M118LR Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I shot a lot of steel challenge matches in the 80's and 90's and just recently started shooting steel again. I remember back then that a sight picture was allowed with a load gun and between strings. Does anyone know if that has changed? I just shot a State steel challenge match and some RO's were saying that we could not take a sight picture once our guns were loaded. Comments? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I don't remember seeing anything in the rules against and since it is owned by USPSA and they allow a loaded sight picture, it would only make sense. I allow my shooters to do it at local matches but I will have to dig in the manual again to look harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M118LR Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 I looked through the rules posted on the Steel Challenge website and I can not find anything about it. When I asked the match director I was told that you had to come to the line ready to shoot and once you loaded and made ready, that there would be no loaded sight pictures. He quoted the rules about being ready to shoot from the rule book. I was just trying to make sure if this was correct. Like I said before it was allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babaganoosh Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 The commands at the match I shoot steel at is. With a safe EMPTY gun you may take a sight picture. I never asked if I could take one with my gun loaded. If you did just be sure to keep that finger out the trigger guard! No sense getting DQed over it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Nothing in the SCSA rule book. Perhaps a local range rule ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Yeah, but being ready means you have your mags loaded and with you, your gun is with you, etc. That is being ready, there is nothing that says you can't do it. When the "Make Ready" command is given, that is part of you making yourself ready to shoot - taking a sight picture. Loaded or unloaded is irrelevant. I would never say to someone they could not do it when there is no rule stating that and that the organization that own SCSA allows it. I will try to get an official answer from the office, this is bothering me now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 They did not forbid it at the Steel Challenge World Shoot in California last year or in 2010. It's very common to take a loaded sight picture in the rimfire match - aim at the target you're going to 'draw' to, then back at the cone. However, 'common' doesn't necessarily translate to 'correct'. The RO's in California would tell you something if you took to long about it, going back and forth from cone to target over and over, but they did not forbid a quick loaded look between runs. Not sure that it really helps me one way or another but it's just part of my pre-run routine. If that's a habit I need to break, I'd like to know so I can make the change. In my opinion, I don't see how it is unsafe and if you touch one off while doing it, you're obviously DQ'ed. I feel the most important point is that all the RO's enforce the rules consistently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M118LR Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hey Thomas you were at the same match I was. Several of the RO's informed me that loaded sight pictures were not allowed. The match director and his assistant also told me the same thing. I was just trying to have something to take back to them about it. Also congras on your win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hey Thomas you were at the same match I was. Several of the RO's informed me that loaded sight pictures were not allowed. The match director and his assistant also told me the same thing. I was just trying to have something to take back to them about it. Also congras on your win. Thanks a bunch! I had a fantastic time shooting this match! Already looking forward to next year! Shooting rimfire I did my normal first plate to cone sight picture and one RO said loaded sight pictures were not allowed. That surprised me a bit but I followed the RO's instruction and finished out the stage without taking the sight pictures. On other stages the RO's didn't say anything about it. I would really like to understand what the official word is on this and if it is not allowed, start letting people know at our club matches so they are not surprised at a big match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorryFrog Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Guys I was one of the ROs at that match and I wasn't aware of a ban on loaded sight pictures. (In fact what I saw Thomas do I intend to copy.) Part of the safety discussion we had the day before was sight pictures would be allowed, shooter's decision on condition of the gun, and what the consequences would be for any ADs. I will check with the match director cause this is something we need to be consistent on. Sorry for the confusion but it was our first major match and to tell the truth there were those that were a little green. Thanks for coming and hopefully we'll do better next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Guys I was one of the ROs at that match and I wasn't aware of a ban on loaded sight pictures. (In fact what I saw Thomas do I intend to copy.) Part of the safety discussion we had the day before was sight pictures would be allowed, shooter's decision on condition of the gun, and what the consequences would be for any ADs. I will check with the match director cause this is something we need to be consistent on. Sorry for the confusion but it was our first major match and to tell the truth there were those that were a little green. Thanks for coming and hopefully we'll do better next year. I'm already looking forward to next year! I thought the match went off great! Thanks for all the hard work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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