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PPC style matches


RangerTrace

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The Texas DPS pistol team is having tryouts next month and I'm thinking about giving it a try. Shooting is shooting right? And getting to shoot Department ammo on the clock would be even better.

I've never shot a PPC match and really have no idea what it's all about. I glanced at the rules this morning and it seems if I increased the trigger pull on my 6" limited pistol, it would be legal for Open.

Have any of you shot PPC? If so, did you like it?

Edited by SV-COP
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I've been shooting it since 1978. There was a lot more PPC back then. We were just coming out of a period when Bullseye and PPC were about the only kind of pistol match there was. PPC will teach you how to shoot accurately if you learn from the old pros that have been doing it for a while. This helps you in all other shooting and makes you a more well rounded shooter. My opinion, worth what you paid for it. :)

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PPC shooting teaches pure shooting fundamentals from many different shooting positions. You will become a better shooter in what ever shooting sport you combine it with. The time limits are generous to allow for the reloading of revolvers before speed loaders. When I shot PPC civilians were not allowed at the nationals but I heard they changed that.

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It's an old school game. A few of the people that I shot with have died or can't see anymore, and the new shooters have moved onto more exciting games. A small local group still shoots it and occasionally I will come back and shoot the course with my Bianchi gun. It's great practice because it shows your weak areas, lack of patience ect.

There is a lot to learn from the old PPC and Bullseye shooters, just not as many left to learn from. A few years ago it was nice to see John Pride shoot a 1920 at Bianchi, still shooting well after many years.

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PPC shooting teaches pure shooting fundamentals from many different shooting positions. You will become a better shooter in what ever shooting sport you combine it with. The time limits are generous to allow for the reloading of revolvers before speed loaders. When I shot PPC civilians were not allowed at the nationals but I heard they changed that.

According to the NRA rule book, you still need to be LE to participate in official events.

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I shot PPC a lot in the mid 1980's thru 1990's, and still catch an occasional match.

As it relates to USPSA and IDPA, it helps with concentration and mental focus. If you get rattled by comments from the peanut gallery while shooting a stage alone, just wait until you're on a common firing line with 20 or 30 other shooters, all firing at once, trying to focus on your target, ignoring flying brass, etc.

Accuracy, both in your gun and ammo. The B-27 target 10 ring is 4" wide by 6" high, with an inner X-ring of 2 3/16" wide by 3 1/16" high. You will need to be able to hit out to 50 yards. In the 1500 aggregate of the 150 rounds fired, 48 rounds are fired at 50 yards.

With a maximum of 6 rounds loaded into a magazine (Rule 10.9) you will need to be able to perform slide-lock reloads, as in IDPA.

If you are using a traditional double action automatic, all strings start with the first round fired double action. Single actions (1911's) start cocked and locked,

6 rounds are fired in each string, so in a sense, a PPC match is a series of Bill drills, with par times. An example would be Stage 4 of the Stock Semi-automatic course. From the 25 yard line, 6 rounds fired kneeling using barricade, 6 rounds standing left hand barricade, 6 rounds standing right hand barricade, 18 rounds total, 90 seconds total time including reloads during stage.

Skill is needed in using both hands to fire the pistol. As an example: during Stage 4 of the Stock Semi-automatic course, (the 480) the left hand barricade portion, the pistol is gripped and fired by the LEFT hand, right hand used for support. during the right hand barricade portion the pistol is gripped and fired by the RIGHT hand, left hand used for support.

Kneeling, prone, sitting and barricade shooting positions are something you'll need.

Power factor IS NOT an issue. Rule 3.17 (a) "All ammunition must be loaded for and produce sufficient velocity to pass through the target AND the backer

Hope this helps.

Edited by wlktheduk
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Trace,

At my home club we have an active PPC match schedule. We have made a few minor modifications to the original sport. We allow Semi and Revolver, Optic and Iron, Centerfire and Rimfire, Holstered and non-holstered. We run 6 shooters at a time and it takes about 45 minutes hour to shoot. We run from 6pm until after midnight most times.

We also have started a whole new discipline called PCC or Practical Carbine Course. Essentially the same course of fire as PPC but fired with either a pistol caliber carbine or a .22 rimfire.

It is demanding at the top as the winners are determined by the X count. the really good shooters all shoot 10's

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  • 1 month later...

I shoot mainly PPC. And I do it within the WA1500 organisation around the world. In Sweden there are 54 events in the Swedish cup + the nationals and regionals this year.

The WA1500 org holds both European and World championships in PPC. www.wa1500.org

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  • 3 weeks later...

Last I heard, there is a civilian division for PPC but it falls under the NRA Action Pistol group. Sanctioned matches are there, you just have to find a range/club that runs these events. Don't know why they put it under Action Pistol, guess to keep participation low

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm not a ppc shooter, but I will be. Unfortunately there are no club matches near my area but I've committed to shooting the discipline. My first ppc match ever was shot on day one of the nationals in Albuquerque two years ago. I felt like such a noob, the set up, cof, target labling, scoring and I'm sure my shot cadence threw of the shooters around me but I learned a lot in those three days. I shot the NM regional and Nationals last year and I was definitely more comfortable and was able to increase my scores, hopefully my scores will continue to increase. It's definitely helped me in shot calling and my accuracy in other disciplines. See you guys out at the range.

JG

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Trace,

At my home club we have an active PPC match schedule. We have made a few minor modifications to the original sport. We allow Semi and Revolver, Optic and Iron, Centerfire and Rimfire, Holstered and non-holstered. We run 6 shooters at a time and it takes about 45 minutes hour to shoot. We run from 6pm until after midnight most times.

We also have started a whole new discipline called PCC or Practical Carbine Course. Essentially the same course of fire as PPC but fired with either a pistol caliber carbine or a .22 rimfire.

It is demanding at the top as the winners are determined by the X count. the really good shooters all shoot 10's

Would you be interested in sharing some of your courses(Practical Carbine Courses) of fire.?I could try to introduce this to my club since we have a turning target system and 7,15,25,50 yd firing lines.

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I shot with Prince Georges County PD (MD) long ago and enjoyed a few years of "big" matches at the Secret Service Rowley ranges and other DC area venues. It seemed to have petered out back in the 90's and I haven't shot it since. Being a Bullseye shooter, it appealed to me because it allowed me to carry over some of the fundamentals to a more animated environment. The number of matches dwindled along with the interest since you had to be a cop to shoot many of them.

I sold off my Windrunner S&W to another copper and took up IPSC instead.

Mark

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A local outdoor range has a nice PPC once a month I did for a bit before USPSA

- PPC match (600) - 60 rounds total....7 yrds, 25 yrds, 50yrds

- PPC 1500 match - 150 rounds total.... 7 yrds, 15 yrds, 25 yrds, 50 yards

I didn't fully appreciate it the times I was doing it, but it was an EXCELLENT way to work on trigger control and accuracy. There are things I'm doing now with 25 yard practice for getting better at trigger control that seems like basically what I was doing PPC.

Now its hard to get back to the match since usually the same day as a USPSA match somewhere else :-)

Edited by trgt
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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

webpage up

http://www.ppc1500wc2015.se/

winchester/ vectan/ Hodgdon / VV and some accurate powders are avalible in sweden. Also Magtech 9K for those who dont reload 9mm.

Bullets, haendler & natermann bullets are avalible and in 9mm the swedish Match bullet from Ammotech (world record bullet) with some others

you just have to tell in advance. reloading equipment will be avalible on the range.

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  • 2 months later...

I shot ppc for years. My partner and I won the World Police and Fire Games in Australia in the mid 90's. It is a different game.

You must have a great set of adjustable sights with enough elevation to allow you to crank in for a neck hold at the 50 and back to center hold at all other distances. Sights need to be all black and sharp edged and you use a carbide smoker to black them. Our open guns had front and rear adjustable sights. Distinguished guns usually had Bomars. We shot .38 wads in open and semi wads in distinguished. 2.7 and 3.2 grains of Bullseye respectively.

No doubt it will make you a better shooter. The X ring is really small from the 50.

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  • 5 weeks later...

PPC continues to be shot at most pistol clubs here in Australia (either under the international WA1500 format, or the national Service Pistol format), and is my favourite match.

All the other comments regarding the importance of trigger control are spot on, as between 26% to 32% of the total score is taken at 50 yards there is zero room for bad habit to achieve a credible score.

It's worth bench testing whatever handgun you're going to use to ensure it will group at 50 yards, this will save frustration and de-motivation later if you're not getting the results you expect.

It took me a few years to find the optimum positions for each stage, like how to mount the barricade, how to brace the revolver when sitting, or how to reliably shoot unsighted (our national version requires shooting 'instinctively' at 7 yards). I'm still experimenting and will no doubt improve those positions again. It's common for newbie PPC shooters to look very awkward when they shoot and struggle accordingly, due to most of the positions being un-natural and requiring you to find the best fit with your own physique.

Lighting is also a big factor for me in terms of score from 25 yards and out, but as you can't really control that it pays to learn to adapt. Having good sights improves consistency.

In my humble opinion PPC is one of the most well-rounded of all the matches and apart from being a great challenge can help improve whatever other matches you shoot.

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