Airic

[Airic]

I haven't posted here since April, and that is reflective of how hit and miss my opportunities to shoot have been. It's been a real struggle to get to the range and hit a match this summer. It's real frustrating that I still have a overwhelming drive to shoot (I think about it every day) and not get to go out and do it. But...enough griping, lets get to the current situation:

Since April I have been shooting mostly open division with my new SJC gun. I think I've really gotten the hang of this open thing. I have put together a folder that I keep my range/match/dryfire logs in and it also has a goals list, dryfire plan and calender of matches I want to attend. Oddly enough, I have only shot my limited gun twice since my open gun came back from SJC, but I had 2 major accomplishments in the two matches....

In June, I shot the Texas state IDPA match. I took 3rd Master in SSP. I shot a very solid match but felt slow all day. Later that month, I went to compete in the UT System Police Chancellors Cup for my police dept. (UT Arlington PD). I took 2nd place individual and 3rd place as a team.

On the open gun side I have been shooting solid. Match results like this

have really given me confidence.

I shot a match at my home range ITPSC in Duke, OK Saturday. I was focused on winning. I felt like I should win that match hands down. I ended up with 2nd Overall after a few key mistakes and my open gun going single shot on me for two stages. After being gone for 1.5 months for some training, I could tell I was a little rusty:

itpsc.wmv

That blown reload was a product of not being prepared for the match. Only one dryfire session last week. Consistency with my reloads is a problem that I think I am going to focus on for the next couple of weeks.

[Catfish]

Keep it up, Eric. We hope to be up and running soon so you can shoot locally....

Try and make the sectional match at DT this weekend!

[Airic]

I'll be there this weekend. The funds are already appropriated and I got the "go" from the boss (wife).

Gotta get this fixed though....

itpsc5.wmv

Thats only 3/4 of the stage, the last plate rack I had to rack one out of the gun every shot. Its funny though, after I clear the texas star you can hear someone in the background go "ooooo" Funny what you catch on video sometimes...

I think the gun was just really really dirty (I hope). If not it was probably the ammo, and I'm making more this week just in case.

[mjbine]

I'll be there this weekend. The funds are already appropriated and I got the "go" from the boss (wife).

Gotta get this fixed though....

itpsc5.wmv

Thats only 3/4 of the stage, the last plate rack I had to rack one out of the gun every shot. Its funny though, after I clear the texas star you can hear someone in the background go "ooooo" Funny what you catch on video sometimes...

I think the gun was just really really dirty (I hope). If not it was probably the ammo, and I'm making more this week just in case.

Nicely done on the star.

[Airic]

Nicely done on the star.

Thanks. Thats the comment I got after the stage. One of my buddies told me it was pretty smooth for having to rack a round out in between the 2nd and 3rd plate....

[Airic]

Found out about a change in schedule last night at 8:30 pm. A highly physical training class got approved and I was told to show up at 8:00 am ( I get off at 11:00pm). Of course...the baby wanted to party late last night, she was still playing with her birthday toys until 3:00am. How can you blame her, she was all jacked up on cake and ice cream**. Got home tonight and I am tired. I have 3 new scars (in progress) and I am still picking dirt and grass off my body. I still managed to get a dryfire practice in. It wasnt much, but I worked on reloads for about 45 mins.

**My baby girl's 1st birthday was yesterday, we had a nice party at the local park

[Airic]

Been doing a lot of thinking this week about my progress as a shooter. Been looking at where I currently am in the grand scheme of things.

I think I have stepped onto a new level. I was sitting around thinking about the match I shot Saturday. I said above that i was "focused on winning". I was so focused on winning the match, that I didn't realize until days later that I had actually achieved some sub-goals that I have for every match. I shot the match with no misses, or no penalty's.

It never even crossed my mind until days later...

Whenever I placed low, or had an off day I used to walk away from a match that I shot clean and say to myself "Hey, at least I shot a clean match". Now I expect it. I'm glad that that one is out of the way.

I've come to a point in my shooting where I feel like I am a very strong technically and mentally at a match. Nothing scares me and I never have any doubts that I can do something on any given stage. I have weak parts of my game:

1. consistency (mainly in reloads)

2. stage planning (I program stages very well, I just don't always see the best way to shoot it)

Working hard to overcome these. North Texas Section Championship Series (Part 2) this weekend at Double Tap....I'm not going to lie to you, I'm going there to win. Not my class, or division. I want the whole thing.

Who's coming with me?

[Catfish]

Hey man, I know your gun was puking throughout the day, but when it ran, you were the MAN!

Stage 2

Place Name No. Class Division Points Pen. Time Hit Factor Stage Pts Stage %

1 Gambill, Eric 34 B Open 122 0 13.79 8.8470 130.0000 100.00%

Figure out what's going on and get back out there.

You beat some quality guys on that stage...