MarkCO

Honestly, I have not found that approach to work very well. The problem with "start out slow and accurate, then improve your speed" is that you're not learning to shoot accurately at speed because you're not practicing it. I tried that approach for years. Finally I made the mental leap to "Hey, let's just see what happens if I put the gun out there and shoot as fast possible. Don't worry about the speed, the speed will be whatever I can achieve when I'm shooting balls out. Just sit back, watch the sights, and take care of everything else EXCEPT shooting fast. That part can happen on its own." When I did that, I found that not only did my speed improve immensely, so did my accuracy. I found that I really do have all the time in the world to track the sights, to fire accurately, to transition the gun between targets, even when the gun is firing itself as fast as I can. With all due respect, you agreed with the post you thought you were disagreeing with and acutally made the point. But, the gun really was not "firing itself."

Go as fast as you can accurately shoot. I finished 6th overall in a state match many years ago, 6 points (3 seconds) down total. Maybe I was going a bit slow, but I was always totally in control and calling every shot. I never even looked at the targets after shooting the stages since I knew where all the hits were. After that match, I played around a bit with speed and accuracy balance using one course of fire that I knew well for practice. I found that when I increased speed 20% my time added due to points down equaled 20%, so it was a wash. Faster resulted in worse scores. At about 15% increase, I could still call the vast majority of my shots, except the under 5 yard hammers, and have over 95% -0 hits, no -3 hits or misses. It was finding my balance where my accuracy suffered due to going to fast that really paid off. I had a SS classification in SSP (130 seconds) about 6 months before that match on my first classifier try. Once I had my balance, I shot the classifier in 94 seconds, skipping EX altogether. That said, I am a great proponent of shooting accurately and then pushing up to that point just before speed hurts your accuracy. I hope that honest answer helps you out some.

It might help to put in a link AND the location.

Used mine (in .308) to shoot 2 deer. Now have it converted to .260, great for steel safari/sniper matches. I was even considering using it in Tac-Scope at RM3G next year.

Um, that is where I looked, Appendix D1, Open, #9 quoted above.

9. Ammunition capacity restrictions Maximum of 11 rounds loaded, Max. of 10 in the case of Rule 8.1.1.2 (empty chamber start). Looks like that is it.

Actually, you are higher than that. You have a 74% flagged as F when it should be B. Master is 85% up, so anything under 80% should go B flag.

Congrats dude!

I assume SS in Barry. Was there any indication at the Back-to-Back as to next years location? Same format?

If it is a regular shooter, I only use STOP. If close, I make sure they knew they were close after the run is scored and sheet signed. If it is a new shooter I will tell them "watch your XXXXXX" (finger or muzzle). Likewise, with a new shooter, clock is hanging from my neck or in my weak (as dictated by the shooters) hand and my storng hand is prepared to stop a sweep, which I have done several times. One probloem I see all too often, and even in some of the videos from Nationals, is the clock RO watching targets or the shooters feet for foot faults, and not the gun. Kind of hard to issue safety warnings when the RO is not watching the gun.

GI hanguards attach behind the front sight, to a plate mounted to the barrel, so they are not free-float. YES, the trigger is important, but not all important. When it comes to precision shots, a good trigger is priority #2 (after a good barrel). For shots under 200 yards, no big deal really.

No, switching uppers won't let you shoot .308. The .308 ARs have different sized receivers. You can however shoot pistol caliber uppers, and a bevy of rifles cartridges, from .204 Ruger to .450s on your AR-15 based lower. 20" might be a tad long. I like it, but I am going to a 18" on my next rifle. Get a stainless match barrel and save yourself the long term hassle. About .75" to maybe .825" diamter is considered the better tradeoff in terms of stiffness, weight etc. Major item missing is a free float tube. Get a good one that will take a short range tactical sight and ditch the back-up irons. You will also need a good scope mount. Picking an optic before you have a barrel all spec'd out is also a good idea.

That is definately worth some thought. Rules have and do change, that is not the issue. When this has been a problem at Nationals for what, about 3 years now, we as USPSA members have a duty to be engaged in this discussion. Has anyone sent the BOD a proposal to modify the rules on this issue? If yes, what happened? If not, several people should. Based on the eyewitness accounts and remedial action afterwards, it is apparent that the popper was improper. However the rules DO account for this, and apparently, after at least the first hit, she made a choice consistent with the rules to continue engaging it. Moverfive, I may have missed it, but where in the Rulebook does it allow RO discretion to set aside "clear" rules and impart your opinion into the manipulation of a course of fire? On the spot opinion based rulings do NOT have a place in USPSA! That is because opinions are just that. USPSA, just like the NFL, NHL, etc. have rules to establish the "box." The job of the range officials are to apply those rules in the same manner everytime. Do you call REF at 3 shots or 4? What if there is one good hit and then one bad hit then one good one? Is that 2 or 3 hits? Reasonable is to enforce the rules as written! The place for your opinion, if you feel they are not sufficient, is to get your area director to agree with you and submit a proposal.

Well Said Curtis. The rulebook IS consistent, but few competitors have read the entire rulebook. The Rulebook in USPSA should be viewed as prescriptive, not interpretive. She made her choice on the popper, granted in the heat of a stage, and either got bad advice to arbitrate, or just was unaware of the rules. Tough break, but the proper outcome, based on her choice, did occur.

Nicely done! My "no practice hero"

Welcome! Yes, you will need to adjust your powder charge some. Plated bullets "normally" require a powder charge in between that of lead and jacketed of the same weight, to get the same velocity. The "friction" actually does NOT change measureably from Raniers/West Coast/Berry's plated bullets as compared to most standard jacketed bullets. The normal force, due to a change in obturation and sheer strength, will change resulting in a pressure differential between plated and jacketed given the same slug weight, powder charge and case capacity.

Um...See the banner above for Henning's? Click on that. Give him a call. This is what he does and why he sponsors here. I bought my conversion from him. Very good to deal with.

Just a guess, but I would be willing to bet the word "experience" would be somewhere in their reply. As an engineer, and a company owner, you have to make decisions on hiring that are tough and a good history of employment, proven industry skills, and a bevy of past employers hearty recomendations are WAY more valuable to me than 30 some odd pieces of paper and a great resume. That being said, I would definately ask. Can't hurt and you might get valuable feedback. Best,

There will (probably) be something close to 1, and 8 other stages affording ample opportunity for us all to do better and enjoy the beautiful Whittington Center scenery with the best people...3 gunners. I'm working on my secret weapon for stage 1, a Sonic Blast. As long as the targets are spread far enough apart so I don't trip two at a time, it should work. Don't tell JJ or Denise or they might move me to Open!

By the mere fact that you asked, you have already avoided that. Recomendations: 1. Find your local club, call the contact and ask when they have a new shooter class, most clubs do that. 2. Find someone here on BE, or who already shoots that you might know, to go with you to the first few matches. 3. ASK the RO and squad mates for coaching at the first match. By rule, at a club match, you can be coached if you ask. 4. Shoot whichever of your two pistols you are the most comfortable with in Production/SSP. 5. Burn the 4 rules of gun safety into your brain, if they are not already there. I'd suggest USPSA production or IDPA SSP, if you can, you will need 4 10 round mags. If you have any holster, go with that as long as it meets the rules and is safe. Several of the nylon holsters are cheap and will get you through a match, but you really want to try it without spending any money if you can. If you get hooked, a particluar division might appeal to you and having spent very little up front, the next money can go to what you really like. The originator of this thread took a basic class from me a little over a year ago having never really shot. He got an XDm and started out with an IDPA match. He now has a race ready EAA, just made USPSA Master (Just got married too so that was by the skin of his teeth ) and is on the board of one of the local clubs, so be prepared to get hooked big time. As with anything technical or skilled, get a mentor to help you get started. If you are in CO, I'd be more than happy to get you started. If not, post your location and I am sure someone will jump in and volunteer. WELCOME!

Yeah, pretty sad, bad break for the Bengals at the end. Want Orton for Palmer? Broncos D looked prety good, better than expected.

Multiple exposure HDR won't work for action shots Multiple develops from the same RAW file could be used, albeit with less dynamic range than a multi exposure HDR. Actually it will. Each image has to be modified using photogrammetric techniques and then you rotate around one specific pixel that is the same in each photo to allign the images before you do the HDR.

Looks like Max is firmly in the driver's seat in Open.

If your camera will shoot 3 or 5 burst while altering exposures, I can make your photos rock when you get back. Best is -3, -2, -1, 0 and +1. I can still do it with -1, 0 and +1. You are capturing 3 or 5 images at different exposures. If you can't do it at Nats, look me up when you get back to CO and I'll loan you a camera to try it out. You will be floored.

Great!