Mission: Craptacular!

[rhino]

Some of you may recall that in the past, I've run my mouth (keyboard) about purposely shooting a marksman time instead of sharpshooter in the IDPA classifier match, as if I could shoot a sharpshooter score at any time. As is usual for me, my smarta**ery has come back to bite me in the gluteus maximus rhinocus.

We started the day on the third stage (the one with the barricade and barrel). I had a decent time (for me), but for some reason I only remembered seeing my front sight a few times. When we scored the targets, they looked like they were blasted by buckshot from a 12ga from a fairly good distance. Curiously, the very few "down zero" hits corresponded roughly to the number of times I saw my front sight. Imagine that.

I shot CDP first, but then I tried the same thing in ESP. I figured it couldn't get any worse, right? Hah. After all was said and done (and with the experience of knowning I had not been looking at my front sight), I had four complete misses and one target alone was down 28 points. I was down easily 55-60 points on that stage alone.

I'm pretty sure the gun was pointed at the target for most of those shots, but my trigger control was ... poor.

I did so-so on stage two with both guns.

Then on stage one, I decided I needed to redeem myself in my own eyes. In CDP, I turned some pretty good times (for me) on the first three strings with the "two to the body; one to the head." I had one slightly over 3 sec, but the other two were 2.74 and 2.89, all down zero. Okay, I thought ... this is good. I'm making a comeback.

Then I have to shoot two head shots on each target. Great, no problem. Easy! In fact, a couple of other new shooters had trouble with their head shots going low. Being the experienced shooter that I am, I coached them to keep their eyes on their front sights and not look for the hits. It served them well once they started doing what I said. Don't forget I said this ...

So ... I draw the gun and shoot that first head shot, eye on the front sight, no problem ... then as I'm waiting for the front sight to settle for shot #2, I noticed the hole from shot #1, nicely in the "head" zone. That looked pretty! So I pulled the trigger a second time and moved to the second and third targets, repeating exactly the same actions and thoughts. After I holstered, I had one nice hit on the head of each target ... and one just below it on each.

Remember when I told the newbies to keep their focus on the front sight?

Ouch!

Well, there I'm down 15 points just for stupidity. I finished the stage down just one other point for the whole schlemiel, so 16 down total. It should have and could have been down 1.

I ... am ... a doofus.

I did a little better with the ESP on that stage, but I'd already dug the hole on stage #3.

Now ... the conclusions we must draw are:

1. The Prancing Purple Pachyderm needs to stop running his jaw about how

well he can shoot (especially the IDPA classifier);

2. I should probably work on that front sight thing; and

3. Poor trigger control can ruin your day.

[tightloop]

Rhino

Practice the classifier. when you go to the range, work on the weak points of the classifier,usually the barricade. You just need a good coach to boot you in your purple ass when you are practicing. I bet I could make you Expert in 45 days.

You are a smart guy, 90% of shooting is between your ears, take advantage of your strong suit....

[rhino]

Thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Sunny ...

You're right, of course. I have the ability to shoot well, but I lack consistency in my execution. That's obviously a mental problem.

When I do what I'm supposed to do, the results almost always please me. When I fail to do my job ... obviously we know what happens.

The practice really is helping quite a bit (Thanks, BigDave!). I think that at some point, the programming will overcome my natural inclination to stare at the target and hammer the trigger.

We shot a bowling pin match (actually plates, but it was supposed to be pins) a couple of months ago and I did my job without even thinking about it ... and I smoked everyone along the way ... until I was matched in the final pair against an M class shooter. Then I fell apart and missed four of the five plates. Had I just done what I knew I could do without worrying about who was beside me, I would have done much better. I might not have won, but it would have been more respectable.

The same thing happened when I had to shoot againts BigDave in the second J ladder ... oy!

I'm slowly, ever slowly building my confidence.

[KentG]

But most importantly the fact that I KNOW that you looked good while doing it though. Maybe you can take first in Eville in MM CDP?? The palauqe is still impressive to the unknowing, but it is kind of like finishing first in the special olympics. IF I ever take a 1st MM at a sactioned match I wll get serious about requalifing SS. There is that rule about having 6 or more shooters in your class and then its a auto kick up if your first. Till then Im happy being a MM hacker.

[dajarrel]

rhino,

Your comment on the steel plate match describes my efforts as well. Some times I am on a tear and will not be denied, until I get up with a shooter who is "supposed" to beat me. Then I just forget the game I have been playing all night and start spraying at the plates in overdrive all the time telling myself. "slow down and get your hits!!!!"

As my son has been known to say, "I feel your pain, man!!"

dj

[rhino]

But most importantly the fact that I KNOW that you looked good while doing it though.

Kent, I should have known you would cut to the heart of the matter, straight to the most important part. I salute you, kind sir!

Maybe you can take first in Eville in MM CDP?? The palauqe is still impressive to the unknowing, but it is kind of like finishing first in the special olympics. IF I ever take a 1st MM at a sactioned match I wll get serious about requalifing SS. There is that rule about having 6 or more shooters in your class and then its a auto kick up if your first. Till then Im happy being a MM hacker.

I think we're pretty much in the same boat, but I also think you dismiss the awards you've won too easily. They may not be 1st place at the national championship, but it's not insignificant.

And some of those Special Olympics athletes are pretty good ... did you see the episode of "South Park" a couple of weeks ago where Cartman pretended to be disabled so he could enter the Special Olympics and win the cash prize? They kicked his round little a** in every event!

[rhino]

Your comment on the steel plate match describes my efforts as well. Some times I am on a tear and will not be denied, until I get up with a shooter who is "supposed" to beat me. Then I just forget the game I have been playing all night and start spraying at the plates in overdrive all the time telling myself. "slow down and get your hits!!!!"

I feel your pain too!

Lately it hasn't been an issue of trying to go too fast, though. It's lack of attention to my trigger control. I used to have good trigger control. Something went awry over the last few months ... who knows what?

There's nothing worse than going slowly and still missing! That's just ... wrong!

[John Dunn]

If it is any consolation, I most frequently describe my shooting as containing flashes of competence. I'm hoping to progress to glimpses soon!

[BigDave]

Yeah, Saturday was interesting. It was kind of like the round of golf I played the day before in that, I didn't find my game until the 11th hole. The first stage and a half on Saturday just blew. It was the first time I'd ever shot my G17 in a match and I was definately working the trigger too damn hard. I think Rhino will back me up when I say it finally came together for me on the last full stage.

Look for my rant about reshoots and the IDPA classifier in the Hate forum.

[Ron Ankeny]

rhino:

Why didn't you just shoot too many holes in a target and get a reshoot? Either that or fake a malfunction and get a reshoot. You do know you could have gotten a reshoot don't you.

[tightloop]

Ron

He knows that as I covered that very thing in an earlier post. His is just to honest, I guess or he is not really inbued with the USPSA spirit of gaming whenever and whatever you can..

[Ron Ankeny]

tightloop:

Actually, my post was for BigDave's benefit. I had just finished reading his hate rant, lol.

[tightloop]

We can't reply on that one you know...but it was funny..

[rhino]

Why didn't you just shoot too many holes in a target and get a reshoot? Either that or fake a malfunction and get a reshoot. You do know you could have gotten a reshoot don't you.   

I actually had a genuine malfunction on stage #1 (the last we shot) in CDP. It cost me at least four seconds, and I did ask for a reshoot. Unfortunately the SO was not inclined to grant my wish. I actually whined and screamed and begged, because I was finally shooting well at that point and I could have "fixed" those three low head shots. I finally gave up because I knew it didn't matter much given my performance on stage #3.

The funny thing is, the other SOs seemed to be allowing too many reshoots and letting the person do it right away instead of moving them to the back of the line. I'm talking 3-4 reshoots in a row for one guy on the first stage we shot. It was a little ... tedious. Then I get to the end when BigDave and I are the only two left on the range with the two SOs where a reshoot would have been no problem ...

Oh, well ... there is always next time and hopefully I have learned something from this shameful debacle.

[BillD]

You made Sharpshooter in CDP Rhino. No whining now.

[rhino]

You made Sharpshooter in CDP Rhino. No whining now.

NO WAY! NO FREAKIN' WAY!

How the heck did that happen with all of those points down and a 4-5 second malfunction to boot??!!!

Thanks for the info Bill ... I am, to say the least, very surprised. I'm guessing I didn't have much room to spare, though ...

This is very weird. I must have had some sort of reality perception problems on Saturday. Now I wonder if I we really saw all of those reshoots! HAHA!