IHAVEGAS

You know we are all going to be giggling if you are the next guy that gets the Mike after a good hit at a big match

We are presently able to determine when a calibration shot hits within the calibration zone (C1.7.a) , and the calibration procedure allows for partial hits (C1.7.b - "hits the popper anywhere on its frontal surface"). Since we can make this determination on a calibration shot, and since the popper is deemed not calibrated if it does not fall with an edge hit, it seems like the "how" is already established and time tested.

You might want to talk to an IDPA rules guru - I think the CGW 10x bushing (externally visible) bumped your gun to ESP. Might be that any external visible difference in trigger shape bumps you to ESP also. Bottom gun has CZ 85 trigger installed, oem sp01 trigger laying on it, top gun is whatever trigger comes on a shadow 1 orange. I can't see a meaningful change in reach with any (but the 85 was good for eliminating finger pinch).

And not all poppers are created equal (and buying new ones ain't cheap). Agreed. Sometimes the answer to a problem is 'sorry, you were unfortunate' and other times the answer is to do something differently to avoid the problem, a sport could make a conscious decision to do the 'it is what it is' approach similar to weather related issues. I think with a pro shooter at a big match and an obvious wind gust 'it is what it is' would be challenged successfully. I agree that it is inconsistent that the entire calibration zone does not 'count' the same way that the entire scoring zone on paper or the entire area of a plate counts. I could live with things left as they are - and being aware that you must call a center hit when a big steel is the last target from a position - if I was King, an obvious hit mark anywhere in the calibration zone would count as a hit.

I am a big fan of the smaller poppers, or the big poppers with the non calibration area skeletonized, for some of the practicality reasons you noted above and because fewer people get screwed when the wind holds them up and because there are fewer reshoots when the wind blows them down and because they do not require recalibration as often due to shifting on muddy or otherwise loose soil. Surprised that gusty windy days are not a more prevalent part of this discussion, wind gusts strong enough to blow them down (which I assume everyone has seen - usually happens to you on the last target of your best stage of the day) are likely more than strong enough to hold them up when hit with minor power factor bullets.

Yes, the calibration zone.

In the scoring zone, considered the way all other hits are considered except for with poppers.

When I've seen the problem at well run stages (care for calibration) it has usually been edge hits in the calibration zone - calibration shots more toward the center drop the popper but that hit you heard that the paint mark shows landed on the edge would not. Hard for me to understand why visual evidence of a hit is not considered at matches where painting between shooters is required. The last two times it happened to me it was clear to everyone watching that the popper had been hit in the calibration zone but the popper didn't fall and the calibration shot was more toward the center so the popper did not fail.

I was not involved with this match, glad to hear that the s.o.'s were well treated. I have never worked a match where it wasn't a money losing proposition overall and a big loss if you place $ value on your time, except for that lucky turd that wins a super nice gun off of the prize table, but yea I have had lodging fees covered (two per room) and meals and stuff, mostly USPSA.

Yeck!!

Sometimes, not often, the stage designers just flat miss a safety problem. My hope would be that after you discovered the problem somebody did something about it.

Hopefully you will have better luck than I, allergy causes and symptoms are all over the map. For what it is worth I have never enjoyed shooting a match during allergy season. You can't think like normal, you can't see like normal, and you can't move like normal, it is frustrating on stage 1 and the more stages you shoot below your ability the more frustrating it gets. You might find a better solution for your circumstances, I just gave up on going to major matches during ragweed season.

I do not disagree about the s.o.'s motivation, also had I been one of the folks whose hard earned and expensive high finish was tainted by what reads like a financially biased decision I would find it hard to behave. What the s.o. should do is philosophical I suppose, when you sign on to help run a match you receive certain benefits (no match fee, shirts, special prize lotteries, free meals, hotel fees) and you agree to do what you can to help things run smooth and support shooters having a quality match and a fun experience. My personal approach would be to eat crow and finish the match but not come back again. Just me, not saying that is the best.

I understand, and agree. I just think that when a s.o. quits a match that makes things worse for everyone.

That is worse than anything I have ever shot out of any CZ I think. Makes me wonder about the particular gun. I'd be inclined to install one of these https://cajungunworks.com/product/barrel-bushing-for-sp-01-10x/ , verify that the gun seemed right, pick up two or three boxes of factory loaded ammo of different weights, and reload based upon what the factory ammo taught me about the gun.

R.O. / S.O. are hosed when something they think of as out of line happens, if they don't grin and bear it then somebody else has to pick up their job duties or things can really get screwed up. You agree to allow yourself to be overruled with no pouting when you pick up the timer. The classiest reaction Ive seen in a similar circumstance is when a competitor and his wife (both cro's but not working the match) just left the match after politely explaining their position to the rm.

Evolution has been interesting. Originally the 'tactical' justification for the reload rules was that you wouldn't waste ammo you might need in a self defense situation - the rule against ammo dumping was difficult/impossible to enforce so they eliminated the rule and now you must waste ammo to be competitive. If you feel that the ammo dumping that happens at matches is tactical I will respect your opinion and I thank you for your service. As far as changing divisions, I find less need to waste ammo shooting esp (10) than I do with either ccp or revolver, that seems strange until you have done it, there are a lot of shoot 4 and then shoot 6 at p2 kind of stages for example.

It is what it is, but I wish they would get off that and just worry about the best possible rule set for IDPA. I think all shooters as well as the IDPA accountant would be better off. Right after they changed the ruleset to outlaw some really fun, and expensive, and already paid for by many clubs, USPSA targets like the Texas star I attended the Backstopper's Missouri match. That is a great club of folks in my opinion. One of the folks who helped run that match was supposedly well connected to IDPA hq - he explained to me that the Texas star was made illegal because hq wanted realistic self defense targets. We were standing in front of a stage with two zombie cows that had clay pigeon brains and not far from a stage that had Martian invaders as the need for self defense realism was explained to me. Not griping about the explainer, he was just passing along info.

FWIW, saw a guy miss his foot by 3 - 4 inches while holstering a CZ open gun earlier this year. On that one he thought he must have bumped the weak side safety off with his strong hand.

And likely Mr. Racaza to some degree. People do not forget this stuff, they also don't forget it when a pro takes a dq with good sportsmanship.

Sitting start or something else unusual? Just nosy.

Might be that most guns are not sold to people who want them for the shooting sports, so a bad fit for competition does not necessarily translate into bad sales numbers? Guessing.

One of my many mental irregularities is that intentional waste makes me crazy, is there any talk of changing the reloading rules so you can dump that near empty mag instead of emptying it in the general direction of a target?

Sad that there was drama. Making a dogs lunch out of the walk throughs would make me crazy. All that money and time invested in the match and then not getting a proper chance to get your head wrapped around a stage is something I've only seen at 1 major (USPSA), it sucked eggs there as well.