Shooter Grrl Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I know many "B" class MASTERS !!!!! Hopalong I resemble that remark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 For a guy who is trying to claw his way up to B class this thread has been reassuring. I've never had a sense of what being a "B" shooter actually meant. Hell, I never got Cs in school and I didn't apply myself at all like I am with this sport. Thanks for taking a serious bite out of the episodic frustration of being a shooter who hasn't made it up to the Killer Bs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I want to go back to D.Seems like I have been stuck in B forever. +1 Made Limited "B" after about a year in USPSA. Been stuck there for 2 years now. Maybe if I went back to C class, I could get a running start and just jump over "B". Or as a last resort I guess I could start practicing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I went from U to B in 5 months...now Im skeered a little fish in the pirhana pond Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I don't blame you for being a little "skeered". It's not unusual to see a B shooter with A or even M class scores at any sectional match. It's almost a given that you have to place in the top 20 at an area match to win B class. It is a deep pool and someone is always having a really good day. If you're going to compete here you better buckle your chin strap. There are always exceptions of course, but if you're new to B make yourself comfortable. You may be here a while. Tls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 In a class I took from Ron Avery, one of the students asked about handgun proficiency and the classification system. Avery remarked, "B class is the black belt of pistol shooting." I think he pretty much nailed it right there. I seem to recall - and if I'm wrong, I certainly apologize - but Ron may have gotten that from me, from a conversation we had at the first-ever Factory Gun Nationals. We were walking and talking down one of the trails back to the clubhouse, just gassing about various things, and somehow we got on the topic of shooting as a martial art - since Ron is both a shooter and a martial artist - which reminded me of a conversation I'd had some years before. So I told Ron something like this: Years ago a couple of friends of mine, one multi-black belt and another a Master class USPSA/IDPA shooter, and myself, were having a conversation where we were trying to analogize USPSA classes to martial arts belt ranks. We came to the conclusion that B class is equivalent to a first degree black belt, for the following reasons: (1) This is the first level at which you can honestly say you have a decent mastery of the involved discipline. I mean, you're not setting the world on fire or anything, but you basically know what you're doing. (2) This is the level of proficiency the average, dedicated practicioner can reach if they just stay at it long enough. You show up for martial arts class a couple times a week, practice at home occasionally, you do that long enough, eventually you're going to be a black belt. You shoot matches several times a month, go to the range a few times a month, dry fire at home on a decent though not obsessive basis, eventually you're going to be a B class shooter. (In both cases this assumes a normal level of hand/eye coordination and no mental and emotional problems that get in the way.) (3) Also in both cases, first degree black belt and B class, this is the level that most people will never go beyond. For a couple of reasons. In the first place, because this is the level at which they know they've achieved a decent skill level, most people at this point figure they're done: "I got my black belt," "I got my B card," and they're satisfied. For another, this is the level that, to drive beyond, requires a greater amount of time and dedication than most people are able or willing to put out. And Ron said, again if memory serves me correctly, "Makes sense to me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I think the reasoning is solid and I agree with the comparison.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Meek Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 And here I thought being in B class meant I had to Buy the Beers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Well, no one said it didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Point #3 has the sting of truth to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidball Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 (3) Also in both cases, first degree black belt and B class, this is the level that most people will never go beyond. For a couple of reasons. In the first place, because this is the level at which they know they've achieved a decent skill level, most people at this point figure they're done: "I got my black belt," "I got my B card," and they're satisfied. For another, this is the level that, to drive beyond, requires a greater amount of time and dedication than most people are able or willing to put out. Spot on. This is source of frustration for those of us who both desire (greatly) to improve to a higher level and who are simply unable to prioritize the "time and dedication" above other responsibilities - family, work, etc. I've often said, "If I had 36 hours in a day I could get all of the things done I need and WANT to get done." Unfortunately, I only have 24 like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txaggie Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Great thread!! I just got my B card in Limited, so while I am extremely pleased, I hope it is just another step on the journey to my goals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken hebert Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 B open, B limited, B lim 10, B single stack. Not satisfied, and I'm slowly but surely climbing/clawing my way up. I can't tell you how bad I want to see a "M" next to my limited rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooting for M Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 L10-B 62% "skeered" yup, practicing? yup, practicing enough to meet my goals, no,I'm on here talking to you guys instead of dryfiring. After reading Duanes post, time to dry fire. Bye, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 OPEN Class: B Pct: 62.27 High Pct: 71.03 LIMITED Class: B Pct: 61.61 High Pct: 61.61 LIMITED10 Class: B Pct: 61.36 High Pct: 61.36 PRODUCTION Class: B Pct: 67.29 High Pct: 68.77 REVOLVER Class: B Pct: 62.02 High Pct: 62.02 SINGLESTACK Class: B see below I think I'm gonna "B" here a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 9 classifiers over 75% and I'm stiil B limited. I do have 156 Limited classifiers on record though. I'll hang in Production for a while. B has been great but I'm ready to try A for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Bigbad....soooo what are you waiting for? Your only limiting yourself. I've shot with you for years now. You know you can make A class, I know you can make A class, everyone else knows you can make A class, so relax, trust and believe in yourself and shut up and do it. Your way over due for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 B Class here too!!! I work overseas 28 weeks a year, so IO am not even able to touch a gun during those times. The rest of the time I am home and have child / Family duties, so it is a tough one to get to A Class because of the lack of time to practice. I will make it tho, maybe this winter when I have a bit of time off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 B calss was a good place to be. Espoecially on the local level. There are simply a lot of B shooters so there is always in class competition. I made A a while back in Limited and L-10. This is a bit more difficult to escape from than B. You have to "Go For It" on classifers and you are regularly shooitng against people that are really Ms in waiting. You need a 85.001 average to go into M, but a 70.000 counts and wipes out a 90 if the timing is wrong. Also, the longer you are in any class, the older you get and the harder it gets to get into all those positions AND still be able to focus on the targets and sights. I have reached the point where I can get into a low crouch fast enough, I just can't easily get out of it so I always look for that to be the last position in a COF. SOmetimes that simply doesn't work well. I would agree with the comparison of B being equivilent to a Black 1st in most schools. You know what you need to know to know that you don't know everything and you know what you need to know to know that you need to know more to get really good. And as others have said, most of us just don't have the time to dedicate to reaching mastery level. I used to attend 7 classes or practice sessions a week when I was in Tae Kwon Do. Then life reasserted itself and I was down to a couple and then none. I used to shoot three times a week (local commercial range closed) now I get one match most weeks and an occasional hot practice. I could dryfire more, and I know I should, but again, life gets in the way too often. (Anyone hear about this thing called sleep?) One other thing to say about B-class masters, remember an B in one division could very well be 0.001 away fom M in another. I am 81 and change currently in Limited, but only barely a B in Production. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD Niner Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I love the look on their faces when I tell them I teach 9 year olds all day I think it is the other way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I spent a couple of months as a "B" and shall always cherish that time Seriously though, I've always said a B class shooter is a dangerous thing to the score sheets. They usually have the skill to be able to win a stage, though they might not factor overall in the match...but it will affect the overalls regardless. My old shooting partner was a B from the time he joined USPSA until he moved on to other sports (golf ) and one year he won the shootoff at the Smith And Wesson Invitational...beating out no less a shooter than Bruce Piatt in the final round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogiebb Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Hi my name is August and i was a "B" Sandbagger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Been in B Limited for like 2 years now. Started shooting production this year and now I'm 1 classifier away from getting my B card for production, I'm currently in the top 10 C class on the USPSA webpage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireant Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I love the look on their faces when I tell them I teach 9 year olds all day I think it is the other way around. What do you mean XD, I'm normally smilling....I have the best job in the world....the pay sucks, but the job is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I love the look on their faces when I tell them I teach 9 year olds all day I think it is the other way around. What do you mean XD, I'm normally smilling....I have the best job in the world....the pay sucks, but the job is great. I took that he meant that 9 year olds teach you all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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