My journey to Master

[Ed Deegan]

I have thought about this for some time. The added discipline required to write this down will be helpful.

Anyway, a bit about me... probably your average USPSA shooter. 42 years old, married 17 years, happy almost 2 hours of it. Joints hurt, too heavy. Weaknesses are summer heat, basic marksmanship, stage management. Strengths are cold weather, foot speed and aggressiveness.

New to the sport, 28 matches fired in total. All with skinny gun, once did L-10.

My philosophy is that this is about having fun, doing the absolute best I can, and keeping the competitive juices flowing.

Shot 3 majors this year SSN, A-8 and Summer Blast. Results are awful, poor and average in that order. SSN had a good squad but shot terrible. A-8, was a great squad but never got outta low gear. Summer Blast, great squad, had some ok moments.

I dry fire a fair amount, although today was the first live fire practice of 08. Put about 400 rounds downrange while working movement, especially entry into and out of positions. Worked bending around stuff, and some 25 yard basic marksmanship. Thanks Rob for letting me pound your steel!

Feel good, would rather have shot after the unexpected rain dropped temps to mid 70's instead of 90...

Humor at my expense, advice and anything else is always welcome.

[Seth]

Shoot lead.

[RangerTrace]

I missed it if you said where you were now (A,B,C, or what). I'm with you on a lot of your stuff. I'm unclassified for now in limited. I hope to start in the C's but may very well be a D.

I've shot for a long while. I've loved guns since I was a boy. (I'll turn 40 this year) And I have to shoot decent to qualify for my job. Twice a year.

I prefer to excel at shooting as my life (or yours or more importantly...my wife's) may depend on my shooting skills!

[lugnut]

Drills and goals for the drills. Dry firing is great.. but you need to practice with live fire more. I'm not talking casual practices with your club but drills. Shooting on the move, transitions, etc. Make your weaknesses your strengths.

I too am in my forties and have similar goals. If you come up with a good plan and execute you WILL get there. Have an A/Master shooter review your plans. Don't reinvent the wheel... follow the good shooters...

[Ed Deegan]

Thanks to all who have replied, even you seth.

I am still at my first classification, b.

I would like to live fire practice more, but it is difficult to do so. We live in Northern VA, and while we have some ranges, 4 indoor (none really like you doing any holster work) and a couple of Isaac Waltons and other private clubs it is very difficult. The private clubs are kind of pricey and I only know of one that will allow you to "work" on things that we do. Shooting on the move, etc.

I am going to submit my application to a club this weekend for membership that can allow this kind of practice.

I forgot to mention that my wife is a member of this forum and we shoot together. Our goals right now are different, but getting the feeling that she wants to get better as well. We shoot on average 5-6 matches a month right now (we have cut back a bit due to the heat) and fall/winter/spring shoot about 7 matches a month. We have shot this year at Sir Walter, Blackwater, Fredericksburg

This morning did a few gun handling drills before I left for work, just a few draws and reloads to get my very sore shoulders loosened up.

Tonight will finish setting up the 650 and then do a short dry fire routine (</= 30 minutes).

[Ed Deegan]

Haven't posted much of late. Sort of took most of September off.

Practiced the last 2 weeks, 40 minutes or so, 3 times a week. Need to work on draws and transitions. Worked a match all day on Saturday and the stage required me to be bent over with the shooter in a car. Back, legs, and shoulders were stiff Sunday morning and it shooting showed it. Was slow out of the holster, as well as with transitions. Shoulder has been feeling really bad and swelling is back. Getting old beats getting dead, but not by much.

Match comments: During a stage on Sunday, was reminded of the perfect sight picture a couple of times. I wanted to focus a bit on that during that stage as it had amoeba's tight with no shoots. Sight picture was perfect, and stood there admiring it (yeah I know, dumbass). I had no other real plans or goals for the match so, it was more of a shoot em up.

Match grades:

Marksmanship: 78% a's... very poor, really really need to work on that. Had 4 extra shots on steel, 3 on the star...

Gunhandling: No fumbled reload's, but was slow out of the hole and with transitions. Splits felt ok.

Mental prep: Was focused on the classifier probably too much and although I think it was enough, it is poor mental management. Definitely need to relax on the information overload. Walking to the line knowing exactly what I need to do, can be distracting to stage prep/management. Need to get the standard approach of, it's one stage in the match, do your best for the match, back.

Gear notes. Lost a mag out of the holder going into the second position of stage 2. Must adjust tension on pouches.

Weather: Warm ~80 sunny. Forgot to pack sunblock.

Overall match report: average performance.

[Bill Nesbitt]

Joints hurt, too heavy. Weaknesses are summer heat, basic marksmanship, stage management. Strengths are cold weather, foot speed and aggressiveness.

Ed, this was me a few years ago. I lost 30 pounds and what a difference. My joints don't bother me much at all now. Summer heat is now a strength. Other people are talking about how hot it is and I'm barely sweating. I always had foot speed but it is better now and I don't pant after I run. I need to work a little on the aggressiveness. I used Atkins but there are several ways to do it. Good luck.

[Ed Deegan]

Joints hurt, too heavy. Weaknesses are summer heat, basic marksmanship, stage management. Strengths are cold weather, foot speed and aggressiveness.

Ed, this was me a few years ago. I lost 30 pounds and what a difference. My joints don't bother me much at all now. Summer heat is now a strength. Other people are talking about how hot it is and I'm barely sweating. I always had foot speed but it is better now and I don't pant after I run. I need to work a little on the aggressiveness. I used Atkins but there are several ways to do it. Good luck.

Bill,

Thank you for the comments. Haven't seen you since the IDPA nat's last year. Tracy and I hope you and Susan are well.

Best Regards,

Ed

[eerw]

Ed..

I am you....mid 40s, wife, kids, no time and a few extra pounds.

I have little to no time for livefire practice..I shoot maybe 2 to 3 matches a month, and maybe get a livefire in.

I usually have a gun in my hand every night and dryfire drills 10 to 20 minutes..some nights get 30.

I just earned my GM in production this summer..so I know you can do attain your goals.

things that I have found that helped make things better.

there is a difference in seeing the sight and watching the sight

be aggressive, but not clumsy

I can't make things happen, the sight must dictate all.

trust your skills, have no doubt.

if you have doubt, practice it until it is a strength.

Get some quality instruction. this will help shorten the learning curve.

good shooting..

[Ed Deegan]

Got 20 minutes of dry-fire in this morning. Shoulder felt good. Worked on entering a new position lower, and am trying a new technique for doing reloads. Basically it is dropping the mag, explode into motion and not doing the reload until you are slowing down to get into your next position. It seems that movement time would be better, but the risk/reward is pretty high if it is not perfectly executed, as you can arrive at the next position not ready to shoot. I need to get better at this and then test it on the range.

Watching Saul's videos for like the 5th time last night and it's amazing the tidbits you pick up as you progress. Things that the brain glosses over and doesnt catch, are now almost an epiphany.

Since getting the 650 running, the ammo is running very well. After shooting as much factory ammo as i have, the new stuff is so light it's almost like airsoft or squibs.

Tonight is working movement drills.

Mr. eerw, thank you for the comments. Your post is inspiring!

[T_Deegan]

YOU WROTE: Tonight is working movement drills.

Uh, no, tonight is mowing the lawn.

[Seth]

AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!!!! You got busted by the Mrs!!!

[eerw]

YOU WROTE: Tonight is working movement drills.

Uh, no, tonight is mowing the lawn.

[Ed Deegan]

Damn... Totally busted.

Well does pushing a mower around while air gunning count as working on movement drills?

Having a wife that shoots is um........ THE BEST PART OF MY LIFE!!!! yeah that's my response

[Ed Deegan]

Havent been adding. We took last week and the weekend off and did house chorse. No dryfire, no matches. Shoulder appreciated the break.

Started back up tonight and just wanted to get the feel for things. After about 20 minutes of warm-up got .5 draws and .9 reloads. Still pushing my hand down a bit on the draw, and must break that habit. Nonetheless, it felt really cool to hit those times. I felt it.

Talked with TT about a tactics class and we are going to get together. Gave me some really good things to think about in the meantime. He gets it, he understands my goals for '09 and wants to really help.

After my performance the last few matches, it feels good to have a really good night dryfiring. It feels great to be back into the groove. Tomorrow morning will do another short workout before work. This weekend is going to be just aiming. I will take the time to see all A's. No settling for an easy position and 2-C's.

[Ron Ankeny]

...got .5 draws and .9 reloads

wow

[JThompson]

...got .5 draws and .9 reloads

wow

.5? Holy.....

[eerw]

...got .5 draws and .9 reloads

wow

.5? Holy.....

smokin'...

keep at that pace

[1911onr]

Ed, go see Tommy Thacker at Northern Virginia Tactical Training for an afternoon or morning private session. A few hours with him helped elevate me from Limited C to B in two months.

Jon

[Seth]

CONGRATS ED!!!

Posted this AM....

SINGLESTACK Class: A Pct: 75.09 High Pct: 75.09

[Alan Meek]

Congrtats Ed, one more step covered

Alan

[Ed Deegan]

Thanks guys, I am living proof that anyone can get lucky.

Jon, I didnt know if Tommy T., wanted to admit in public that he actually spoke to me. My TT in the post is Tommy, and he is a great stage strategist and well as a thinker, and an all around good guy.

[Seth]

I believe you could get lucky and make C. If you had talent, you could get lucky and make B.

But A?

You EARNED A.

[Ed Deegan]

Shot North Mountain today. Had an allergic reaction to something, took some benadryl on the way to the match and then shot with the afternoon squad. Hands were still swollen from the reaction and while its not an excuse, it probably had some effect. Overall, day was poor. First stage was a nice little 13 rounder with lots of ways to shoot it, ended up doing 2 reloads and fumbled one badly. Second stage was 2 boxes with 9 rounds and a star on the move (if you wanted to). Ended up doing a standing reload as I missed a steel. 3rd stage was 99-10. 8.58 down a bunch and that is a stage that should be much better for me. That classifier is all about hitting the gas. Missed a reload completely. 4th stage was a cool little 22 rounder with 10 steel and all A's on the amoeba's. Terrible job. last stage was nothing to write home about at all. The only thing that went right and even that was poor was a re-shoot at the end of the day on the classifier. Decided to reshoot it and went better, but still not good.

Need to practice. Dryfire is great, but...

[Ed Deegan]

Shot Thurmont today, 6 good stages. 2 all steel stages, first one was easy positions and easy shots and did poorly. 24 seconds for 26 rounds at 15 pieces. Second was tighter with more range and a much harder last position. It was a kneeling leaning awful position and I guess the focus was all on the sight. The tough position was clean. Had makeup shots on poppers and 1 plate? What is up with that? Classifier was Payne's pain. 3rd time for that classifier this year. This one was the worst of the year. Last few matches have noticed a kind of tentative shooting, like I am shooting defensively. Does that happen to everyone? Who knows.

The last dryfire was ok, but working on some new things especially entering positions. That part needs work.

For those that have read this thread, the times mentioned earlier are honest df times with my wife watching, not active shooting. Wouldnt want to mislead anyone. Thanks for the encouragement given so far, it is really great.