VIDEO: 95 Second classifier (hatcam)

[MemphisMechanic]

I made SSP Master about a year and a half ago, so I was just helping to run the classifier this weekend. We ran 47 people through it, which took a looong time.

At the last second, I decided to shoot it, since it had been a very long time... and I've never done it since switching to the m&p.

An entire winter of 3-7yd indoor matches took their toll in stage 3. Shot it nice and slow, and was still a lot down with two mikes. Looks like I've forgotten how to hit anything more than 10 yards away.

On watching the video, my reloads need some dryfire attention. Lagging about half a second behind where they should be.

95.89 with 43 down (!!!)

(I did reshoot stage 3 and chop about 18-20 dropped points off the stage, but if you can't shoot it cold on the classifier, I dont think it should count.)

Edited February 15, 2010 by MemphisMechanic

[Duane Thomas]

I really enjoyed watching this. I like the way you set up the graphics, showing the scores. Stage 2 seemed like your real strong point. Just out of curiosity, how did you know how many points down you were for each string, especially on Stage 3, without going downrange to check the targets? Were you able to zoom in on the targets during editing and see the bullet holes?

[Steve Koski]

Memphis,

That was awesome. Thanks for posting.

Koski

[steel1212]

Looks like my classifiers. I either go to fast and drop to many, or to slow. I can't seem to drop those last few seconds to make Master in ESP.

[Ahab]

Actually, I liked this video quite a bit. It's nice to see other people's approach to the classifier, especially when you're using it as a "skills checkup". Stage 3 is also my bane, so last year I spent some time shooting the entire classifier at 20 yards. I've since tightened up my scores on Stage 3, but I'm still looking to shave a couple of points/seconds to get into ESR Master.

[MemphisMechanic]

I really enjoyed watching this. I like the way you set up the graphics, showing the scores. Stage 2 seemed like your real strong point. Just out of curiosity, how did you know how many points down you were for each string, especially on Stage 3, without going downrange to check the targets? Were you able to zoom in on the targets during editing and see the bullet holes?

In stages 1 and 2 i had no problem seeing the holes.

Stage 3 I may have swapped 3 or 4 points on strings 1 and 2. But I put up clean targets for stage 3, and have 20/15 vision. I could see almost every single hole between strings at 20yds - which really drives the bifocal aged guys nuts - and called pretty much every single shot. The only real surprise walking down there was a called mike that was actually in the head.

As I said, I have been lagging pretty bad in practice abd dryfire for 6 months. So the stage that is most similar to what I've been shooting, 7ish yd indoor drills all the time, was definitely my strong point.

Oh, and Duane, your article in the new Blue Press was great. Enjoyed it thouroughly, and definitely identified with it.

Edited February 22, 2010 by MemphisMechanic

[CDPMatt]

I ran a classifier this month at CASA as my monthly match as well with all the sanctioned's coming up this spring. We got to talking about the fastest classifiers we've seen and although I have only shot a 104 as my fastest I ran a fellow club member Matt Mink through last fall and he shot a 58.XX in ESP with 4 down.... anybody that can break 100 is rolling.... what did Tad shoot it in, he's pretty quick too.

[Duane Thomas]

Oh, and Duane, your article in the new Blue Press was great. Enjoyed it thouroughly, and definitely identified with it.

Thanks, Evan.

[Xfactor]

Nice vids... was that shot with the VIO POV?

[HuskySig]

Probably the best IDPA classifier video I have seen. Each stage was shot continuously without any editing or monkey business between strings. Pretty legit, nice work!

[Marv Z]

Awesome shooting!!! I hope to be that good someday

[Filishooter]

Looks like my classifiers. I either go to fast and drop to many, or to slow. I can't seem to drop those last few seconds to make Master in ESP.

+1 Nice video MM. Pretty close to my classifiers as well. I can make SSP MA consistently but that ESP MA time is elusive!!! Stage 3 is where its at. I've tried it all different ways, faster time = worse hits, more deliberate (better) hits = slower time. Something tells me when I can get the good hits with the good time, I got it!

[Shibby]

Great shooting, great video.

If you don't mind me asking MM, you implied that you thought you could do better, what's your best time on the classifier? Or how fast do you think you could shoot it if you were firing on all cylinders?

Edited February 24, 2010 by Shibby

[MichiganShootist]

Good Video Thanks For Sharing.

I wish someone could explain to me why that same result with a CDP gun (which I believe is harder to shoot)... would have been near the middle of Expert level.

BTW--- Bob Vogel told me he often shoots the classifier in the low 50s.

Edited February 24, 2010 by MichiganShootist

[TerryO]

Nice vids... was that shot with the VIO POV?

It looks like a vHoldR Contour HD. I use the same and could tell by the sound of the on / off slide. Great camera, all self contained, no cords, easy to mount.

Terry

[xcelr8n]

Great video. It gets me pumped to shoot a classifier this spring. Reloading is the slowest thing that I do. Yours looked pretty good to me.

[MemphisMechanic]

Anybody that can break 100 is rolling.... what did Tad shoot it in, he's pretty quick too.

Tad didn't shoot it. So I don't know. Catch his article in the IDPA Tactical Journal (about our Tri-State match) this month?

Nice vids... was that shot with the VIO POV?

Someone guessed it already. It's a Contour HD. Love this thing.

I either go to fast and drop to many, or to slow. I can't seem to drop those last few seconds to make Master in ESP.

...Faster time = worse hits, more deliberate (better) hits = slower time. Something tells me when I can get the good hits with the good time, I got it!

If you don't mind me asking MM, you implied that you thought you could do better... how fast do you think you could shoot it if you were firing on all cylinders?

To the guys above:

Take about 1.5 seconds off the overall match time for some halfway decent reloads. I've totally stopped dryfire for the past four months, and it shows.

Without any slowing down, I should NOT have fired a miss on the third string (2 body, 1 head) of stage 1. Deduct 2.5 there.

I shot the first string of Stage 3 again when we were done. Chopped a bit off my time, and dropped just 4 points. It was something like 0.3 faster, but the amount of attention I paid the sights was the huge difference. You can't "pull trigger with sights on brown" in stage three. You need to deliberately fire -0 hits. I simply was not doing that on the first pass.

Doing just those alone would have put me in ESP/MA. And there was still time to be saved in the second string of stage 3 by shooting a much cleaner stage, at roughly the same speed.

My shot calling is getting much more consistent lately, shooting without a blink is finally happening the majority of the time, and I'm finally learning what Flexmoney really means when he says "stop thinking accuracy OR speed". You really can do both. Just watch the sights really, really fast.

[Xfactor]

Nice vids... was that shot with the VIO POV?

It looks like a vHoldR Contour HD. I use the same and could tell by the sound of the on / off slide. Great camera, all self contained, no cords, easy to mount.

Someone guessed it already. It's a Contour HD. Love this thing.

Yeah, that was my other guess. I have the VIO POV, which is great too... but the focal length of the lens is 110mm as opposed to 135mm (I think) for the Contour. 110mm makes for very realistic looking depth of field (similar to how my eye actually sees the stage), but the wider angle lens on the Contour makes for a nice effect; the targets look farther away. (I get tired of hearing the same question when I show my videos to friends/family that aren't shooters... "Are the targets always so close?!)

[MemphisMechanic]

Yeah, the Contour makes a 10yd popper look like a decently tough shot. Along with the fact that it's wide-angle is good enough to always have your target on the screen, it makes you look like a stud.

[Strick]

Well after watching your video I set up the classifier today when I went out to practice. I don't like to practice the classifier but it does have some good drills for practicing. Thanks to watching yours I managed to shoot it at 97.08, I picked up some tips from yours. I videoed it but have not gone through it yet.

I was shooting with an XDm so I was shooting ESP (since that partivcular striker fired gun is taboo but alas that is another rant of mine). I am pretty sure I could have been a tick faster with my M&P Pro since that is the gun I use most.

[MemphisMechanic]

Cool. Post it when it's ready. I wanna see.

I've already mentioned several major improvements I could have made, after obsessing with my video. Let's see if I can pick up a few more from yours.

Edited February 27, 2010 by MemphisMechanic

[Strick]

Here it is.

I actually did OK in stage 3. I was a little slow and sloppy in the first 2 though. I see a few places to trim some time and they are on the list of things to work on.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Strick

[MemphisMechanic]

Things I'm noting as I watch:

Speed up the transitions in string 4 of stage 1 (2 to each body)

Same thing with the retreating string on stage 2

(Okay, in general, transitions are jumping out at me as a good thing to work on to save time)

The gun starts nice and high on the reload-with-retention, but by the time the mag is inserted, it's near stomach level. That's an easy trap to fall into. In general, the standing RWR could be done 0.5 quicker with very little practice.

You take one step with both feet BEFORE dropping to a knee on the final string. I like to step back with the strong foot and drop smoothly to that knee. The holster drops straight down (it will roll as the hip pivots if you take the weak-side knee) so it's easy to pluck the gun from it. Very efficient, and it should be. I stole it from Todd Jarrett.

Edited February 27, 2010 by MemphisMechanic

[Strick]

I agree 100% on everything you said. I have been working on all those things actually, especially transitions. Reloads, for some reason, are the bane of my existence. Slide lock reloads are about 2 seconds and RWR are horrendous. I was thinking the same thing about droppin the gun to low while I was watching the video and yelling at myself to get it back up.

Good tip on the last string also.

[Duane Thomas]

Moved to the new IDPA Match Discussions & Videos subforum.