Richc2048

I forgot to mention that my CZ arrived the day before I was leaving for Area 3. It is sweet. I picked it up that day and fired it at the range and dry fired it a lot that night and at the hotel before the match. It was my stupid idea to run the gun at the match but changed my mind at the match. When we arrived at the match I finally got the pre-major match jitters and combining that with a brand new gun didn't sit well with me. I changed out all my gear to the glock holster and mag belts and immediately felt 100% better about it. I forgot to realize that I did not know the hold of the sights at different distances and along with the fact that if the gun craps out on a stage I will never hear the end of it by my good friends, it was enough for me to almost have a heart attack. My confidence in my glock was superb and I do believe that helped me do better at the match than a brand new gun that's supposed to be "better" could ever do. So in conclusion, thank you to all my friends that helped me make the right choice! Cha-Lee, I still don't know better than to listen to you in the first place. I am sorry. One day I will learn though. I feel like the kid that thinks he has the whole world figured out and doesn't need the advice of a bad ass GM. haha!

That's true. And I think it's because my reloads not done fast enough to just concentrate on movement.

This last weekend was the Area 3 Championship. It was an awesome experience. This was my second Area match and they really do a lot to get these going. We showed up Friday early enough to catch some of the squads running their match in one day. We kinda of got an idea of how we were going to shoot it once the stages were clear of people and we walked them. I think I had a solid strategy on almost all of them before I left Friday. The heat wasn't too bad on Friday so that helped ease into the weekend. When we got back to the hotel it seemed that Grand Island has their own hurricanes. I was afraid that this is what we had to look forward to tomorrow because we were shooting in the afternoon. We showed up Saturday and due to a rain delay we had extra time to sit around and watch the stages some more. The wind picked up a little and took the edge of the heat. It was actually not a factor that day thanks to the breeze and cloud coverage.The stages were awesome. There were not that many no shoots and the targets were really wide open. There was a lot of movement and funny little things you had to do so the hit factors were not all that high. I ended the match with capturing 89% of my available hits and only scored 1 miss and 7 D's the entire match. The miss was definitely a surprise because I took my time and thought all my shots were acceptable. There were a few stages were I was doing well and ended up in the top 20 for the stages. The majority were in the 30's and some of them ended up being in the 40's and even a 50's in overall finish for production. My goal was to see if there was an improvement since Area 2 and I can honestly say that I performed better as far as being patient with my sights. The few stages where I finished in the top 20 were because I did everything I remembered. My grip was solid, I put effort into every transition, foot placement and well memorized stage plans that were executed the way I intended. Glock26toker was in my squad and I overheard a comment he made about how all he wants is to finish each stage and the match saying he gave it all he could and did not hold anything back. I felt that on certain stages I was on autopilot and going through the motions of shooting but not being aggressive. I just shot it like I didn't care. After I heard that I made sure of it and it felt very nice. My last stage of the match was something I made sure I gave everything to and secured a very good time and got my hits. This is something I need to do on EVERY stage at EVERY match, including local matches. I really do understand now that it is not all physical ability but mental toughness and preparedness. I do recall that the stages that I did best on were the ones I pushed as hard as I could, had my game plan solid and giving me confidence to go as fast as I could. DStriker also gave me the fire to finally get off my ass and get fit. I am no longer giving out donations in time because I run like my legs are webbed and only move from the knee down! haha. I see his aggressiveness and bolt of energy when running and I want it too. It is cool to see the similarity and differences in our style of shooting because of our abilities. I'm hoping that once I can be fast at these short bursts I will be able to keep up with him and even the A Class shooters. I just want to be close to the top times of the shooters that are winning this and then go from there. Taking away the GM transitions and such I should theoretically be able to finish within 5 seconds on long field courses of top shooters. Once I get the hang of the technical stuff then that's where those last few seconds will be earned. I hope I am on the right track to being a GM. As always there are many stories to share from Area 3 and I can't wait to see you all and share them. They are awesome!

There he goes giving out A card nuggets! He is right about it being the hardest thing to break. I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right. I'm trying though.

Yea. I hope that day never comes. I see some people at that stage right now and it hurts seeing them run stages sometimes because I know they were shooting waaaaay better a few months ago.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be at two matches. We had a super classifier on Saturday and and six stage match on Sunday. I had done a lot of dry fire practice in the last two weeks and was eager to see how much more confident I was going to be at the matches. The dry fire really helped solidify some of the fundamentals I was trying to improve. Saturday's super classifier was a very hot day will no shade and there was not a cloud in the sky to filter the sun. This in combination with zero wind made the heat feel hotter than it was. This was great practice for the Area 3 match coming up. I got into a good routine of drinking plenty of water between my runs and did not feel like a butthole at the end of the match. I decided to shoot the classifiers as I would shoot it in a stage. I did not Hero anything or try to beat a certain time. My goal was to just aim/shoot. I did have some issues with tight shots in the beginning by clipping no shoots but I did make sure I was not aiming so far away from them that I would net a C or a Mike. I was going for the points. In the end I had two classifiers in the 60%-75%, one in the 55% range, two that were so low they don't count and one in the 80% range. I thought it was going to be much worse but in the end it did not hurt me to go to this match. Sunday was a six stage match that was pretty good. There was one stage that was an issue with regards to the 180 rule but it only cost us lefties a couple seconds due to unfair stage design. When we saw the squad ahead of us shooting it we saw more people break the 180 at that section that not. It is what it is right? Over all I had an incredible match for my skill level. I won two stages, took second in 3 stages, and tanked one and got 8th. I ended 2nd overall in production and 5% of first place. My confidence level with my gun is getting good and it is actually shooting where I point it. Through out the weekend there were a few times where my grip from the draw was perfect and this netted me faster splits without hesitation. My sights were tracking back quickly. I had a few moments of that when I did what I was supposed to do. I moved a wide transition with my legs and kept my upper body in line which allowed to shot to break really fast. I am really impressed with how easy the shooting is when you do everything you are taught. Once I am able to do this consistently I know I will be able to shoot much smoother and faster netting me more stage wins. The classifier for this match was one we did Saturday so I knew how to execute it. I ended up doing it about .7 seconds faster and I got an 87% on the classifier. This is the first time I have shot a classifier in the Master range. My first A percentage classifier came to me yesterday so I know that the dry fire is the key. I do not feel like I am burning out the more I shoot. It seems that I am getting more excited about this sport and my goal of being in the upper ranks is definitely attainable. I remember writing a few months back about how hard it is going to be getting into B and if I reach B that would probably be it. (Stupid Past Richard) I know feel with more dry fire practice and being surrounded by some of the most friendly and greatest shooters here in Colorado I can reach it without hesitation. Thank you all for reading this.

Yea. It's funny how the gun shoots only where you point it to. Not where you want it to. I'm just realizing what a great grip on a gun does to finding those sights faster.

Sunday's local match was cancelled so I was fortunate enough to have a practice session with some friends. I took it more seriously than the last time I practiced out there and concentrated on some of the things I've been working in dry-fire. I was happy with my draw speed and magazine reloads. Those are becoming way more consistent in the last week due to the amount of dryfire. I was really happy that I am finally able to move around the course and keep up with the times of some of the shooters there. I learned that I need to find a balance of shooting on the move. I really do need to time and see when it's faster to just stay planted and shoot or on the move and slow my shots down a little. I remember doing a stage once at CGC where you could take tight shots around no shoots or just boogie to a port and clear everything fast. It worked out that running all the way was faster. I got some Gold Nuggets from a GM that was there and he helped me by commenting on some of the things i was doing and let me know some things I should work on. It's like he was handing me an "A" card by speaking. He knew exactly what I was doing and my thought process behind them but offered up different things to try. It will take a while to break habits but I am eager to get them to work. I dry-fired some last night and found out that I have seen more consistency in everything I do because of it. I wish I would have listened to everyone sooner. I have a bowling pin match tonight and I'm hoping between my new tighter grip that equals a more consistent sight picture, along with transitioning more with my legs and hips and keeping my posture, I will have a good night. I know my confidence is higher than it has ever been before.

Yes. Social accountability can be a great motivator. You already have a great mindset. Doing A,B,C are your goals and the outcome will be top 16.

I decided to take dry-fire a little more seriously and make it more frequent and with meaning. I am fortunate enough to work from my basement so I decided I am going to wear my uspsa belt down there when I am working. I can work on stuff 5 minutes at a time all day. I've been lacking the motivation to dedicate time to this at night and it gets a little busy with the kids so this is the best option for me. When I was trying to do my draw I found it very inconsistent in both time and grip placement. I now have the Boss Hanger with a Long Shadow holster and started to play around with the angle and positioning. I have for the longest time been wearing it so the slide is straight up and down. I couldn't change much with my old holster without modifying it. I found that the best draw for me was when I changed the angle of the holster to where the grip is completely horizontal to my belt. When I had it before my hand would make contact with the grip starting from right underneath the trigger guard and if I didn't have the angle of my hand perfect the meat of my hand by the thumb would not be in the same position. Now that I have the grip angle straight it seems to guide my meaty portion right where it needs to be and found my draw to be repeatable and consistent in the quality of the grip. I always struggled with this and when I dry-fired would become frustrated and quit. I am very excited that the first second of the stage is where I want it now. Now to concentrate on the remaining seconds! I feel when I switch to the CZ when it comes in that it won't be like starting with a new gun. If I get the grip angle completely horizontal it should feel the same regardless of the platform. I hope I am on the right path. I have a production printer in my basement so now I am going to make some targets to full size, half, and one third scale and put them everywhere. There's plenty of tables and wire racks that I think I can simulate mini stages down here and work on everything. I'm hoping to join an outdoor range that is also affordable and try to make it there at least once a month to practice the real deal. I think the closest one that allows the practice I need is the Ben Lomond Gun Club. It's almost an hour away from where I live. If I can make it there once a month and make a day of it I think it will be worth it.

I've always been a Glock guy. Even saw beauty in them. But those cz's are stone cold foxes.

Yea. Pics or it didn't happen. I still hoping mine will come early enough to test n get it to area 3.

Amen to that. These rounds I made are as good as they're going to be so I'm hoping I just got lazy on the last batch. If not, then it's gun related and I'll just replace all the springs real quick.

It's funny how everything I had ran flawless until I decided to go to major matches. Weird how that all worked out for me.

So would these loose primers cause the light primer strikes?

Hmm. I didn't check. It was all range brass. Are some brands looser?

So I made a new batch of ammo tonight. It took me a little over an hour to make 300 rounds. But I know the primers are seated as deep as possible. I'm hoping the issue is going to be resolved. I've never had issues with light primer strikes...like ever. I had quite a few this weekend at the local matches. One thing I found is that some primers went in really easy. I took them off the plate to make sure there was even a primer. It was that light of a press. Is this what's called a loose primer pocket? Any way to check these visually or do you guys chuck these once you fell the primer go in. I'd hate to waste primers but I hate wasting time on the clock even more. I've never counted how many times I've loaded the casings. I've never thrown any away unless it's cracked. Should I throw these away once primed? Any comments or experience is welcome.

I shot an outdoor match Saturday and a indoor match Sunday night. I was relieved to see that my suck performance the first day at the Mile High Showdown did not carry over. I ended up 7% behind D-Striker which is an awesome finish for me. I was reviewing the scores and it seems like all I am missing is speed in movement, transitions, and getting into a position. I do feel I did a lot better this week in some of those areas because I am usually 10-15% of his scores and my times were just a little slower than his. I think I've closed the gap on the large field courses by a second or two without sacrificing any points to do so. Sunday was an indoor match with less than average lighting so I decided to shoot L-10 Minor and just have fun blasting. I am glad I did because the classifier was a disaster. I ended up having a light strike on 13-05 "tick tock" after my third shot so once I cleared it I decided to see if I could just index my shots. I hosed through it and only ended with 1 mike! The time was already lost on a fumbled reload and the malfunction so I was not able to save my HF. It was fun to shoot that fast and not hit a no shoot. I had 3 light strikes at the indoor match and 1 at the outdoor match. so 4 in about 300 rounds. Totally not acceptable. I'm thinking it's this batch of ammo but I will have to see what is going on. I will make a new batch of ammo and take my time getting the primer in. I have about 4 matches before area 3 so hopefully there will be no malfunctions between now and Area 3 with the new ammo. I am also going to switch from an 11# guide rod spring to a 13#. I'm feeling that I can handle a little more snap now to get the sights on track faster.

Yea. You know your in trouble when I'm getting close. Helps when you go first too. Funny how the only difference from today and last week was major vs local match. There were hard shots and no shoots today just like the mile high.

It must have worked because your times were the same as the usual pace you beat me at and your scores were there. The process you worked on made the outcome you wanted. Very nice D_striker!

Great lessons learned. I'll see you at AGC this weekend. Let's see what happens when we use our sights. I bet it'll be awesome. I'm going to get that book glock26toter mentioned as well. I'm thinking of going on a book buying binge and get Stoeger's books as well. Especially the dry fire book. I think dry firing right vs wrong would be important. I don't want to master bad habits or wrong things.

I need to add movement to that list.

Yea. That's true. I guess it's not "slowing down" but rather being patient for a good sight picture. Not rushing it. It's suppose to take that long I guess and I'm breaking shots early. Man did my scores show it too.

It seems like forever when I try and shoot A's. I wonder if I'm finally able to see sights and the light guide rod spring in combination with 147's are too slow now. I'll have to try my old 124's. Maybe try the 13# guide rod too. Maybe it'll snap back better?

The Mile High Showdown has came and went. Wow. It was a blast to shoot and ran very well. I had just as much fun at this one as any major match.I did not do as well as I planned on shooting but had more fun than I could have imagined. The courses were challenging and creative. I have a lot to learn from this match and reflect on. First things first. I did not do as well as I had hoped to do and the reason for it was many. To get the negative out of the way here is a list of things I did completely wrong or did not execute properly. 1. I had many mental errors when running the stages. I either did not shoot it as intended or had a melt down due to overly complicated way of attacking the field course. 2. I was more involved in the speed of my shooting than accuracy. I had more stages with mikes than I did clean. 3. I was trying to keep pace with other people than shoot my own match. 4. I was having difficulty with the fundamentals in shooting. I was target focused on too many shots that required sight discipline. 5. I was aiming too far away on no-shoot covers and getting a lot of mikes and low scoring hits doing so. On the positive note 1. I never gave up and had a positive attitude. 2. I learned from the mistakes I was making on the first day and applied them to the second day which made the second day perform better than the first day. 3. I regained my confidence and stopped aiming too far away from the no shoot covers and began getting alpha hits. 4. I may not have done well but what I lacked in performance I gained ten fold in experience. 5. I never got to the point where I took too many shots in a shooting array that I had a standing reload. The first day was a train wreck for me. I had more stages with mikes than not. I was shooting way to fast trying to keep up with the big dogs. I learned that I am not losing my time on stages in split times. My transitions and getting in and out of positions are where I am losing seconds and I was trying to blast faster and that is not what I needed to do. I am losing seconds on movement and trying to make it up a tenth of a second at a time and the results were horrible. I lost way to many points doing it this way. I started to shoot my own match the second day and didn't have any mikes and although my times were a few seconds slower than who I was trying to compete with, we were close in hit factor this way due to not losing many points. There were only four stages left the second day but I pulled myself out of a hole the best I could. One thing I noticed on targets with no-shoots covering half of the lower a zone is that I would be scared of hitting them and aim for the charlie zone/ head box and would at best get a charlie delta. Mostly I was getting a charlie Mike. When I started slowing down for those targets, aiming and being confident that I would not hit the white guys I immediately started to get 2 alpha hits consistently. This may have added 2 tenths of a second on each target or shot but the math showed that this was better. Confidence played a big role in my performance. Saturday I was overly confident, kept shooting faster than I am able to and it showed. Sunday I shot a cleaner match, had risky stage plans but executed them because I slowed down enough and was able to make every round count. On day two I was able to get 5th, 6th positions in production. Saturday was anywhere from 15th all the way to the bottom of the barrel. I need to know that I can shoot a clean match efficiently and the time is made up in movement not split times. There's no way I will catch someone by shooting crazy splits on targets that need more attention. I'm going back to my way of shooting clean and working on efficient movement. Being a few seconds slower is going to work better for me in the long run. I'll post the video on my youtube a little later today. I must warn you, it is very difficult to watch. You'll either cringe or laugh with me. You have been warned!