Chris Rhines

[Chris Rhines]

I just started keeping a shooting journal a few months ago. The idea of sharing it with everyone else here, well, that's just too good to pass up...

My name's Chris Rhines. I've been competing in USPSA for a bit over three years now, and have made B class in Limited and Production (which I just started shooting this year.) My real love, though, is multigun, and I usually shoot 4-5 major matches every year. This year I'll be shooting the USPSA Multigun Nats for the first time, and my goal is to break into the top 20 in Tactical division.

To pull this off, pretty much every aspect of my game is going to need some work. To break it down:

Pistol - Most of all, I need top improve my shot calling and long-range (15-30y) accuracy. Accuracy is real important for me in USPSA multigun because I shoot my minor Production gun with extended magazines.

Rifle - My rifle game is easily my strongest. I'm spending a lot of time working on >300y accuracy, long-range offhand shooting, and shooting on the move - places where I can make up a lot of points and time.

Shotgun - I need to spend more time working on shotgun accuracy, and I need to get my weak-hand loads absolutely bombproof.

In General - Only this year have I put any time into the mental game. I've started trying to visualize stages prior to shooting them, with some success, and I've been using positive self-talk before and during matches. It seems to be paying off.

Next big match is the Carolina Tactical Invitational, next weekend. I plan on being in the top 10 this year - wish me luck!

- Chris

[Chris Rhines]

7/23/2007

Yesterday I shot an outlaw 3-gun match up near Winchester - great match, and I shot very well. No brain farts, no mistakes, only three misses. Areas that could stand some improvement are target transitions (all three guns) and entering/exiting shooting positions. I'll work on those for a while during dry practice.

Dry-fired for 30 min. yesterday evening. Worked mostly on draws and transitions.

Tonight, I reload for the CTI.

- Chris

[Chris Rhines]

7/31/2007

Made it back safely, more or less, from the CTI. Great match, although my performance (14th in TO) was a little disappointing. My rifle game, however, was excellent, and I did better than usual with the shotgun.

My pistol has lately been plagued with failures to cycle the slide. I loaded some ammo tonight, weighing each charge, and found that my 650 powder measure is shorting the charge, to the tune of 0.5-1.0 grains, one or two times in 10 rounds. Annoying, to say the least. I'm going out tomorrow evening to buy some WWB to keep me going until I get this straightened out.

Dry practice for 45 minutes tonight, working mainly on target transitions and position entries. I'll keep bumping that time up slowly.

I think I'm also going back to Yoga.

- Chris

[Chris Rhines]

8/1/2007

45 min. dryfire.

Noticed something interesting while doing transition drills - I tend to overswing if I look at the center of the A-zone while driving the gun to the next target. I tried looking at the near edge of the A-zone instead, and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I'd break the shot, focus on the near edge of the next target, drive the gun over, and by the time I flick my eyes back to the front sight, it's sitting right in the center of the A.

I'll have to do some live fire this weekend to work this out more.

- Chris