A Hot Morning of Shooting

Although these Musings have been idle, life has not. Our son recently married, after a year of Wuhan Flu delays, and those preparations consumed more of our attention than I would have imagined, though that was given with much joy despite any stress. Over the last month or so, as the citizens of this country have gained "permission" to go about their lives once again as semi-free people, my "day job" has gotten busier. All that has meant more need for actual down time in my down time. And that, my friends, usually means good beer, bourbon, food, and cigars. Not laptop and blogging time. I did even manage to shoot an IDPA match a few weeks ago, and attend some cigar events, but never energized myself to put down any thoughts about those activities.

But this weekend featured a free Saturday, and the energy to join friends for a morning of shooting, once again at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club monthly IDPA match near Charlottesville, VA. It was a hot, sunny morning, but that didn't deter a small group of shooters, and a dedicated match staff, from having a good time in the sun.

The first stage we shot had us standing nose to nose with the "gang banger." Knocking him over we then engaged a total of 5 targets Mozambique-style, two to the body and one to the head. It was a quick stage to get the juices, and sweat, flowing. It was also my best stage of the day, with zero points down.

Next we moved on to a scenario that had a little more complexity to it. We began facing two "bandits" while holding a stack of money in our strong hand. Dropping the money, we engaged the two threats from retention; the gun in our strong hand, with our elbow held to our side.

Moving to a point of cover we engaged two falling poppers and two steel plates to be knock down. The last popper activated a double swinger on the other side of the barrier wall. Traversing to the next point of cover, we found an interesting array of four targets. There were two partial targets, an open sideways target, and a swinging target that had a non-threat also swinging behind it. Timing was critical so as to not hit the NTT as it swung in front of the moving target and behind the stationary one. I did complete the stage -2 points. 

The third stage was a "standards" stage that gave pause, and created a lot of vacillating over the best way to shoot it. The set up was simple; three targets on either side of a barrier, to be shot in tactical priority. The stage brief directed that each target required three hits, and two targets had to be engaged strong hand only, two weak hand only, and two freestyle. It was the shooter's choice as to the order of shooting style. As I was shooting in the Compact Carry Pistol (CCP) division, I would be making two reloads. That required thought as to which hand my gun would be in when it went to slide lock.

As I went through various options, it seemed I would need to ignore the desire to use WHO on  the closest targets. In fact, I would end up shooting either SHO or freestyle on the closest. That was fine, in theory, as I could engage them very quickly and be in a good position to complete the reloads. I ended up dropping a total of 10 points on the single hand shooting, and even one of the closest targets. I may have concentrated on what hand I should be using more than on the sights! This was one of those stages I would have enjoyed shooting multiple times to try different routines.

By the final stage, the sun was beating down in full force, and I struggled to keep the sweat out of my eyes. The start was facing up range with hands on head and gun holstered. We turned and shot a clay hanging in the center of a target. Once the clay was broken we move to either side of a barrier to engage four or three targets. 

Between the squinting from sweat, being tired, and simply shooting too fast, my hits were a little scattered. I ended up -5 points on this run. Still, an improvement over the previous stage.

The match was over around noon and the air conditioned car was a welcome respite for the 90 minute drive home. It was a fun morning with friends, one that I hope to repeat soon.

Rivanna IDPA June Match

It has been many months since I last was able to get to one of the monthly IDPA matches at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol club outside of Charlottesville, VA. To my delight, everything aligned this month and I was excited to shoot and to see some old friends again. Given that I had missed the May match at the Cavalier club, I was looking forward to just getting in some range time. Even the weather cooperated; mostly overcast skies helped to moderate the warm temperatures. 

The first stage our squad shot was a "standards" stage. There were three groups of three overlapping targets shot from ever shrinking shooting boxes as we moved through the stage.

In an interesting twist, the center target in each array was declared "hard cover" for the targets behind it, meaning shoot throughs didn't count. That bit me on the last target array on the limited count stage. With that 5 second penalty, I was -6 on the stage.

Next up was a scenario called "Room Clearing 101." We began sitting at a table with our unloaded gun and the first loading device on the table, and our hands on the laptop keyboard. The course required us to load the gun, engage a steel popper activator and a drop turner target while seated. Next we moved forward down the "hallway" to engage a target around a corner, before moving down the next hall where we encountered five more threat targets through an opening in the wall.

After the miss on the previous stage, I was very pleased to shoot this stage clean, with zero points down. Seeing the -0 holes on the drop turner target was especially satisfying.

Moving onto to another range, we saw an elaborate setup featuring two vehicles that made up the next two stages, "Fender Bender" and "Fender Bender-er." The stage brief stated that we were involved in a rear end accident while driving through Southeast DC. 

In the first scenario of the duo, we were said to be the driver of the car that was hit. We began standing at the rear of the car, with a hand on each vehicle, as it we were leaning over inspecting the damage. We were then attacked by gang members. There was a target to be engaged over the trunk, and another further away to the left in the open. Leaving the start position, we rounded the vehicle, engaging two low targets on the move. Heading down range we found two more threats behind a wall. Next we moved across the stage to find more threats from cover.

At the final shooting position I felt at the time I had pulled a shot wide on the first target. After engaging the last target I swung back to do a make up and found my gun at slide lock. A too quick calculation had me deciding to end the run. Sadly the wide shot was not just a -1 or -3, it was a miss altogether. In retrospect, I should have taken the time to reload and fired another shot. I can certainly reload and reengage in much less than the 5 seconds the miss cost me.

In the next scenario, we played the role of the person driving the truck that caused the accident. For the start we placed our firearm, loaded with just three rounds, on the seat of the vehicle. We started by leaning in the driver side door, with our strong hand on the seat's headrest, while holding a cell phone to our ear with the other hand. Again, the idea was to defend from attackers taking advantage of the situation.

After engaging a partial target through the car with three rounds, we moved to the back of the vehicle to engage a target on the move before hitting a stomp place to activate a very fast clamshell. Moving down a hallway we then engaged a series of target arrays from cover on both sides of the aisle. I was just two points down on the disappearing clamshell target, which made me very happy. Unfortunately I had dropped on shot low into hard cover on that first target shot while leaning through the car, making me -8 for the stage. I also found out later I had been issued a -3 PE for a foot fault. Oh well, that's how the game goes sometimes.

It was a good size crowd that came out for the almost-summer match. The stages were all very interesting, each with it's own unique challenge. Overall, I was very pleased with my shooting, especially given the lack of range or match time recently. The misses on three stages hurt my overall standing of 23 out of 47 shooters. I was first of the just three CCP shooters in attendance. Despite the final scores, it was a great time with fun folks and interesting shooting opportunities. I'm already looking forward to next month's Rivanna match.

After a long cool shower at home, I headed over the the Olde Towne Tobacconist lounge at 1781 Brewing to relax. A delicious, and somewhat gluttonous burger, some refreshing draft beer, and a cigar culminated an exceptional Saturday.

Rivanna IDPA

It was a cool morning as I headed to Charlottesville to shoot the monthly IDPA match at the Rivanna range. It's been a while since we've had a cool weather match, and I had mixed feelings about being reminded (again) about the impending months of lower temps. Nonetheless I was looking forward to shooting the match and visiting with friends.

All four stages this month involved little movement, other than some leaning to see around obstacles. Although I prefer movement stages, the stages were both fun and challenging. The first stage had us facing three tiers of target groups, each with three threat and two non-threat targets in a line. The groups were shot near to far.

It so happened that the shooting order had me following a multi-division Grand Master USPSA and Master IDPA shooter. That invoked no small amount of "no pressure" joking from my squad mates, and even the SO. In truth, I think the situation took some of the pressure off my shooting since I had no stress whatsoever of matching his speed. He was fun to watch and learn from though.

I got my match off to good start, shooting just one down with a raw time of 15.55 seconds, which was still almost twice a slow as the GM's raw 8.67!

The next stage had six targets placed at varying distances, with a couple non-threats up close to shoot around. We started the stage by using both hands to knock over a target stand placed right in front of the shooting box, blocking the view of the targets.

After the requisite "no pressure" ribbing, my turn came and I shot the stage just one down. Or so I thought at first. Upon closer examination, I saw I had knicked a non-threat, apparantly with my "throwaway" 11th shot on the fifth target, likely from moving too quickly to get to the reload and next target. Despite that, I was still pleased.

Rounding the corner to the third stage, we spied the infamous red pickup truck that always adds a bit of challenge and interest to a stage. I has been a while since I've seen this prop towed out. The loaded gun was placed in the truck bed, and all shooting was done from a small area behind the real wheel. There were five threat targets to engage with three shots each, and two non-threats to avoid. The placement of the non-threats, brought them into play on every shot. I shot the stage down 2, and was pleased to avoid the penalty targets.

The last stage had an interesting setup and stage brief. There we saw a simple line of nine distant and open targets, spread in a row with the targets getting closer to us toward the ends of the row. (Aaargh, no picture.) The twist was that the arrangement was meant to represent two assailants moving in opposite directions in an effort to flank the shooter. The targets were to be shot far to near, which also meant swinging back and forth to shoot opposite sides of the array. 

I'd had a pretty good match up to this point. Sadly, the wheels fell off the bus on this stage. We had a lot of time to watch shooters on the stage, and I witnessed a number of raised fingers indicating PE's when a shooter engaged the targets out of order. My time leading up to my turn to shoot was focused on shooting order — I didn't want to be one of those. Fortunately I shot without error. Unfortunately I focused too much on what target was next, and not enough on my sights. I made all the hits on paper, but finished -11 points for the stage. Even while shooting there were times I thought about a make up shot, but I think my brain was too focused on where I would shoot next. Still it was fun.

A combination of quick stages and low attendance, meant we finished shooting in about two hours. The stages were all interesting. Despite a couple errors, I managed 11th of 41 overall, and 4th of 22 SSP. It goes to show, "stand and shoot" can be interesting AND challenging. The weather was pleasant and the people were fun. All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday morning on the last official weekend of summer.

Saturday Morning IDPA Match

On Saturday morning I headed off to Charlottesville to shoot the monthly IDPA match at the Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club. Of late, this is one of two matches I get to most months, and my only range time, so I was looking forward to it.

The crowd that gathered in the morning for the match was a little smaller than usual, the predicted oppressive heat no doubt a factor. But the heartier souls ventured forth.

Stage one of the match had us facing an interesting array of targets. Three target groups at two priorities of distance requiring the "full" targets to all be engaged first, and then there were four head-only targets that we came back to and engaged in priority. Once we sorted out the instructions it was a fun stage to shoot. This stage got my match off to a good start, but would also represent my best finish of the morning.

Stage two required shooting from a seated position, with the loaded gun and spare mags on the table at the start. There were five paper targets visible, along with two falling steel poppers. The poppers each activated a swinging target hidden by barrels on either side. Engaging the steel brought the swingers into priority. 

I was happy to see the swinging targets, as I don't get to practice with them much. I did better on them than I did on the previous match, getting all the hits on paper, but was still 10 down for the stage.

The third stage we shot was probably my favorite of the match. The interesting course of fire was shot entirely through a narrow opening in a wall. The seven open targets were arranged in a close, semi-circle, however a "V" formed by two more wall sections forced the shooter to shift positions to see all the targets. 

The start position was facing up range, requiring the shooter to turn and bring the first targets into view. A small wooden fence prevented the shooter from leaning into the opening. Positioning was the key to the stage, having to shift too many times would affect performance. Well, positioning and speed. The close-in targets were a temptation to shoot too fast. I zipped across the targets a little too quickly, putting a few shots high on the paper, and coming away four down. However, it was a fun stage to shoot.

The heat of the day, now ramped up, and I believe effecting us all, we approached the last stage. A simple line of six threat targets, shot from a stationary position awaited. Well, simple except for the three non-threat targets covering two-thirds of each target. Even so, it didn't look overly challenging, though there did seem to be an alarming number of hits on those non-threats from previous shooters. 

These were the only penalty-incurring targets in the match. Making up for that, I managed to hit all three. I could blame it on the heat, or the stinging sweat in my eyes, but in truth I just rushed to be done.  

The day would turn into a hot one, and it did affect my performance, but it was a day to be enjoyed nonetheless. Once again, going out and being around smiling people enjoying themselves was a most welcome diversion. While everyone was respectful of personal space, there was none of the cowering from fear of being around our fellow humans that is gripping our Nation.

It was a quick, fun match. Four bottles of water, and one of Gatorade later, I was in the air conditioned car heading home to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Rivanna IDPA Match

The Saturday of Father's Day weekend offered a rare, for the year 2020 so far, chance to shoot an IDPA match. On an overcast but warm morning I headed over the Rivanna Rifle & Pistol club for the "monthly" match. About 85 shooters braved all the pandemic posturing to enjoy the outdoors, camaraderie, and a morning of good shooting.

The first of four stages had us starting seated, with our unloaded gun in a box and magazines on the table. We faced an up close non-threat directly in front of us, with five targets downrange to be shot in priority. As a twist, the stage briefing stated the first four targets were shot while seated, while the last and furthest target was to be engaged while standing. All targets required three hits on each.

This is was fast and fun stage, which I was pleased to shoot zero down.  

The next stage involved shooting while retreating. The first two targets were mandated to be shot while standing at the start position, before we began backing up to engage four more targets as they appeared to either side as we passed by the barrels hiding them. Again, each target required a minimum of three hits on each.

Zero down again for me on this stage, though I did lose a bit of time fumbling the reload.

Moving on to stage 3, we found six targets and a couple of non-threats behind a wall. The two center targets were engaged through an opening in the wall. Two more targets were to be found by moving to both ends of the wooden barriade. Again, all targets required three hits, though this time it was specified as requiring two to the body, and one to the head. 

Wow. I was on a roll, with another -0 stage. 

The last course of fire had us shooting from a marked box on the ground, our movement limited to a few feet. Three non-threats placed mid-bay had to be avoided in order to engage the eight targets lined up at the back, each requiring two hits. Now the pressure was on, at least in my own head. Could I complete the match down zero? 

I was to be the next to last shooter on the last stage, but I avoided ruminating on that question while I waited. When it was finally my turn to shoot, I tried to do so deliberately, and at an even pace. It felt good, but the holes in the cardboard where just out of my vision range. I walked down range and listened to the call, "down 1."

Okay, down just one point for the match. No hits on non-threats. And, as I recall, a single make up shot the entire match. Of course, some would say such a clean match simply means I shot too slowly. But, I was pleased with the performance, finishing 4th of 18 in SSP.

I've been able to shoot very little during the covid-related panic and tyrannical restrictions on personal freedoms. For the morning at least, it was a pleasure to be be surrounded with other folks enjoying a good time.

Consolation Beverages and Cigar

Other fun family activities have conflicted with my shooting opportunities for much of the fall. Fortunately, some of those other events still permit me to indulge in some of life's other pleasures. To that end, I covered all three of my favorite beverages at our recent college football tailgate. In addition to the different drink choices, the mild weather also allowed me to enjoy a long smoke, one that went quite well with all the selected libations.

Shortly after getting our tailgate set up for last weekend's college football game, I lit a Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 San Andres. It was still "before noon" so I sipped a milky latte purchased from a ubiquitous chain. Typically my coffee is fresh-brewed and enjoyed black, but the creamy, vanilla-flavored drink presented a nice pairing, even if the actual coffee content was minimal.

Coffee completed, I moved on to one of my favorite sipping whiskies, Bulleit Bourbon. Obviously no complaints with this pairing, which served to alleviate the remaining morning chill.

A short while later, I still had plenty of cigar left and lots of time before the game. Not shown in the picture, the afternoon's choice of beer was Devils Backbone Cold Room Violation. This Imperial Red Ale was brewed in collaboration with Sibling Revelry Brewing. The slightly sweet caramel and mild bitter citrus flavors presented no conflict with the rich smoke.

This Saturday football outing unfortunately conflicted with the Rivanna IDPA Top Ten Match. After several years of shooting at the club, I was excited to have finally made the Top 10 cut. These pre-game indulgences helped to alleviate the disappointment of missing the match. Even though our team isn't doing well this year, spending a moderately warm November Saturday afternoon sipping and smoking is a pleasurable consolation.

Rivanna IDPA and Weapons Master Match

The biennial Weapons Master match was held this past weekend at Rivanna Rifle and Pistol Club in Charlottesville. The match consists of 3 pistol stages, 2 shotgun, and 2 rifle stages. Shooters can compete in just the pistol portion or the complete match. I have shot neither my shotgun nor rifle in quite some time, preferring to focus my time with pistol shooting, so I opted to just shoot the handgun stages.

It was a somewhat cool morning, with scattered rain showers as I drove to the range. Fortunately the rain clouds dispersed before the shooting started, giving us quite a pleasant morning for shooting.

The first pistol stage was a "standards" stage, with one long string of fire that required freestyle, strong hand and weak hand shooting. We started at 15 yards and engaged three targets with two rounds each. Advancing to 10 yards, the targets were engaged again SHO. Finally we moved to 7 yards and repeated the engagement WHO. I ended up 7 points down, one jerked SHO shot into the -3 some contribution significantly to that score.

The next two stages were fun adaptations of stages we shot last weekend at the Potomac Grail. On the  first we started facing a wall with a narrow gap in the center. There targets were shot from retention with our wrists held to our chest. We then moved to both ends of the wall to find six more targets shot from cover. A few low shots saw me -3 for the stage.

The final stage had us pinned in a corner and shooting two targets from strong hand from retention. There were three more arrays of three targets each placed further back that we then engaged in priority. Two of the arrays presented some tight shots due to non-threats centered in front of the target pairs.

Though the pistol match was brief, requiring about as much time to shoot as I spent driving to the range, I was glad I went. I enjoyed the shooting, and as always the camaraderie with other shooters. I finished 6th of 40 in the pistol portion and 2nd of 16 in SSP.

This match is likely the final one of my shooting season. I was a fun wind down. Now I look forward to preparing for next year with dry fire and range visits.

Rivanna IDPA Match

There was thick fog in the fields as I headed to the monthly IDPA match at Rivanna Action Pistol Club on Saturday morning. The sun was behind the clouds but I knew it was going to be a warm, humid morning. It's Summer. In Virginia. No surprises here. I did drive through a bit of rain, but a quick check of Dark Sky on my phone confirmed it was only a passing shower.

As we waited to start shooting, my glasses were already fogging up from the humidity, but at least the skies were somewhat overcast. The opening stage for our squad had us standing with our back centered on a small wooden fence, facing five targets placed behind a bunch of barrels, each target requiring three hits each. The stage brief indicated the center target was to be shot first, followed by the rest in any order. A step or two was required in order to get shots on all targets. I got the first stage jitters out of the way, with 4 points down.

On the second stage, we started facing up range, weak hand on our "credit card in the ATM." Turning, we engaged three targets while standing, and a fourth as we moved to cover. At the next position there were two targets, with non-threats positioned such that I took "safe" headshots. Moving to the final cover position we found three more targets. I shot the stage zero points down, but had an otherwise good run fouled by a hit on a non-threat target at the last shooting position.

Next up was a fun stage shot while seated at a table, the unloaded gun and all mags on the table to start. After loading the gun, we engaged two up close targets first. Four targets fronted by non-threats were placed midway down the stage. The final three targets were longer shots with two of the targets well-hidden behind a "good guy." Some leaning in the chair was required to make the shots.

To my delight, I turned in my best performance on this stage, shooting just one point down. It seems my longer distance practice of late paid off. After hitting a non-threat on the previous stage, this was a good pick-me-up.

The final stage brought in the strong hand and weak hand only shooting. I struggled with these skills in practice the other day, but took my time and tried for good hits, regardless of time. The stage started with us shooting from behind a barrel stack; three targets WHO around the left side, then three SHO around the right. We then ran to another position to shoot three more targets freestyle. I took a few extra shots and didn't feel I shot all that solidly, but ended up just 2 points down.

Even with limited trigger time time the last couple of weeks, I was moderately pleased with my shooting. Obviously the one HNT stings, but accurate distance shooting and lack of mental errors are satisfying. I placed 8th of 55 overall and 5th of 28 in SSP.

It took a while to get all shooters through the 4 stages set up in two bays. We finished shooting around 1:00PM. The match offered a good balance of challenges; shooting while standing, shooting on the move, shooting while seated, SHO / WHO shooting, as well as a mix of close and distant targets. While quite humid, the weather was not overly oppressive, especially considering it's August. There was a brief sprinkle while shooting the last stage, but the rain held off until the match was over. It was quite a fun morning with friendly folks and good shooting.

More stage pics here.

July IDPA at Rivanna

I headed out early Saturday morning for the monthly match at the Rivanna range. Rain was forecast for the afternoon, but if the prognosticators were to be believed, we'd have good weather for shooting.

We started off facing a simple line of eight targets. However, looking behind them, we found three non-threat targets positioned to catch "shoot throughs" if one was not careful. Shooters could engage any of the targets from either, or both, of two shooting boxes. Many took a conservative route and shot from both positions to take advantage of the safest angles. Since I was feeling bold, I opted to shoot all the targets from one box, adjusting my lean as necessary.

I couldn't see for sure if the non-threats were clean from my shooting position. I anxiously awaited the squad in the adjoining stage to finish so we could move forward and score. The plan worked, I hit no non-threats and finished -3 points down.

The next stage had us facing some distant targets from either side of a wall. A parallel wall down range offered closer shots at some of the targets. Shooters had the choice of shooting all targets from either end of the further wall, or using time to move forward to take closer shots on some targets. There was a head shot only target that tempted many shooters to the closer position. In another moment of boldness, I opted to shoot all the targets from the more distant wall, saving the time involved in moving up range.

When I hit my position to shoot the head shot target, the angle I needed to shoot from was greater than I had felt during the walk through. Despite my earlier confidence, I didn't feel I was getting a solid aim. And indeed, despite slow fire, I did miss one of my head shots. In retrospect making the run to the second wall may have paid off. Disappointingly, I tagged one of the non-threats as well. This stage became an exercise in "shaking it off."

Stage 3 was a "standards" stage with three barrels arranged in a large triangle, and three open targets set down range. A magazine downloaded to six rounds was placed on each barrel, and the empty gun holstered. The stage description called for loading the gun at each barrel, and shooting the three targets "one the move" from each position. The latest IDPA rules prohibit any penalties for not moving while shooting, even if the stage brief calls for it. It is up to the shooter, knowing his own skill level, to make the determination of when shooting on the move is beneficial.

For this particular stage, the best option for the "game" would be to run quickly to the next position and shoot while standing. Of course, doing so left the shooter facing good natured shouts of "Gamer!" from his squad. While I did make a fast run to each position, I found myself taking the shots while moving into place. Old habits are hard to break I guess. Even though I dropped five points, I finished the stage 3rd overall.

The fourth and final stage was an interesting course with six targets, all requiring 3 hits each, placed among several walls. All of the targets were either partials or blocked by non-threats, or both. After engaging two up-close targets we retreated to four other shooting positions to shoot a single threat target at each. There were as many options for shooting order as there were targets, and shooters differed in their approach. I opted to move left to right in the middle, then right to left at the back. Though adding a couple extra steps, it put my standing reload at an "open" head shot and I finished on a tight leaning head shot with ammo to spare if needed. One low shot had me -1 for the stage for a strong finish to the match.

The predicted rain held off long just enough to complete the match and get on the road. It started sprinkling shortly after I began my drive home, becoming heavy from most of the drive. Despite a few miscues, I was pleased overall. I remembered a few things from the class last weekend, but still need to get in practice to tune and ingrain that training. The final score had me 5th of 45 overall, 4th of 19 in SSP and 2nd of the 3 shooters in SSP EX. It was a very fun morning of shooting and enjoying the company, and banter, of friends.

Rivanna IDPA Match

Too many conflicting commitments and other activities have prevented me from getting to the monthly IDPA matches at Rivanna since last February. This weekend, I was finally able to get there, and despite much time spent on the road lately, I was looking forward to rising early and hitting the match.

Attendance was a bit lighter than usual, just 31 shooters, but that also meant a quick morning of shooting with little down time. We shot the four stages in just over 2 hours.

The first stage had us starting in the middle of a wall, the shooters choice of which direction to go at the buzzer. Groups of two or three targets, along with some non-threats, were found at four shooting positions. Despite the stage walls and cover positions being symmetrical to either side, the target positioning was not. That made stage plan awareness all the more critical. I was relieved to shoot the first "get over the nerves" stage clean with no points down.

The second stage was an "L" shaped course. The initial targets were engaged while advancing down the long leg, shooting towards to side berm. Making the turn we found are targets around the ends of the short wall. It was a (seemingly) easy stage that lured me into shooting too fast, and racking up three points down and a hit on a non-threat.

For the next stage, match director Tony had rolled out the red Mazda pickup often seen at Rivanna. I am not totally sure why, but I always seem to enjoy the stages when we shoot from, and around, this prop.

The stage began with the shooter in the driver's seat and the loaded gun on the passenger seat, truck door closed. There were two targets to be engaged through the passenger window opening, and one via the driver's side. Exiting the vehicle three more targets were available. It was a fun stage which I shot just one point down. Alas, I was informed that while shooting the last three targets I had one foot remaining in the vehicle; the stage brief noted that both feet had to be out of the truck and on the ground. That cost me a three second PE.

The fourth and final stage is the one that had folks talking. Three groups of targets were placed downrange of three shooting boxes. Each target array was comprised of three threat targets behind two non-threats. Each of the targets had limited scoring zones available, and to my eyes, as you moved left to right, the center target had an increasingly smaller area exposed. Careful aiming was called for. There were numerous repair pasters already on many of the non-threats from previous shooters. I thought to myself, "This is the last stage of the day, so finish strong."

I wasn't overly concerned about the time, I just wanted to shoot it without hitting any non-threats. This was my chance to make up for the PE on the previous stage, and the careless HNT on stage 2. I took my time and concentrated hard of sight picture and trigger press, and ended up just three points down and no hits on the non-threats.

When I finished I told a friend I felt like that was my best stage of the match. I joked that the setup forced me to actually pay attention to the sights and to take my time. And that all paid off. I ended up with the second best score overall on that stage, second only to the overall match winner. Interestingly, despite feeling like I shot slow, even my raw time was the fourth fastest. It was a great way to end the match, and I think there are some valuable lessons there for me as well.

We finished shooting before the afternoon heat became unpleasant, which added to the enjoyment of the morning. The stages offered an interesting variety of shooting challenges. My score put me 5th of 31 shooters overall, and 1st of 10 in the SSP division.

The drive home found me stuck behind farm vehicles on a long "no passing" road several times. On the bright side that the extra drive time gave me time to enjoy, several times over, the new Buddy Guy album I had downloaded the day before. All and all this was a most excellent start to the weekend. There was more fun to be had later in the day.

Rivanna Indoor IDPA Match

It's been five months since I was able to get to the monthly IDPA match at the Rivanna range in Charlottesville, and I was looking forward to enjoying another fun match at the club. Saturday's weather outlook called for a rainy winter day, however Rivanna moves the matches indoors during inclement weather. It would just be a matter of hoping the frozen precipitation held off until after the drive home.

Four stages were set up on the two indoor bays. Our squad began the day facing a line of six targets, all of which were partially obscured by non-threats. Each of the targets required two body shots, followed by a head shot on each. During the stage I could tell I was shooting a little fast, and not getting a settled sight picture. As I got to the head shots I slowed down a bit, but given my aging eyes and the lower light conditions, I could see none of my hits. I called the head shots good and waited for the score. I was pleased to not have any misses, but was still -8 for the stage.

The next stage had us engaging three targets with three hits each from the shooting box, then retreating up range, around a barrel and back down range to find three more targets. Despite the simplicity of the stage, there were strategic decisions to be made; the right shooting box offered closer shots to start, but a longer run backwards; did one use time to take extra shots on the first group in order to save time by reloading on the move? I opted to reload on the move, and start on the left side for a shorter backwards run. I finished just -3 points, but lost my cadence in my shooting at the second position and shot much more slowly than I would have liked.

The longest shots of the match were found on the next stage, which also required the most careful aiming. Six targets, requiring three hits each where shot from cover, three from each side of a barrel. The placement of non-threats were such that no more than half, or less, of each target was visible. I took my time shooting, and felt pretty good when I had finished. There were a couple shots I didn't feel great about, but was also confident I had hit no "good guys." Right or wrong, I opted not to take any extra shots, avoiding additional risks of hitting a non-threat. Despite being -16 points down, I still finished well for the stage overall. 

Now finished with that challenging stage, I was relieved to know I had avoided all the non-threats in the match, as the final stage featured open and close targets. However the stage also required strong and weak hand only shooting, all while seated. The unloaded gun was placed in box and all magazines loaded with just 6 rounds on the table. The course of fire required loading the gun, shooting all targets freestyle, reload, shoot all targets SHO, another reload and six more shots WHO. I was pleased to hear the SO call out "clean" when I was finished. Shooting the stage -0 was a great way to conclude the match. As it turned out, this was my best stage finish; a 3rd overall.

Despite the limits imposed by an indoor range, the seemingly simple stages provided interesting challenges and plenty of fun. Unlike the last two matches I've shot, at least we were not shooting in the rain, although was quite cool inside the range. The match ran quickly and I was on the way home by about 12:15. I was thankful to get on the road before the predicted winter precipitation began in earnest, although I did drive through a bit of light snow and sleet.

I was happy to have no misses and no hits on non-threats, despite their preponderance in the match. While I often have trouble seeing the holes on the targets beyond 10 yards, even in the bright sun, the lower light indoor conditions made for an additional challenge. To my frustration, I don't think I saw any of my target holes the entire match, and therefore took no make up shots. On the bright side, that does force me to have confidence in calling the shots. Of course, that in turn calls for more dry fire and more range time to build that confidence. While I noted some things to work on for the future, I truly left the match feeling pleased and looking forward to my next practice sessions, both dry and live fire. I ended up 8th of 47 overall and 1st of 9 shooters in SSP SS. All in all, it was a good day!

More pics here.

Commonwealth Cup IDPA Match

The alarm sounded way too early on Saturday morning. Even the coffee maker was not awake yet as I prepared to head to the 2017 Commonwealth Cup at the Rivanna Rod & Gun Club. Before I started shooting IDPA regularly, I knew about "the Cup" and I've been looking forward to shooting this match for some time. The organizers took a hiatus from holding the Tier 2 event for a few years, but the match returned in 2017.

The ten stage match was extremely well organized, and although we shot all day, we moved smoothly from stage to stage, with few backups. There were two indoor stages and we were transported across the club grounds in a shuttle bus for those stages. Each squad had a "squad mom" who made sure we knew where to go next and who was due to shoot, and who coordinated with the stage SO's. There was a delicious lunch catered by Mission BBQ. To ensure everyone stayed hydrated a dedicated club member spent the day delivering cold water to the stages for shooters and staff. As the day wore on, the sight of the golf cart carry the coolers full of bottled water became more and more welcome. Simply put, the organizers did a remarkable job of making this a fun event for all.

I regards to my own shooting, I had to digest the match for a few days before doing this post. As regular readers (both of you) may have noticed, I'd been preparing for the event for the last few months. Starting with a good performance at the Maryland State IDPA match in May, I was hoping for a great finish to the year. As it turned out, it was not to be the finale I had hoped. I made more than a few mistakes, and did not shoot as consistently as I had expected.

Despite my scores, I found every one of the stages to be a fun, challenging and interesting to shoot. Some I did well on, on others quite poorly. There were a number of stages that especially stood out to me. I've also posted some photos from the match here.

The match started with the same "warm up" stage shot by all competitors. Three targets getting two hits each, followed by a reload and a head shot on each. I finished in a respectable 7.01 seconds with zero down. Now that the jitters were gone, our squad started on Stage 8, "Park Bench." Sitting on a bench, we engaged two targets, before moving on to a hanging bridge. Carefully making our way across the shaky platform, four more targets were to be found. This was probably my favorite stage of the day, and I shot it well with just one point down.

After shooting our first three stages, we hopped on the shuttle bus for the ride to the clubhouse and the two indoor courses of fire. "Night at the Club" was probably the most talked about stage in the match, and not always in a fond way. This "low light" course presented a disco setting, complete with moving colored lights, and lighted fault lines. There were nine threat targets to be shot from three shooting positions, with non-threats interspersed to create some tight shots.

This was a great concept for stage. The low light with distracting disco lights added to the challenge. However, as it was set up, I found there was simply too little available light. With my poor eyesight, I could not see the far right target at the end of the hallway, the first of a group of three shot from the last shooting position. I could not make it out during the walkthrough and even walked down range to get a better look to better gauge the placement. Younger eyes probably had less of an issue. By a basic rule of gun safety, "be sure of your target," I should not have shot that target. However, following IDPA rules, I was required to engage it or be assessed a penalty, in addition to the misses. I indeed had two misses on that target, as well as two hits on the nearby non-threat. Two hits on other non-threats made for a extremely poor showing.

The funny thing is, as I was packing for the match I thought, “There will be indoor stages, I bet they’ll have a dark stage. I’ll pack a flashlight.” Unfortunately, the use of a flashlight was not permitted.

Everyone I talked to liked the concept of the stage, if not their scores. I actually hope the club reuses the concept in the future, making it a flashlight stage. I personally would like to get a few more opportunities to shoot with a flashlight. A low light stage would be an interesting challenge, as much as I’d struggle. At the end of the day, the stage was challenged and ultimately thrown out. Even though it was my worse stage of the day, dropping it from the match did little to save my day.

After lunch we shot the much talked about standards stage. Three targets placed at 45 yards, requiring two shots on each, a reload, and two more shots on each. No makeup shots allowed. My goal was "hits on paper," of which I had just 8 of 12.

Way. Out. There.

Another challenging stage,"Very Tight," is one we've shot variations of in past matches at Rivanna. Seated at a table, with the gun and reloads on the table, we engaged two rows of targets, nine in total, fronted by non-threats. Heads shots were mostly required for the front row, and lots of leaning for the back. I recall being happy with my shots on previous runs, not so on this day.

"Everything Moving" involved several moving targets. From the starting position there were two static targets and an up-down target activated by a stomp box. One the stationary targets had a falling popper behind it that activated swingers further down the course. At the next position we faced a swinger target moving behind a non-threat. That was followed by a target swinging behind two non-threats at the next position, and the course ended with three stationary targets behind cover. This was another stage I especially enjoyed shooting.

After executing a good few runs to start my match, the middle four stages were extremely frustrating for me. I just was not shooting well, and already knew this would probably be my worse match finish in a long time. I admittedly struggled to be motivated for my remaining runs. I was however, able to finish strong on the final two stages.

"Pick a Path" was a complex stage with 18 targets each requiring a single hit. For most folks, hitting all the targets required moving to six different shooting positions. A couple of the targets required hard leans or stretches to engage the threats through windows. I found it a fun stage, finishing just 2 points down.

The last stage, "Out of Gas" had us starting holding a gas can in our strong hand, while facing up range. After turning and dropping the can, which I was surprised to find weighted and full of water, we engaged two targets while backing up. Next there were targets to be engaged from cover, around barrels and through two vehicles. Many of the shots were tight and only the head areas of the targets exposed. I shot it well, just 2 point down, although that included a few make up shots on a couple of the targets.

We finished hooting the 10 stages around 6:00PM. I shed my gear and relaxed for a bit while the scores were posted. There were several guns to be raffled off so I stuck around for the drawings. Alas, I was not a winner in that event either. There was large prize table for random drawings as well, with some nice prizes. Unfortunately, I found I simply could not stay any longer. I was very tired, and feared that if too much of my drive home was done after dark, it would be dangerous, so I decided to forgo any chances for swag and headed home. Once I got home and cleaned up, I had just enough enough energy left to scoop a bowl of ice cream and carry it to the couch. I was beat.

After a few days of thinking about the match, to include more than a little moaning to my patient wife, the disappointment admittedly still lingers. I shot three good stages, followed by four poor runs, before ending with three decent runs. While I was happy with the five or six stages I shot well, when I did poorly on a stage, I tanked it to the extreme. The sting of the disappointment somewhat clouds the memory of what really was an exceptional match. I typically examine each of my match performances and pick out some specific things to work on in the future — whether it's speed of shooting, movement, draw stroke, etc. This time there seems to be nothing specific, which is most frustrating.

My opportunities to shoot will likely be limited for the next few months, especially competitively. Eventually, I'll get back to the range, pull the trigger some more, put in some dry fire, and try again. There's always next year.

Rivanna Classifier and BUG Match

I drove over to Charlottesville on Saturday morning for the monthly Rivanna IDPA match. Instead of the regular match, this month they ran a Classifier match. There was also a side match for BUG and CCP to benefit VCDL. It was the first time I had the opportunity to shoot the new IDPA Classifier setup.

My run at the three Classifier stages got off to a discouraging start, missing a weak hand shot on the first string. On stage three, when reloading behind the barricade, I dislodged a magazine from my belt pouch. Leaving that magazine behind cost me a three second penalty. At the end I was not pleased with my score, I really should slow down on those 20 yard shots from the barricade, but still was glad to get to shoot. I didn't really need to shoot the Classifier, since the recent sanctioned matches I've shot meet the annual requirement. I wanted do it just for the practice and the chance to shoot, rather than be concerned about the score. (That's my story and I'm sticking with it.)

The side match consisted of three quick stages. Entering the BUG division, I used the S&W Shield for my runs. I've only put about 1,500 rounds through the Shield in the almost two years I've owned it, and was looking forward to the chance to shoot it in a match for just the third time. 

The first stage had us stepping to the side at the draw and firing three shots through the cut out -0 zone of a close target, followed by a head shot. I made the three first shots quickly and followed with a rapid transition to the head. Too rapid — I didn't see a hole appear. Two followup shots took care of that.

The second stage consisted of just two t-shirt covered targets. The targets were attached to a steel plate behind the upper part of the target's -0 zone. Hitting the steel caused the target to fall. The empty gun and a magazine was left on a barrel in front of one target, a second barrel up range held a second magazine. At the start we loaded the gun and knocked over the first target. Backing up to the second barrel the other falling target was engaged. I didn't need to reload, but did take two shots on each target.

The third stage increased the complexity and difficulty level another notch. Five targets, requiring three hits each, were hidden behind walls and non-threats. Three of the targets were shot through a very narrow opening between the non-threat targets. The targets were engaged from the center out. We started standing in front of the center target which was engaged between the non-threats. Moving backward behind the wall, the right-center target shot, between the non-threats. Moving to the right side the left-center target became visible, again through the slot between the non-threats. Stepping further right exposed the right most target, after which we moved all the way to the left for the final outer target. (Really, it takes longer to describe than to shoot.) Careful watch on the sights was required to get the shots between the non-threats and avoid the penalties. I was happy to finish just one point down for the match, finishing 4th out of 11 BUG shooters. 

Despite the extremely warm and humid weather, it was a fun morning. I really enjoyed shooting the BUG side match, which also raised $250 for VCDL. While I don't shoot BUG all that frequently, every time I do I wonder why I don't do it more often.

Rivanna Indoor IDPA Match

After missing the last couple matches, I finally made it back to Rivanna for the monthly IDPA match this morning. Due overnight rains, and the threat of more on the way, five quick stages were set up on the two indoor bays.

All shooters shot the same stage to start the match. A single target was set up in both bays for "stage 0." Starting with 3 rounds in the magazine, the target was engaged while the shooter backed up, with a total of six rounds. The target had the -0 zone cut out to save on pasting time. The universal starting stage gives everyone the same "warm up" at the start of the match. I do like the idea of every shooter starting out with the same course of fire. It's certainly better than starting out, by luck of the draw, on a difficult standards stage, as I did last week.

That initial stage done, we began the usual rotation through the remaining four stages. The next stage for our squad, was for me the most challenging in the match. (I am glad I didn't start here!) Starting seated, at the buzzer we moved to low cover behind a barrel. There were five threat targets, partially blocked by a couple of non-threats. Each target required two shots to the body and one to the head, in that order.

Moving to the next bay, stage 3 required three hits each on two targets while backing up. The shooter then moved behind cover to engage two more targets with three hits each.

For the next stage we downloaded all magazines to just six rounds. Three targets placed at ever increasing distance were shot from three shooting boxes. Each target got six hits, which meant a slide lock reload after each target before moving to the next position.

For our last stage we found five open targets, each requiring three hits each. The targets were engaged left to right. The first two, and optionally the center one, were shot from the first shooting position, and we moved to a second position to finish the remaining targets.

The quick stages, and smaller than usual crowd, meant the match ran fast, and was over in about three hours. The stage designs overcame quite well the limitations imposed by an indoor range. The shooting was fun and offered interesting challenges, despite their outward simplicity. Overall I was generally pleased with my shooting, despite a few careless shots that earned me 19 total points down. Still, I finished 13th of 41 overall and 5th of 19 in SSP.

Arriving home, I watched an extremely brief rain shower pass by before heading out to mow the grass. Cutting grass seems to be my standard post-match activity of late. Of course, that was quickly followed by a tasty beer on the back porch.

Rivanna Indoor IDPA

This month's IDPA match at Rivanna Rifle and Gun Club was held on the indoor ranges due to poor ground conditions left by the past week's snow and rain. I was actually hoping that would be the case as I haven't shot an indoor match in quite some time and wanted to get some more experience.

The first stage I shot (stage 2 of the match) had us facing a non-threat target which we knocked over to start the course. The target stand actually fell back more slowly than expected and I had my gun out and ready to shoot before it was out of the way. We put 6 hits on the first target while backing up to a barrel stack. From that position there were three more targets to be engaged with three shots each.

I was dismayed when the stage was scored to see I was 4 points down. My hits on the last targets were in good groups, but low. This stage would be my best finish of the morning.

The next stage had us facing open targets at 15 yards, all requiring three hits each. We engaged the first three while stationary, then retreated up range, around a barrel, and back down range to hit the last three targets. Again, all my hits were on target, but low.

Up next was a seated stage with six targets behind a couple of non-threats, again at 15 yards. Precision shot placement was required to avoid hitting the penalty targets. I was quite pleased to finish the stage clean. However, again with low hits, racking up the points down. By now I was getting some well-deserved ribbing from my squad mates.

The final stage was shot one-handed. The first string of three targets was shot weak hand only, the second strong hand only. As a friend pointed out, now my weak hand shots were actually high.

I spent a lot of time thinking back on the match, and the shooting that led me to finish 24th of 60 shooters. There's a lot to analyze and consider. Was it from being tired? Was it the low light levels? Was it the way I've practiced lately? I could make a case for any, or all, of these excuses. If anything, it reminded me of back when I first switched from USPSA to IDPA and had to adapt to the -0 area being higher on the target. I just don't see the target clearly at distance and perhaps wasn't aiming high enough on that blurry beige blob in the distance.

However, in the end, it's me. I had an off day and didn't shoot as well as I believe I can. It's finally getting to the time of the year when I can hopefully get to the outdoor range, and I have some definite things to work on in practice. The match was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed myself. I always say it's a successful match when I learn something or find specific things to practice in the future. By that account, this was a highly successful match.

Rivanna BUG Match

The first match of the season for the Rivanna IDPA group was the annual BUG (Back Up Gun) match. I headed over to Charlottesville on a foggy Saturday morning to shoot the match with the S&W Shield that I practiced a bit with last week.

The club's rules for this match allowed any BUG legal gun according to the 2015 IDPA rulebook. However the match was scored using the new 1 second per point down scoring method for 2017. This allowed folks who hadn't had opportunity to acquire new equipment, matching the latest restrictions, to shoot the annual local match. Since the latest edition of the rulebook was published just 15 days prior to the match it was a good compromise. 

I can't claim that my recent practice session helped a whole lot, but the match was fun nonetheless. There were four stages, each with two, 5 shot limited strings, for 40 rounds total.

Stage 1 presented us with five targets, each with copious hard cover leaving very limited scoring areas. The loaded gun was placed on a barrel and at the start we dropped to kneeling behind the barrel and shot from cover. Each target required 1 hit. We then shot the same string a second time.

Stage 2, which was the first stage I shot, started with the gun at low ready, and while moving across the bay we were required to put one hit on each of five targets. The second string was shot moving in the opposite direction. 

Stage 3 was a challenging stage with 5 head-shot only targets.We shot this course of fire seated, with the loaded gun starting on the table. As with the other stages, two strings were fired for score. 

Stage 4 tested us with some strong-hand, weak-hand embarrassment exercises. Starting with the gun on a barrel, the course of fire required two shots on the each of the outer targets, and one head shot on the center target. For added challenge, there was a non-threat target placed below the head shot. The first string was shot strong hand only and the second string was support hand only. At least I didn't hit the non-threat.

This was a fun, but quite challenging match. I shoot the S&W Shield infrequently, and the copious tight shots required exacting sight alignment and trigger control. I had more than a few misses, and with a penalty now of 5 seconds each, they add up fast. The head shots and ample hard cover made it difficult to know if the misses were close or wide, high or low, left or right, so I didn't get good feedback on what I was doing wrong. I'd like to shoot the small gun at a few more matches this year, but first more time at the practice range is in order I think.