boo radley

You know, I half-considered an XD the other week. I picked one up -- I suppose that grip angle is the same, but otherwise if feels *nothing* like a 1911, IMO. It's different enough, that I'd rather go ahead and get the G35, for ease and availability of aftermarket parts, etc. Dave -- $200 seems pretty cheap to reload 2.5k of .45, since I don't have anywhere near that much brass on hand. If I stay with same load (4.9 n320 & 200LSWC), it's about $300 before the cost to ship 100+ pounds out. 9mm is starting to look better and better, although it's probably silly to worry about ammo cost in this instance: I should just look at it as investment in education. Merlin, I agree with you though -- I need to pick one soon, and move on. Given the state of the world, it seems like a trite issue to worry about, but this has been on my mind, and I appreciate y'all's input!

I'm finding myself in a situation, because of a number of circumstances, where I can rationalize a new pistol, but I'm not finding it an easy choice for a variety of reasons. First, I have two "competition" pistols now -- a stock Kimber CustomII in .45acp, which I use for L-10. I have *finally* shot enough unique classifiers, that I should get my first USPSA classifcation, next month. This is important, since I have entered my State's Sectional, and I didn't want to be "U", for this match. Second, I have a Glock 34. It wasn't as accurate as I liked, so I sent it to Smyrna, and they replaced the locking block, and slide-stop, and sent it back with a nice test-target, so I assume all is well. I've only put about 500 rounds through it, total. I find it pretty funky to shoot, because I've put so many rounds through the 1911, but I could get used to it. There are some things I like very much -- the sights (Dawson/Heine), the ergonomics of the mag release, the simplicity.... For both 9mm and .45acp I have the needed reloading equipment. Now, to make a long story longer, towards the end of next month, I'm going for a two-day training class with Frank Garcia, in FL. The tuition was a wonderful birthday present from my wife, and I have enough FF miles to cover the trip. However, he asked that I ship down, bring or buy 2500 rounds of ammo. If I bring my Kimber, that's a fair amount of expense and weight to contend with, even reloading myself, with .45acp. Also, I'm a tad paranoid about not having a back-up -- the pistol has run great, but I did break a thumb-safety a while ago.... If I bring the G34, 9mm is a hell of a lot cheaper to load 2500 rounds, and easier to ship, and I don't care about saving the brass. I could even order a couple couple cases of CCI Blazer, and have them shipped, if I don't feel like reloading that much in the next couple weeks on my SDB. *However* -- that an awful lot of intense training with a Glock 9mm to turn right around, when I get back, and shoot a Sectional with a completely different pistol in L-10! My budget is pretty tight at the moment, and while I'd love to just go ahead and get an STI or something, I'm thinking about doing one of three things: 1) Getting a used G35, hopefully a little tricked out with magwell, and nice sights. I would still take the G34 to Florida, but when I get back I'd shoot the G35 in the Sectional -- it shouldn't be *that* different. I'd prefer not to have to mess with loading .40SW right away; will factory .40 make major? (NM -- I'll look it up). I would also use the G35 for Limited, down the road. 2) Getting a used Para, or something in .40, and taking *that* down to Fl. I'd later use it for Limited, and have it as a backup, or primary, L-10 gun. Not cheap, though. 3) Just getting some extra parts for my Kimber, and just biting the bullet (ha) and paying to have Wolf ammo, or something, shipped down, or just ordering 2500 cast bullets and sufficient brass and powder....This is probably the cheapest option, and I'm leaning towards this, or the first. The runway is getting a little tight, though, at 4 weeks, and I should probably make a decision, soon. Thx

Thanks, all -- I learned something from every response. Well, mostly. I think I picked up the book specifically for two reasons, or goals in mind. 1) General curiousity -- from comments made here, it sounded like an interesting journey. 2) A vague notion that I could use some of the book as a "cheat sheet," or grab a pithy "Zen" phrase or two, to use to help quiet a nervous and jumpy mind, when shooting practical pistol matches. Number 1, for sure -- well worth reading, I think. Number 2, I'm not so sure this book is the easiest guide, and I still struggle with the contradiction, in my mind, anyway, that while amazing feats of accuracy are an external manifestation of a student well on his or her Path, if the *goal* is amazing accuracy....ya' ain't on the Path. The water gets deep, quickly. At least from my interpretation. And I'm absolutely OK with that, because I think as BE, and others, have pointed out that it's possible to leverage fundamental aspects of Zen in very practical, and simple manner.

I have that exact same setup -- SDB with Strong Mount, set up for .45acp. This evening, I could post a picture, if that helps.

On a whim, while my wife was shopping at the dreaded mall, I walked over to Barnes and Noble, asked the saleslady if they had "Zen and the Art of Archery," and damned if they didn't. Bought it, read it -- it's very short -- and found it a little disturbing. It's a fascinating story, but I'm struck by the sense that there aren't shortcuts -- a Master's students practice in an extremely rigid manner for years and years. And, the notion of "learning some Zen," to quiet a racing mind and nerves at an archery match, or specifically at L.A.M.R, to ensure a good performance, is probably *not* Zen, no?

I put in the same combination: Heinie rear and Dawson FO front. Very, very nice; the FO isn't overhwhelming at all, and there's plenty of space, on either side of the post. Best of all, it was any easy DIY job. I wish my Kimber could have a similar sight picture; its sights don't come off as easily, I don't think.

Aagh. Got my first (hopefully *only*) DQ this weekend, and it's still painful. I will assuredly be careful. Good point. The most recent example, of what I'm finding tough, would be a classifier like "Ironsides" -- don't remember the CM # -- but you have to both kneel/crouch *and* shoot around something from one side, then the other. It's a little tricky to shoot like that for me, especially on the left side of the box, but I think I really wasted time getting in/out of position. As you suggest, I'll have to play around and practice different ways. The "Viet Cong squat" might be faster than I had thought, but there's the balance issue.... Flex$ - I *think* I dl'd the correct .wmv from the USPSA site -- is this the clip where the shooters are starting lying on their backs? The first two ports are low, but not as low as I'm talking about -- having to shoot things that are under like 30" or so.

Something I seem to run into a lot of lately, are stages where I have to crouch/bend/kneel down to shoot under something...I'm 6'2", and at 40y.o., not quite as limber as I should be, and I'm really losing a lot of time, on these stages. Specific concerns are: 1) tempting to rest against the side of the barricade, or cross-bar, to steady the aim in an awkward position. I know this is "bad", but if I haven't gotten in a good position, before shooting, it almost seems faster than shifiting, especially when the pistol's shaking. 2) Kneeling vs. just crouching. So far I've been throwing the far knee down, but I'm wondering if I should try to squat, instead? Any general tips or suggestions? Many thanks

I started reloading late April, on a Dillon SDB press I bought here, in .45acp. I just finished, this morning, in fact, my fifth carton of primers, so that's 5k rounds I've loaded.... I couldn't imagine using a single-stage press for the volume of ammo 'practical,' or 'action', pistol shooting requires. I don't find reloading particularly fun, but it's not terribly onerous, either, and there's a satisfaction in seeing a growing pile of ammo. I'll knock out 500 rounds, forget about the press for two weeks, then knock out another 500. The loading, itself, is pretty quick on the SDB - a tad over 10 minutes per 100, though my attention span is such that I'll load a couple hundred, take a break, then finish the rest, rather than knock all 500 out in an hour. Biggest hassle is brass; shagging it, getting under people's feet at matches, tumbling it... Are you sure you want to reload *both* 40 and 45? Awful easy to get those cases mixed up, accidentally.

Do you have a bit of slop in the holster? My trigger guard is pretty tightly held in the holster. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There's a little bit of slop, but not much. OTOH, I can turn the holster upside down, and with a slight shake the pistol pops right out (if the safety catch isn't engaged). Is that normal? I'm posting a couple pictures below of the setup -- if something's glaringly incorrect, please let me know. Man. The thing that REALLY irritates me about the DQ is that a) I never should have run with the pistol holstered; was just doing so because there was a general request not to draw until through the door, since some shooters were crossing themselves, and the RO even *asked* me during LAMR -- "your gun's not going to fall out when you run, is it?" Oh, no. Grrrrrr. Mad at myself.

Well...I just got my first DQ in a match, today, when my pistol bounced out of the CR holster during a short dash, before opening a door, on one stage. That will teach me to engage the *#*$%@ lock, from now on, if there's movement before drawing. A humiliating lesson.

I ended up cutting my white plastic screw in half, last night. Much better - now it screws in flush enough that I can back it out a turn or two, and it supports the dustcover (right term?) nicely, so the pistol doesn't rock back and forth. I also used one of the square shims - I assume that's what they're for, since the holes lined up -- between the hanger and holster, and otherwise played with the angles and adjustments so it's mostly comfortable. I certainly won't be able to blame the holster for draw times, from this point on. And I like the belt system -- so much nicer than having those Kydex paddles jam ya', and move around.

%*(##@$*( AMERC don't gauge properly, and seem to jam in my Dillon Square Deal B press. Before I started loading, I went through a period of range scrounging at matches and during practice. I remember someone even telling me: "You're welcome to all my brass, but it's AMERC and I personally, don't like to reload it." What did HE know, I thought? I greedily added his hundred casings to my collection. Believe me when I say that I rue that %*(%(# day.

They must not have been CR mag holders which fit doubles and singles. -Chet <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No, no they weren't Merlin -- great pictures, many thanks. Your white screw works as I'd expect; mine doesn't, and sticks out almost an inch, after being screwed in all the way. Clearly it's not the right part. <sigh>

Thx Dave and SPD522 -- I'll take a picture tonight of the white plastic screw config -- possibly it's the wrong part? The positioning comments -- very useful, many thanks.

I finally got tired of my WalMart belt, and Kydex paddle holster and magazine holders, and bought a CR speed belt, and CR 2001 holster from the classifieds. The rig came with some holders, but they were for double-stack mags, so I sold 'em. The instructions one setting up the holster are a bit unclear, and it's further complicated by the fact that I have a zip-lock baggie full of a bunch of shims and god knows what, including what appears to be a 2nd magazine cup on a broken piece of aluminum. That said, here are my basic questions: 1) The instructions reference a white plastic screw. I have that screw. There's no way in hell it will screw down "flush" per the instructions, and if I do screw it in until it stops, it tips the barrel of my 1911 up so high, the trigger guard doesn't engage properly. Right now, I'm not even using the screw -- it doesn't seem to much matter. I suppose I could cut 1/3 off the plastic screw, or so, but...is that how this holster is designed?? 2) There are myriad of adjustments possible with the versa-hanger thing. Is there a rule of thumb, or general guideline for getting started? With my Kydex holster (which I've now gotten completely used to) there were no adjustments. Now I'm wondering where to start -- keep the pistol as low as possible, and close to vertical? 3) When I eventually buy some single-stack mag holders, how do you space them? I see folks with all kinds of crazy cants and locations. Is this just personal feel? Or is there some method or logical sense to the positioning? Since I'll probably be shooting L10 for some time, I will need access to 4 mags. Thx. This rig sure feels...different. No doubt.

Funny you should say that -- some time ago, I asked why SWC's were so popular. I started using 200gr SWC's myself, in my .45acp. Seems every match, they're good for at least one "extra" A hit. Amazing.

Actually, in the cold light of day, I'm not *THAT* much in "awe" -- but it is difficult in a sneaky way, at that distance; the weak hand shooting dot, especially. I do agree with you about perspective. Seems at every match people in the squad are experts in "other" shooting disciplines, because I keep hearing: "Well, I'm REALLY a Bullseye/Hi-Power/Silhouette shooter, and this focus on speed....."

I know this comes up from time to time, but I've been shooting this fairly often, and remain in *awe* of how challenging this drill is to shoot @10yards or meters, and I wonder how many folks can run it clean. I still can't -- not a 10 yards. 7yards, yes, if I'm very careful and patient with the weak-hand only dot. I started using those "shoot 'n see" 3" dots, but they were too distracting, and I started looking for the hits, instead of the sight. Man, it's oh-so-tempting to rush the easy dots, too.... Shot this tonight @10y. %&*^(*!$* http://www.sierrafirearms.com/Dot%20drill.htm

Thx all - some good information. I wasn't implying sandbagging, per se, just wondered about a competitive advantage to, uh, "refraining", from shooting a particular Division for some period before an important match, so one could return to the Division being as strong as possible in one's classification, but not yet at the next level. I guess this would really only be an issue with the lower classes -- an A shooter in L10, for example, probably won't classify as a C or D in Production, I wouldn't think. I was very curious, too, about how/why (other than the above) people shoot something different. I can very much see the allure of Limited, and not having constant magazine changes in most stages, as I do with L10. Of course, there's the hit of $$$$ for gear. I'm noticing that different matches in my area tend to have Divisions that are a lot more populated than others, which is a consideration. I always want to shoot against as many people as possible. Interesting stuff -- thx.

I'm just curious how y'all decided to change divisions....It seems to me that there might be an initial advantage to getting classified in one, say L10, then shooting Productiion for a while, then returning to L10 (but with more overall experience, and skill, presumably) for a sectional or major match.

Hmm...it's been about 2 months since I first posted this question, but it feels like 2 years. I'm a tad wiser, and after a really rough period of rock-bottom match performances, a slightly better shooter. I shot a personal-best stage recently, that was so fast (for me) and 100% clean, that I'm still a little awed when I think about it. My mind was completely empty, and since it was close (7y) I just saw the "A's" in the targets like a laser -- didn't even see the pistol, much less the sights -- it was like a sip from the fountain of Pure Index. But in all seriousness, for sure I was *trying* to go fast, since I hadn't shot any other stage particularly well, and I wanted to beat the times of other shooters before me, and didn't mind going for broke. So what kind of lesson is this, to myself? I'm not sure a good one. Still, I'm getting better and more relaxed in general, and shooting a lot more A's and even had a match where I hit no D's, and no No-Shoot's, which is a huge accomplishment for me. If I had to identify a core problem I'm still wrestling with, surrounding this issue, it's still one of control -- from time to time I'll be shooting, seeing what I need to see in the front sights, then I'll see something poor, and still shoot anyway. I'm concerned that I'm not conquering this problem as much as improving my index and physical technique with practice and experience, so while the sights are still not aligned, and I still *shouldn't* be shooting, the results aren't as bad as they once were.

I gather the 3221WN is essentially identical to the 3021. Tell me more about a ball-head? Mike <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The first "2" in the model number means it's black, and I think the WN has some padded legs, but all the 3*21*'s are about the same. They're solid as hell, though you might be able to get along just fine with a plain 3001. Ballhead vs. pan-tilt -- I think that's a personal preference, and I guess if you're doing lots of wildlife viewing it makes sense. I've never used a spotting scope of my own, so I can only speak from 35mm/MF photo experience. They're faster, but a cheap ballhead is infuriating, so you're looking at a couple hundred dollars....I had an Acratech, but in retrospect I wish I had spent the extra and picked up an Arca Swiss B1. Ideally you can set the tension so that the slightest pressure moves the lens, yet it doesn't move whatsoever when you lock it down. Pan/tilt heads are much more reasonable in price, and I often found once one axis was accomodated, I only needed to move (pan or tilt) in the other, so it wasn't that much slower. YMMV -- best to find a high-end camera store (not a Ritz) and play with their displays and models. A terrific resource, too, is "www.photo.net"

That's a nice piece of glass. Bogen 3001 leg-set, or maybe 3021 for something a little beefier, and 3030 pan/tilt head with QR plate is an excellent choice for a solid piece of gear; once you start using quick-release, you won't want to go back. Or, there's Gitzo -- especially if you want carbon-fiber, which is nice but commensurately expensive. I kinda disagree with EricW that an expensive head on cheap legs can be acceptable; IMO, it's the other way around, but regardless -- I do think he's right that Bogen is the perfect entry point. I would buy nothing less. Some decent online NYC vendors that are honest (but read the fine print!): www.bhphotovideo.com www.adorama.com And, for used gear, too: www.keh.com

Heh. I'm using 80W marine gear lubricant left over from when I last changed the lower-unit oil on an outboard motor. This stuff has stable extreme pressure additives as well as special anti-foam agents. What think y'all of that, eh?