiting for a gap in northbound for him to slip into because there is no turn lane for him to wait in. All because he couldn't be bothered to even slow down for the 6 sided red sign that says in bold white letters "STOP".

The only name I recognized in my squad (24) was Manny Bragg, but I'm following all the production GMs.

That was my understanding as well. Stipple/checker up the removable grip piece, but stay off the frame......sorry glocks.

+1

Bad COF "Use cover here, but you don't have to use it here, even though it is available" Still a +3 for the shooter though.