Bigpops Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 My wife and I were discussing stage strategies and a interesting question developed. Lets say a stage has a round count of 20-30. It has multiple targets and requires considerable movement. Within the stage beholds the "Texas Star". (or some other tricky array) Now, lets say your having an off day and you proceed to unload 7, 8, 9, 10 rounds at that puppy and still no joy. At what point do you just move on? Would you base your answer off of the class your shooting or just base it off of time vs points? Thanks, BP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisa006 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 When to move on is up to you. Learn to shoot the star as it is not that difficult once you have done it some. The one thing you must do is make sure you have enough ammo after the star to engage the rest of the stage. It sucks to have to leave an open target at the end because you didn't have a good stage plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) Practice more. Knowing that you need to move on simply means you should hit the range more often. Edited June 4, 2009 by Shawn Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I believe in Die Trying. Why quit if an obstacle gives you hell, unless you're running at the top of the game and your choice is a calculated move to win HOA. I figure if I can't shoot a Texas Star, there's no better time than right now to practice, if there's one in front of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpops Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 I agree with the Die Trying motto. The reason I brought it up is because we have witnessed this before with other array's, not just a Texas Star. I have seen guys empty mag after mag on a plate rack to only run out of ammo for the rest of the stage. That made us think "at what point do you just move on?" I have never shot a Texas Star but will soon. I actually think it will be fun! If I need to put more ammo in my pockets I will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 If you stand there, shoot all you ammo and leave a bunch of targets behind you are in a bad spot. You need to plan the stage out for your abilities. Make your shots count. Watch th other shooter shoot the star to get the method down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Do a search on youtube and here. There's plenty of info on how to do the job. I spent a LONG time on a TS when I was first starting. Now I can do them with relative reliability. Its just practice. I'm not good enough to walk away from any single array. If I can't hit it, I need to focus on fundamentals and learn what I'm doing wrong and why it won't work. I don't have access to a whole range to practice some of the things we see, so I have to use matches as practice, sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) using matches as practice is good but it can only go so far. you really need to get to the range and know your equipment. slow and steady for beginers. Edited June 4, 2009 by Shawn Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) I agree with you completely. But not all of us are at the top of our game and, speaking for myself, don't have access to odd stage props like a Texas Star. I see no disadvantage. I'm not in the running to win the match (YET!), I'm just there to do the best that I can do. Edited June 4, 2009 by Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dqshooter Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 TS God bless'em, If you are having trouble with clearing a star. I will give you the same advise that a friend told me. Do not follow the plates, pick a spot and wait for them to come to you if you get it spinning. Slow down and concentrate on the sights. If you are just throwing rounds at the plate you are burning time anyway. Know your ability you may have to leave it and move on and practice, practice, practice. Once you get the patern for shooting it you will be surprised how easy it is. Find someone that know and ask for help, if you are ever at the double tap ranch, give me a shout i would be more that happy to help out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Burwell Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I don't think there is ever a time to give up. If you want to do something have a point (10-12 rounds) at which you stop yourself take a deep breath and think trigger, whatever you do don't just keep lobbing lead in the general direction of the star. it is just like any other target it requires a little sight alignment with a good trigger pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msshooter Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 If your not really acquinted w/ the TS, it is just like any other target. It starts out dead still, when it changes direction, it is still! Don't chase it! Until you are real confident in your ability, start at the top and work your way down to keep the speed at a minimum. The biggest thing is, don't let it pysch you out, you have to be confident in yourself! Too many people dread a stage with a TS and actually beat themselves before the even start shooting!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottrebello Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 TS have good sized plates on em. Just shoot at you speed. The 4" squares are what will throw my stage planning off. Transitioning to slower shooting is where I have to use my brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTinVA Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 ...I have seen guys empty mag after mag on a plate rack... Now why did you go and drag me into this??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I'm in the never say die camp, but that's not to say I wouldn't advise a new shooter to move on after a certain point. Their frustration level might grow to an unacceptable level. Go on, come back another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpops Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 ...I have seen guys empty mag after mag on a plate rack... Now why did you go and drag me into this??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) The only way to learn the prop is to shoot it. Take your time and use as much of it an ammo as needed to learn how to shoot it. I'd also ask the club if I could shoot it after the match, or help them setup before and shoot it then. Most guys are cool and will work with you. JT Edited June 4, 2009 by JThompson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dqshooter Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 The only way to learn the prop is to shoot it. Take your time and use as much of it an ammo as needed to learn how to shoot it. I'd also ask the club if I could shoot it after the match, or help them setup before and shoot it then. Most guys are cool and will work with you. JT JT is absolutly correct. Ask for help, if you are new and the other shooters don't wnat to help you out, find another club. After a couple sessions with the TS you will do much better. I used to dread them, now they are fun to shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpops Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Thanks guys for all of the comments. The nearest club to us, that has a TS, is close to 2 hours away. So, like Seth, my first pratice with one will be during a real stage. It should be FUN! This topic was not all about shooting the TS, it was more along the lines of when to move on when encountering problems. We all understand to practice, shoot more, think positive, use Zen, drink the Magic Koolaid, etc. but there are times when people just have a bad stage. This was just a general question and seems to have moved into a different direction. For us newbies to the TS, I do appreciate the help though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) My wife and I were discussing stage strategies and a interesting question developed. Lets say a stage has a round count of 20-30. It has multiple targets and requires considerable movement. Within the stage beholds the "Texas Star". (or some other tricky array)Now, lets say your having an off day and you proceed to unload 7, 8, 9, 10 rounds at that puppy and still no joy. At what point do you just move on? Would you base your answer off of the class your shooting or just base it off of time vs points? Thanks, BP This must be a math question. Edited June 4, 2009 by yoshidaex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 It's a game, so game it (sort of). At a match, if you particularly suck on 1 type of prop, shoot everything else first and then return to the prop. Your score will be better with a million seconds on the clock and 3-4 misses vs. a million seconds on the clock and 20 misses. In reality, you should practice on small plates. The star isn't hard, even at it's very worst the plates stop moving at the top of the swing. Don't let this prop (or a plate rack, or whatever) mess with your head so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroack Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 OK, I've got a fresh perspective on this. Fresh, mainly because I just shot my first uspsa match a few weeks ago. I'm not new to shooting. I've been doing it for many years. So it wasn't like it was the first time I'd put my hands on a pistol. I'd heard my friends talk about the TS's and seen videos of them. I have to say I wasn't thrilled when we set up the last stage and it had not one....but two texas stars. So I finally completed the stage, all targets hit. It wasn't pretty but I got it done. I felt great. I'd never shot a moving target like that with a pistol before and I just did two! So I say die trying. If you move on to complete the stage your not learning what you need to know first. I did take every magazine I brought with me and used almost all of them. So yes take some extra ammo if you think your going to have problems, but don't skip it. Zero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris iliff Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 IMHO NEVER. I have never moved on. Lowered the gun and took a breath a couple of times the first year or so, but always shot the targets presented. How are you going to learn? Your a new guy or fairly new anyways, and this is what we do. We shoot the targets. If you have unloaded on it, whatever it is, and haven't cleared the array, you are already in the trash heap of that stage. Take a breath, relax, reset, and get some learning in. No time like the present. I know that some of the BIG DOGS figure all the math and angles and adjust the game plan. Hey, they can walk and beat us. Maybe some day you or I will have that game. We won't get there calling it quits. We will get there (hopefully) by taking advantage of learning how something is done, even if it cost us a stage/match. And if it is one of "those" days, well then that's just practice for having one of "those" days at a big match. Those crappy days can happen in a match, shoot through it. A small caveat,.... don't practice if everything is going to crap, don't want to drill in crap. I'm a high "B" open, with about 5 years of competition, so......this is IMHO. Good shooting to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 It's a game, so game it (sort of). At a match, if you particularly suck on 1 type of prop, shoot everything else first and then return to the prop. Your score will be better with a million seconds on the clock and 3-4 misses vs. a million seconds on the clock and 20 misses.In reality, you should practice on small plates. The star isn't hard, even at it's very worst the plates stop moving at the top of the swing. Don't let this prop (or a plate rack, or whatever) mess with your head so much. My thoughts exactly. Better to engage all targets and run out of ammo on the TS compared to running out of ammo on the TS and still have targets left to engage. A failure to engage is another -10 points on top of the 2 misses for a total of -30 points for each target. That will guarantee you a zero on your HF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 (edited) I guess I'm the only one in this camp, but... I advise new shooters (no TS, just a plate rack that can also burn ammo at times) to give up. Temporarily. If you empty an entire magazine at one plate on the [dreaded prop here], reload, and are still spitballing mikes at it... LEAVE. Shoot the rest of the stage, come back, take a deep breath and WATCH THE FRONT SIGHT LIFT. Kill that bugger, knowing your stage time is already ruined, but that it's finished and out of the way. So take your time, and aim each shot exquisitely. Edited June 5, 2009 by MemphisMechanic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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