AGlock36 Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 I was wondering if anyone has taken the time to document their trip from Brand new to the USPSA/IPSC shooting sport to GM or M. I was going to do a search but for the life of me cannot think of what to use for the search. Either way just wondering. Thank you very much for any and all responces that I get. Paul Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 I've been here since near the inception of the forums and I don't recall such a story ever being posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 It would be more fun to hear from Benos and his rise to the top...associations along the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Y'know, there was an article in two issues of Front Sight not too long ago that might fit the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 When you wrote them I did not belong to USPSA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDH Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I started this story, but somehow am still stuck in C class. I'll finish it when I get to GM...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerT Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 At the rate I'm goin it would read like "War and Peace." I would kill far too many trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I have been a forum addict from the get go and I don't recall ever seeing such a post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I will second Ron on the forum junkie. Short version.. 1/2003 Someone demonstrated a draw and double tap for me 1/2003 bought Kimber 3/2003 Joined IDPA, shot practice 4/2003 Someone said LGC teaching IPSC Shot a hicap Open gun (very bad idea) 5-8/2003 Shot every IDPA and USPSA match possible Classified D in Lim 10 8/2003 Comvinced wife I needed a second pistol. Called Dawson, ordered P16.40 8/2003 Won a Springfield at Mich State USPSA match ( Can win guns by shooting them??? My shooting problem went from bad to worse) 8-12/2003 Practice, Practice, Practice..Made C with Limited gun 12/2003 Inlaws buy Burkett Vol 4. Decide Blake is my hero, reconfirmed shooting Open gun in 4/03 was a bad idea. 1/2004 Convinced wife I needed third pistol, and it cost $3000. 12/03- 2/04 Dry fire every other day. 2/04 Open gun arrives, Steve Anderson gives first lesson in dryfire techniques (from the forum, of course) 2-4/04 First two classifiers in Open 66% and 68%. One other classifer was outside, and my Cmore had no more battery, 0% 4/04 Recieve Mr. Andersons book. Now, I can make GM by December!!!! (My goal is A by the end of the year) For $5.95, I will sell the secret on how to buy Mr. Andersons dryfire book that made me A class in 6 months!!! Have to pay for this sport somehow!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 A few months back I posted this at GT at someone's request: In mid-2000 a friend of mine took me to shoot at a private range. He showed me how USPSA worked. Then he took me to some matches, USPSA and IDPA. I was hooked. I shot club matches for fun, (and did horrible, but I didn't care) and finally got a USPSA and IDPA membership mid-2001. I shot both for a few months and decided to start hitting some bigger matches when 2002 rolled around. My initial classification was C Limited and SSP Expert, with a G17 of all things. My wife bought me a G35 for our anniversary and off I went. I shot way above my classification at several matches, but I couldn't classify myself out of C class. Finally, early 2003 I made B Limited. Then I shot some Production classifiers for the heck of it, and made B in that one. Then I realized that Production was fun. Minor ammo, lotsa reloads, and gear behind the hip. Cool. I bought Brian Enos's book and realized that it was great. Another good thing was that I was already doing a lot of the things in The Book, I just didn't know it or couldn't put it into words. But I still choked on classifiers, but that was about to change. One club match at another club I met Charlie Vanek. He told me about his triggers, and I got one. That was the start of a friendship and an opportunity for both of us. Just off the bat, I made SSP Master with the G35 with his new trigger. Then went to 2003 Factory Gun Nats as B class and got 3rd overall in Production. First time ever I got to go to the shootoff's and I won the Production Shootoff's. The fires were stoked. In that match and during the shootoff, I came to the realization that if I saw what I needed to see to make the shot, it was there. I told myself I always knew that, but I think I saw it for the first time there. Got bumped to A class for match performance at FGN. Shot one more classifer with knowing where the shots were and seeing what I needed to see and got my first ever 100% classifier. Shot another and made Master in Production. I then had a steller 2003 year. Then I hit a slump. I was bored of shooting the Glock. Plus I got laid off at work, had a baby, so my mental game was nonexistant. I was distracted and shooting like crap, and got my butt handed to me at the last two matches of the year on the same weekend. So I put the competition gear up for a month and forgot about it. Then one day I started dryfiring with a 625 Revolver and realized that for the last month or so I had totally abandoned visual patience and sight alignment. I received Matt Burkett's DVD's for Christmas and watched them. I was revitalized, so I then grabbed the G35 and went to a club match and shot the last classifier I needed to make GM. Shot it smooth, clean, called every shot, saw the sights on every shot, I wasn't rushed. The break from shooting apparently did some good. Couple weeks later I get the card in the mail. From start to now, I never received any formal training. I had some good pointers from some of the local guys that really know the game along the way, but that's it. I also flirted around with Open and Limited a little during 2003, but that was at matches like the Texas Open and Texas Limited, where it didn't really make sense to shoot Production. It always pays to shoot something else for a little bit, because you learn something about the gun you transitioned from. Every time I went back to the G35, I was better with it. So, that's the story. A little long-winded, but the above is proof that the normal guy can accomplish anything if he puts his mind to it. All it takes is dedication, hard work, and ignoring all the nay-sayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 At first I documented everything for a couple years, until I realized how much $$$ I was spending. Then I gave up on the documenting idea. I read BE's book and went from A (stuck there for 3 years) to M in two months, shooting fewer rounds, dryfiring more, and calling my shots. It really is pretty simple. SEEing is BEing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 All it takes is dedication, hard work, and ignoring all the nay-sayers. A couple of years ago a bunch of us were having a farewell lunch after a match for one of the guys who was moving to Arizona. I was a B class shooter at the time, had been in the sport for about a year, and I was 46 years old. I told the guy something to the effect that I wish I was the one moving to Arizona because "...if a person wants to make Master, Arizona is the place to do it." He looked me right in the eye and said, "You don't really think you could ever make Master do you?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Thems the people I was talkin bout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 "You don't really think you could ever make Master do you?" I don't get these people. OTOH, the provide fuel for the fire that makes you want to become GM (that's how I see them). Proving these idiots wrong is part of the fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 And from another angle, I also remember the very first person who told me, "You're gonna make GM someday". He told me that when I was C class Limited and had shot about a year. Having some people believing in you when you don't believe in yourself really helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Roger that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 When I first got into IPSC I was a C class shooter, but I could at least shoot straight. I was shooting a local reactive steel match and some guy I never met walked up with the rest of the peanut gallery and watched for a little while. We ended up sitting together at lunch and we visited. He was just traveling through and found out about the match so he and his wife stopped. He asked how long I had shot IPSC and I told him a couple of months. He asked if I was "...an old PPC shooter?" I laughed and asked if it was that obvious. He chuckled and said "Yep, but it won't take long for you to make Master". The fellow was GM shooter Tom Stidham. BTW, Tom won the match, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Those are the stories that really warm my heart. Such humility, great guy, good insight too...little did he know you would do it 5 times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 At this last match David Hayden announced me as a new shooter. Apparenly my journey is just beginning I like that! JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 At this last match David Hayden announced me as a new shooter. Apparenly my journey is just beginning I like that! JB LOL!! David means well. I like the heck outta that guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Actually, there's 3 people here that have used this site to "document" their rise to the top... if you do a search, and limit it to their names, you'll find some VERY interesting reading about the journey and the struggles along the way. Search for: Matthew Mink Steve Anderson TDean Their stories are here - just not in one neat little package! Heck, I remember when Steve first started shooting, with his Beretta ;p And I remember Tom trying desperately to rise to the top with Glock 10mm and then of course we all know MM's little Nats story - WHO? Oh yeah - and Bryant too Bryant it you'd show up more I would quit forgetting about you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBChaffin Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I guess you could say I have "documented" my trip here on the forum as well. I was in C class Limited when I first found this place in May of 2001 and I made GM last month. I wouldn't say that I am "at the top" yet though. Still working, but aren't we all? I don't know if this is what Paul wanted, but here goes anyway: 2000: Shot my first match with a Glock 21 and factory .45 ammo on August 13, 2000, after hearing about IPSC matches at a range work day. I had heard something about it a couple years earlier while in college but thought it sounded too expensive. I finally gave it a try although I was in law school at the time. I was hooked. Bought mag extensions and other gear for the 21. Won unclassified at my next local match in September. My third match was the 2000 MS State Championship. I finished 1st Unc. and 40th OA. Got my C card in December. 2001: Won HOA Limited for the first time at a local match in March. I was into it heavy at this point, learning from several good local shooters. Shot a few B class classifiers but couldn't get the average up. Found BE.com in May, joined in June, got Brian's book shortly thereafter. Continued to improve throughout the summer (due in large part to this forum, Brian's book, and a lot of desire to do well), went to the 2001 Limited Nationals in Barry, IL, finishing 4th C class. Bought a factory SV Infinity .40 from SpeedShooter at the Nats and had Sandy and crew swap a few parts out for me. Finished 1st C class and 15th OA at the MS State match in October. Came completely unglued at the LA State match in November knowing it would be my last match in C and thinking (too much obviously) that I had a good shot of winning my class. Made B class in November. 2002: Won B class and finished 8th OA Limited at the Shirley Skinner Make-a-Wish Match in Waco, TX in March. Trashed the AL State match in April knowing it would be my last match in B class and again thinking I had a good shot. (Sound familiar?) Made A class in April. Began shooting more matches a month, including a local club known for having solid Master level competition. Won A class and finished 12th OA at Area 4. Several locals said I would be making Master because I won A class at an Area match. However, my % was only 81% at the match, not a Master score so it didn't happen. This was the year of the "incident" with Ron Avery. IF Avery had been removed from the match, my % would have been roughly 88% as 2nd place was a good bit behind Avery and I believe I would have gotten my M card. They didn't remove him and lots of people complained until he voluntarily removed himself but they left his score in as "Entry Default". No M card for me yet. Obtained my Level I RO certification, and finished the year with a 1st A, 7th OA at the MS State match. 2003: Won A class and finished 2nd OA Limited at the Shirley Skinner Make-a-Wish Match in March. Made Master in May. Didn't shoot as well as I wanted, but finished 11th OA at Area 4. Obtained my Level II RO certification in August. Shot poorly on several stages at the LA State match in September and struggled, finishing 11th OA. Repeated the performance in MO at the Fall Classic, 6th OA. Finally pulled it together a little better and finished 2nd OA and Mississippi State Champion in Limited in Oct. Shot a solid match at the East TX Section match and finished HOA Limited, and then 2nd OA Limited in the Steel Challenge match the next day. Both were a blast. My first HOA Limited at a "big" match and a 2nd at Steel Challenge which I had never shot before. 2004: Got my GM card in March. Went to AL State match and my speed was there, hits weren't. 6 misses left me in 9th OA and 7th GM. The rest is to be written. . . I have been very fortunate. I shoot with a great group of guys (and a few gals) from whom I have learned immeasurably, and they run the gamut of USPSA classifications. I have read every book I can find on the subject (Brian's is great of course) and watched a good many of the videos available. I haven't practiced as much as I could or should, but I have put some work in, don't get me wrong. I have shot a good many matches, which to some extent serves as practice. I feel like I have shot classifiers honestly, to the best of my abilityat that particular moment and that particular match. Sure, I trashed some (a lot) trying too hard, but I wanted to do well on them. I played the card USPSA issued me, not "sandbagging" (though I was called a sandbagger a time or two) or "grandbagging." It's been fun. I have an Open gun now, but I haven't played with it much. I'm still having a lot of fun in Limited and after a few years and a few modifications, my Limited SV just seems to fit me. I'm looking forward to continually trying to improve, and I'm looking forward to shooting a match Sunday. Hope all of this was worth the read to someone. Bryant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlestack Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Cool story Bryant. I enjoyed the read. Our stories are simular in that we started close to the same time and found this forum close to the same time, but it ends there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasag93 Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I haven't changed class in over 2 yrs I think. Could be a long story without an ending. Gonna try open, maybe that will help. Doubt it. TXAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGlock36 Posted April 24, 2004 Author Share Posted April 24, 2004 Everyone, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I truly appriciate all of the responces. I was just thinking of doing the same. Since I just shot my first match on Wed. :D :D But that I will put as another post. LOL. Thanks again everyone. Paul Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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