Catfish Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 IDPA MD today. Had tons of new shooters out and really spent all my time baby sittin' and setting stages up rather than pay attention to anything I was doing while on the trigger. Gun worked, gear worked, and brain worked on short notice when it was my turn to shoot. Had a truly gorgeous day at the range, however; it's really, really hard to bitch about 60 something degrees, bright sun, clear sky and trigger time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 All that stuff going on and still HOA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 I dropped too many dang points to enjoy that one, Mr. Gary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 wow.... almost a month since I posted here.... been playing with the limited gun a bit, doing mag changes a lot in front of the TV.... First practice session - what I'd call a real practice session today in what seems like forever. Damn do I need it! Rust everywhere, knocked a bit off, but not as much as I'd like. Put 200ish rounds downrange, a lot of bill drill and all you can get kind of stuff; tracking the front sight and getting used to the timing of the gun again. It was fun; a bit chilly, but fun. It's nice now, knowing what I'm capable of doing and therefore being able to quantify where I'm at; which is about a 10th or 15th off of where I need to be. I don't think that today's session is going to make me the world champ, but it did give me some direction on things to work on and improve upon and just in time. DTC is only about 6 weeks out, and I've got a lot of work behind the gun between now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Decent match today, shot Tigger, and it's been awhile, but had a blast! Pretty day at the range, who could ask for a nicer one. Shot a pretty solid match, once I remembered what sport I was shooting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Getting back in the groove.... Waco today. Thought it was going to be a sucky day at the range, weather-wise, but it turned pretty dang nice really. Shot my sights today, only won one stage in the match, but shot consistently enough through the match that still managed to take the Limited match.... Now I've just got to start improving and catching those dot guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Congrats on the W! Sounds like you're on track for a solid run at the DTC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Burtchell Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Great job today Good to see you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 I'm getting there. Gotta lot of work to do and a lot of pounds to lose.... thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 Coupla weeks out from DTC and needing some work!! Shot/MD'd an IDPA match today and shot like I've never shot a match before! Yech. Feeling a little bit tired, which I'm going to pawn off on starting seriously exercising again beginning of this week. Didn't realize how tired I was till going for a bike ride after the match and my legs were dead dead dead. Spent a lot of time BSing with new shooters and watching the new folks and not very much time on my own ju ju - gotta get that focus going! Still, it feels good to be shooting and moving towards a big match; I'm really looking forward to hitting the DTC in a coupla weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) Mental and physical fatigue can sneak up on us. I was in the same boat yesterday and can relate. All the planets will be in alignment at DTC, though. Edited March 16, 2009 by HighVelocity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 yeah - I figure hitting it hard physically through next Mon or so. And then just lots of sleep and rest for DTC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 going good, at least looking forward to not embarrasing myself next week at DTC!! Physical training going well, taking times off my established run loops already!! Looks like I'll be shooting my XDm in Limited - been playing around with it for a while half heartedly and finally got off my ass and installed a new trigger, mag well and base pads. Have a new front sight too, but sheeeeit is that sumbitch not wanting to come off the slide. For now, I'll leave the stock one on it as I just don't feel like jacking with it right now. At this point, it's very likely that I'll pick up an XDm in 9mm and then set it up for IDPA and Production - no more swapping around platforms depending on the game I'm playing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 shot the XDm today in a match for the first time - other than pushing the gun down a little bit and not able to hit a reload on the first couple stages I'm quite pleased. Needs a new front sight, I just need to figure out how to get that old one out without breaking my hammer. I really am starting to believe that the platform can work quite well across divisons.... I'll likely be picking up a 9mm XDm for use in IDPA work and production if I ever get the itch for that. Lots more dry fire to be done between now and DTC on Thursday, should have the little kinks worked out by then and the platform will get a great test in the red dust!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 In from the DTC and wow, that was a helluva long weekend. Shot with the ROs on Thursday in awesome weather. And then it turned to crap. Worked the match Fri-Sun and Friday and Sat were two of the worst days I've ever had at the range. Truly horrid weather. Rain, cold, wind, and even snow on the ground!! Bookended by two gorgeous days Thursday and Friday. Biggest thing accomplished was the XDm ran like a champ. Only had to clean mags 2x!!! In the red dust at DT, that's sayin' something. Met my shooting goal of finishing in the top 25 Limited shooters. Shooting with the ROs and working up a new gun that I'd only shot in one other USPSA match... and I'll take it. Shot a safe match, only one mike, and that on a piece of steel I ran out of ammo for. Was very consistent throughout and other than some issues with footwork and running into props due to not planning out the stage properly I'm pretty pleased overall with my performance. Now to get ready for Space City!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 nice practice session today; another 200 flawless rounds with the XDm. Experimented with springs in the mags - with the arredondo base pads came "extra" power springs. Could get 18 or 19, depending on the mag - the 18's were reloadable adn the 19s not close. Today I put the OEM springs back in two of the mags - could easily get 19 rounds in each, reloadable, and the functioned flawlessly. Will continue to play with them for a bit and make sure the OEM springs are going to work 100% with the extended basepads, but 19+1 doesn't put me at a disadvantage on 98% of the stages... Ran bill drills, some popplewell drills, stell drills and was happy to see the fastest bill drill I can remember running with all A's at 1.84; on a turtle target even. Felt nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 ahhhhhhh.... today was.... one of those days. Tanked the first stage. Tanked the 2nd stage. Regrouped and shot the next 3 pretty solid - winning one of them and 2nd in the other 2. Last stage of the match was one of those stages that makes me wonder just WTF I was doing. First two paper targets went well, 3 pieces of steel went well, called the shot, heard it, saw it hit on the last piece of steel. The plan was to shoot the first 8 rounds, reload with 20 rounds left in the stage and 20 rounds in the gun. I'm leaving the box (the only place you could shoot the steel) starting the reload - mag's out of the gun, I'm a step out of the box.... and see that one f!ck!ng piece of steel still standing. In retrospect, I just should have left it. But I got stupid, shot the steel with the round in the chamber one handed, after backing up in the box with my next mag in my left hand. Blew the plan, had to add an extra reload and just loafed through the stage knowing I tanked it. Stupid stupid stupid. I hate finishing a match like that, especially after I'd regrouped and shot 3 solid stages. Gun ran fine, another 150 flawless rounds through the XDm, I'm getting more in tune with the gun, but still need some work. Biggest problem of the day was that on the 3 stages I embarrassed myself, my brain was just not in the stage. Went 1st on two of them, and didn't take the classifier seriously. Gotta get the mental game going, and stop being so damn mentally lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseywales Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Mentally lazy- speaks volumes. It always seems to take an extra bit of mental discipline to be at your best on the days that you're the MD. Thanks for handling MD duties today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 .... thanks Steve. tonight's idpa match a bit better. actually got around to calling my shots to the point that on one target, that I knew damn well I'd called the shot on, we couldn't find the second hole. Knowing how sure I was I started looking real close at the one hole we could find.... until we got a flashlight on the target (indoor range, lighting sucked in the corner the target was in) and I had hit a piece of tape, carrying it into the hole and covering it up; hiding the hole till we got the light on it.... Normally I would have walked up and just called it a miss, no big deal; I'm not one who believes in perfect doubles or that kind of stuff. But I was so sure I'd called that shot we just kept at it. Anyway, felt a lot better about my shooting after tonight's match than yesterday's..... Still making do with the crap holster that came with the XDm till I get my Comp-tac holster in. The XDm holster itself is not bad, but the damn cant of the holster sucks ass. I can't wait till the new one gets here; hopefully in time before Space City for me to get a dry firing session or two with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Got the new Comp-tac holster in for the XDm, just in time for me to fondle it after a practice session at the range. LOL. That's the way it always works, I suppose. Holster's quite nice, and quality is what I'd expect from CT. Nice practice session tonight. I've been lucky in that I've been made privy to a new practice tool.... and I think folks are going to just love it once it's out on the market!!! Used the new gizmo tonight and got rave reviews from the rest of the crowd too..... The XDm is starting to feel like MY gun, I'm very much starting to get in the groove with it. Still struggling just a touch on the reset of the trigger, especially shooting fast, but it's getting better and I expect before too long I won't even notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 good practice today, largely dictated by the folks who were out there. Worked on basics. Draw, sight picture, reload. Spent more practice helping the others out, but felt it was beneficial to me regardless - helping them reminded me of the basics and to continue working on them. Hit some A draws in the mid .8's at 7 yards and some all A bill drills under 2 sec's at the same distance... still getting used to the trigger and finished with some warp speed type drills to help with that, and I think it did. Great day, warm, sunny, and quite pleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 26, 2009 Author Share Posted April 26, 2009 Picked up new XDm yesterday at gun show - I'm sold on the platform... Will set this one up for a backup gun for the 1st one and then for use in IDPA as the existing mag well is too fat for the IDPA box. Little video of one of XRe's drills - bullet hose - still getting used to the trigger, but it's coming a lot better than before. Threw 2 C's, both in transition to the next target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 IDPA 2 gun match tonight; shot the .22 rifle and XDm.... fun times and lots of laughs; what more can you ask for?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 back in from the Ark Sectional match. Had a great time, even though it gushed rain yesterday and was a bit cool. I have a new standard for misery, and that was the conditions at the DTC in March. I kept telling myself yesterday when the rain was pouring sideways and was chilly.... "it's not as bad as Double Tap" and just kept on going. Overall, I really enjoyed myself, and finished 8th ovll limited. Considering I completely and totally tanked 3 of the 12 stages, I'll take it. Two of the three had Texas stars on 'em. The first one, I wasn't watching the sights, shooting over the gun, and took 30+ seconds to shoot what should have been a sub 20 second stage. First stage of the match. Last stage of the match I made a mental note to get on the sights and focus on the star - I've quit being scared of stars at the beginning of last year and knew I was just being lazy on the first star. And I couldn't hit that mother .....ing star to save my life. Another 35ish second run on what should have been about 19 seconds or so. And this time I WAS on the sights. I knew the sights were a little bit low but when you're trying to shoot a moving target and the sights are off about 4" low, you're not going to hit shit. So.... I'm ordering a new, adjustable rear sight tomorrow, have no fear. On a positive note, had I shot to my level on those two stages, I think a top 4 overall finish was well within my reach, and suck ass performances on the Texas stars aside, that did a lot to bolster my confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) local match today, my first penalty free match in........ forever, it seems! Shot well, still need to get up on my horse and ride, dammit. Talked with Odie last weekend at the Ark match and he pointed out that I'm doing what he was doing not long ago and that is just not trusting the sights and letting myself shoot. And after today's match... he's right. It pains me to admit it but I was constantly verifying and reverifying the sights the whole match. The few stages I just went for it, taking some targets on the move that I might not have done before, I went back and looked and yeah, the sights were there after all. I've got to learn to trust the sights better because it's kicking my butt and I'm a better shooter than that. I finished 76% of the match winner and that's just not going to cut it. I KNOW I can do it, I just need to do it and get over my lack of trust. Edited May 9, 2009 by Catfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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