USPSA, WAC, 7-31-18

Open Division

Shooting the Open Edge in .40SW using 155gr BB RN loads.

Stage 4

• From the left 2 steel on the right, then 3 paper on the left, with the last while retreating.
• Run uprange, then 2 on the move. The first I somehow mike – wide open, relatively close, but on the move.
• 2×2 stack up next with no-shoots and I slow down and stop because of the no-shoots.
• Reload, run right and downrange for the last 3 paper and popper.
• 10th out of 41

Stage 1

• From the left, 3 paper and 2 poppers.
• Step right for 1 paper, then another step for another paper and 2 poppers.
• Run right to the port for more paper and steel.
• Reload on the move to the right for long range popper and 2 paper.
• Clean; 7th.

Stage 2

• Straddling stick, 2 paper on the left and on the move. This time I move slower as I think I was moving too fast when I mike’d on Stage 4.
• 2 more paper on the right on the move.
• Run left for 4 paper spread out across the back.
• Run across to the right for the last 2.
• Clean; 12th.

Stage 3

• Starting where I can see the array of 4 with 2 on the left and 1 on the right with the last behind the barrel.
• ‘Ninja step’ right to get the one behind the barrel.
• Ninja step again for the middle array.
• Run right and rake the poppers right to left, then left clamshell, right clamshell.
• Clean again; 9th.

The Good

• Stage 1 and 3
• Steel 1 for 1
• Recognizing what I did wrong (moving too fast while shooting on the move) and adjusting (Stage 4, then 2)
• Gun ran 100%

Needs Improvement

• Shooting on the move
• Work on grip to control the gun better and improve splits.
• Continue with PT

FInished 9th overall and 4th out of 5 in Open.

3G Frostproof, 7-28-18

Open Division

• Open G34 – ETS 27 and 22rnd mag, 124gr BB RN ammo
• SW-JP15, Strike Eagle 1-6, Sightmark micro dot, Nordic extended PMAG, Perfecta and Freedom Munitions 55gr and 69gr ammo
• Saiga 12 – Venom red dot, R&R 20rnd mag, Remington Target (1200fps), Heavy Dove (1255fps) ammo and Managed Recoil (1200fps) slugs

Stage 2

• Pistol only, though the option to use all 3 was available. Faster with the pistol, I thought, and so did others, though I initially thought to do it with the rifle for the farther paper. Since it was Stage 4 from IPSC Nationals unchanged, I now had a chance for a do-over, albeit with the Open G34.
• Refined the Nats plan, starting from the bottom right, then going clockwise, ending with the swinger array on the right.
• 2 shots on the right swinger, applying swinger techniques learned from working the Nationals, both hit.
• With the Open Edge, I ran it in about 39sec – and that was with a mental hiccup that forced backtracking. Today was slower at about 41sec, executed as I planned with no hiccups. The Open G34 felt slower and flippier, compared to the Edge, even with its minor 9mm ammo.
• Clean, 13th out of 39. (fastest at 24sec)

Stage 3

• More targets this time for rifle, and this time, since it’s not IPSC anymore, we can leave the shooting area. Same plan as before to begin, but now come around the top and come back in on the right (u-turn) to finish off on the middle array.
• As I begin moving forward on the left, I get a double-feed. Mag out, rack, mag in, rack, double feed again. Mag out lock bolt back, round is still in the chamber. Cycle the bolt, no joy. The squad offers me a re-shoot after I fix. Off to the safe area…
• (Video) After attempts to get the rifle to now even chamber a round, I end up using Lee’s AR. Scrounging for mags, I decide to use the dual setup and plan a reload as I make the u-turn, which I promptly forget. Reload on locked bolt, finish.
• 22nd.
• Thankfully we are at a bottleneck with the 2 squads ahead of us on Stage 4 and I can take my time to fix my rifle. On inspection, 2 of the locking lugs on the bolt had sheared off and one of them was stuck in the chamber locking area, preventing the bolt going into battery. With a new bolt from Lee and some test firing, the rifle is back up.

Stage 4

• Rifle off-hand on a plate rack at 75yds and 2 classic plates. I. HATE. OFF. HAND. PLATE. RACKS. On the plus side, the rifle ran ok.
• Load unloaded SG with a 10 round mag of slugs for the same 2 classic plates through a giant tire. 6 shots for 2 hits. Better than 0 for 10 last time in May.
• Run to pistol back for another plate rack, 1 classic plate at around 40-50yds, and a spinner.
• The penalty for the spinner was 30sec. The last time I spun a spinner with a pistol took me 18 rounds. We figured the 30 seconds might actually be shorter than trying to spin it.
• 10th

Stage 5

• Another tweaked IPSC Nats stage, this time with added steel and clays for shotgun. Classic half targets for rifle.
• Most start with SG and end up prone on the ramp, then reach for swap guns with the dump barrel to the right of the ramp while still prone. Finish by stepping off the ramp and finishing on the paper at the flanks.
• With my knees, the ramp is an issue, so I have to work around it while being safe. I start with SG as most, but walk up the ramp and shoot upright instead of prone. I switch to weak hand for a few but accidentally hit the mag release on moving back to strong hand. Pickup the mag, reload, finish with SG. I step off the ramp, dump the SG and pull the rifle.
• Begin on the right side with the rifle, go to the left, then down the middle, and end standing on the ramp for the 2 in board paper shot bent over. No issues with the rifle.
• 16th

Stage 1

• Another bottle neck waiting for a squad that had just started as we got there. Getting late, so we decide to can it. DNF

The Good

• Stage 2’s clean run compared to Nats, even if it is slower
• The swinger on Stage 2
• Working around my knee problems on Stage 5
• Putting on my belt and finding I’m moved up one more notch (now on the 4th)
• Saiga ran

Needs Work

• Off-hand rifle (plate rack, 22 practice)
• Slug zero
• Knee mobility (squats, leg presses, calf raises, seiza practice)
• Continue with PT
• Can the Open G34 be as flat as the Open Edge? Compensator?

 

USPSA, WAC, 7-24-18

Open Division

Shooting the Open Edge in .40SW using 155gr BB RN loads.

Stage 2

• First shooter, minimal walk-through. Started on the left, 2 down and up close.
• Run to the right, start on the in-board, then the 2 outside.
• Reload, 2 up front, step left, then activator, paper, swinger. During the reload, I saw the top round was pointing straight up. The tip most probably got yanked as I pulled it from the mag pouch. Why I continued to insert, I don’t know. I had to eject and reset as I saw the now free round fall out.
• Move far left for the last 3.
• 20th out of 44.

Stage 3

• Start on the left, 5 poppers and paper – I shot 2 large poppers, the paper, then the 3 small poppers now visible.
• Repeat for the middle array.
• Small popper, 5 plates on a plate rack and 1 paper on the right.
• 14th

Stage 4

• Crouching so I’m looking through the port, start with the 3 through it.
• Straighten up, lean right for the one.
• Reload on the move to the right bay, then 2 on the move on the left (relatively close).
• Keep advancing then 2 on the move to the right (miked one of them).
• Stop for the last 4 with 2 on the right through a port.
• 18th

Stage 1

• From the right, 4 steel. (1 extra shot)
• Run left, then at my first index, the 2 on the left on the slow move to my next index for 2 on the left, then 2 up ahead.
• Reload and run right and up for the last 6.
• 7th

The Good

• Stage 1
  • Specific index marks for positions
  • Planned and executed as planned
• Gun ran 100%
• Fitness continuing to improve – running slightly faster

Needs Improvement

• Steel not 1 for 1
• Continue with PT
• Secure mag pouches – starting to move around and could have contributed to yanking the top round at Stage 2.

Slow start, but ended on a high note. Finished 16th overall and 4th out of 7 in Open.

US IPSC Nationals 2018

I first shot the US IPSC Nationals last year, then worked the match. I decided to do it again this year, again in Open Division…

Shooting the Open Edge in .40SW using my 155gr BB RN loads.

Stage 7

• Take the first 3 on the left, then move towards the middle slot.
• The upper left most was actually in line between the one below it and to its right, and I shot it on the move as I approached the gap, and ended on the no-shoot obscured target next to the barrel. First stage jitters and I mike the one on the move.
• Move to the upper right and finish left to right.
• 182 out of 284 shooters.

Stage 8

• After watching the squad shoot and seeing the timing wasn’t impossible, I shot it: popper, T1, T2, T3.
• Clean (!); 120th.

Stage 9

• Start in the back right then work my way clockwise.
• Reload point between the right and middle walls.
• End on the swingers at the top left gap after shooting the ones on the left.
• Clean, 122nd

Stage 10

• Ah, all weak hand. I start on the left, take the 3 poppers in the middle 1 for 1, then lose the dot on the right, even though my grip hadn’t changed. Eventually, I find it and finish.
• Clean, 178th.

Stage 11

• Start with the popper-swingers in the middle.
• Move right for the upper right array, then down to about the 6 o’clock where the lower right and most of the upper left is visible.
• Shoot the open target on the left on the move, then stop for the no-shoot, then end with the furthest open paper at about 11 o’clock.
• Of all the targets, I mike the relatively close open target on the left I shot on the move. Yet I get 2 alpha on the far left target, at this point, I decide only if it’s really close do I shoot on the move.
• 172nd

Stage 12

The above is actually flipped, a mirror image of the actual stage:

• Start on the left down the line (which was actually an open target), then through the port (no-shoot).
• On the move to the right for the middle 3 (close enough for on the move), then end on the low port on the right.
• Most did a more dynamic rush and slide on the knees to the port. With my bad knees, bend from the waist instead (slower).
• Still clean, but 186th.

Stage 13

• Start on the left 3, then move to the right for right to left, ending with the steel. (only 1 required per target)
• Being half targets, I slow down for each shot.
• The hard cover was actually slanted, with the left-most popper the most obscured and required an extra shot.
• Clean, 184th. (I slowed down too much)

Stage 14

• The poppers were all in line at the back and not angled as shown.
• Start with the 2 outside, go prone, then left to right. Steel required an extra shot or 2.
• Clean; 146th.
• I RO’d (scored) this stage and from watching all the shooters, the best was from clean steel, and not going prone. The port was high enough that it could be taken seated. The trick was if you were limber enough to change position quickly.

Stage 15

• Start with the left activator, then all the steel around it. Repeat for the right array, then the swinger through the left port.
• Mike on the swinger, 225th.
• I also RO’d/scored this stage and here, the best was gleaned by double tapping the large poppers to drop it faster so the one behind it was available quicker, and by using the right port instead.

Stage 16

• From the middle bottom, I start with the 2 on the right, then go left, mostly on the move (close enough, as was my rule).
• At the top left, I shoot all 3 visible, then run uprange and make the u-turn for the remaining 3 on the right.
• Clean, 175th.

Stage 1

• Start on the right, with the activator, but not shooting the clamshell (NPM).
• Take the right 2 while retreating, then at the end of the right wall, shoot 3: paper down the line, left most popper, and the paper to its left.
• Run left, taking the left targets on the move and ending on the last paper and 2 poppers to the right (only visible from there).
• Clean; 146th.

Stage 2

• Strong hand only.
• CLEAN! 63rd.

Stage 3

• Popper, paper, lift the weight (30lb dumbbell row), shoot the now open clamshells strong hand.
• Clean; 129th.

Stage 4

• Start on the right for the 2, then move up and left for the upper right array.
• Mag change, then go low left for those 2.
• After hours in the heat, and it finally gets to me. I mistake a popper for an activator, only to find that it wasn’t. I pause to think it was a range malfunction, then realize it isn’t. I go back a few steps to where I can see the actual activator (I had planned to shoot it later as I thought it wasn’t an activator) and take out that array.
• Move to the top to finish off, only to hit the no-shoot on the right.
• 207th.

Stage 5

• Start on the left, beginning with the far no-shoot, working my way down.
• Move to the right, repeat.
• Back to the middle for the 3 poppers, then up the ramp for more bent over shooting through a low port.
• Mike on a no-shoot; 197th.

Stage 6

• Step back from the start to see the first 2 paper on the right, then drop the poppers in front (1 for 1).
• Run uprange for the 2 on the right, then the 2 on the left.
• Clean; 180th.

The Good

• Stage 2 – 63rd. Comparing with last year’s accuracy focused stage which I zero’d, I’d say this year’s match was a definite improvement.
• Gun ran fine.
• Better accuracy than last year – less mikes and no-shoots.
• Compared to last year, better performance in general:
  • shooting – less mikes
  • physically
• Dealing with the heat and keeping hydrated.

Needs Improvement:

• Shooting on the move
• More pistol matches
• 40 Open ain’t gonna cut it. Too flippy. Round capacity too, but not so much as how slow my gun is.
• Keep up the PT. Physical capabilities limiting potential. Started getting worn down near the end of the long hot day. Work on:
  • knees
  • agility
  • continue with weight loss

Sixteen stages shot on a hot day and this year was better than last’s. That’s the good thing. The rest was a schooling on what I still don’t know and need to learn: shooting on the move, and swingers. Finished 168th out of 284 and 81st out 106 in Open.

USPSA, WAC, 7-8-18

Open Division

Shooting the Open Edge in .40SW using my 155gr BB RN loads.

Stage 2

• Classifier: facing uprange, hands relaxed, turn and shoot 4 no-shoot obscured metric targets.
• Clean. 20th out of 62.

Stage 3

• Touching barrel with my right heel, I start on the small popper on the left of the middle array.
• From there, I engage the close flanking targets on the move, either advancing or retreating.
• On direction changes, I take the downrange outliers that naturally just show up as I turn.
• Clean; 12th.

Stage 4

• I pick the left most position such that I can see the popper/activator that most shoot from the middle. I figure if I get it started first, by the time I get to it, it’ll be slowed down a bit, as it was a fast swinger.
• From there, I take the left, middle and right arrays, and end with the swinger which was still visible on the right.
• Clean again; 12th.

Stage 5

• Start touching the left wall with both hands. From there, it’s all paper, left to right.
• Reload after taking the paper through the middle port, even though I had planned the reload earlier. Good thing, I barney’d up and had an extra in the pipe.
• Again, taking the rest on the move left to right.
• Clean; 12th again.

Stage 6

• This time I choose to start on the right where I start on a classic target.
• Move left for the middle array consisting of more classics and an immobilized Polish plate rack. I decided to run right to left because of the steel – this way I’d engage it near the beginning where I could tell if I needed to reload if I shot too much at it. Only 1 makeup needed, so no reload needed.
• Run around the left corner to finish on 2 down the line, and 2 through the port.
• Clean again; 17th.

Stage 1

• Step in to the right and I take the 2 far metrics on the right side.
• Run diagonally to the left (out then back in the box) and take most on the move left to right.
• I’m a little wonky shooting 3 on the right while advancing as they’re split by a barrel wall and I have to lean while advancing. This yields my only mike for the match.
• 17th again.

The Good

• Gun ran 100%
• Mostly clean, and steel only 1 extra shot needed = accuracy
• Good stage planning and execution.
• Fitness continuing to improve

Needs Improvement

• While accuracy was generally good, need more ‘A’ hits – scores were on the low side.
• Speed
• Continue with PT, as legs were tired after the match.

While my pace wasn’t as quick as other Open shooters, it felt consistent as I shot my own match. Finished 10th out of 62 overall and 6th out of 14 in Open.

40 S&W WMA 15 Brass

Winchester military ammo – not sure if this is what ‘WMA’ stands for, but if the shoe fits… The primer pockets are crimped, and are problem punching out, and even more trying to prime. I found this out when I collected brass that immediately gave resistance at the priming station:

WMA 15

They were all WMA 15. So I looked it up, and sure enough, discussions after discussions regarding how such headstamped brass was a problem in the reloading circles. Consensus was: chuck it. So on the next batch of cleaned, de-primed I sorted them out to WMA and all others:

Left: WMA, Right: all others (Speer, RP)

The WMA pile was mostly WMA 15s (produced 2015) but also included 14s and few 16s. That’s a lot of waste – 50% of this brass is unusable! So I sorted the WMA pile further into 15s and all others, then tested 2 of the non-15s. Lo and behold, they loaded fine! All of them loaded fine, actually. I then random tested one more 15: fail. So it turns out 2015 was a bad year while others are ok.  Of the 63 WMAs, 20 were the good 14s or 16s; a third. That means a two-thirds are bad (43). With respect to non-WMAs, there were 55. Adding the 20 good WMAs totals to 75. 43 to 75 is about 36% bad of the total (118). I’m going to need to get a swage die or invest in a case prep center. Which is quicker – swage all brass or sort out the WMA 15s? Swaging leads to almost 100% success, and is all mechanical while sorting relies on eyes and that is subject to error. Sorting is cheaper but also yields waste. Since I don’t have a swager, it’s sorting for now, until I get a swager.

Lee Single Stage Press

While the Dillon 650 has been my only press these last few years, I started noticing some issues that forced me to re-evaluate my reloading procedures. Very rarely, about 1-3 every 100 or so, the 650 would fail to punch out the primer fully, causing:

• at best, the spent primer gets re-seated at the priming station and now I have a round with a bad primer
• at worst, the spent primer protrudes and jams up the shell plate, requiring time to fix

To address the issue, I added the Lee Breech Lock Single Stage Press with a universal decapper to my lineup. With this, I’ll be pre-processing brass by getting rid of the spent primers before they even go on the 650. It’ll also allow me to inspect the brass, further assuring smoother loading on the 650.

The setup isn’t permanently bolted to the table as with the 650. Instead, its bolted to a platform comprised of two 12″ x 5″ x .75″ boards and the platform is affixed by 2 c-clamps to the work table. I can dismount it so I get the full use of the table again if needed.

I’ve done a run of some 40 and 9 to test it out and the process wasn’t too bad. After decapping a few that didn’t pass through the 650, they loaded easily afterwards.

Equipment:

• Lee Breech Lock Single Stage Press (Amazon, $38)
• Lee Universal Decapping die (Amazon, $15)

IDPA 5×5 Drill

New abbreviated IDPA Classifier, the 5×5 Classifier (25 shots)

Looks like a good drill and diagnostic as well, but will modify for indoor range rules (no holster = table start). Along with the Hackathorn Wizard Drill, would be good to include for a 50 round (1 box) range session.

Distance: 10yds

String 1 – freestyle, 5rnds
String 2 – strong hand, 5rnds
String 3 – freestyle: 5, reload 5
String 4 – freestyle: 4 to the body, 1 to the head

 

 

 

Scoring: