38superman

Tony - Care to name any names? (Just want to see if we are chasing the same people . . . or if you are chasing someone I should be) David, Up until now I was mostly chasing shooters in the local clubs in Ga. As a newbie almost everybody could out-shoot me so I had plenty to choose from. I don't have anyone in mind at the moment. If I had to pick somebody I suppose it would be Robert Novak. This by virtue of the fact that he won "B" Limited in the Point Series last year and regularly places higher in major matches. Chasing other shooters adds a little spice to the game. Little rivalries can develop and that's when things really get interesting. Even if you are steadily improving, so are the guys you are chasing. Not to mention that you may look over your shoulder and discover that some talented and determined newbie is chasing you. No matter what your skill level, age or circumstance, your peers are always out there. That's why I have a hard time understanding the folks that say the focus on winning takes the fun out of it. For me the competition is the fun. What do you suppose would happen to IPSC if they did away with the classification system and stopped keeping score? Tls

Ah yes, ... the age old question of casual shooter having fun vs. serious competitor out to conquer the world. There is a third category. It is serious competitor out to conquer the world and having fun doing it. Will I ever aquire the skills to challenge the best of the best? Maybe not, but I as long as I continue to learn and improve I hold out hope that someday it may be possible. The strategy so far has been simple. Step 1. Pick out someone that shoots significantly better than me and pursue them relentlessly until I can beat them consistently. Step 2 . Repeat step 1. The real suspense lies in the question of whether plumb potential will be reached before step 1 is no longer achievable. When that day comes, I will enjoy shooting with my friends and savor whatever success I could find along the way. In the mean time I look at the super squad as merely targets of opportunity. Shoot well boys, ..... I'll get around to you. Nobody eats a steak whole. Take another bite and keep chewing. Tls

Don't worry Jim I got all the Goblins last night with my SV. Took a lot of ammo but I think I got them all. I just wish I had read the label before I drank all that cough syrup. Tls

Dusty, I re-read this topic several times because it is a subject that is near and dear to me. Although I compete in Limited also, I find L10 to be very challenging and very interesting. I see no real advantage in L10 between 40 and 45. As others have pointed out, you can win with a 45 single stack 1911, if you have the skills to do so. If you lack the skills, it doesn't matter what you shoot. That having been said, I think the question you really wanted to ask was: "Skill level not withstanding, what equipment gives me the best opportunity to win in this division?" I can't give you any perspective on the Kimber because I have never shot one. I can tell you that I own a Springfield "loaded 1911" and it is a fine gun. I will also admit that I was not happy with the accuracy out of the box. I has a gunsmith hand fit a match barrel and bushing and it became the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. If you decide to buy a single stack I would compete in that division. That way you are on a level playing field competing with others with basically the same type of gun. You can compete in L10 with a SS as many people do. However, I don't think it is the ideal gun for that division. You will find shooters with single action, double actions, Glocks, 1911s, double stacks, LDAs, you name it. IMHO the ideal rig for L10 is a wide 45. You should consider something like a P14.45 Para Ltd. With an Ice magwell and speed holster it would give you every advantage allowable under the L10 rules. You could probably pick one up for about the same money as a good 1911 The only disadvantage is that a single stack lets you compete in both SS and L10. That and the fact that Xre will call you a wimp. Tls

Excellent report Kevin. You should get yourself a collet style bullet puller. You'll be a much happier man. I used the kinetic pullers for decades. I avoided pulling bullets because it was such a pain. I broke down and bought an RCBS collet style puller which I use in a single stage press. It takes a fraction of the time, you don't lose powder and you don't deform the nose of the bullet by slamming it into the front of the kinetic puller. It is a vast improvement. Tls

Allow me to point out that Dusty never mentioned anything about a singe stack in his original post. He only asked about the merits of a 45 vs 40 in L10 and the range at which we engage targets. The rest of us injected the single stack vs. whatever debate. Dusty, back to your original question. The 45 has been around for almost 100 years. Many cartridges have come and gone in that time. There is a reason for that. The 45 may not be ideal for every circumstance but it is almost always competitive. I think we are all in agreement on that. Tls

We're coming from Nashville. If you're coming from Nashville, stay in Huntsville. Once you leave Huntsville headed south on US431, there are very few decent hotels until you are well past the range (Guntersville). I too would be curious to know how many shooters are expected. Tls

syme71, Nice avatar. Obviously, the BEnoverse will now become be the latest target of jihaad. Tls

I agree that the 45 can be competive in Limited if you're sharp on your strategy and quick with your reloads. My 40 mags usually hit the ground with a couple of rounds still in them anyway. I always plan my reloads to allow for a makeup shot or two if needed. Now that the SS division is in place, it will be interesting to see where we go with L10. It was concieved as "Limited Lite" to account for magazine restictions that were enacted with the Brady bill and are still in effect in some states. The other divisions have types of guns that dominate because they are the best solution to the way the rules are set up. L10 has always been sort of a catch all where equipment was concerned. The division is wide open and almost any gun you can name (short of a full blown race gun) can compete under L10 rules. A lot of folks thought that L10 should morph into SS but now that SS has it's own banner, should L10 remain as is, or evolve into something with a little more structure? Tls

+1. In working up loads for L10, I always back off and work up to major power factor. I have found many soft, flat, accurate loads along the way that didn't make major but would work just fine in production. You don't have to load all the way down to 125 PF to have a viable production load. Go for it. Tls

Hi Steven, I'm fine. I look forward to shooting with you again, hopefully sometime soon and someplace warm. I decided to shoot Lim10 this year, at least until nationals. As you can see I have to fend off the "Skinny Guns Rule" crowd when I decide to cheat and show up with my 45 Edge. Sorry for the thread drift Mr. Moderator. Yes Dusty the 45 can be competitive in about any division other that open. You would be at distinct disadvantage in Limited due to mag capacity, and in production due to power factor. However 45's are prevalent in L10 and Single Stack and it is also the cartridge of choice in revolver. T

Wimp. Hey, we have a special division now for you real men with skinny guns. Knock yourselves out. T

I have shot three different 45's in lim 10. The first was a single stack 1911, the second was a Para P14.45 double stack, the third was an Edge 2011. I settled on the Edge because it has the same grip / weight / balance as my limited gun. This makes it easier for me to move from one division to the other without having to adjust to the feel of a different gun. The double stack is also much easier to speed load that the single stack. I have also shot my 40 SV limited gun in lim 10 as a backup when the Edge wasn't running quite right. Even thought the ammo is more costly, I prefer the 45. My 45 Edge shoots softer and flatter than my 40. This is because the lower chamber pressure of the 45 allows me to use faster powders and heavier bullets than the 40. As for the max range in the COF you may be required to engage targets out to about 40 yds. from time to time There is no meaningful difference in those cartridges at that range. Tls

I was under the impression that USPSA membership was increasing steadily, both in the number of affiliated clubs and individual members. Am I wrong? I cannot imagine wanting to be part of this sport and not joining the sanctioning body so as to have a valid classification and participate in the major matches. The cost of a yearly membership is barely enough to buy a couple of pizzas. I spend more than that every week on ammo. I understand the sentiment of the officers regarding rogue clubs. I'm sure these rogue clubs charge attendance fees. They should be able to generate enough revenue to run their club and still do their share to fund USPSA. Unless they are running their club "for profit", why wouldn't they do the right thing? However, if they want to use our targets USPSA is still getting revenue via royalties from the target manufacturer. I believe the people that were elected to steer this boat are thoughtful and reasonably intelligent. I trust the BOD to weigh all the pros and cons and make the right decision. Tls

Ok, here's where I spend all my time. Over the years I have reloaded in closets, on picnic tables, and on every rickety surface that you could bolt a press to. I finally got sick of it and fabricated a real bench The legs are made of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1/4" structural steel and the frame is 3 x 3 x 1/4 angle iron. The top is made of 7 ga plate steel. It has 5/8 bolts threaded into the bottom of the legs for leveling and the back of the table top frame is lag bolted to the wall. It is solid. Tls

+1 on this approach. I ordered a new Brazos Pro Sx and found a used one in the meantime to shoot. Not having shot open before, it was an eye opener to have something to tell me what I wanted versus what I didn't want. Plus Bob was extremely accomodating on making the bunch of changes I kept throwing his way. Now, if I can just make my wife forget about the gun 'you said you would sell as soon as the new one showed up'! Hey, I have first dibs on that used Sx. Looks like I'm going to have to join forces with your wife and keep the pressure on. My wife tells me "For every gun you buy, I get a new piece of jewelry... You go boy"! Tony

Now that I have read the article I thought it made some good points. IDPA vs IPSC, tactical vs. practical, game vs. training. It all pretty tedious. It did however, get me thinking about a interesting question. I'm wondering if any IDPA/IPSC shooter whether police, military or civilian has ever been engaged in a real gunfight. If so, and assuming they survived it, I would be curious to hear about it and to know whether that person believes their action pistol experience had any bearing on the outcome. If none of our thousands of members has been in a shoot out, I submit that the odds of it happening are astronomical and not worth one more word of argument. Tls

I don't own a mag gauge but I probably should. Beven Grams says that his 4mm basepad on a 140mm tube is close and should be checked. I have shot dozens of matches at every level over the past two years. No one has ever shown any interest in checking my equipment in any way other than a visit to a chrono. If an RO or match director saw something that they thought was questionable, I'm sure they would investigate. Based on what I have seen thus far, it would have to be a glaring violation. When my STI mags w/ Dawson +1 mags were new they would only load 19. I got in the habit of simply loading them up until they wouldn't take another round instead of counting. That practice cost me at last years nationals. Without my realizing it, the springs loosened up to the point that they would take 20. Unfortunately, I had a couple of stages where the mag dropped out while I was shooting, because the extra round prevented the magazine from seating properly. Lesson learned? At the end of every stage I empty each mag an reload it with a specified number of rounds. Tony

Mark, Just out of curiosity, how tight are they when inserting a mag? I have been using the sti spring follower / Dawson +1 basepad and getting 19 rounds. I recently purchased an extra mag with Grams spring/follower and Grams 4mm basepad. It will hold 20 but I have to push a litte harder than normal to seat the mag. I figure when the new spring loosens up a bit it will be better. I agree 20 rounds is way cool in a 140mm mag. Tls

I think I'll show these pics of Emanuela to my wife. "Honey, this is what you're supposed to look like". Tls

App sent. I'm in. Tls

I havn't seen my copy of Front Sight yet but in reading through this thread here's what comes to mind. 1. There are just so many types of targets and props available such as bear traps, swingers, movers, paper and steel. The guys that put together the matches both major and local have to find inventive ways to rearrange these components to keep the stages fresh and interesting. That to me would seem to be quite a challenge. 2. I've never considered any stage frivolous as long as it presented some sort of shooting challenge. My personal favorites are the dark house at the last two nationals and the waterfall stage at the last Miss. Classic. Both were unusual and great fun. IPSC is a game. Yet I have to believe that those that play it are better prepared for a real world gun fight than those that shoot about as often as they go to the dentist. If you must relate what we do to some potential real world scenario, the real benefit is not in how the targets are arranged and what props are used. Benefit lies in the kind of familiarity with a firearm that can only come from thousands and thousands of rounds fired. The benefit lies in learning to engage targets in an unfamiliar scenario and come up with a shooting solution on the fly. What little I know about "real world" tactics, it would seem to be less about how fast you can pull a trigger and more about how well you can think under pressure. The stage has never been invented that can simulate the pucker factor that comes from having a target that is shooting back. Tls

Congratulations David. Always good to see nice guy get a little recognition. I never got my picture in Front Sight but I did get my name in print once. It was astonishing how many people mentioned it to me. This is your 15 minutes of fame. Tony

From what I understand Fox is returning next month. Tls

I think its a good idea to have several manuals. Everyone agrees that you should back off from the maximum load and work your way up for safey. The question is, which max load do you believe. Do a little research and you will discover that even with the same bullet weight, type and powder, the max load varies quite a bit from book to book. I like to refer to at least three different sources and take an average. From that average I back off and work up. Tls