A or upper A/B?

[ErikW]

An IPSC target's lower A zone is flanked by no-shoots. All are straight up and down, all are at the same height, distance is 15 yards, stable position, freestyle. How do you shoot this target?

Bonus question: Does your tactic change if the distance changes? Does your tactic change between iron sights and a dot sight?

(See T4 in this classifier example.)

[Skywalker]

Lower A-Zone, @ all distances.

I tend to be more accurate when shooting to center mass of a bigger target (lower zone) than on a smaller one (head or plate), thus I'd shoot for the lower.

Don't shoot dotted/scoped guns, thus I dunno if my tactics would change.

[George]

I always go for the center of the largest available target area even if I have to drop a few points doing so. It works better on the transition for me if the landing pad is larger

In the case of T4, the lower A zone pretty much guarantees an A if you don’t screw the pooch, the upper A/B is a 40-50% chance of dropping points if you are in a hurry. Given that the width of available target is equal in the horizontal mode, this ones a no-brainer. Lower A, all the way.

Dot, or irons, the logic is the same.

--

Regards,

Edited July 29, 2004 by George

[mcoliver]

I'd go lower a-zone.

One match I shot had this sort of setup, which started 15 yards and ended up in the ~8 yard line (shooting the same targets, mag change bet positions, etc). Confident in my abilities, I shot the head at 15, ended up A-M. At the 8 yard line, confident that the lower A-zone is a no-brainer, ended up A-NS.

My conclusion,...prepare to eat a penalty/mike/or both either way.

[PaulW]

None of the above. I would shoot it just as I would normally try and shoot a wide open target.....3/4 high on the center A-box. Just slow down and call your shots.

[D.Hayden]

It ne interesting to see this by class... being a [barely] 'C' class Limited-10 shooter, I'd go for the Upper, just because I'm not as confident.

It may be that my 45 loads are magnetically pulled to no-shoots, but so far, I can't prove that

[Steve Moneypenny]

my logic is upper part of lower A zone. it's strait across. just be sure on your transitions on this one boys and girls. don't miss. it's not thathard not to miss.. just think A,A,A,A ..... shooting the upper A/B zone is most likely settling for 4 points instead of 5.

if you can shoot it in about 4 seconds per string. .... it would be about GM level 1.00 draw .5 .5.5.5.5 transitions. thats 3.5 seconds.... sounds fast. but remember you could att that to a 1.1 draw and .55-.65 on your transitions and still be way up there. ...... everything SOUNDS easy ;-)

still unlesss all others were head shots i'd stick with hitting the body... no chance for losing that 1 point but i'll bet that one point that i won't hit the no shoot :-)

note all math is for limited not open or production also... just hit the brown...

[Flexmoney]

- If I were shooting Minor, then I would go for the Alpha (body) hit.

- Shooting Open, I would be more inclined to go for the Alpha (body) hit.

- Shooting Limited Major...it depends.

- I like to treat all NS's as if they aren't there when I am shooting. But, they are there, and a plan needs to be made.

- At last year's FGN's...the stage with the "clothes line" that you had to hold on to the handle and shoot with one hand...I dinked a NS on a close target, then made it up with an Alpha/NS hit. I think it was Matt Trout that asked, "why didn't you just take the head shot?" D-oh!

- At the recent Indy match, there was a squat and shoot around each side of a wall, three targets on each side, with the NS's covering them up to the A-zone. The left side looked easier to me (better angle? less NS coverage?), so I took them in the Alpha (body). The right traget array seemed tougher, so I took one of them with a head shot. There were lots of guys in my squad (the Enos squad of good shooters) that ate a NS or two on that stage.

Sometimes it isn't worth the risk.

[PaulW]

I'm confused....why the lower area of the A-zone?

Why not shoot it 3/4 high of the A-zone, if you yank one a little low won't hurt ya.

[Loves2Shoot]

Why give away the points of hitting b's going for the upper a/b? Your scorable target is much bigger (4x vertically) shooting for the lower A zone even if you don't realize it and the no shoots scare you. That is by far the easiest/highest scoring shot, so in my book it's a no brainer viginia count, comstock you might be better off if you aren't acurate, but it is easier to see a hit on a no-shoot than a miss on upper a/b.

[ErikW]

PaulW, you don't understand the question. There are two A zones, one is in the upper A/B panel and the other is the big, tall A zone in the center of the target. The latter is what I'm referring to as the lower A zone.

I'm shocked by this poll. I hardly ever see people go for the lower A zone when there are no-shoots around it. Mostly B and C class shooters.

[Loves2Shoot]

There are two A zones, one is in the upper A/B panel and the other is the big, tall A zone in the center of the target.

So why would anyone go for the small one with any gun?

[Loves2Shoot]

There were lots of guys in my squad (the Enos squad of good shooters) that ate a NS or two on that stage. 

Sometimes it isn't worth the risk.

If they ate a NS they would have miked the upper a/b. Where they were shooting at wasn't their problem, seeing a big target and not aiming small was.

[ErikW]

L2S, people go for the upper because they are afraid of missing into a no-shoot. Better 15 down than 25, I think is their logic. It might be a self-fulfulling prophecy... I mean, they are more or less planning to miss.

[B.J. Norris]

The logic behind shooting the upper A/B is that should you mike, you won't get another -10 for the NS.

I voted for lower A zone, however that is with a dot. Shooting my Glock in Production, I generally go for the upper A/B.

[Loves2Shoot]

L2S, people go for the upper because they are afraid of missing into a no-shoot. Better 15 down than 25, I think is their logic. It might be a self-fulfulling prophecy... I mean, they are more or less planning to miss.

My point exactly

You can't be afraid, you have to know you can make every shot and then do it so you might as well go for the bigger (easier) scoring area.

[blackdragon]

Here is my 2 cents, I would shoot the lower A zone, because if it is a classifier shoot it like you own it if you mess it up take your whoopin and go home. If it's a standard course of fire, ditto "speed is everything accuracy means nothin'

Ivan

SCS Vegas

[Ronnie j]

Lower A ,any distance, B shooter, irons only

[blackdragon]

Seriously, You should only see this array at 1-20 yards any thing further then I would recommend that Satan not be allowed to set up stages I would shoot it the same with my open or limited gun. As a B shooter if you pull it off you will be the man!

[dpeters8445]

No question about it. Lower A.

ps. This was my best classifier ever. 90 %.

[hopalong]

Lower A zone, just watch the sights and press the trigger until it goes bang twice with a nice smooth rythem.

I only shoot a dot on my rifle but still would go to lower a zone.

on revover, and my Limited gun no change in tactics.

good shooting.

HOPALONG

[Jasonub]

if i am not moving(going into position) i would shoot the a zone where there is more area.

If im going ito position and would like to do a rob leatham, shooting before even stopping, id choose to shoot farther away from the no shoot boundering on the charlie and alpha. On the next targets when im stable its like the one above

[PaulW]

Ding Ding Ding...I get it now, Thanks Erik.....geez!!

I'd shoot the BIG center A-box about 3/4 high....call your shots and slow down.

[PaulW]

True story: Had a stage where there was a tough shot, I think it was a partially covered target at 25 yrds. Anyways this shooter, I believe is a B-class shooter had a mike on it and his other shot grazed the NS. He was upset and frusturated and thought it was to hard a target. To prove a point I pulled $5 bill out of my pocket, cleared the line and told him to shot the target from the same spot twice....He shot two A's and I lost $5. Slowing down to the speed you need to shoot a particular target is a very tough thing to master. You have to understand your own limits.

[JFD]

I'd go for the upper A/B. I practice a lot of these shots at 25 yards as my "bullseye practice" and don't see it as a problem. I don't think I'd slow down for that more than I would for the NS surrounded lower A.

The lower A is definitely bigger, but if I'm going to make a big doofus mistake, it's going to be a shot pushed to the left, getting me a NS hit.

A NS hit tends to make me nervious about NS targets the rest of the match, a miss just clues me in to use my sights correctly.