Steve Anderson Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 Buying new gear because you like it is wha it's all about. Constantly looking at gear for substantial improvement is what I'm counseling against... SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Steve Why would you advise anyone not to buy any gear if there was even a 50/50 chance it would improve even one aspect of their shooting and then; tell someone else to go ahead and buy it, if it looks cool and you want it, even though it won't help them at all. Sounds shortsighted to me. Shooting is just like business, if you think you have it all figured out, you're wrong; and if you don't adjust to and imbrace change, you will be left behind. I know you don't want to be like trap shooters, always looking for the MAGIC gun or bullet, but not to explore new gear, or advise others to do likewise, regardless of your ability or theirs, might not be wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Why would you advise anyone not to buy any gear if there was even a 50/50 chance it would improve even one aspect of their shooting... Here are over a dozen reasons: Oct 28 2003, 08:42 AM ...it is always the Indian and not the arrow. Sep 3 2003, 09:33 AM I have always said it is the indian and not the arrow, but even the best indian can't do well with 2nd rate arrows. Jul 11 2003, 11:36 AM It is the indian, not the arrow. Apr 2 2003, 06:07 PM It ain't the arrow, it's the indian May 19 2003, 05:11 PM Always the Indian, never the arrow. Apr 5 2003, 11:27 PM We do agree that it is the indian and not the arrow. Mar 25 2003, 11:28 AM Excluding a machine rest, I always thought it was the Indian not the arrow. Jan 10 2003, 09:07 AM If you have read some of my older posts, you will see that I am an advocate of the adage: it is the Indian not the arrow. Nov 22 2002, 10:46 AM It is the Indian, not the arrow. Aug 14 2002, 06:07 PM Must be some truth to the old saw, "...it is the Indian, not the arrow." Oct 23 2002, 01:05 PM It isn't the arrow, it is always the indian. Oct 16 2002, 11:24 AM Any of the Kydex holsters, but remember; it ain't the arrow, it is the Indian Aug 31 2002, 10:53 PM Smoney is right, it is always the Indian not the arrowl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Good grief, this is getting silly. Would any of you recommend a Hi-Point pistol and WWII vintage canvas holster to a newbie set on making GM? Of course not. Does the same newbie need to buy a high end Limited gun for $2500.00 or more to be competitive and have fun? Of course not. As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 The point of this topic was this: There is a 99% chance that the gear you have now is good enough to take you as far as you want to go. What I left out (to avoid sounding even more like a broken record than I already do) was: if you are willing to practice. I never said that gear wouldn't/couldn't/can't or won't give any improvement at all. Surely a piece of gear can/will/could/should/might sometimes/occasionally give a shooter in immediate boost in performance. I also never said you shouldn't buy better gear if you want to. But I do believe most will reach a point eventually where there are far more important issues in their shooting that what holster they are using, and whether a powder is softer than another. This won't and shouldn't keep anyone from looking for a better load or holster, It just won't be the answer to any long term problems. I was just trying to point out in a positive way that I am seeing a lot of gear talk and not much shooting talk around here these days. And I was hoping to get people thinking/talking/posting more about their shooting, that's all. My recommendation to Flex to close the gear forums was a joke, never meant to be taken seriously...just a joke between students. My apologies for any ruffled feathers, SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 "Shooting is just like business, if you think you have it all figured out, you're wrong; and if you don't adjust to and imbrace change, you will be left behind." I was actually trying to impart a little change, and hoping for an adjustment. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Flex You've got the search feature NAILED. Agree to disagree... sorry about the double post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Oh..... I think I get it Kyle, so you're saying it's the Indian, and not the arrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 No, no, no, Sam. Pay attention. I think Kyle is saying it's the singer not the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Oh, and Ron, for a little bit more you can invest in a pitch control feature so you can change the tempo of the song and sing it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 This came to me while biking the other day and seems to sum it all up nicely: "Don't let your gear hold you back" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Time for a new bike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Naah, the old bike's good enough for the likes of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 Since this has gone on for five pages now, and all the important stuff has been said, I'll throw in my two cents: Some gear changes have made dramatic improvements in my scores; most were to remove real or imagined irritations. Here are some of the gear changes I've been through, and their results. Holster...started with a snazzy sharkskin number from Wilson, couldn't get a draw much under two seconds as the thing was giving me a wedgie with every draw. I mean it was (is) tight! Got a dropped offset Bladetech rig...what an incredible difference! Thing was adjustable, released clean, cleared my gut, life was good. I attended a few matches, read a few hundred posts on the forums and decided to get a Safariland 012. Didn't like it, jammed into my leg when I bent over, had this constant dread my pistol was going to hit the dirt, and my draw times actually got worse. I don't think I really gave the holster a fair shake, went back to the Bladetech and have been happy. I have a new generation Ghost holster on the way, but this was purchased solely to keep the new Brazos looking good, and avoid the Kydex wear, if I don't like it it is back to the Bladetech. So with holsters, one change was life-changingly good, the other a failed experiment. Belts...started wearing a dress belt, not good. Went to an Wilderness instructor belt...tremendous improvement. Gear was nice and stable. Found it a pain to thread all the mag pouches and holster on all the time, and have graduated to a Safariland double belt system. It is so nice to leave everything semi-permanently attached and adjusted and get to the shooting. So, one gear change made a marked improvement in the draw, the other no improvement, but has made life easier. Guns...started with a Kimber SS sans magwell, quickly realized that most of the cool kids were in limited (you heard me, open pansies ) and transitioned to a STI Lexor. I can't say the STI shoots any better that the Kimber, but it is tremendously more forgiving on the reloads. I have yet to do a sub-second reload, but I'm getting closer. The good reloads on the SS are just as fast, but I blow over twice as many when I practice with the SS. I have a Brazos Limited gun on the way any day now. Got it so I could have a back-up (had some breakage issues with the Lexor) and a loaner to lure others into the fly-trap with me. No offense to Bob Londrigan, but I don't expect his pistol to improve my shooting at all, hopefully the trust and reliability factor will improve. So, changing to double stack improved my reload reliability by leaps and bounds. Could I have got to the same place with Steve Anderon style practice? Probably...but this way I get a new gun out of the deal. Recoil springs, powder selection, etc....here I'm with Steve all the way. I'm not good enough to tell the difference between a same power factor load with different powders, can't tell much difference with different recoil springs, either. When I'm on the cusp of GM I'll pay more attention to these things. For now I'll just focus on calling the shots and quicker transitions. Bottom line: "Don't let your gear hold you back". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 My gear is holding me back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 I know, Rhino. I bet you lost a couple of seconds when you had to clear the feather boa from being jammed into the BIG MAGWELL with the magazine and even more time when your illegal cleats got caught in your illegal kneepads which had slipped down to your ankles; darn slippery spandex... sometimes life is just a beast...ain't nothin' easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitless13 Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 Yes, my lack of gear is holding me back atm. So how about everyone donate a few hundred rounds for when things are all lined up, which is very soon... KS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 Yes, my lack of gear is holding me back atm. So how about everyone donate a few hundred rounds for when things are all lined up, which is very soon...KS I'll loan you whatever gear you need (that I have) until you get yours! Holster, pouches, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 I guess I fall somewhere in the middle of all this. I think you need gear so good, you never think about it. It realy isn't that expensive, and I for one am willing to pay for it, and take the resulting lack of excuses on the chin. I was that way with pool cues, yeah you can spend $4gs on one or $400, and if the hit and balance are there I could put racks away even better with the cheaper one because I thought about it less. But anyone who hit a ball with my stick knew it was right. I am know faced with the very real prospect of taking a job OCONUS for several years. I am thrashing around trying to gather the gear I think I'll need, to include two complete guns a dozen mags and spare parts for everything. WHY?? because I don't want to think about the equipment, I want to get back to practicing. Before I sold my last high cap S_I I never even thought about cleaning it. Every couple k I'd dunk it or hose it out when I got tired of it getting my shirts filthy. Don't get me wrong, it was a gorgeous gun I was proud to show off, but I liked how it shot even better than how it looked. It had the important features, good trigger, zeroed accurately, ran all the time and I REALLY KNEW THE GUN. That comes from practice, and lots of it. Yes, I shot a borrowed Glock at the Bolivian Nationals, but how much better would I have shot with a gun I had had for three + years? Bottom line, for me, get something that is basically competetive and practice. That takes all the "but I shoot THIS" excuses away. Crappy gear is like sandbagging; it´s a weak way of protecting your ego. You can get competetive gear for Limited (less mags) for under a grand. It won't be pretty, but this ain't no beauty contest. Don't buy the line the IDPA and gun rag guys are selling that it's the space gun and anyone could do it. IPSC is the big leagues, the deep end. Yes, you are going to need competetive gear, but past that it's the "nut on the grip". You have to be able to form your own plan in IPSC and execute it. We don't lay out little dance step foot prints for you, or set some ridiculously low .5 / second hit factor here, so go fast and hit A's. Do it better with practice and gear you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 My gear holds me back everytime I get it caught on a barricade. Its the player not the piano. although you can't play in Carnagie Hall with a POS out of tune piano. But give Bach a good piano and he will wax your A-- every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywalker Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 I'll throw in my .02. Your gear, as your gun, or whatever else, is good enough as long as you don't perceive it as an obstacle in your performance. I mean, if during the shooting you're not concentrating on what you see because you're thinking "let's hope the mags will release positively during the reload" or "let's hope this time the mags won't fall out of the pouches", or "better push hard on the gun to clear it from the holster", your gear is holding you back. As long as you have total confidence in your gear, and you can concentrate yourself on the fundamentals of shooting, without even the slightest distraction, it is good enough. With total confidence in your gear, you can kick butt even with a sling and a pouch of pebbles, it only gets a bit more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral404 Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 I am not quite a gear-head but....I am giving it a good shot. I started out with an old Safariland Leather Holster from 1971 that came with my BHP. I progressed to an older Safariland and a STI Trojan. My fastest draws were 1.3 to 1.5 seconds. I changed out the fire controls to C&S and SV Tri-Glide. Reduce the pull from 4+ to about 2.5. I played with the power factors also. Reducing the .45 down to about a 150 really helped me learn alot about recoil control. I was a bottom feeding C class shooter in L10. I then built-had built a STI Edge with a newer Safariland. My draws dropped to 1.1 pretty consistently------once I had it correctly adjusted. Otherwise some draws were 1.1 and otherrs were 3.5. The long dust cover, wide body, and .40 make it a heck of a lot easier on me. Now I am a borderline C pushing to B shooter in L10 and improved my Limited classification percentage 10 percentage points. I have shoot a number of 65-75% stages in Limited. So for me, the gear has helped me progressed. But so has attending a class by Matt, a gun tuned by Kodiak, and shooting Tuesnight Seel. Those four items: gear, training, tuning, and practice, all contributed to rapid improvement for me. My advice would be to have a reliable gun, a <2.75 trigger, Matt's CD, and practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 Now Mr. Sunshine does not whine, but just looking at the resources avaliable today vs what was aroung in '78, is amazing. Just the knowledge base on this forum is incredible. I haven't counted but there something like two dozen GM's of one type of another who drop in on this thing and probably two or three times that many G's. Well maybe only two times, I forget MX5 comprises about 12% of the G's by himself. But really, you can get videos, personal classes and coaching by some of the best shooters in the World, insight by, IMO, the worlds best mind ever to shoot the game, Brian Enos, and literally countless great tips by shooters who have immense talent but have not reached their peak . No wonder old timers like me had to shoot 3k rounds in practice each month. Took that many to figure out what we were doing wrong...then we had to correct it... I am just blown away by the shooting knowledge avaliable here just for the asking. Not only about gear but everything under the sun.. Sorry, I wandered a bit there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric nielsen Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Once you have a reliable, accurate gun and gear that holds all your stuff (without needing to draw up to your armpits) then the greatest gear in the world is not going to improve your score more than 5-10%. If you're just moving into Master class, this starts to look interesting. If you're smack in the middle of C class (40-60% nationally) well - you do the math. As Tightloop is saying, seek knowledge, apply that knowledge, perfect your execution of the techniques you have learned. A challenge that never ends. $.02 from a guy who topped 11/11 Open shooters with his limited Glock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Like Caspian28r said For years I shot my Para out of an 009. Bought a Limcat - sweeeeet, when I could get it to run with my gun (customized trigger guard). Have gone back to the 009, pending on a decision on a new, 21st century holster, but guess what? I spent so much time working on my draw out of the new holster, trying to get it right, that now my draws out of my old holster are better than they ever were. I still crawl, mind you, but I am definitely better. I suppose that at a very high level (master plus) that equipment may matter in terms of that 1" smaller group at 50 yds or 0.05 off your draw or splits, but for most mortals, IT'S THE PRACTICE THAT MATTERS, NOT THE EQUIPMENT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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