New Stage Ideas

[JD45]

After watching the documentary about the north Hollywood bank shootout again, I thought about the fact that we seldom begin a stage with the pistol out of the holster.

How many times do you think that someone had to shoot in real-life with the gun already pointed at the target? I believe quite a few.

I am trying to draw some stages that begin with the sights on the target while waiting for the beep. Some of them could be using a car for cover, or even prone under the car. And I would like to have the shooter press an activator with his knee or foot at the beep.

Also, a long range, very slow mover would make it like the real deal. Man, I wish IDPA would allow 50yd. targets. We don't even see 35 yarders around here.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

[Mark Perez]

"How many times do you think that someone had to shoot in real-life with the gun already pointed at the target? I believe quite a few."

Only example I can think of would be a police sniper on a barricaded subject.

"Also, a long range, very slow mover would make it like the real deal.

Man, I wish IDPA would allow 50yd. targets.

We don't even see 35 yarders around here.

Any ideas will be appreciated."

How is long range shots on moving targets the "real deal?"

If anything , those kind of shots should be discouraged for street use by armed citizen & police alike.

As far as stage design , you could use a smaller target (or one that has 'hard-cover') on the mover at close range to simulate the same conditions.

fwiw

M

[Joe D]

Try cutting off the -3 area. Been thinking about having a couple of stages in our local match with the smaller targets.

[JD45]

I was thinking along the lines of being prepared for anything. Training yourself to hit longer range targets (even slow movers) is a nice skill to have.

As I said, the documentary about the bank shootout with two dudes in full body armor, got me to thinking.

There were lots of people there who would have loved to score a 50-60yd. headshot before the crooks fired a thousand rounds.

Also, it is well known that pistols are pointed in self defense and sometimes never fired. Or a gun may have been drawn and fired at a later point.

[Mayonaise]

Try cutting off the -3 area. Been thinking about having a couple of stages in our local match with the smaller targets.

First person I saw do that was the Headhunter himself. JD Knap did it at the nationals in 04 on his Carl Lewis movers. And Hack suggests it in his new column in the TJ.

Works for me.

[solaritx]

I have been doing a fair amount of CoF starting with gun out.

1) lately, doing lots of flashlight work. As can happen in real life, both flashlight and gun are out for start. Shooter hears something in house and investigates, etc.

2) Mex- Standoff. T1 has hostage, and threatens to kill if you don't drop your weapon. Multiple threats behind T1. Gun pointed at head of T1, neutralize and then engage other threats. Variations is to put T1 out at max distance for IDPA and put other threats closer or declare 2 scored rounds on T1, etc.

It is interesting to see just how fast that first round can go downrange in a situation like this.

Garry N

[Steve Moneypenny]

how "defensive" is the 50 yard target.

JD, if we want to train harder why not FAST movers at 50 that way the slow one isn't a challenge? THat is one big problem i see in IDPA today they just want to train a "little" harder where other sports train a LOT harder (i am thinking of NRA action pistol lets not start a flame war just an observitive opinion on my part)

I agree we need to start with different starts gun out, flashlight out, etc. i like bed stands and table starts. but i hated some of the "gun safe" starts i have had to shoot in matches. and drawers where your gun slides around.... they gripe realism but i never put my guns those places. every time i yank my desk drawer open the gun stays put... why. because i put a rubber matt in the bottom! also these starts aren't the same for everyone. (some guys the gun slides one way the other guy it may run clear to the back corner and hide with magazines next to the front strap.

I don't have a lot of great ideas, but i really like everything covered but the -0 zone on a target. and even a head with an inch of hard cover on the sides.

[JD45]

I'm with you about the sliding gun thing. I've seen them placed on top of plastic barrels, and they will skate around. Not a real safe thing to try.

I want to see more pistol-in-hand starts. Some could be from low-ready, others sights on target.

[Jim Watson]

I'd like to see a timer and some accessories to conveniently provide a visual start signal instead of the usual buzzer. How many real world threats announce themselves "Beep!"?

A flashing light would do for a start, especially if it were at the target - everything but the bulb armored - to simulate muzzle flash. A solenoid to trip a mover into view would be good, too.