NRA Action Pistol: 2004 Results & Progress

[BigDave]

Phil,

Here are what the top three Stock scores on the Practical posted as last years 'Cup

Fred Craig: 471/26

Vance Schmid: 478/34

Rob Leatham: 474/27

I'd say you're right there (boy, do I have a firm grasp of the obvious ). You might give Rudy a call and find out for certain if there will be a seperate title for Production or if they are lumped with MS.

I don't go prone either. See you in Columbia.

[gm iprod]

STI is unlikely to be a production gun. There are specific criterior for the firearms.

You will (IMHO) be shooting Metallic Sights. If you get the chance check how many points you could shoot better at 50Y. If it turns one or two 8's into tens or ten's into X's you should go prone. Slowing down is the hardest thing when shooting AP. But at the same time don't waste time, its a balance that is hard to achieve. If the sights are right then break the shot.

Barricade is the worst event for Metallic sights, the mover easiest for ex IPSC shooters, or if easy is the wrong word then more natural for them.

Good luck Phil and all.

[gmshtr]

Thanks for the advice.

My scores prone were pretty ugly. I've got a bad right shoulder, and it's hard to focus with a knife being jammed into my arm pit.

I'm going to practice it again today. I'm pretty sure I can get those three flyers in there, especially when I slow down.

Take care,

Phil

[rhino]

Could someone with a copy of the rules post the criteria for "Production"? I'm pretty sure my gun fits there (a Kimber .45), but my scores got sent to NRA as metallic sight.

[Alan550]

rhino,

Here's the listing from my May 9 post: 3.2.1 Production Firearm - A semi-automatic handgun or

revolver which is or has been a catalogue item readily available

to the general public equipped with metallic sights. Customshop

firearms are not allowed. The firearm shall have no visible

external modifications except as follows:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's a list of modifications, but the production thing is pretty self-explanatory. Caspians aren't "production" and some others that are custom made. "If it ain't factory, it ain't production"!

Alan~^~

[rhino]

Thanks ... I was wanting that list of modifications that are allowed that were omitted from the original post and your reproduction.

For instance, is the S&A magwell on the list of things that are okay?

[Action Pistolero]

Rhino,

Here's a list of the modifications that are allowed fresh from the Jan 1, 2004 rulebook and yes, the damn prone rule change is in there.

(a) Replacement or modification of grips to fit a competitors hand or facilitate loading. No part of the grip may encircle the hand. Thumb rests are prohibited.

( Wide target style hammers and triggers.

© Checkering and stippling are allowed.

(d) Replacement of factory metallic sights with those of another manufacturer.

(e) External finishes, either protective or decorative, or othernon-functional embellishments such as engraving, inlays, or inscriptions.

So the answer to your question is yes, your S&A magwell is allowed.

The other question that was asked about a barrel being changed would not be allowed in production unless it was a replacement made by the manufacturer of the gun. If STI catalogued their pistol with a Kart barrel then it would be allowed.

[BPiatt]

Phil,

Here's a practice routine that I use early in Bianchi practice if I find myself shooting too fast.

Rather than trying to SLOW DOWN, do this.

Stand at one distance and shoot a string, say practical 15 yds. 3 shots each target in 6 seconds, all good shots no matter how long it takes. If you go overtime, it's ok. Repeat the string until you make all good shots. Train yourself to do whatever it takes to make the good shots, (sights - trigger).... without the TIME entering the equation. Be sure to use a timer so your brain is monitoring what's happening. Once you can do that, continue.

Then with that under your belt, shoot the same course(time) with the same determination to execute good shots but try to SPEED UP without sacrificing accuracy.

When accuracy is paramount, keep that as your constant. If you're trying to slow down, with a bad trigger squeeze, you'll still have a bad trigger only slower.

I think you're going to like AP. I believe your other shooting will benefit from the discipline you'll be learning here too.

I'm jelous.... I want to shoot metallic sights too. Hopefully next year I can do both.

Good luck,

Bruce Piatt

[rhino]

Thanks, AP! Everything I've done to my Kimber is on that list ... so it looks like I'm good for Production.

[gmshtr]

Well, that Kart barrel was certainly not offered by STI, so it looks like my choice is easy! The funny thing is, the STI 6.0 Eagle I'm having built for the NPSC 1500 match would be! Odd.

Thanks for the help, Bruce. I'm looking forward to meeting you. You were owning High Law at all of the USPSA Nationals before I even started shooting. BTW, we're about the same age...I started shooting in 1996! Whew! It almost sounded like I was calling you old!

The points I dropped were all from the 50. I was sitting pretty with all X's and one 10 until then! I practiced it again today twice and made myself slow down at the 50. I saw a big improvement.

See you soon

Phil

[BigDave]

Shot a 1643/78 today in Metallic Sight. A new personal best. The 445 on the mover really made me smile. Now, if I can find another 75 pts in the next 10 days, I'll be really happy.

[rhino]

Good show, DavidGrande!

[gmshtr]

Just shot the Barricade.

1st try was a 471-39x

2nd was a 476-34x

If I just had a plate rack and mover! I need to get down to Richmond to practice with J.K.

Runnin' outta time,

Phil

[BigDave]

Phil - do not sweat the Mover. Just know your lead points, put your sight on that point and keep the gun moving. Do not look for your hits. (don't mistake me for someone who know's what they're doing, I just reitterated Brian's advice to me).

One thing I've found out about shooting good runs on the plates is use as much time as possible. My best runs come when my last shot is with under 1 second left. If I have over 1 second left, my scores are terrible. Just a good sight picture and a clean trigger.

You're about as tall as I am, where are your feet during the Barricade? Any other tips (for the Barricade), thats a smoking score.?

[gmshtr]

Yeah, I've shot on a mover before, just not with that target and that speed. I'm hoping my practice run will go OK on Monday at the Cup. I'm not too concerned about the plates. I was playing with 75yd steel Q-targets in those time limits. I can't believe that with USCP's budget, we can't buy a Bianchi Plate Rack!

I tried the barricade again, and eeked out a 478-35X! I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff.

As far as the right barricade position, I plant my right foot in the extreme right rear corner of the shooting box. It makes for a slightly more awkward draw, but it's easier to get around the barricade for the stock, I mean, metallic sight guys.

Of course, I do the opposite for the left barricade position. I like to keep my stance as erect and straight up as possible, and if I'm crowding the barricade, it makes it that much harder.

Hope this helps. I look forward to seeing a new group of shooters at the Cup.

Later,

Phil

[Flexmoney]

I only shoot a few (local) NRA AP matches a year. Each time I do, I am always reminded of one plain truth...

There are no B-hits on Steel.

And, the plates aren't as tough individually as there are as a stage. Six starts...48 rounds (that's a box of ammo). I end up really fighting tension on the plates...but, I have an aggressive stance.

[BigDave]

Nice post Flex.

To me, NRA Action Pistol is the shooting game with one of the, if not the, toughest mental game. 192 total rounds, Virginia Count, 40 draws, 50 yd shots, shall I continue? And the quirky thing is that none of the shooting is really all that challenging, but combined with the mental aspect and this is as tough as they come. I've cleaned the plates at each distance, but never in the same match. My first three shots on the Mover at 25 this weekend were X's, but still dropped 35 points total on the whole stage. Don't even get me started on the damn Barricade...

What I was told by a top NRA shooter and what I tell other shooters is that NRA Action Pistol can do nothing but help the other shooting sports.

[Nik Habicht]

Dave,

I wouldn't have gotten that last year --- but this month's match was the real eye opener for me. I feel like I was shooting blind or in a coma until earlier this month....

Thanks for talking up AP matches --- never would have tried them without your ringing endorsement....

[rhino]

Amen, Nik!

BigDave got me hooked on NRA Action Pistol too. I was skeptical, but now I am a believer!

If I could only shoot plates, I'd be okay ...

[GENE S]

I shot Central Jersey R & P Club NRA Bianchi match on May2nd.

1723 for score. mover 396, Practical 427, Barricade 440, and

the plates 460.with 103 X. Not to bad. Course Doug & Bruce

were there to run a 1920. They make it look so easy.

Gene

[Nik Habicht]

I shot a 1406-55x today. Started on the practical with a 376-5x despite drilling the left target with two rounds on one of the fire one on each strings. Barricades were next --- 320-10x. I'm still having trouble getting the gun high enough here. Plates were third --- and I shot a 370. Shot 11 each at the two close distances (6-5-5-6) then two strings of 4 from the twenty. Had a disastrous paced first string on the 25 yard line, only hit two plates because I was shooting when I thought I should timewise. Decided that on the second string I just didn't want to miss --- even if I only got two or three shots off. Drew, rushed the first shot slightly and missed the first plate, then remembered to take my sweet time, only fired when I knew the sight picture was right, cleaned the last five.

Noticed that at the close distances I'm much smoother and more confident shooting right to left; at the far distances the reverse seems to be true. Next match I might just bring fivehundred rounds and shoot nothing but plates....

Shot a 340-3x on the mover, I'm still not happy with my lead ---- and can't figure out if I'm leading too much or not enough....

[BigDave]

One thing I repeat to myself when shooting the plates, literally, is something Brian has said/wrote: "take as much time as you need to get a good sight picture on the first plate". The first plate doesn't seem to bother me, now the second plate...

I went prone for the first time ever in an AP match. I really need to work on my upper body flexibility because it seems very difficult to get my eyes low enough to see the sights. I have to really push my right ear into my right upper arm. But, once there it is pretty solid. I didn't have a great score on that match today (390 something), but much better than I shot at the 'Cup.

I continue to the the Barricade tuned in. Its is still rough at 25 and 35, but the groups are getting smaller and smaller. The hits, however, seem to string from 7 o'clock to 2' oclock and hit low. I experimented with holding slight high, off center and to the right to help center the group, but ended up throwing a few high 5's. But, I still broke 400 for the 2nd time in a row which has never happened.

I was over 1630 again with an X count in the 80's. What was even better is that two new shooters (USPSA shooters I know) came to try it out. Both seemed very pleased with the experience and eager to return and do better. I like that..

edited to add: PS - Rhino, we missed you today.

[rhino]

I've noticed that my scores on the mover are better when I just hold my front sight over the center of the target and make sure I follow through (with the lateral motion too) than if I try to use a specific lead on the target.

I know I'll have to use a lead if I ever want to get close to 480, especially with my .45, but at my current ability level trying to hold a lead makes it worse for me.

I dont know why!

Oh, I skipped the NRA AP match today to shoot USPSA. I feel cheap and dirty.

[rhino]

Dave ... next time we shoot I'll look at your position when you're prone. You may want to roll over a bit to get your eyes in line with your gun. It will be a lot more comfy.

[BigDave]

Oh, I skipped the NRA AP match today to shoot USPSA. I feel cheap and dirty.

You should!!! You a**... Bwahahahaha!!! (inside joke)

How is the Lord and Master supposed to maintain control of his minions when his second in command is absent?!?!? My god man, we're on a mission here!!!