Houngan

[steel1212]

Nice work man! We're rooting for ya!!

[Matt Griffin]

Thanks for the encouragement.

First day of L10:

Rain. Lots and lots of rain. All-clothes-including-shoes-soaked-through rain. Fingers-wrinkled-last-three-stages rain.

And then of course, it stops for the afternoon crew. Although it may be akin to wishing ill of someone, I really did wish that they would get the same weather.

Now for what we've learned, class:

QUIT LISTENING TO THE OTHER SHOOTERS. The speed that other people shoot is:

A. Much faster by sound than reality.

B. Not important to my shooting.

I'm such an idiot for letting this get to me, but I rushed four stages by shooting at a speed, rather than at a quality level. I hope they haven't completely wrecked my chances.

Thought for tomorrow:

GET A PLAN. SHOOT THE TARGETS. THE TARGET IS THE A ZONE, DUMMY. DON'T MISS STEEL.

H.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Houngan

[Matt Griffin]

I left my brain at the hotel today. 'Nuff said.

H.

[Matt Griffin]

ICORE match yesterday. I shot well, had one big brain error, one stupid error, and one equipment error. My trigger is dragging right at the last bit of the stroke, which caused a miss on the classifier (of course.) I haven't tested it yet to try and find the problem.

However, my reloads are still solid, and my accuracy is great. I think I'm going to have to observe what I'm doing with the rev that I'm not doing with the Glock; there is obviously a difference in my attention and sight picture control.

I'm also going to have to start working on grips. The shoulder on the rev is killing my thumb after 80 rounds or so, but I need that high grip. Also, the rubber on the Hogue is dragging my middle fingertip around as well, I'm getting a big callus there.

To the basement!

H.

[Matt Griffin]

I've let this go to seed, haven't I?

Dryfire lessons learned:

Revolver:

1. Don't wait on the ejecting hand, get the moonclip moving towards the cylinder.

2. Don't run at the trigger

3. After the clip goes in, get strong hand grip immediately. Don't compromise here.

Semi:

1. The beep is your friend. Practice while watching the timer to train immediate response.

2. Reloads, work on weak hand inserting, rather than gun coming down.

3. Reloads, do Burkett drills.

Live fire:

TRIGGER CONTROL, DUMMY. I think I found (yet again) my biggest problem. I'm breaking C-quality shots at M/GM speed, which just confuses you at scoring time. Finger is too low on the trigger, attention is jumping before shot breaks. FEEL the trigger.

H.

[Matt Griffin]

Ah, the old journal. I hardly shot a match between nationals and Area 6, we had an unusually consistent winter. Lots of revolver dryfire, lots of reloads, and my biggest help yet: IBUPROFEN! My doctor put me on 2400mg a day, and suddenly my right arm feels good again!

So, being able to crank down makes a big difference. I also seem to have finally learned patience on the sights. I was very pleased at Area 6 with my patience and breaking quality shots, I only had one NS, and that was on the stage where my gun bound up, so the trigger pull went to 15lbs from 6.

Stage planning also improved, I forced myself to visualize target order and engagement very clearly on each stage, and it helped immensely. In particular it allowed me to recover from misses and change plans when necessary on the fly. Stage 10 was a good example, where a click put me one off of the side arrays, but I had the presence of mind to shoot the star carefully in five shots and use the sixth to finish the array, saving a reload.

Now I just need to dryfire, dryfire, dryfire. I'll never be able to match Jerry's round count (not at today's prices) but I can at least get my finger stronger and smarter. After the SSC, it will be revolver and production for the rest of the year.

H.

[Matt Griffin]

Working with the SS now. Big trick is to get a nice contact on the trigger, and wait for the shot! I'm letting my eyes jump before the shot breaks, I need to let the shot trigger the move rather than my brain.

New FO sight is much, much better, and I managed to install it exactly on target, so that's nice. New thumb safety as well, I'm a terrible but serviceable gunsmith. Whacking my yoke with a hammer also seems to have straightened out the revolver as well.

H.

[steel1212]

Working with the SS now. Big trick is to get a nice contact on the trigger, and wait for the shot! I'm letting my eyes jump before the shot breaks, I need to let the shot trigger the move rather than my brain.

New FO sight is much, much better, and I managed to install it exactly on target, so that's nice. New thumb safety as well, I'm a terrible but serviceable gunsmith. Whacking my yoke with a hammer also seems to have straightened out the revolver as well.

H.

SS nats?

[Matt Griffin]

Working with the SS now. Big trick is to get a nice contact on the trigger, and wait for the shot! I'm letting my eyes jump before the shot breaks, I need to let the shot trigger the move rather than my brain.

New FO sight is much, much better, and I managed to install it exactly on target, so that's nice. New thumb safety as well, I'm a terrible but serviceable gunsmith. Whacking my yoke with a hammer also seems to have straightened out the revolver as well.

H.

SS nats?

Yep, I'm there on Friday/Saturday. I shot the last two with bullseye sights and a skinny little safety on my strong thumb, so this will be more comfortable.

H.

[kgunz11]

Ah, the old journal. I hardly shot a match between nationals and Area 6, we had an unusually consistent winter. Lots of revolver dryfire, lots of reloads, and my biggest help yet: IBUPROFEN! My doctor put me on 2400mg a day, and suddenly my right arm feels good again!

So, being able to crank down makes a big difference. I also seem to have finally learned patience on the sights. I was very pleased at Area 6 with my patience and breaking quality shots, I only had one NS, and that was on the stage where my gun bound up, so the trigger pull went to 15lbs from 6.

Stage planning also improved, I forced myself to visualize target order and engagement very clearly on each stage, and it helped immensely. In particular it allowed me to recover from misses and change plans when necessary on the fly. Stage 10 was a good example, where a click put me one off of the side arrays, but I had the presence of mind to shoot the star carefully in five shots and use the sixth to finish the array, saving a reload.

Now I just need to dryfire, dryfire, dryfire. I'll never be able to match Jerry's round count (not at today's prices) but I can at least get my finger stronger and smarter. After the SSC, it will be revolver and production for the rest of the year.

H.

That was the match highlight amazing run for me Matt. Your recovery on the misfire was GM quality. It was a joy watching you shoot!

Bobby

[steel1212]

Working with the SS now. Big trick is to get a nice contact on the trigger, and wait for the shot! I'm letting my eyes jump before the shot breaks, I need to let the shot trigger the move rather than my brain.

New FO sight is much, much better, and I managed to install it exactly on target, so that's nice. New thumb safety as well, I'm a terrible but serviceable gunsmith. Whacking my yoke with a hammer also seems to have straightened out the revolver as well.

H.

SS nats?

Yep, I'm there on Friday/Saturday. I shot the last two with bullseye sights and a skinny little safety on my strong thumb, so this will be more comfortable.

H.

Good luck man, I wish I could go but there where just to many matches right together for me to make that one as well, then they got canceled...figures right lol.

[Matt Griffin]

That was the match highlight amazing run for me Matt. Your recovery on the misfire was GM quality. It was a joy watching you shoot!

Bobby

Thanks! The highlight was not knocking myself out when I yanked my torso back through the guillotine, if I'd thought about what I was doing, I never would have done it that quickly. I can't believe the blade didn't skin my back. ;-)

H.

[Matt Griffin]

Working with the SS now. Big trick is to get a nice contact on the trigger, and wait for the shot! I'm letting my eyes jump before the shot breaks, I need to let the shot trigger the move rather than my brain.

New FO sight is much, much better, and I managed to install it exactly on target, so that's nice. New thumb safety as well, I'm a terrible but serviceable gunsmith. Whacking my yoke with a hammer also seems to have straightened out the revolver as well.

H.

SS nats?

Yep, I'm there on Friday/Saturday. I shot the last two with bullseye sights and a skinny little safety on my strong thumb, so this will be more comfortable.

H.

Good luck man, I wish I could go but there where just to many matches right together for me to make that one as well, then they got canceled...figures right lol.

Too bad, you're awfully handy with the skinny gun. They still have Thursday and Friday slots, I think . . .

H.

[steel1212]

Too bad, you're awfully handy with the skinny gun. They still have Thursday and Friday slots, I think . . .

H.

Coming from you that means a lot, thanks!

[Matt Griffin]

Let's see what 2009 hath wrought.

SS Nats: You can keep it. I just can't run a 1911, I apologize to all the folks that live by them and beat the pants off of me with them, I just can't do it. I think I'm done with this thing.

Area 6: Dammit, Jerry. All I ask is that you don't retire and don't get beat by anyone else until I manage the task. Twenty or thirty years should just about do it. But overall I was happy. Very aware shooting, I made some big shots dynamically through sheer comfort with my plan.

IN Section: Shot it clean, first time I've done that. It didn't feel like I was going too fast, and I was getting tired on the gun by the end of some stages, so to the weight room I go. Burning close targets is all about the weak hand. In fact, everything is about the weak hand. I was waiting on the gun and my arms way too much.

H.