Blueridge

My first match was a classifier match, so of course I tanked it (6 classifier stages). It took me over a year to climb out of the bad classifier hole I was in.

There is another issue that might be the problem. The shooters ammunition might not be loaded sufficiently to knock down the popper even if it hits the "proper" calibration area. While the issue is more often the popper calibration, it can be the shooters ammunition.

(This may have been covered earlier in this thread, so I apologize) I have found that some want to be proficient/competitive/accomplished at USPSA before they break their first shot in the sport on a stage. They want to "perfect the art" of the sport before they even begin, and that is not going to happen for most people. With any sport you will have no idea how well (or where) you stand by comparison until you actually do it. Nor do you know how much enjoyment you can get from participation. Some cannot get mentally or emotionally out of their own way enough to try the sport. Given how much enjoyment I get form participating in the sport, I find that to be a sad state of affairs.

Olympic style fencing... Sounds odd but the mental aspect is quite helpful. Not to mention that it helps with fitness.

For me I became an RO for the same reason that I became a Director (referee) in Olympic style fencing. I wanted to understand the sport better in order to become better at the sport. I have worked a couple of sectionals and an area match, and found the experiences overall enjoyable (both during and after). The benefits do not equal the work that I put in, but I would rather be enjoying a day at the range (or a day directing fencing) than at work. So the benefits (pay, etc...) is icing on the cake for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy competing more than RO'ing or Directing fencing, but there are plenty of other things that I give my time to (willingly) that don't receive any compensation for.

I shot the match Thursday (not as well as I wanted, but consistent with my classification), and worked the match (Stage 3) the other days. I several times heard from the competitors that the match was being run very smoothly and administered well. I know that we were getting approx 2-3 minute turnarounds from the start of one shooter to the start of the next on the stage I worked. My results were not as good as I would have liked, but the match was very enjoyable to me (Shooting and working it).

A belt buckle would be interesting, and a "challenge" coin is a good idea also IMO.

Reliable means that the experiment or survey is repeatable with the same parameters set and the results of the experiment fall within an acceptable margin of error.

Ah, I see. You plan seemed a bit to "intense" for me, but now that you explained that it helps you enjoy major matches I understand better. I like both USPSA and IDPA for different reasons, but ultimately I just want to enjoy the trigger time.

I will have to agree with MikeBurgess on the majority of this, no offense to your experience RangerTrace. Looking at the stages to see how they compare to the match book is useful, and then getting an idea of how you would like to shoot the stages. The idea of not leaving until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed? Then you might never leave the range until after the next day(s) when you shoot the match. The rest of what you suggest, RangerTrace, I agree with. The idea is to shoot the match as well as you can and have fun doing it. Stressing over all the minutiae does not seem to me to go along with enjoyment of any match (example: Don't leave until you can shoot every stage with your eyes closed). My best advice is to enjoy the match and the company of your fellow squad mates & shooters. All the while shooting the match as best you can.

The 8 shot Redhawk in .357 is already cut for moonclips. The 2.75" barrel is the turn off to most people though.

This left me wondering when I saw it. Especially after they released an 8 shot Redhawk previously. Which reminds me, I need to start planning for obtaining one of the 8 shot Redhawks since I could use a .357 caliber revolver.

What I have seen some clubs is you pay to shoot the match in say production, and on just the classifier stage you pay for also shooting the classifier a second time in Limited for example. Whatever the classifier upload fee that the club pays, you would pay that a second time to shoot the classifier stage in the second division. You only pay to shoot the match and the extra classifier fee. Usually being able to shoot the classifier in a second division occurs after the match is over, and if there is time/opportunity to do so. While not as simple as shooting the classifier once and getting it to count for multiple divisions, it does allow you two chances to shoot it in case you "bungled" it the first time. You only take the "hit" for it in the one division instead of two...

I think that having been in marching band in high school helped me with this. Shooting is like playing music and marching, as I know when to reload (generally) by the "drumbeats" of the shots that I take. That is the best way I can describe it, as I know what I should be doing at whatever point in the stage I am at. I had never though about it this way until I read this thread.

I still shoot major in Revolver Division, but I also shoot .45 Colt in my Ruger Alaskan revolver. I have been considering getting a Ruger Redhawk 8 shot .357/.38 to shoot in Production Division (yeah, I know that sounds odd), but have not done that yet. Due to the small number of revolver shooters at recent level II matches that I have participated in (to the point where Revolver Division was not recognized), I have been shooting Single Stack in competition most of this past year.

It was my fortune to be shooting the factory (Federal Syntech) 230gr that listed at 835fps, when I shot Area 6. I had seen no problems when I tested it over my chrono prior to the Area 6 match, but as it turned out it registered over the chronograph at 771fps at the match. That is still faster than the load that you listed, I know, but it would be my luck that I would run a load like yours and have it drop below major. I currently reload 45 Colt, and have not started reloading 45 ACP yet. That is mainly why I use factory ammunition currently, and the Federal Syntech, Magtech, and Winchester have 230gr loads that are around 835fps. I am used to shooting 45 Colt 250gr RNFP at ~720 fps (180PF), so 45 ACP 230gr at 835fps feels softer to me.

I have primarily (From fall 2007 until fall of 2016) shot Revolver Division, and then added Single Stack. I enjoy both, but prefer revolver. I will probably choose which to shoot based on the competition at the match I will be going to.

After shooting "hot" loaded 45 Colt (250gr bullet, 745fps - 783fps) in Revolver Division for years, going to shooting 45 ACP (230gr bullet, 835fps) in Single Stack Division seemed/seems relatively mild to me. Shooting a pistol with 9mm generally feels very tame to me. Therefore I can see how shooting a single stack pistol in 9mm would be attractive.

My counter to that is that the skill of the "big boys" to shoot major or minor is about the same, but shooting major provides a bit of "cushion" scoring wise. That said people saying that it SHOULD not be done if someone is serious about competition, is different than saying that it CANNOT be done if one is serious about competition. I do not have the information that Southpaw uses in his earlier post to show what Area matches were won by someone shooting minor, or the number shooting minor finishing in the top 10 in area matches. The point that I am getting at is that until someone wins the SS Nationals shooting minor, of course it has not been done. Suggesting pretty much that no one should try is what I disagree with, and I have met people that espouse that idea. I would love to see someone do it, if for no other reason than to eliminate the statement that it never has been done at SS Nationals. I am not even close to being likely to do this, but I believe that someone can and will. There is a quote that I read (and for the record, I am NOT directing this at anyone) which says, "Those too weak to follow their own dreams, often will discourage others". What I take from this is that it should always be noted who the source of information is, and if they have ulterior reasons behind what they are saying. The path trod by others is likely less difficult, but another path more difficult might be more satisfying to some.

I have often wondered, do few people shoot minor (in limited and single stack) because it is that hard to win? Or is it that hard for someone to win shooting minor because statistically/numerically few people shoot minor? It seems as it could be a self-fulfilling prophesy if a person won't shoot minor just because they believe they cannot win what they see as more challenging matches shooting minor. This would include that they have never tried, and not that they have tried and by their efforts came to that conclusion. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

Been there, had fun, moved on.... The clothing/costume requirement ate into my ammunition/reloading funds. I enjoy shooting single stack division, but I really enjoy shooting revolver division.

I thought Jessie Duff, Julie Golob (I know that she is B class in SS), and several other Master along with a GM shot minor at the Single Stack Nationals?

No expert wisdom here, but I am a revolver shooter that began taking on Single Stack starting this past October. I Shoot a Ruger revolver, so I went with the Ruger SR1911 as my single stack semi-auto. I shoot major, but I have seen numerous competitors shoot minor, and I think major or minor is a good way to go. I use Wilson Combat 47D eight round magazines in competition, and have no experience with Chip McCormick mags (but I understand that they are good). I happened to get some Wilson Combat Shok-Buff recoil buffers, and found them to work great so far. They reduce (as you would imagine) the recoil effects to make it less "violent", and I would suggest using one in whatever 1911 you choose. I am currently using a standard SR1911, and am looking at the SR1911 Target model. Not that you were considering a Ruger, but just to clarify what I use. Oh, I normally shoot a Ruger Alaskan shooting 45 Colt, and the single stack SR1911 in 45ACP was a pleasant recoil change.

Point taken...

Hey! I just this year started shooting single stack. I am still in mourning from the change to doing that, and it is too soon to consider another division. Revolver Division is calling me back, and maybe sometime mid fall I will answer the call. Currently I have to get ready for the US Fencing Nationals this summer. I have 3 events (Vet40 Mens Epee, Division 2 Mens Epee, & Division 3 Mens Epee) in four days at nationals.