1MoreFord
Member
If you don't have enough people to score, tape, reset, and pick up brass you don't have enough people to hold a freakin' match. Jeessh!
Finally Going To Try Some Competition
- Thread starter Good Ol' Boy
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Doublehelix
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All of the local matches around here state that you can't pick up brass until everything is torn down and loaded back into the barn. I've seen some guys get berated pretty hard by the RO's for stooping down to pick up a few pieces between shooters.
Doublehelix
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The reasoning is that it slows things down. Significantly. You tend to have 10-12 people on a squad no matter how many people show up for the match.
1 - RO
1- Score
1 - Shooting (or just finished and going through the scoring with the RO)
1 - Preparing to shoot next
That leaves 6 - 8 people to paste/reset, and usually someone has to head to the rest room or whatever...
If 1 guy picks up brass, then the others are saying, "Why can't I pick up brass instead of pasting too?" It becomes a nightmare situation and instead, we want all hands on deck pasting and keeping the match moving.
YMMV, and that is cool. I personally think it is disrespectful not to help paste every time.
Chuck R.
Member
You have an RO, the scorekeeper, the shooter, the guy who just shot, the guy who shot before him still slowly loading mags, and the guy on deck...that's 6 people in the squad that aren't pasting. If you have two people picking up brass that's 8. If you have a 10 person squad that only leaves 2 people to reset.
Of course as the day goes on people take longer to work on loading their mags, stopping to get snacks, etc so this setup doesn't really work unless you increase the squad size. We don't really have that problem around here because the matches are all so popular but it's definitely something to consider
Of course as the day goes on people take longer to work on loading their mags, stopping to get snacks, etc so this setup doesn't really work unless you increase the squad size. We don't really have that problem around here because the matches are all so popular but it's definitely something to consider
Chuck R.
Member
The type of match also comes in play as does stage design.
For instance IDPA with a limited target number and even fewer steel compared to 3 gun with whatever they feel like putting out......then the size of the bay also has an effect.
We shot a couple IDPA stages on Tuesday where we were stepping all over each other attempting to help....last months 3 GUN match on 1 stage between shotgun and pistol there was probably 25 pieces of steel and a Star to reset, besides pasting the AR targets.
So I guess it...depends.
For instance IDPA with a limited target number and even fewer steel compared to 3 gun with whatever they feel like putting out......then the size of the bay also has an effect.
We shot a couple IDPA stages on Tuesday where we were stepping all over each other attempting to help....last months 3 GUN match on 1 stage between shotgun and pistol there was probably 25 pieces of steel and a Star to reset, besides pasting the AR targets.
So I guess it...depends.
That's definitely true, Chuck. On some short course stage with 4 targets to paste, there's really no way for 12 people to go paste targets. Similarly, on some 32-round field course with a texas star, a swinger, 8 poppers, and a stomp box... every available hand needs to be working hard.
Doublehelix
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Yep, and I resemble that comment! I have been known to grab a piece of brass or two when out pasting, usually my own as you say... But unless I have just shot, or I am the next shooter, I am out there either scoring or pasting every stage, every shooter.
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Good Ol' Boy
Member
FWIW the one guy I saw picking up brass that I mentioned earlier, it was after his squad finished their stage and were trying to move on.
And my squad had already been standing there waiting on them for 4 or 5 shooters deep.
I can see why a couple folks got him about that.
At the end of the day is a different story, although I don't technically know what the rules were where I was at.
And my squad had already been standing there waiting on them for 4 or 5 shooters deep.
I can see why a couple folks got him about that.
At the end of the day is a different story, although I don't technically know what the rules were where I was at.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
I am usually always out pasting, on my way out or back if I see any .38 super laying around I try to grab it for the guys on my squad who shoot it.
I don't hunt for it and I don't go out of my way but I will take 3 seconds to grab it, I will also grab any that I walk by that I know is mine (marked)
Nobody has said any thing other than the super guys who say thanks, may be the wrong thing to do but I always thought of it as just being nice.
(got to practice spotting that super brass in case I ever get one
)I think common sense is the key here.
OP
OP
Good Ol' Boy
Member
Next match is this Saturday and the weather looks good. Didn't get to try out the steel match I wanted to go to because of rain but I'm looking forward to the next one coming up.
Trying to decide if I want to try Production this time or stick with Limited like the first go around. Being new, trying to get the basics and mainly wanting to have fun makes Limited seem like a lot more sense, like I was told by those there my first match.
Still, part of me wants to get into the reloading part of it more. I practice it enough both dry and hot at home so it's not alien to me, but obviously under pressure in front of a crowd is different.
Eventually for sure, but maybe not yet???
Trying to decide if I want to try Production this time or stick with Limited like the first go around. Being new, trying to get the basics and mainly wanting to have fun makes Limited seem like a lot more sense, like I was told by those there my first match.
Still, part of me wants to get into the reloading part of it more. I practice it enough both dry and hot at home so it's not alien to me, but obviously under pressure in front of a crowd is different.
Eventually for sure, but maybe not yet???
Limited lets you focus on more things that are important to the sport. Position entries and exits, movement, efficiency, speed etc. Production has all that, but with a reload in between and minor scoring so it's harder on the new guy IMO.
I started off in Limited and then went to Production and will be going back to Limited next season. I think it will help my overall game to get back to a division where I can focus on skills other than reloading every 2 steps.
I started off in Limited and then went to Production and will be going back to Limited next season. I think it will help my overall game to get back to a division where I can focus on skills other than reloading every 2 steps.
OP
OP
Good Ol' Boy
Member
So I got my weekends mixed up, but I'm glad I did. Went to the same range expecting to shoot USPSA and realized it was the 4th weekend of the month, which is an IDPA match.
Someone offered to let me borrow a vest so I stayed and shot. Had a great time. I enjoyed it more I think because of less people and it moved along a lot quicker.
So I think I'm going to do both each month. I think it'll be a little bit of a challenge going back and forth with the differences, but a welcome challenge.
With that being said, I'd love to hear some vest recommendations.
Someone offered to let me borrow a vest so I stayed and shot. Had a great time. I enjoyed it more I think because of less people and it moved along a lot quicker.
So I think I'm going to do both each month. I think it'll be a little bit of a challenge going back and forth with the differences, but a welcome challenge.
With that being said, I'd love to hear some vest recommendations.
I'm convinced that the best concealment vests are manufactured by Armadillo Concealment. Maybe not the best value, but certainly the best quality and design.
Having said the above, the vest I'm using I found on Amazon and chose for the arrangement of pockets I wanted
Chuck R.
Member
Well you could be like 76.9% of us and wear khaki 5.11.......
Seriously most anything will work as long as it's long enough. We had a guy Tues evening wearing an orange safety vest.
3D-Seth
Member
I'm in a similar boat as the OP. Planning on starting USPSA locally, but trying to make sure I have my ducks in a row before hand!
I did go to the local match to watch Thursday night, and helped paste targets and tear down. The biggest thing I think I learned by watching is the 180 rule. I would like to think that I wouldn't have a problem with this, but I can see how subconsciously one could very easily cross that line. I just plan on being stupid slow at first, and working up from there. The one other thing that caught me off guard was how quickly they moved the groups from stage to stage. Didn't really give me time to comprehend what was going on or get an idea of what I would need to do if I were actually shooting. Knowing this now, I'll be better prepared for my first shoot.
For me, I learned a ton by just going and watching and asking questions, and would recommend everyone do the same. Everyone at the local club here was awesome and helpful and answered all of my stupid questions. Needless to say, it made me get the bug even worse, and now I'm anxious for the last of my gear to show up so I can get out and shoot with everyone.
Let us know how your first shoot goes!
I did go to the local match to watch Thursday night, and helped paste targets and tear down. The biggest thing I think I learned by watching is the 180 rule. I would like to think that I wouldn't have a problem with this, but I can see how subconsciously one could very easily cross that line. I just plan on being stupid slow at first, and working up from there. The one other thing that caught me off guard was how quickly they moved the groups from stage to stage. Didn't really give me time to comprehend what was going on or get an idea of what I would need to do if I were actually shooting. Knowing this now, I'll be better prepared for my first shoot.
For me, I learned a ton by just going and watching and asking questions, and would recommend everyone do the same. Everyone at the local club here was awesome and helpful and answered all of my stupid questions. Needless to say, it made me get the bug even worse, and now I'm anxious for the last of my gear to show up so I can get out and shoot with everyone.
Let us know how your first shoot goes!
Go check out my cordless drill drill suggestion in post #6. There's no substitute for training your brain and hands to keep the gun oriented in a fixed direction while the rest of your body goes in other directions except to do it... and using a cordless drill or a dummy blue gun while you walk around the house is a great way to learn. It's very learnable, and soon becomes pretty much unconscious.
You're new, you don't get a 180 rule. You get a 140 rule.
This is something I teach all my new shooters. There's really no reason to be close to the 180, so if you treat anything more than 140 as the danger zone, it will be much more difficult to get allllll the way to 180 and get yourself in trouble.
OP
OP
Good Ol' Boy
Member
Stupid slow is good for your first match and what I did. Safety is always important but it really is paramount when moving with a gun in hand, especially if you've never done it.
My first match there were a couple guys who were half a dozen matches in and still walking the courses. That's not what I'm doing now but there's nothing wrong with that. Do what you're comfortable with.
My first match there were a couple guys who were half a dozen matches in and still walking the courses. That's not what I'm doing now but there's nothing wrong with that. Do what you're comfortable with.
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