Poppa Bear

Been there, done it. Stage had 16 targets with 2 on each side of a wall that run up both the right and left sides of a 32 round field course. Took everything on the left side, came around to the rear port and engaged the targets through there. Ran to the right taking everything on the right side and blowing right past the two targets sitting on the left side of the wall on the right hand side of the course. Knew I blew it because the round count was not right, but it took a trip towards the back to realize which targets I had blown by. Same match had several courses that challenged the shooter to pay attention to target placement. Many people got a 2 M, FTE or two at this match.

Put on my jacket. When it comes time to shoot take it off and drop it at my bag. When I am done shooting the COF I put it back on. Been there, done it, will be doing it again.

Is there a good simple program out there that will do the CSV or TSV file? I have not dealt with online squadding or registration but are they easy to set up in a format that is importable to a CSV or TSV program so that they can then be dumped into the updated EZWin? I have made Adobe Acrobat files that are fill-able so that the party just needs to email back the completed form. I can also produce Excel sheets that will perform much the same function, but there has to be a program out there that is much easier to use and distribute that will allow the needed data to be input by the competitor.

Well planned stages that are a challenge but not so labor intensive that they back up all the squads. If they can be set up so that you arrive + or - 5 minutes of the prior squads finish that makes for a smooth transition between stages. Stages that cannot be gamed. The shooter has a number of ways to attack the course but all loopholes have been plugged so that the squad of DRL's cannot argue with the RO and CRO. A well trained match staff who can make decisions for themselves, but know who or when to call for the necessary assistance to keep the stage running smoothly rather than try to do it all themselves.

When I upload they get both files. More of what I was meaning about the HHF for a shooter was if the HF was out of proportion for the shooters apparent level there are a couple of things that can quickly determine if it was an error of some sort. Then a quick email to have the stats person verify the numbers. I have never had USPSA call for a correction but I have had several shooters ask for verification like the guy I gave 16 procedurals to because I punched in a 6 before I moved the cursor into the time box. He had zeroed the stage so seeing a HF of zero was expected. Seeing all those procedurals was not.

A big part of the DQ is how it happened. Was it because you screwed up mentally, or did the conditions screw you up? I have seen both. Shooter flat out broke the 180 going for a target he ran past. Shooter broke the 180 because they did not pull the gun in quick enough and caught it on a prop as they ran by. I also saw a shooter slip, flip, roll and slide and still keep the muzzle down range the entire time. I know many people that would have either dropped the gun or had it sweeping 360 degrees as they tumbled. He didn't DQ but I know he was kicking himself for running quicker than conditions allowed.

I shoot what I got. Got a great deal on 12 lbs of Clays and 8 lbs of Longshot. Worked up a load knowing that I could make Major without even trying with Longshot. How low could I go and still make Major and have decent accuracy? Looks like it is 5.9 grains. Figured I could not make Major with the Clays and still keep it at a safe level, I was wrong it appears. Put together a load of 3.7 grains behind a Precision Moly 185 at 1.155" which still fits in my Glock mags. Chrono says an average of 921 fps which is 170 PF. Would I want to load this at an OAL of 1.125? Not really but Sierra 5 says a max load is around 5 grains for a 180 grain bullet at 1.125 so I do not know. As it is my load is very accurate, soft, and shows no signs of excess pressure. 12 lbs at 7000 per pound makes 84,000 grains. Even at 4 grains that is 21,000 cartridges. Add the 56,000 grains of Longshot which are good for another 9,500, and I have over 30,000 rounds I can shoot before I run out of powder.

Yep, They have to evaluate if all classifiers for that club were higher than expected, which points to it being set up wrong. They then have to check for input errors. If a GM can shoot the string in 4.02, but the C shooter did it in 4.23 is it because the stats person entered a 4 when he should have entered a time of 7.23? This is much easier to find in multi-string classifiers. If the times are Freestyle 5.25, Strong hand 5.85, and Weak hand 3.44 They can almost bet it is an input error that was not caught. An unfortunate error in EZWin is the inability to catch extra No Shoots and Procedurals. I have hit a key and had my fat fingers hit two so that instead of 1 or 2 being entered 12, 21, or 23 gets entered. That will zero a stage almost every time. It would be nice to have an error message kick out anytime the number of penalties is in double digits that says "Are you sure the competitor had XX NS or Procedurals". It always kicks out an input error if the number of shots fired does not agree with the stages required number, so why not have one that kicks out an input error for excessive penalties?

If you have your reloads down to a science and you never miss then it will do you no real benefit other than giving you something to help keep your hand in one spot. If you are like the rest of us then it has the added benefit of giving you that extra bit of space to guide the mag in when you fumble that mag as you run to the next position. 99 times out of 100 you make a smooth reload, but that one time you fumble it....

Chronographed some rounds tonight. Bullet= Precision 185 gr .40 Cases= Mixed Powder= Clays Charge= 3.7 gr OAL= 1.155 Gun= G35 with KKM barrel Low= 914 High= 936 Avg= 921 PF= 170 All data the same except: Powder= Longshot Charge= 5.9 gr Low= 918 High= 950 Avg= 932 PF= 172 Going to load up a bunch more of the Clays so that I can get a larger sample and to get a better idea of how it feels compared to the Longshot. Will also have to get an idea of how much of a change I can expect if it is shot at around 40 degrees instead of the 70 degrees indoors. Would hate to Chrono it at a major match only to find it has gone minor because of the temp change. A funny note to the testing is that I had 3 rounds of Clays left after I checked it across the chrono. Loaded them into the middle of a magazine I used on a COF we shot tonight. The RO and board person both said they almost called "STOP" when they heard the first round go off, but a split second later heard rounds 2 and 3 go off and figured I had it under control. There is a BIG difference in the bang created by Longshot and the one created by Clays. I expected the difference in sound even though I knew the feel of the recoil would be close being as they are both around a 170 PF. I felt the right recoil with the softer bang so I just kept shooting not thinking about how the RO's might react to it.

One thing brought up in an earlier post is how the factory ammo is made. Many times it is whatever components they can get for the best price at that time. As we all know because it is brought up every so often, powders have different sensitivities. Some are reverse temp, some are positive temp, some are stable across a wide range of temps. This also affects those who reload so they also have to plan for different elevations and temperature changes. If at all possible chronograph what you plan to shoot in the match. If it is borderline change your factory load to something with a better PF, but there will be no guarantee that you will make PF if you test at 150' of elevation and 95 degrees when the match will be shot at 5,000' of elevation and 50 degrees. Has anyone not made PF while using a full size gun, and shooting factory ammo? Seems to me most of what I have heard about not making PF are compacts or sub compacts.

You're forgetting one important phrase: 5.2.4 During the course of fire, after the start signal, ... I read the part in BLUE as a separate portion of the rule. Mainly you may use apparel pockets as long as they are compliant with Appendix D, Item 12. The first part says unless specified otherwise in the WSB ALL mags must be on your belt. The part in Blue was added to allow you to use apparel pockets if you did not have enough pouches. The words "After the start signal" are there to allow you to move your magazines and gun after the start of the COF but prior to the start signal for any COF requiring off body gun and magazine placement. What the part in BLUE does not allow you to do is to specify "All magazines must be carried in your front pocket" SS and Production could not comply because the part in BLUE says that the apparel pockets must comply. So as I read that part you can be compliant putting the all magazines on a barrel in front of you but are not allowed to place them in your front pocket, because the part in blue specifies that you can only prohibit apparel carry.

5.2.4 During the course of fire, after the start signal, unless stipulated otherwise in the stage procedure, spare ammunition, magazines and/or speed loading devices shall be carried in retention devices attached to the competitor's belt and specifically designed for that purpose. Unless specifically prohibited in the Written Stage Briefing, a competitor may also carry additional magazines or speed loading devices in apparel pocket(s) and retrieve and use them without penalty, providing that the location of the apparel pocket does not violate the requirements of Appendix D, Item 12 (subject to the provisions of Rule 6.2.5.1). 6.2.5.1 However, if a competitor fails to satisfy the equipment or other requirements of a declared Division during a course of fire, the competitor will be placed in Open Division, if available, otherwise the competitor will shoot the match for no score. As I read this the two are tied together. Under 5.2.4 you are compliant when you come to the line with all mags on your belt OR in an apparel pocket that meets the requirements of App D, Item 12. At the command "Make Ready" you need to be compliant with App D, Item 12 or be bumped to open under 6.2.5.1. If the WSB calls for the gun or mags to be in a different location for the start signal then you are authorized under 5.2.4 to move the gun and mags to that location after the COF has started but prior to the start signal. So unless the WSB calls for a non-compliant location for the mags, you need to be fully compliant at the start of the COF, during the COF and up to the end of the COF.

Place barrels in the positions of Box A and B plus a center barrel. Start loaded and holstered with ALL remaining ammunition on the Center barrel. Upon start signal engage all targets with 4 rounds each. All divisions would have to make a different plan on how to shoot it. Do they stow mags back into their holders or just reload from the barrel? As an added twist you can set T2 and T7 as appearing targets that are activated from the opposite barrel. This ensures that the shooter has to go back to the starting position to engage the final target.

I have guns for all divisions. The revolver is not competitive because I do not have the correct speed loaders or gear to make it competitive, PLUS it is a 2 3/4" snubby. My SS, Production, Limited, and Lim-10 guns are all competitive, and I have the proper gear for the divisions. My Open gun is Open for a reason, it has a laser sight on it. Is it competitive in terms of accuracy? You betcha!! It is the most accurate gun I use. Is it competitive overall? Not even close, it is my Glock 22 which is my daily carry gun. Without the Crimson Trace grips it would be a great gun for Lim or Lim-10. It would be a great base for a true Open gun if I decided to compete in that division. Because of the grips I would have no choice but to shoot it as an Open gun. I know it and the other members of my club know it. The only time it would be shot as an open gun is if I decided I wanted to be classified in that division, something I do not want to do with a gun that is not built specifically for that division. If it was the only gun I owned I would just accept that I would have to compete in Open.

The general max for Glock mags is around 1.165 OAL, after that they start to bind. I discovered this because I was looking for max OAL and later discovered that they loaded fine for the first 10 but after that the first cartridges started to flatten out in the mag tube and started binding.

Shooting Box . . . . . . .A small shooting area (generally square) formed of four connected fault lines. Fault Line . . . . . . . . . .A physical ground reference line in a course of fire which defines the limit(s) of the shooting area. 12 rounds from outside the shooting area = 12 procedurals.

Target is obscured in the start position. Upon engagement of the activator the front NS target drops away for a brief period of time exposing the shoot target. The usual practice is a weight will fall off the front NS target when it tips fully to the front, at which point it comes back up to obscure the shoot target again.

It would appear that stage 6 has a Max Trap, which is called that on the diagram. Stage 20 appears to have what most of us would refer to as a Clam Shell, but they call it a Bear Trap. Appearances are also that the heads will remain available after activation because there is no notation of any target disappearing.

My first thought was did the OP misunderstand the MD. Was the MD saying 40 is not good for production compared to 9 and 38, with the possibility of suggesting Lim10 as a division if he was going to shoot major PF? I have myself suggested to some new shooters that they might be better off shooting Lim10 rather than Prod for that very reason.

The most common reason would be someone that is using a belt holster with a 15 degree cant. They work best when located behind the hip so when the shooter goes to re-holster they are pointing the muzzle of the gun well to the rear. This is especially common for those shooters who are predominantly IDPA shooters being as they draw from concealment and use concealment holsters of that style.

1.1.5.2 Standard Exercises and Classifiers may include mandatory reloads and may dictate a shooting position, location or stance. It does not say "May dictate order" which I would take as cannot specify paper above the bar and steel below. Mike Paper above/Steel below would be dictating a position, not an order. Positions can be specified in a Stds or Classifier CoF. However, the WSB would seem to indicate paper first, THEN steel ... Generally speaking, I've seen this intrepreted as "shoot arrays in either order, just shoot them from the correct position" ... though I admit that's not exactly what the WSB says here. Maybe there's the reason for pulling it. (Just guessing here.) The CoF does not qualify as a Stds course for several reasons: Stds must be VC or FT (This is CS), they must be paper targets only (This has poppers), and there must be two or more strings (This has only one.) It also does not qualify as a Short Course (1.2.1.1) as it violates 1.1.5 ... BUT, it MIGHT be OK for a Level I match using the 1.1.5.1 exemption. (Specifying where targets can be engaged from.) It would certainly be OK for any level match if you eliminate the "over the bar/under the bar" requirement. It does not qualify as a Speed Shoot (1.2.2.3) as there is more than one required view. (Above the board and below the board.) Other than that, I can't see anything other than an administrative reason for pulling it as a Classifier. How about the fact that everything is visible from both above the bar and below the bar? The WSB tells you to change your position from above the bar to below the bar but there is no vision barrier.

1.1.5.2 Standard Exercises and Classifiers may include mandatory reloads and may dictate a shooting position, location or stance. It does not say "May dictate order" which I would take as cannot specify paper above the bar and steel below.

I would agree. This classifier is similar to Off Balance Blast another one that had a wide variety of HF's depending on how it was set up. It is hard to get a true test of ability when it is left up to the clubs to interpret how the classifier should be set up. Does the 2x4 sit on edge, flat, does it form the top of the frame, or is it sitting on top of the 2x2 frame? For the shooting box. Is it on rocky ground, sandy ground, concrete, do you have carpet or something like that under the box because the ground is wet or muddy? All things that effect how you shoot the steel.

Find a broom with black plastic bristles.