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Yes it's that time again.... Better early ...So we can line up our vacation days for us worker bees... Kindly Post 2020 Matches here... So far we have: 2020 Bul Open Saturday Jan 11 2020 - Sunday Jan 12 2020 Visit http://www.matchsignup.org/match/default.php?matchid=1821 2020 Western State Single Stack Championship, 2/22/2020-2/23/2020 https://practiscore.com/western-states-single-stack-revolver-championship-2020/register 2020 Georgia State Steel Match held at Griffin Gun Club, March 6/7 is the . https://www.practiscore.com/georgia-state-steel-match-2020/register Phoenix PCC Challenge!! Sunday March 8 2020 https://practiscore.com/phoenix-pcc-challenge/register 2020 Alabama Sectional Match March 20-22, Talladega, AL https://practiscore.com/tps-uspsa-at-cmp-alabama-sectional-mar-20-21-22-2020/register 2020 GLOCK 2020 Area 6 Championship, Thursday Mar 26 2020 - Sunday Mar 29 2020 http://www.matchsignup.org/match/default.php?matchid=1835 http://www.matchsignup.org/match/default.php?matchid=1854 2020 Hawaii State USPSA 28-29March https://practiscore.com/mppl-2020-hawaii-state-uspsa-championship-clone/register 2020 USPSA Revolver/L10 Nationals Sponsored by Ruger, May 3 in Talladega, AL 2020 Limcat Custom & Precision Delta Mississippi Classic 14-17 May 2020 https://practiscore.com/2020-limcat-custom-and-precision-delta-mississippi-classic/register 2020 The Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championship, May 20-24 in Talladega, AL https://practiscore.com/world-speed-shooting-championship-2020/register 2020 Sig Sauer Oklahoma Section Championship June 19-20, 2020 https://practiscore.com/2020-oklahoma-section-championship/register 2020 Illinois Sectional presented by SNS Casting , 8/28-30, 2020 https://practiscore.com/2020-illinois-sectional-presented-by-sns-casting-1/register 2020 Walther Arms Area 4 Championship 16-20 Sep 2020 https://practiscore.com/2020-walther-arms-area-4-championship/register

Hello; I want to start shooting the Limited Division in Rimfire Challenge and Steel Challenge and I'm considering the Browning Buck Mark URX Lite. Does anyone have any experience with stainless steel-sleeved, aluminum barreled Buck Marks? Any concern with reliability or longevity? Any input on the Buck Mark would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi all. I bought the full set of the Steel Challenge Banners (originally from steelshootbanners) last year here and they sat in storage as we moved. I just pulled them out of a box and would like to start using them but they never came with instructions. I searched here, watched a few video here and on steeshotbanners.com, all mention standing at 5' and 10' with the top of the round targets set at 5' off the ground. However, I have no idea what targets need to be set up at the 5' or 10' distances. Does anyone have the instructions that are mentioned in the videos? Can someone please attach a copy? Thanks in advance, Alan

This poll is aimed at the Steel Challenge competitor who is interested and tracks their performance against Peak times. Peak times for 2020 will be adjusted. Some show significant reductions in the peak time. This poll is informal and based on my curiosity of how competitors feel about the subject. Your name is not tracked or show in any of the results. Completely anonymous. Thanks.

Hi all, i need some help. I have a 40 S&W STI Edge that I really enjoy. Looking to shoot steel challenge and therefore looking for a 9mm Luger. Considering one one of these 3: STI CZ Tactical Sport Orange Walther PPQ Q5 Match For those who shoot steel, what are your thoughts? Any other gun you would recommend, and why? Thanks!

HI Ya, I have tried to use my new Beretta 92FS in a few steel matches. However after 10 years of using a Springfield XD9 I find it real difficult to start with the safety on as the range officer requested. Is that necessary? Or am I legit to start hammer down in double action mode? much obliged, Max

Yes i know it's only 2018.... Better early ...So we can line up our vacation days for us worker bees... Kindly Post 2019 Matches here...

So I figured I should start this as a replacement to my scattered notes on shooting, this way they are in one place. Maybe others can help or my experience can help someone else out. I will try my best to organize posts for my own and other's sake. It may very well turn into an actual diary since shooting sports have quickly become a true passion of mine.

I heard a pod cast concerning the Match DQ rule in Steel Challenge. I would like to hear your thoughts on the rule. What do you think? fair/unfair and why? Should a shooter be DQ'd for both guns? For Those who are unaware of the rule it's Steel Challenge Rule 8.1 8.1 Disqualifications, General Principles: Competitors who have been disqualified may not shoot during the remainder of the event. This includes events that span multiple days. However, completed match scores will still count. For example, if a competitor shoots a complete score in Revolver then disqualifies while shooting Single Stack that competitor’s Revolver score still stands. In the case where the competitor is competing in two matches simultaneously such as centerfire pistol and Rimfire pistol matches and the competitor is disqualified in either match he is automatically disqualified in all matches in which he is currently competing.

Dead Zero Shooting Park, in Spencer Tennessee, is hosting Tennessee's first State Steel Challenge Tier II Match, October 20-21, 2018. Tom Wright, the Match Director, is recruiting RO's to work the event. RO's can enter up to four guns free (one for each flight) for the flights they are working. He will be having AM and PM flights both Saturday and Sunday with eight squads of 10 guns each flight, including two shooting-RO's per squad. Shirts, Lunch, and Raffle Tickets will be provided as well. He still needs several RO’s. Anyone wishing to RO should contact Tom at twright@deadzeroshooting.com with your interest and he will send you a special RO Pre-Registration Code allowing you to sign-up free as long as he has RO slots. If you want to shoot the match: https://clubs.practiscore.com/dead-zero-tennessee-steel-challenge-championship-tier-ii-match/register "DEAD ZERO welcomes you to the first Tennessee Steel Challenge Championship Tier II Match. Saturday October 20 - Sunday October 21, 2018 2 Flights each day (AM & PM) 8 Squads per Flight 10 Shooters per Squad Shooting all 8 Qualification Stages 2 Gun Limit Per Flight / 4 Gun Maximum per Match $50 first gun / $25 additional guns will include a Shirt, Lunch, and Raffle Ticket for Gift Table. Additional shirts, lunches and raffle tickets will be available for purchase." For more info contact: Tom Wright Steel Challenge Match Director Dead Zero Shooting Park - Spencer Tennessee Web Site: deadzeroshooting.com E-Mail: twright@deadzeroshooting.com

Hey Shooters! We have opened registration for the 2018 NJ State Steel Challenge Championship on June 3rd and 4th. http://www.obsteelchallenge.com/obsc-2018-registration We have changed some things up a bit and I think you guys will be pretty happy about the changes. You can shoot two guns in the same squad, just not back to back. You will have the ability to shoot 6 guns if you shoot 2 guns in each of the 3 sessions (Saturday June 2nd AM, Saturday June 2nd PM, Sunday June 3rd Session). If you are not very familiar with last year’s match, please feel free to check out our webpage and see the videos as well as links to the Facebook photo albums (Old Bridge Steel Shooters). http://www.obsteelchallenge.com/2017-nj-state-championship-… The most important thing to note is our chef’s from last year have canceled their global cooking tour and will be joining us… That is correct, the Boy Scouts are back! We are looking forward to seeing all of you at our match!!

I am wondering how many section/state/area steel challenge matches are using the new classification system to award plaques or trophies? I have been to 3 level 2 matches since the new classification system came out and I haven't seen anyone award anything other than 1-2-3 overall in each division. What are others seeing?

Hey all, I want this really to help myself see how I (hopefully) grow and get better as time goes on. I've been shooting for a lot of my life, growing up plinking an old 22, and when I got my "big boy job" out of college I essentially started collecting guns with the intent to some day compete. Never been much of an athletic type, but figured this could be my sport. I eventually settled on the M&P platform, so I use my Pro 9mm in production. I am currently unclassified in everything. I've shot Steel Challenge, 3 gun and NSSF Rimfire. I should be classified in Steel Challenge, but somehow my scores didn't get sent in right when other shooters from the same match got classified. If anyone knows how to get that fixed, that'd be an awesome side effect of this post. Point is, I'm likely a C shooter. However, due to an injury that will keep me from 2 handed shooting for 3+ months, I bought a Ruger Mark II to use for anything that I can find that has a rimfire division so I can keep shooting. As of now, I try to dry fire at least once a week and live fire once a week, and shot at least 2 matches a month, with classes thrown in as available. I've learned from Steve Anderson (books and podcast, not yet lucky enough to take a class and meet him) the importance of dry fire and a training schedule. I need to up my training schedule to get better results, and in about 2 months I'll have time to do that. I really am subscribed to the mental game aspect and try to work on that all the time, as I see benefits from that in everything. Also prior to this injury I was working on physical fitness, because I can't think of a situation where it would hurt to be in better shape. My training right now is learning how the hell to use a dot on that 22. I've never used one before the NSSF match I just shot on Sunday. The rifle I borrowed from a friend didn't like any ammo I used and I was clearing jams one handed the whole day. My pistol had few enough issues that it was a non factor in my poor performance, I'm typically a decent pistol shooter. I was 3rd to last, granted I was the only one shooting with one hand. I was having no issue picking up the dot on the rifle, since I had a dot on my 3g AR until recently, so it was mostly second nature. The pistol, I just couldn't do it. It seemed like I was bringing the gun up as if it were my M&P (17° grip angle) when it was a Mark II (55°). I think the angle was throwing my presentation way off. Not making excuses, just an analysis. My practice (exceeding my training schedule this week) has just been consistently finding that dot and then speeding it up. I'll be doing a SC match Saturday (again, one handed) and see how it goes. The last few matches I've been 3rd of 12+ production shooters, but I'm not going there to hit that pace, just shoot the best match I can. You need to set goals so you can attain them. My initial goals (deadline: October 2018): -A Class in at least one division (preferably production, but contingency of rimfire pistol if necessary due to injury not healing up) by end of October 2018. I'll be happy in USPSA or Steel Challenge, but ideally both. This should be doable with my anticipated level of participation. -I want to be top two consistently in my division in local matches. -I need to learn better AR shooting for 3g. Harder for me to qualify, but this is by miles my weakest aspect of the game. I'd say 65% first shot hits on steel out to 400 is reasonable, with over 80% hit in two shots or less. -Keep level of participation high. 2 matches (can substitute classes) per month, 8 months of the year. Allows for off season and contingency for work and the likes. Also keep regular training schedule. -Continue enjoying myself while doing it. That's why I shoot, it's fun. It is a big difference from my two jobs. Both jobs are stressful. I keep doing it to relax, get my competitive nature running and enjoy myself. I want to be the best shooter I can, but not at the cost of why I shoot. I hope to continue updating this with my notes from matches, and likely a bit lesser extent my dry fire and live fire. I will achieve the goals set forth, and once I do that, I will set the next ones. I think feedback is critical to success, so if you made it this far and stay with me, I'll take all I can get. -DJ

I apologize in advance if this horse has died several times in the past ... or if it doesn't even belong here. Having come up dry using "search" I just have to ask ... USPSA rules state clearly that metal targets should not be engaged closer than 23 feet (2.1.3 / 10.5.17) ... it's a DQ. I know "Steel Challenge" is under USPSA's wing ... (it is on it's website anyhow!!) ... and that it has it's own rulebook ... but ... There are three (Steel Challenge) courses of fire that employ targets closer than 23 feet. 5 to Go has one at 21' Roundabout has two at 21' Smoke and Hope has two at 21' I am a pretty new shooter but have seen at least one matche (level 1 USPSA) where starting was delayed to correct a stage employing a piece of steel at 7 yards. I was just getting ready to shoot a Steel Challenge match and the 21' steel just popped out at me ... I wonder if anyone ever requested bringing the USPSA rule to 21' for a little consistency ... (easy to remember too)???

The 2016 East Coast Steel Challenge Championship match was the largest sanctioned Steel Challenge match in the World! Our three-day Championship hosted 280 individual shooters, from 19 different states and two countries, shooting 420 different guns. Combined with our Spring and Summer matches, we had over 700 registrations for the entire series. We gave away over $20,000 in cash payouts across all three matches and over $70,000 worth of prizes for the random drawing prize table for our Championship Match. Our 2017 season will bring some exciting new changes to our match series. First, we are moving our match series to Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club. The move to the new club will bring a better and larger facility which has “competition only” shooting bays. This will allow the match staff more time to set up each match without disrupting the general membership’s use of the club facilities. This will also allow us to now hold monthly matches, which will run from April though August with our Championship finishing up the series in September. We will also be hosting an October Toys For Tots match once again. All monthly matches will have Lewis Class cash payouts. The 2017 Championship will have cash payouts and a huge random drawing prize table. 2017 Match dates are… Monthly Tier 1 matches - April 8th, May 13th, June 10th, July 8th and August 12th, 2017 East Coast Steel Challenge Tier 3 Championship – September 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 2017 Please stop by our Facebook page to check out all the great feedback, pictures, video, etc that have been provided by the shooters, sponsors and vendors (https://www.facebook.com/groups/PASCSA/) and check out our website at http://eastcoaststeelchampionship.com.

Good day to all. Just hoping for some opinions and possibly a few suggestions on a dedicated SC open pistol. My current open gun for USPSA is in 9 Major, STI lower, and Infinity upper. I shoot as much SC as USPSA and have the itch for a new toy or upgrade. The way I see it I have a few options. 1. Run current pistol in both games with same major PF loads. A lot of guys do this and call it practice for pistol matches. Easiest option but still not optimal for SC. 2. Same pistol with modified load. I currently run MG 124g JHP's. Drop to 115's or 90 / 95's with same or slightly lower charge weight. My gun is at the smith now and I will naturally try this when I get it back before going any further. I think better than option 1 for steel but still room for improvement. 3. Same gun with different barrel / comp designed for lighter loads. My comp for major will be a Cheely 4 port ( 2 vert, 2 horizontal ). Who makes a comp similar to this but with smaller ports designed for SC? I know comps need gas to be effective but one with smaller ports should still retain some efficiency with lighter loads. 4. Complete upper assembly. Smaller comp / lightened slide. Seems like this might be the best "bang for the buck" option although at this point the buck is starting to escalate. 5. Complete dedicated steel gun. Best option of course but with price tag, we have liftoff. Not ruling this option out, just trying to make an informed decision. I haven't said anything here new to anyone, just stating the obvious and hoping for some opinions from people wiser and with more experience than I. Please let me know comp recommendations, load data, and any opinions. If you have a dedicated SC open gun I would love to hear about your setup. The only powder I have in bulk is 3N38. I also have small amounts of WAC, 3N37, HS-6, & Accurate #7. Thanks to to all in advance.

I was contemplating the idea of getting an open gun! Although I may not compete this year I was thinking I can get an open gun and start getting familiar with it! I would like to try and find one pistol to shoot open in USPSA and also shoot steel challenge with the same pistol. Is that not a thing? I don't know much about pistols and what makes them run smoother, flatter or more reliable! Open guns seem really technical! I found a gun on the forums that came with a 38 platform and 9 platform. Would it take a lot of adjusting to shoot major in open and then switch to shoot 9 that doesn't need major power factor for steel or should I just get a 9mm platform and shoot major for uspsa and then tweak the springs for lighter loads for steel challenge? I guess I'm not really asking "can I" since technically I could go to a match with a Hi-Point and say I want to shoot open! It's more could I run one pistol and it be as simple as just changing springs to shoot two different types of shooting sports or would the balance be off? I think the only thing I've noticed in open guns and steel challenge guns where shorter slides in steel guns. Maybe I'm over thinking this! Thanks for the help!!

June 9 and 10, 2017 - half-day format FB: https://www.facebook.com/gasteelchallenge/ Register: https://practiscore.com/georgia-steel-challenge-championship/register Site: http://strongpointshooting.com/competitionmatches/ USPSA Steel Challenge Shooting Association Sanctioned Georgia State ChampionshipBenefitting the Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust and Team Red, White and Blue, Strongpoint Shooting Complex will be hosting all 8 stages of USPSA Steel Challenge on June 9 and 10, 2017. Thanks to Team Red, White and Blue, competitors will not be required to paint or reset stages. Just have fun! Cash Payback (commensurate with entries, but guaranteed top honors): $1,000 for Steel Master (1 Rimfire Pistol, 1 Centerfire Optics Pistol, 1 Centerfire Iron Pistol) $500 for Rifle Master (1 Rimfire Rifle and 1 PCC) $1,000 for Centerfire Pistol first place $500 for Rimfire Pistol first place $500 for Rimfire Rifle first place $500 for PCC first place Additional cash and plaques for division and category winners based on participation. A minimum of 5 completed competitors for a first place, 10 for second place and 15 for third place. Entry Fees: First gun/entry: $150 Additional guns/entries (max of 4): $50/ea 4-Gun Package (includes shirt): $275 Match fee includes one ticket for the catered banquet on Saturday night. Additional tickets can be purchased for $10. If you plan to shoot more than one gun in the event you must register all guns. Once you've registered all of your entries we will set the match fee for payment. Once payment is made you can squad. You may shoot a maximum of two guns per session. We will be using 1/2 day sessions. If you have questions or problems completing your registration contact Zack Jones at zack@uspsa.org for assistance. Hotel Info: http://strongpointshooting.com/hotel-info/ The Chattahoochee Valley Land Trust’s mission is to protect land in the Chattahoochee Valley for present and future generations. Nearly 26,000 acres in our 16 county region are forever protected: urban green space, farms, forests, and open land for hunting and general outdoor recreation. CVLT hosts interactive events and programs to raise awareness to promote the importance of land conservation and protection of our natural resources. The local/Fort Benning chapter of Team Red White & Blue is nearly 2,000 members strong. Team RWB has an ethos that is known intimately by each team member who puts on the widely-recognized red shirt. The ‘Eagle Ethos’ is: passion, people, positivity, commitment, camaraderie, and community. While there are certain principles that all nonprofits should adhere to, these are the things that make Team RWB special.

Great Plains Steel Challenge Championship: The Eastern Nebraska Gun Club will be hosting a Level II Steel Challenge match on April 22nd and 23rd, 2017. Website: https://easternnebraskapracticalshooters.com/great-plains-steel-challenge-championship/ Shoot up to FOUR divisions (first division $25 which includes a lunch ticket, every division after that is $15), and the match will be shot in half-day blocks--meaning that for any particular division, you will complete the match in a half-day. There will be four shooting blocks (Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon), and you can shoot up to two divisions in any particular block. We'll have all 8 official Steel Challenge stages, dedicated ROs, and lunch will be available at the range. Information (including registration and payment links) and matchbook are available on the website. ENGC is near Louisville, NE, which is just a little south of Omaha. Map showing address/coordinates for entrance to the range: https://www.google.com/maps/place/41°00'06.5"N+96°06'13.7"W/@41.001805,-96.1060017,538m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.001805!4d-96.103813 Hope to see you there!

Good day all. I'm about to work up a steel load for my open gun. Basically this: Glock 34 LW barrel 11lb recoil. Jager 4 port comp. major loads are MG JHP, CCI SPP, 9.2g of VV 3N38 at 1.140 OAL. Makes 169-170 PF very consistently and shoots and runs great. I have several Speer 90g FMJ's I was going to try with the 3N38. Does anyone have experience with a similar load? Naturally I'm not concerned with making any PF or extreme accuracy with 35 yards max SC distance. Just reliability and mainly soft & flat running. When working up my major loads I had to get to 7.4 g before gun would cycle reliably. I'm thinking of starting @ 6.8g and chronoing from there. I'll post findings just in case anyone is interested. Thoughts, ideas, opinions, suggestions. Thanks in advance guys.

Good day all. I'm about to work up a steel load for my open gun. Basically this: Glock 34 LW barrel 11lb recoil. Jager 4 port comp. major loads are MG JHP, CCI SPP, 9.2g of VV 3N38 at 1.140 OAL. Makes 169-170 PF very consistently and shoots and runs great. I have several Speer 90g FMJ's I was going to try with the 3N38. Does anyone have experience with a similar load? Naturally I'm not concerned with making any PF or extreme accuracy with 35 yards max SC distance. Just reliability and mainly soft & flat running. When working up my major loads I had to get to 7.4 g before gun would cycle reliably. I'm thinking of starting @ 6.8g and chronoing from there. I'll post findings just in case anyone is interested. Thoughts, ideas, opinions, suggestions. Thanks in advance guys.

Great Plains Steel Challenge Championship: The Eastern Nebraska Gun Club will be hosting a Level II Steel Challenge match on April 22nd and 23rd, 2017. Website with registration and payment links: https://easternnebraskapracticalshooters.com/great-plains-steel-challenge-championship/ Shoot up to FOUR divisions (first division $25 which includes a lunch ticket, every division after that is $15), and the match will be shot in half-day blocks--meaning that for any particular division, you will complete the match in a half-day. There will be four shooting blocks (Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon), and you can shoot up to two divisions in any particular block. We'll have all 8 official Steel Challenge stages, dedicated ROs, and lunch will be available at the range. Information and matchbook is available on the website. ENGC is near Louisville, NE, which is just a little south of Omaha. Map showing address/coordinates for entrance to the range: https://www.google.com/maps/place/41°00'06.5"N+96°06'13.7"W/@41.001805,-96.1060017,538m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.001805!4d-96.103813 Hope to see you there!

Having shot competitively for a couple years, having laid down goals, and having met some and not others, now seems like a good time to start writing about it. I shot a small amount when I was a teenager, but didn't give it much thought until I got out of Kansas State. Then, the simple, utilitarian guns I had gotten as sixteenth birthday presents (an old break-top 20 gauge and a 10/22 International) came with me to Colorado Springs. In 2009, I had an epiphany...namely that I was over 21 and this is America, so a handgun of my own seemed in order. I picked up a .22, then a 92FS, and shot both for a few months before hitting an extremely comprehensive basic pistol class, where I was quickly reminded of one key educational principle: "There is always more to learn." About a year and a half after that, I wound up shooting IDPA at monthly matches in Clear Creek, and I quickly branched out into USPSA and Steel Challenge. Last year, I wound up picking up 3-gun and practical rifle on top of that. I don't shoot much IDPA anymore, though I'm still largely attracted to "working" guns. For now, my match schedule contains about a half dozen USPSA matches a month, including one where I'm on the Board of Directors, one where I'm the match director, and one where I'm the match director until Hoser gets back from wherever the hell Uncle Sam sent him. My goal for those is, so far, to not hork them up so badly that people spray-paint Hoser's car for leaving. I get about as much enjoyment putting on a good match as shooting a good match, but what's the point of putting me on the clock if I don't want to be at the top of the list? On top of USPSA, once a month Pueblo runs a very challenging tactical rifle match, with a short and a long field stage involving 25 required engagements at targets between 100 and 400 yards, along with a standards stage. Pueblo also hosts Steel Challenge weekly during the spring and the summer, and there's a few clubs around here who do the full blown 8 stages every so often. For 3-gun, Byers and Weld both run "square range" type setups, and the Johnsons run absolutely excellent club matches in Raton when the weather's not terrible (and they don't have a major match in the way). On top of all this, once or twice a month I get to help teach the very basic pistol class that got me into shooting in the first place. Classifications Production: B Revolver: B SCSA: B (done with my Prod gun) Guns Production: M&P 9 Pro with a .40 as a backup Revolver: S&W 625 4" and S&W 327 5" 3-gun: Remington 1100 TAC-4, Larue 20", and M&P 9 Pro Major match goals for 2014 (I make no promises to remember the titles) Rocky Mountain 3-Gun and HM Nationals (staff) Noveske Area 2 Multigun Pike's Peak Regional Shotgun Challenge At least one level 2 steel challenge match where I don't eat a DNF Rocky Mountain Regional ICORE (schedule permitting) Help run at least a level 2 match, wherever in the state it may be. One Bite at a Time Goals for Winter Shoot A-class with my 625 Use the 625 to refine stage breakdown skills especially as they may apply to remembering bigass RM3G stages Reliably hit a 12" target offhand with slugs at 50 yards Unlock the mysteries of the Larue barrel nut Try not to forget how a semi-auto works Start recording more of my matches so I can figure out what I'm doing Don't forget dry fire Longer Term Goals Shoot A-class with my M&P Break and maintain top 3 finishes in rifle matches and club 3-gun matches in my division Steel Challenge A-class with Iron Sight Revo and Production Incite holy wars on Youtube After all that, let's get things rolling with How I Spent My Summer Vacation Last Weekend and What I Want to Do Next Weekend Sunday was a fun match at Aurora Gun Club, lots of distance work. There was one other revo shooter (who signed up for L10 so he could use his 8-round clips), and the advantage of 8-round on field stages was obvious. I shot 93% of available points, with no penalties. My biggest takeaway was one of our M-class guys asked me why the hell I was standing still so much. That's a very good question. This weekend was one to dust off some of my spinnygun cobwebs, and I need to remember how long it takes me to reload (and how much distance I can cover in that time), and how to reload moving in different directions. Advancing is easy, but going hard right or hard left while weak-hand loading takes practice. Monday I got to play match director. We were one body short from our normal setup crew -- poor guy had to spend his birthday with his wife. Luckily we got 4 pretty fun stages going. We still had a bit of a squad churn issue. With two indoor bays, we have to remember how to balance stages against each other, but also how to effectively convert stages from their Stage 1/Stage 2 configurations into Stage 3/Stage 4. Squad 1 got to start on a fairly quick stage, and converting it to the classifier was pretty quick. I picked a classifier without multiple strings, which probably contributed to them finishing pretty damned quick. That said, it was a good classifier and I think I shot a 77% (Melody Line). I'm still learning a ton about how to run the smoothest possible match, and I haven't had any ludicrous f*#kups yet. Next weekend, Saturday will be at Byers, which is a bit of a trek for me. Aurora may also be running an NRA Action Pistol match, which could be a ton of fun or way over my head, one way or another. I don't know of anyone else who does that around here, so maybe it'll be a nice way to remember my accuracy skills. Sunday is one of my favorite matches, down at Pueblo. They set up excellent stages, often very mobile, and always creative.

Shot my first ever steel challenge match tonight. Better yet, used a S&W Victory .22LR that I'd just picked up from the FFL an hour before. Put 50 rounds through it before the match to get used to it, gave it a quick bore snake and shot the match. Ended up 11 of 24 overall and on one stage was #3 overall. No malfunctions with the weapon - just the shooter. Had one stage where I just humped the poodle three different times out of five (other than that I'd have been in the top 8). Others where I was shooting high, just not used to POA on this one yet. Two things: 1) I'm addicted. I love the fast pace and "best of" format. 2) This pistol will become a rimfire carry optics entry. Waiting on the Vortex Venom and 3 additional mags to come in.

So I have always questioned the effectiveness and logic of running a comped Steel Challenge Open gun, especially when running light loads. As a test, I fit a bull barrel into my Phoenix Trinity 2011 open gun. The gun is now over 4 ounces lighter and the weight that was removed is from the end of the barrel (comp) so the gun swings much better now. I have a 9mm 1911 that I use as my Limited gun for SC. I run super light loads in the Limited gun so I used the same loads to test the new barrel in the Open gun. The 2011 now shoots super flat and super soft with the new barrel and might mouse fart limited loads. Here are the results in slo-mo