rhino Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I continue to find new and fun ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. At today's Kentucky State Match (USPSA), I shot a stage wherein I not only had a no-shoot hit, but I had three. Plus a miss. And it should have been four no-shoot hits because one of them was a double. Now, I'm not fast either with the gun or on my feet, but in the past at least I've been able to me more accurate than average and I do my best to avoid penalties. Today I fell prey to allowing my focus to drift to the targets and away from my front sight. The results were ... predicatable (after the fact). Stage number nine consisted of eight paper targets with all but the lower A zone covered with hard cover. You engaged four of them freestyle, mandatory reload, then engaged the remaining four strong hand only. Now, that sort of thing is supposed to the closest thing I have to a "specialty." All I had to do was draw, look at my front sight, and carefully press the trigger. Instead, I kept noticing that I was seeing the holes appear in the black ... over and over ... I finally got through it, but I took a LOT of extra shots. Afterward I realized immediately what I'd done. I was looking at the targets, trying to see the hits as they appeared instead of look at my front sight. You're not supposed to score your targets until afterward! I am a doofus. My goal for the remainder of the match (after the stage with the no-shoot hits) was to be less of a doofus for the rest of the day. I did okay in that regard until I got to stage #9 as described above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 I continue to find new and fun ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I believe it was to describe golf and written by Dan Jenkins. I think the tittle to be "The Dogged Victims of an Inexorable Fate." It can as easily apply to USPSA shooting. I feel your pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Burwell Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Rhino, Keep this up and with your literary skills you'll have a best selling book on your hands. Seriously, your posts always put me on the floor . Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 If one has to mess up, then writing about it in an articulate and entertaining way means there's some positive benefit to be found in the situation, even if only for the audience! Thanks for the vivid stories Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 Thanks, guys! Methinks I do better on the writing classifiers than I do on the shooting classifiers. And there is another bright side too ... my trusty Kimber ran like a top all day. And it has for several matches and practice sessions without cleaning or relubing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Sheesh Rhino, if that's all you did, you had a GOOD DAY! I had 3 misses on that stage! I had 2 no shoots and 2 misses on the IRS stage, and then on Anne's Nightmare, my damn gun jammed - right after I engaged the steel, that engaged two turners - 4 mikes - ARGH! Then of course, right up after me was The Ankle Busting Rat Bastard! Do you remember seeing how either of us did on the stages we got to finish? I think David was probably doing really freakin' well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Not only that, I personally saw our beloved Prancing Pachyderm become a Charging Rhino and RUN a 30 yard dash on Stage 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 We were almost there! Y'all shoulda seen the look on Dave's face when I walked up and asked him "Do you really need to go to the hospital NOW or can I stay and finish the match?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I would think any gentleman would have insisted you finish the match while he said, "It will be okay, I'll just put it on ice while you finish the match, then we can check it out." Of course, I wasn't feeling his pain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 He woulda asked the same thing of me! He even considered it for a moment! But like you said, that pain thing... he accidentally moved it and then my day was over too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 OK Rhino old buddy, I guess it's time to come clean and tell the awful truth about the Colorado State Match that John Dunn, Ron Ankeny and I shot over Memorial Day weekend. I've always wrecked the first stage of any major match. I announced my goal to John and Ron on the drive down. "My goal is to survive the first stage." Well, Lizard Waltzer designed a real lulu that I got to start the match on. There were about 75 clay pidgeons a couple of feet apart all over this big shooting area, and the target placement cleverly required a lot of movement. The clays represented a mine field. Each one you broke was a -10 procedural. Foot, magazine, anything at all breaks one, you bought it. I actually ended up placing 2nd on it instead of crashing. So, I went into the next stage (high point stage of the match) feeling pretty steady. You had to run down this "L" shaped hallway shooting through ports, reloading and stepping on a couple of activators. The walls have about two feet of space underneath. I get to the end of the hall real quick and clean. But, ahoy? What's this ye scurvey dogs? The swingers ain't a swingin, YIKES!!! I was busy popping a picture perfect reload and ran right by the last activator. (Still, not a major malfunction Rhino, stay tuned.) So, I dash back down the hall to the activator and step on it. While I'm a standing there on that activator, I says to myself, "Self? Why you gonna run all the way back down that hallway when you can just go prone and shoot 'em all right here?" (Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.) Some very nice folks in the peanut gallery said it was one of the finest applications of the "flyin' squirrel" prone that they had witnessed in a long time. So, I shot the last six rounds laying in the dirt under the wall. Six mikes........but I looked GOOD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 15, 2004 Author Share Posted June 15, 2004 Sheesh Rhino, if that's all you did, you had a GOOD DAY! I had 3 misses on that stage! I had 2 no shoots and 2 misses on the IRS stage, and then on Anne's Nightmare, my damn gun jammed - right after I engaged the steel, that engaged two turners - 4 mikes - ARGH! Yeah, but factor in that I'm so slow that I almost move backward sometimes! But I do feel your pain! Then of course, right up after me was The Ankle Busting Rat Bastard! Do you remember seeing how either of us did on the stages we got to finish? I think David was probably doing really freakin' well! No, I did not stay to see the results. I don't understand why they're not available yet, either. We were almost there! Y'all shoulda seen the look on Dave's face when I walked up and asked him "Do you really need to go to the hospital NOW or can I stay and finish the match?" I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I heard you say that. I would have spewed the spit-take of spit-takes! Not only that, I personally saw our beloved Prancing Pachyderm become a Charging Rhino and RUN a 30 yard dash on Stage 7. I have no recollection of any such event! Ignore that man behind the curtain! Remember when I tried to run on your stage last year? I was twice as slow then and I think I needed one of those automated defibrillator units afterward. On Sunday I wasn't even breathing heavy after ... uh ... well, had it happened, I wouldn't have been breathing heavily. But it didn't so, forget about it. Some very nice folks in the peanut gallery said it was one of the finest applications of the "flyin' squirrel" prone that they had witnessed in a long time. So, I shot the last six rounds laying in the dirt under the wall. Six mikes........but I looked GOOD! Sam, that's what really counts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Remember when I tried to run on your stage last year? I was twice as slow then and I think I needed one of those automated defibrillator units afterward. Sorry, I have no recollection of the defibrilator. I remember how you got a fellow squad member to paste a target before it was scored so you could demand a reshoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 ugh! I hate twisting ankles. It really must dump some hormones into my system when I do...'cause the first thing I want to do is punch a tree in half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 15, 2004 Author Share Posted June 15, 2004 I was 21st of 23 in Limited10. I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 39 LITTMAN, KATHY TY31090 C Limited Major Yes No No No 314.3094 35.772% 21 VIRAY, JOSEPH A30459 C Limited 10 Major No No No No 424.9310 48.522% Puhlease! Ya beat me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I was 21st of 23 in Limited10.I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! You only suck if you don't finish ... uh ... I mean don't finish without good reason like humanitarian concern for a wounded shooter. Look on the bright side: You have a long way to go before you run out of room to improve. I tell myself that often Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Nice Save Kev! But you're still on my *list* for that one ;p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 ugh! I hate twisting ankles. It really must dump some hormones into my system when I do...'cause the first thing I want to do is punch a tree in half. I've been waiting for this for years: Kyle Hates Trees, too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted June 15, 2004 Author Share Posted June 15, 2004 39 LITTMAN, KATHY TY31090 C Limited Major Yes No No No 314.3094 35.772% 21 VIRAY, JOSEPH A30459 C Limited 10 Major No No No No 424.9310 48.522% Puhlease! Ya beat me! I checked our respective hit factors ... You waxed me on every stage you shot except for #9. In most cases, you crushed me! Had you shot the other two stages, I suspect the same would have been true! Right now I am at a crossroads and trying to decide. One option is to renew my RO certification and devote 100% of my IPSC time to being an RO. The other is to start dry firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I was 21st of 23 in Limited10.I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! I SUCK! Being as I'm still looking for my name on results lists starting from the bottom, my attitude on a performance such as this is "Well, I sucked less than two people." Another thought is "Well, what did I suck the most on? Let's work on that." This is after every match or practice session. My skydiving coach gave me words of wisdom just prior to going to the US Nationals. "The team that wins a skydiving competition, or any other competiton, is the one that makes the fewest mistakes." SLAP! SLAP! Snap out it man! This stuff is supposed to be fun. A bad day at the range is better than any day filling out your tax return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Start dryfiring, rhino... trust me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 come to the dark side, rhino wheez click...wheez click Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 I suppose it really is a matter of perspective. Last year at this match I zeroed two stages and came in last. This year I improved to 29 out of 42. The good news is I did better. Bad news is I lost. (Are we gonna have to do that half full/half empty thread again?) Rhino old buddy, 23 out of 23 in limited-10 was none other than my significant other and it was the best performance of her brief shooting career. She got lots of A's, few Mike's and though she is competitive enough to not like coming in last place, she is, and rightly should be, happy with her performance. She shot better last weekend than ever before. Now if you go putting down your performance, and you out shot my girl friend, and make her feel bad, well that's gonna make me feel bad. And to quote one of my hero's, "You don't want to make me angry. You wouldn't like me angry." Maybe you should dryfire? Before the Buckeye Blast!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 RHINO! READ THIS and quit your whinning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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