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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
2010 Coastal Bend Challenge - ESP Division Champion
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.
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.
Monday, April 5, 2010
WHIPDA Monthly Match
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.
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.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
2010 LA State IDPA
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
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
Friday, February 26, 2010
Practice, practice, practice
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.
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.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thunder Tactical Saturday Match
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
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
Monday, October 26, 2009
GA State match
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.
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.
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