Mag Setup for Open

[Rambo]

So I did run a search and found the following: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=89525&st=0&p=1028519&hl=170mm&fromsearch=1entry1028519

My first open gun will be here in about a month and I was curious what type of setups people are using for USPSA (or other if you want to share )?

I currently use a CR Speed Rig for Limited-10. I am planning on using the same rig (since it is fully adjustable…one of the reasons I bought it) for open.

Therefore my main question is about magazine “strategy.” I understand that it would be terrible to run out of ammo…but there is also no point in carrying a ton of extra weight around with you (I might not be able to move if I have 6 170mm mags ).

What do you all start with and what do you have waiting on your belt? I think I would prefer to almost always run the same setup...something to be said for consistency.

[TruStreet]

Depends on the stage, if 20 or under I start with my 140mm that holds 23 +1.

More than that I start with my big stick and have 3 140's on my belt incase I mess up a reload.

Edited February 8, 2011 by TruStreet

[MoNsTeR]

I always run three full 140s (24 rounds) on my belt. Unless it's some goofy multi-mandatory-reload classifier in which case I may down-load and/or add an extra mag, or if I need to go prone I'll empty my #1 pouch. I choose my starting mag based on the stage round count and where/whether a reload is necessary. Rarely I'll start with a 140 and reload to a big stick.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: 99% of the time I start with a 170mm mag that holds 30rounds +1. I may not load it always to 30 though. I then carry 2 140mm mags that hold 25 rounds. I have even started with a 140mm and had 2 140mm on my belt. If there is steel I always use the 170mm If you are starting to collect mags then get 2 170mm and 3 140mm. Hope this helps. Thanks, Eric

[Pat Miles]

Welcome to the dark side. Like Eric I start with a 170 (30 + 1) damn near all the time. I also carry three 140 (25 rounds) on my belt then if I blow a reload or lose a mag off the belt while running I'm still good to go. I suggest two 170's and four 140's. Make sure all of them run 100%.

Pat

[larry cazes]

I run all 170s unless I have to go prone. At a prone position I make sure I have a 140 loaded so the mag does not interfere with the ground or other surface under the grip.

[G-ManBart]

Been covered a few times before. Also, I don't know why people insist on saying something like "I have a 170 that is 30+1"....the gun in that situation is 30+1, but the mag is just a 30rd mag.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=83524&view=findpost&p=965432

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77535&view=findpost&p=897506

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70786&view=findpost&p=819044

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67836&view=findpost&p=785942

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56326&view=findpost&p=653163

[boz1911]

My theory is to always have enough ammo to shoot the stage twice. I always start with a 170 to be consistent and carry either one or two 140's with 24 rounds in each. I figure if the gun acts up more than once the stage will be trashed anyway or I have a terminal problem. So basically if it's a 24 round or less stage (and not all steel) I only carry one extra mag. Above that round count or a bunch of difficult steel I carry two extra 140's. Standards stages with multiple strings and reloads I carry at least one extra mag to reload with in case I muff one and drop the reload mag.

[Rolex]

+1 Bart!!

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I say 30+1 since I can't get my 32+1 to work all the time Thanks, Eric

Edited February 8, 2011 by Aircooled6racer

[MoNsTeR]

FWIW the reasons I don't always start with a 170 are that they are precious ($$$) & rare, and when I need it to work I need it to work so I'd rather keep the springs fresh.

[Flatland Shooter]

I saw a shooter at the Double Tap Championship last year that had 3 -170's on his belt and one in the gun.

Now that is prepared.

Bill

[XRe]

I have 2 140s (21), two 155-ish's (24), and 4 170s (though only two are usually in the bag - 29 and 30 round). I always have three mags on the belt. I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads. I prefer to have a 155 in the gun, and load to a 140 to maximize those benefits. However, I can and will start with any other configuration possible, depending on the requirements of the stage. I'm planning on adding another two 155s to the bag here soon, FWIW...

[Neomet]

Call me goofy, call me a boy scout, call me OCD but I generally like to start with a 170 in the gun, 2 140s and a 170 on the belt. Theory is that if something goes horribly wrong right off the bat (mag falls out of the gun, jam that requires dropping the mag) I can go to the second big stick and not have to think about changing where my reload needs to be. It is one less thing to have to think about and that is always a plus for me. I guess the other answer is all 170s but I don't reload those particularly quickly.

[G-ManBart]

I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads and often a better balance to the gun than a big stick.

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

[Flatland Shooter]

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

On a bad day with a Texas Star down range, I can see me running my big stick dry.

Bill

[larry cazes]

I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads and often a better balance to the gun than a big stick.

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

Why not? My 170s are just as reliable as my 140s and I reload to them just as well. I always practice with 170s and then it becomes the norm. I never use a 140 unless there is good reason to. It is a distinct disadvantage.

[Rambo]

Thanks for all the information everyone. I ordered 2 170s and 3 140s for starters

Thanks,

-Tim

[Supermoto]

I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads and often a better balance to the gun than a big stick.

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

Why not? My 170s are just as reliable as my 140s and I reload to them just as well. I always practice with 170s and then it becomes the norm. I never use a 140 unless there is good reason to. It is a distinct disadvantage.

Same here, I always start with a 170 unless its a classifier that requires a reload. I run a 170 in the gun, 1 or 2 140 and 1 170. I carry a spare 170 because if I have an issue at the start of the stage, I can go to the next 170 and not have to do another reload

[G-ManBart]

I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads and often a better balance to the gun than a big stick.

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

Why not? My 170s are just as reliable as my 140s and I reload to them just as well. I always practice with 170s and then it becomes the norm. I never use a 140 unless there is good reason to. It is a distinct disadvantage.

Maybe if somebody really has accuracy issues and needs twice the number of rounds required for the stage it would be an advantage.

Other than that, it's wasted weight you're lugging around (slower transitions for most folks), and it's not in the best place from a balance perspective. Hey, but what does XRe know, he's just a GM.

If somebody can reload a 170 as fast and consistently as they can a 140, it means they're probably really slow with both. R,

[larry cazes]

I will generally run the shorter mags when I can - they are more reliable, overall, drop free more quickly, and are easier to handle for reloads and often a better balance to the gun than a big stick.

Yep, I don't use a 170 if it doesn't make sense to...I often wonder why someone uses a big stick when it's something like a 16rd stage! R,

Why not? My 170s are just as reliable as my 140s and I reload to them just as well. I always practice with 170s and then it becomes the norm. I never use a 140 unless there is good reason to. It is a distinct disadvantage.

Maybe if somebody really has accuracy issues and needs twice the number of rounds required for the stage it would be an advantage.

Other than that, it's wasted weight you're lugging around (slower transitions for most folks), and it's not in the best place from a balance perspective. Hey, but what does XRe know, he's just a GM.

If somebody can reload a 170 as fast and consistently as they can a 140, it means they're probably really slow with both. R,

I believe in consistency and prefer to practice with one instead of multiple setups. It is sometimes advantageous based on stage design to start with a 170 and that is of course worst case so why practice with anything else. Do you really think there is ONE best way? I prefer not to play "follow the leader" because I enjoy figuring out what works best for me. Copying someone else would take away most of the fun. As to the fact that Xre is a GM and I am not....Should we now adopt the policy of a hierarchy of posts based on classifications? Should I stop participating in a thread as soon as a M or GM posts? Excuse me for participating where the great Bart and Xre have differing opinions of mine. I think Ill just go and practice my slow reloads now.........I expected better really.

[Ming the Merciless]

Maybe if somebody really has accuracy issues and needs twice the number of rounds required for the stage it would be an advantage.

Other than that, it's wasted weight you're lugging around (slower transitions for most folks), and it's not in the best place from a balance perspective. Hey, but what does XRe know, he's just a GM.

If somebody can reload a 170 as fast and consistently as they can a 140, it means they're probably really slow with both. R,

I always use 170 mags unless I have to go prone or start from something like a drawer or box. I reload the 170's just as well as I do the 140's (no, I'm not slow) and I really don't think the extra 8 rounds in the 170 is going to slow my transitions down.

Of course what do I know, I'm just a master???

[G-ManBart]

I believe in consistency and prefer to practice with one instead of multiple setups. It is sometimes advantageous based on stage design to start with a 170 and that is of course worst case so why practice with anything else. Do you really think there is ONE best way? I prefer not to play "follow the leader" because I enjoy figuring out what works best for me. Copying someone else would take away most of the fun. As to the fact that Xre is a GM and I am not....Should we now adopt the policy of a hierarchy of posts based on classifications? Should I stop participating in a thread as soon as a M or GM posts? Excuse me for participating where the great Bart and Xre have differing opinions of mine. I think Ill just go and practice my slow reloads now.........I expected better really.

You missed something huge there Larry. You made an absolute statement that starting with a 140 was a "distinct disadvantage". You didn't say that something else worked better for you, or was your preference, you simply said A is better than B. That obviously isn't the case, and that was what I was pointing out.

Further, you replied to my post, which was simply agreeing with XRe. You chose to quote both if us, and said we were wrong...using an absolute. That's why I pointed out that a B telling a GM that he's wrong, in an absolute sense, is kind of silly. If you'd said "this works better for me"....rock on, glad you're happy with it. R,

[G-ManBart]

I always use 170 mags unless I have to go prone or start from something like a drawer or box. I reload the 170's just as well as I do the 140's (no, I'm not slow) and I really don't think the extra 8 rounds in the 170 is going to slow my transitions down.

When you "know" maybe things will appear differently?

So you've actually timed a bunch of reloads (live fire) with 140s and 170s and averaged them out to know there's no difference?

I can reload 170s just fine, but the timer tells me there's a difference compared with 140s.

I can shoot the gun with 31 or 32 rounds in it just fine (well, it starts with that many), but the timer and hits (what sometimes gets overlooked) show a slight difference when I cut that in half (give or take). I spent something like 8 range sessions and thousands of rounds last year doing nothing but a series of two transition drills, so I'm working off data (for me anyway), not feelings. Maybe the results would be different for you, but many folks aren't using real numbers to back up their opinions. R,

[Forrest Halley]

I always use 170 mags unless I have to go prone or start from something like a drawer or box. I reload the 170's just as well as I do the 140's (no, I'm not slow) and I really don't think the extra 8 rounds in the 170 is going to slow my transitions down.

Of course what do I know, I'm just a master???

Well sir when you get a little more grand in your mastered reloads I think I'll follow your lead and reload with 170's too. If you can do it then it can't be all that much slower. I guess this is just a case of the higherups decided not to go that way ergo it's not possible. I think that getting A's for every shot is the way to go, but something has got to be said about the gun balancing the same each time.

Of course I'm a U and haven't ever shot an open match yet so everbody feel free to stomp my words into the ground and lay off the other people. When I do shoot my first open match I'll do it with an open sighted forty and be really slow and amuse the people with months of wages tied up in their setups. Coming off of a revolver it'll be amazing and really fast paced.