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Wellison

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Everything posted by Wellison

  1. Congratulations on the retirement and welcome to the forums! -Will
  2. If you're short on magazines you can always ask to shoot limited division and then you can load to capacity. Two mags will get you though most stages that way. -Will
  3. You definitely need to give USPSA / IPSC a shot, PBA2 (pun intended). It is action shooting "on your on terms". Except that your shooting positions are more defined by ports that you shoot though. Most of the targets are not going to be visible from the starting position. I know this can be the case in many IDPA stages too but you'll have to shoot a match to see what I'm talking about. Paying close attention during the walk though is crucial to avoid FTE (failure to engage) penalties. I may be oversimplifying the differences but in IDPA you at least just need to remember the path you have to take though the stage because the targets are going to be fairly obvious. In USPSA you not only need to remember the path but also where all the targets are. I saw a few cases of shooters running right past targets because they were too focused on trying to go as fast as they could. More often I saw shooters forgetting about "hidden" targets. In stage 5 of last week's match in Spartanburg I almost forgot a target at the second port. As I approached the port I saw and engaged the three or four obvious targets and then took two quick steps towards the third port when I suddenly remembered that there was one more target off to the left at that second port. I had to slam on the brakes (I need to buy some cleats) and dash back to perforate it two times. USPSA can be more exhilarating than IDPA because you're running more and gunning more. Plus you don't have to worry about procedural penalties which in my opinion severely ding the fun factor for IDPA. But as is mentioned above the two sports emphasize different but complementary aspects of the discipline. -Will
  4. Excellent points Carlos. I hadn't quite figured out why I wasn't ready to give up IDPA. And here you've gone and given me the reasons. Thanks!
  5. Wow! What a beauty! Congratulations.
  6. Dummy rounds don't weigh as much? If your shooting Limited and can get 19 rounds in your mags do the math.At an estimated 5.0 grains of powder a magazine loaded with dummies weighs 95 grains less than a mag filled with the real thing. 95 grains is less than a quarter of ONE ounce! A pittance of weight to give up in order to practice with mags that are real close in weight to the real thing. Load up some dummies and include them in your practice! Pat Pat, the dummy rounds I was speaking of were Snap-Caps. It hadn't occurred to me to load real bullets in an empty case. DOH!! Thanks for all the suggestions. Tonight I think I'll start with the slide back, empty mag in gun, sights on target and "loaded" mag in belt. I also like the idea of breaking the process down into steps as Steel1212 suggested. One thing I need to look at is getting the correct grip after the reload. -Will
  7. I was in squad 4 where I met JFowler. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. I learned a few of the rule differences between IDPA and USPSA. I really enjoyed talking to the older guys. They may not have been the fastest but they hit more A's than anyone else. One fellow told me he'd been shooting action pistol since the late seventies. Wow. There's no question that USPSA/IPSC is more enjoyable than IDPA. IDPA offers a different challenge. I may end up shooting more USPSA matches with a few IDPA ones thrown in. BTW I completely disagree with the notion that IDPA is training for deadly force encounters. It's just a game with rules. -Will
  8. Ah ha. See this is the type of super-technical information I was seeking when I joined this forum. I guess I'll have to shoot one of each again to test this method.
  9. Today in Spartanburg (where I've shot IDPA before) I shot my first (real) USPSA match. The fun-o-meter busted from overload. I think my shooting actually was more accurate because I wasn't having to think about cover, concealment, tactical priority, or tactical sequence. But I'm conflicted. I just renewed my IDPA membership. I don't know if my family or budget can take both sports. Ok. It's off to the USPSA website to download the rule book. This will require some serious study. -Will
  10. Hey guys, Tell me how you practice reloading? I don't want to do it with a loaded mag and dummy rounds don't weigh as much as loaded ones do. One problem with using an empty mag is sometimes the feed lips hang on the mag well (S&W M&P9). The other problem is if you rack the slide it's going to stay open. Should I practice in slow motion first and slowly try it faster? I always re-acquire sight picture after the reload. Today what I tried was with an empty weapon and two mags (I only have two mag carriers) I rack the slide to cock the weapon then insert an empty mag. Holster the weapon. At the signal I draw and dry fire at the target. Then as I reach for the spare mag I drop the empty and rotate the pistol to accept the new mag. I try to move the pistol as little as possible but the faster I go the less successful I am at this. After inserting the new mag I re-acquire sight and dry fire once again. Suggestions? Comments? -Will
  11. Welcome to the forums. Feel free to come up to Spartanburg to shoot the first and/or fourth Saturday. I'm trying out USPSA for the first time this year too.
  12. Thanks for all the input. I've already traded emails with the RO and MD and they agreed with me that the situation never should have been allowed. I'll be meeting with the MD tomorrow night and we'll make a plan for next month. In the meantime (this Saturday) I'll shoot my first real USPSA match in Spartanburg. -Will
  13. I think I'll start practicing this. I need to get my grip higher anyway. -Will
  14. I've heard others describe problems with trying to shoot both IDPA and IPSC. Before now I had never sought out an IPSC match because I thought you had to have one of those super nice, super expensive 2011's. But apparently that's not the case. Right now I'm just looking for opportunities to improve my shooting and have fun. -Will
  15. Thanks for your input. I've emailed the MD and explained what happened. To be clear the pistol was never pointed at me and this was not a USPSA or IPSC or any other affiliated match. It was really an informal match to introduce action shooting to the club and to work out some of the kinks of putting on a larger match. Other than what I've described I witnessed no unsafe behavior by any of the participants. I think it was just an oversight and an inexperienced RO. I know the MD and I'm sure it won't happen again. So let me ask you. What do you think of loaner holsters? I can see the point that a match may not be the optimum place to teach a safe drawing technique. But if you send every new shooter that comes unprepared home ... well that's not very friendly is it? -Will
  16. I would assume most ranges you guys are familiar with are "cold". The range I shot at today is making the transition to being a cold range. At today's IPSC match a couple of new shooters showed up with out holsters. They were allowed to shoot from the low ready position which was fine. But once while I was down range pasting targets I turned around to see the new shooter standing in the starter box with his weapon in his hand pointed in my general direction. Actually it was pointed at a spot on the ground about 25 or 30 feet away at my 10 o'clock. At first I was angry but he was flanked by both his dad and the RO. The weapon was not loaded and I decided against making him more nervous by shouting at him or the RO. After he shot the stage, removed the mag, showed empty and dropped the hammer, he followed the RO down range with the pistol in hand to witness his score. I watched his trigger finger and he dutifully kept it out of the trigger guard. Still I think it would have been best if he'd been required to keep his weapon in a range bag (he didn't have one) or a box or paper bag something until the range was cleared for him to shoot and then replaced the weapon after showing clear. I've not yet taken a RO/SO class so I'm not sure what the right procedure would be in the case of a holster-less shooter. I regret not saying something to the RO about it privately. Also it just occurs to me I should have offered my range bag for him to store his weapon between stages. I think I will send an email to the match director just so that next time there will be a plan. How does your range handle new shooters with out holsters? Thanks. -Will edited to protect the innocent.
  17. You know? Of all the things you think you have to practice and prepare for like dry fire, picking gun up from table, reloads, etc you'd think that you'd be ok with the walking and running. I guess it's all part of the multi-tasking you're asking your body to do. In a few of my range sessions I've started practicing walking while engaging targets and reloading. No running yet. Not until the walking feels comfortable. Glad you had fun. -Will
  18. Well I got a real treat today. I shot my first IPSC style match. I use the word "style" since the club where I shot isn't yet affiliated with either IPSC or USPSA. It wasn't much of a transition from IDPA except resisting the urge to lean out from behind barriers. I shot Limited with my M&P9 and finished 4th out of 11 shooters with a 53%. Not too bad. My main issue was speed. I need to work at home with some drills that will help me pick up the front sight faster. I also cost myself some time on a stage that I was doing well on until I limp wristed my first weak hand shot of the second string. Then on the 3rd stage I was the first shooter and I forgot it was "Mozambique". The stage was divided into 3 sections between barricades. I was into the second section when I heard the RO say "don't forget your head shots". Before the match began we'd been given a walk-through on all 4 stages. Mental note for future reference: Even though you "know" what the stage is supposed to be it never hurts to ask the RO how many shots on paper. (There were no written stage descriptions for this match.) The other thing that messed me up was half way through the match I began to "push" against the recoil. It just shows how little shooting I've been doing lately. I was surprised it showed up so early in the match. Normally it's the next to last or very last stage that I begin to push shots. Oh well. I still had fun. I need to read up on the scoring to see how that works. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between IPSC and USPSA? Thanks. -Will
  19. [snip] Take a look at www.horrychapterwildlifeaction.com for a complete look at our activities. Thanks. I'll do that. -Will
  20. Found it myself. http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon/cal.conv.chart.html -Will
  21. I know I've found a caliber conversion crossover chart on this website before. But I'm going around in circles. What I'm trying to find is the chart that will tell me which shell plate goes with which button goes with which powder funnel for each caliber so I can save a little money. Can someone point me in the right direction??? -Will
  22. Sounds to me like it could mess up your charge weight. At the very least cause some of the first ones to be light and some of the latter ones to be hot. Humidity could be causing this but it's never happened to me. My work space is air conditioned.
  23. This may be wasting time too but I always take my eyes off the target during a reload. I haven't mastered the blind reload (is there such a thing?) so I'm already looking at the gun and I always look at the slide to make sure it's down before continuing. I've practiced reloading by moving the gun as little as possible. I simply rotate it slightly to assist finding the mag well. @ Bongo Boy I think the issue with the feed lips has nothing to do with impacting the mag well or slide. The poster describing his issue attributed it to the inertia of the rounds inside the magazine pressing against the feed lips. If the loaded magazine is slammed into the weapon that inertia is going to be higher and the resulting stress on the lips will be greater. He was saying this repetitive action was causing the premature failure of his magazines. I don't know. So far no one in this topic has indicated that they've experienced this as a potential downside of slam charging. -Will
  24. Ever since I started shooting competition 6 years ago I've rarely had to sling-shot the slide into battery after a slide-lock reload. This has been true with both Glocks and my M&P. I've always thought this was a good thing since it's saved me the time of manually charging the first round. But recently I've read here in these forums about feed lip problems caused by slamming magazines into the weapon too sharply. Have I developed a bad habit or is this desirable? -Will
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