Breaking The 180

[j2fast]

I am new to the sport but not new to shooting. Being new I have spent a great deal of time reading the rule book and have attended a half day orientation on the rules, etc. I have shot in a couple of local matches so far this year. This past Sunday was the first match with good weather (Sunny, upper 50's) so I was a little extra pumped to get out and shoot.

I arrived fairly earily and started walking the stages, most of which were straight forward courses of fire but one was a triangle (Devil's Triangle I think?). There were two choices for paths to take. I walked the course many times by myself plotting my COF and then several times more with one of the more experienced shooters who was also RO'ing (I had also shoot with him before at my first match). He gave me several suggestions on how the get through the course which was the most complicated I had come across in my short time in the sport. Although after all of the walk throughs I felt confident that if I just didn't get ahead of myself all would be well.

So now I'm up, starting with hands and toes against the wall. The buzzer sounds, I draw, step into the doorway, turn to my right to engage the first 3 targets (Being mindful of the 180). Then what I should have done next is pulled the gun into my chest, stepped back and headed down the hallway to the next 3 targets. What I did in reality was step back, point the gun down almost sweeping my feet and breaking the 180 as I turned down the hallway. So in my head I was then waiting for the RO to grab me but he didn't so I continued (in the end he said I was close but I was OK there).

Now instead of thinking about my next shot I am thinking how I just screwed up (bad I know). So now I am off mentally and procede to engage the next 3 targets opposite the the way I had planned (R - L instead of L - R). As I shoot the last target in the group I am thinking it shoot have been my first in the group, crap I'm out of ammo, and big crap I only put one shoot into the last target.

As I am dropping my mag my mind is racing back and forth (go back, go forward, go back, etc) about going back to make up the shoot. This on top of "dumbass you can't count to 10 so you ran out of ammo", I shoot production.

Anyway this is where poor decision making took over, as I slammed the mag in and dropped the slide I put two rounds into the next target. Then bam, I stopped and started to turn back to the target I only shot once.

As soon as it was apparent I was going to break the 180 the RO stopped me. I knew immediately what I had done, on his instructions I dropped the mag, showed clear, and packed up my stuff for the day after only completing one stage then DQ'ing on the next.......

As a side note, I was very angry but it was all my fault even though the RO kept apologizing. I am not a sore loser, so I stuck around to tape targets and paint steel for my squad until they finished the remaining stages.

All in all not the day I had planned on having......

[stingerjg]

I tell the new shooters to be safe first, have fun second, and dont worry about a plan of how to shoot the stage. For most beginer shooters, trying to plan exactly how to shoot a stage can get to complicated, which somtimes sacrifices the safety and the fun. Changing your plan on the move is somthing you learn w/ experience. You'll get there, just dont get frustrated.

Oh ya, welcome to the forum.

Edited May 3, 2005 by stingerjg

[XRe]

Hang in there, man It will get easier. When things start to get hairy - you make a mistake, and then feel hurried - that seems to be a common time for these sorts of mistakes to happen.

[GRD]

That 'mounting confusion' is what it's all about. In diving new divers are given tons of warnings on how to recognize that feeling and how to short-circuit the path to the eventual major-league mistake that is on the way by calming down, reducing the number of tasks they are asking themselves to do and re-focusing on what is really important at that moment: safety and regaining composure and control.

Your example shows how great the rules are in stepping in and stopping that accelerating chain of events before it leads to an accident - not that you were going to have an accident, but that the state of mind you related is the one where accidents have a higher than normal chance of happening. Often it's a chain of events that leads to an accident and recognizing that feeling when you're on the train and heading in that direction is a skill I think needs to be taught and emphasized.

- Gabe

[XRe]

BTW - one thing I was told in my Level I RO class was to wach for exactly this situation (w/ noobs or w/ experienced shooters). When things start to go bad, the situation can more easily accelerate into something worse.... It highlighted exactly what Gabe is saying for me, as well - recognize the situation when it's happening to me, and use that as a key to relax, and do one thing at a time, and stay safe

[j2fast]

BTW - one thing I was told in my Level I RO class was to wach for exactly this situation (w/ noobs or w/ experienced shooters). When things start to go bad, the situation can more easily accelerate into something worse.... It highlighted exactly what Gabe is saying for me, as well - recognize the situation when it's happening to me, and use that as a key to relax, and do one thing at a time, and stay safe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The RO on the stage was great about it, he did basically see what was unfolding almost before I realized it. Then after apologizing (I was his first DQ & he felt bad) he walked me back through the course giving me tips on what I could/should have done. Then continued to give me tips and pointers througout the remainder of the day.

Thanks for the replies guys, I definitely learned I need to slow down and let the speed come with practice, pactice, practice.... On that note I can't wait for 5 (OK maybe 4:45) to get here, I've got 300 rounds I picked up over lunch calling my name, so I'm hitting the range tonight on the way home.

[folsoml]

Something else to think about, you wrote about your handling of the gun initially as you were backing out of the doorway. I obviously haven't seen the course so I can't say for sure, but do you think you could have engaged those targets without stepping completely into the doorway? If you could have been back a little farther so even your outstretched gun was not through the doorway? That would not only save your from having to worry about what the gun is doing as you are backing out, but will save you the time it took to step in and then back out. As you are doing your walk through before shooting a stage, think about the fact that any barrel, doorway, or shooting port you stick your gun into, you then have to pull back out again.

Just a suggestion.

[Walt S]

I am new to the sport but not new to shooting.

What I did in reality was step back, point the gun down almost sweeping my feet and breaking the 180 as I turned down the hallway. So in my head I was then waiting for the RO to grab me but he didn't so I continued (in the end he said I was close but I was OK there).

YOUR NOT ALONE. I'm new this year and was just DQed Sunday. Here is how it went.

Well I'm on my way, or so I though. Practice every day, speed loading looking good, accuracy getting better. LET THE GAMES BEGIN as I'm going to kick Jerry V's butt (or that's the short term goal). First stage at TRI-COUNTY, did very good. Second stage, DQed. Shoot up one side of the course, picked up a wagon in the weak hand and started shooting back the other side. Instead of backing up, keeping my shoulders square to the 180, I walked straight back taking the targets as I came to them. The second target I shoot at 185/190 degrees from the line (I'M OUT, PUT THE GUN IN THE CAR, AND WATCHED OTHERS THE REST OF THE DAY. Did I feel bad, NOOOOO I made a MISTAKE that I learned from. I found out later that day that at least two others DQed the same way. NOT AN EXCUSE, but a learning level. P.S. I know Paul, the RO felt bad about having to DQ me, BUT HE DID HIS JOB as I would hope. He kept the the sport SAFE and I learned a lesson.

Soooooooooooooooooo, we all learn,some the hard way. I'm sure this will be good for me as yours was for you.

[vluc]

Not just new shooters...2004 TriState Championship. GM shooter gets a DQ for breaking the 180 as well.

Stuff happens.