alma Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 You should really buy yourself some 100 round bullet boxes and a chamber checker for your match ammo. It only takes a few minutes to gauge your ammo to ensure everything will slide into the chamber with ease, and once they are in the box it makes it easy to quickly inspect for high primers or other issues. 99 percent of the time the ammo that fails inspection goes bang in my current guns anyway but I would rather not run into the exception to that rule while running a stage or during a major match. Side note, the KKM barrel on my old Open Glock was much more finicky with chamber sizing and with that barrel checking ahead of time was an absolute must. BarSto was more forgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 I keep forgetting about but he chamber checker. Where's a 100rd version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 http://www.benstoegerproshop.com/100-Hole-9mm-Chamber-Checker-Cartridge-Case-Gauge-p/cg9-100.htm The 100s are nice because you can inspect for high primers at the same time. If they don't fall into the gauge they go into the practice pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 Nice now that may come in handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Friday 3 October 2014 No shooting, reloaded ammo instead and now I'm finally to the point where I need to buy more components! Yikes! But it sync's up nicely with needing to develop a new load for the new gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You need to share some pictures of the new gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 I will when I actually get it, its still on layway. I'll make sure to put up some before & after photos when Tim does the custom work to it too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Saturday 4 October 2014 Morning - Peacemaker USPSA! Haven't shot Peacemaker in 2 months and this match was so much better than the last few. Good stage designs, legal courses of fire, stand & blast, movement, fast shots, easy shots, long shots, hard shots, and I tried Limited division. Everytime I took a few steps I wanted to change mags because I've shot Production for so long but I think I'll stick with high caps for a while. Finished 2nd place in Limited. Afternoon - After Peacemaker I went to North Mountain to help with setup but they were done so I helped run the setup squads shooting. This looked like fun & I got to watch Joe Pitha plan, game, shoot, etc. Always good to see a 3GN Pro shooter in action right? He ended up winning Limited division for the match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Good deal. Let me know if you need some N320 to get started with the new load. I also have more primers on hand than normal right now if you are found wanting (Winchester). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Sunday 5 October 2014 Morning - Gravitas Tactical Steel Match at North Mountain and boy was this fun! I shot Limited division again and let me tell you this is great practice for 3 Gun. Instead of shooting A zones for points, this match is all steel and straight "time plus" scoring. So you either hit, or miss. We had several people shooting for 2+ minutes trying to make some of these hard & awkward shots. I finished 2nd place in Limited. Afternoon - Thanks for the Gravitas guys for also allowing shotguns in the afternoon because there are no shotgun matches in this area - and this makes this match a priority for me. Dry reloading of the shotgun is a must if you're going to excel at 3 Gun, and speed shooting a shotgun in practice is also a must, but there is still nothing like the actual execution of planning, gaming, shooting and reloading ON THE CLOCK. Finished 1st in Shotgun even with too much oil covering my stuff causing a slippery gun and too many dropped shells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thanks. Once I get the 2011 then components purchase will be next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Also like to add that I got to spend some quality time Sunday getting to talk with Mike & Nancy Obermann who offered me some insights to the working side of major 3 gun matches, along with some attitudes & personalities. I have liked everything I've shot so far up & down the east coast, and want to do more. Since I haven't done a Horner match, I'm planning on shooting next years Blue Ridge 3G but also looking for something in May. March - 3GN Southeast April - Tarheel 3G May - June - Freedom Munitions 3G July - Colt 3 Man 3 Gun August - 3GN Midwest September - FNH 3G October - Blue Rdige 3G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Get yourself some heavy guns and shoot the He Man at the Whittington Center. Broaden your horizons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 10 October 2014 Took a friend to the range and trained pistol all day, lots of progress with this shooter in one day and glad to see it. I'm sure I'll get them out to competitions in the spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 17 October 2014 I spent the day at the range alternating between pistol & shotgun variations of the same drill. 12rds Shotgun Plate Rack & Poppers: Start at 25 yards with an empty shotgun at port arms Load 4 while advancing, stop at 20 yards, shoot 2 plates Load 4 while advancing, stop at 15 yards, shoot 2 plates Load 4 while advancing, stop at 10 yards, shoot 2 plates (So at this point you've loaded 12rds and shot 6rds) Move laterally while shooting auto poppers on the move with wide transitions (need at least 2 auto poppers) 12rds Pistol Plate Rack & Poppers: Start at 25 yards with handgun holstered Draw and shoot 2 plates Advance to 20 yards, shoot 2 plates Advance to 15 yards, shoot 2 plates Reload while moving laterally and stop in a designated spot 6rds with wide transitions on auto poppers (need at least 2 auto poppers) Looking back on the drills, I'm happy with them and they currently encompass - Shotgun is about moving, dismounting, loading, chambering, mounting, accuracy, fast transition, wide transition, and shooting on the move Pistol is about drawing, accuracy, fast transition, moving, reloading, wide transition (and not shooting on the move because the targets are too small) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 What did you learn about shotgun versus pistol on optional arrays? I would love to do the type of drill you are describing to figure out the tradeoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) Hard to say because I wasn't doing the exact same thing or transitioning guns, plus the shotgun started empty and the pistol started full, some shooting was on the move and some wasn't. If the shooting positions were equal distance, and both guns started full then I'd pick the shotgun for more speed and consistency even though I'm a "pistol guy" If it was a match (8+1 start) and all the targets were optional then I'd load 4 at the beep and still go all shotgun for the same reasons - however who knows what I'd really do! Just a week ago I would have said "all pistol all day" for a choice like that but now I'm not so sure. As a result I think optional targets should be everywhere they can be because it enables people to play to their strengths (or maybe just the what they think are their strengths) o_O Edited October 20, 2014 by Moltke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 24 October 2014 This was a fun fast action 3 gun day to end my training year The targets were not high accuracy so the goal was high speed My first run was 28 sec, shot through it about 25 times, my last run was 17 sec Today's Course of Fire - 1 stationary slug shot behind a VTAC barricade on a full size IPSC 50 yards away 4rds birdshot on 4 auto poppers at 10 yards, while moving to the right across the bay Transition from shotgun to pistol 4rds pistol on the same 4 auto poppers at 10 yards, moving back to the left across the bay Transition from pistol to rifle 4rds rifle on 12 inch steel squares at 100 yards from standing behind the VTAC barricade The accuracy requirement was average, going fast and moving made it hard Guns were loaded with minimum round counts so misses meant targets unhit Otherwise I'm going to measure this out and establish a standard fast action drill for 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 15 November Taught a pistol class at Echo Valley. It was cold, much learning occurred, good time had by all. Hooray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 (edited) 2014 – The year in a quick review Looking back on this year I can’t help but realize there were more significant events than I noticed. Before I jump into 2015, I’m going to take a moment to reflect on what happened in 2014. This is only a sampling of what made 2014 a year to remember – but unfortunately I can’t remember the rest of it right now! I met new friends in USPSA and 3Gun: Alma Cole has helped me better understand myself and the game, so thank you for that. Paul Begovich has brought his upbeat attitude and camera everywhere to boost morale and make memories even on the bad days. Ernest Langdon has given me perspective on the non-gamer side of why we game and brought me back to reality at times. Thank you all for that. I went out of my way to practice every Friday, but didn’t dry fire at home during the week. The range I shoot at is 2 hours from my house and it’s a nice range but dry fire would also certainly help my game. Why am I not dry firing? I guess it’s the same reason that I don’t go to the gym, or eat well, or enjoy reloading ammo – I see it as a chore and it’s not fun. I’d rather be hanging out with my wife or friends, at a local cigar bar, eating Big Mac’s. I had some stupid mistakes last year, like getting DQ’d on the first stage at my home club when I brought a guest with me. It was the perfect “lemme show you how it’s done” moment as I proceeded to ditch a hot shotgun with the safety off and haul ass downrange with my Glock. Some other stupid moments were: running out of rifle ammo mid-CoF, and not enforcing range movement rules on myself that I know are a best practice (this actually happened a lot) I had some unexplained equipment issues such as a gas system problems with my rifle, light strike issues with my Glock 34, high seated primers from a Dillon, and a variety of other things that plagued me on and off throughout the year. I believe them to all be sorted out as I move into 2015 but really only time will tell… o_O Even with those problems though, I competed and shot better than I ever have, placing in the top third at every major match and top 1-5 locally. I won my first gun at the Midwest 3GN Regional held at Rockcastle, it was a Remington 870 and I gave it to my Dad as a “thank you for getting me into shooting” gift. I later won a 2nd gun at FNH 3G later that year in September which I promptly sold as a good 3 gunner is supposed to do – so I could put the money back into the addiction that is this sport. Lastly, I realized that I don’t care about being “sponsored” as much as I thought I did. I’m grateful to have the support that I have from Peacemaker National Training Center …and I love having such a nice place to shoot – but I’m really a self-funded competitor shooting on my terms, succeeding, slowly advancing my game and enjoying the hell out of life along the way. Edited February 2, 2015 by Moltke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 2015 starts here - http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=209517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) 20 February I went to Elite Shooting Sports in Manassas VA and let me tell you, what a nice professional range with great lighting, equipment, sound proofed shooting areas, user friendly controls, everything you could want in an indoor shooting facility. It's top notch and by far the best I've non-government indoor shooting range been to (FLETC doesn't count). With a 100 yard rifle range indoors and cameras mounted downrange you can comfortably and easily shoot, then view your hits without a spotting scope or having to retract the targets - they have really thought this through and everything works just as it should!! If you live in the northern VA area and haven't been to Elite Shooting Sports yet then you need to go check it out. I look forward to renting their shoot house area with friends this year and look forward to when ESS starts to host USPSA matches on site, if that actually comes to fruition. But like any indoor range, it's certainly NOT the same experience as being in the great outdoors. My training Fridays will still be out in West VA with a tactical bay to myself, shooting fast action movement drills on steel, smoking La Flor Dominica cigars all summer long. Now I just need to wait for the nice weather to get here!!! Edited March 3, 2015 by Moltke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 27 February The scope mount I ordered through Immortals Arms finally showed up so I drove out to Culpeper VA to buy it. In case anyone's thinking of doing business with Immortal Arms, the company supports the shooting sports heavily and also deals with NFA devices - SBR's, suppressors, SBS's, etc. They were a stage sponsor for the USPSA Maryland State Championship 2014 and will be one for the upcoming 2015 VA/MD Section match too. Remember to support the people who support you. Once I got the scope mount, we put it on the gun, leveled it, torqued it down, and then I was able to zero on site. Thank you Mark for letting me shoot on your range, having a 265 stretch available was nice for some instant gratification and getting on paper at 100 then 200 yards. Even with the cold and the snow, it was a worthwhile day. Now for some rifle refinement, still have to: refine my zero with a match .223 ammo, tune the gas system and new JP parts, and oh right... practice some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 28 February I started with some prone rifle shooting at 200 yards on freshly painted steel with friends calling hits. Since I still don't have any match grade .223, my groups were crap but I adjusted my scope so at least I was centered. I then began standing unsupported with the rifle shooting "freestyle" at the 100-ish yard steel targets - and it was immediately apparent that my sitting around for 3 months not shooting took a toll. Hit, miss, miss, miss... hit, miss, miss, miss... And so it went until I decided to slow down, and take one shot at a time. I burned through 60rds pretty quick and I'd call it wasted ammo but I learned something: I need to identify and focus on what just made me suck so much. So I put down my rifle, loaded a new magazine and relaxed for a minute. Okay, how best to do this...? If I want to get 30 hits in a row then that means I need to rebuild my Stance, Grip, Sight Alignment, Draw and maintain Trigger Control. I haven't shot in 3 months and standing unsupported rifle at 100 yards isn't the easiest task, but I should be able to do this if I break it down. Instead of just raising the rifle and hammering away, I'll start from the low ready, raise the gun and take one shot hit or miss, then reset. Re-Building My Technique From the waist down - Positioning my feet to balance my weight evenly, toes pointed to the far left & right of my target area, blading off a bit so my strong side foot was about a half-step to the rear, not locking my knees and standing normally, OK. From the waist up - With my back generally upright, not leaning too far forward or to the rear, hands & arms holding the gun firm into my shoulder, moving everything around until I aligned naturally on target and I didn't have to muscle the gun, OK. Adjusting the gun - Since I got a new scope mount the previous day I wasn't used to the eye relief setting so I slid my stock in until I could have a full field of view and oh look, I can see stuff better now. OK. With all these adjustments it was as easy as "raise the gun, see the sights, break the shot" because everything was pre-positioned for success and it wasn't me being sloppy or just blasting. Flip the safety off on the way up, stop with the optic in front of my eye, make a minor sight adjustment while taking the slack out of the trigger, and boom. It was taking me about 3 seconds to fire resulting in 24/30 hits on the same 100-ish yard steel so I was pretty happy. Considering not shooting for the past 3 months and 75% of my shots 10 minutes earlier were misses, that's progress I'll take. That being said, when I get the chance I'm going to be coming back to this task with a smaller steel target and a par time to see how many hits I get out of 50 or 100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 (edited) Saturday 7 March Today I shot some more long range (200) yards with the rifle, this time using a friends nearly identical setup. Colt CRP 18 Pro with a Vortex Razor II using a variety of ammo. PMC 223, Atlanta Arms 55gr remanufactured, and Atlanta Arms 77gr match. I didn't bring my colt competition rifle because the gas block is being disassembled and cleaned by my gunsmith, so we had to adjust the zero on the other gun. Using the Atlanta Arms 55gr ammo we got on steel quick at 100 yards and then moved to 200 yards. After a few minor adjustments th group was centered on the steel and it was time to check the 77gr match. As expected, the group was tighter. What was unexpected was no point of impact shift whatsoever. With a different grain weight at a different velocity, I would have expected a different point of impact but to our surprise and happiness it was dead on. Later we chronographed the two loads and the 55gr reman ammo standard deviation was 35 FPS and the 77gr match ammo was 13 FPS. For 3 Gun, this is more than good enough considering anything beyond 100 yards is going to be shot with match ammo and anything inside 100 yards is going to be a generous enough target to get regular first round hits even with the larger FPS spread. I didn't bother to chrono the PMC 223 because in the past the FPS spread was so huge I don't consider it to be a valuable option for an actual match but great for close range speed shooting and practice. I also didn't bother to check the PMC point of impact shift which I should have realized would be different. When I started my standing shooting today it was on an 8 inch gong at 100 yards (last time it was on a 12 inch target at 100) and shooting on the considerably smaller target was considerably harder. Taking my time and adjusting the rifle as needed, I missed about half of the 40 shots fired. Well crap. I knew the gun shot high at 100 with the Atlanta Arms ammo because we just checked it but I didn't check the PMC point of impact shift. Holding dead center I was over the target and had to adjust my point of aim to the bottom of the plate. The PMC also shot high, in fact probably higher based on the results I was getting. Lesson learned - know your dope and holds before you start shooting so you're not playing the guessing game of why you're missing. When I get my rifle back and go shooting this coming Friday I hope I can do some paper targets from a real bench with bags to see just how tight my groups are and what the bullets are doing at 100 and 200 yards. Glad I have the time to figure this all out before any long range matches! Edited March 8, 2015 by Moltke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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