GOF

Question... I see they are advertised with 14.5-inch barrels. Does that require SBR paperwork?

+1 to Steel Challenge as a place to start and get comfortable with competition. There will be a division for just about any gun you have... rimfire pistol or rifle, revolver, PCC, semi-auto handgun... take your pick. Too old? Nah, I shoot with some Master Class shooters in their 70s. As for poor vision... me too. But reflex red dot sights make things much easier.... and they are legal in several Steel Challenge gun divisions... from .22 rifle/pistol to revolver, PCC, Open Class semi-auto handgun, and Carry Optics semi-auto handgun. I have a lot of fun.

The Ruger 10/22 is the most popular rimfire rifle in SCSA by far. And there are a bunch of very simple aftermarket parts to 'tweak it'. You can improve the trigger with a Ruger BX trigger (2.75 pounds). Adding a reflex sight is easy. Ruger has an accessory Picatinney rail mount. You're talking less than $100 bucks for those drop in/bolt on parts. You may want a new stock, but I can't see a need for a new barrel. If you shoot hi-speed .22LR ammo the timer has no problem picking it up, and there is no recoil to speak of. The sonic crack registers. I know, I RO two or three Steel matches a month. I'm currently shooting a 10/22 Take Down Lite, with a BX trigger, and SIG ROMEO1 sight (although I've used others with no probs). I take two 15-round BX mags and one standard 10-round mag to the line. Shoot two runs with a BX, change, shoot two more with the other, and finish with the 10-rounder. If I have a major mag malf, one of the BX will have enough rounds left to finish the string. Avoid the 25-round BX mags. I've seen too many probs, but the 15s work great. For the paranoid, just carry an extra 10-rounder. This simple, inexpensive, rig got me to upper RFRO A Class.

I have a 6 MOA ROMEO1, and a RMR. I prefer the ROMEO. Bigger window, easier to operate than the RMR Adjustable, easier battery replacement, very bright dot, and adjustable brightness levels easier to use than the RMR.. The scope cover is crap, but that's my only complaint.

IDPA allows moon clips in Revolver... with a 155 PF. That's a 158 bullet at 1050 fps....or 1080 to make a 5 PF (170) cushion. I think working on the reload technique and staying with the 105 PF (or 110 to be safe) might be a better bet. Not being a lefty, I can't tell you how to do that.... other than smacking the ejector rod forcefully with the palm of the hand.... and cleaner powders and frequent chamber brushing.

No. The ammo must conform to the caliber marking on the barrel, with specific exceptions for .38 in .357, and .44 SPL in 44 Mag. If one shoots a revolver marked .357 Mag (as is the GP-100) .38 SPL is as short as they can go in IDPA. I wish I could use the same LC loads in my GP-100 in IDPA that I use in ICORE. It might get me from IDPA REV EX to MA.

Shortened cases are not legal in IDPA: it is specifically listed in the Rules. You are stuck with .38 SPL in your GP-100. You might try a cleaner burning powder. Or, I also carry a spiral wound .38 caliber tornado brush, and a .40 caliber soft bristle brush. Every couple of stages I brush out the chambers. Short Colt, or Long Colt (I prefer those) are great for Steel Challenge/ICORE/USPSA.... but not legal in IDPA.

When it comes to front sights, much depends upon the shooter's level of vision. Experimenting is good. The targets & timer don't lie. Whatever works for you.

Atlanta Arms. They have a 147-grain 9mm Minor caliber load. Team Glock (when they had a team) used it, and so do some military teams.

For shooting iron sights (I'm a Super Senior) I had a pair of single prescription lenses made... normal distance prescription... but with the focal point set at 25-inches. Any optical shop can do this. That puts the iron sights in sharp focus and makes the targets a bit blurry... but you can't see the scoring rings on them anyway, so why look. Most shooters just know the right sight picture on the target to produce a A or -0. With sharp sights you can do that. Sharply-focused sights on a slightly blurry target can produce a good hit. Blurry sights on a sharply-focused target will not. Even with the 25-inch focus distance I can still read a automobile license plate at 13 yards, and see black lead splashes on steel at 35 yards. This hasn't hurt me... I'm an IDPA Master in SSP & BUG, and an Expert in the rest of the IDPA divisions.

It's a PITA to have to carry a target stapler, paint for plates, rests for load accuracy testing, etc.... from the house to the range each time you want to shoot. I bought a 30-gallon plastic garbage can with a tight fitting lid... stuck in on the range... and put that stuff in it. A couple of cheap plastic lawn chairs make a nice place to set a gun bag, and other stuff down. Creature comforts are nice. A little thought can make your backyard range very comfortable. Mine is.

I haven't shot them in a handgun, other than to check accuracy in my S&W 9mm CORE/RMR. From my Ruger PC they are doing about 1160... 116 PF. Excellent for Steel Challenge. Very reliable. Bayou Bullets makes a 105 coated slug with a good sized bearing surface. 3.3 grains N310, perfect function, and scary accurate! I'm talking 1-inch 25 yard bench rest groups with a 6 moa dot. Haven't chronoed it. No need. Just use for Steel Challenge. Totally reliable. I like the AA 100 grain... but the 105 Bayou is what I would use as the 'equivalent' handload.

Bayou 105 9mm... scary accurate... can be loaded soft. Seems to feed more reliably that the shorter 95 RNs.

For a right hand shooter with a dominant left eye, some have found that canting the gun/sights slightly towards their dominant left eye seems to help. It might be worth experimenting a bit with.

There are very little G-Forces associated with a .22 rimfire rifle. Those G-Forces will tear up a slide mounted CO sight, but aren't really an issue here. The Vortex should work well... I would suggest 6 MOA over 3 MOA. The Burris FFIII (8 MOA) is another option, and not an expensive one if you shop the online retailers. Their lifetime warranty is very good. If it breaks, they replace it. Battery life is also excellent. I have one on my .22 pistol and am very happy after several years of use. You don't need to spend big bucks for a rimfire rifle red dot.

Yep... the option was abandoned. Maybe they should change the name to "No Longer Optional But Speed Still Counts".

Given the costs of 'just getting there' (gas, lodging, meals, etc.) The difference between a $100 entry fee and a $85 entry fee... or even a $65 entry fee... is a drop in the bucket. Anyone who goes to a match for the prize table could probably save a lot of bucks by just buying the stuff. But, with a $100 entry fee there should be a decent prize table... although that's not really the reason shooters attend a match of this type. BTDT... USPSA # A55647

The PCCO scores you posted sound like upper B Class. You're not a long way from A. Join USPSA...get a member #... link to Steel Challenge home website, and you'll be able to track your progress. And, yes, Steel Challenge is a lot of fun! I shot RFPO today... might have made A Class. Already there in RFRO , and now need to work on PCCO (72% currently) and CO. Soooo many guns, and so few matches to enjoy them.

FWIW... I like to just 'roll the revo'. Once the trigger starts back for the first pull, it never stops moving. It's either moving back to trigger the shot, moving forward to reset, and moving back to trigger the next shot. If the trigger is smooth, and within a reasonable 6-8 pound DA pull... it just becomes a matter of timing and rhythm to get the trigger to break when the sights are on target. It needs to be practiced... transition drills are great for that. But, I never really feel a 'positive' trigger stop. The trigger doesn't stop moving once it's started. Just MHO.

+1. They now make a 6 moa dot, and also offer a pictinny rail mount. I have one and love it. Simple controls, bright dot, and a wide window. I also wouldn't sneer at the RMR. I have two: one on a CORE (6,000+ rounds, no issues) and one on a PCC. They have worked well.

Get plenty of draw time to get your wrist angle/presentation right to find the dot quickly. There is a difference between 'from the holster' and starting with the gun in your hand.

Can't comment on the ROMEO 3. But several ROMEO1s (both 3 and the new 6 moa) have been prefect! There are also one of the most 'user friendly' reflex sights I've seen.... and I've played with a few.

RE: handgun shooters. Is there anything wrong with the RO reminding new shooters about the 'Register' position of the trigger finger when holstering the gun?

The problem with Patridge sights from a leather holster is that you will occasionally have to rip a glob of leather off of the front sight after the draw. Ramps are more action pistol friendly... unless you are using a kydex holster with a generous sight channel.

Hang on for their "Going Out Of Business" sale. I suspect it is coming.