DogmaDog

I shot this one yesterday. 47 points in 7.51 secs for 6.25... hit factor. I drew to the left paper, shot an AC and then 2C on the right paper. Reload went smooth, more or less, and then I scored 6 nicely centered hits on the poppers. I thought it was a smooth run, and a good score for me, but I think I could turn it up a bit on the steel. I drew to the paper thinking that closer paper targets would be more forgiving of a jittery start, and allow my grip to settle in before engaging the steel. I'm a C class L-10 shooter (and basically shooting about the same in Limited), just scratching at B class, so I've been trying to shoot classifiers conservatively. Seems every time I really try to push them, I get an 18%. Far better to get up and shoot an "any day" run than go for a "lucky day" run. DogmaDog [Edit: Got the percentage posted on USPSA today, works out to 63.08..%] [Edit again: Shot this one again on Saturday (01/01/05). Since the last time, I've moved up to B class. Took a tenth longer (missed steel twice, but got all 50 points, and bumped it up to a 6.57.. hf. Should be about 66%. Get those Alphas!] [Yet another edit: This seems to be a really popular classifier. I shot it again yesterday (1/10/05). This time I shot it the same way, left to right paper, then left to right steel. When I transitioned to T2, the casing from my second shot on T1 bounced off the top of my slide. Then I missed the first popper, but made it up immediately. 50 points, 6.78 sec, 7.37..hf. I guess that ought to push 74 or 75%. Cool.] DD

So far in my modest reloading experience, I've started at published starting loads, and loaded several loadings at 0.2gr increments, up to the max load. I've been fortunate enough to find starting and max load data for everything I've tried in one of my reloading manuals. I'll load about 50 rounds of each load, and then take them all at once to a chrony session. I'll start shooting the lightest load, and watch for pressure signs and function while I chrony, and then proceed with the hotter loads until I reach my target PF. You should be able to find loading data on powder manufacturer's websites. Winchester, Hodgdon, and Vihta Vuori all have data available. I'm guessing you'd want to use a small charge weight and a fast powder for a suppressed weapon--that way you'd minimize the gas volume and pressure as the bullet leaves the barrel. Am I correct? Any other reloading considerations for suppressed weapons? (Not that I have any, but I am curious) I have no idea how you should work up a load for your mortar (60s or 81s?) Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I'm with you, Rhino-man. Back in '98 the conventional wisdom on the Marine shooting teams seemed to be that you could usually make a pretty good rifle shooter out of a pistol shooter, but it was hard to make a good pistol shooter out of a good rifle shooter. There was also this feeling that trigger control has greater relative importance than sight alignment in pistol, and it's the other way in rifle. Of course, we're talking about highpower rifle shooting, and bullseye pistol shooting in all of this. What I've found is that shooting a lot of USPSA pistol stuff seems to have helped with trigger control in rifle shooting, in the offhand position especially, I had a very hard time getting the gun to go off when the sights were good. My trigger pull was either just too damn slow, or I jerked it...either way I'd wind up with an 8 or even a 7. Last time I went to the requal range, I felt I was able to use a much more deliberate trigger pull without jerking...I could pull NOW!, and hit the center. I've also gotten better at calling shots...I can tell you in much more detail what happened during a rapid fire rifle string. I think the rifle shooting can inform your pistol shooting in terms of muscle relaxation, natural point of aim, and visual patience. For me it's rare that I can get to a rifle range where I can shoot out to 500 or 600 yards. It's logistically difficult to practice rifle--have to travel a lot further downrange to set up targets, etc. etc. And I can't shoot as much with a rifle as I do with a pistol, but shooting a pistol often does seem to have helped me maintain my rifle skills, at least as indicated by my last outing to the requal range. Yeah, obviously, if you want to be a great rifle shooter, practice shooting your rifle. But if you want to be a good 3-gunner, and you have a choice between shooting 5 rounds of rifle and 5 rounds of pistol, or shooting 2 or 3 rounds of rifle and 20 pistol, I don't think you'd be stupid to choose the latter. I will side with Eric's advice to keep your rifle on the bench, though DogmaDog

I'm still curious to understand what the issue is. I'm guessing the DQ was for having the finger on the trigger while reloading, and the shooter claimed he was engaging targets? Please tell us more about what happened/could happen, that requires a definition. DogmaDog

I have a Kimber Gold Match which I've never had problems with shooting LSWC bullets out of. I load 200 gr. SWCs to 1.260" OAL, but have found 1.250" OAL works fine, also. The two lengths you mentioned are at or close to the limits for .45 (I'd have to look it up to be sure) but something closer to the middle of the range should work OK. 1.255" sounds fine. As far as the magazine, if you can't see anything specifically different when you compare it with a magazine that works, like the follower doesn't come up as high when the mag is empty, or the surface that engages the slide stop is worn, or something like that, then you can try swapping out followers and springs, and that way you can isolate the problem to one component--follower, tube, spring, whatever. I had a problem with one of my STI mags--the follower would hang up and leave a loose column of bullets sitting there. I swapped the spring and follower with a different mag tube, and the problem just went away. I don't know why, but no longer care. DogmaDog

All I've seen so far of the Olympics is the 12 page spread of nekkid female athletes in this month's Playboy. Some of them are very attractive. Some of them look like very muscular men. DogmaDog

I find shooting Glocks unnatural to me, because the angle of the grip is different than on a 1911...the sight naturally returns too high for me. Because of that I doubt that the problems you have are the result of anything to do with the wieght of a 1911 slide, or the PF of the ammo (is a Glock slide really lighter than a 1911 slide?) I think you're just not used to a 1911, and your sights don't naturally come back to alignment like they do with a Glock. If you still want to shoot .45, that's fine...but start reloading! Factory .45 is insanely expensive. You'll recoup the cost of reloading equipment in about 1 year (maybe 2) of shooting if you load all your own .45. DogmaDog

Yeah, those rules are pretty clear...if you are making the cuts in order to achieve a snappier feeling, then you can't do it, but if you're making the cuts in order to make the gun cycle more reliably with 130 PF 9mm ammo, and the cuts are inside the slide, then it's OK. Also, if it's "cosmetic" checkering or serrating ("it's just one serration, a couple inches wide, on the front of my slide!"), then it's OK, right? DogmaDog

Here are IDPA's rules for BUG division. From IDPA's Website: BACK-UP GUN DIVISION Handguns permitted in BACK-UP GUN division may be single or double action and either pistol or revolver and be of .32 auto, .380 ACP, 9x19mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, 10mm, .45 ACP and meet the following criteria: Pistols must have a barrel length of 3.8? or less (factory installed cone style barrels with or without a barrel bushing are permitted), revolvers a barrel length of 3? or less. Maximum (total) number of rounds that may be loaded into the handgun is five (5). NON-INCLUSIVE list of handguns permitted: (These are just examples of handguns that meet BACK-UP GUN division requirements and is NOT meant to be a definitive list of approved handguns.) ACCU-TEK AT-32, AT-380, CP 9/40/45, HC-380, BL-9, AMT .380 & .45 Back-up, Beretta 3032 Tomcat, 84/85/86 Cheetah, Browning BDA 380, Colt Detective Spl, DS-11, Pony, Pocketlite, Mustang, Officers Model, Defender, CZ CZ-83, EAA Witness European, Witness Polymer, Windicator, Glock 26, 27, 29, 30, Heritage Stealth, Kahr K9, K40, MK9, Para Ordnance P10, P12, Rossi 877/677, 68/88, Ruger SP101, Sig P230, P232, P239, Smith & Wesson 10, 19, 66, 36, 37, 38, 60, 442, 637, 638, 639, 640, 642, 3913, 3953, 4513, 4553, 457, 6906, 6946, SW380, SW9M, Springfield Armory Ultra Compact, Taurus 85, 605, 606, PT938, PT111, Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, Wilson Sentinel INCLUSIVE list of permitted modifications: (If it?s not on this list, it can?t be used in Defensive Pistol competition.) Revolvers: · Change of sights to another conventional notch and post type · Change of grips to another style or material that is similar to factory configuration (no weighted grips) · Action work to enhance trigger pull as long as safety is maintained · Bob hammer spur · Chamfer cylinder · Custom finishes Pistols: · Change of sights to another conventional notch and post type · Change of grips to another style or material that is similar to factory configuration (no weighted grips) · Slip-on grip soc k and/or skateboard tape · Action work to enhance trigger pull as long as safety is maintained · Reliability work to enhance feeding and ejection · Internal accuracy work to include replacement of barrel with one of factory configuration (factory installed cone style barrels are permitted) · Custom finishes

I wonder if there was similar opposition in ancient Greece, when events like the javelin throw, or the Marathon, wrestling, or archery--all directly related to fighting craft--were introduced to the Olympic games? What about later on? Fencing. Tae Kwon Do. Pentathalon. How many others have their roots directly in martial disciplines? Man, the VPC are a bunch of venemous weasels. DogmaDog

It sounds like you just want to shoot an IDPA match. I'd say use the IDPA rules, and don't try to reinvent the wheel. Or you could use IDPA division and equipment rules, and USPSA target and scoring rules. Whatever. DogmaDog

One thing you can also do is download some Vihta Vuori reloading data from their website (http://vihtavuori-lapua.com/) They say they got 988 fps from a 6.1gr charge, and 913fps from 5.6gr charge of N320...out of a 6" test barrel. You need 892 to make 165PF if your bullets really are 185 gr (weigh them and see). Anyway, you'll still need to chrony to be sure, but from those numbers I'd guess 6.0 will probably make it by a good margin. DogmaDog

There's no way you can be sure you make major without using a chronograph. You can find "estimates" in reloading manuals, but those all apply to some other barrel and gun than the one you're using, and ammo can perform differently enough in different guns for a load that makes major in one gun to fall short in another. A linear interpolation of velocity between a starting load and the published max load will be a decent prediction of how much powder you'll need to make major, but still won't assure it. Recommended fixes: 1) Ask around at your local club matches. Somebody there has a chronograph, and will let you use it. 2) Buy a chronograph. If you don't also have a shooting timer, the Pact MkIV is both, and a good value at $200 (though cheaper chronys are available). DogmaDog

I have a Kimber Gold Match that I really like. The STI Trojan is nice, too, but will run about $1k new. If you want to shoot IDPA and USPSA, then a 1911 in CDP/Limited 10, or a Glock in SSP/Production, are probably the easiest choices. You might also consider a Para Ordnance widebody gun...then you could be competitive in Limited division in USPSA, though many mods appropriate for that won't carry over to IDPA. DogmaDog

If a guy wants to claim minor, and shoot ammo over 165 PF, then he should be allowed to do so. The divisions merely specify a minimum power factor in order to score minor, there's no rule that says there's an upper limit. In similar fashion, you could shoot your revolver or production gun in Open division, if you wanted. As for the chrony in the course of fire, I think the barrel trick is pretty good. I also think you'd have to place the targets far enough out to force the shooter to shoot slow enough for the chrony to register all the shots...though I suppose you'd get the first shot even if the targets were close. Hard to believe someone would have a special mag full of major ammo to load when approaching the barrel, and the rest of his mags would be full of minor ammo...seems like much more trouble than it would be worth, and a good opportunity to bollix up your shooting plan. DogmaDog

I think it could be possible for the recoil spring to affect accuracy--if the gun is unlocking sooner, then maybe the barrel is tilting as the round leaves the muzzle. I'd do some experimenting shooting groups with a lighter recoil spring and then with a heavier spring. If you get different results, and one spring produces better groups, use that. DogmaDog

I think the question no one has asked is whether or not it actually matters how far the chrony is from the gun. And to answer that we need to know how much velocity a bullet will lose with distance. If it loses 10 feet per second over a distance of one yard, then maybe it does matter where the chrony is placed. If it only loses 1 FPS over a distance of 3 yards, then it probably doesn't really matter. Any ballisticians know the answer? DogmaDog

That the P-40 is a handful reassures my that I made the right choice by purchasing the P-9. Don't mean to disparage your decision, and I'm sure the P-40 is an excellent packin' pistol as well. Thanks! DogmaDog

Yeah, me tends to think that rubbing it in the face of zelous gun-grabbers isn't going to do anything to encourage them to just leave us alone, no matter how much fun it is. "Sunset Edition" sounds a bit classier, too. DogmaDog

I say just have a chrono stage at your local match. It's good "practice" for real matches (how many of the shooters have chronographed their loads since they were developed? How many powder lot changes/primer lot changes have occured, which might affect power factor? How different is the weather today than the last time any of us chronographed our ammo?). Somewhere around here, Vince Pinto described a stage which had, essentially, a chronograph built into a port...you had to shoot through it during the normal course of the stage, and if one of the two shots didn't clearly make the declared PF, then you could pull the shooter and grab 6 more rounds for testing. And the way this guy sounds, even if he shoots your chronograph, it probably won't break it! DogmaDog

My Kimber Gold Match, bought in '98, has been great. All I've done is mess around with springs and add grip tape. I've had a set screw back out of the rear sight, and a firing pin spring break, but neither caused any malfunction of the weapon. The Shooting Star mag that came with it sucked (I had failures to feed), but GI issue and Wilson magazines work flawlessly. Great gun for L-10 division. Not a very competitive platform for Open or Limited, which are probably the two most populous USPSA divisions, so that's probably why you don't see too much about them here, where STI/SVI dominate. DogmaDog

For clarification, I'm guessing you're talking about the Sig P225 and P226 pistols?? If so, I don't know if they will fit in the CR-Speed holster. What I do know is that the CR-Speed comes with several "shims" of different widths that can be used to adjust the width of the notch that the trigger guard goes into. You can adjust it to fit a 1911, 2011, or Beretta, and probably some others. If your trigger guard is narrow enough to fit in the notch, then you probably can make it work...probably. But I'd wait for a more informed answer than mine before you spend the cash. DogmaDog

Power factor is a measure of momentum, which is mass multiplied by velocity. Momentum is also equal to impulse, which is force multiplied by time. Since the force pushing the bullet down the barrel is the same (or nearly the same) as the force pushing the breachface toward the shooter, and those two equal forces act for the same time, the impulse imparted to the bullet is the same as the impulse imparted to the gun. Hence, "power factor" is a good proxy for "recoil". DogmaDog

Shred, Yeah...I'll buy that. You MAY get more useable energy (or maybe I should say impulse/ orpower factor) out of a load with a spikier presssure curve...but you also may not. Since most of the impulse is under the spike (you don't get much more velocity from a longer barrel), the "open-endedness" of the curve shouldn't make too much difference...so I stand by my assertion (rephrased) that changing OAL isn't a worthwhile method for changing PF. Actually, on a larger scale, looking at .40 vs. .45, I've found that you DO get more impulse from the powder in the higher pressure round...I get 170 PF from 4.6 grains of WST using either a 200 gr. .45 or a 175 gr .40 (the .40 comes out of a 6" barrel, though). So clearly the .40 uses the energy in the powder more efficiently. Anyway, I think we're losing the mainstream audience

Heh. I'm the guy that scrounges all the .40 brass these guys leave on the range. I've only loaded about 7k rounds in my short reloading career, so I'm not the most experienced, but I'll pretty much use any brass that doesn't have a crack or split, or serious dents in it. If the mouth is dented, but can be pressed close to it's orignial shape with a wooden dowel, then I'll use it. I throw a case out if the rim/extraction groove is really "chewed up", or if the mouth isn't circular after re-sizing. I personally like the tight S&B primer pockets...kind of a satisfying feel pushing the primers in...and they do loosen up a bit after a few reloadings. DogmaDog