Not all local matches are created equal. Each match has a certain historical personality and “style”. The Range Officers and shooters at those matches adjust their habits to fit the situation and all is relatively well, although perhaps not always particularly correct. Those habits, however, don’t always mesh well at a major match. Some of the differences deal with the correct application of the rules and some are simply good practice. Shooters and ROs going to their first major may be uncertain about what to expect. Let’s review some of the issues, both for staff and competitors.
[Read more…] about (Major) Match Etiquette and TechniquesSearch Results for: Virginia Count
Speed Shoot Tips
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.
[Read more…] about Speed Shoot TipsWhat’s My Line?
Many people understand the role of the range officer with the timer: to issue the range commands, to supervise and observe the competitor while they shoot the course of fire, to correctly and accurately score targets, and to ensure safety and procedural rules are followed at all times. But, what about the second, or third, or even fourth RO on a stage? What are they supposed to do? Most people understand that the second RO is typically considered the scorekeeper, and while the competitor is shooting, they watch the stage in general, look for foot faults, safety issues, and other procedural errors that may be made. The scorekeeper is also responsible for accurately recording the competitor’s score, whether that’s done on paper or electronically. The third Range Officer on a stage has responsibility for an even wider view of what’s happening while the stage is being shot, looking for faults, procedural errors and safety problems. Let’s look at each job and its responsibilities a little closer, though.
[Read more…] about What’s My Line?Double Jeopardy
No, this is not about a television game show. It concerns the application of penalties in a match. Although our sport is fundamentally a freestyle activity, and most stages allow the shooter to choose his/her shooting solution, some shooter actions are affected by stage procedures listed in the Written Stage Briefing.
[Read more…] about Double JeopardyHits per Target
Usually, all cardboard targets on a stage require the same number of scoring hits. There might be a rare Classifier stage that has a different number of required hits on a target or two, but can a stage designer do something different? The February Question of the Month asked: Can the WSB for a single COF specify a different number of hits to be scored for certain targets in the COF? e.g., The best one hit on T1, best two hits on T2, best 3 hits on T3, etc.
[Read more…] about Hits per TargetStandard Exercises and Speed Shoots
It seems like there is a dislike for Standard Exercises and Speed Shoots, both from competitors and stage designers. The competitors dislike them because they require following stage procedures, and failure to do so is heavily penalized. Stage designers shy away from them because there are so many rules about designing a legal course of fire. But in reality, these course types can be used to test very specific shooting skills and are great additions to matches if done properly.
[Read more…] about Standard Exercises and Speed ShootsPractiscore Training
NROI has created a series of videos that explain how to use Practiscore to score USPSA Competition, USPSA Multigun, and Steel Challenge matches. These videos are only available to members who are logged in to the USPSA site. Once logged in, a link to the videos is found under Member Resources in the NROI Information section.
[Read more…] about Practiscore TrainingRethinking the Short Course
In these days of matches being driven by round count the poor Short Course is often dismissed from consideration. With only twelve rounds to offer to the overall match round count, why bother? Well, there are a lot of reasons to think about adding in a short course to your match.
[Read more…] about Rethinking the Short Course