Whether you paint your own hard cover targets or purchase pre-painted ones, it is important to check the targets to ensure they have the edge of the hardcover in the right place. We don’t score targets on the ‘intent’ of where the hard cover edge should be and hard cover targets need to be consistent for the entire match.
[Read more…] about The hard cover edgeStage Design
The Evolution of Stage Design Tools
Back when I started in this sport the new hotness for stage design were a bunch of templates for MS Office products like Word and Excel. This was a HUGE step up from the green plastic stage design template many had been using for years or freehand drawing. Some were using Corel Draw as well but that required a Corel license (or at least a bootleg copy of Corel) and “laptops” were under powered and over heavy so portable stage designing wasn’t a thing. Things have come a long way since those days.
[Read more…] about The Evolution of Stage Design ToolsFreestanding No-Shoots. Good Idea or Bad?
One of the things we discuss in the Level I Range Officer and Level II Chief Range Officer seminars is how certain practices of using no-shoots can cause problems for ROs during the match. To be clear, we are not discouraging the use of no-shoots as a penalty target. In fact, we strongly endorse using no-shoots when used in conjunction with a scoring target where they are stapled together and in direct contact with one another (9.1.5.1.1). This is completely legit and the most problem-free use of a no-shoot.
[Read more…] about Freestanding No-Shoots. Good Idea or Bad?Stage Design – Details…details…details
Most of us have some particular features we put into the stage during the design process that we want to be there for whatever reason. Be it the design of target arrays, arrangement of targets around the bay, or just about anything else. We designed it a particular way and we want it set up that way mostly because it is “ours”. But what REALLY happens and, maybe more importantly, what SHOULD happen during the transfer from the paper design to reality? Let’s dive in…
[Read more…] about Stage Design – Details…details…detailsVertical equity
Everyone talks about competitive equity when it comes to things like moving targets, the angle of the sun, or even the weather (stupid rain bags). The first one is something range staff can manage and hopefully prevent. The last two, well most of us shoot outdoors and have to deal with the weather variation. When designing and building stages there is one thing that occasionally gets forgotten and that is we have quite the range of competitor heights in our sport and we need to make sure to keep that in mind.
[Read more…] about Vertical equityLayered targets in Virginia Count and Fixed Time
The 2024 rulebooks release today (February 29th) and that means we have new rules to discuss! If you look at the USPSA Competition Rules you will see a new rule about not overlapping scoring targets directly on top of each other. Let’s look at the new rule, discuss why it was added, and some example target layouts.
[Read more…] about Layered targets in Virginia Count and Fixed TimeThe different stage types
Last week we covered the different scoring methods. This week let’s look at the different USPSA stage types and the differences between all of those.
[Read more…] about The different stage typesThe different scoring methods
Last year, we had a Fixed Time stage at nationals and quickly learned that many folks have never seen that scoring method and were confused about how Fixed Time works and is scored. By using that scoring method at nationals, we are now seeing it pop up more in local matches and other major matches. But what are all the differences between the different scoring methods in USPSA?
[Read more…] about The different scoring methods