bajaholic

I shoot 45, LTD. Yes it is a disadvantage overall compared to the 40. There is a number of times, not having to reload would be very nice. My (stock) mags state they hold 14, but you cant really load them full, they don't seat well. (generally load 12 but 13 in my first mag) The other difference in 40 compared to 45 is the cost of shooting, 40 rounds are much cheaper. That being said, I have a 45 (Para Pro Custom,2011) And I purchased it because the gun was substantially less expensive than the other models available in 40. My budget at the time was easier to justify the 45. It has been a great training gun for me. By creating more work in the beginning (reloads, recoil,etc) It has made me a better shooter faster. Granted I have a long way to go, but in my opinion having the gun I have has helped. I am not expecting to be in the winners circle at this point, number one because I am a beginner, but there is most definitely a disadvantage with fewer rounds. But I am having fun learning!!! Down the road, I plan to upgrade to a 40 platform, with a more custom build. Just need to justify the budget... But if I was starting from scratch again.... I would have spent the money on the pricier gun in the beginning rather than the more expensive ammo...

I have/had the "Roll and Lock" on the last 5 trucks I have owned. Overall they are fantastic. Positives. Your bed is still useful, and to open up for full use of the bed, it takes 2 seconds. The newest versions are the best so far for water tightness, in a automatic car wash you will still get some water in the tailgate area, but it works quite well. The lock actually work. There is 4 positions that it will stop and lock into when being opened. This is very useful when you have something larger and still want some partial protection for what is still in the bed. Or in my case, pulling a 5th wheel toy hauler, it also works in diverting the wind when hauling... Negatives: The storage "box" it rolls up into will use up about a foot of the front of your bed and the drains go into the front corners of your bed, so anything you put underneath the box you need to be careful not to crimp the little lines. (this is not a big deal, you just need to be aware) Under heavy winter conditions, ice and wet snow, you must be careful there can get some water into the tracks that freeze. Commonsense prevails here, just don't force it. Let it warm up and it is fine, or just drive a couple of miles, it will generally come loose (this can also happen when it is washed during below freezing weather, but again, with proper care, it is not a big deal... Finally look around when you are purchasing and make sure the installer knows what they are doing. Proper fit is important for the longevity of this type of cover. It slides in a groove made of aluminum. If it is installed correctly and even, it will last for many years, if it is not even, you can get uneven wear and it will only last 2-3 years before you have to replace the tracks. (this was a lesson I learned the hard way) BUT.... It was only a couple of hundred to fix plus the new install time. The manufacturer was good to work with for getting the parts, but they were quick to blame the installer. But like I stated in the beginning, I am a fan of this type of cover... And for me, it is the best fit for our needs!

It will also depend on the term of the lease and style/brand/model of vehicle. Couple of years ago we leased a Cadillac SRX on a 24 month lease, the manufacturer was pushing hard to get this model into the market. It was WELL worth the money to lease it. Cost us less than 1/2 than if we would have purchased it outright. Buying it at the end though was not in the cards, the residual value was substantially higher than what we would want to spend, so we just turned it in at the end of the lease and purchased a different vehicle. This approach did work for Cadillac because if you have looked at those units, they have held their value well. Just a side note, we did increase the lease mileage to 15K per year rather than the 12K. The only problem was that my wife was CONSTANTLY assessing her mileage throughout the lease and was afraid to take it anywhere she thought might put her over in mileage by the end. So it wasn't real convenient at times. We have always purchased our vehicles, this was the first lease, it worked for us at the time, but don't think I would do it on a regular basis. Too much worrying about the mileage etc. So as far as financially, it was a better deal for that specific lease, but most others I have seen, not so much...

Look for the little black holes in the Paper... If they have them, they have already been shot. If you are not seeing any black holes after you have shot at the targets, those are called "mikes", He is NOT your friend.... Either way, you are going way to fast. I know it has been debated here in the past, speed vs accuracy, but I still think it will ALWAYS come down that you need to get the shots, or speed means nothing.

I started by shooting a Steyr(s), it is a great gun and I truly enjoy taking it to the range, carry etc... But then I Purchased a Para (2011) for the "games", No comparison for me, and like it is said above, don't want to look back.... But just to be clear, there is a number of people we shoot with that use the plastic guns and they are WAY better shooters on every facet than me..;. It is the shooter more than the gun... But if you need an excuse to get a new gun, yea.... it's WAY better!

Just helping a guy out... Not only do the shoes help you stick better when running, but now that wallet is just a bit lighter to help as well.....

And last month there was a thread about getting no help for set up tear down... Now you have it and guess what...

I would actually recommend/encourage the media to attend. Many of the "fluff" pieces a news show does is highlighting the non traditional sports and entertainment. It is very simple to do, contact the news producer and tell them about your event (generally a couple of weeks out works best). Invite them to do a live broadcast along with encouraging the news anchor to learn about the rules, safety and allow them to participate in one or more of the courses. The more positive exposure we receive then better off the sport is....

Hey I had a Yugo. Brand New car, w/warranty out the door for $2995.00 We ran for 4 years as a parts chaser for our business before we gave it to the neighbor kid to drive until it died a year later (could no longer get parts for a busted timing chain issue) Hard to go wrong when you have zero expectations and it goes for 5+years. Our other cars depreciated more than that when they left the lot.....

People can be afraid to own a gun that shoots too well, because then they have no excuse... BTW: I like mine, Para Pro Custom 14-45

I am one of the guilty ones for having moved with my finger on the trigger. (other things too, but they are for a different thread) I am a new shooter, not that this is an excuse but rather a clarification. I appreciate and listen to the critiques I get when shooting. It is how I will learn to be better. I had no idea I had my finger still on the trigger, I was concentrating on everything else and it was pointed out to me. It was a warning in a very instructive way, not just a bunch of attitude with a DQ pending. I thanked the RO and learned another valuable lesson and went home and practiced not to let it happen again. I think there is a fine line between learning, being constructive and being just by the rules or else. To me.... Learning is the key that is how I will get better. I also understand this is why we practice and to not make the same mistake twice or there is ramifications. I have not shot any Regional or National events yet, rather just local, IMHO this is where the training begins, and by the time you get to a Large event, the bugs should be worked out. I am thankful, there has be a tiered level of enforcement vs learning/instruction to motivate me to learn.

Your price range will also cover the PARA line. I have been very satisfied with my Pro-Comp Custom 14-45 (you have to negotiate to get that price range, on the Pro Comp, but it is achievable.

Yes. It has been a great gun. Much more accurate for me than my previous platform I was shooting, but to be fair, it was a compact, not a full size gun.(Steyr S40-A1) I had a few older single stack 45's that I enjoyed shooting and decided to try the Para Dbl Stack for competition. The movement, trigger action, recoil etc, was everything I was looking for. I would much rather have gotten the 16-40 because the majority of guns I own are 40's, but as I am sure you are aware they are hard to come by, Ok, impossible at the moment in a new gun. When I purchased mine couple of months ago, there was also a $100 rebate from Para, I don't know if that is still out there but it may be worth looking into.

Last night we had our practice meet. I was having trouble concentrating on the quick steels and then transitioning to the paper. Apparently, I was seeing more peripheral sight than I was supposed to be. (we had a feral cat that decided to climb the berm while I was shooting and it kept distracting me) One of the other shooters suggested I wear a baseball cap and have the bill slightly lower to restrict my upper vision and even put a small piece of tape (clear) on the far sides of my glasses to slightly blur the outer peripheral's. ie: make my sight more tunnel vision. I tried this in the next couple of rounds and it did help me to "tunnel vision" towards the targets and not get ahead of myself in the next areas to shoot. This is obviously a training crutch, but it definitely helped my learn to concentrate directly on the targets at hand. Not sure what the ruling on the tape would be for a actual match, but the hat is obviously an easy fix for every meet.

Para's are wider. I have not actually measured them but you can noticeably feel the difference. The Grips on the PARA are comfortable, they are aggressive but not so much it hurts your hand. The mechanics of the Para are smooth and reliable. Best part is it cost less than 1/2 of the STI I was looking at. (Executive) I purchased my Para couple of months ago, have not regretted it for a moment. I am sure there is a reason(s) the STI costs more, but at my current level of shooting, The Para is just fine...

try: www.shoebuy.com, that is where I purchased mine through. In addition to the lower prices, look for the "sales codes" on the main page, there is usually an extra 10-15% off. Also, there is free shipping and returns if necessary. I placed my order on a Monday and had them by Thursday of the same week. Only down side is I get emails every few days from them, which has cost me a bit extra since my wife discovered them.

I am wondering if the "tests" are subject to the security threat level designated at a specific airport or at a general country level at that given time. I have gone through security at some airports where you basically have to strip down to go through, and others they barely look at you or the bags? I am guessing there is many derivatives that can weigh into how deeply something gets checked, where you are from, the way you look/act, and where you are going.

I agree in your specific suggestion it does not make total sense, HOWEVER, the rules are for everyone, not just you. People in general will use whatever advantage they can to win. So by having the rules stating what you cannot do, it makes it fair for everyone. No matter how you present it, it just does not fit the rule guidelines... As something was told to me earlier today, when I just didn't agree.... Get over it, comply and move on...

We are in the process of filming training footage for use on the internet and a pilot TV show on shooting. So far, we have not had anyone complain about the drone in their sight angles when shooting. Generally speaking the drone is at a much higher elevation than the shooter is seeing. We are also using cameras that are used close to the shooter and go pro footage. Primarily we use the drone footage for the over views and distance angles. I am hoping the filming and editing will be available for preview and comments in the next couple of months. Personally, I feel when shooting, the close up camera is much more distracting than the drone, but maybe it is because the close up catches all my faults......

From a person who lost his father at that same age, I applaud you and your daughter. This is time that you can inspire, influence, motivate and show the profits of dedication and discipline. Each week we have our practice course at the club we shoot, we have a couple of father/son teams and you can tell the father is just beaming when the son gets up to shoot. I applaud them every week! Keep up the good work, you are obviously making a difference in her life!

My wife has no interest in shooting competitively,(ranking/position, etc) but enjoys going and shooting the practice courses. When she decided to get a gun for herself (as if I didn't already have a partial armory ) She started looking at numerous guns. We started by going to the gun shows, there is virtually every type of gun there for sale and could walk table to table to hold each type/style/size etc. Once she picked what she felt she wanted we went to our local range and rented the top choices for her to try. (Well worth the money spent!) She ended up with the XD 9. It fit her perfectly, and she wasn't intimidated by the recoil etc. But again, it was her decision, NOT mine. The cost of the gun is the cheapest part of the deal, especially when it comes to the piece of mind she now has knowing it was her choice!

Just a suggestion, but maybe it is time to "surcharge" the shooters of the day of the competitions to pay the people that are willing to give their time and/or hire part time people to help in setting up and taking down the course. My suggestion would be a charge of $10/shooter, by your numbers that would equate to $700+/ per day. Split 2-4 ways, that is a handsome pay for the few that could easily do the job. The total day is what 4-6 hours for the normal shooting day? Another twist to the problem could be: suggest/offer the positions to the local high school students, this would help 2 fold, Getting younger people involved in the sport and some money to teach them the ropes and show the good side of our sport, rather than the doom and gloom. And 2nd to further participation, a % of the money to go into a fund to help these kids pay for equipment if they want to become more involved. I would think the more that would be introduced, the easier it would get people to get involved as well as helping with a short term problem of current burn out by the current members.

I feel the comments regarding USPSA are about as "lawyer'ed" up as anyone one would expect at this point. And rightly so... Do I agree, not completely, But I can see why... As an organization, or really any business entity there is risk, exposure, loss and mitigating circumstances that need to be investigated. Until actual facts and interviews can be made, it is hearsay. Once that facts have been presented actual rulings can be made. At that point it is really fair game to discuss, disclose and judge. Until then it is the jury of public opinion, not facts. This could have serious legal implications if it was not handled properly including criminal charges... So they need to be very careful. I would also recommend taking a softer approach against the actual people involved until the allegations are proved. because if it was proven to be a witch hunt, exposure is an issue and could come back against those that posted personal attacks to those involved. Honesty/Integrity/respect is harder to find in the world today.... But personally, I feel if the people that are wrong, take responsibility and own up to it, we can all move forward much faster and heal from it. That is where personal peer pressure from their inner circle would be the best resolve....

Welcome fellow Missourian... What area are you in? LOTO for me...

I originally went with a Glock because I got a good deal on it, but was never comfortable shooting it. (after about 50 rounds my hand started to bother me), So I went on a quest to find the best for me plastic gun. I tried holding about everything out there walking around the gun shows, until I picked up the Steyr S40-A1. I was instantly hooked, the ergonomics were perfect for me, and once I shot it, the trigger, recoil basically everything about the gun was what I was looking for at that time. Up to this time it was mainly for protection and daily carry. I then discovered shooting sports.... And after a number of matches, I realized it was not the best model for what I was attempting to achieve. (It has a 3.5" Barrel) I Looked into the Steyr L40-A1,(same grip, caliber, etc but a 4.75" Barrel) Unfortunately it is not yet available in the US. Hopefully sometime this summer. So I went shopping again, and purchased the Para Pro Comp Custom 14-45. It has been night and day better for the Shooting Sports and it has much of the same ergonomics as the Steyr, but is a full size, Double stack 1911 Chassis. Once the Steyr L40-A1's become available, (I still have one on order) we will see which gun I feel the most comfortable with moving forward. I think it really comes down to which gun feels the best in your hand, and then from there the best use of the gun for what you are trying to do with it. My Wife has an XD, and absolutely loves it, but it was again.... The gun that fit her the best when she tried holding the different manufacturers.