DKorn

Rulebook says 1-4 seconds. In RO class, the instructor said to be sure to vary it, although many people inadvertently end up doing about the same time every shooter. For training, I would do 2-5 seconds. This gives you the same range as would be used in a match, but with a little extra time to get into the start position. I find if I do 1-4 seconds on a “wrists above shoulders” start that I sometimes get rushed and am not comfortably in position yet.

Are the Taran Tactical pads with Grams followers the highest (reliable) capacity for a 140 mm mag?

Has everyone come to the conclusion that the best 140 mm base pads for the Q5 are the a Taran Tactical ones, possibly with the addition of the Grams P320 follower (if you’re ok with them not locking back)? I’m getting ready to order a set and want to make sure I get the best ones.

What holsters are people using for the Q5? I’m looking for something for USPSA and 3 gun (maybe a retention holster for 3 gun?) as well as possibly a carry holster for the winter months. So far, I’ve seen: Red Hill Tactical Dara Holsters Comp-Tac (“international” model) Thoughts?

I went for the Q5 Match. You guys convinced me, plus once I handled one it was a total no brainer. I’m super happy to have a gun that’s ready to go out of the box instead of having to do a bunch of tinkering... I have a 1911 and a reloading press for when I want to tinker.

Sounds to me like it’s: M&P: $500 gun $150 Apex parts $80 sights (And still not optics-ready) Walther: $750 gun, totally ready to go, with sights as an option but not as mandatory as in the M&P So I guess it comes down to ergonomics, personal preference, and how likely I am to put an optic on it (not likely yet, but toying with the idea). EDIT: I realized I never said why I want to make the change. For 3 gun, I want the added capacity. I also just like having a full size polymer gun in the collection. Right now I have a Ruger 9E that I don’t like very much, so this is to replace the Ruger.

This certainly complicated things. What’s the advantage of the Q5 over the PPQ M2 5”? And is it that much better than an Apex-ed M&P?

One of the reasons I narrowed it down to the M&P (and originally the Glock as well, but I don’t like the grip as much) was availability of holsters, magazines, etc. How is easy is it to find magazines (production length and 140 mm), holsters (including a retention holster for 3 gun), and such for the Q5?

I’m thinking about picking up an M&P and have a few questions. Primary use will be 3 gun, with USPSA production, limited minor, or carry optics (probably with a dovetail Mount) as potential options later on. I currently use a 9mm 1911 for USPSA, but want a polymer gun for 3 gun. Which gun will be best for my use? Original M&P, 4.25” Original M&P, 5” M2.0, 4.25”, no safety M2.0, 5”, safety removed and plugged Also, which Apex kit do you recommend? Thanks!

My reading of the rules (I'm not an experienced RO, but I've taken the class and try to follow these kinds of discussions to learn) is that a makeup shot on the far target that hits within 10 feet is a DQ because you aren't "shooting at" a target within 10 feet.

I agree, but it's a tough call under the rules and very dependent on the exact situation and the relative position of the shot and target. The rule states that the following will result in a DQ for accidental discharge: "10.4.2 A shot which strikes the ground within 10 feet of the competitor, except when shooting at a paper target closer than 10 feet to the competitor. " So, in my mind, the question is whether they were "shooting at" a paper target closer than 10 feet from them. If I'm not sure, then I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. If I'm absolutely sure- for example, if on a wide transition from a target further than 10 ft to a target at 9 ft, they put a round into the dirt 9 ft from them but in line with the further target- then I'd rule it a DQ. If they disagree, then let's talk to the CRO or Range Master as needed.

Exactly! A shot during the draw that hits the ground within 10 feet, with no target within 10 feet, is an AD and therefore a DQ. A shot during the draw that hits the ground further than 10 ft away, or closer than 10 ft when there is a target within 10 ft of the shooter, is a miss. A shot during the draw that hits a target (or no shoot) is scored accordingly.

http://andersonshooting.libsyn.com/visual-patience-is-measured-in-hundredths-of-a-second This episode of That Shooting Show does a pretty good job of addressing what's being discussed here.

Isnt seeing the gun pointing towards the A zone the same as a sight picture, although a very coarse one?

The amount of "sight picture" needed to hit the first shot is the same as the amount needed for the second shot. How much you actually need to see depends on your skill level and the difficulty of the shot. On a close target, it might just be a blurry gun somewhere in the A zone of the target, but there's still some minimum you need to see in order to call the shot.

Assuming you're talking about the IDPA classifier, you are allowed to load the rest of your mags to division capacity. However, the entire classifier is Limited scoring, meaning that you get a procedural for taking extra shots. I would still load to division capacity and carry both my extra magazines in case I have a malfunction of some sort.

My new method as of my last match: When on deck, after the shooter is finished, walk the stage one last time to make sure the plan is totally clear in my mind and refresh my memory of what each array looks like. Mentally run run through the stage in slow motion until "Make ready" is called. When make ready is called, run through the plan in my head one more time. Draw at speed and dryfire the first target, or array if possible. If it's a classifier or other stand and shoot, dry fire the entire first string. Load 1 round from Barney mag in my pocket. Engage thumb safety. Remove Barney mag and stow it in pocket, then load full mag from pocket. Return gun to holster, looking the gun into the holster. Keep my hand on the gun. Focus us on the first target. Mentally rehearse the first few pieces of the plan. Take a deep breath. Assume all of the start position except my right hand. Take another deep breath. Remove hand from gun and assume start position. Ignore "Are you ready?" Wait for "Standby... beep".

Thanks, I'll work on tweaking my grip to get my left hand higher and in better contact with the gun. I've also noticed that when I dry fire a lot and don't do enough live fire, I get sloppy with my grip. I can definitely tell the difference in terms of recoil between squeezing hard and being lazy with my support hand grip, but I never notice it during the match. What're your thoughts on the "squeeze as hard as you can with the support hand" that many shooters prefer versus the Enos "relaxed, even pressure to let the gun track naturally straight up and down"? I've tried a bit of both and I'm not sure which is better for me.

As always any feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm mainly looking for help on stage plans and/or what to work on (whether strategy wise or dry fire), but anything helps! If it matters, I started on stage 5 (the one I forgot to get video of) and ended on stage 4. Things I worked on leading up to and at this match: -reloads on the move in dry fire -visualizing stage plans -dry firing the first array, or as much as possible, during make ready. I had not done this before and it adds so much confidence to the beginning of my stage! -A little bit, trying to make sure I'm seeing exactly as much as I need to see to make good hits, but not more than necessary. I still need a lot of work on this, but I thought I did a decent job at it on stage 4. Things I know didn't go so well: -Threw a mike on stage 1 even after taking extra shots on the far headshot. -On stage 6, threw 2 shots into no-shoots. I made both of them up, but hesitated in doing so and wasted time. -For some reason I just stood there for like half a second before doing a slide lock reload on that same stage. Also, had a couple of malfunctions towards the end of that stage.

As Steve Anderson says on his podcast, consciously choosing to go fast or slow will always result in the wrong choice. You have to watch the sights and the gun, and shoot as fast as you can call good shots. Of course, it's easy to say that, but hard to do. I'm not there yet!

Wilderness Instructor Belt. Comes in your choice of 3 different stiffnesses. For everyday wear (with a gun IWB or OWB), I use the 5-stitch (middle stiffness option), which is what most people recommended. If you prefer a softer belt, go with the 3-stitch. If you're going to use it only for competition or with a lot of weight on the belt, then I'd go for the even stiffer option. http://www.thewilderness.com/belts/original-instructor-belt/

From the first big right to left transition he makes, it seems almost less like a difference in footwork (he moves both feet, although more quickly and efficiently than I did), and more like the biggest change is that he leads his turn with his head and gun, and the feet follow. I moved my feet first and the gun last.

Also, which foot do you pivot around? Does it depend on whether you're moving forward or backward?

So, what everyone seems to be saying is: generally, line up for the hardest target (or middle of an array if they're all equal) and go from there. What i'm wondering is more for the really wise transitions (close to the full 180). Your answer seems to be that it's okay to pivot, but do a true pivot rather than an awkard stutter step. I'll start trying this in dry fire and see how it feels, but it makes sense. It sounds like I also need to widen and deepen my stance, and work on footwork in general. In my dry fire this weekend, I tried working wider transitions, although I haven't tried the "pivot" yet. I found that, for left to right transitions, I can draw to the left with my stance set to put my NPA to the right with no problems This is slightly faster than having my NPA straight "down range" with a target close to 90 degrees to either side. For right to left transitions, trying to draw to the right with my NPA to the left feels very awkward, so I end up being smoother and faster leaving my NPA straight between the two targets. I'll have to see if pivoting on one foot is even faster. It'll definitely be more stable for the shots that would be at extreme angles.

Do you still do this for really wide transitions, or is there a certain angle at which it starts to feel awkward to turn to one side or the other, causing you to adjust your technique or positioning?