04 Nats Wheelgunning

[Patrick Sweeney]

23, So Sorry

I start the Nationals on a 24-shot field course. The squad is all revolvers, so we're all doing the "wheelgun dance" trying to figure out how to evenly divide the stage by six-shot segments as efficiently as possible. I settle on a straighforward strategy: I'll just work left to right, and use the two targets through the slot as my four-shot adjustment reload. I'm a tad slow, two seconds off the squad times, but only four points down. Not a bad warmup. To do it again I'd do it the same way.

24, Free Pudding

A single-box "speed" course with six, eight and six shot opportunities. I plan it out so I'll have extra rounds in the gun for the US Popper at 20 yards, and need them. Again a few seconds too long, eight points down. I'd do the same sequence, two outside, far inside, middle, reload, middle, two outside, far inside (other side). For next year, I'll practice on whacking small poppers at long range as fast as possible, without missing.

1, Dark House

The nadir of the match for me. The layout is simple and revolver friendly. Three targets in each of three rooms. Close enough that my method of strong hand only point shooting works. Except I have a light hit on the sixth target, and have to do two standing reloads in the dark. One to make up the miss, and another to get to the next array. What should have been a run under twenty ends up as a 28 second run. But I'm only two points down, so I'm obviously doing something right. Assuming this will be in the 2005 match, I'm going to find some trick way to hold that friggin' light.

2, Speed Up

Now that I'm warmed up and not in a mood to win the match (I'd just posted a 194.2 PF at the chrono) I approach it as a big club stage. I shoot popper-paper-beartrap, do a smooth reload, hose the tre amigos through the window, go clean on the poppers, hammer the partial on the hall, reload and come to the corner. As I'm coming around, I see the swinger swing behind cover, so I whack the close target, swing up, and the swinger pivots right into my sights. Smooth, clean, one point down, I'm second in our squad and end up third behind Jerry. No change to do it again.

3, Step Outside

My plan is to take each group as a cylinderful. Luckily, the first two poppers are also visible from the first window, so If I miss them my plan is to take off and reload, and pick them up when I'm dealing with T3 & 4. No need. The swinger is fast, and I take it one shot at a time. As I didn't see the sights on the second shot, I stay and fire a third (I have the extra round to spare) but don't need it. Smooth reloads and paying attention to the sights pays off, I'm second to Jerry on this stage, 22 seconds and four points down. No change.

4 Mirror Mirror

A real brain-teaser. How to get the most efficient use of six shots-per? I decide to start on the left side, and on the buzzer take a step forward and hose T2-5-6. I then turn and go to the left door reloading, and then hose T1-3-4. I then advance (yes, I stopped to shoot, I'm not doing four DA-only shots with a no-shoot right there) and once I reload, whack PP1-2 through the window, but not at the window. I then reloaded, and through the right window shot PP3-4 and the propeller. A smooth-shooting run, with fumbled reloads. They cost me a couple of seconds, but my point total pulled me to 5th on the stage, only a few stage points behind 2nd. 4 points down, 23 seconds. I think for next year I must work on shooting on the move. It isn't needed often, but when it is I can garner a few more match points if I can do it.

(Aside: I was quite often in the top three in points on a stage. And racked up a bunch of stages with the most points, offsetting my slightly slower times on a bunch. when there is no make-up shot for a sloppy D hit, you've got to get As.)

5, Bobb'n & Dropp'n

Another six-eight-six setup. After watching the bobbers, I decided to go for them first. Yes, they slowed down if given time, but they also bobbed less, exposing less target. I hit the two poppers, and swung over to the "car". I shot the bobbers 1-1-1-1, taking the first one that came up to start with. I reloaded, hit the two poppers on the right, and then shot T5-6. I reloaded and hammered the right close target, then went around the barricade and did the left. Best run of the match for me, best stage, and revolver stage winner. 2 points down, 19.31 seconds. Jerry apparently got out of sequence on the bobbers and lost some time. He had one more point, I had .75 fewer seconds. No change.

6, Park It

Ooooh, ugly stage. I figured since I had two extra shots after T1-2 I'd just sling them at the poppers on my way to the second car. Bad idea. Somewhere in the slinging and fumbled reload I lost two full seconds! Had I to do it again I would have shot T1-2, booked to the second car, hosed the two targets and then just done a proper whacking job on the poppers.

7,Electric Chair

Trying to make up some match points, I screwed this one too. Out of the chair, I snatched up the gun and hosed four shots before I realized the gun had only gone off one time. I stopped, reconstructed the sequence in my mind, looked at the target, saw one hit, and realized I had short-stroked the trigger I was trying to go so fast. I then slowed down, finished the array, did a smoking reload, shot T-1-2-3 while trying to knock down the wall, another smoking reload, shot T7 on the move, and finsihed with 8 & 9, Time 16.09, 6 points down. If all that messing around only cost me 3 seconds, I'd have been in the top group. If it cost me 4 (more likely) I'd have won the stage. Later, I checked my gun and found that the rebound spring had been replaced and was too short for warp-speed shooting. Lesson for next year: do not depend on memory, check everything before going to the Nats.

8, 9, 10 Steely Speeds

I really screwed these last year, and was determined not to do standing reloads. I shot clean but conservative. #8 I did in 7.14 seconds, 9 in 4.54, and 10 in 7.94. I probably gave up five match points per, but to gain those points I would have had to have shot 8 1.5 secs faster, 9 1.0, and 10 1.5 faster. At the risk of doing a standing reload, which would lost me more than I'd have gained. Gotta get more practice before next year.

11, Attic Window

Again, how to make a sixshooter work in eight-shot arrays. After getting up and hosing the first three targets, I reloaded, yanked the activator rope and gave T5 a pair of hits. I then swung and got 6 & 7 (they came out slowly, but picked up speed), reloaded and hit T4 as I went up the stairs. I shot the activator, then the other popper, and hit the drop-turner, did a reload, saw the swinger disappear, so I shot the standing, then hit the swinger as it came out. Good run. 4 points down, 23.67. I was four and a half seconds behind Jerry, but my point total was four over his, and 8 to 15-20 over the rest of the squad. No change in what I'd do.

12, Deb's Yard

The big quesiton here was, was the drop-turner worth the time? I took all the shots, muffed my reloads, and ended up with 90 points in 20 seconds. Cliff Walsh skipped it, and got 75 points in just under 16. To do it again, I think I'd skip the drop turner (the only stage I'd pass on it) and do: chair to T1-2-3, reload, T4-5-6, reload, PP1, T8-9. I then (with good reloads) could have done it for 80 points in 15 seconds. (Then again, with good reloads, I could have done my original plan for 90 points in 18 seconds, still a 5.0 stage factor.)

13, Speedy Little thing

I shot it smokin', clean in 17.74. What could I have done to do it better? Practiced before the match, is all. Jerry was down 4 points, but 4.5 seconds faster! With practice I can shave some time off that, but I don't know if I can get to Jerry's Warp 7.2.

14, That taxi Again

The keys were the drop-turners and the swinger. The swinger was fast, and you'd get one shot per pass. All combinations I saw that activated the swinger (T9) early had too much other busywork, i.e., too much complicated "get this, than that, then reload" stuff. The right drop turner was fast, exposed for barely enough time to get hits. But the more I watched it, the more I realized it was slow starting. On the start I shot T2, swung to T1, then to T8, then did a reload going into the building. I shot PP2, T6 then the drop turner, and reloaded to the next window. I shot PP1, T4 (which was actually close to the wall) then tagged T3 as it turned. I then went to my "sweet spot" where I could see T7 (actually close to the wall and hard right of the window) T10, PP3 & PP2. I shot them all there, went to the fault line which was the only place you could see PP5, hit it, and slid to the window. I shot three rounds on T9 as it swung, as I didn't see the sights well on one shot. Didn't need it. 4 points down, 28.31, second to Jerry. I was two points up on him, he was four seconds faster. I'd of done it the same way again.

15, Big Barricade

A straightforward barricade stage. I shot it T1-3, reload, T7-5 reload, T4. I prefer to start easy and uncramped, and wind into a barricade if I can. I saved the hard shot and awkward position for last, just so I could mentally shift gears and plant two clean A's. 4 points down, 13.77. Yes, I could have done it faster, but the risk/reward ratio was comfortable for me.

16, This Place

Also known as "That Stage on the Hill" It was a long-range, big field course with lots to remember. For wheelgunners, not many options. The start is two targets and two poppers. T2 was not visible except at the start box, so you had to hit it there. And the poppers weren't easy, despite being wide open. A miss on any meant a standing reload. Down at the end, we had to reload between windows. If we shot the front window first, we had to reload backing up. If we shot the left window first, we'd have to either shoot the propeller at high speed, or come back to it reloading backing up. And all the targets were 20-25 yards away! I shot the first set, and saw all my hits. I sprinted to the last room reloading, and from there shot T7 (close to the wall on the left) the propeller activator, and the activator for swinger T3. As the swinger came out, I got two shots on it but didn't see the sights on the last shot. (Voices in head: "Oh well, we're screwed, but no point in doing a standing reload, get it later.") I back up, reload, and get T6, PP5, PP7, and PP3. Do a reload, and place four shots on the propeller 1,1,1,1, and see the sights on all four shots. I then scoot back to the front window and see the swinger come out with two hits on it. Done.

Problem is, I have a miss on the propeller. Whassup? I see all four shots, and there's a miss, but on the swinger I don't see one, and there I've got my hits? I'm obviously tired and thirsty. Despite that, I shoot the stage winning revolver score. I'm four seconds faster than Jerry, and despite my penalty (and lost points) I win. I'd do it the same way again, but obviously not miss the propeller.

17 Reload Standards

I try to shoot fast A's and make the reloads. Bad idea. I'd have been better off, at the end of a days shooting, to have just treated it as "Shoot three A's" strings and escaped with my 60 possible points. I end up with 54 points. For next year, I'm spending more time doing reloading standards.

18 Nap Time

"The first liar never has a chance." I'm first up on a big, complicated, timing-critical stage. The drop turner is too fast to get anything else. I waste time at the first window waiting on the slow to appear movers. I fumble reloads. However, I continue my campaign of hammering drop turners and beartraps. I end up with 121 points in 38 seconds. To do it again, I would either a) go the window, shoot the activators, shoot T3, and then take off, getting T6 on the move (medium risk, good points) or shoot it the way Jerry did: at the second window, shoot T3 then the activators, reload, hammer T4-5-6, and book. High risk but high points. My fumbling reloads and risk-averse plan drops me to 5th in the squad, and I give up a potential 20-25 match points against Jerry.

19, Danger Zone

This one, I get. I jump up, hammer T1-2 through the window, and take off reloading. I run to the corner of the box, and take PP2-1, T6 then T7. Reload, snatch open the door and put two As on T4. It turns fast and activates fast, and many shooters get what hits they get by shooting it in the back. I hose T3 & 5, then take off reloading. I hit T8, the activator popper, the other popper, and put two hits on the swinger as it comes out. I reload and go to the far door, and shoot T12, 13, and then T11, which is hiding, tight against the left wall. I reload and come back to shoot T10 which is wide open and three yards off. I nicked the no-shoot , but got the A under it on T12. 149-10, in 31.89 seconds, second to Jerry. I would not change it doing it again.

Look for this one on Shooting USA when they show this Nationals. The cameraman followed me through the stage.

20, Get it done

No tricks here, except for going prone in the dusty brass and gravel. (Why not just make it "practical" broken glass?) My first shot prone is in the no-shoot on T-4. I finish the string, and do a prone reload (for which I'm complimented by the RO afterwards; "Fastest and smoothest prone revolver reload I've ever seen.") While we wait for the other shooter (on 21) to finish, I ask him to back up the timer. For those who are curious, a fast prone revolver reload takes 4.04 seconds. I shoot it 4 ponts down (plus ten for the no-shoot) in 18.04. The no-shoot costs me nearly 20 match points, but I'm happy to escape with what I got. Next year I'm packing knee and elbow pads for the one stage I'll need them.

21, Open it

The key here was pushing the doors open as you went to the outside targets. I smoked it, shooting it one point down in 11.09. Jerry beat me by doing it in 9.14, fast enough to offset his no-shoot nick. No change

22, Double Deal

A simple grab and blast compicated for us by the need for a reload. I add time by not getting my hits right away on the steel, and take four shots for two US poppers. That probably added a second (what with slowing down, mentally berating myself, remembering what a proper sight picture looks like, and then contuning shooting) but only cost me 5 match points.

Lessons overall:

Work on reloading. This Nationals was typical, requiring not less than 58 reloads. Smooth reloads that don't fumble are the key.

Get hits. There is no margin, you can't make up bad hits or misses except with standing reloads. An extra half second getting a good hit beats the heck out of a super-fast standing reload of two seconds flat.

Have a backup plan without being swamped. Always plan to do something besides stand there if you have a miss, or a light hit. Plan your stage strategy so you have extra shots in the gun for critical arrays.

Shoot your plan, shoot your speed. Just because everyone else gets or passes a drop turner, doesn't mean you have to also.

Personal work:

My draw sucks. I could shave some time with a better draw, and my reloads need to be more consistent. I figure my draw and my reloads cost me 50-75 match points, probably more than the two no-shoots and the miss combined. Had I practiced before the match, and loaded some proper 170PF ammo instead of the 194 I shot, I could have closed the gap between me and Jerry by more than 100 match points.

I'll be back.

[spook]

Thanks for posting this Pat! It's a good read. Kudos for the way you handled stage 16 and beat Jerry by 4(!!!) seconds.

Do you think that the flashlight will appear again at the Nationals next year, or at the Word Shoot?

[Patrick Sweeney]

At the Nationals for sure.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Thanks for the over view. From someone that will probably never see the Nationals, it is a real good read.

One comment:

For the light, I hold between first and second finger of left hand (I shoot right hand) light turns on with heal of the hand. On the reload, I still hold the light the same, can strike the rod with my thumb, and not loose the light. I do the reload with no light. Maybe a little slower, but it works for me. My night vision is very good and I have never missed a reload.

I have been doing reloads this way since the 70's when I carried a revolver on duty and the lights were a lot bigger so you had to tuck them under your arm. (yeah I'm an old fart)

Thanks again for the overview.

Regards,

Gary

[Vince Pinto]

Do you think that the flashlight will appear again at the Nationals next year, or at the Word Shoot?

No.

[spook]

Hm, too bad. Sounds like a hoot.

[Patrick Sweeney]

"Sounds like a hoot" unless you're the unfortunate RO stuck in the dark with a stream of hundreds of shooters, all trying to shoot as fast as possible while managing a light, doors and reloads. My hat is off to Jay Worden and Jody Nelson who managed that feat this year.

[benos]

Thanks for the blow by blow Patrick - it was fun to read.

be

[shred]

"Sounds like a hoot" unless you're the unfortunate RO stuck in the dark with a stream of hundreds of shooters, all trying to shoot as fast as possible while managing a light, doors and reloads. My hat is off to Jay Worden and Jody Nelson who managed that feat this year.

Absolutely. Especially just after you've told them "there isn't a 180 in here"..

[Patrick Sweeney]

I don't remember that in the walk-through. I just depended on my proprioception to keep me pointed "downrange" and not at the RO while moving and reloading.

There will be a whole batch of secret PM's between me and John Amidon before next year's match. I'm going to figure some trick way of carrying that damned light while shooting.

[benos]

proprioception

Nice one!

I've always thought of you as a propriocepting kinda guy...

[diehli]

I'm one, too... that's why I always apologize before I fart.

[shooterdoc]

Patrick,

What drills/techniques are you going to use to increase speed of your reloads?

Thanks