Chris iliff

Just ordered Dillon's quick change tool head for my 650. I want to set it up for dedicated 9 minor. I have been been reaching out to those in the know for 9 minor loads. Please feel free to post any info here. I will be using SNS for bullets. Not decided between 135's or 147's yet. Will be shooting them from my two Springfields,....an XDM and my 1911 A1, both full size. So please, post up any recommendations.

I've never understood timing outside of a moving target scenario. Like a swinger and I'm going to time the swinger and ambush it at the bottom of its stroke or I'm going to pace it, either way I'm gonna be timing it. Serious, why not just see what there is to see and fire when that is acceptable? I'd do bill drills with the goal of seeing every shot. Then I'd work my grip and trigger pull during the bill drill, and anything else deficient, until my group size shrunk up.

I switched from 38s to nine years ago. For me me there was a difference. The nine is more violent. I say that after years shooting one and then years shooting the other. It's subtle, but for me the 38s was softer. Maybe "violent" is too strong a word, harsh maybe? Ymmv. I did up my bullet from 115 to 124 when I went to 9. Both platforms were loaded to 173pf. Maybe the 124gr accounts for the perceived increased punch in my hand with the 9. Dot never left the lense of the cmore with the 38s shooting 115's. Now back then I was just starting and made it to B class with the 38s. With the 9, I get a bit more dot movement, but improvement in my grip has brought that under control for the most part. I've run the 9 into master class. If I'd practice a bit it'd be no worries picking up GM with it. Either chambering won't hold you back. It is a choice of your preference really. I believe that there are a lot more powders that can push the nine safely now, maybe experimenting would soften the violence. I switched to to save time and money,...I detest picking up brass. I'd rather spend that time deciding and thinking about what's next or BSing with friends. Don't know that the 9 saved me much anyway. I dont shoot as much anymore, but often think I'd like to have a 38 again for when the bug strikes. If money and time picking up brass was not a problem.......go 38. IMHO

Not nearly as good as the first one. I was disappointed

Excellent, my one nitpick would be that Keanu is slowing a bit,....but ain't we all at his age? really hope there is a third and he.... "kills them all"

Update: I have Shot the PT grip and new safeties and it's really nice. Pat Rafferty did an excellent job. I am very happy with it. Im in Florida and shot a match at Hansen range. Really great squad. I shot clean, fat and slow. Lol. It was fun. Unfortunately I did not bring my gun. I shot my Dads open gun. Not that it mattered much, but I had to clear two jams and one magazine unexpectedly dropped after a shot. Magazine thing was probably my fault, I just didn't slam it home. Funny how they will stay in there while you are running though.

I am thinking not all rounds leave a ring. And I mean rounds that only pass through the target and nothing else first. That's my premise. If my premise is correct, I want this widely known. I don't want RO's calling misses because it was a tight shot and they assumed, since there is no grease ring, then it's an obvious miss. Shedding light on this, either way, is my goal. I'm totally ok if I'm wrong, it's the learning that's important. I might need to gather some evidence by way of pics. Or, if anyone has some pics that might prove my premise, please post. This is why I came to the forum first. Usually someone always knows.

I started this because I don't think a grease ring is indicative of much of anything. And if it is, maybe it's not fool proof. I hear it referenced, a lot, as a good indicator of whether or not a bullet passed through hard cover before finding a target. As was the case I cited above. But, I don't use grease reloading and I'm positive I've taped up holes with no grease ring. So, I was hoping this might spark some interest and maybe be enlightening.

Years ago I called a miss at a shoot and made it up. Upon scoring the RO said it was an alpha, Mike. I said no, that's an alpha/Charlie. He said i shot through the barrel, the hole in the paper had no grease ring and that proved it. That whole stage was a crap fest and I just went on about shooting the other stages but..... I don't believe a grease ring or lack of one, means diddly. What at do you think?

Just shot mine. GANs Open in 9mm, upright Cmore, 173pf loads sporting 124gr MG CMJ. PT grip and Ambi safety fitted by Pat Rafferty of Rafferty Custom guns out of Indy. Solid. Very solid. Ran a plate machine at 10 yards. Dot was consistent and tracked well. Gun felt less violent. I'm rusty as hell, but very very happy. Buy it.

One of the best classes I have ever taken involved Chris Keen, a GM from Ohio. I shot a match with Chris, just a normal match, but I paid him, so I could bug him during the match Basically, he outfitted me with a head cam and he filmed all my stage runs. So, not only did I get to pick his brain every stage and ask as many questions as I could think of, without the fear of irritating him, I got copies of my stage runs and a 3 hour phone call were we went over over single thing I did. It it was hands down excellent. Some of the best "training" money I ever spent. We simply don't know what we don't know. Having a Master or GM to bug is priceless. I just wish I'd done more to incorporate Chris' mentoring. But, such is life, lol. Anyway, the point is, you could probably find a shooter who would offer up this type of service if you asked.

Could be,....... or, maybe it's just an honest observation from their experience.

The longer I've been in the sport the farther out I zero. I started with a zero at 8-10 yards. You better know what the hell you are doing if your zero is 8-10 yards and you come across a target at 35-50 yards. Especially with the standard upright Cmore. Even a big open target at 50 yards can present a severe challenge. Now I zero at 17 or farther. This makes Anything up close easy peasy and those far targets become so much less complicated.

I will, it's a little nippy here in Indiana. Hopefully it will warm up a bit. When it does, I will step outside to my range and run the plate machine some, maybe a couple bill drills. I will report back.

Over the years I've tried to get as many recruits as possible to shoot USPSA. Of the many, many "try's",...I've had one success. I find that the money and time argument is a solid excuse that seems reasonable, but I believe that "ego" and fear of "failure" is the biggest enemy. For some, there are certain skills that are almost impossible to talk about truthfully. Shooting is one such skill. For some reason every single red blooded male is a natural shot and has a story to prove it. Until, they witness a typical USPSA shooter practice or shoot. USPSA is an ego crushing, demoralizing, truth teller of shooting skills. A mid C shooter makes the typical gun enthusiast take stock. When they witness B level skills..........game over. B shooters demonstrate skill level that blows the mind of your average Joe. I'm almost convinced that downplaying the whole adventure might net more shooters.

Open gun is now fixed. I Had to decide to complete a SS rig or fix the open gun. Bought the new PT EVO grip and their ambi safety and had Pat Rafferty install them. I have been dryfiring the open and getting used to how aggressive this grip is. You don't change your grip once you draw, that for sure! I like it so far. I have not shot it yet, but if we get a good day I'll get that done. I think im going to shoot more this year. Not sure how much, but I've got some goals for turning 50. Yikes, 50!!!!

I have the new PT EVO grip. It fills the hand better for me. I don't have huge hands, but not small either. I have been dryfiring with it and it is far more aggressive than anything I have ever held. I like that a lot. I don't even notice the extra weight.

Set up classifiers and shoot the smokes out of them. A stage is nothing more than a series of classifiers that you move to and shoot. Of course you should also DRYFIRE your skills, ....... I like Andersons first book. Stoeger's stuff is good too, real good When I started 12 years ago, there was this angst about practicing classifiers. Generally, most thought it to be bad form, myself included. Now, I say shoot the piss out of them and DRYFIRE the piss out of them. Things will work out one way or the other. Progression in this sport is not linear. I do not know of any competitor that followed some linear progression, whereas their skill level and classification perfectly matched their match finishes. Who gives a fat baby crap about that anyway? I've been called everything under the sun, sandbagger, grandbagger, blah, blah blah....it'll balance out eventually, or you'll burn out. The point is to figure what you want and do it. You have to have serious classifier skills to be a GM. You ain't getting them magically. Practice that stuff. It's a no brainer.

Years ago I'm standing next to Manny Bragg in a class of his and we are both shooting at 25 yards. It suprised me that at that distance our splits were the same. I asked him about it and he replied something to the effect that at the farther distances, 15 yards and out, most shooters have the same splits for guaranteed A's. Fast splits in close are fun and rewarding, fast splits much past 12 yards or so are a fools errand. IMHO YMMV

Now that you have it clean, Rain-X makes a great cleaner that I use so residue literally wipes away.

Loaded some rounds up for my SS 9mm. Went down to the range and shot some groups, meh, on actually calling them groups,......more like flocks. Ran the plate machine. Man the cake is calling. Haven't chrono'd the rounds, but I stole the load from the Internet and the claim was around 130pf. I need to chrono. I need to dial the sights in a bit, it shot a tad low. Recoil?? I now get the allure of shooting a 1911 9mm minor. Very fun. I need some magazines, magazine pouches, and a holster. All in all, I am excited about shooting a match with this SS gun. I can hear Warsaw calling.

A great day tempered by the worse news I've got in awhile. Had some family out and we did some shooting. It got me wanting more. My race gun broke and That was a bummer. So I was thinking, I won that cool as anything 9 mm custom Springfield 1911 A1 that ZRTS worked over at the Indiana single stack match. I'm kinda getting a hair. Then I walked up to the house soaked in sweat only to receive a call from a shooting buddy I hadn't talked to in a while to tell me that a good friend had passed away. Rest in Peace Big Pete Briggs. I will miss you.

Guess not. ^^^^^ CRO'd Indiana SS, Prod, Revo match awhile back. I won the awesome SS 1911 raffle gun. Not much else to say. Been camping and enjoying that, might get a boat. Not sure yet. Did trade my 14 year old Grasshopper on a new Grasshopper. No mental revelations even though I think about shooting a lot. I also pour over results when I know some of my friends are shooting bigger matches. No desire yet.

I use to repeat the phrase "flow like water" before the buzzer.

Excellent, accurate summary. You have to get comfortable with this feeling... The time it takes you to pause, long enough to know the sights are aligned on the center of the target, then watch the front sight lift off the center of the target - you will not notice that "time" on the timer. I get tired of trying to find all of Flex's posts on "speed/focus" and "shot calling". Especially when I'm trying to provide some insight or a link in some noobs thread. I am calling you out Flex............IT IS TIME.......... Please write a book on these two subjects. SERIOUS. I think the subjects warrant their own tome and your analysis on both has always been clarifying.. In addition, I believe the market is ripe and you'd sell them out constantly. Just my .02 cents