A recent post about scoring when a squib occurs brought up another question that several range officers asked. Since a squib is not considered a shot because the bullet didn’t pass completely through the barrel of the firearm, is it a disqualification if a competitor has an accidental discharge that turns out to be a squib?
[Read more…] about Squibs and Accidental DischargesWhen is a shot, a shot?
Squibs are serious. We teach Range Officers to “Say STOP when you hear a POP!” And once the competitor is stopped and the squib is confirmed, then comes the task of scoring the stage as shot which was the focus of this Question of the Month.
[Read more…] about When is a shot, a shot?We are all on the same team
As major match season winds down, we are all sharing stories about things that have happened at matches. We hear talk about the stage designs, about the prize tables, about the food on the range, the tight races for the top competitors, things that happened at chronograph, and about match staff. It’s always appreciated when Match Directors and Range Masters get positive reviews and comments about match staff. But it is very frustrating when negative comments are brought up post-match and nothing was said during the match.
[Read more…] about We are all on the same teamFixed Time isn’t hard to score
Before we dive too deep into this post, I want you to say with me, “Fixed Time is Virginia Count with a time limit.” The only penalty unique to Fixed Time is the overtime shot, which we will discuss in a bit. The goal of this Question of the Month is to dispel some misunderstandings about how to score Fixed Time stages.
[Read more…] about Fixed Time isn’t hard to scoreLast six shots or three targets?
USPSA matches are freestyle, as stated in rule 1.1.5. This means that competitors must be able to solve the stage in their own way. We don’t tell them the target order, or that they have to move to the left or right first. But we do have some specific exceptions to this rule that are outlined in the sub-rules of 1.1.5, including requiring strong hand only or weak hand only for no more than the last six shots in medium and long courses. But there are some tricks to how you specify this to prevent gaming.
[Read more…] about Last six shots or three targets?Stick to the range commands!
There are official range commands for a reason and there are reasons why Range Officials should limit themselves to only those commands. Yes, sometimes situations arise where you might have to deviate from the list of allowed commands, but 99% of the time the official commands are appropriate and the only thing needed. Let’s look at the common range command deviations and why they are not needed or should not be used.
[Read more…] about Stick to the range commands!When good steel goes bad
Metal targets are not maintenance free, especially if your club chooses to purchase targets made from a softer steel than AR500. But even the more expensive steel targets eventually require some attention. Let’s look at some of the common issues we see.
[Read more…] about When good steel goes badWhere do the mags start?
Stages where the firearm starts on a table usually raise some questions because they are not as common as starting with the handgun holstered or holding the PCC with stock on belt. The most common question is what about magazines? Where do they start when the gun is on a table? That is what we were asking in this Question of the Month.
[Read more…] about Where do the mags start?