PM sentSorry got carried away and have expanded Sunday’s match to include 7 stages. Done right shooter will need 51 rounds to complete the match. Some of ya might wanna bring a few extra
It was fun when the wind wasn't blowing!Thank you for a fun match.
I had a blast at the last ACC shotgun match. Most of us don't get to play with the boom sticks enough.“Weird little matches” I can see how that fits. I’m asked about my StreetWise stages and what is different about this theme of mine. First, in the day of verbal “Fire” commands and stopwatches, these were the kinda matches we shot. Basic guns with Basic equipment, that many shooters wore in from the street, (I still do) unlike suiting up like a commando and carrying a huge duffle bag and wagon.
Second, we turned them into platform specific matches that tested the skill of the shooter, not the equipment. Competition breeds excellence and we owe NRA, USPSA, IDPA and others a big thank you for evolving our equipment to perfection. In a day of high capacity video game guns and 30+ round stages, the sport can scar a defense minded shooter in many ways. Fun but not so practical. On the ground floor of inception of IDPA, ‘96 or so, this seemed like a good idea, however the masses of todays competitors are the tail that has wagged this dog into the opposite of defensive shooting in my opinion. Still fun but rewarding only in practiscore and not good defensive development.
Third, in keeping with real world stats on civil gun fights, round count is kept under 14 per string. This is a better fit for ammo scarcity and skill set concentration, as proven by the unstable atmosphere that many are witnessing with our heartland supply problems today that exist. It can get worse overnight as we have seen rationing before. Shoot how you train with responsible bullet placement if you will. It is hard to neutralize a threat by the sound of gunfire alone.
Fourth, it is no secret that Gun Owners far outnumber the competition shooter. Gun Owners also outnumber those that hone the craft of shooting to a better skill set. The accident, the equipment fails, (another gun came apart at a recent match) the dropped or abandoned guns in public places, the unsafe gun handling by so called experts, death merchants marketing crap to the noob, students buying the wrong gun to start off with, the unconfident, the shy, the embarrassed, the untested, and the believers of a false sense of security ALL could gain something from StreetWise Defensive Matches.
Lastly, we all know you don’t loose weight just by reading about a diet. You have to put in the time. The scale becomes an important part of the process. You have to measure your success. You have to hold yourself accountable and set your goals. Why not do the same for your shooting/carrying skills? Try this format as an inexpensive way to really to have fun and be rewarding too. For you gun owners that find the bigger matches intimidating, costly and a way to throw away 250 rounds on a Saturday, come out and try these little weird matches.
Next up is Pump Shotgun
Trapper
Yes Coach was very insightful in bridging the gap between sport, training and defense shooting. However he had to streamline the match to get the registration up in numbers to make it worthwhile by allowing divisions.I hope you keep these “weird little matches” going too. I don’t own a lever gun or a pump shotgun, but if I did I’d try to make it to them.
I can understand how someone who drives an hour or more to a match wants a high round count to make it worth it, but I was a big fan of Coach’s carry-gun matches with the lower counts and more focus on accuracy.