mountaincoulee

What Division were you registered to shoot the match in? As I understand it, many DA/SA Production-approved handguns can be started cocked&locked in Limited and L10 provided the gun has a safety rather than a decocker. Here's a cut&paste of the Production div. handguns from the USPSA website: Taurus: "24/7 (27.5 oz.), PT100 (34 oz.), PT101 (34 oz.), PT111 (18.7 oz.), PT140 (18.7 oz.), PT145 (23 oz.), PT911 (28.2 oz.), PT92 (34 oz.), PT940 (28.2 oz.), PT945 (29.5 oz.), PT99 (34 oz.) C Models not allowed. Any DAO or DA/SA revolver with a barrel length of up to 8.5" is approved. All listed models must be DAO, DA/SA or with a decocker only." Incidentally, I compete with a DA/SA handgun, sometimes in IPSC Standard Div., sometimes in Production. If at a match there are too few competitors in Production (happens at my local club), I run it Standard (C&L) and accept that Cs and Ds will be more costly. At a bigger match, I'll run it in Prod.

I totally agree. I've been watching the ROs working stages at small club matches and a few level IIs. I'm awed at the level of responsibility, both wrt safe gun handling, scoring, ensuring that the stage presents the same level of challenge to all squads, and 'managing' the interpersonal side. When I've matured as a competitor, I will ask to start RO training. Meanwhile, I'll continue to look-listen-learn.

Totally makes sense after the two matches I shot this W.E. For the first time ever (in this sport), I was not entirely concentrated in the immediate moment (i.e. aiming & getting hits) and had a bit of brain power left to be conscious of what was going on tempo wise, and where I'd be next in terms of reload, movement. I even managed to restrain myself a couple times from shooting a 3rd shot to turn a C into an A. I believe that, having for the first time gained these shreds of awareness, I can now push the *thumb rest [generic]* a bit and will learn from the mistakes that will result.

I found this little youtube ditty to be truely entertaining.

I've been playing this game for 6 months and would like to make two suggestions regarding range work: As a new shooter I was left to figure it out for myself; but I sensed that I had to do my part. At first, I set steel AND pasted. That didn't work very well as I got in the way. Later on, having settled into pasting, I pasted one target ahead of the RO (there'd been an RO switch and I didn't notice the new guy was scoring targets in a different order-it was a complicated stage). This resulted in my getting chewed out by a tired and weary RO, plus a re-shoot, to my great embarassment. Suggestion 1: Before the match starts and when the squad members introduce themselves, the squad leader should state that range work is what keeps things rolling along, and that the work consists of taping, setting steel, and policing brass. Then assign specific tasks to partnered up teams each made of a new shooter and an experienced/hard-working squad member who can act as a mentor. Another good time to do this is when a squad shows up at a stage, ready to shoot. Prior to the verbal stage description and walk through, the RO need only ask the squad leader to assign tasks and to pair up each newby with a hard worker. Suggestion 2: Tell EVERYONE to paste properly. This means pressing the whole paster or pce of tape onto the target, not just the center. Alligator pasting is my pet peeve as after awhile the target presents a blistered face, with shadows here and there that sometimes look like bullet holes. A blistered target is also harder to score. This means that the stage gets progressively harder over time.

3.5 gr 700-X drives Montana Gold 147s TMJ to PF 130 in my gun. Soft. Accurate too.

Hey Kevin, thanks for your 'seeing what you need to see' answer. Thought you might be interested in the findings -I shot at 3, 5, 7, and 10 yards tonight- esp. since I gained some insights. Each shot was taken while aiming at a 1" orange sticky in the middle of the A zone - my POA (aim). I rested my wrists on a sandbag, so the recoil was relatively undisturbed. Some shots I took with the front sight visually 'touching' either side of the rear notch, others with the front sight fully hidden to one side and then the other. Others with the front sight higher or lower than the rear. I took notes and as you'd expect, the induced POI (impact) shift was inconsequential at 3yds (1" of shift), and it increased with distance. Surprise finding: Even at 3yds, the POI shift tended to be greater to the left than the right. Hmmm - wonder why. At 5yds, a poor sight picture would still reliably score within the limits of the A zone. But at 7yds the POI would shift by 5" or more, i.e. the bullet would often hit into the C zone. Another phenomena probably related to operator error (poor or inconsistent grip on my part) is that with increased distance the POI shift is greatest to the left side. When the meaty part of my left palm (weak side) is not in full firm contact with the grip, the POI error is 8" to the left, and 4" to the right at 10 yards! I think this might also be partly induced by the torsional forces imparted to the gun frame by the bullet travelling through the rifling. These forces likely twist the gun in a counterclockwise direction -down and to the left- which shifts the POI down and left. Add to that the common tendency to not pull the trigger straight back, and that might explain a lot of those A-C hits where the Charlie is down and left. I need to work my fundamentals.

I'll get some data from the bag and freestyle, shooting rested and un-rested groups on 2 different sets of IPSC targets at common ranges, out to maybe 15 yards. Guessing that at 20yds and beyond the sight picture needs to be perfect to get an A hit. Thx.

Here is a link to an animation on the relationship between sight picture and POI. Have any of you guys methodically determined where the bullet goes for a partial sight picture, at different ranges? This is something that I want to learn for myself so that I know what's good enough for an A hit. I plan to run a test sequence by shooting off a sandbag.

Say you want to test your match load's POA-POI at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, using a sandbag rest (Protektor), how would you use the bag? -Rest the pistol's frame on it, with your elbows on the bench? -Rest the pistol's grip bottom on the bag, with elbows on bench? -Rest the bottom of your gripping hands on the bag, with pistol not touching the bag? -Rest your wrists on the bag, with pistol not touching the bag? -No gun contact at all with the bag? -No hand or arm contact at all with the bench top? -Forget about using bags, just stand and shoot freestyle? Thx.

Duane your fulcrum reminded me on an 1850s treatise on Naval Artillery ballistics I read a few years ago. The author, a Royal Navy officer, stated that in the 1700s the French developped a ballistic pendulum with which they measured the power of smoothbore roundshot, i.e. 12pdr, 24pdr, 36pdr cannon. The cannon would be fired while suspended in a cradle and its rearward motion measured. They would then calculate the corresponding muzzle energy. The RN Officer also reported that velocity was measured by firing roundshot through a large open-ended 10m-long cylinder. The cylinder was geared to rotate at a known RPM. The shot would cut a hole into the papered-over ends, said papers being imprinted with 360 degree radial markings. The papers were in perfect degree alignment with each other, so the shot would enter at a certain degree point and exit at another. Velocity would be calculated accordingly. All that back in the 18th Century.

Is it possible that a "good" grip [one that "points" well and that keeps pointing well through a string of fire] needs to be of such a size that when our hands are around it, the grip is fully surrounded by meat? Without gaps between the hands, there is less opportunity for the gun to twist and start pointing poorly.

My thoughts exactly. Fayetteflash, you role modelled maturity and sportsmanship to your son, and gave him reasons to be proud of you. When his time comes to play with the big boys he will mimick your responsible behaviour, and our sport will be all the better for it.

What I've noticed is that when an RO is giving a 'new' shooter the LAMR, the RO will stay close behind, usually within arms reach. If the shooter were to turn around after LAMR the RO can step to the inside, take control of the gun hand and push it downrange.

Primers include a lead compound that remains after combustion. In other words, fired primers though inert are contaminated waste. Mine go in the trash, which ends up in another jurisdiction - there are no other options here.

Can you explain about this S_I mag tuning that is mentioned here and there on this site.... Do you change out springs, or modify the mag lips?

Duckman, do you use a timer when you practice? Doing so might accustom you to the sudden or startling nature of the buzzer. Another approach is simply to welcome the sound of the buzzer: i.e. think of the buzzer as a good thing. Develop a Pavlovian reflex to the buzzer: You welcome the buzzer because you're about to have fun shooting a bunch of targets.

Hi Walter - hope you and Kathy are having fun. Met Tom T. yesterday at the C'brook steel shoot. He's got a good crew of guys: laughter and good natured ribbing, great ROing. I did not DQ so am invited back.

Context: I'm brand new to this game, except for having just taken a 2-day IPSC Black Badge introductory course (400 rounds fired) that included a mini-match attended by regular competitors. I travelled 150 miles for this course, and paid $225. The course revealed what it is possible to do, and how difficult (or easy if you let it) it is to do well. My first match is in three weeks. I am hooked and have already enjoyed the camaraderie of the IPSC fraternity, first-hand and via this site. For example, folk I did not know were going "here try this one", to help me select a Production gun that shot well in my hands. As a result, I know that the gun I later ordered actually fits me for I shot its brother over 400 times over 2 days. How lucky can one be to run into such generous people. For the time being I am putting my energy into revitalizing my Rod&Gun club's handgun program, which fell by the wayside 15-20 years ago as the guys started raising their families. My club has agreed to find out if it is feasible to add four 25yx50y handgun pits to our range, each bermed on three sides. Looks like I'm spearheading this project. There are no naysayers sniping from the sidelines; better yet, old timers are stepping out of the woodwork and offering their help. I'm in because of the people, because of the fun/work of getting good at something that is really challenging, and because I like friendly competition. No doubt it will take work to get out of U and D.

Sperman's and L-10_shooter's posts made me think about how shooting is very much driven by trained muscle memory. Other shooting actions are driven by our brain. But the brain is at the mid-point of the decision-making process: it receives info from our senses, processes this, and tells the finger to press the trigger. If new information becomes available - such as a weak 'bang' during rapid fire - this info gets into the processing line up...so wouldn't it be too late as far as firing the very next shot is concerned? If the bang is strong enough to cycle the action -but the round does not leave the barrel- there's a KB in the making, no? I am new to this game (but not shooting) and wondering if this ever happens, and if there is a way to guard against it.

p2000lefty, Please explain what is the purpose of the NS1 next to the start barrels? What does NS1 add to the CoF? I gather that NS1 is the conscientious objector who, though standing next to the gun/ammo, stands-by while we as competitors engage the targets? The Stage Procedure says "Upon start signal, engage "NS1" with hand in upper A and/or B zone. Then retrieve...". Do we engage NS1 by touching it or knocking it over?