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| Blogs > New2Midlo > Fun with a normal white guy... |
Look Out!!! He's Got a Gun!!!
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Look Out!!! He's Got a Gun!!! My first positive post since leaving Richmond. Don't get used to it... With all of my normal social outlets unavailable in KC (homeless training, Porsche club), my social life has been barren. No surprise this place was killing me. So, I began to consider other means of getting the fuck out of the house. One of the things Kansas has a fuck ton of is shooters. And until 2008, I'd been a pretty hardcore competitive shooter, myself. 5 years of PPC and another of IPSC my belt. But it stopped being fun and more like a semi obsession or job. Shooting four matches a month and never going to the range without a set of skills I wanted to practice. Fun? Not so much. So I walked away in 2008 and sold all my custom built guns and other equipment (I won't tell you how much I discovered I'd sunk into the sport). Hadn't missed it in the least, since quitting. But I was really wit's end on how to keep from mentally and emotionally imploding, so earlier this year, I bought a used comp gun and got ready to compete in the hell hole I live in. And today was my first match. After a decade away, I wasn't expecting much. In fact, my only goal was to have fun. Before I get into whether my expectations were met, a bit of explanation of the sport I compete in, IPSC or USPSA. Each match has 5-9 stages and each stage is either a problem to be solved or a set of skills to be bench marked. The former can be anywhere from 3 to targets that need to be shot as quickly and accurately as possible. There are walls, barriers, and other obstacles that require you not just hose targets from one spot. Some stages require you to reload / change magazines at a certain point or fire your gun one handed...left handed. Your score is essentially how many points you scored, by hitting the target, divided by the time it took you. Points second. Equipment is broken into classes, so someone shooting a of the box Glock isn't trying to keep up with a full , purpose built pistol. Regardless of your hardware, you try to fly through a stage. For example, one of the stages today required you to shoot five targets, lined up in a row (2 shots each), reload, then shoot another five from a different position. All were close, so it was a hose fest. I shot this stage in 6.59 seconds, with only two shots not in the highest scoring area of the target. It was one of the fastest runs on that stage for the day. But super rusty; when I quit the sport in 2008, I would have run it clean in 5. seconds, give or take a tenth. My performance wasn't my primary focus; today was all about the experience and it didn't disappoint. One of the things I enjoyed most about competition shooting is the people. Every time I've gone somewhere new to shoot a club match, the environment was always friendly and inviting. Sportsmanship is supreme. When someone's gun breaks or ammo doesn't work, there are multiple offers to 'use mine'. You and your fiercest rivals will stand together and figure out the best way to shoot a stage. As far as how I did overall in the match, I had a couple solid stages, like the one above, where I felt like a rock star. One or two where I was a rock star until I put a round in a no shoot target. There were a few where my gun jammed like reggae festival..bang, FUCK!, bang, FUCK!... And one or two I'd rather not talk about. But good enough for a mid-pack finish for the match. Btw, I shot more rounds today than I had in the previous ten years TOTAL, so there was still rust flying off of me at the end of the day. I'll admit to deriving just a bit of joy from the last conversation I had, after packing up. Standing with three other shooters on my squad, I said 'not bad for my first match back'. One asked how long I'd been gone. Three mouths literally dropped open when I told them. Today was a pretty great day; definitely the most fun I've had since moving here. Good people and gun fire. It may sound odd, but definitely food for my starving soul. |
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Bang!
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i like idpa and steel matches, Have fun and don't take it too serious. I always considered matches to just be good practice for me. I was competitive, but usually in the middle of the pack. 
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