First non-dq zero

[dirtypool40]

Our year end match, 12 stages, 200 rounds.

I am struggling but hanging in there.

So I head to the line for El Prez.

LAMR

All set, beeeeep, turn, draw, *pop*. First round Squib.

Nothing like eating 60 points to make things challenging.

They let me run it again after the match for classification only, and it was all right, fast but too loose. 4.71 / 48 points.

[Fireant]

I feel your pain. In my first area match I zeroed one stage because my gun fell apart. i think it was the second stage of the match. I kind of pulled myself together and the last stage(a high point stage) of the match my 6th round was a squib. man I hated zeroing to end my weekend.

[Kimberkid]

On the wall at our AP club in Winimac, there is something written that says "load the gun, Brent". This is referring to my dear uncle who, at a Regional match got mixed up somewhere along the way and did not load his gun for the next string. In IPSC it is possible to make up a 60 point deficit. Incredibly difficult, but possible, in AP, it wont ever happen.

[rhino]

Zeroing a stage is never fun, but it's a lot less traumatic when it's an equipment failure or silly mistake than if you just shoot poorly. I zeroed the classifier yesterday and I think I've zeroed about half of them I've shot this year. Only one was a case of going too fast, and it wasn't yesterday!

[blackdragon]

Oh The HORROR!

Ivan

[mcoliver]

I still remember my first non-DQ stage zero. It was with my glock and I didn't even had a squib or any malf. I just plain missed the targets! That's 20+ rounds expended on a 9-round course with a relaod thrown in. But at least I hit the activating popper.

The first one's really the hardest and I've learned to laugh off succeeding stage zeroes. Thankfully, I'm still waiting in line for the DQ Club.

[Harmon]

The first one's really the hardest and I've learned to laugh off succeeding stage zeroes. Thankfully, I'm still waiting in line for the DQ Club. 

i dont want to hurry up and get to the first of the line...but i guess sooner or later anyone can be DQed.

I just hope mine happens at Dairy Queen

[Zerwas]

Good thing in the heat of battle you didn't tap/rack/KABOOM your pistol.

[professor]

We have some stage designers who try to emphasize the "accuracy" aspect of our sport. Consider the following stages which thankfully did not occur all in the same match, or at the same club.

Stage 1: 25 Yd Standards - 90 points

Three Metric targets at 25 yds out. On signal, from box A engage each target with 2 shots to the lower A-C-D zone and 1 shot to the upper A-B zone (Mozambique), reload, and engage each target with 1 shot to the lower A-C-D zone and 2 shots to the upper A-B zone (reverse Mozambique). Virginia count. Best 3 shots per lower A-C-D zone and best 3 shots per upper A-B zone to score, with penalties for mikes, extra hits, and extra shots. Note that it's real easy to miss a head... Oops! ...upper A-B zone shot low, and score an extra shot to the lower A-C-D zone. Note that it's no picnic to score 9 upper A-B zone hits at 25 yds with iron sights.

I actually got a positive HF, scoring 56 points and "only" 50 points in miss penalties, shooting my S&W Mod 586 357 Magnum revolver. That was good enough to beat 29 of 39 shooters (all divisions), because they zeroed the stage.

Also note: This was a club match, and so the prohibition about not more than 9 shots from a given shooting location was ignored, as was the requirement that not all shots could be taken from the same shooting location.

Stage 2: A-Zone Standard - 120 pts

Six metric targets, with hard cover over everything except lower A-zone. Virginia count Four shooting boxes at 35 yds, 25 yds, 15 yds, 7 yds. Four strings, one from each shooting box. Most distant two boxes, draw and engage each target, 1 shot each freestyle. From 15 yd box, engage each target 1 shot each strong hand only. From 7 yd box, engage each target 1 shot each weak hand only.

This stage wasn't much of a problem for open shooters with dots, but iron sights incurred multiple misses. I made up 5 misses from the two longest distances, shooting weakhand at the 7 yd distance, and scored a positive HF even with the 50 points in extra shot penalties. That beat 23 of 54 guns, with 15 of 54 guns zeroing out the stage.

Stage 3: 50-Yd Bill Drill - 90 pts

Three metric targets at 50 yds. Draw and engage each target with 6 shots each. Virginia count.

This stage required knowing point of aim of your gun at 50 yds. Not everyone did, as was evident from the scores. One M class shooter forgot to adjust for this effect and suffered significant misses as a result. Iron sight shooters required iron nerves to stay on target at this distance, because there was a strong urge to just let the lead fly. Zeros for 12 of 35 guns, and I beat another 2 with a positive HF.