dcbfluff

http://www.wacactionshooting.com/

I just shot (today) my first US Steel Challenge match: the National Championship at Titusville, FL. Very smooth, efficient match, lots of fun to shoot, and a chance to watch and shoot against a lot of the best shooters in the country (that means in the world, right?). I came in 100th (gun) but was probably the 70th person to the prize table since a lot of those folks shot more than one gun/division (Limited/Open) and so beat me more than once. I grabbed a prize that equaled my match fee and hotel room cost combined, thanked the match director for an awesome time, and vowed to come back next year. Was I a bit put off at first to know that as a C Class shooter I would be running against the best there is? Sure. But isn't that always the case (at some level) anyway? My recommendation is that you try it before suggesting ways to change it: I think you will enjoy it and want to do it a again.

I didn't see any of the "unpleasant" instances Steve mentions. FWIW, on stage 11 I didn't see anything from the shooters except good sportsmanship and polite, safe behavior. Did I have people question calls? Yes, but in all cases they were polite, and as it turned out, when I gave it another look a couple of times they were right (C vs. D type things). My stage called for the shooter to Load and then move forward and place gun on a shelf in order to Make Ready: most of them either looked me in the eye or in some way checked before they moved forward with a hot gun (not required by the rules since I had given LAMR, but courteous and appreciated). I had a "Facing Uprange" start, and the bemused smiles and shrugs I got as folks made ready and faced me in that bitter cold wind did a lot to help keep me warm.

Moverfive- So what you are saying is that you use a paper scoresheet AND Palm scoring? This is a technological advancement? Am I missing something?

Agree with Rob D: the issue isn't the advantage of electronic scoring (be it Palm or some less archaic device), but the delay caused by the IR printer (or anything else that makes scoring slower on the stage than it is with paper scoresheets). I work on advanced technology projects, and have seen repeatedly that there should be a "first do no harm" rule applied to introducing new technology. New technology will not be embraced if it adds a burden (in this case, latency) to the users (RO's/shooters) at the pointy end of the operation no matter how useful it is at the back end of the operation (stats). I don't think the issue is whether or not it takes 30 seconds or 40 seconds to print, the issue is that it is slower and more cumbersome than the current (paper) system. The RO should be able to give the Make Ready command as soon as everyone gets back up range, and should also be able to start calling out scores as soon as he gives the Range is Clear command. The situation we had this weekend did not permit that. Granted, my stage was quick and had an easy reset (4 steel, 9 paper, no moving parts), but the slowest thing on the stage was the printer, which then kept the other RO from being able to enter the next shooter's scores. It's hard to keep squads moving to re-set when they know that once they get downrange to tape they may be asked to wait, or that once called to the line to shoot (and have removed their coat/gloves) they may not be given the Make Ready command punctually. I had shooters hesitate and look past me to make sure the scorekeeper was ready after having been given the Make Ready command: I've never had that happen before and did not like it. I think that while this all may be fixable, inconveniencing shooters and RO's in order to speed things along in stats is not likely to be a popular notion. Assuming that it can get fixed (using two Palms/printers per stage, replacing the IR link with something more robust, etc), I think electronic scoring is absolutely the way to go. I've spent enough time trying to decide if someone's "0" is a "6" and wondering why people have so much trouble adding a simple column of numbers to embrace the idea of electronic scoring, but as I said in my initial post, I'm not a big fan of Palm Scoring...yet.

I was one of the RO's (stage 11) at the match using Palm Scoring for the first time. Although I am not ready to say that they should be completely abandoned, I am also not yet a big fan. I strongly agree that the problems were a combination of equipment and training (perhaps more the latter, although the other RO on my stage actually working the Palm was pretty proficient with it). Waiting for the printer was probably the biggest issue, and we really had more printer issues on Friday with the bright sunshine (IR port) than on Sat/Sun with the cold. Saturday was going to have been a mess whatever we did (managing paper scoresheets in that wind/snow would have been sporty). Having said that, a bunch of scores from the RO's that shot on Thursday got lost due to a combination of training/equipment issues: that would not have happened with paper scoresheets. I think that Palm Scoring can potentially be very effective, but that there is a big training, experience and sustainment piece that needs to be accepted in order to make it work. I am not ready to recommend to my club that we invest in the system for our matches. Dan

I had not seen the picture of Dave in the hot tub before, but because I previously saw the video of Cliff in a different hot tub, I don't think that my eyes were damaged (any worse). Dave a Senior? Hard to accept. If being young at heart means having fun and helping other people, then Dave ain't never 'gonna grow up.

After my last match I decided...I need to spend more time practicing. Then I went out today to practice and decided...I need to spend more time dry-firing. So when I go to dry-fire tomorrow, what am I going to decide I need to do?

We start setting up around 5:00 PM, if you get there earlier the range is closed

Results are posted at www.wacactionshooting.com We had a good time, mostly good weather (saturday morning was rainy, but no bagging of targets), excellent staff from throughout the state, and a pretty decent prize drawing. FWIW, one of the first sponsors to step up to support the match was brianenos.com Thanks again Brian!

We're sold out! With twelve shooters per squad, we are saying we are done selling the match. We have started a Stand-By list for any new applications. You can still send in an application/check (which we won't deposit unless we get you a hard slot) but getting squad and schedule preferences is unlikely. If you are already registered but know for a fact that you can't attend, please let us know so we can let someone else in. Thanks for the great response!

We are starting to get a lot of applications in this week, perhaps it's because people that have gone to our website (www.wacactionshooting.com) to get the application realize that the match fee goes up on 15 Jan (from $110 to $125). Might be time for you to find a stamp and a checkbook.

Pro2A- I don't disagree with anything said so far, but offer: 1) As already mentioned, get in contact with someone local. Use the national web sight (www.idpa.com) which lists local clubs or the area coordinator info offered earlier in the string, but make contact with a human being. Club web sights are maintained by volunteers, and may not be current. 2) Classifiers are (as previously stated) not very fun/dynamic, but are required. It must be administerd by a certified SO, but not necessarily at a scheduled match. Prior to running the FL State match here last year, we ran the classifier several times in the months leading up to the match. They may be doing something similar to ramp up for the PA match you are trying to shoot, but if not you may be able to get a local SO to run a classifier for you (and perhaps others in your situation). 3) While I strongly agree with Steve that, as an FNG, showing up at a major match with no clue will likely be unpleasant for you and possibly others, I do think that the sooner you get to a major match (and the more of them you go to) the better. So don't show up without a clue. That means you should do some homework: the rulebook is posted online, and there are bound to be local matches in your area. Go shoot a club match (or three). You have very little time to get ready, but as long as you are safe, make an effort to understand the rules and comply with them, and recognize that the people that are helping you (and they will help you) may be a bit focused on other things at times (like trying to shoot the match themselves) you should really have a good time. This goes back to #1 above: get in contact with someone local, ask for help. I hope you make it to the Jan Match in PA!

My understanding is that the range commands start at "Make Ready." Anything you say or ask prior to that (like "which way are you going to turn?") is not a range command. If the shooter turns left instead of right (as he indicated in your question prior to Range Commands), it's not part of the range commands. I don't ask. If a shooter tells me something about their plan ("I'm going to back up really fast at the beep") I say "thank you", but since the rules don't specify that they must explain their plan to me, I don't ask. If the stage is designed to give the shooter the option of running forward or backing up, I try to be ready for both/either, despite what the shooter says or the way I watched them do their walk through. RO's are not supposed to be part of the shooting problem.

Not trying to hijack this thread, but if any of you EACB guys remember Sam Spears can you PM me? Thanks

I'm thinking that the reason the USPS rejected the claim is that it was I, the final recipient of the item (pistol) filing the claim instead of it coming from the FFL himself. Of course, I graduated from UMSF (University of Making S*** Up) so there could be any number of other reasons. Bottom line for me, sadly, is that like a lot of things I found it easier to fix the problem myself than to hold the rascals to task, (buy a new front sight, have it put on).

Lesson Learned shipping a pistol with US Postal Service (as in don't do it): I bought a pistol on this forum, with the seller paying shipping (FFL to FFL). He used USPS and insured the contents for full value (which must have cost him something). Package arrived slightly damaged (front sight). I filed the insurance claim though USPS, and claim was denied because of "Unauthorized Contents." Financially, not a big deal: $50.00 repair, the gun shoots great. No hard feelings towards the seller, he clearly thought the insurance base was covered. The painful part is knowing that although the seller used FFL's, and insured the contents (at his expense), I could have easily been out a gun or something. A lot of good info on this string. I have bought a lot of stuff from Enos forum members, and will continue to do so, but clearly there are other forces at work besides the good people on the forum.

After reading this tonight I went to a party with my wife's co-workers and told this story, deadpan, not a joke, first person (as though I was the one buying dog food). As soon as I started with "So I'm standing in line with an 80 pound bag of dog food in my cart" a woman I had just met at the party said "Oh! You have a dog?" and it was on... Before it was done my wife left the room to keep from blowing the punch line, two women were literally crying laughing, their husbands were giving me the stink eye for being funnier than them, ....and I am not allowed to go back to that party. I don't care if Flex heard it somewhere else; it worked for me.

A man and his wife walked into a dentist's office. The man said to the dentist, 'Doc, I'm in one heck of a hurry. I have two buddies sitting out in my car waiting. We have been driving all morning to get to the 2010 IDPA Florida State Championship* and our squad starts shooting in less than 30 minutes. Forget about the anesthetic, we don't have time for it to work. Just pull the tooth, and be done with it so we can get going. The dentist thought to himself, 'Wow, what a dedicated and brave shooter to ask to have his tooth pulled without using anything to kill the pain.' So the dentist asks him, 'Which tooth is it sir? The man turned to his wife and said, 'Open your mouth Honey, and show him.....' (*match info at www.wacactionshooting.com, match sponsored in part by Brian Enos)

Sandman- I feel bad for you: the equipment situation you describe has got to have a negative impact on your mental game (and something that you do for fun should not be this irritating). I think you have gotten excellent advice so far, and can only add that I have had similar problems when tweaking loads, changing bullets, oal or whatever. It always seemed to come back to me and the bullets I built, not the gun. I don't have an M&P, or any real opinion one way or the other about them, but believe that there are far more variables (points of failure) in the reloading process than in the manufactured firearm itself. It would be a real crusher if you were to switch guns and find similar problems due to ammo issues. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you are able to get up and running (reliably) soon.

While I strongly concur with not needing range commands (or warnings) from the peanut gallery while running a shooter through a course of fire, I'm not sure we are talking about the same thing. As a range/safety officer, whether it is designated from your local club or from a national organization like USPSA or IDPA, I think you have an obligation to enforce/point out safety rules even when you don't have a timer in your hand. There have been plenty of times when any one of us was busy running shooters and hoping/counting on the responsible adults (other RO/SOs) to make sure folks behind usaren't handling their guns. The situation described by the original post was a safety violation NOT under the direct supervision of a range official (not during the course of fire). Damn right I'm going to say something. While it may (and probably should) be up to the Match Director to tell the individual that they are DQ'd, I don't think it is a choice or a decision: you have to tell the shooter to stop what they are doing when they are handling a gun outside of a safe area.

Not sure I get the "Acting RO" thing you mentioned. You might not have a timer in your hand, but you are always an RO when you see a safety violation. Having said that, one of the worst/most uncorfortable DQ's I ever did was when I was building a stage and another RO drove by and and shouted "Hey, those two guys are handling a gun in the trunk of a car, you need to go DQ them" and drove off. I walked over and asked "were you guys handling a gun someplace besides the Safe Area? Do you know that is a DQ?" Sadly, their answer was yes and yes. Bottom line is that I have never had anything but regret (maybe sometimes fear, when looking at a muzzle) any time I have told a shooter that his/her actions constitute a DQ. You don't have to be an "Acting RO" to take action to protect other shooters and enforce the rules. It's one of those "You don't have to like it, but you do have to do it" things.

Wow, and I just got his check for the 2010 IDPA Florida State Championship (http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=95234) You think I should have it framed instead of using it for match fee?

As mentioned, the survey iteself is kinda painless once you wad through the admin/registration. I like Julie's comment about this being about more than "High Lady" but includes other Special Categories. It's about a 1-3 minute commitment to respond.

I use these to turn ballistic lenses into something I can see front sight with: http://www.neoptx.com/