How to prepare for the unexpected

[sperman]

I was shooting a match on Saturday, and had a really weak "bang." For some reason, my brains reaction was "drop the mag and rack the slide". I've got the new mag in, when another brain cell fires and says "the steel fell, so everything should be good." I also realize the RO hasn't said "stop" so probably everything is OK. I keep shooting and finish the stage. Not only did I lose a couple of seconds at that point, but dropping the mag mid string meant I had to go to mag #6 to finish the stage, which was in my back pocket instead of a mag pouch. (I could have changed my plan and still only needed 5 mags, but I couldn't adjust that fast.)

I have no idea why I decided that was the appropriate course of action. Is there any way to train for those unexpected events? Does this just come with experience?

[CSEMARTIN]

I like this topic!!

I'm going to think about this some more and come back later.

My gut reaction is yes, it comes with experience.

Edit:

I've thought about this some more, and I have a few thoughts. First off, I'd say your reaction to the weak "bang" was the wrong one. Although I assume you were referring to the possibility of a squib.

"the RO hasn't said "stop" so probably everything is OK"--I pretty much assume the RO isn't paying attention. If you're uncomfortable about what just happened with your gun, just stop. What's the worst thing that can happen by stopping? What's the worst thing that can happen if you keep going?

In reality, the RO really is the #2 guy in charge. They can give commands, get out their rulebook, etc., but when I'm shooting, unless I hear "stop", "unload and show clear", etc., they don't exist to me.

As far as changing strategies during the COF, when you've had a monkey wrench thrown into your plans, I certainly do believe we get much better with experience. When I first started shooting, if something goofy happened, that stage was TANKED. It was unrecoverable. I'm sure it was pitiful to watch. But after years of shooting, I've noticed that when stuff like that happens, I don't get as freaked out, and I handle the "change" much better--as long as I can remember where the rest of the targets are.

Edited December 9, 2008 by CSEMARTIN

[sperman]

I like this topic!!

I'm going to think about this some more and come back later.

My gut reaction is yes, it comes with experience.

Edit:

I've thought about this some more, and I have a few thoughts. First off, I'd say your reaction to the weak "bang" was the wrong one. Although I assume you were referring to the possibility of a squib.

"the RO hasn't said "stop" so probably everything is OK"--I pretty much assume the RO isn't paying attention. If you're uncomfortable about what just happened with your gun, just stop. What's the worst thing that can happen by stopping? What's the worst thing that can happen if you keep going?

In reality, the RO really is the #2 guy in charge. They can give commands, get out their rulebook, etc., but when I'm shooting, unless I hear "stop", "unload and show clear", etc., they don't exist to me.

As far as changing strategies during the COF, when you've had a monkey wrench thrown into your plans, I certainly do believe we get much better with experience. When I first started shooting, if something goofy happened, that stage was TANKED. It was unrecoverable. I'm sure it was pitiful to watch. But after years of shooting, I've noticed that when stuff like that happens, I don't get as freaked out, and I handle the "change" much better--as long as I can remember where the rest of the targets are.

The fact that the RO hadn't said stop was just confirmation of what I thought, that the bullet had cleared the barrel and hit the steel target. I get what you are saying though. It's my gun, in my hand. If I feel unsafe I need to stop regardless of what the RO does or doesn't do.

Edited to add -

I agree that my reaction was wrong, but in the spur of the moment, that's what my brain said I needed to do.

Edited December 9, 2008 by sperman

[L-10_shooter]

I had a similar thought pattern at our match last month. I was in the middle of a stage when the gun went "click" not bang. I stopped and slowly racked the slide and decided that it was safe and finished the stage. I found the round after with the bullet still in it and a big dent in the primer. I have had a squib in the past and it scares the crap out of me when the gun doesn't go bang. I figure I want to be safe and not KB a my gun in my hand.

[benos]

I was shooting a match on Saturday, and had a really weak "bang." For some reason, my brains reaction was "drop the mag and rack the slide". I've got the new mag in, when another brain cell fires and says "the steel fell, so everything should be good." I also realize the RO hasn't said "stop" so probably everything is OK. I keep shooting and finish the stage. Not only did I lose a couple of seconds at that point, but dropping the mag mid string meant I had to go to mag #6 to finish the stage, which was in my back pocket instead of a mag pouch. (I could have changed my plan and still only needed 5 mags, but I couldn't adjust that fast.)

I have no idea why I decided that was the appropriate course of action. Is there any way to train for those unexpected events? Does this just come with experience?

Definitely. As you pile up experience, you'll make better instantaneous decisions when things don't go according to plan.

You can also speed up the learning curve by practicing the correct action for specific mistakes. For example, at some point you will bumble a mag change to the point of dropping the mag. Most will instinctively reach for the mag on the ground (and probably in the dirt). But as soon as you realize all is lost with the bumble mag, it's much quicker to just grab the next mag from its pouch.

You may not even have to practice bumbling mag changes to fix that one. Just mentally rehearsing the best corrective action for a bit might do the trick.

be

[benos]

I just thought of another analog for learning the best corrective action that relates to motorcycle and bicycle riding.

Once I was speeding through a turn on the sidewalk in the park on my bicycle. All of a sudden right in front of me is some sand all over the sidewalk. My first thought and response was "relax on the bars." Which kept me from wiping out.

The natural reaction in a that situation would be to tighten up on the bars. But I'd trained myself not to do that when I used to roadrace motorcycles. If you're all leaned over and the front tire starts to slide, if you relax on the bars and let the bike correct itself, it will, if the situation will allow it. But freezing up on the bars removes the natural corrective wisdom a bike posses, and so down you go.

be

[Powder Finger]

Also if you see a line of guys on the top of a dune you can just aim at them, run into them & stop on a dime!

[benos]

Also if you see a line of guys on the top of a dune you can just aim at them, run into them & stop on a dime!

Or if they're just over the top of the dune and you don't see them, you just keep on the gas and fly right over them!

[Powder Finger]

Sweet!

But i know i'd just land in a witch's "T" hole using the jump action move.

[sperman]

I was shooting a match on Saturday, and had a really weak "bang." For some reason, my brains reaction was "drop the mag and rack the slide". I've got the new mag in, when another brain cell fires and says "the steel fell, so everything should be good." I also realize the RO hasn't said "stop" so probably everything is OK. I keep shooting and finish the stage. Not only did I lose a couple of seconds at that point, but dropping the mag mid string meant I had to go to mag #6 to finish the stage, which was in my back pocket instead of a mag pouch. (I could have changed my plan and still only needed 5 mags, but I couldn't adjust that fast.)

I have no idea why I decided that was the appropriate course of action. Is there any way to train for those unexpected events? Does this just come with experience?

Definitely. As you pile up experience, you'll make better instantaneous decisions when things don't go according to plan.

You can also speed up the learning curve by practicing the correct action for specific mistakes. For example, at some point you will bumble a mag change to the point of dropping the mag. Most will instinctively reach for the mag on the ground (and probably in the dirt). But as soon as you realize all is lost with the bumble mag, it's much quicker to just grab the next mag from its pouch.

You may not even have to practice bumbling mag changes to fix that one. Just mentally rehearsing the best corrective action for a bit might do the trick.

be

Thanks for all of the advice. I feel honored to have BE reply to one of my posts.

I shot my first match in May. While I feel like I've been doing this a while, a figured out that I still have less than 20 matches under my belt.

[mountaincoulee]

Sperman's and L-10_shooter's posts made me think about how shooting is very much driven by trained muscle memory. Other shooting actions are driven by our brain.

But the brain is at the mid-point of the decision-making process: it receives info from our senses, processes this, and tells the finger to press the trigger. If new information becomes available - such as a weak 'bang' during rapid fire - this info gets into the processing line up...so wouldn't it be too late as far as firing the very next shot is concerned? If the bang is strong enough to cycle the action -but the round does not leave the barrel- there's a KB in the making, no?

I am new to this game (but not shooting) and wondering if this ever happens, and if there is a way to guard against it.

Edited December 28, 2008 by mountaincoulee