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Troy McManus

Just Do It (Right)

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There were a lot of matches this year, from locals to Section Championships, and Area Championships to Nationals. In all of these matches, there is, or should be, a common goal–getting it right. Most do, some don’t. Activated targets, poppers, start positions, angles of fire, specialty props, and written stage briefings all need to be closely examined and done right, otherwise, the match loses credibility, competitive equity is lost, and both staff and competitors are unhappy. Let’s look at this effort at all levels, from competitor to Range Master and Match Director.

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New Popper Calibration Procedure

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Due to continuing concerns about the popper calibration process, a new procedure was developed to address the question some have about whether their shot changed something in the way the popper was set, putting it right, and making the calibration shot knock it down as intended. One of the Instructors, George Jones, came up with the initial procedure. I proposed it to the board a while back, and was asked to tweak it a little bit and clean it up–make sure it addressed what we wanted to do and didn’t create any unintended consequences. It was decided that the most effective way to introduce this was via a board-requested ruling. That ruling was released Wednesday, September 29th, and is also included in the USPSA Board meeting minutes from the night before, also released on the 29th. Here’s the link to the ruling itself: Amended Popper Calibration Procedure. We are also in the process of updating the digital rule sets.

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The WSB: How To Handle It

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A couple of years ago, Jodi Humann wrote this post about whether to write a written stage briefing (WSB) or not. Once you’ve decided to write one, what do you put in it, and how should it be handled at the match? (Note: this information applies to all level matches, not just Area or National Championships. If you aren’t writing WSBs for your local match, you should be.)

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Speed Shoot Tips

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As many course designers and match directors know, the Speed Shoot type of stage is useful for testing reloading and strong- or weak-hand skills in a fast, easily set up and defined course of fire. Rule number 1.2.2.3 sets the parameters for a speed shoot in detail, but it’s basically a course of fire of no more than 16 rounds, with a mandatory reload after 8 rounds, shot on two different arrays of targets. An array is defined as “a grouping of more than one target”. Arrays can be engaged in any order, as can targets within an array, and only one reload may be required. Competitors are free to reload if need be, however, as long as the mandatory reload is performed when required. Speed Shoots may be scored using either Comstock or Virginia count scoring.

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Holster Position Redux

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In a previous post, I explained that, while the position on the belt requirement (behind the point of the hips for Production, Single Stack, and Carry Optics) has been removed, the requirements in all divisions, yes, even Open and Limited, for the height to belt and distance from the belt have not changed. This is found in all the appendices, D1-D8, item #10. Here’s the text of the previous article:

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