Nationals Anecdotes

[BDH]

I'm not quite sure where to put this, but following are some anecdotes from the Bend Nationals that I thought I would pass along...... names have been removed to protect the innocent....

The GOOD Sportsmanship Award

On stage X one of our military competitors shot a great run, but unfortunately tagged a no-shoot. The RO totalled the scoresheet in front of the competitor, read off his hits, that all shots were accounted for and his time. After which he presented the scoresheet to the competitor for his signature. The competitor looked at the scoresheet, and said, 'I'm sorry but I cannot sign that scoresheet as it is incorrect'. The RO had accounted for all the shots, but had forgotten to write the no-shoot hit in the penalty box. The competitor pointed that out and only after the RO added the penalty hit, did he sign the scoresheet!! All I can say is they don't come any better than that!!

The POOR Sportsmanship Award

On stage Y there was a competitor who tagged a no-shoot, and realizing that he just trashed his run, ran backwards into the RO to earn himself a re-shoot. Certainly, if it was 'inadvertant' contact, a re-shoot would have been deserved. However, a couple of days later there were other competitors on my stage talking about this. It turns out that their squad was backed up on the stage and they saw the whole thing. I asked for their view, and the response was... "if there was ever a reason to DQ someone under 10.4, this was it. The competitor looked over both shoulders to find his target, and chased him nearly 20 yards before taking him down. That person should be banned from competing in the sport."

The Questionable Judgement Award

At every Nationals, someone unfortunately goes Minor. This is unfortunate, but it does happen. In Bend, one of the RO's pulled ammo from a box in the competitors bag. Later, the competitor showed up at chrono, where he went Minor. The competitor then stated that "the RO had pulled ammo from his 'practice box', and that chrono needed to accept different ammo that would certainly make Major". Of course, chrono (and the RM) refused. Unfortunately, if it is in your bag at a major match, it is fair game to chrono. Nuff said.....

The Dumbass Award

One of the CRO's (I won't give the name but he was on Stage 10) decided that he always packs too much for these matches, so since this was in the 'high desert', there was no need for ANY long pants, rain pants, wind pants, etc. Of course things generally warmed up nicely during the day so he survived, but since we get there before sunrise, that 21 degree morning was... well... let's just say, 'special'.

The Best Gotcha Award

One of my favorite competitors decided to 'jack' with the chrono guys, so in addition to dropping his eight rounds of ammo into the chrono bag, he also dropped in a 'hot hands' packet. Well, a day or so later when he actually got to chrono, they were waiting for him!! Without him noticing, they fired the first three rounds, but punched in a lower bullet weight than he was shooting, and then called out the PF at 159 something. Of course, the competitor couldn't believe that he went minor, and they went through the whole drill until one of the chrono guys just couldn't keep a straight face anymore. Gotcha!!

The 'Oops We ALL Make Mistakes' Award

I watched one of our top competitors have a nasty jamb at an inopportune time. Lots of trying to clear and finally having to dump the mag, and then keep going. After the run (and according to the competitor), it turned out they had somehow inadvertently inserted a 40 into the middle of their 38 Super mag!

Anyway, the vast majority of feedback I heard was very positive on this match. Also, I appreciate many of you BE'rs introducing yourself to me!! See ya next year in sunny Florida......

[B.J. Norris]

The Dumbass Award

One of the CRO's (I won't give the name but he was on Stage 10) decided that he always packs too much for these matches, so since this was in the 'high desert', there was no need for ANY long pants, rain pants, wind pants, etc. Of course things generally warmed up nicely during the day so he survived, but since we get there before sunrise, that 21 degree morning was... well... let's just say, 'special'.

Hahahahaha, always bring everything you think you might need to a match........

P.S. Any word where in FL it will be? Garcia's place maybe?

[BDH]

P.S. Any word where in FL it will be? Garcia's place maybe?

BJ, these are just rumors, but if I was a bettin' man.... I'd probably bet with you....

[ErikW]

On two stages I appealed two called C hits up to the CRO. The first one stayed a C and the second was changed to an A. 130 more of those and I could have won my class in the Open match.

Someone who shall remain nameless, but who should get her forum title changed to Queen of the Immaculate Double, appealed an Alpha-Mike call on stage 1 up to the RM and lost.

Ron on my Limited squad tried to load and make ready on stage 8. As he racked his slide, his interchangeable breechface (or half of its broken screw, I forget) fell out the bottom of the mag well. Thank goodness the RO wasn't a hardass and didn't say he had already started the course of fire. He got to shoot instead of a DNF due to a Twinkie part.

The mailbox/package stage start in the Open match gave me the heebie-jeebies. I knew someone was going to sweep himself and/or the squad.

Team Shroom left samples of their sponsor's product at every stage.

With eight members on my squads, we flew through each stage in about a half-hour. But in the Open match we were always waiting for the Team Shroom/Team Jamaica squad ahead of us.

The ROs were great. They were noticeably tired by the last day of the Open match.

I stepped on three activator platforms when it wasn't my place to do so. After the first one, I reset the next two so quickly the ROs never even knew of my improprieties. But the first set of ROs called me Box Boy for the rest of the stage.

After I loaded and made ready for BDH, I never got an Are You Ready? Apparently, he was telling me to get my heels in the start position but he didn't know I had plugs under my ear muffs. After about 5 minutes of him gesturing at my feet, we got going.

What's with some of the ROs grabbing for the round I'm ejecting? Cut that shit out! If it hangs up on the ejector and detonates, you'll get a palm full of hot brass shrapnel. I'm going to begin a new unloading technique in which I fake a rack to my right, then jig left and rack the round out safely. Except for stages in which I've tagged no-shoots or shot hopeless hopers at swingers; those I'll just move right into the RO's outstretched hand then demand a reshoot for interference. If you want to be my ejected round handler, you can pick it up out of the dirt and clean it off for me.

[BrianH]

Think I was in 'Squad Screwed'....

-First day, first stage, first shooter, a GM I've known for years Dq'ed on the mailbox, never fired a shot.

-Two more shooters had bigsticks go to hell on them.

-Another shooter had his link break in the middle of a string.

-Yet another got her head bit off TWICE for turning on her scope at the 'unbag and holster' command.

-One guy's gun NEVER ran.

-And me.....well.....nevermind....

Shooting with Frank Garcia was cool though.....

[BDH]

After I loaded and made ready for BDH, I never got an Are You Ready? Apparently, he was telling me to get my heels in the start position but he didn't know I had plugs under my ear muffs. After about 5 minutes of him gesturing at my feet, we got going.

What's with some of the ROs grabbing for the round I'm ejecting? Cut that shit out! If it hangs up on the ejector and detonates, you'll get a palm full of hot brass shrapnel. I'm going to begin a new unloading technique in which I fake a rack to my right, then jig left and rack the round out safely. Except for stages in which I've tagged no-shoots or shot hopeless hopers at swingers; those I'll just move right into the RO's outstretched hand then demand a reshoot for interference. If you want to be my ejected round handler, you can pick it up out of the dirt and clean it off for me.

Erik, no 'Are you ready'??? FIVE minutes of gesturing at your feet?? Vince would forever ban me if either of those things happened! Please say it isn't so....

Although, I did catch some stuff that should not have happened on my stage...... shooter ready?.... slide forward.... and once, no call of Range is Clear (while not acceptable, it was sort of understandable.....but that is a different story) Overall, I was pleased with how my stage ran during both matches.

As for catching rounds, if you kick them out in front of me, they will definately hit the ground unless YOU catch them .... As for being tired by the last day.... yes we were. In fact, everyone was! We saw more mental lapses (FTE's for one) on the last day than we did during the entire match......

In any case, it was still fun. I enjoyed helping run it, and I hope everyone enjoyed shooting it!

[lynn jones]

box boy...how nice..hmmm maybe you should change your tag name..

Team Shroom left samples of their sponsor's product at every stage. now tha's just gross.

[Custom Glock Racing]

What's with some of the ROs grabbing for the round I'm ejecting? Cut that shit out!

Good point, it is annoying at a minimum.

[Nolan]

Team Shroom left samples of their sponsor's product at every stage. now tha's just gross.

Yeah, my brother Gene went to pay for a sandwich in Bend, dug in his pocket for some cash and came out with an AstroGlide sample packet! Ooops!

[ErikW]

More anecdotes...

I developed a bad case of asthma. Kept me up all night (well, I did sleep 2 hours, aggregate) before the last day of the Open match. Being unable to breathe, with a headache and soreness from coughing so much, I shot my best day of both matches, penalty-free.

My new .38 Super brass might not have been worth it. I had a feed jam due to a bad round at the end of Open stage 16. But my gun never jams!

Stage 1 was a nightmare in both matches. In the Limited, it's where I realized my sight wasn't zeroed, taking a bunch of make-ups, running dry, dry-firing the empty chamber, racking and making the shot, then not being able to hit the poppers through the hardcover steel donuts. After several shots I lowered the gun and took a look to see why there was still white. I found a sweet group of hits high right on the donut.

In Open, stage 1 really ticked me off the way the targets, ports, and props were arranged. I tried to run it with a 28+1 big stick and I was going great up to the last paper array when the big stick crapped out. Eight seconds, 60 match points, 14 places in the final results. I hate equipment that doesn't work.

The dummy stage was another bad one for me in both matches. In Limited, I had a feed-ramp nose-dive as I put the dummy down. But my gun never jams! In Open, I saw I drilled a no-shoot in the array to the left of the table. As I took a step or two back and swung back to the target, I saw RO and forum member Guy Neill to the left of my gun. I got freaked out and didn't call the make-up shot, then took another make-up and finally left that position for good.

Stage 8 got me in both matches. In Limited, at the third port/platform, I was suckered by the wrong target, a swinger, and didn't stick to my plan, which cost time and made me miss a drop turner entirely. In Open, at the first port, I took the left drop turner then I was suckered by the partial static in the middle. I realized my mistake as I transitioned to the right drop turner only to see it go away. More planning and visualization is needed for those complex stages with strange combinations of static, turning, and swinging targets.

[Detlef]

o.k., I'll add my .02:

I shot great on paper, but sucked so bad on steel that it ruined my (Limited) match. Funny enough,

not hitting the steel was what ruined my FGN match earlier this year. Obviously, I need to get into

myself to find out why and how I suck on steel and do well on paper (even moving papers, not a single

swinger mike in both matches...). I know I'm not TGO, not even TDean, but this is what currently hold me back...

Erik already mentioned it, on the dummy stage my front sight fell off on shot no. 1. This stage had two

13 y (or so) swingers, and the experience to go through a stage with tough targets w/o FS was really cool! Of course, it slowed me down, but I got all my hits, even on the swingers. Really, this showed me that I am not using the FS primarily as aiming device at these distances, I am solely using it to visually confirm the aim I get off my index...

The stages were good, though overall I liked those at the FGNs better. Range staff (pretty much same people as last year!) was much more in relaxed control of the match this year than last. Maybe the jitters of putting up a Nationals were not as bad this time around...

Scheduling was MUCH (!) better than last year, at least when at the range we were shooting!

Overall, Nats at COSSA were very (!) well done, but I'd say move the match to another place next year, with cheaper hotels and car rentals, and closer to a major airport...

[Garfield]

Hi Guys,

This is nice reading stuff !

[mcoliver]

What's a 'hot hands' packet?

[Skywalker]

Guess it is one of those heating devices (cigarette pack size) that you bring along when hunting or fishing in deep-cold lands or winter days...

[BDH]

What's a 'hot hands' packet?

Skywalker was exactly correct. It is one of those little packets that has a chemical mixture in it. You crush it, stick it in your pocket, and it gives off heat for a few hours. I guess to understand what happened with this, you would first have to understand that it was really cold in the morning (low 20's one day) when we were pulling chrono ammo. Also, it would help if you knew the shooter involved, and the chrono guys. Let's just put it this way..... the shooter is one of the top US shooters and is a perpetual jokester. He is always trying to 'get one over on people' just for fun. Also, the chrono guys can have a good sense of humor. Since they had a day before he came through chrono to figure out how to counter his little hot hands packet thing, they were ready and waiting, and definately got the better of him. My only regret was that I wasn't standing around the chrono when this happened to see the look on the shooters face!!