How Many Magazines to Pick Up

[Smitty79]

I'm going to shoot my first level 2 match in two weeks. I was just looking through the stages in the match book. One of the stages has you pick up all of the ammo you will use for the stage from a table. I've never done that before. I will probably dry fire this start a few times before the match.

My big question is: How many mags should I stuff in my belt? I am shooting Production. It's a 26 round stage. I need 3 mags for my stage plan. Should I take the time to grab 4, to have a back up?

[mrpredictable]

Couple variables here.

Is the gun loaded?

Are there any targets you can shoot from the area of the table?

Is there more than 1 table?

Normally for a stage like this I would:

-grab a magazine with each hand and put in pouches simultaneously

-load gun/pickup loaded gun

-engage targets in area of table

-reload off table as you leave

[jbultman]

Agreed. Depends on the stage and your plan. So many options (ill add some more to dirty the pot)...

.wheres the table on relation to the starting position.

-can you go back to the table

-all paper or steel

-what are the arrays like

Give us some more info and we might be able to help...maybe a stage description or layout?

[Hi-Power Jack]

-grab a magazine with each hand and put in pouches simultaneously

-load gun/pickup loaded gun

-engage targets in area of table

-reload off table as you leave

+1. I've seen people (new shooters) stuff all five mags in their

belt before they do anything else - waste of time.

As Mr Predictable mentioned, grab 2 and load/shoot what you

can at the table. Then grab another mag as you leave.

[Smitty79]

The gun starts unloaded.

You can shoot targets from the start position.

There are 6 poppers.

Jam 2, load and shoot from start position and reload on the way out sounds like the happy medium. I can see this dry fire drill already.

[incorrigible]

I had one like this. Loaded and shot three targets from behind table. Reload from mag on table, grab another and hold in teeth. Shoot some more, reload from mag in teeth, shoot the rest.

I will admit, I went to the belt first and not my mouth on the reload.

[Smitty79]

I've been dry firing the grab and stuff two in belt, load and shoot from position and reload prior to leaving table.

Initially, I grab 1 in each hand. I stuff the the mag, in my left hand, in position one. Then I transfer right hand to left hand. I stuff the second mag in position 2. Then I grab the mag to load and the gun just like a normal table start, shoot and then reload as I leave.

Anyone have a better idea?

[Jakobi]

Stuff both at once. Left hand to position 2, right to position 1.

[waktasz]

I like to grab two in a stack, makes it easier to stow IMO. I will also shoot with one in my hand treating it like a tactical flashlight if the shots aren't terribly difficult.

[Nimitz]

grab 2 with weak hand and as you are putting those in mag pouches grap gun with strong hand, then grap a 3rd mag, load and shoot targets, reload as you are moving away from that psoition to finish the stage

[KelsonAK]

I have to confess - when I read the title (how many mags to pick up) my first thought was 'as many as you dropped....'

[kevin c]

^^^ ;^D

For a three magazine pick up to an unloaded gun, with all targets and reload points away from the start position, I would likely use both hands at the signal to pick up and pouch two mags, then pick up the third mag and pistol to load and shoot.

If I am going to reload close to the pick up point after shooting the first array, I would pick up two with the weak hand, with my forefinger between them so that they are splayed apart, and pick up or draw with the strong hand. I would then move to the first shooting position while inserting the near magazine (between thumb and forefinger) in the gun, pouching the second, then rack the gun and shoot. Moving from the first array, I would pick up the third mag to load with and save the mag on my belt for the last array.

But that's just how I would do it, and even that "depends"...

[Matt1]

I have a magnet on my front pouch (IPSC) I stage 2 mags together so I can pick them up and slap them on the magnet in one go. Then load gun off table, engage targets, and grab another mag off table exiting the position.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BeerBaron]

It's more a question of how many positions you can break the stage down into as that determines how many reloads you'll need.

if you can shoot say 6 shots at the table then 10 and 10 I would go like this:

on the beep. grab mag with weak hand (stuff into pouch), grab gun with SH at same time. then grab 2nd mag with WH load gun, shoot 6 shots, grab 3rd mag and perform reload on the move to position 2. shoot that position, reload from belt to position 3, shoot that position.

if you need a extra position the first move would be grab a mag in each hand. WH stuffs mag in pouch2 and SH into pouch 1, then your 2 hands grab mag 3 and the gun at the same time to load the gun and shoot the first array.

I shoot IPSC rules which mean we can use magnets. much easier. can just grab 2 mags together and slap them onto the magnet.

[Dimitri]

I do the same as Nimitz and BeerBaron.

As I shoot IPSC and use a magnet, I pick up two mags with the weak hand, slap them on the magnet, pick up gun at the same time, and then pick up 3rd mag, load gun, rack it and shoot

[SV650Squid]

I had a start last match where the mags and unloaded gun were outside the shooting area.

With bullets out pouches, it was easy to grab 2, put them in my first and third pouch, grab 2, put them in second and forth, load, and move into the shooting area.

I skipped pouches because when doing it dry I found that the contortions required were faster and more reliable to alternate.

Edit: I grabbed the 4th mag because the last shooting position was a texas star and I'm still a noob. I wanted a backup mag.

Edited September 9, 2015 by SV650Squid

[emm66]

I've never shot a stage like this so for what it's worth, at the beep I would load and engage targets from there. Then drop mag, reload and grab one more in a tactical flashlight hold and go from there.