dleat

First of all, THANK YOU for your service! I am afraid what you experienced happens more often than we know. Obviously the ones who act like that don`t come here and brag about it. I could try to make excuses for it but I really don`t any valid reason for this to happen. I hope you can find a better place to shoot.

Justsomeguy, I am 68 (well in a week or so) and shot my first handgun at 64 and USPSA match at 65. There is no way I will win against the younger faster shooter. I know that going in but I can tell you the difference between most of them and I has shrunk considerably. It will never be 0 and I don`t care. I am 5'5" and 190. Speed of foot is not my strong suite and it is important to winning in this great sport. I only compete against myself, which is by the way, the only one anyone can compete against. It is just you and the course of fire out there. Go out and shoot those trick targets and talk to others about the correct way to do it. They are just something else to hit with a bullet. If you are accurate you will suceed against them, just take your time. You can shoot USPSA to win and, or, shoot it for the pleasure of it. I don`t enjoy it even a little less because a few others shoot a stage in half the time I do. I call that a victory because their time was was four times faster than me when I started. Go have some fun with it, you just might get to like it!!!!!!!!!!!

Grumpy, that friendliness is a big part of what makes new shooters want to come back after their first match. Later it is because we love this sport. I am glad you ran into a group like that.

People who have a good time shooting their first match will likely come back. Those who don`t , won`t. You have covered the equipment and competition differences and problems cause by those very well. What you haven`t covered is the human side of their experiences. I believe very strongly whether a person has a good experience shooting their first match in either sport depends mostly upon us, the other shooters. We can either chose to devote some of our time and knowledge to helping the new shooters enjoy the match or not. Believe it or not, building a sport is hard work. Failing to work at having these shooters feel good about being there will result in a small return precentage. There are always a few people at a match who like to help others out, use them. Some shooters will simply be too "into the match" to spend time with a newbe and thats ok. There is nearly always someone who can help and do it in such a way as to make the new shooter feel good about having been there. RO`s are almost always helpful but they have a more important function to preform. It hasn`t been that long since I was that new shooter and I was 65 years old at that time. It was due to a couple of younger shooters that I didn`t feel isolated and alone in this experience. We are now good friends and I am very much enjoying this wonderful sport. I am not as articulate as some of you but I think you can figure out what I believe in.

Shot Lead 125`s and 147`s thru mine. Good accuracy and some leading. Cleaned it! They need to be examined often and cleaned untill clean when necessary. If you can`t or won`t do that, then get another barrel or gun.

I believe the effect of this star has on a new shooter will depend on the attitude of the people in the squad. If the RO`s and the squad members the new shooter has been talking with encourage him and describe the best process for shooting the thing there won`t be a problem. If the squad members make that shooter feel as though they are being talked about or laughed at, that shooter is most likely gone for good. I don`t think the quality of a new shooters experience depends on the stages. It depends upon the people they are shooting with. Make them feel a part of this great sport and the rest will take care of itself.

I also say 9mm for reasons already presented. I have a 6" Caspian 9mm single stack and use the 10 rd. Wilson mags. The mags must be seated firmly on reloads if loaded to capacity. I have had no problems that could be attributed to these mags since I got them. About 500 rds per mag so far.

A store in the Kalamazoo area has Federal SP primers in stock and will sell 1k per day to any single customer. I have had a 5k Win. sp backorder from Cabela`s since March. I had to call to prevent a cancellation but now will ride the backorder out untill delivered. I bought 30,000 Fed sp primers about a year ago for my revolvers so I can get by on those for my nines if I have to. This will settle out in a few months but is very rough on those who want to start reloading.

I was 65 in 2006 for my first match. Old time shotgunner now enlightened.

I really don`t pay much attention to my classification at all. I shoot classifiers because they are a part of the match. As such they can affect my finish in that match. I am a fairly new, older D shooter and if I get a C card from USPSA I guess that would mean i`m getting better at classifiers. If it doesn`t reflect in match scores what good is that. It just seems to me the classifier system is not set up to test the skills we "usually" use in a match. By that I mean the percentage of strong and weak hand only shots required is much higher in the classifiers than in matches. There are few if any in our local matches and while there are some in larger matches the percentages between the two simply don`t match up. I think if the classifiers are going to represent my skill level as a USPSA shooter they should also test most strongly the skills I need to shoot matches. The two just seem disconnected to me. I still have enough trouble shooting good points freestyle. Untill that improves why would I waste my precious time working on my weak hand shooting. Just for classifiers? I don`t think so. I know there are many who care deeply about what class they are and can quote their precentage exactly at all times. Fine for them but that just doesn`t do it for me. I am sure I could improve my class by practicing for just that but it doesn`t seem the way to get better at matches. Ok I don`t usually write this much in a year. Thanks! Dennis.

I have loaded several thousand 124 gr. AA#2 rounds. 4.0 Gr gives me 1068 out of my XD9 service and 1080 out of a Glock 34. Both make minor PF. Loads are a little snappy but controllable. I have used this load on steel and for USPSA production with good (for me) results. I have had no problems with accumulation of dirt or residue of any kind. I know few use this powder but I really don`t understand why. Just works.

Got my conformation back already. Last year this was my first out-of town match ever. I loved it and got to shoot with Jerry M. Sat. afternoon. What a rush. Great match. Glad to see it continue. Hope to meet some of you there.

geo Is there any way to tell if we got a 9x18 instead of a 9mm? What should the od of the resized case be for a 9mm?

We tend to practice to our strength`s way too much and not to practice our weaknesses enough. We get more immediate satisfaction from doing well. You have to develope a practice routine which works on where you are weak as well as your strengths. You will gain a great deal of pleasure from seeing weak areas improve, it just doesn`t come as quickly.

I had Springfield do the trigger, sights and refit the bbl on my XD9 service. It was not accurate within 5 inches at 20 yards from a rest as stock. Upon return it will do 2-2.5 depending on ammo but doesn`t very much in accuracy no matter what I feed it now. They did not charge me return shipping. XD had only about 500 rds when I sent it in. No problems since. However it cost me $1 more than the gun.

Shot a little indoor match a few days ago. Six courses of fire on two targets, 3 shots each target changing the time limits and some using strong or weak hand. While shooting 3 shots each target, reload, repeat, time limit 20 seconds I shot the 1st 6 shots actually aiming and thinking about where the dot was as I pulled the trigger. This of course was accurate but slow. After the reload I aquired the 1st target and as soon as the dot settled it was as though I went into auto. I fired the next 6 shots with no thought at all and just let it run. I knew all 6 were 10`s without looking. After clearing the gun I looked at the targets and both had a small 3 shot group very close to where I wanted it. Anyway, the short of it is you guys do know what your talking about on the subject of seeing and now , at least for once, so do I. I read Brian`s book and it made sense but I had to experience seeing to realize how powerful it is. I`ll try not force it into happening and hope to "see" it again soon. Thanks all. Dennis

While still a relative newbe to the world of USPSA but an older guy I have found anything which eliminates distractions from what you are trying to accomplish has to be good. This one I will try also just to see what is there for me.

I received the EGW U die in 9mm yesterday. I sized and deprimed 100 cases with it after turning it down with the ram up untill I felt resistance. I had 5 cases with had shaved brass and sharp ridges. While checking it out I discovered the die was not contacting the shell plate. It was close but not all the way in. I used a feeler gauge to insure it was in far enough to just make that contact. The next 100 cases showed only 2 cases with brass scrapings and those measured .395 all the way to the extractor grove before sizing. They were badly deformed and too much to resize. Pitched them! Normal cases showing .390 to .393 or so now size to about .387 with no further shaving or ridges. FWIW

I have an XD service w/ trigger job etc. and a Glock 34. They both shoot as well as I watch the front sight and press the trigger. They don`t however both shoot as well with he same load. Both will shoot better than I can. Shoot the one you like and enjoy it.

Shooting steel plates using 158 gr. Ranier w/ 4.2 gr Trail Boss allows you to see the bullets a lot when sunny.

I think it would be accurate to say there will be a female GM. All the so called obstacles noted so far can be overcome and will be. A couple more threads like this and it will happen sooner. Determination is a powerful force.

Ifanyone has problems getting into GR and uses Kalamazoo instead PM me and I will see they have all the directions and any help they need. Dennis

I shot 1 local match in 06, 3 in 07, and 8 in 08. I was 65 when I started. There is no USPSA in Kalamazoo yet. I own no activated targets and only this comming summer will I have a place where I can practice what I want when I want. The stage I mentioned had 2 pairs of clamshells activated by thier respective stomp boxes. The first also activated a 2 target mover. This was waaaaaay byond anything I had ever seen and I had no real idea of how to plan this at all. I do shoot mostly A`s although I sure didn`t on this stage. I got an education on what real stages look like and learned a lot. For me to try to shoot both clamshells and the mover was way byond what my ability to see and my confidence level would allow. Shooting the mover first and taking the head shots on the close clamshells would have been reasonable. I did shoot the activated pair of clamshells ok on the other side of the stage, 3 A`s and a C. All I was saying was walking before running is necessary. I had not had the experience necessary with this kind of stage to even make a realistic plan but I will learn. I am sure I am not alone when I say it is easy to want to shoot a stage like an M but I think I have a few things to learn first. Untill I can no longer run I will not let my age or my Nome like body stop me. Thanks to all who joined me in this thread.

I started USPSA about 3 years ago but only shot a few local matches untill this year. I went to the PSA this April and this fall decided to accompany some friends to the Gator Classic. Started on stage 6, arguably the most complacated stage in the match. I developed a great plan for shooting 4 clamshells and a mover. The problem is it was a great M class plan which did not work well with my D class skills. 5 misses and a red face later you would think I had learned a lesson. Nope! Next 2 stages I did the same thing. After comming home and looking back with that 20-20 hindsight I MAY have finally realized I have to plan a stage to my capabilities. DUH!!!!!!!!! Oh well, I had a ball and learned a lot and that`s where it`s at for me right now.

Speaking for Shiela, Todd, Bruce, and me (Dennis) who were down from Kalamazoo MI. and shot on squad 6. This was a great match, well run and a challenge for all. You people are as nice and friendly a group as exist anywhere. A special thanks to Ode for his great comments after the last stage. They will help me to not look so inept next year. Thank you all Dennis