As you know this is one of the guiding principles of our sport and yet from time to time we are presented with situations which show not everyone is taking the concept seriously enough.
[Read more…] about Treat every firearm as loadedA Chronographer’s Report 2026
As the 2026 shooting season is winding down for at least me, I have some pluses and minus to report from my position as a chronographer. In the last 5 weeks I have worked 4 matches including two Nationals and two Level 2 state matches. I also worked the Area 5 match, Northern Illinois Sectional match and the Buckeye Blast. Here are some common things I observed while working these matches.
[Read more…] about A Chronographer’s Report 2026Functional vs. Operating Flashlights
I am just back from several recent matches and what I thought was straightforward turns out to be a bit more complicated than it seems on the surface. I guess it is time to revisit one of those subtle differences that sometimes arise at chronograph.
[Read more…] about Functional vs. Operating FlashlightsYeah, but…
While both shooting matches and teaching classes I occasionally hear, “Yeah, but…” when talking about rules and range management. This is especially true when talking about Level I (local) matches and how in the “real” world they are run and officiated. So, let us discuss this and see how we can reduce or eliminate as many of these as possible.
[Read more…] about Yeah, but…Certified Ammunition (a.k.a Chrono Insurance)
Recently, Troy wrote a post about the Certified Ammunition Program which was very informative. However, as I work matches around this country I find what is a fairly straight forward program is misunderstood by some competitors. So, let’s go through the steps and comment on how it occasionally fails.
[Read more…] about Certified Ammunition (a.k.a Chrono Insurance)If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster.
I am just back from the Factory Gun Nationals and what I thought was a single occurrence recently at another Sectional match raised its ugly head several times at Chronograph. I guess it is time to review one of those misunderstandings that sometimes arise from bad information.
[Read more…] about If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster.Fixed Time WSBs
The second Fixed Time question I got from a former student is a bit more complex. The questioner stated that on a Fixed Time stage at a larger match, the Written Stage Briefing did not list all the potential penalties under Fixed Time. They thought this was not correct and it should be spelled out in the WSB.
[Read more…] about Fixed Time WSBsFixed Time vs. Virginia Count
Recently I received an email from a former student as to whether Extra Shots and Extra Hits applied to Fixed Time stages. Actually, his question dealt more with extra shots fired under the time limit. I think he understood any extra hits would be penalized if they were on the scoring area of the target.
[Read more…] about Fixed Time vs. Virginia Count