Tom's Road to the Nationals

[redbird1976]

I shot a local match today with the Mobile Club. Not much good to report. I had far too many mental lapses. By the third stage I was just ready to get done. I attempted to video the match, but I was so distracted today that I forgot to run the camera on several stages. I did manage to get a couple of stages on tape. From watching the video, I could tell I was moving much better. I was explosive from position to position and smooth on the set ups. My goal today was to find my threshold for speed with accuracy. I need to be just a hair more patient and let my sights settle. I bounced several shot over the tops of the targets.

Equipment wise, I can tell my mag springs are getting weak. I need to contact Grams this week and get some replacements on the way.

Edited October 9, 2011 by redbird1976

[redbird1976]

Well, the results are in. I finished 2nd limited behind one our local GM's. Congrat's, Bryant. If I had been on my game, like I should have been, I would have won the whole match. From what I saw on the video, I was very fast from position to position and my set-ups were as near to flawless as I can get. I've got to bear down on being patient enough to let the sights settle enough to get a good follow up shot on the target. I must keep my mental focus. I was able spot the instant I lost focus on each stage that I got recorded. Up to that point, I was rocking each stage.

It's time to get ready for the Gator Classic. It's a little less than two weeks from now. I've got the new springs on the way from Grams. I should be up and running again by the weekend.

[redbird1976]

It's time for a break. I've had absolutely no fun at the past few matches I've shot. I find myself volunteering to go first on every stage just to get it over with. I've been having to shoot my back up equipment since my primary gun broke at the Gator Classic.

On the plus side, I talked to the guys at Angus' shop and they almost have my gun ready and deer season looks promising even though I couldn't find the one I shot this evening.

[redbird1976]

I've got a local match coming up tomorrow. I'm gonna knock the dust off the 'ol Kimber double stack since I plan to sell it. I shot at Mobile a couple of weeks ago and had a good time for a change. Tomorrow should be fun too. I can't wait to get the rest of my single stack equipment together. I got my CZ back from Angus a couple of weeks ago. It's good as new. I haven't had time to check the zero on it, but I was 16/18 at 60 yards on my A/C zone steel sillouttes with most of the shots clustering in about a three to four inch group. I figured that wasn't too bad considering I usually break out the rifle for anything over 30 yards.

[redbird1976]

Wow, it's been a while. I got the CZ back from Angus, and it works great. I look forward to getting back to Limited division later this year. Right now I'm shooting Single Stack. I've worked up a good load and have most of my equipment sorted out.

I had a pretty good showing at the Mobile club at the end of December. I won Single Stack and finished in the middle of the pack overall among the Limited and Open shooters.

I finished third in a pistol/shotgun match here in Ellisville this past Sunday. I'm happy with my progress in Single Stack so far.

It's time to get back in fighting shape. I had a couple of good runs last week. I'll start hitting the weights again this week. If the weather cooperates, I should get some good runs in this week. I like the new track. It's 1.2 miles four good hills.

[redbird1976]

I shot a good match this past weekend with the Mobile Club. I can truly say I was in a class by myself. As it turned out, I was the only guy that shot Single Stack. I'll take the win in Single Stack , however, I also finished well overall. I finished 10th out of 26 mostly behind open shooters. I had a couple of issues with focus during the match, but I quickly recognized what was going on and got back into the right frame of mind. I need to work on my reloads with the Single Stack. They are not consistent. I'll hit two or three good reloads in a row then fumble one. I ordered a mag well from Power Factor Shooting. That should make the reloads easier.

I was one for one on all but two pieces of steel That helped me keep pace with the Limited and Open shooters. I had no major gun malfunctions. I still have one or two mags that don't want to drop free sometimes. Swingers and the Texas Star were no problem. My movement was smooth except the first stage we shot when the starting box deciding to come with me on the stage.

I'm back on my normal workout routine. Monday was strength training followed by shuttle runs shooting the plate rack. Tuesday was all foot work; shuttle runs on the plate rack and steel silouettes.

Practice has started for the Alabama sectional Championship. I'm looking for a class win and a top ten finish.

[redbird1976]

I thought about being lazy tonight, but glancing at my last post;I see I have work to be done to get ready for the Alabama state match. So, as soon as I get done with this, I'll be hitting the weights.

I had a great match yesterday. I finished second overall in a local match with the Ellisville club. Since it's non-afiliated, everbody shoots heads up. The only shooter to be me was shooting open. I'm pleased with my progress in Single Stack. I installed a magwell on the gun. Wow, what a difference hitting all the reloads makes. I had one mental hiccup on the first stage that resulted in me taking a miss rather than the time it took to reload. The rest of the match was CLEAN; no mikes, no deltas

Looking forward to tearing it up at Mobile this Saturday.

[redbird1976]

Note to self: When that little voice in you head tells you that's it's ok to go to a match with a dirty gun and not to worry about checking ammo beforehand, ignore it. Clean the gun and chamber check your ammo. Driving 60+ miles and shooting only two stages is not good.

On the other hand, I did have a good time ROing and enjoyed the fellowship at the range.

Lesson learned... better luck next time.

[redbird1976]

I got my slot for this year's nationals last weekend. It's time assess where I am an where I need to be by October. I've been shooting Single Stack lately which has forced some changes in the way I attack the stage. Everything has to be done quicker to keep up with the guys in Limited and Open. My focus has been on being quick an smooth and trusting my shot calling. I'm still not happy with my weight. I've been working on strength and conditioning which has resulted in my being faster and stronger. I'm still giving up time having to slow down the extra mass, though. I'm going to see a nutritionist in March to get myself trimmed down. I had some surgery on my neck this week. My recovery is going along well. Four days out and I've only had one pain pill today. My mobility, in my neck, is returning fairly quickly. I hope to be back on the trigger next weekend. I'll continue to shoot single stack until June. After the MS Classic, I'll be transitioning back to Limited.

[redbird1976]

I shot with the Ellisville club today. I had a decent matches. There were two stages I was happy with my performance. I was quick and got good hits on both of those stages. The other stages were ok, but not great. I three shot a popper before I hit on one stage that cost me at least 3 seconds. I had one malfunction that blew another stage for me. I'll be switching my loads back to 1.250". The 1.200" felt choppy as the slide went into battery. I got good hits throughout the match; no deltas and only two mikes.

Fatigue set in pretty heavily on me about halfway through the match. I can tell that I'm not 100% yet from my surgery. I go back to the doc this week. Hopefully, I'll get released to get back to the gym.

[redbird1976]

I shot with the Mobile Club yesterday. I had a good match with lots of A's very few D's and only a called miss on the final plate on the the Polish Plate rack. I shaved nearly a quarter second off my time for "bang and clang" 3.04 compared to 3.22 last summer. I'm pretty sure I'd have broken into the two second range had a been using my limited rig instead of my single stack rig. On another note, I have to remember that changing my head position relative to the gun in a low port will affect POI. I switched my cartridge length back to 1.250. The gun was much smoother returning to battery.

I've been working on movement heavily the past week. It seems to have paid off. I was quick between the postions and my setups were good. One of the other shooters even commented that I was the fastest big guy he's ever seen.

I shot a carbine side match after the pistol match. My rifle shot true, but I have bad batch of ammo. A stuck case caused me to borrow a friend's rifle to finish the match. I pick up some of the cases when we got done. They had flattened primers and burned out the bases on several of them. Be careful when buying surplus ammo. I'm going to pull the rest and see if they are out of spec.

[redbird1976]

I shot the Alabama Section Championship this weekend. I had a good match. I shot consistently throughout the match. I shot 94% of the available points. My movement from position to position was quick and consistent. Towards the end of the match, I got a little sloppy and shot a couple of D's, but overall I'm pleased with my performance. I finished 3rd in B Class and 13th overall in Single Stack division.

I've identified a couple of issues I need to fix equipment wise. I'm still having a problem with the magazines not wanting to drop free. I still have to go back and analyze the video to see how time I lost as result. Also, I'm thinking a narrower front sight will be better for my eyesight. My factory mag needs a new magazine spring.

[redbird1976]

I've had some time to review the video from the Alabama Section Championship. I can see that I need to work on memory stages. The stages I feel that I could have shot better were the memory stages.

I got the equipment problems sorted out. I modified the followers on my magazines so they drop free from my pistol now. Test firing went fine. As a happy accident the slide will actually lock back now. I can't wait to get to the match Saturday for a true field test.

My brother and I had a good workout Tuesday evening. I'm slowing getting my strength and stamina back. One more small procedure next month and I should be good to go.

[redbird1976]

I shot with the Mobile Club last Saturday. I shot a good match. The magazine problem has been solved I had a first for me at a match. I shot the match clean except for a called miss on a texas star that was 20 yards or so away. I didn't figure the points were worth the reload. I'm gaining ground on the Open and Limited shooters. I finished up near 80% of the match winner and won Single Stack division.

[redbird1976]

I was back home in the Dirt Pit today. I had a good showing. I finished third overall. I was very quick today, but I dropped a few too many points. It's time to refine my focus. I feel some plate rack work coming on this week. I can't wait for the MS Classic.

[redbird1976]

Match prep this week.... plate rack and hitting my set up smoothly. So far the stitches are holding.

[redbird1976]

I had a little bit of a set back today....lots of pain near my incision. I sneezed and popped one of the stitches. So, I rested this evening and read a book. I picked up a copy of "Your Competition Handgun Performance Program" by Mike Seeklander. It's interesting to me how I always pick up a few nuggetts of information with each book I read or program I review. I think one of the keys to improvement is to constantly review and evaluate where I am as shooter, person, husband, etc. This self reflection is key to overall improvement in all areas.

As for what I learned from from Mike's book, I realized that I can do a much better job of setting up in a position by looking for target index points on barricades and such. I've always looked for good stopping points to set up in each shooting position, but it never occurred to me to index off of walls or other props to get the gun prepped on the target sooner. I also like how the drills are layed out much like a lesson plan with the objectives included. Being pretty much a linear thinker, the layout of Mike's book suited me particularly well; making it easy to read.

I have a match Saturday with the Mobile club. I'm looking forward to see I how perform a week post surgery. Other than today, I've felt good with my ability to move. Saturday will be an exercise in being smooth. Given my physical limitations at the moment, I'm going to make the effort to shoot 98% of the available points with zero penalties. This means it's critical for me to get set up in the most efficient manner possible.

[redbird1976]

I woke up feeling pretty good Saturday morning. I made to the range early and was able to help with set up. I had a lot of fun at the match. I noticed my hands were shaky, very unusual,probably as a result of my recent surgery. I'm still a bit weak. The problem was more pronounced on the strong hand/weak hand stages. BTW practice this weak will include a lot of strong hand/weak hand. I had a hard time keeping my focus during the match. I found stage planning difficult.

[redbird1976]

I shot with the Ellisville club today. I had a good match. I'm really getting dialed in with the Single Stack. I hit all my reloads. I cleaned the Texas Star. I finished second overall behind one of our better Limited shooters.

I still need to work on the plate rack. I had a couple of extra shots on the poppers as well. I need to double check my zero for the long range shots.

It's two weeks until the MS Classic.

[redbird1976]

I shot well at the MS Classic. I finished 6th out of 22 in single stack division. I several very good stages. A reshoot on stage 5 that ended in catastrophe got into my head and caused me to reign in too much on the remaining stages.

I worked on the house all week and shot with the Mobile guys saturday at their friend and family match. I posted some quick times. Unfortuneately, switching back to limited division without any trigger time didn't help my scores. I was really run down during the match due to my work schedule. About halfway through the last stage I thought about stopping and having it scored as shot. I was so tired my gun felt too heavy to hold up.

On the plus side, the gun functioned perfectly. I'm really digging the Froglube. It seems to be holding up very well in the heat and humidity here in south MS and L.A. (Lower Alabama).

With the new barrel my sights are not regulated for my loads anymore. The 165s are about 4" high at 20 yards. The 180s are close to 6" high at 20 yards. I shot the plate rack at 35 yards using a six oclock hold and was still hitting the tops of the plates.

[redbird1976]

I got in a little shooting today. I started off with a concealed carry class. I aced the course. I felt a little behind the curve during the class. It was apparent to me that I haven't made it to the range much this summer. I came back and ran a few drills at my range at home. My reaction time was off. It got better as I put more rounds downrange. I finished of the day with a 100 yard shot on a popper.

[redbird1976]

After a couple of months of practice and being back to my regular schedule of shooting matches, I'm glad to report I'm pretty much back up to speed with my Limited gear. I've been spending a lot of time working on things that get me in the best position to shoot quickly and reading my front sight to call my shots. Since most of the projects on the house are finished now, I'm back in the gym and on the track and should be back in condition in time for nationals. I've been taking a close look at my video and I've been finding any where from 10 to 20 seconds in a given match where I can be more efficient. Shooting Single Stack during the first half of the season seems to have been a big help in Limited. I'd say that I've consistently lowered my times by 2.5 seconds on a given stage on average. I fixed my sights on the TS and it seems to be breaking back in nicely since it was rebarreled. The rest of my gear seems to be holding up good.

Time to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

1. Improved visual patience

2. Consistently calling shots

3. Good combination of strength and agility

4. Executing stage plan more effectively

5. More at ease with the idea of just shooting

6. Learned how to shoot swingers

7. Making better use of my video to find places to shave time

Weaknesses:

1. Still willing to trade good form for speed on stages that appear easy

2. I'll drop my focus at local matches if I think I have them won

3. Still too heavy

4. Need work on stages with multiple activators

5. Inconsistent practice regimen

6. Need to work on shooting on the move