One of the things Leatham taught us was that shooting really long fast groups will teach you a lot about the natural rhythym of the gun and your trigger pulls. He suggested 15-20 round groups at as close as 7 yards. Of course his were still one hole, but yours should be pretty good too. One thing you should notice is that your splits (the time between shots) get faster as you go. That's because you are learning how much you have to release the trigger to get it to reset. You will naturally start keeping more and more pressure on the trigger throughout the cycle.
An important thing to remember is that a firm grip is important and necessary to do this well.
Seems like a waste of ammo, but if Leatham says to do it, it must make sense. Try it and you'll know it does.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Carbine option?
Some of you may have noticed that the match schedule lists our November 9th match as a 7 stage pistol with a carbine option. What this means is that it is a standard 7 stage pistol match and it will be about 150 rounds. OR you may elect to use a pistol caliber carbine (no 223, 7.62x anything, or M1 carbines) to shoot the pistol stages.
This actually has no effect on the pistol shooters. We merely have alternate start positions, and some other options available on each stage for the carbine shooters. We have Open, and Limited divisions and will do payout for each like we do the pistol divisions if we have the required number of shooters.
Shooting the carbines is great fun and if you have one you should try it. It's really cool to see some of the stuff that comes out. 9mm ARs are most popular, but there are always some HKs, a Tommy Gun or two, some Mech Tech conversions, and some strange things as well. UZIs and MACs are good too. Get some of your weirdness out of the safe. It's the last match of the year. Carbines are excellent practice for rifle matches and they're generally cheaper to shoot than rifles. It is OK for more than one person to share a carbine. If you don't have one, but your buddy does, see if he'll share.
It is permissible to use suppressed carbines, and it is OK to use select fire weapons on semi-auto. I'd let you shoot full-auto, but it is against range regulations. The only problem with suppressed weapons is getting the timers to pick up the shots. Maybe if you used super-sonic ammo?
I normally squad the carbines together, but I'm thinking about distributing them among all squads to get maximum exposure among the pistol shooters, thus creating more interest in them. Leave a comment if you think this is a good or bad idea.
This actually has no effect on the pistol shooters. We merely have alternate start positions, and some other options available on each stage for the carbine shooters. We have Open, and Limited divisions and will do payout for each like we do the pistol divisions if we have the required number of shooters.
Shooting the carbines is great fun and if you have one you should try it. It's really cool to see some of the stuff that comes out. 9mm ARs are most popular, but there are always some HKs, a Tommy Gun or two, some Mech Tech conversions, and some strange things as well. UZIs and MACs are good too. Get some of your weirdness out of the safe. It's the last match of the year. Carbines are excellent practice for rifle matches and they're generally cheaper to shoot than rifles. It is OK for more than one person to share a carbine. If you don't have one, but your buddy does, see if he'll share.
It is permissible to use suppressed carbines, and it is OK to use select fire weapons on semi-auto. I'd let you shoot full-auto, but it is against range regulations. The only problem with suppressed weapons is getting the timers to pick up the shots. Maybe if you used super-sonic ammo?
I normally squad the carbines together, but I'm thinking about distributing them among all squads to get maximum exposure among the pistol shooters, thus creating more interest in them. Leave a comment if you think this is a good or bad idea.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Poll results
The poll results are in. Now what do they mean? Overwhelmingly the people who voted chose the 5 stage pistol, and 4 stage long gun match every month. That was my choice also. It is actually the perfect compromise. The long gun peopl get a lot of shooting in. The pistol-only people not only get a good pistol match in, but they are on the road home at a decent hour. and they don't have to help tear down.
Realistically, things probably won't change much from years past.
First, at the winter meeting where we plan the year's schedule we'll talk about it some more and that's where the decision is really made. This actually is a democratic organization.
Secondly, when we factor in the Summer Blast, and a special classifier match or two, it deosn't allow us to shoot the long guns every month anyway.
If it is the will of the group and the schedule allows us, we will try to work in some more long gun shooting. I am already considering asking the board for additional dates to run special matches like the team three gun, which allow for no pistol-only option.
Meanwhile, if you like long gun get yourself a pistol caliber carbine. We shoot those a couple times a year on the pistol stages with no effect on the pistol shooters at all. They are great fun and inexpensive to shoot. Some of us will be shooting them in November. If you have a pistol caliber carbine you should use it, if you don't you should try one of of ours.
Realistically, things probably won't change much from years past.
First, at the winter meeting where we plan the year's schedule we'll talk about it some more and that's where the decision is really made. This actually is a democratic organization.
Secondly, when we factor in the Summer Blast, and a special classifier match or two, it deosn't allow us to shoot the long guns every month anyway.
If it is the will of the group and the schedule allows us, we will try to work in some more long gun shooting. I am already considering asking the board for additional dates to run special matches like the team three gun, which allow for no pistol-only option.
Meanwhile, if you like long gun get yourself a pistol caliber carbine. We shoot those a couple times a year on the pistol stages with no effect on the pistol shooters at all. They are great fun and inexpensive to shoot. Some of us will be shooting them in November. If you have a pistol caliber carbine you should use it, if you don't you should try one of of ours.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Range closures
The rifle range will be closed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
All ranges, including our back pits will be closed Friday and Saturday.
Rifle is having a big event. Don't bitch, we close their range a lot more than close ours.
All ranges, including our back pits will be closed Friday and Saturday.
Rifle is having a big event. Don't bitch, we close their range a lot more than close ours.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Want to see something crazy?
Watch the video clip. Practice until you can do this. Let me know when you want to attempt it. We'll set it up before a match so everyone can see you do it.
Click here: Travis Thomasie speed reload
Click here: Travis Thomasie speed reload
Thursday, October 16, 2008
AMU Junior camp
Last weekend Ben and I traveled to Fort Benning, in Columbus GA, so that he could attend the Army Marksmanships Units first ever Junior Camp. The AMU has some of our sport's finest shooters and they graciously accepted 43 junior applicants this year. The kids were divided into 4 groups of roughly 11. Ben's group pictured below were the best shooters there. Max Michel was that group's primary instructor. Max is an incredible shooter having won national championships at an early age, and he is a great instructor and in general nice guy.
The kids did a lot of shooting and thanks to Remington ammo didn't cost them a cent. I should also mention that MGM Targets were the primary sponsor. The Gibsons who own MGM made a tremendous donation of time and money and they cannot be thanked enough. Without them this camp could not have happened. Other sponsors included Glock, Rob Leatham, DPMS rifles, USPSA, Center of mass holsters, Warne scope mounts, Danner boots, Chris Patty shooting supplies, Speed Shooter Specialties, Kaltron outdoors, Sheep dog ammo, and Hodgdon powders. All of them donated money and/or products that the made the clinic possible or were given to the kids.
Friday and Saturday the kids would begin the day with their primary instructor and then would spend the morning with one or more of the instructors, eat lunch, then spend the afternoon with another instructor. Over the first two days thay worked on several skills with all of the different members of the AMU action pistol team. All of them are impressive. Max Michel is kind of the old guy at 25, then there is Travis Thomasie, Lee Dimaculangun, KC Eusebio, Daniel Horner, and the new guy, fellow Pennsylvanian, Brad Balsley. They were such a nice group of hosts and teachers that I cannot properly put it into words. At night, there was often homework to be done.
On Friday to keep the parents occupied DPMS sent down one of their representatives with 5 DPMS rifles, and Remington donated 5000 rounds of ammo. It was like Christmas in October for me! All the ammo I could shoot and someone elses rifles to burn up. It doesn't get any better than that!
On Saturday Rob Leatham, yeah that Rob Leatham, came by to spend the day teaching the parents. He said that kids are OK, but the parents are the ones who buy the ammo, and own the guns. Parents deserve something too. And boy did we get it! I've been shooting USPSA for 17 years, and I thought I knew just about everything, but I really learned a lot from Rob. His perspective on many things is different, and he explains things so well, and so simply that he makes perfect sense. He's an incredible speaker and he's a 22 time National champion, and a down to earth nice guy, but I had no idea he'd be such a great teacher. Rob also did a 2 hour seminar for the kids Saturday night.
Sunday am the kids had a little 4 stage match. Ben was incredible! Even the AMU guys and the kids who are on the World Shoot Team were impressed. He even beat one of the World Shoot Team members. I was one proud dad. The drive home however, that was tough. But, I'd do it all over in a heartbeat.
The kids did a lot of shooting and thanks to Remington ammo didn't cost them a cent. I should also mention that MGM Targets were the primary sponsor. The Gibsons who own MGM made a tremendous donation of time and money and they cannot be thanked enough. Without them this camp could not have happened. Other sponsors included Glock, Rob Leatham, DPMS rifles, USPSA, Center of mass holsters, Warne scope mounts, Danner boots, Chris Patty shooting supplies, Speed Shooter Specialties, Kaltron outdoors, Sheep dog ammo, and Hodgdon powders. All of them donated money and/or products that the made the clinic possible or were given to the kids.
Friday and Saturday the kids would begin the day with their primary instructor and then would spend the morning with one or more of the instructors, eat lunch, then spend the afternoon with another instructor. Over the first two days thay worked on several skills with all of the different members of the AMU action pistol team. All of them are impressive. Max Michel is kind of the old guy at 25, then there is Travis Thomasie, Lee Dimaculangun, KC Eusebio, Daniel Horner, and the new guy, fellow Pennsylvanian, Brad Balsley. They were such a nice group of hosts and teachers that I cannot properly put it into words. At night, there was often homework to be done.
On Friday to keep the parents occupied DPMS sent down one of their representatives with 5 DPMS rifles, and Remington donated 5000 rounds of ammo. It was like Christmas in October for me! All the ammo I could shoot and someone elses rifles to burn up. It doesn't get any better than that!
On Saturday Rob Leatham, yeah that Rob Leatham, came by to spend the day teaching the parents. He said that kids are OK, but the parents are the ones who buy the ammo, and own the guns. Parents deserve something too. And boy did we get it! I've been shooting USPSA for 17 years, and I thought I knew just about everything, but I really learned a lot from Rob. His perspective on many things is different, and he explains things so well, and so simply that he makes perfect sense. He's an incredible speaker and he's a 22 time National champion, and a down to earth nice guy, but I had no idea he'd be such a great teacher. Rob also did a 2 hour seminar for the kids Saturday night.
Sunday am the kids had a little 4 stage match. Ben was incredible! Even the AMU guys and the kids who are on the World Shoot Team were impressed. He even beat one of the World Shoot Team members. I was one proud dad. The drive home however, that was tough. But, I'd do it all over in a heartbeat.Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Match results
The match results from Sunday are available on our website www.yorkiwlaipsc.org Thanks to all who came out.
That match is a sign of things to come. Expect more distant targets and harder shots in the future. One of the things I learned at Nationals this year (and a lesson I have learned and forgotten a dozen times in the past) is that we shoot too close and easy at York. If you catch us slipping away from it again remind me. Shooting close and fast is fun, but we pay for it at the major matches every time.
That match is a sign of things to come. Expect more distant targets and harder shots in the future. One of the things I learned at Nationals this year (and a lesson I have learned and forgotten a dozen times in the past) is that we shoot too close and easy at York. If you catch us slipping away from it again remind me. Shooting close and fast is fun, but we pay for it at the major matches every time.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
New poll
With 3 gun and multi-gun continuing to grow in popularity there is a movement to inject more rifle and shotgun into our matches, perhaps even include some every month. I'd like your opinion on the subject. Please vote in the poll and comment.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Early Notice for October match
It may be a little early, but let’s get sign up started. My blog faithful will get a little head start as usual. Thanks for reading our blog.
First, and most importantly, do NOT reply to this email. Send your sign up to yorksignup@gmail.com Some goofball will mess this up every month. It doesn’t work. If you’re lucky I’ll be around to chastise you. If not, well, good luck.
This month’s match is a pistol only 7 stage match with 148 rounds minimum required. There will be a classifier it is 03-11.
The match date is Sunday, October 12th, please check your calendar before you sign up. If something comes up that you can’t attend please let us know asap at yorksignup@gmail.com Persistent no-shows will be removed from our email lists, and not allowed to sign up in advance.
To sign up please send your name, USPSA #, division, and any squadding preferences to yorksignup@gmail.com You should receive a confirmation within a day or two.
On match day we start setting up at 8:00am and all help is greatly appreciated. We start registration at 9:00am and close registration at 10:00am. Match briefing is at 10:15am and we’ll be shooting by 10:30am. This match is a little shorter than some, and it is heavy on the steel, so it should go pretty well and you should be done by a decent hour.
We do not do safety checks on the day of the match. Please contact me to arrange one if you are getting a new shooter started. We will do it on a non-match day.
As usual food and drink will be available for purchase.
Please drive slowly coming in the lane. I got jumped at the last board of directors meeting and I don’t dig that.
Have fun and be safe next week, I’ll be with Ben at AMU junior camp, H-
First, and most importantly, do NOT reply to this email. Send your sign up to yorksignup@gmail.com Some goofball will mess this up every month. It doesn’t work. If you’re lucky I’ll be around to chastise you. If not, well, good luck.
This month’s match is a pistol only 7 stage match with 148 rounds minimum required. There will be a classifier it is 03-11.
The match date is Sunday, October 12th, please check your calendar before you sign up. If something comes up that you can’t attend please let us know asap at yorksignup@gmail.com Persistent no-shows will be removed from our email lists, and not allowed to sign up in advance.
To sign up please send your name, USPSA #, division, and any squadding preferences to yorksignup@gmail.com You should receive a confirmation within a day or two.
On match day we start setting up at 8:00am and all help is greatly appreciated. We start registration at 9:00am and close registration at 10:00am. Match briefing is at 10:15am and we’ll be shooting by 10:30am. This match is a little shorter than some, and it is heavy on the steel, so it should go pretty well and you should be done by a decent hour.
We do not do safety checks on the day of the match. Please contact me to arrange one if you are getting a new shooter started. We will do it on a non-match day.
As usual food and drink will be available for purchase.
Please drive slowly coming in the lane. I got jumped at the last board of directors meeting and I don’t dig that.
Have fun and be safe next week, I’ll be with Ben at AMU junior camp, H-
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
More fun shoot pics
Changing targets at the Bullseye qualifier.
Mallory shooting. This little girl can really shoot. There were 3 kids at the shoot. They all ended up on the same team. Their team won!
Craig S. was on the second place team. Craig is the guy who ran PPC matches at the club for years. He did a great job, but PPC was fading away and there was nothing he could do to save it. PPC was just stale and dying all over the country. When he was worn out from it we transformed that program into the fun shoots. All the old PPC guys including Craig seem to be happy with the change.
Mark is Gary's partner in running the fun shoots (as well as being an integral part of the IPSC program). The two of them do a excellent job and I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say "Thanks for another great season guys!"
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