Hitting Brass

[austinkroe]

OK, this is something I have noticed but I have no idea what to do with the information. I am not sure if it happened because of full awareness or if it was misplaced focus or something else.

Here is what happened:

On three separate stages at Double Tap this past weekend I ran into my own brass. One stage it was on a long standing transition and on the other two were while moving to another position. On one of them I distinctly remember hitting two separate pieces of brass.

It was really odd for me. I realized I hit them but I don't think it was a distraction. It was more of an, "ohh that was odd, now we return to our regularly scheduled shooting." It happened on some of my better stages but I feel like I may have still taken a pause to reflect on what had happened.

Overall Double Tap was an odd match for me in terms of seeing things. I saw quite a few things that I have never noticed before. Besides feeling like I was going kind of slow when I was not really going that slow, there was one other thing that sticks out in my mind. Close to the end of the day I distinctly remember looking at the top two rounds in a mag as it was falling clear of the gun during a reload. There were things that I know what to do with but this one stumps me.

Maybe it is a sign that I am doing something right or maybe I need to tune my ejection pattern to go flatter (although, I thought it was pretty flat already).

I think I should have video taped the match and then I could really see what was going on.

Let it go and don't worry about it? Take it as a sign that I am moving fast and learn how to not let it distract me? Opinions? Thoughts? Has this happened to you?

[Johann the Horrible]

Heard about this but from a reliable source. The shooter was burning it up and super fast. He did a reload on the move and the mag fell on his foot as the foot moved forward. This caused him to kick the mag up and forward- right into the path of his next shot and yep, he killed the mag.

I got this from a very reliable source.

[Crusher]

Yea ain't it COOL?

It happens, ejection angles and exits (timed right at the point of sight lift on the last round fired in a position) sometimes cause collisions and drag races, the bad part is when you collide with a case and it nicks your lens and leaves a ding that you are aware of (not to mention the lens replacement cost) that SUX.

[G-ManBart]

If you're seeing things that clearly during a stage, you might think you paused for a split second, but it's more likely that you didn't waste even a tiny amount of time. When you think you're going slow, like "gee, the sights are already on the center of the A, why haven't you pulled the trigger dummy?" is when you're actually going really fast. You probably noted running into that brass, your mind was processing things quickly and clearly, and it seemed like you paused, but I'll bet on video it would show you smoothly moving to the next position.

Sounds like your mind was in the right place during the match because you can't see those things if it's not....and you can't force that to happen.

I would LOVE to see the top two rounds as a mag was falling out of the gun....how cool is that?

When I shot the WSSSC in January, there was one stage you could really try something complicated to cut out one firing position and I said "nope, I'm going to go conventional and if it's slow, it's slow, but I'm getting my hits." I ran the stage and it seemed like it was taking forever. After walking with the RO I said "well, it was slow but the points were good." He said, "uh, we've only seen two runs faster than that in two days and one of them was TGO". I wound up third overall on that one....but it just dragged while I was shooting. It's weird, but cool.

[SV_shooter]

If you're seeing things that clearly during a stage, you might think you paused for a split second, but it's more likely that you didn't waste even a tiny amount of time. When you think you're going slow, like "gee, the sights are already on the center of the A, why haven't you pulled the trigger dummy?" is when you're actually going really fast. You probably noted running into that brass, your mind was processing things quickly and clearly, and it seemed like you paused, but I'll bet on video it would show you smoothly moving to the next position.

Sounds like your mind was in the right place during the match because you can't see those things if it's not....and you can't force that to happen.

I would LOVE to see the top two rounds as a mag was falling out of the gun....how cool is that?

When I shot the WSSSC in January, there was one stage you could really try something complicated to cut out one firing position and I said "nope, I'm going to go conventional and if it's slow, it's slow, but I'm getting my hits." I ran the stage and it seemed like it was taking forever. After walking with the RO I said "well, it was slow but the points were good." He said, "uh, we've only seen two runs faster than that in two days and one of them was TGO". I wound up third overall on that one....but it just dragged while I was shooting. It's weird, but cool.

To come in right behind Robbie had to of been a little ego booster! When your really paying attention and have practiced your rudiments, and can remember how your going to shoot a stage, I can see how things feel slow as our minds are catching everything in sight and proccessing them as we blaze through balls to the wall. great story Gman!

[joecichlid]

I will try and remember to bring my cameras to the range this week and shoot some video of you shooting. In the last three weeks the setting up of five of the six stages has left me little time to do any video or shoot any photos but I am going to try. Lately your shooting has seemed really smooth, I guess 3rd in B Limited at Double Tap proves it.

Joe W.

[bigbear_98]

On one of them I distinctly remember hitting two separate pieces of brass.

It was really odd for me. I realized I hit them but I don't think it was a distraction. It was more of an, "ohh that was odd, now we return to our regularly scheduled shooting." It happened on some of my better stages but I feel like I may have still taken a pause to reflect on what had happened.

Close to the end of the day I distinctly remember looking at the top two rounds in a mag as it was falling clear of the gun during a reload. There were things that I know what to do with but this one stumps me.

I'm currently reading "On Combat". Grossman speaks of this in his book. He says it is your bodies "fight or flight" response. He gives examples of various times where the shooter sees the writing on casings or trys to pull the trigger and its soooo hard. It is your mind thinking faster than your body can react. It is normal.

I wish I could get into that zone everytime I shoot.