Chris iliff

Shot Atlanta !!! Wow, got to shoot Atlanta Indiana's first outdoor USPSA match of the year! CRAPTASTIC sums up my performance. I was the RO for our squad, somehow this happens to me frequently. Today, I even sucked at that!! That'll teach them for asking me, lol. I can't begin to say everything that happened. Suffice to say it was mostly RUST RUST RUST. I tried to shoot a clean controlled match, knowing that I haven't practiced or anything. I pretty much did that, with one bad called shot that I ate. 3rd in Open, 3rd overall. Sounds fine, but the reality is a lot different. I have a long way to go just to get back to normal, lol. This was one awesome match by the way. Kinda reminded me of the Florida Open. Targets pushed out to the berms, good use of hard cover, neat stages with plenty of options. I think the set up crew really knows what's going on! Wait, they do, lol. Chad and Kurt continue to be impressive. Really impressive. I am so stoked by their constant climb up the ABILITY ladder. Chad schooled everyone today. NO ONE WAS EVEN CLOSE. HE DOES EVERYTHING BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. it really is cool to watch him shoot. No wasted nothing. Efficient. Ok, I'm done babbling, I am already way ahead of my shooting pace from the last two years, let's hope I can continue down this road. See ya on the range. If you get a chance, make the drive to Atlanta Indiana. Arguably the best local in the state! Edited to add: I had a great squad of shooters! Shooting with Lincoln Carr is always nice. Plus, I got to shoot and squad with a great guy named Justin Shirar. Justin and I worked the Indiana match together last year. It's good to get to the range and be around like minded people after being couped up all winter.

Must have never heard of Gary Natale. I use to laugh at the folks waiting that long. Never waited more than a couple weeks, ever. Too bad he retired.

That is very interesting CHA-LEE, I never really thought of it like that. It does make perfect sense and it is the perfect opportunity to gain a bit of time. Granted, shot calling is key in order to employ the technique. This is why I come to the forum. A seemingly innocuous statement that might be a "well duh" for some was kinda a light bulb for me. Thanks.

I echo Sarge! EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I find shooting left to right across a plate machine I am a little faster. I don't think the time difference amount too much, so in a match I always try to engage arrays as they are seen, first come first serve. Unless of course the array is at such a distance or difficulty that I really need a good set up, then I'll test both ways. Most of the time right side of stage, right to left ....and left side of a stage, left to right. Generally this follows the "shoot as you see" approach. On moving,...... I am right handed, left eye dominant, skate board goofy foot (kid) and when I was in martial arts (As a kid again) I was left leg dominant. When I run a stage going left to right always seems more natural. I have timed it and it is just a tick quicker for me on the average. Most runs were very similar as far as HF. Now, after saying that, if there is a reload during the movement, since I am right handed, I do get a smidgin better on time going right to left. I think it has to do with my body aligning more naturally for the reload. If I'm going left to right it feels better, until I get to the reload, because I have to contort just a bit to get that done while not breaking the 180. Anyway, put a timer on yourself. It's all good info.

I've done both, yelled for PASTERS and just handled it myself. I've CRO'd and RO'd some big matches and I think I'm going to take CHA-LEE's advice, I'm gonna carry some pasters. It just makes sense. Am I gonna paste and reset? Hell no I'm not, but thinking about CHA-LEE's rant, why can't I paste the occasional target quickly to keep the match moving. I can then comment quickly to the squad about pasting and resetting. I've found this is usually enough. Although there was one squad years ago..........

USPSA DUES PAID.........CHECK CRO EXAM TAKEN.........CHECK GOING TO NRA CONVENTION...........CHECK WORKING INDIANA SS PROD REV MATCH..........CHECK WORKING USPSA BOOTH AT NRA CONVENTION..............CHECK ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO SHOOT A BUNCH OF MATCHES...............NO IDEA

Take notes. Literally draw it out and study whtat you have drawn until it is your turn. I'm sure that even on the longest most complicated stage I could draw it and memorize it from the drawing. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to represent what you are going to see.

I just don't know ANY person shooting 9 major using anything over 124gr bullets. I did read somewhere that THE GREAT ONE, Rob Leatham preferred 135gr bullets in open, but he isn't really competing in open anymore. I use 124gr bullets. EVERYONE I know shooting 9 uses 124 or 115. EVERYONE. SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A LITTLE LOCAL THING GOING AND ONE OR TWO OF YOUR SHOOTERS USE 9 and shoot 147 gr bullets. Is this the case? Is it one or two shooters and you are getting just their opinion? Or are you getting the opinion of thousands of shooters? In the USA, we can generally get any powder and maybe running the 124 and 115 gr bullets are easier for us? Is there a powder problem where you live? Can you generally get the powders that run the 124 and 115 gr bullets to 9major power factor? Look, there are thousands and thousands of guys shooting and if 135gr and 147 gr bullets were the answer in 9 major, it would be used WIDELY. IT SIMPLY IS NOT. If you can get the powders to run 9 major using 115 or 124 gr jacketed bullets. Do that. Forget the 135 and 147 gr idea. If it was the answer, shooters and gun builders would be recommending it. THEY ARE NOT.

Set them up. Shoot the piss out of them. Pick one you can set up and learn all you can about it. I'd recommend starting with El Presidente because it has most of the elements, surrender start, turn, draw, reload. There is a national champ running around somewhere that did what he called a 100 project. Basically, trying to get a hundred % on all of the classifiers. I think it is worthwhile. A stage is nothing more than a series of shooting positions that can be thought of as classifiers. Yes, there is a ton more to learn, but when it comes right down to it, shooting at speed ranks up there pretty high in our sport. By shooting at speed I'm including all the gun manipulations involved too. Edited to add: CM 99-10 is an all paper, easy to set up, classifier with movement that can teach a lot in a couple range sessions. You start wailing on this bad boy and paying attention to EVERYTHING, .....DRAW, SHOOTING, EXITS, ENTRY, YOU'LL BE WELL ON YOUR WAY to learning some cool stuff. You get this one down and score that 100% consistently then you apply that knowledge to ALL THE SHOOTING POSITIONS YOU MEET. Good luck, have fun.

I started on bottom and went clockwise.

My fault totally on the spring cap. This is the second one I've had break. In 6+ years shooting an Aftec I have had 2spring caps and 1spring fail. Yes I had one of those little springs break in half. My fault because I always change ALL SPRINGS every winter. In January of 2014 I replaced every spring and DECIDED not to replace the spring cap, knowing I had one break about 3 years ago. With as little as I had shot in 2013 it just didn't seem worth it. Im with BillD, let's dance on that thin ice!!

Forgot to post this after the Sunday match in Florida. I am always stoked to shoot with my cousin Raymond Grant. Ray has been in this sport for damn near 30 years. He has shot with the best and has forgotten more than most people learn. Ray is a Master open shooter and to beat him you are going to have to do almost everything correct. I have never beat him in a match, YET. I started out a little slow on Sunday and gave up some time on my first stage. Second stages was a catastrophic failure to extract. Lost a ton of time. Thinking a bad piece of brass, I shot the third stage only to experience the exact same failure again. My match and my chance at beating one of my shooting idols was GONE. I walked to the safety table and took the extractor out. My damn Aftec had a broken spring cap. I was sooooo pissed. Fortunately, my Dad had a spare and I put it in the gun. Walked to the 4th stage and made the rookie mistake of trying to burn it down in an effort to gain back something. I did burn it down, I also had 3 mikes. This was a complete disaster at this point. I went to the last stage of the day............... Thinking it was a colossal waste of time and that it might be years before I could shoot with my cousin again, I was very discouraged. I guess this helped me to just shoot. I shot A's within my ability and was efficient. I won the stage. Small consolation, small victory. I love shooting in Florida in the winter. I wish Indiana had 6-7 months of that weather, it was awesome! Forgot to mention, I met a man in Florida at my very first ever match many years ago while I was visiting my Dad. His name is Sandy Thalmer and it is always nice to shoot with him. I got to squad with him and my cousin and my Dad. As bad as my Day went, it's good to shoot with family and friend. Also met some awesome people by the names of Joe and Karina Draghi. I've never seen a pair of Harley's like theirs and had some serious envy looking at them.

BLAH blah blah. Quit being a pooper Flex.

It has been determined.....The term Production Optics shall no longer be used. That vulgar term has the ability to render normally intelligent shooters into drooling imbeciles with low critical thinking skills. HENCEFORTH ......the term MINOR OPTICS will be used. For clarification, this proposed division has nothing whatsoever to do with Production. NOTHING. I ALREADY HAVE ONE FORMER PO ANTAGONIST IN MY COURT, MORE ARE SURE TO FOLLOW. This is the start of the wave, I'm sure.

WOW! You're right Chris it works!! I can't understand people wanting Production optics but I am all for minor optic division! OOPS! Edited to add the obligatory smiley face so nobody starts emailing me death threats again! I knew you'd come around! Hahaha

Because the word "production" is in the title. I always laughed at the DON'T mess with production argument concerning Production Optics. I now understand I never should have used that particular terminology. People immediately cried and whined about their Beloved Production Division changing and how the sky was falling. The term Production Optics has the power to completely shut down normal brain activity. No one that wants Production Optics should use that terminology. Henceforth we should say, Minor Optic division. Not related at all to Production. Not even close.

I couldn't speak for the pros. Myself, ....Yep, I have bad days.

I went in 2012. It was on my bucket list. I couldn't comment on your SS minor or major dilemma, but I will say to practice with your targets at 17 yards to 25 yards. Which, is good advice anyway, but I found the distances were pushed out farther than you might find at typical matches. Also, you will shoot at first light. I do mean first light. When targets are visible you will shoot. Be at your stage and be READY!! In addition, you will shoot until you can't see the targets. They do not piss around. I actually worked the match so I could shoot it for free. Frank instructed us to start shooting regardless if the whole squad was present first thing in the morning. Read them in and shoot them as soon as targets become the least bit visible. The flavor of the match is very INTERNATIONAL. It's pretty cool. Shooters from all over the world fly in to shoot. No head target,...only the turtle target is used. Go shoot it.

More than 3 months since the Indiana match. I am in Florida and shot a match with Dad. Thursday night fun match at Hanson range. 4 good stages. Under the lights, it was cool to shoot at night. I won a stage, knocked some rust off and had fun. Some bad data entry and a popper not being reset didn't help my overall. Ended up 4th. I feel I should have won. A chance at redemption on Sunday morning at the same range. 6 stage match with a classifier. The weather here is perfect, mid 60's.

This is a game of time, soooooo,......whenever there is a question of what to do FIRST and moving is a possible answer, then choose moving. Whatever gets you to the last shooting position before your competition,...do that. I used to shoot a stage in STEPS, 1. Draw 2. Move here 3. Engage this 4. Reload 5. Move there....... Slow. Slow. Slow You can do quite good following that plan, but at some point during B to A class, you are gonna get left in the dust. You need to learn to do what needs done while making MOVEMENT towards the last shooting position as high a priority as possible. So instead of "reload and move" think "move and reload". Actually, you should be thinking more like...."MOVE MOVE MOVE RELOAD" Lol Motosapiens is nailing some great points in his posts above.

I'm all for Production Optics........... Wait, what thread is this?

Worse? I've been stacking 357's for years,....nothing worse about it. So easy to find.

I'll probably shoot production optic in the coming year. Gonna be fun, I won an XDM, so I'll just have the cost of the optic in the gun! Hell yeah, PO on the cheap!!!

Upright all the way. No offset. I'll beat it some more. With a good smith, there is no reason to go offset or 90.....NONE. With any of the .38 variants there is NO REASON TO GO OFFSET OR 90. The offset and 90 type mounts were developed for 9 guns. They are a cure for a problem that does not exist if you have a good smith I don't suffer malfunctions running 9 ever, but my smith is excellent. Some of the best smiths just havent spent the time figuring out how to get 9 to run flawlessly. Additionally, if you are a doofus, not methodical, all thumbs, like to tinker, measure once cut once, the gun is to blame, I'm perfect, smith is dumb, gun is junk type of person, ..........don't go nine. YOU WILL END UP SCREWING UP A GOOD GUN WITH YOUR OWN STUPIDITY. Then you'll be on here or another forum bashing a good smith. Nines are less forgiving, mags must be tuned, extractor perfectly tuned, ejector perfectly tuned, and most importantly, YOU MUST PROCESS YOUR LOADS CORRECTLY. I have done all this and haven't had to tinker one little bit in 6-7 years. Yes, a 90 gets the dot closer to the bore, which helps reduce POI/POA differences. But, sighting in your upright at 17 yards or more does the same. I went nine 6-7 years ago, got my mags tuned, developed a good overall round, and have never had a problem with my gun running. But, like I said, I don't tinker with stuff. I haven't tinkered with my mags since they were tuned all those years ago. Not once. YMMV Good luck, sorry for the ramble.