Blueridge

That it is. The Memphis Charity Challenge was the first time I faced this contraption. It was interesting to shoot, and difficult to keep balanced. I think that the motion of the plates falling off has more of an effect than simply the weight change. I did not shoot it well, but it was my first time dealing with it. I am sure that I can and will engage it better next time I come across it.

Ever since the Memphis Charity Challenge it seems that I am seeing more revolver shooters. It might also have something to do with the ICORE Retro Division that was recently approved. Whatever the reason it is nice to see the growth.

Counting down to the match! Making a list, checking it twice.......

Well I have only been to South Carolina and Tennessee outside my state of North Carolina. I mostly travel to other states/countries for fencing matches. For that purpose I have been to Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, California, and Louisiana. I have traveled to Australia (Gold Coast, Queensland) for a fencing tournament.

"You must always push the limits. If you never fail, you never truly succeed." This is a quote (among many) that I keep in mind. I have come across too many people that "want" something, but often find excuses that they can't (or say that they are not ready). I am a member of a fencing club (olympic style), and it includes several strongly rated fencers (fencing ratings go from "E" to "A"). I am a "D" rated fencer (basically equate that to a "C" class shooter), and there are a number of "C" rated fencers in the club. Even though I am a lower rated fencer, I have qualified and competed in 9 of the last 10 US Fencing Summer Nationals. None of the other fencers can say that. I have yet to finish a tournament high enough to earn my "C" rating. I am considered one of the toughest competitors in the club, and always a challenge across the state. I don't mention the above to toot my own horn, but to make a point. Most of those years I could only practice fencing once every other week on average through the season. I could have easily said, "I'm not ready for the Nationals", and not tried to qualify. The club practices three times a week, and most of the other club members participated in at least two of those weekly practices. I am determined every year to qualify for the nationals and compete, therefore I do what I can to achieve that.

One thing that I keep in mind (remind myself of) is to stick with my plan. Another is not to worry about what other shooters think about the way I shoot the stage. If I start to be concerned about other shooters opinions of how I am shooting a stage, then it causes me to hesitate. I have seen this in reviewing videos of myself shooting. I normally will engage every target that I can see from a particular location, including those that I can engage from other locations in the stage that are closer. In my mind it is the best thing for me. I can always engage the target from the closer location if I need to, and I can pass it by if I effectively engaged it earlier. Suffice to say that often this plan does is not agreeable with other shooters discussing during the walk through. It generally works for me though. I can usually make the longer shots and once I became confident at that it became my preferred method.

Just considering the setup and that I am shooting revolver, I would likely engage T2 and then T1. YMMV.

Congrats on winning the M&P.

Yeah, I figured that the reloading time would take a bit, but I do have 4 single action revolvers. The question then would be how do you manage to reload the revolvers in preparation for the stages? Most ranges that I have been to are "cold" ranges, and therefore loading would only be allowed at the "ready box". I might just check with the local range that holds steel challenge matches and see what can be done. I think that it would be interesting to try with a single action.

I was wondering if anyone on the forum shoots steel challenge with a single action revolver. I came across a mention of such in the rulebook about being able to, and in the Front Sight Magazine that someone had done so at the Nationals (?). I am curious enough to consider shooting with one of my single actions at a local steel challenge match for the experience of it.

Looks kinda neat. Not a fan of the wood grips though.

Greetings! Good fortune with the USPSA and ICORE matches, and I am sure that you will enjoy them. Looks like you have a nice set of revolvers there to use, and the ambition to put them to use in as many types of matches as you can get to. I too have found a wealth of information on this site, and try to impart what I can to aid others.

I mainly use Magtech (CBC) brass, Starline brass, and Winchester brass. They all work well for me.

As I earlier posted, I am not against having to retain unspent ammunition, but I have never had to in the past. Likely it was because, as you mentioned, that the RWR was after 6 shots had been fired. Thus there was no need to retain anything as a revolver shooter. After thinking about it, I don't plan to put much time into practicing retaining unspent rounds. I will deal with the situation if it arises at a match.

Be safe and enjoy reloading. I get almost as much enjoyment reloading as I do shooting matches.

I have fired both 260gr SJSF and 225gr SCHP Magtech .454 Casull loads from the Alskan in practice, and while the recoil was stiff it was manageable with practice. I actually have a 7 1/2" barrel Super Redhawk, but have not found the time to try it out. By comparison the .45 Colt loads are not that strong, but they do get people's attention.

No problem. As I stated earlier I just want to do things the correct way, and up until today I was under the belief that I was. I'm not so sure now. Simply reading the descriptions of the reload types, they appear to be directed towards auto shooters. Clarification is always welcome, and is best documented somewhere officially. Now I have to start practicing how best to catch the unspent rounds, while bringing to bear another speedloader. That raises another question for me of do I have to retain the speedloader that I am using to "charge" the revolver? If I loaded the revolver before start of the stage with a speedloader, do I have to store it if I know a reload with retention is going to be required? Or do I have to keep the speedloader that I "charge" the revolver with after I take the unspent rounds from the revolver to retain? There is always going to be a magazine to retain with autos, but not a speedloader to retain with revolvers. If I make ready before the start of the stage loading without a speedloader (which I normally do), then I don't have speedloader to retain until the first reload.

Well the Alaskan is appoximately 44 ounces unloaded, as compared to 53 ounces the 7 1/2" barrel Super Redhawk is. I had a firm hold on the Alaskan, and was using 250gr LRNFP bullets. The recoil is more of a strong push than a snap. The Hogue grips helped also. I have fired near max loads in .45 Colt in competition (6.0 grains Titegroup), and felt that I had control of the revolver the whole time. I was using 5.8 grains of Titegroup in the video that you saw, and I had backed down from the hotter load for other than recoil purposes. I was having problems with the cylinder heating up to the point that I could barely hold it doing reloads on long field courses after about 24 rounds.

Reload with Retention: A) Dropping partial magazine from the gun Stowing the partial magazine properly C) Drawing spare magazine D) Inserting spare magazine into the gun It is not the "Reload with Retention" that requires the revolver shooter to retain the ammunition. It is the second part "Failure to do the reload required in the COF" that would cover making the revolver shooter retain the ammunition. I am not against having to retain the ammunition as a revolver shooter. I just want it clear that I have to, and simply saying "reload with retention" does not do that without the caveat that revolver shooters must retain the unspent ammunition. I asked early into IDPA about this because it was unclear to me, and I went with the response that I received (At a state match). A course designer can require that ammunition be retained by revolver shooters, but without that requirement the rules to not CLEARLY require that.

The .454 Casull loaded with heavy .45 Colt loads.

I should be able to participate in the ICORE match that weekend, and the Steel City Carbine Championship in Alabama the next weekend.

First off, I don't think it matters what's done to Revolver ... no one's shooting it. I used to ... all by myself. I'm not an IDPA guy ... but they now have two categories for Revolver ... is that right? My buddy's favorite revolver is his 627 ... his response to "go buy a 625" is "I'll just shoot Ltd". What exactly would the total damage be, if we were to have major/minor for Revolver as we do for Single Stack? (up to 6rd .40+ is major, and up to 8rd is minor) Everyone who's competitive in Revolver has a 6-shot 610 or 625 already, right? So they don't need a new gun. And, depending on the courses, they have an advantage. Moreover, using aforementioned logic, if they have a 610 or 625, they probably have a 627 laying around. More and more people are shooting revolver. Just a few weeks ago I competed in the Memphis Charity Challenge, which was a revolver focused match that had 70+ revolver shooters in attendance. In the year prior to that I shot in a majority revolver squad (6+) at a Toys for Tots match held in South Carolina. More and more local matches that I hear about are having larger contingents of revolver shooters participate. Revolver is growing, and the more the merrier.

I shoot my Ruger Alaskan which has a 2 1/2" barrel at steel challenge matches, Along with IDPA & USPSA matches. It is fun I assure you.

Yes, I should have made it clear that you don't have to put any in front of the holster, if the shooter wants to put them all behind the center line that is fine as well. When I used to load strong hand I ran 2 in front of the holster and 1 behind. Now that I load weak hand I still put 2 in front but but one behind the center line on my left. I find it easier to get to them in front of the holster rather than reaching behind the center line and I still have the option to load strong hand if necessary. In IDPA if you find yourself needing that third reload, you have probably already messed up the stage since you are going past the 18 round limit for a COF. Exceptions would be if you were required to do a reload with retention some where in the COF. Maybe I missed something, but revolver shooters are not required to do reloads with retention. A reload with retention requires that the MAGAZINE be retained, and neither speedloaders or moonclips fit that description. When I was just starting in IDPA I asked about what revolver shooters do when the COF requires reload with retention, and I was told reload as you normally do. I guess that the course of fire could require that unspent ammunition be retained, but that is not a reload with retention as defined in the rulebook. If there is documentation that I am not aware of, please enlighten me to it. I would hate to be penalized at a match for something I was unaware of.

When in May? I am planning on an out of state match (Carbine) in Alabama the month of May, and I need to plan for both.