myorke

Bri, Check you're email. I sent a response in late last night. What can I say, I couldn't sleep! Mike

I believe that getting to that perfect mental state that we desire while shooting starts with your attitude. We've all heard that we need to "turn off" our thoughts while we're shooting. What I don't think we realize sometimes is how our thoughts (or attitude) leading up to shooting can make or break that quiet mind. Here's a few things I've discovered regarding our thoughts and attitude. The first time I made the shoot-offs I remember feeling just a bit nervous. All of the "big boys" were present and we had 400+ spectators watching. OK, maybe I was more than "a bit" nervous - it was quite intimidating. I'm sure you know the thoughts, "What if I mess up in front of these guys and in front of all these people?" As you can well imagine, this only made things worse. So instead of of clinging to these thoughts I changed my attitude to, "Wow, today I get to shoot with some living legends. And maybe, just maybe, I'll do well. At very least I know I will learn something valuable today." I chose to focus on these thoughts initially and embrace them as fact. And like that, my nervousness disappeared and I was able to direct my attention to more important things (preparing to shoot.) BTW, I did learn something valuable that day and you're reading it. Another example that I'm sure we all can relate to: rain. Let's be honest, few people really want to shoot in the rain (myself included.) Most of us will think, "Sh*t, it's raining, this is going to suck!" However, the only thing you need to occupy your mind with is the task at hand which is how you want to run the COF and perhaps some visualization techniques. In addition to this you need to realize that it's raining on everyone. Because of this it's likely that scores/times will be down because 90% of the people will be thinking "Sh*t, it's raining..." So, take advantage of this by not joining them. Ultimately, I think it's important to figure out why you're thinking the thoughts you're thinking. Doing so can bring about some tremendous growth. But until then, controlling them is very beneficial and can reap big rewards at the range and elsewhere in life. Call it positive thinking or optimism or whatever. The point is that for every situation you encounter there are probably 101 different ways to look at it. And of those 101 ways some will be beneficial to you and some won't. Remember that we all have the capacity to control our thoughts and chose what to ponder. And controlling your thoughts and staying focused will have an impact on your ability to obtain and maintain the "quiet mind" we desire while shooting. The question is will you control your thoughts or will you let them control you? Mike

OK folks, my guess is that we're down to guessing the year. I said '90 but missed. Anyone else? (pssst, try '89) Mike (Edited by myorke at 9:16 pm on Feb. 26, 2002)

It was Col. Mustard, in the Library, with a wrench! Oh wait, wrong game. I do recall that it was Jerry Barnhart who didn't make the PF. I'm going to guess the year and say 1990. I wasn't there but I think the story when something like this. They were testing his .38 Super ammo in a gun other than his. This "test" gun had a 5 inch bbl. where his Super had a 6 inch bbl. They refused to let him chrono using his gun. Someone said something to Jerry like, "Wow, you got greased on that one!" I think Jerry's response was something like, "I don't recall them using any grease." Ouch! Mike

Thank BD. I've always liked Standards and am sad that they aren't shot that often anymore. One thing I always liked about them is that they seemed to be a fair comparison of skills. Sure, there will always be some things that will influence scores but in general, it's pretty much the same challenge for everyone. They tend to remove the major differentiators from the challenge like magazine capacity, how fast you can run, how clever you run a stage, etc. Don't get me wrong, those things are fine (well, maybe not magazine capacity) but I at least want one stage that puts everyone on a level playing field. And for what Rob and Brian are suggesting, I think some form of standards would be a great way to test skills. Fortunately, I'll soon have access to a plate rack and am anxious to try Rob's challenge. But in lieu of that, Standards seem like a good alternative.

Quote: from TGO on 10:44 am on Jan. 18, 2002 I'll talk with Brian later and we will come up with a "test" that can be shot on an IPSC target. Just a thought, why don't we revive one of the "old" Standards stages from the Nationals. (I can hear the groans already.) If I remember correctly, the late 80's had some brutal standards. I think they went /something/ like this. (again, let's stick with the stock gun requirement.) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 36 rounds total for a possible 180 points. Three IPSC targets spaced one target width apart. -- 50 yds. -- 6 rds. prone; 8 seconds 6 rds. kneeling; 7 seconds 6 rds. standing; 6 seconds -- 25 yds. -- 1 rd. each target, reload, 1 rd. each target; 6 seconds -- 15 yds. -- 2 rds. each target, strong hand; 4 seconds -- 10 yds. -- 2 rds. each target, weak hand; 5 seconds If I remember correctly, the top scores broke 170.

Quote: from Detlef on 10:37 am on Jan. 4, 2002 ...then the Ti pin actually impacts with *more* energy than the steel pin, leading to *more reliable* ignition! So, myorke, the exact opposite of what you think is the case! Detlef, I would agree with all that you've said up until the point where the firing pin actually hits the primer. At that instant, the object in motion will start to experience negative acceleration (e.g. deceleration). Titanium may have greater energy just before it hits the primer but this energy, I suspect, is diminished *much* quicker than that of a steel firing pin once it makes contact with the primer. My concern is that I may not have enough inertia/energy to dent the primer and cause ignition. Again, I haven't experienced this yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open. My only concern is that I may run into a problem if I lighten the mainspring further. And to combat this, maybe a lighter firing ping spring might help out. I dunno. Mike

Why does Detroit even bother to put turn signals on cars anymore? I mean, no one uses them anyway. It's not like a turn signal might give another driver an indication of where someone might turn (sarcasm.) It's not like they enable me to make certain driving decisions, based upon what the other guy wants to do (sarcasm.) I understand that they are extremely difficult to engage (sarcasm.) And yes, I'm sure the annoying "clicking" noise is really too much for drivers to bear (sarcasm.) All I really want is for people to be more considerate when driving and realize that: 1) They are not the only people on the road 2) That other people rely on their signaling Your turn signals aren't for you, they are for the rest of the driving public! SOAP_BOX_MODE=OFF

Quote: from 2alpha on 10:13 pm on Jan. 1, 2002 Don't even think of putting a reduced power firing pin spring in!!! JJ Thanks 2alpha! I'm curious, what are the implications of a reduced power firing pin spring? I would think that this wouldn't be a problem. Please "school" me. Mike

Hi, While sorting my brass today I noticed that my firing pin strikes look just a little shallow. I'm running a 17# main spring which I believe is heavy enough even for duty carry. (That being said, I've been considering trying out a 15# main spring.) I'm also running a titanium firing pin. I'm thinking that because of it's lighter weight, the pin doesn't have the inertia to make the "deeper" dent in the primer. Has anyone else noticed this? I haven't had any problems yet but I'm wondering if I should considered a reduced power firing ping spring. Any thoughts? Thanks! Mike

I was temporarily stationed in Ft. Ord, California with Marksmanship Training Unit #5. I had an old buddy who had recently gotten out of the service and was living just north in Santa Rosa. I gave him a call and he mentioned that he was getting married soon and was having his bachelor party that night. "Come on up man!" he said. I wanted to rent a car but wasn't old enough (you had to be 25 to get a rental.) So, an older friend of mine said he'd allow me to put it on his card as long as I purchased the full-coverage insurance. "Oh, I'll be careful" I told him. But he insisted that I get insurance. So I did. After a brief tour of San Francisco (OK, I got lost) I made it to Santa Rosa. I was to meet him at a bar where he was celebrating his final fling of single life. I showed up, met his friends, and we hung out for an hour or so until we decided to move the party to his place. At this point, I'm still very sober so I volunteer to drive one of his very drunk friends to the house. We all take off and I'm trying to follow Todd who's driving very fast down these dark and winding roads. He takes this one curve to the right which I'm totally not ready for. Next thing I know I'm driving on the wrong side of the road. A second later I'm driving on the opposite shoulder of the road. I'm trying to get things under control but it's really too late. The car has spun around so that the passenger side is now sliding over the edge of the roadway. As soon as the right wheels of the car hit the bottom of the slope it happens. Can you spell R-O-L-L O-V-E-R? Actually, it was not a Hollywood style of roll where car parts fly everywhere. In fact, it rolled over slow enough that I had enough time to say, "Oh God, please don't let it roll, Oh God, please don't let it roll, Oh God, please don't let it roll" Yup, three times I said it. Much to my disappointment the car still rolled. It came to rest on the roof, ala belly-up. I think the funniest part of the event was Todd's drunk friend who was with me. He wasn't wearing a seat belt but that didn't seem to be an issue. Again, it was a gentle roll-over. But, he was now "stuck" to the ceiling of the car trying to figure out what had happened. Oh, did I mention he had an open bottle of beer in his hand? Remember, gravity is still in effect so he's just laying there with this full bottle of beer pouring out into his face - ka-bloop, ka-bloop, ka-bloop... I was suspended by my seat belt. In addition, the doors were jammed shut. The hardest part for me was pushing the release on my seat belt. It's only a six inch drop but it still hurts. It didn't take long for the rest of the convoy to show up and help us out. The car really wasn't that bad as we rolled it back over and drove it back to the house. The next day I dropped it off at the rental car company. As I'm waiting in line to talk to someone about the accident one of the car shags walks up to the counter laughing and says to the manager, "Damn, you oughta see number 27!" Yup, #27 was my car. She wasn't too happy but hey, it was an accident. And thanks to my friend, I had full coverage on the car. Whew! (Edited by myorke at 1:45 pm on Dec. 18, 2001)

Quote: from benos on 4:29 pm on Dec. 14, 2001 Mike, Is the first letter of his first name, R? be Nope. This happened to me a long time ago - when I was shooting on the Army team.

Humor for your day... Police warn all male clubbers, party-goers and unsuspecting pub regulars to be more alert and cautious when accepting a drink offer from a girl. There is a date rape drug going around called "beer" and it appears in liquid form. The drug is being used by female sexual predators at parties to convince male victims to have sex with them. "Beer" is available virtually anywhere. All girls have to do is persuade a guy to consume a few units of "beer" and simply ask him home for no-strings-attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against such attacks. After several "beers" men will often succumb to performing horrific sex acts on women who they would never normally be attracted to. Men often wake up after having "beer" with only hazy memories of what happened to them the night before - just a vague feeling that something bad occurred. At other times these unfortunate men might be conned into a familiar scam known as "a relationship" - apparently men are easier victims for this scam after the "beer" has been administered and they have already been sexually attacked. Forward this alert to every male you know......... However, if you fall victim to this insidious drug and the predatory women administering it, there are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter in an open manner with a bunch of similarly-affected victims. For your nearest support group, look up "Bars and Taverns" in the yellow pages.

When I was really "in shape" I was shooting 300 rds per session. That seemed to work for me. Your milage may vary. That being said, I found that some of the most beneficial "rounds down range" were my first 50. These were when I was "cold" and therefore representative of my capabilities in a match. I'd usually take it a step further by trying to create some form of artifical pressure to deal with during these first 50 rounds. You know, setting a goal (time limit/score) to achieve. It took a while but I eventually became really comfortable with dealing with this and it definitely paid off on race day. Again this worked for me. Your milage may vary. Mike

Just one other thing to add to this. The goal is to break the shot without disturbing the sight alignment to the point where it drastically affects the shot. So, I can yank/jerk the hell out of my trigger at 7yds and still expect a center hit on the target. At 25yds this is not as reliable but still quite feasable. (BTW, it's probably important to note that jerking/yanking the trigger is NOT the same as pushing or flinching.) The key to all of this is to ensure that the yank/jerk is directly rearward. Not to the side, not up, and not down - straight back only. As Pat stated, you can determine if you yanking directly toward the rear based upon what your sights are doing during a dry-fire session. I don't really prep the trigger at all. I just pull it. The quality of the shot I desire will determine how hard or soft I pull the trigger. But rest assured, at close up targets (15yds and in) I'm jerking/yanking the trigger and still hitting A's. Having been "raised" by bullseye shooters I would never have thought this to be possible (jerking the trigger.) In order to prove this concept to me, TGO had me aim at the target with my finger outside of the trigger guard. He stood to the side and put his finger in the trigger guard. When I had sight alignment, he hit (yes, hit) the trigger with his finger. Note, he was hitting it so hard that the gun was flipping back much harder than normal. In addition to this you could tell he was hurting his finger when he did this. So, he was more-or-less jerking the trigger for me. He did this numerous times. Guess what? Nothing but a tight group of A's in the target (I think we were at 10yds.) You can jerk the trigger and still shoot an A. Just make sure the "jerk" is straight to the rear. Mike