Travtastik's Range Diary

[Travtastik]

Back story:

I am Travis and I have been around firearms most of my life. Spent a lot of time shooting in the back yard till I was 18. My dad was a big hunter and from as far back as I can remember he has had me shooting guns. It was honestly to the point that I got off the bus and had to shoot 10-20 rounds everyday before i did my home work or anything else. Around 18 or so I started playing paintball and traveled the US playing competitively. I have one on a local,regional and nation level and best finish was a 4th place on a international level. I gave it up around 28 when we had our son. Now I am 32 and getting into competitive shooting. I shot SSP in IDPA for 2012 but I never got classified. I finished around top 5 most local matches I went to.

Goals:

I always want to learn and compete at the next level. I try to take something away from every match or practice session to help me improve.

Get classified

Get competitive in 3 gun

reload more

Win. At the end of the day it all comes down to this. I could say that I do it all for fun, but we all know its more fun with a win.

Gear:

S&W M&P Pro 9mm 5 inch barrel

Kimber 1911 45 5inch barrel

S&W M&P15

S&W M&P15-22

Remington Versa Max

Looks like thats all the time I have for now.

Fell free to comment as you wish.

[chipdouglas]

Good for you. Simular story here for me without the paintball. I love the shooting sports. Action shooting is what i enjoy IPSC more specificially. I never would have guessed that so many people enjoy it either.... untill a friend introduced me to it Jan 2012 ive had the affliction ever since lol.

what are you reloading with? i bought a lee pro 1000 progressive i will say it 'does the job' but if you don't have a press yet i'd highly recomment a dillion

do you have any red dots or all iron sites? ive been determined to shoot iron sites till i need to switch to a dot cause of bad eyes but someone let me try their dot site and im addicted lol

are you using speed holsters? i bought myself a ghost holster and belt in a combo deal from ipsc.org it was a really good deal if you don't have one already check it out.

anywho just thought id give a shout out

keep shooting

cheers

[Travtastik]

Sorry Chip I forgot about starting this and I didn't subscribe to it. I am loading on a Hornady Lock n load AP press. I don't have any dot sites yet but I am going to start working on building a open gun later in the year.

Right now with my work I am not able to make a lot of matches but its looking like I will get to make it out more here in the next few weeks. The more I read here the more I want to do. I want to get a set up for SSR or ESR for IDPA and l can not stop looking at open guys. I would like to try and build a open m&p or maybe a glock.

Back to the point so far for the year I have been able to make it to two 3gun matches at a local club. Both of them I was able to finish higher then I expected to with having no experience in shooting 3gun. The last match I was on pace to finish top 5 but after a screw up with a shotgun only stage and a misunderstanding of the rules I went home in 8th place. The shotgun stage was my last stage and the guy who road up with me had told his wife we would be home 2 hours before. We got bumped to the front of the squad and in a hurry I carried out 25 shells for a 23 round stage. Shot a plate rack with one plate that didn't want to stay down. First round it went down and came back up so I shot it again. Shot the next plate and the other plate bounced back up again. I said you have to be joking me and the RO said nope so I shot the plate again, and again it went down and bounced back up. Went for my first reload and dropped a shell and it rolled way out of reach so at that point my mental game was done.

Will not get to make a match with late May or early June, but I am taking a 2 day handgun class with Dave Spaulding. I am hoping to come away with a better idea of how to work my pistol and the limits I can push.

[Travtastik]

July 13, Shoot the 3gun match at the Cleveland Rifle club and bombed my first 2 stages and got back on track for the last 2.I will probably end up around the middle to lower end of the group. Main problems were sling for shotgun and reloads with the rifle.

Stage 1: 10 birdshot,6 rifle, 6 handgun. Started with prone rifle shots with shotgun slung on back. Rifle shots went ok, it all fell apart with the shotgun. Sling was wrapped over the rib and I could not see the front sight. was shooting over my targets and cost be about 40 seconds. I stopped shooting to ask the RO if the targets had not been reset,but no I was not hitting them. By the time I got to the pistol I was mentally done.

Stage 2: 6 pistol, 4 birdshot, 8 rifle. All guns were staged on a table with limited rounds. Started smooth with the pistol ran a 6 plate rack in 7 shots. Transitioned to shotgun was smooth no dropped shots. Picked up rifle and changed mag first shot bang, 2nd shot click. Tap, rack, click,tap, tap,rack, click. Cuss, tap, rack, bang. Got the gun back on track and finished what I could. Had a no shoot on a swinger that that had stopped moving by the time I got the rifle going.

Stage 3: 9 birdshot, 6 rifle. This was the 3GN crash and burn classifier stage. Got to run it twice and both I felt were smooth. Didn't drop a shot on either gun. Only hiccup was reloads with rifle

Stage 4: 9 rifle, 6 pistol 6 birdshot. started with rifle with 6 paper and 3 clays at 50 yards. Cleared the 3 clays with 5 rounds. Boggled the drop on my rifle for about 2 seconds and transitioned to pistol went smooth and made it to drop barrel and picked up shotgun. Went 1 for 2 on the flying clays and cleared the rest with no drops.

Reflection: I have to get a good sling for the shotgun and rifle. The shotgun sling issue really cost me time and a lot of mental focus. I have to start doing some dry fire practice with the rifle and more with the shotgun and pistol. Highlights of the day was the load 2 system reloads. I really fell like with some work I will not have any issues with the shotgun reloads. The low side was using 18 shells for 10 diamond poppers, but at least the reloads were fast.

Rating: 4

Since I didn't update for last months match the quick overview. Finished 4th in TacOps got classified as marksmen. All my gear was locked in the car and so I did borrow gear for 2 stages.

[Travtastik]

Got scores for the Cleveland match and finished dead last. It was humbling to say the least.

July 20th Arab Practical Shooters Club 3 gun.

Stage 1: 4 rifle, 8 shotgun. Stage had a shooting box on both far sides and stacked barrel that you had to shoot around the outside of. had to shoot 2 rifle targets left handed around a stack of barrels and 4 shotgun (2 steel 2 clays) run to other box and repeat around right side of barrel. Left hand shots were slow and awkward. Shotgun started with 4 rounds loaded 2 moving to left box. Dropped several shells from the caddy while trying to load and move. Only loaded 1 round while moving right. Was shaky afterwards I think that had a lot to do with the fumbles

Stage 2: Classifier flying by 3 7 shotgun 6 pistol. Shot this one left to right instead of normal right to left. Shaved 2 seconds off of my best time but had 2 FTN with pistol. Faster is not always better.

Stage 3: Classifier crash or burn 6 rifle, 9 shotgun. Cut almost 3 seconds off my time from shooting this stage last weekend. Everything went smooth just need to pick up my speed with the shotgun

Stage 4: Classifier move right. 9 rifle, 7 pistol. First time running this stage and had my scope turned down to 1x and shot the close paper changed mags and shot the far steel 3 times before adjusting scope. Finished out the plates ran to the other box and took out pistol targets. I felt the run was smooth but I knew I could do better so I took a reshoot and shaved 18 seconds off my time. Didn't think there was that much down time on the first run. Again I cut my hand doing the rifle reloads.

Stage 5: 6 birdshot 3 pistol 4 rifle ((BONUS STAGE) This stage was ran as a side match since people need to leave and it was getting late. The most physical stage I have ever ran. Started with rifle on sling and shotgun in hand. Blasted the steal was shaky trying to move and shoot shotgun but finished and transitioned to pistol. Dumped pistol and took a long hike in the woods up hill to finish with the rifle on some steel 80 yards out. I was out of breath but did better then I thought I would with this stage.

Reflection: My list of things to work on is getting longer. First up figure out how to do rifle reloads with out cutting my hands up. I have brought blood on 6 of the last 9 stages I have ran. Need to work more with the load 2 system and rifle reloads. Get over first stage jitters. I can see a positive change from drinking a lot of water during the day. Need to pack some snacks to help with the shakes. I fell like I was a top 5 finish today, but I didn't leave with the thought of "I can not win a match here."

Rating: 7

[Travtastik]

One more not to add. I noticed that my times were faster when I shot my targets left to right instead of my normal right to left.