Strick's Shooting

New Season, new gun

2012-01-09T10:50:00.007-06:00

Well, winter is here but that does not mean we are not shooting, at least here in TX. I have been thinking the last few months about my competition guns and what I like and don't like about them. After looking at them I decided that I would try a Glock. Now I will say that I think they are great guns but I am not a fan. They are like grabbing a 2x4 and have no aesthetic value at all, but they do work and work pretty well.

What lead me to this was a couple of things that I think the Glock brings to the table with it's design. First, you can get a higher grip on a Glock and closer to the bore line with a Glock than just about any other handgun. Even with my small (but fat) hands I can pretty much engulf the gun with my grip, this is huge in controlling recoil. The second aspect is the grip angle. This is the part that most that don't like GLocks really don't like, the grip angle is such a departure from every other platform that it feels odd. What makes this work for competition shooting is in the way it helps the shooter roll the wrist forward to keep the sights on target thus putting the right amount of tension in the wrist. This tension also transfers into the forearm and shoulders which really aids in recoil control. THe last part is the trigger. Being a constant pull and after some minor parts and polish a very short and light constant pull makes it ideal for the shooting sports.

I decided to go with the 17, I know just about every shooter and their brother says the 34 is better, but for me the 17 just balances better. Sight radius is not an issue since the sight radius is the same on the 17 as every 1911 I have. Extended controls was not a concern either (will talk about that in a minute). I have had the gun for a few weeks and I think I finally have it where I want it. I changed the sights (black rear FO front), new connector, put in a LW adjustable trigger housing, lighter springs, and added some grip tape. I am still running the stock mag and slide release but I may try out the extended parts. I am little weary on the extended parts because I have seen too many shooters kick the mag out on table starts or ride the slide release during shooting. But I know enough people that run Glocks that I can borrow some parts to try.

After all the parts and playing I took it out to shoot some matches and drills. SO far so good, I am a little slow with some parts since I am getting used to it. As far as shooting, well I can shoot it faster with tighter groups then any of my other guns, once I got used to the grip it points and controls very well. Splits, Transitions, and points down have all improved. Mozambique's for instance, with the 1911 9mm I was around 1.8, CZ 1.75 range, and with the Glock I am at 1.5. Draw speed is pretty much on par with the CZ and around 1.15 from cover. Seven yard hammer drills dropped a touch also with a much, much tighter group. The only part that is slower at the moment is the reloads. I am just having issues with the getting the gun back into battery because I am fumbling with the slide release. It just seems to be in an awkward spot for me but with some more practice I think I will be quicker than with the other guns.

I can't say that I will stick with the Glock for good but I want to give it a true test. For around $700 all in with extra mags, holster, and parts I added you really can't go wrong.

Here is a video of the first monthly match I have shot with the Glock.

2011 IDPA World Championship

2011-09-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

The inaugural IDPA World Championships has come and gone. I was looking forward to this for the last few months, I was hoping to have a better showing than I had at last years IDPA Nationals. I had a decent showing, 5th ESP Master out of 21 and 19th overall out of about 390, so it was a pretty good match. The match offered some tough shots, shots are some difficult movers, options on how to shoot multiple movers, and some stages that were fast 6 round hose fests.

General Match Thoughts

The Good

My general thoughts on the match are slightly mixed. Overall I thought the staff and SO’s did a pretty good job. The weather during the first part of the week was pretty bad, high temps and torrential rain every afternoon made getting shooters through the stages, and keeping the stages set was a challenge. I definitely applaud them for the great effort. IDPA HQ tried a new system this year by assigning a Squad SO to each squad. This SO was responsible for scoresheets, shooter order, assisting the stage SO’s and other admin functions that really helped shooters just focus on the shooting the stage. I think this system worked great and can see other big matches use it to help keep things moving and better organized.

Most of the stages did a good job of testing all parts of the shooters skills. You had to be fast, you had to be accurate, you had to be able to move to and get into position well, and in a few you had to have a real good plan. If you showed up to this match with some of those skills lacking you had a long match. Most of the stages were straight forward and didn’t have any traps that would setup shooters to earn a procedural. If you knew the rules and listened to the COF description most stages were pretty clear and easy to follow. For the most part the stages followed the rules and didn’t make a shooter do something that they knew was against the rulebook. Some matches do this and it can cause time lost since a shooter that knows the rules can be unfairly penalized, in this match this was not really an issue.

The no so good

As I said above, the stages for the most part were good, some were better than others as is always the case with any match. There were a few that I thought that should not be at a National/World Championship level match. A stage that requires to shoot a pick-up/stage gun (a 1911 .45) strong hand only for the entire stage for a score doesn’t belong in a match like this. Yes, every shooter has to shoot the same gun and stage but not every shooter is familiar with the 1911 platform or have even fired a .45 before. They are now asked to be scored in a stage using a platform and caliber they have never used before in the biggest IDPA match of the year. I think this is not a fair test of that shooter as they should be tested using the equipment they have selected and setup. Also since it is not the shooters gun and ammo how are malfunctions handled, should it be the shooters fault if something they did not choose to shoot fails in the middle of the stage?

Another aspect of the match that I found not quite up to a World Championship match was the number of very quick, close range 6 rounds stages. Five or more of these types of stages just to provide filler and round count just seems like a waste. I would rather see 15 or so quality stages than 22-27 stages that are comprised of many quick 6 hammer drill stages. Also some stages had movers and other targets behind soft cover items. That seems fine on the surface but the SO’s and shooters both need to be clear on how hits on those targets are going to be scored. If you are going to hid tagets behind a clothes rack then a clear method of scoring of shots fired through that rack needs to be laid out so the shooters know how the holes/rips/tears/other holes are going to be scored. Finally, the use of t-shirts, while an interesting problem for a shooter to solve, needs to be used more judiciously. Not every stage needs to have targets covered with shirts and in the stages that do have them keep them consistent. Having half the target covered, half open and the same for the No-Shoots just seems odd and doesn’t provide a feeling of a cohesive match. I also feel that placing a white shirt over a No-shoot right next to a shoot target in a white shirt should not be used to try and confuse the shooter. Let the shooters actual ability to shoot determine their score, not how well they can see white on white.

Over all I think the match was success. While there are some things that could be improved and the location for that time of year is questionable I think the hard work and effort of those that worked the match made it work.

2011 Double Tap Championship

2011-06-07T08:32:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I was at the Double Tap Championship where I shot production. Overall I had a good match, I made some mistakes that cost me time in a few stages but overall I am happy about the match. I took a different approach to this match, instead of getting all wrapped up in the speed thing I took the approach that it is just a longer IDPA match. It seemed to work pretty well as I got good points and the stage times were pretty good. I finished 2nd place B Production and 16th overall out of 73 Production shooters. I am starting to get a handle on the USPSA game and my results are getting better, I was 82% of the Production winner which is about a 10% improvement over my last couple of USPSA matches. I need to work on getting some things ironed out but I feel like I am on the right track.

It has been a while

2011-05-17T08:14:00.003-05:00

I haven't been updating this much lately so I guess it is time to catch up. IDPA Match season is in full swing now and I have been doing a lot of shooting so here are some updates on the matches I have shot.

I started the IDPA season out by shooting an IDPA match in Arkansas. It was a good match with some good stages, the weather on the other hand was not all that great. It was about 45 and a drizzley rainy mist, not the most ideal conditions to shoot in. As far as the match itself, well, my shooting was about as good as the weather. Never really got into any kind of mental state to shoot and just felt like I was going through the motions. For the first match of the year it didn't go anywhere close to the way I had planned. The good thing is I could tell where the problems were in my shooting and since then I have been working on fixing the issues.

The weekend after the AR match was Coastal Bend Challenge, and I felt pretty good about shooting the match. Unfortunately I started out the same way I did in AR, I hot a No-Shoot in the first stage. Shooting at the Master level it is bad enough hitting a NS but doing it on the first stage and basically starting the match by spotting the field 5 seconds is a tough hole to start in. I did manage to put together a few good stages and was feeling pretty good that I was making up for that first stage bobble. Of course I got a little to focused on the time issue and rushed through a stage and dropped a bunch of points, 11 points in 1 stage on top of a NS in another and the match kinda lust slips away from you.

I think I have figured out some of the issues I have been having with my shooting and have been practicing on them. I have been working on visual patients and not trying to rush a stage. I fell into the trap of thinking about speed instead of just focusing on the front sight and letting that dictate how quickly I should be shooting. Some more practice and some work on my match day mental game and I should be back on track.

Rudy Project

2011-02-11T08:10:00.002-06:00

I got some news the other day, I was selected to be on the Rudy Project IDPA Squad. I am looking forward to competing under the Rudy Project colors, they have a pretty good group of shooters on their team.

Being part of the Rudy team and being sponsored means there might be some changes in the look of my blog. I want to make sure people see the great list of sponsors that not only support The Rudy Project Team but the shooting sport in general.

New year means new goals

2011-01-10T08:13:00.002-06:00

2010 was a pretty good shooting year for me, I achieved most of the goals I set for myself. I made Master in not just one division but 3, won my class at most matches and won my division at a couple. I didn't achieve all my goals but so I need to start working on making them and then achieving the new goals I have.

I plan on shooting more USPSA matches this year. I really enjoy shooting IDPA but I want to at least make Master (if not Grand Master) in USPSA. Most of my shooting will be in the Single Stack division but I will shoot production a little. There are a couple of local state and regional matches I will shoot and I also am going to try and make it to the Single Stack Nationals.

One of my goals this year is to just stick to one platform. Last year I did a little bit of bouncing around with guns. 2011 will basically be a 1911 only year for me. I can't wait for the match season to start...........now out to the range to practice.

2010 IDPA Nationals

2010-09-28T09:56:00.002-05:00

Nationals went OK, not great but good. I finished 2nd SSP Expert and got my bump to Master.

As far as the actual match went, well I could of and should have done better than what I did. I started on stage 1 and the first 3 stages didn't go as well as I wanted. I had a plan on stage 2 and I almost nailed it except after a reload and before I moved to another position I needed 1 more shot on a target............I forgot that shot and in the end that could be what cost me the match since I only got beat by 1.6 seconds. If I would have hit that target, even with a decent shot then I would have been 2 seconds faster. Stage 3 was the standards, lots of shots, lots of 30 yard shots, and all Limited. I was doing OK until the last string and got way to fast and threw a couple of misses, I knew it when I pulled the trigger but being limited scoring I couldn't make them up.

I left the first 3 stages over 50 down and thinking I may have given the match away before I really got started. Then I realized everybody has to agonize over the Standards so I could still do OK as long as I got myself back into shooting my type of match. I got back to just focusing on the stage I was shooting and not worrying about the ones behind me. I put together a few good stages and felt that I had good monentum. After about 4 stages or so I had another bad stage, not terrible just not good, but got back into the right mindset and followed it up with another good stage. I did that cycle a few times but I was never able to really keep the ball rolling and find that groove I ususally get into. In the end I out of 17 stages I had 3-4 bad, 3-4 that were just OK, and the rest were good and solid stages.

It was either the non-shot on stage 2 or the really bad stage with the "dogs" that cost me the match. The "dog" stage was a minimum 1 scored round stage at targets that only had the -1 and -0 areas and 4 of them were out to 20-25 yards. I had a plan to hit the long ones with 2 shots to make sure I got the hits but I got to quick on the first target trying to beat the no-shoot swinger and missed that target and earned a "failure to Neutralize". Then I had the only gun issue of the match (actually the only one I remember since shooting the CZ), I had a stove pipe. That cost me about 4 seconds and on top of the 5 seconds for the FTN it really killed me. Knowing how my match went I spent the next 2 days watching the updated scores hoping I would stay on top but knew my time could be beat.

Overall I am happy with the match, I didn't shoot as well as I thought I should but I was able to stay focused and not panic when I had a bad stage. In the past I would have tried to make up for a bad stage by pushing to hard and then blowing the next stage. After a bad one I would go back to the fundamentals and just focus on the front sight and make my hits.

That makes the third division I have made Master in since May so I am really pleased about that. I worked hard this year to make Master and didn't know if I could do it in 3 divisions, that was my goal though. I was struggling a little in the early spring and that is when Garry Newton started to work with me. With his help I was able to figure out what I needed to focus on and it really helped me during the Nationals to regroup after a bad stage. I really want to thank Garry for all his help.

The year is pretty much done for me as far as major matches go. I will be shooting all the local stuff though working on the things I need to improve on so that next year I will not only be a Master but I will be a very competitive one.

Getting ready for IDPA Nationals

2010-09-17T11:10:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I updated this so I thought I would post about the upcoming IDPA Nationals.

Since I shot the Texas State match I have been deciding on what gun to use for the Nationals and then spending time getting up to speed with something other than my 1911. I am shooting SSP Expert at Nationals because I hope to get my bump to Master. I had plans to go back to my M&P Pro but after a few matches and practices I decided that may not be the best choice. I really like the gun but for some reason I just don't get the hits I want. I tried a few different things but the accuracy always seem to suffer and to be honest my hits were never as good with it. On top of the accuracy issues it is just not 100% reliable, every so often I would get a FTE and sometimes at a match I just have the impending dread that it will show up at a very inopportune time. Tough to be competitive with that in your mind.

I decided to make the switch to a CZ 75b. That came with it's own hurdles, double action first shot, it was a stock gun, and just learning a new platform. I shot it a few times in stock form and slowly started to add some parts and do some work on it and after springs, sights, grips, and some modest trigger work I have a pretty nice gun. It has a good feel and I really like the blance and weight of the all steel gun. For the last month I have been shooting matches and practicing so that I can learn the best way to shoot and makes sure no unexpected problems show up.

The club I am the match director for hosted a regional IDPA match over Labor Day so it was a great oppurtunity to really shake things out. Knowing there are some really good shoters that were going to be there it was a great way to judge my performance with the new platform agains great competition. The gun ran great,unfortunatley I didn't run the gun the way I should have. I pushed the speed and my accuracy suffered, I was taking for granted how I was shooting going into the match and pushed the speed past the point of seeing the sights the way I needed to . I also was not working the trigger properly and ended up slapping at it a few times and that ended up producing too many points down as well as unacceptable misses.

Since that match I have refocused on the basics of just seeing the sights as fast I as can and working the trigger in a smooth controlled manner. Doing so has got me back on track on where I think I need to be.

Next week is the test though, Nationals. I shoot all day Thursday and as long as I do my part I am very confident the gun will not let me down. I feel that if I shoot my match and keep focused I can win my class. I know there will be some good shooters there (39 SSP EX's) and it will not be easy but that is the goal I am going with and will be happy as long as I shoot a good match. If I shoot my best and get beat then I can live with that.

Hopefully nest week I can post up some good news.

2010 TX State IDPA Championship

2010-06-13T18:51:00.003-05:00

Well I won ESP-EX and finished 3rd overall at the TX State match on saturday and got my bump to Master. I have been working on getting my ESP bump in a match for a while now so it felt pretty good to earn it. I had a few matches where I was close, some that I won that when there was a shooter or 2 short of the number needed to get bumped but this weekend there was 14 experts so I knew if I had a good match I would get it. I had a real solid shoot, no procedurals, no no-shoots, no failures, no misses, and only one 3 out of the 12 stages and 200+ rounds. I was about 15 seconds better than 2nd place and missed ESP division champion by 5 seconds. I made a few mental bobbles that cost me a few seconds but I would have had to been really on my game to get that last 5 seconds.

The match itself was a lot of fun. The CCIDPA guys put together 12 fun stages that challenged the shooter to make good shots with out building in a lot of traps or gimmicks to try and trick shooters. It was a match where you had to get in the right spot, use cover correctly and make your hits. If you did so you scored well.

As far as how I shot I was really happy. I was making my hits and getting from target to target pretty quick. I did have some mental bobbles like I said, in 2 stages I got lost on the rounds and started to bring the gun back for a reload to early so that cost time and in one of the stages I almost shot an array out of order around a barricade. I caught myself but transitioning back and forth cost me a big chunk. I knew it was going to be an OK day since on the first stage I shot, stage 7, I put down a pretty good time and was clean and there was 3 small steels that I was able to hit quick without throwing a miss. Hitting those smaller steels quickly on the first stage got me in the right frame of mind for the rest of the match.

So I have pretty much achieved what I wanted to this year. I have made Master (in 2 classes now) and have really improved my shooting. I wanted to get to the point that I could show up to a local match and be competitive for the win and I have mangaged to win about 4 or 5 in the last few months. The next goal will be a little harder I think, that will be getting to the level that I can be beating some of the top Masters. I have come real close so far and beat one or 2 of them when they have had gun problems but I need to get to the place where I can run with them consistently. That just means more practice and even more practice on top of that.

Then there is the goal of getting to the Master level in USPSA...............

Made Master in IDPA

2010-05-07T17:29:00.002-05:00

Well I finally made Master in IDPA. I shot a classifier Sunday in CDP and made Master. I made it by a second or so and that was with 2 misses. I feel pretty good that I finally achieved the goal of making Master in CDP but I still need to do it in ESP and SSP. I am shooting the TX State match in a month so hopefully I can put what I have been working on to use and get my bump in ESP.

2010 Space City Challenge

2010-04-19T19:43:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was the Space City Challenge. I don't shoot a bunch of USPSA matches and my performance this weekend showed. I was slow on some stages due to bad planning or very bad execution of my plan and on top of that my trigger control was not what I needed. I have been shooting my 1911 9mm in IDPA for a month or so and had neglected to get some decent practice in with my production gun and it showed. I had a bunch of misses, not off the paper but just off target where they caught the hard cover.

The Match itself was a lot of fun. The stages were all pretty good, there were a couple that made you really plan which targets you were engaging from each spot so you didn't skip one or waste time by shooting one twice. I made some real bone head moves that really cost me time, like hitting a steel activator and just waiting for the swinger....and waiting.....and waiting.....but then realizing that it didn't activate. It is always tough for me to get in a groove when shooting USPSA because of the scoring system and shooting with guys running open and limited guns. I have a pretty good feel for what a good stage in IDPA would be but get a little lost on that aspect when shooting USPSA. That will improve when I shoot more.

I did finish second in C Production which is OK but a little bit of a let down since I should be a B class shooter and be running with some of the A class guys. I just never got in the groove and couldn't get things rolling to build on some momentum. There is always next match though so I will practice some and get back on track

Lessons Learned:

Don't take the shooting for granted. If you haven't used a platform for a few months don't assume that when you go back to it you will pick up where you were. If you plan on shooting a particular gun at a big match get some practice in with it and don't assume anything.

Sights are great and getting them on target as quick as possible is what you want but don't forget about the trigger control. Leaving that piece out makes all the sight work a moot point.

Even when you think your match is going real bad go into every stage as a fresh stage. Let the one you can't change go and work on nailing the one you are about to shoot.

Here is the video.............if anything it keep some amused.

2010 Coastal Bend Challenge - ESP Division Champion

2010-04-13T10:23:00.006-05:00

The IDPA 2010 Coastal Bend Challenge was this past weekend. IT was a pretty good match, the stages were pretty good and the weather threatened rain but it stayed away long enough for us to shoot. I had a pretty good match and was real happy about how I shot. I could have gone a little faster and I knew that while I was shooting but I was working hard on just taking the time I needed to see the front sight, no more time, no less. Where I lost a little time was on transitions and some movement. I still need to work on those things. I shot well enough to win ESP Division Champion and I was 3rd overall out of 100 shooters.

The things I didn't like about the match were some of the interpretations of the rules. They allowed some things that are really not legal and that were against the rulebook, most of the calls may have made the match easier but when you are used to following what the rulebook says you kinda get a little lost when it isn't followed. I will say that they were consistent on how they applied the rules they were using so that did help a little. As I mentioned the stages were pretty good but it would have been better if the rules were 100% followed.

I have been shooting a 1911 9mm for the last month and it is really a great shooter. I was able to make up for some slower movement and other things by getting faster and more accurate splits. I am real happy in the way the gun is handling and it is very accurate so as long as I do my part I know I will get good hits.

The only stage that caused me a little trouble was stage 3. I shot this right after lunch and I didn't get my head completely back into shooting mode. You had to fire 6 rounds while backing out of a hallway and I got more wrapped up in counting my shots instead of focusing where those shots were going. It didn't hurt me too bad though, I was only 8 down but at most I think about 3 down should have been max on that stage. I shot the whole match only 20 down, no misses, not 3's, no penalties, just a clean match. That is what you need to do if you want to run up front.

This weekend is Space City, a USPSA match, then the Texas State IDPA match in about 6 weeks.

WHIPDA Monthly Match

2010-04-05T11:43:00.002-05:00

We had the monthly match this weekend. It was a pretty good match, we tried a couple of ideas that we were thinking about using in the Labor Day match we are doing this year. It was also the first monthly match I shot with my new gun, a Springfield 1911 9mm. I have only had it for about a week or so and needed to get a match with it so I can feel comfortable with it at Corpus this weekend.

Forst of all the gun runs great and is a blast to shoot. The 1911 platform always points well and in 9mm it is a super flat, quick shooting gun. There are a couple of things I am getting used to that differ slightly from my M&P but overall it is working pretty well for me. I have shot and won 2 weekly matches and this monthly match I did OK, 4th overall and it wasn't the gun that let me down.

This match had some movement, some movers, and some other things that made your choices important. Most of the choices I made were pretty good, I just slipped a little bit in the execution in some areas. I have been working on my trigger control but I still had a few shots that were off do to bad trigger work. I was also not focusing on just the front sight, I was thinking about other things while I was shooting so I went a little slower than I though I could. I got good hits but was just a tick slow, especially on transitions. Overall a good match tough, was happy with how I shot and feel that I am ready for this weekend at Corpus and next weekend at Space City.

Lessons Learned:

Not a whole bunch more than what I mentioned, just focus on the front sight and the rest will take care of itself. Don't get lost in the minutia of the stage becuse it will just slow you down. Also make your choice on ho to shoot the stage and then stick to it. Even if you watched someone else do it another way stick to your plan. It is your plan and most likely will be better for your shooting, stick to it, trust it and then execute it.

2010 LA State IDPA

2010-03-14T17:38:00.003-05:00

The LA State match has come and gone and I got 2nd ESP Expert. I was hoping to do well enough to get Division Champion and get my bump to Master but alas it did not happen. I shot pretty well but the ESP winner shot very well and had a good match, I just didn't have much for him. I finished 2nd about 2 seconds behind first in Expert class and the stage that killed my first place run was the very last stage I shot, stage 3. I had a good steady match and was shooting well all day concentrating on that front sight. I was working on just the front sight and letting the speed take care of it self and it was working well, even on the first stage I shot which was an El Prez but the 3 targets were all swingers. That was actually a great stage to start on, it made me start out really focusing on the sights and making my hits.

The rest of the stages were pretty good, nothing real tricky or carnival like just good stages that emphasized making your hits, but nothing tricky. There were two stages that had sliding targets, one of them had to targets and didn't move real fast and one of them had one targets that had some zip to it. I managed to get clean hits on all of them.

Where I lost the match was stage 3. It was actually one of the easiest stages, it had no movers or activators, just see the targets and shoot them. It was open squading and I was shooting with 3 other guys. The stage before number 3 that we as a group shot was one I had already shot so I just waited for them, I think that was my mistake. When we got to my last stage I was kinda "cold" and knowing that it was the last stage, not very difficult and that I had a real good match up until then I kinda just shut it down. I basically didn't focus on shooting the stage like I did the other 8 stages and that was the critical error. There was a wall that was about 15+ yards long with 3 windows to shoot from with 8 targets. Not all the targets were visible from every window but they were only about 10 or yards, maybe 15 yard shots. I managed to shoot it not slow but not fast but I dropped 16 points, about 1/3 of my points for the entire match points of 45. I pretty much knew when I was done that stage that I had probably given the match away.

My Lessons Learned are pretty simple.......STAY FOCUSED FOR THE ENTIRE MATCH. Don't be deceived by "easy" looking stages and assume you can just coast through them, they are the ones that will really hurt when you mess them up since others will not. I had been struggling with my shooting a little bit before the match and worked with one of our local Master class shooters. With his help I was able to get back on track and learn how to focus on the front sight and let the rest take care of it self. I learned how that if you make your hits, even it seems a little slower it is most likely smoother, faster, and you don't loose time from points down. I still need to work on this a few other things but I will practicing and hopefully do a little better at Coastal Bend next month.

VIDEO

Practice, practice, practice

2010-02-26T18:20:00.004-06:00

I have been doing a lot of practicing lately, sometimes I can't tell if it is helping. I have been shooting a bunch of local matches, both IDPA and USPSA trying to apply some of the stuff I have been working on during the practice sessions. I can see an improvement in certain areas like transitions since that is one area I knew I needed to work on. I have dropped about .2 off transitions by learning to snap the eyes and trust the shot instead of double checking the sights. I have found though that some other areas are now popping up that I need to work on. I guess that is the way it goes though, fix one thing and then find the next to work on. And now that I have a goal oriented practice routine I am noticing things more and critically analyzing my shooting to find those areas.

I have noticed that I am getting good hits and splits on closer targets, and targets that are easier. Where I am noticing issues is longer shots, maybe 20 yards, and tougher shots (like hard cover targets). I think I am applying the same thought to those as I am to all targets and getting to quick. I need to get a better sight picture on those and work the trigger better. I worked on that today.

I set up the IDPA classifier as good way to concentrate on some of the longer shots and to make sure I can get clean hits. I did some work on the infamous Stage 3 and ended up shooting it in 97.08 and 43 down. That is at least 13 seconds faster than my previous best time and the last stage wasn't really the killer. I just got a little sloppy up close. I ran it a second time to get a good baseline and shot it in 99.71 so it looks like my practicing is paying off a little.

I need to keep working on it so if/when I make Master I can actually compete with and challenge the current masters.

Video of my classifier run is linked below and it show many areas I need to work on.

Thunder Tactical Saturday Match

2010-02-14T08:13:00.004-06:00

Well after rain and cancellations I finally shot the first IDPA Saturday match of the year yesterday. I have only been shooting wednesday practice matches and some other fun type matches so it felt good to shoot a full match for a change. It was pretty chilly for Houston, only around 40, and muddy but it was a good match. I have been practicing a few times a week working on splits, transitions, and reloads so it was good to apply some of the things I have been working on to a real match.

Match Recap

Stage 1 was the second stage I shot and it went pretty well. You started with the gun on the table unloaded, my hands were not wanting to work that fast so I had a litle fumble trying to get the gun loaded. I also was a little sloppy on hitting the 4 8" steel.

Stage 2 was a standards with 6 targets getting 1 each, a tac reload the 1 more each. I took all head shots since the targets all had different amounts of hard cover. I dropped the 1st shot on the last target by getting ahead of myself but that is what happens when you try to push the speed a little.

Stage 3 was a pretty good run. I did a tac reload while moving to a new position as to not have a standing reload, it wasn't the quickest but it was OK. I threw a 3 on one of the targets, again I pushing the transition speed and missed just a little.

Stage 4 was my best stage and I got the stage win.

Stage 5 was my last stage and of course my wosre one. You had to go to an opening, shoot some paper, then activate a swinger then go back to the direction you came to shoot the swinger. Well when I got back to shoot the swinger I didn't time it right and had to wait for it and then I stalled on teh trigger so I had to wait on it again for the second shot. The last group of targets included a No Shoot and of course the last shoot I fired in the match just grazed the perf on the No Shoot.

Stage 6 was the first of the day. You had 3 windows and 9 targets but could not see them all from any one spot. I had a good plan but lost my head halfway in and skipped 2 targets from one of the windows. Luckily I knew it as soon as I left that position so it only cost me time.

Lessons Learned:

Keeping your head in the stage. Being cold and the first real match in a long time I let my plans drift a little. If you do mess up your plan keep going and try to make the best of it.

When shotoing when it is cold make sure to keep your hands warm so you can get them to work as fast as you want them to.

VIDEO

GA State match

2009-10-26T18:06:00.003-05:00

I just got home from Atlanta. We went out there to visit some good friends and shoot the GA State IDPA match. Luckily my friends live about 5 minutes from the range it was held at so it worked out perfect.

I will get a more in depth report later but I will say that it was a pretty good match. All their movers are pnuematic movers. That is good a bad, good because they are easier to shoot and there is less reset time. Bad because they are easier to shoot and 2 of the stages I tried to shoot had a few small problems but they got them fixed.

I shot OK, not my best shooting though. I shot well enough to win SSP SS so I am pretty happy about that and I got my bump to Expert. Like I said I will put up some more thoughts and the video a little later.

Shooting Something Different

2009-10-12T07:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my wife and I shot a Steel Challenge match. We both used .22's since we wanted to shoot something different than we have been shooting in IDPA. I gotta say it is a lot of fun, it is different than IDPA since it was static but it really makes you concentrate on sights and trigger. We will definitely be going back next month but hopefully I will do a little better. It was a little frustrating the way I shot some of the stages, trying to thorw down a fast time doesn't do any good if you are not hitting the steel.

Video from TX Match

2009-09-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

Here is the video from the Sate match. The times for the stage is the raw time and doesn't include points down. The order I shot the stages are 8, 10, 7, 6, 4, 3, 5, 1, 9, 2. Stage 6 I had a problem with a shoote induced double feed and that cost me about 8 seconds. Stage 1 was after an hour or so of sitting so I felt really sluggish and it shows on the video.

Texas State IDPA Match Recap

2009-09-09T07:10:00.005-05:00

The State match came and went and it was a pretty good match. There were 10 stages and a minimum of 143 rounds, no standards stage which is fine with me. There were 170 + shooters that signed up to shoot so it was a pretty big turnout with about 130 shooting sunday. They broke it into 10 squads for the first stae then it was open squading after that. I really like open squading but the fact that they filled every stage to start meant that from the begining there was a back up on a few stages, the ones that were a little more involved and had more props to set. Also I didn't walk through the stages before I showed up at that bay so I ended up leaving the hardest stage as my last one, it had 2 fast swingers, one of them at 20 yards. All in all though it was pretty good and I shot well.

I could go through all the stages but I am sure that would bore some people so I will just touch on the hilights of my match. I didn't shoot blindingly fast but I was quick and with that I was also pretty accurate. I was 16 down total going into the last stage and ended up 25 down total. I was able to keep focused and never earned any PE, NT's, FTN's, I think that was the other contributing factor to me winning.

Everything seemed to work out well, I never had a complete meltdown on any particular stage. I had 4 really good stages (2 of those were pretty good), 3 just OK stages, and 3 stages that were not good but didn't completely kill me. The good thing is that I was able to no dwell on the stages that were bad. I shot them, realized what happened and moved on.

One of the problems was a problem with gun, I did a reload and when the slide dropped it didn't strip a round so when I got to the next position it went "click". I racked it but then it tried to double feed so I had to reload again, looking at the video and timing it this cost me atleast 8 seconds. The other bad stages were just not shot well. One of them had some 8" steel plates at about 10 yeards or so and missed them on the first shots so I had to go back and that costs time. I just got into too much of a hurry and it cost me a little. The last stage that was not all that good was after about an hour wait without shooting, it was stage 1 and after sitting that long I just didn't move or react as fast as I wanted. It was towards the end of the day and I was starting to get tired.

The first stage I shot was a freestyle, sronghand, weakhand stage, stage 8. Gee what a great place to start. I shot it well but had an issue again with no round stripped on the reload soooooooo...."click". That is 3 times I have had this problem now so I really need to find the cause, I am thinking it the way I am reloading rather than a gun problem.

Lessons Learned:

All the other stages went pretty good though, I just tried to stay focused and shot my own match. I went into it with the mindset that I didn't care what others were doing, how they were shooting a stage and that I was going to shoot the stages based what I know my strengths are. If I was given room to make choices on reloads or where to move etc... I made sure I chose what suited my style the best not what I thought the "fast" guys were doing. It is amazing how if you keep your head into it and plan the stage out and follow that plan you will shoot well. I minimized the mental mistakes which meant I didn't have any penalty time added, and I never was surprised by an empty gun. I knew where I would be when I went empty, I knew which targets I was going to engage after the reload. Keeping focused on the stage and planning it out was a huge benefit.

Match Particulars:

1St ESP SS
14th overall
10th most accurate

Texas State IDPA Match

2009-09-08T07:10:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to the scores to the match and I will get a video of me shooting up. I had a pretty good day, I won ESP SS and finished 14th overall. I will write a recap later but overall it was a good match.

Link to scores

Another weekly match report

2009-08-27T09:06:00.003-05:00

As I noted last week I shoot with WHIDPA (West Houston IDPA). It is a pretty good group and there are some pretty good shooters that come out, even for the weekly Wednesday night matches. Take last night, Gordon Carroll and Greg Garrett shot. They shoot with us a bunch and it is always good to see how they shoot and see where you can improve on your shooting. I don't try to follow exactly how they shoot the stages (if there are options how to do it) but I watch how they play to their strengths and I try to use that when I prepare to for my run. The stages were pretty good last night with movement, movers, and some other stuff all in effort to get us ready for the TX State match next week.

I was hoping to run with those guys last night, or at least stay close but alas, I did not. Last night I actually shot pretty well, the mechanics of sights and trigger were working pretty well, reloads were not to bad and I moved some what efficieintly, where I failed was the mental part. In the third stage I made a decent reload right upto the point of seating the mag, it went in but not like usual. My M&P will slam charge consistantly if I forceable seat the mag, yes this can be a real problem if you rely on it and it doesn't happen as evedenced last night. See I had to reload, then activate a drop turner, well the slide did not fall when I did the reload but I was more focused on the activator so I just tapped the bottom of the mag again and the slide fell. Activate, turner drops...........I go click, by the time I racked the slide the turner was gone so that was 2 misses/5seconds. Not only that but I let it throw off the remaining part of the stage.

The other mental error was just dumb on my part and not keeping focused on the last stage. You had to activate the swingers and step over to the side of a truck. I even aske the SO where it was acceptable to move to so I knew I had to move about 2 seconds before the buzzer. Yep, you guessed it, buzzer went off and I stayed put so I earned a prcedural because I did not keep my focus on the entire stage, just on the shooting. I got edged out in ESP SS and ESP overall by less than 3 seconds. Mistakes happen and errors get made, the important thing is to limit the mental ones and when they happen, regroup and stay in the game.

Lessons Learned :

Having a plan and following it I think is a huge part of practical shooting. Knowing when you are going to move, which target you are going to index on, and when you need to reload are all things that lead to a good stage. But you also have to shoot the plan you came up with even if you messed up one part you need to stick the remaining plan. The worst thing you can do is get flustered after a mental mistake and let it ruin your whole stage. Make a mistake? Well you can't fix it now so get back onto your plan and make the most of the rest of the stage and that may help you get a little bit up the competition that just folded.

West Houston IDPA Wednesday Match 8/19

2009-08-20T10:27:00.005-05:00

Didn't do to bad, won ESP SS and was best overall in the match. I messed up the first stage though so my time could have been much better. I had some sort of trigger reset issue, whether it was a mental mistake or a mistake of how I was manipulating the trigger I am not sure. That along with pulling shots to the right added too many points down for my liking. I am pretty sure most of it was rushing which is not the same as going fast......need to work on that some more. My wife shot really well and is progressing very well. Yo can really see that things are starting to click for her and that she is working on the things she knew were giving her problems in the past, I am starting to get worried that she will be beating up on me before to long.

Overall it was an interesting match. The first stage had 2 clamshell targets that activate at the same time with "no shoots" coming up to block them. Each target required 2 rounds. Needless to say you had to be quick and trust the sights were on target since you had just enough time to squeeze the trigger 4 times before they disappeared. The third stage had something very similar except they were drop turners and didn't have a no shoot blocking them.

Lessons Learned:

What I did learn was that unless you are a mid-level Master or better your first goal should be putting rounds on paper. I watched most shooters concentrate so hard on getting clean hits that they spent way to much time lining up the sights and the targets were gone. Hits on the paper, even -3, are better than multiple misses, not even getting a shot off, or hitting a no shoot. You need to get the gun up and when the target presents itself it is a point and shoot drill. Adding much more than that into your thought process slows you down.

Getting Started

2009-08-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

There are millions of gun owners out there and many that may want to start shooting practical competitions but don't know where to start or are overwhelmed by what it might take to start. In reality it is not that complicated, it just takes being safe and compitant with your handgun, and a willingness to have fun.

I found that for the newest of the new shooters IDPA is a little better but not everybody has an IDPA club nearby. USPSA/IPSC is also a great choice so don't be scared off by either.

Hopefully if you are looking at shooting sports you have a good understanding of gun safety, and the operation of our firearm. You don't have to be Annie Oakley but you should know the basics of your gun, how to shoot (sights/trigger) and safe handling. The rest will be a learning process once you get started.

Read the rulebook for USPSA and IDPA (yes that is the current one eventhough it says 2005) to figure out what the different divisions and classes are. This will give you an idea about where your current handgun or the one you have been looking to buy will put you or even if it is legal. They also cover the important aspects of teh saftey and range commands, these need to be understood and followed. Having a good understanding of the scoring is a plus but it can be a little confusing at first, epsecially if you are not seeing scored in person. Reading the rulebook is one of the most important first steps in getting started.

Equipment :

I recommend starting with what you already know. Use the handgun you have and don't get suckered in by the allure of all the "race" guns you will see and hear about. Start with what you know, find the division it fits into and go have fun.

You will need some spare magazines, speed loaders, or moon clips depending on you type of gun. The amount you will need is variable but for IDPA figure on at least 4 and for IPSC 5 or more would be preferable. You need to have enough to start with the gun loaded to division capacity, and have enough to reload during the course of fire (COF). In IDPA the COF limit is 18 rounds and in USPSA/IPSC it is 32.

Holsters and Magazine holders are going to be a personal choice. I would say to start out with a basic kydex holster and mag pouch, use it for a while then decide what, if any, changes you want to make. You will need to be able to hold to spare magazines on your belt for IDPA and typically 4 or more in USPSA.

Don't forget about good ear and eye protection. Being able to see the target clearly is obviously key to shooting well, but good ear protection that still enables you to hear the RO/SO commands is just as important.

After you have all that covered just find a nearby club and go have fun. Check out the IDPA and USPSA website for a list of clubs in your area. If you are nervous about shooting then just go and watch, help out setting up and taping targets, etc... so you can see how it all works. I can gurantee that you will meet a bunch of very helpful people that will be more than willing to answer any questions you have.

Have fun, and shoot safe.