My 2nd Match And Some Very Profound Learnings

[Brazos SC Shooter]

I had to fly back to Austin this last weekend for a family matter and was forced to miss my local match in Circleville Ohio. I checked the USPSA website before I left and found the Austin Lone Star P.P.C. was having a match, so, I loaded up my gear and headed to the lone star state. The folks at ALSPPC put on a really great match and I learned some very valuable lessons during the weekend.

1. As Mack Brown would say, "Never let a loss beat you twice." I learned that failure to move past a bad stage can have far reaching negative effects on the next stage, even when you think you have wiped it away. That is whole idea of Maku mozo, right?

2. Don't let your frustration get in the way of your post stage routine. Probably is a good idea to add an additional check of all gear especially after a rough stage.

3. When your plan goes to crap, don't lose sight of the end goal and just focus on the next target and then the next until there are no more.

Stage 4 (1st of the match)

No issues to speak of. Both the gun and I ran smooth. Outside of a couple of Charlie hits it was all good.

Stage 5 (2nd of the match)

Three stations

1. losts of steel, clam shell, small pepper poppers

2. All paper and one small steel activated drop turner

3. Texas star and two paper

Plan went to hell right off the bat. Hit the activator then shot the next steel while the clam shell was supposed to be activating. I came back and the steel was still standing. Shot it again, then again, and again. I was hitting it too low and finally after 5-6 hits the damn thing falls. Now I am so far off my plan but don't realize how bad it is just yet. I move the second station take care of the paper and activate the drop turner. Unfortunately that shot on the steel plate took me to slide lock. Needless to say there was no reload in time to get any hits on that target. Moved to station 3 and did an ok job on the star (first time shooting that contraption, which is very cool) but nothing to write home about.

Here is where things, unknowingly began to affect the next stage. I was so pissed when I got back to my bag that I just started cramming rounds into all the mags and putting them back on my belt. They are all hi-cap but I am shooting production. All mags are 3rds heavy now.

Stage 1 (3rd of the match)

Stage requires 32 rounds and lines up nicely for ten round shots and then reloading while moving to the next position.

I step to the line, load/make ready and realize I have too many rounds. I unload the round in the chamber, not thinking, as well as take 3 rounds out of the magazine. I make sure all the others are at ten, but I now have 9 in the first mag. Now I am one off from my plan and am at slide lock on targets with only one hit and having to reload to get the second one.

In the end it just showed me there is much practicing to be done and maybe one day soon I will have a match were all stages go as planned.

The good news is I did finish 1st out of all unclassified shooters across all divisions, and then 4th in production overall behind two M's and one B.

[XRe]

Hey, Drew, it was great to meet you this weekend Hope you'll come visit again soon...

It wasn't all that stellar a match for any of us, man, so don't feel too bad To wit: http://www.daverephoto.com/shooting/dave_ipsc_7_1_2006.wmv - my three worst stages, courtesy of AustinMike... and boy do they stink...

Re: ammo in the mags, I make it a habit to unload every magazine that's been used after every stage, and then reload them so that I know exactly how many are in each one at all times. While you got burned by hitting slide lock this time, next time it could put you in Open class inadvertantly!!! Yikes!

Hey, BTW - you shoot pretty damn well for that being your second match. Hang in there, with experience many of those things you had problems with will get easier!

Edited July 4, 2006 by XRe

[Bryan W]

Drew -

+1 to what Dave just said - It was nice meeting you and come visit us again if you can. Don't be too hard on yourself - you did much better than you're giving yourself credit for. I was impressed with your run on the big field course given your short time of shooting competition. You shot that HK very well.

Good luck -

[Brazos SC Shooter]

Thanks for everything you guys. I will definately come back to shoot with y'all again.

Time for me to go fire up the grill and get this 4th holiday off to a good start.

See ya.