Memorial Weekend Steel Match

The Black Creek Shooters held a special Memorial Weekend match on Saturday. It's been many months since I was able to get down there for a steel match and was looking forward to it very much. It was a small crowd, just 57 shooters total. The small crowd meant a quick match, and I was on my home by 12:30. Still plenty of time to do some chores before settling in for the rest of the three day weekend!

The entire match consisted of falling or swinging steel, with the lone exception of 2 static targets. There were four stages in all, for a total of 109 rounds minimum.

Stage 4, where my squad started, was a quick stage requiring just 18 shots. Multiple shots on two static targets, as well as some spring-loaded targets, and a dueling tree. Let me just say, those dueling tree plates are small! Without really thinking I shot the plates from top to bottom. That wasn't the most logical way to do it, as I was working against the recoil to bring the gun down to the next target. Shooting from bottom up would work with the recoil. On the last static plate which required 3 hits, I wasn't calling my shots well and was not sure I was hitting, so I ended up taking 5 shots. When I was done I asked if I had hit it three or four times. "You hit it five times" was the reply. Despite that, this was my best stage of the match, finishing 14th out of 36 in my division.

Stage 1 required engaging a plate rack through a low port, then 6 poppers and another dueling tree from the middle of the bay, and finally moving to another position with another plate rack. This time I remembered to shoot the dueling tree from bottom to top. It was a fun stage with a good mix of targets. Stage 2 consisted of a mix of falling poppers, including split versions of both sizes, to be shot from 5 different shooting boxes. I struggled on this stage, not seeming to be able to get my shots on target. Those small split poppers were mocking me I'm sure! Stage 3 was the largest of the stages, in shot count, requiring a minimum of 35 shots. All the steel was shot from a single position.

It was a fun match. I still need to work on consistancy when shooting these steel matches. I suspect I may be looking over the gun to see the steel hit when I shoot. The last time I shot a steel match was in October of last year, and then as far back as April prior to that. Overall, I finished 25th out of 36. I need to get to more of these matches and spend more time shooting the various steel targets. I probably need to devote more time to dry firing as well.

As I was waiting for the match to start, I saw a familiar face walk by. It was someone I recognized from church who also happened to be shooting the match. We ended up on the same squad so got to spend some time chatting. It was a nice surprise, and it turns out we have mutual friends who are also shooting enthusiasts. It really is a small world!

Stage 3. Photo by Black Creek Steel Shooters.

Black Creek New Year's Eve Eve

Black Creek Steel Shooters held a special "Pre-New Year Match” today. I saw advance pictures of some of the stages posted on Facebook and decided it would be a fun match. And indeed, the stages proved to be both interesting and challenging. Thanks to the good weather, and a day off for many people, there was a good-sized crowd of 72 shooters. Despite the unexpectedly large turnout, the match was well run and we were done shooting by by about 1:00PM.

Stage 1 consisted of 22 falling and static targets of various sizes and distances, all shot strong hand only. That was certainly a challenge. Stage 2 was very interesting. This was a red, white and blue array of large and small poppers, both the solid and split variety. Each color had to be shot from the appropriate color box. Penalties were accessed for any hit on a wrong color target. A number of the targets were barely exposed behind wrong colored targets. This one really a lot of fun, but one that invoked a lot of penalties. Stage 3 consisted of 12 small poppers, split and solid, hidden behind barrels. Some of the targets were very well-hidden and a number of shooters left targets standing. Stage 4 was another color-coded stage. Shooters shot through ports in a wall. Two large split poppers and 3 static targets were shot through the upper port, and then 6 split small poppers through the bottom port. As with Stage 2, hitting a target out of order earned a penalty.

The match offered a variety of challenges for the shooter. However, for whatever reason, I was not shooting well at all. While I don't see my best performances at these steel matches, today was utterly awful. My best result was Stage 3, where I finished 39th out of 72. I believe I turned in my poorest performance in any match to date. The frustration of throwing so much lead downrange into the dirt put a definite damper on the fun. And it was downright embarrassing too! I'm not sure of the reason. I've only shot a few times in the past month, and have really slacked off with my dry fire practice, but that doesn't account for it. I do have video of me shooting the stages and I see some obvious issues. I'm thankful I asked a squad mate to record me, as at least I have some clues where I got sloppy with technique. Here's hoping I can get some range time in the coming weeks to work it out. I've often remarked that a good day of shooting beats a day of just about anything else, but today tested my commitment to that!

But, getting beyond the poor shooting, it was a nice day spent with fun folks.

Stage 2

Ballistic Therapy

After devoting Friday evening and most of Saturday to our son's swim meets, I was ready for a bit of shooting fun. After Mass Sunday morning, then lunch, then a trip to the grocery store, then chores, I headed out for a short break at the pistol range. (Okay you got me, I skipped the chores.)

Since there was little time left until dark, I set up just one of the 10" steel circles. Much of my range shooting is done at close distances of 10-12 feet, so I decided to work on some longer shots. The steel target is great for this as it's easy to hear the hits, which are harder to confirm on paper at a distance. USPSA stage designers like to throw in some long shots on steel, so it's a needed skill. Not to mention shooting at steel targets is just plain fun! I did most of the shooting from the 20 yard line and was making the vast majority of the hits, so I stepped back to 25 yards for a bit too. Maybe the good shooting was a gift from St. Barbara in honor of her feast day. I am sure that consistently hitting an 8" target at 20 or 25 yards off-hand may not seem like a great feat to many experienced shooters. But I can recall just a few years ago when hitting anything smaller than the berm itself at 25 yards was something I only dreamed about! I was feeling so good I even put in some good strong-hand only shots at 20 yards.

The short time at the range was both refreshing and relaxing. If there was any frustration from the day it was thinking about those matches at Black Creek Steel where the targets are often closer, and larger, where I've sometimes struggled to make the steel ring. There seems to be something about the sound of the timer buzzer going off that affects my shooting. But, maybe all the dry fire is starting to pay off. In any event it was a great way to cap off the day. Well, that and a good beer later.

October Steel Match

The monthly match at Black Creek Shooters was held this weekend.  I haven't been able to attend this event since April so I was looking forward to the "ring" of lead on steel. As a bonus it was a beautiful fall day; perfect for being outside. The match consisted of four stages of static and falling steel. I enjoy this match as it allows me to fully load my (evil, high-capacity) magazines and shoot more between reloads. When I shoot Production in USPSA I'm limited to 10 rounds max in a mag.

Stage 2, the first stage our squad shot, consisted of 5 steel plates and 5 shooting positions. From each position engage each target with 3 rounds. When you complete the fifth shooting position, do a mandatory reload and reverse direction and engage the first four targets again. This was a fun stage and I was happy with my run.

Stage 3 was very interesting. There were 9 split poppers that were engaged by shooting through a barrel set on its side, while remaining seated. You started with the loaded gun, as well as your additional mags, on the table. With that much metal downrange, one can be tempted to just blast away. But that doesn't work; aiming is still required. A lone standing half-popper looks mighty small when the clock is running!

Stage 4 consisted of just three round steel plates. The directions were to engage each target with three rounds, move to the closer shooting position and engage each target with two rounds shooting strong-hand only, then repeat using weak-hand only. Shooters were required to perform a reload between each group of three. I always look forward to the weak or strong-hand only stages as I try to practice those skills regularly. Unfortunately, that hasn't frequently paid off in competition. This time though I was very happy with how I did. I did make up a couple of shots when I wasn't sure if I had hit the target. I had my highest finish on this stage, so maybe the SHO/WHO practice might be starting to pay off.

Stage 1, the last stage I shot, was a 24 round stage. From behind the first barricade engage the plate rack, then move to the wall and engage three spring-loaded poppers. From behind the center barrel engage the steel plate with six rounds before continue to the last two shooting positions, which mirrored the first two. Despite looking forward to this fun stage, I just couldn't get my act together and struggled with the plate racks. As one of my squad mates remarked, "You know that small bump thing on the front of the gun...?" Yea, I should watch it better. This stage pulled my finish way down. It was fun anyway, but it's frustrating to be having a good day and then do so poorly on the last stage. Black Creek is the only opportunity I have to practice on a plate rack, so I need to attend this match more frequently.

I've commented before that the shooting can be a family activity. There were a number of husbands and wives shooting together today. Several of the dads even had their young children along. The kids played together in the back, all wearing appropriate eye and ear protection of course.

This was a really fun match. The squad consisted of a wide range of shooters, from a Grand Master shooter to a first-time competitor. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and there were a lot of smiles to be seen.

Reaching a Shooting Goal

A few weeks ago the monthly USPSA match at Fredericksburg Practical Shooters was a "classifier match." Four of the six stages were classifiers; standard exercises used to rank shooters against the whole of the USPSA membership. This was a good opportunity to take a big step towards my 2011 goal of getting my "C card." It's been less than a year since I shot my first USPSA match last July, and coinicidently, it too was a classifier match at Fredericksburg.

We were given near perfect weather for shooting. The morning started cool, but warmed by the time we started shooting. There was a brief hint of sun that threatened to make things a little uncomfortable, but the skies quickly changed to overcast. It was verging on too dark for the smoked lenses in my glasses, but never quite got there. I was very happy that I saw no rain, until I was leaving the range.

Our squad started off with the two field course stages, stages 3 and 4. These were straightforward 32 round run 'n gun courses. Stage 3 posed an interesting decision for the last shooting position; does my body contort far enough, or do I lean around the wall and shoot weak hand only? For me, it was the latter, because, no, I just don't bend that way any more. Stage 4 had one target "out of sequence" that I actually passed right by during my first walk through, I managed to burn it into memory and remembered to shoot it during my run.

The four classifier stages were shot through quickly. For me, all four classifiers selected were ones I'd never shot previously. I particularly enjoyed the challenges of straying from the comfort zone with two table starts. The head shots on "It's Not Brain Surgery" (09-07) were intimidating, but conquered. "Pucker Factor" (09-04) I thought was a fun stage. "Table Stakes" (09-13) was straighforward and let me prove I can even hit steel; something I seem to often prove otherwise down at Black Creek! Finally "El Presidente" (99-11). Strange as it may seem, I've never even practiced that drill, which is a classic exercise.

Personally, it was a day of "bests." I had just one miss all day, a costly hit on a no-shoot, and completed all four classifiers with "C" percentages. Actually, on a couple of online classifier lookup tools, one of my scores was predicted to be a "B". But when USPSA ran the scores this week, they all showed up as "C". Not sure if the third-party data is bad, but at least my goal was met. I received my C classification in Production this week. It's a low C admittedly, but I look forward to raising it up.

Do I set a new goal of "B" for 2011? That might be pushing it, but let's see what the rest of the season brings. Recent matches have shown me some areas I might easily cut some time; mag changes and position transitions are skills I'll be working on in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on the range again soon.

April Shooting Thoughts

As alluded to several times recently, I've been anxiously awaiting the start of USPSA matches this Spring. One of the main reasons is this will be my first full year of matches. I "discovered" USPSA last July after shooting a few IDPA and steel matches. My main accomplishment last year was figuring out the rules, and getting my nerves under control. While the latter will never be conquered totally (nor should it) this year I intend to focus on improving specific skills, and at the same time learning how to better plan my strategy. I'm still new at this game; sharing some highlights here will help me to track my progress.

The month started off with the season opening match at Fredericksburg Practical Shooters. I helped set up the match the morning before, which was actually a very enlightening experience. Sure, I got to see the workings of the mind of the match director as he strove to place targets and barricades just right to force the shooter to move and to really think about how the stage should be shot. It gave me some things to think about as I figured out my own strategy of attack.

Next up, the monthly match at Black Creek Steel Shooters in Richmond. There's just something extra fun about shooting at static and falling steel. The immediate feedback is also a great training tool. It forces you to really focus on aiming and trigger control. On paper you might score fewer points for being off just slightly; on steel you may simply miss the target all together. One of my meager attempts is shown in comparison with better shooters here in a video made by another competitor. In a rare treat, Colleen was able to come along to this match and video my shooting. Watching those videos pointed out a number of things I can work to improve, which is great. But even better was having her along for the day!

My final match in April was the highlight of the month for me. The match at North Mountain Practical Shooters was one where things just seemed to flow well. I shot a lot of A's, with just two misses the entire match. I think I scored my second highest percentage ever on a classifier stage. I also had my best finish to date in a match, even finishing one stage 5th out of 15 shooters in my division. There were things I could have done better, sure, and I will next time. Overall, a very, very fun match.

Next month I'm participating in the VA/MD 2011 Section Championship, held right here in Fredericksburg. I'll get in a few more practice matches before then. I'm looking forward to testing myself on the same course of fire with a large cadre of expert and more experienced shooters.

And, if you see me at any local matches, be sure so say "hi." Look for the shooter in the craft beer t-shirt.

Games, With Guns

I'm sure some folks just went running from the room, so this is for the rest of you. I've made mention a few times recently about shooting sports, but here's a little explanation on why you can expect to see occasional posts about shooting sports included in these Musings. A little over a year ago I attended my first competitive pistol event. This event was a steel event at Black Creek near Richmond. Under the stress of competition, my hands shook and my stomach churned, but it was a blast. Fast forward to the present, I've shot a few more steel matches at Black Creek, I've participated in a couple IDPA matches, and half a dozen or so USPSA matches. I've learned that anyone is welcome at these events, as long as you are safe and responsible. In particular, I've gotten hooked on the USPSA-style of competition.

What makes these games attractive? There are many reasons for me. First of all, it's fun. You can be as fit as an Olympic athlete, male or female, or an older guy with bad knees. You play to your ability. Sure, there's a clock and points are recorded, it is a game after all, but you can still compete against yourself.

It's also the people. There's a stereotypical, and agenda driven, image of a gun owner as violence-prone and looking for a fight, that's promoted by the gun grabbers and dishonest politicians. The folks I've met who participate in shooting sports are responsible, friendly, safe, and come from all walks of life. I spent most of this past Saturday with 109 men and women, seniors to teenagers, all with guns strapped to their waists and boxes of ammo nearby, and it was all smiles and good clean fun. It doesn't matter if a person is shooting for the first time, or is an experienced world champion; folks are friendly and welcoming.

After a week of dealing with the stresses of work, it's great to spend a few hours with like-minded folks, for a little fun and exercise. Running and gunning requires your complete focus, so there's no being distracted by life's little annoyances.

And what about the beer you ask? That comes afterwards. This weekend I came home tired, with aching knees, and a bit of a sunburn. That refreshing craft beer was just the thing with which to finish the day. As I noted above, I'm pretty new to these "games" and I look forward to sharing some of my shooting experiences with you.

Some people might say I cling to my religion too!