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First Match


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Finally signed up for my first USPSA match this Saturday.  I'll be shooting a Sig X5 with Romeo 1 in CO using Speer Lawman 124gr.  Any advice, tips, tricks are welcome.  I've shot timed courses of fire before during work qualifications, but nothing quite like this.

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Finally signed up for my first USPSA match this Saturday.  I'll be shooting a Sig X5 with Romeo 1 in CO using Speer Lawman 124gr.  Any advice, tips, tricks are welcome.  I've shot timed courses of fire before during work qualifications, but nothing quite like this.
Only manipulate the gun at the safe table or under the "Make Ready" command of the Range officer. Please ask as many questions necessary to the ROs. Finger off the trigger when you're reloading and moving.

Lastly, have lots of fun and make new friends. The shooting part is the icing on the cake.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Remember to take your time at the "Make Ready" command and take your time at the "If you are finished, show clear. If clear, hammer (striker) down and holster" command. Don't take all day, but concentrate on what you are doing, where the gun is pointed, etc. You tend to have a lot of adrenaline flowing at these times, and it helps to tell yourself to take it slow. You will have a great time, competitive shooters are some of the nicest people I know. Good luck and stay safe. 

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Do your best to push down the fantasy of impressing anyone, and you'll have more fun.  Be friendly and ask questions, and people will more freely offer you help.  You might be overwhelmed by the number of things the good shooters do differently, better and faster, but they started somewhere too.  To have the longevity to get where you want to be you have to be having fun in the process, so enjoy the shooting gallery and later on you can enjoy being competitive. If you think you will stick with it, take a class right away, don't wait!   ----these are things I wish I had been told when I started.  

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Safety first, hits second, speed third. 

 

Slow down at Make Ready, double check you equipment and make one last mental run through your stage plan. 

 

Slow down at the If you are finished,  unload and show clear command. You are off the clock at that point. no need to rush Plus the RO will want to see and confirm before issuing the If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster command. 

 

Before your first stage make sure your "allied equipment" is properly placed on your belt. Sunscreen, hat, snack/drink, good shoes appropriate for the surface

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Bring at least 2 x amount of ammo than match lists 

my local club is 170-ish so I bring 300 and preloaded magazines  sometimes I just toss the whole ammo can in the trunk for practice afterwards (club membership perk)

  Double up on ears, foam plugs and headset. 

 Depending on weather lots of water and a light  snack or two. 

 Show up early to help set up if you can you get to meet and greet and get acclimated while you set up and can get an early view of the stages, also help break down if you can, it is greatly appreciated. 

 

Welcome to what may very well be your new addiction 

Be Safe,Have Fun, and Relax it’s just a game 🙂

  

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51 minutes ago, cdholmes said:

I think what I'm most nervous about is stage planning and missing targets.  What's the process of getting a walkthrough of the stages, and how much time do you have?

 

It's usually 5 minutes once the stage brief is read. Most local matches though is more relaxed and the time can vary. 

The walkthrough starts with you reading the WSB if its not read out loud. Then you find the start position if it specified and then you can start walking the stage and find the targets. I look at the diagram and see how many targets there are, then go count them on the stage as I walk it the first time. If I don't end up with the right number I need to look harder. Once I know all the locations, start making a plan to minimize total travel distance and fit with my mag capacity so I can plan reloads. 

You can walk the stage as many times as you want before the RO calls to clear the range to start the first shooter. Just get in line with everyone else and take your turn. 

 

No guns or gun replicas can be in hand while walking the stage, but you can make finger guns, hold a magazine etc.  I just hold up a strong hand fist and point at the targets and use my support hand to mimic a reload as I walk it when/where I want to reload. 

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I think what I'm most nervous about is stage planning and missing targets.  What's the process of getting a walkthrough of the stages, and how much time do you have?
Don't be. Pair up with the best shooter in your squad and follow their plan. You may have to slice it up in smaller chunks based on capacity but you'll be so much better than trying to figure it out on your own.

Once you have established your plan with them choreograph it constantly and most important STICK TO IT. There's no such thing as a bad stage plan only bad execution!! When I'm helping a new shooter I make them turn their back to the stage and tell me exactly what, where and how they're going to shoot the stage. Within a minute they can literally recall the stage without looking. Then execution becomes easier. You're gonna have a blast

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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13 hours ago, cdholmes said:

 What's the process of getting a walkthrough of the stages, and how much time do you have?

 

Varies from range to range.   Usually 5 minutes, which is usually enough,

but not always.

 

The complexity of the COF is huge - some matches are very simple to follow

(the easiest for me was the one Nat'ls I attended).

 

Some are Very Difficult to follow - there were two COF's that I NEVER figured

out, in advance.

 

You ain't going to win your first match, so don't sweat it - figure out what you can,

talk to any experienced shooter who will take a minute to talk to you, and do

your best - don't worry about it, just do your best and ENJOY.

 

When you review how you did at your first match, if this seems to be your

biggest problem, then address it - but wait and see - might not be a problem

at all.    :) 

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Well, scored 39 out of 54 overall, and 8 out of 13 in CO.  Time was pretty slow, but I had the most A hits overall.    Had a great time and could feel myself getting more comfortable as we progressed through the stages.  Looking forward to shooting more and getting better.

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53 minutes ago, cdholmes said:

Well, scored 39 out of 54 overall, and 8 out of 13 in CO.  Time was pretty slow, but I had the most A hits overall.    Had a great time and could feel myself getting more comfortable as we progressed through the stages.  Looking forward to shooting more and getting better.

 

That’s pretty typical and pretty solid for a first time at a match.

 

Keep it smooth and safe for another match or two, then begin asking the more experienced locals what to work on in order to improve.

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That’s pretty typical and pretty solid for a first time at a match.
 
Keep it smooth and safe for another match or two, then begin asking the more experienced locals what to work on in order to improve.
^^this
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9 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

How was your stage planning ?

Definitely need to work on that too.  I was lucky to be in a squad with some pretty good shooters, so I was able to watch them and plan accordingly.  I pretty much just focused on counting the targets and making sure I got them all.

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Well done, and welcome to the game !

 

Now that you see how it works, you can set up your dry fire and practice on the area's you see that need to improve. It takes time and work but it is very rewarding to see the improvements over time

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just shot my first Steel Challenge match this weekend.  I think I enjoyed it more than the USPSA match, probably because I was better at it 😛.  I plan to keep doing both, and look forward to improving at both.  Thanks for all the tips.

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  • 1 month later...

There are a lot of USPSA shooting videos on Youtube.  Usually the big name shooters of our sport have great info

on all facets of shooting a stage.  What I have found over my 40 years of shooting USPSA matches is that I start

every stage with the same procedure (not all start the same) and I have walked the stage enough to know where

I am going, etc after the buzzer.  I say the same thing to myself after I have made ready and that's simply "Relax

and Concentrate".  Once you have formed a plan to shoot the stage try not to change it because someone else

shot it a different way.  His/Hers may be a better way, but you have already walked your plan and most times when

shooters change their plan, it does not work well.  Just a couple of thoughts.  Also there are different types of 

shooters, back in my starting days the two most different were Rob Leatham and Jerry Barnhart.  Both are great

shooters, but Rob is laid back and Jerry is very intense.  Find the way that works best for you and do the same

in practice that you do in matches, so it kinda becomes a "Condition Response".  Have a great time shooting

the best shooting sport in the world.......

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  • 4 weeks later...
Finally signed up for my first USPSA match this Saturday.  I'll be shooting a Sig X5 with Romeo 1 in CO using Speer Lawman 124gr.  Any advice, tips, tricks are welcome.  I've shot timed courses of fire before during work qualifications, but nothing quite like this.


Remember to shoot “your” match don’t try to keep up with everyone else. Go slow and get good hits and speed will come as you learn the game.


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