[miquela]

Ok. Just so I can further embarrass myself, here is a "match report" for the NE PA IDPA Match I shot yesterday in Sciota, PA (near Allentown) Blue Ridge Cherry Valley Rod & Gun Club, Kevin Schlier, Match Director

Yes, yes, yes... On the first stage I shot yesterday, if felt like I had never held a gun before in my entire life. Why? I don't know. I'm just a goof sometimes I guess. Well, it didn't take long for me to remember what the heck them "gentlemen" down in Texas had taught me, and got my thumb the heck out of the way! zoweee that smarts! But I didn't miss a beat, a few shots maybe, but that's kinda normal. I finished the stage and never once complained about my thumb (which was bleeding, just a little... It's MOST definitely a self-correcting situation! lol

See PDMODERATOR? You don't have to be a super-experienced-marksman-type shooter to partipate in this stuff. If you don't believe me yet, read on... hehehehehe (this is soooo embarassking)

Stage 2 (actually stage 3, but my second stage for the day) wasn't much better for me tactically. hehehe But provided great entertainment value to the folks watching. :rolleyes: 3 targets (2 balloons/target = 6 balloons, from low cover. Windy day. Very windy day. Balloons wiggle around a lot in the wind. Shooting a Kimber :D with 3 mags, I had 22 rounds when I started. CERTAINLY, that would be enough. I thought so too. WRONG!!! laughed-mao, through the entire stage! It took one mag PLUS rounds from the second to finally nail the first balloon! Got the second balloon right away. :) As I put the third mag in, I told the SO that I was not going to have enough ammo for the stage. He just laughed and said it's ok, cuz he didn't either. Now, the thought that jumped into my mind was that if a seasoned shooter like him couldn't do the stage in 22 rounds or less, how did I expect to have a prayer?? so i laughed some more. So.. now I go prone and shoot from the end of the barrel. I somehow manage to shoot those 2 balloons without unloading an entire mag. :rolleyes: so I scoot to the other end of the barrel to finish off the last 2 balloons (bad guys in my mind). Got the first one, bang! yay! oops. slide lock. I'm empty. :( 1 BG to go. The SO was going through his little speil "If the shooter is ready, unload and show clear..." Well I wasn't about to call it quits. Randy Cain taught me to keep a pocketfull of ammo, just in case, so, while the SO is chatting away, I'm loading another mag. And bang, bang, the last balloon is dead. lol. 127 seconds!!! lmao. too funnny. The SO's time for the same stage was only abut 120 or so he said, so I didn't feel too bad. And then, I watched as our match director used all three of his mags and had to leave a balloon unpopped too. So... I don't think I did so bad. (Or course there were the showoffs that needed only 6 rounds to take out all 6 balloons :p - but it wasn't windy when THEY were shooting.)

My third stage (stage 1 on paper) - 2 steel plates disguised as bad guys behind a hostage. Lots of people were shooting through the no-shoot :eek: to get one BG or the other. The plates weren't falling. Lots of rolling eyes... I step up to the line, draw, take my time, get a good sight picture, squeeze, BANG! ting! (steel makes such a nice sound when ya hit it :D) and the plate fell. Ditto on the second plate. 2 targets, 2 rounds! EVERYONE applauded! Even heard someone shout "Way to go Miquela!" Gosh I laughed a lot yesterday. No wonder my sides hurt today.

My 4th stage (stage 2 on paper) - 2 poppers, with a no-shoot not very conveniently placed directly in front of the targets. Again, nailed em both! square on. I was awesome! :D

Next month, I'm going to get there a little early so I can fire off a few rounds and hopefully remember how to handle the gun before I chop part of my thumb off! :eek: It was fun, funny, and embarrassing. Now, back when I was being edumacated on gun handling, someone, somewhere along the line told me that every body does that thumb thing at some time. I got home and asked Bubba - nope. Asked Miker - nope. I was lied to. If I had known that NOT everybody does it at one point, I certainly wouldn't have gone "bragging" about my stupidity. But, as long as I'm makin folks laugh, I guess it's ok. hehehe

With the exception of my own thumb, I was still safe and had fun, and that's what it's all about to me. The accuracy and speed will come in time. Heck! I've only been shooting since May last year, and I can count on two hands, with fingers left over, how many times I've been out shooting at all - either practice or matches. So, I'm not doing so bad for a goyel who lives in new joyseeeee.. :D

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]

[miquela]

oops. sorry. the thumb story was introduced in another thread (novice questions) and I toook off from there - for those who can't tell... :rolleyes: I crossed my left thumb over my right thumb and had it just hanging out behind the slide, and when i fired the first shot, well, the slide came back and kinda bit me... nothing major, just a reminder of how i'm SUPPOSED to hold the gun properly. It really only s****ed a little skin off the edge of the left knuckle. no big deal, but I don't think it's a mistake I'll be making twice (pollack or not!) ;)

The more i think about this, the more I feel need to explain - so y'all don't think I'm a total dork. lol. When I drew my gun at the first target, I was even thinking to myself that something just didnt feel quite right. Then I fired that first shot. BANG! And I knew right away what didn't feel right, cuz now it felt ever so slightly worse. ;) As Miker said, just a millisec too late. And again, not a mistake I'll be making twice. (And if I do, I certainly won't tell anyone around here!!!) HA! :p

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]

[KMDO]

I never hit my thumb either! :p

What is up with this

" Got the first one, bang! yay! oops. slide lock. I'm empty."

Bad bad bad! You should not run that gun dry! Unless that is what they teach at idpa? There used to be a case of beer fine imposed on the shooter at gunsite way back when anyone ran the gun dry! :D They had a lot of beer out there.LMAO!!

Well sounds like you had a good day, BTW Can you bring a backup gun? I Noticed that some of the steel plates didnt fall so was thinking if it were me id pack my blackhawk as back up with a 335gr hard cast 45 at 1400fps or so and that would end the plate! :D

[HiPower]

Miquela, that split second when you realized that you weren't holding the gun correctly has been described as an "ohno!" second. Its somewhere between a nanosecond and a picosecond. This is a new measurement of time just dreamt up by the U.S. Naval Observatory.

I think I am gonna have to try out this here IDPA thing. You are having absolutely too much fun out there to keep it all to yourself. Do they have a class for mid-40's fat guys that don't excerise, think running consists of opening the fridge door and like to shoot? If so, I'm there!

Ober...the idea is to knock the plate over I'm thinkin, not blow holes in it! Or do you just shoot close and let the breeze do the work?

:D

[miquela]

Originally posted by HiPower:
<STRONG>Miquela, that split second when you realized that you weren't holding the gun correctly has been described as an "ohno!" second. Its somewhere between a nanosecond and a picosecond. This is a new measurement of time just dreamt up by the U.S. Naval Observatory.</STRONG>

LOL. Yuppers! That's the one! owwweeee :( but I'm still laughing about it. :D

<STRONG>I think I am gonna have to try out this here IDPA thing. You are having absolutely too much fun out there to keep it all to yourself. Do they have a class for mid-40's fat guys that don't excerise, think running consists of opening the fridge door and like to shoot? If so, I'm there!</STRONG>

uh huh - my dad's in that class :eek: Bubba! Don't you dare tell him I said that! Running?? lol. I don't run. Especially not yesterday, with all the snow and ice, I was terrified I'd fall and shoot myself in the a :eek: :eek:. lol. If ya like to shoot and have a good time and ya know your safety rules, we'd love to have ya. :D go to www.idpa.com (http://www.idpa.com) to find a club near you and find out when they hold their matches etc. It's a hoot!

<STRONG>Ober...the idea is to knock the plate over I'm thinkin, not blow holes in it! Or do you just shoot close and let the breeze do the work? :D</STRONG>

lol. Ober's a mess... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :p :D

[pdmoderator]

Miquela, from what part of PRNJ do you hail?

Gee, I wish I wasn't busy tomorrow -- I'd really like to go out with some folx for a McGreasy inaugural shoot :D No more than the usual mayhem, of course -- just to put on the Molon Labe hat and have at some sheets of paper downrange.

- pdmoderator

[miquela]

lol - this will be the FIRST time I've ever used exits as markers for where i live in the 10 years I've lived in joysee... i'm in between exits 3 and 4. :eek: now i KNOW i've been here waaaaaaaayyyy too long. :rolleyes: :( :eek: (can you tell i like these smiley guys?? :D)

BTW, all this means is that the NEPA match is a 2-hour drive for me... and it's worth it! :D

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]

[SuperDave]

Well, well , the ol' slide in the thumb , boo boo .

Nope not me either .

I've heard the grip on the draw is one thing that is very important . Most people , when they draw and thier grip is wrong ,they just try to deal with it . You don't want to stop and regrip . Of course some learn the hard way . :p

[miquela]

Super Dave,

:p :p (I really feel like saying Bite Me! here, but was taught to respect my elders :D ) :p :p

geeezzz. no sympathy from ANY of my Texas friends. :( :eek: ;)

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]

[Sleepy]

Good job Miquela! :D Obviously you learned from your mistake ;) :D Don't feel bad, at EOSM, I was looking through the scope on someones gun, and forgot to back up a bit and WHAM! Had a big ole bruise on the bridge of my nose for about a week :D THank GOd the bruise didn't show up until I was on my way home, so no one saw :D

Glad you had fun and you did great! :)

[KMDO]

What do you mean im a mess? At least i never hit my thumb with the slide! :p ;)

[miquela]

I was referring to you wanting to blow the steel plates away with some supercharged whiz-bang thingy. :D
But you know I was just teasin ya. And I'll let ya get away with the thumb comment. Cuz after all it was me who was dumb enough to have 1) done it in the first place and then 2) it kinda sounds like I was bragging about my stupidity - well I deserve all the mean and unsympathetic comments I get. :p

[ 01-16-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]

[miquela]

Originally posted by SuperDave:
<STRONG>I've heard the grip on the draw is one thing that is very important . Most people , when they draw and thier grip is wrong ,they just try to deal with it . You don't want to stop and regrip . Of course some learn the hard way . :p</STRONG>

ok. ok. ok. What happened was this... As I began this stage, the trusty SO gave his normal speech: "Does the shooter understand the course of fire?" me: "uh huh(yes)" SO: "Shooter stand by..." Timer: BEEEEEP!

I opened the door and saw a target ahead, kind of on angle "peeking" out from behind cover, I hung back behind the door for cover and drew my firearm (Kimber) and started to shoot one handed when I realized at the very last second that "this is a 45, not the 9mm that I'm used to, and there is no way in heck that I will have the kind of control needed to shoot this thing one handed first time out in over a month!" So I awkwardly brought my weak hand into the scene, and eek.. just couldn't figure out what to do with that dadburned extra thumb. As I was taking up slack on the trigger, I knew something wasn't right, didn't look right, didn't feel right, but I was on the clock and people were watching, and and and.. I knew just a tad less than a "ohno-second" before the gun actually went off exactly what was wrong, and was moving said thumb into it's proper position when I squeezed the trigger that extra tiny bit causing the gun to fire. BANG! ("ouch"-I didn't even whisper it, not wanting to draw attention to my goof) I think the s****e would have been worse if I hadn't been moving it out of the way. It's amazing how much activity can go on in your mind in a nano-second. :D

But as I said before, I didn't let the "owie" slow me down one bit. I wouldn't in a real-life situation, and that what this stuff is kinda preparing me for, right? So I proceeded, make my hits, proceeded to the next barrier for cover and "engaged" the next three targets. After I was done and the stage was scored, I checked to make sure I didn't get any blood on Bubba's Kimber, and went quietly to my range bag, and applied a little minor first aid. ;) The most damage was to my pride, after I told certain people here about the incident. :rolleyes: But as in all "mistakes" we learn from them and move on. I think these ones are pretty well cemented into my memory: 1) thumb placement and 2) telling my friends, expecting any kind of sympathy whatsoever. :eek:
hehehe ;)

[ 01-16-2002: Message edited by: miquela ]