Be a better USPSA Shooter

[Coach]

We have this wildly successful thread going about USPSA rules. I just started one on being a Range Officer. I hope it gets going. I think one on being a better shooter is also in order. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

1) Get off your ass and paste. It is hot for everyone. Everyone else worked yesterday and will have to work tomorrow as well.

2) Have your **** together and be at the line when it is your time to shoot. Especially when you stopped pasting four shooters ago.

3) There is nothing wrong with expecting the RO to run the stage by the rules and score you correctly. Getting over wrapped up in this sport and calling for an overlay every time you miss is tiring and trite. Get over yourself and take the mike like a man or woman. Cuss a little bit, throw the mag down and pout for a few minutes and then move on.

4) Check out your equipment and have it squared away. Everyone has stuff break once in a while. No problem. But if your stuff does not work all the time. Stay home one weekend and figure it out and save the rest of the torture of watching the floundering in the heat.

5) Someone has to go first on the squad. Take your turn once in a while.

6) If you did not help set up. Help tear down. I can name people who have shot longer than me that I have never, ever seen help tear down or set up. That is bull**** plain and simple.

7) Express concerns especially ones that are not related to safety carefully. If it is about safety speak up. If it is not don't pretend it is about safety. If it is a desire that you have for making your life simple keep in mind it is not all about you.

8) If you get lost in a classifier don't give advice to a new shooter.

 

[blkrifle]

sound advice

 

[Fuzz]

And Brass?

 

[romack991]

8) Don't give advice unless someone asks you for it.

FIFY

 

[Tanfodude]

FIFY

I never asked for advice but a good, friendly advice has helped me a lot. It all depends on how your approach it.

 

[romack991]

I never asked for advice but a good, friendly advice has helped me a lot. It all depends on how your approach it.

True. A timely suggestion is great. But unfortunately the bad usually outweighs the good.

 

[Tanfodude]

True. A timely suggestion is great. But unfortunately the bad usually outweighs the good.

Timely is the right word. I had all timely advices from good people when I was learning this sport.

 

[riverman67]

I think I'm doing OK on 1,3,5 and 6
I'll work on the rest
I'll add if youre young and can see ask someone to show you how to run the kindle.
I hate those damn things.

 

[Seancass]

A local match IS practice. Push yourself, learn something. (Once you know how to play safely.)

As an average shooter, using the wrong equipment, I am usually hesitant to give advice. I've met #8, I don't want to be that guy. However, if someone is looking for a weird way to run a stage, i can usually provide that!

Timely advice is a good way to put it. If i just botched a stage, i don't want to hear about it for a few minutes!

 

[riverman67]

And Brass?

I'm not sure I understand your question
But....
Brass policy varies from place to place , most of the ranges I go to regularly the policy is pick up all the brass you want.......after teardown

 

[bwframe]

...I'll add if youre young and can see ask someone to show you how to run the kindle...

Please. It's disappointing when I have to tell folks, "Sorry, I can't help with that. Cant see it."

 

[rvb]

4) Check out your equipment and have it squared away. Everyone has stuff break once in a while. No problem. But if your stuff does not work all the time. Stay home one weekend and figure it out and save the rest of the torture of watching the floundering in the heat.

Same goes for ammo. Use factory in matches until you can figure out how to make ammo that runs.
-rvb

 

[rvb]

Learn the rules. There are LOTS of little nuances that can really help or hurt you in a match. "I've never heard of that rule before" is not an excuse to get you out of penalties. Similarly, there are lots of things you can do to help your score if you simply understand scoring.

-rvb

 

[racegunz]

And Brass?

Well "back in the day" before every stage was 32 rounds and everyone seemed to help paste and reset, usually after you shot about 3 people would come up and hand you back about 80% of your brass. I have only been gone since 2008 until starting again last year and things have changed some. I think the title of this thread should be "How to be a better squad member." The issue I see is a lot of people can't wait to be done and go home..... it's like it's all a big rush to get the match over with. turns into a big "no fun zone" that's my 2 cents. Want to be a better shooter? come out and practice! a lot!

 

[riverman67]

Well "back in the day" before every stage was 32 rounds and everyone seemed to help paste and reset, usually after you shot about 3 people would come up and hand you back about 80% of your brass. I have only been gone since 2008 until starting again last year and things have changed some. I think the title of this thread should be "How to be a better squad member." The issue I see is a lot of people can't wait to be done and go home..... it's like it's all a big rush to get the match over with. turns into a big "no fun zone" that's my 2 cents. Want to be a better shooter? come out and practice! a lot!

Yeah why is everybody in such a rush
Going to a match is an all day thing for me. Show up early and help with setup or whatever is needed
Help tear down. Go get some thing to eat.
I'm all for running the squad efficiently through the stages but we don't have to go after it like we're killing snakes.

 

[sv40sw45]

When we started having the Squads tear down their last stage, it seem all want to get the hell out Dodge ASAP. The hand full of guys who up these matches so you can come play with your TOYS are wore out after the match and need LOTS of help to secure the range. So stick around and give a helping hand, it is really appreciated.

 

[cakelly1962]

Yes on brass, don't be picking it up during the match. It's F'd up when you see people picking it up while your running shooters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most ranges have a policy you wait until after the match is over and tear down is complete to pick brass?

 

[Tanfodude]

Well "back in the day" before every stage was 32 rounds and everyone seemed to help paste and reset, usually after you shot about 3 people would come up and hand you back about 80% of your brass. I have only been gone since 2008 until starting again last year and things have changed some. I think the title of this thread should be "How to be a better squad member." The issue I see is a lot of people can't wait to be done and go home..... it's like it's all a big rush to get the match over with. turns into a big "no fun zone" that's my 2 cents. Want to be a better shooter? come out and practice! a lot!

There was an article about being a better squad member in Front Sight.

 

[rvb]

Yes on brass, don't be picking it up during the match. It's F'd up when you see people picking it up while your running shooters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most ranges have a policy you wait until after the match is over and tear down is complete to pick brass?

Used to do this all the time. as you walk out to paste targets you grab some from the last shooter. I used to mark my open gun ammo distinctly, and I'd usually get 3/4+ of it back, w/o doing any brassing after the match. May be you see a couple pieces as you paste later. doesn't have to slow things down. folks would bring me several pieces after the match even since it was so marked. I'd save handfuls for other folks if I knew their markings, etc.

Now because so many clubs have the leave it policy, every match is a lost brass match, because if you're helping tear down, there's folks hawking everything they can find while you help work. and as mentioned above, since short/medium courses are now heresy, pasting is more all-hands-on-deck vs a couple folks being spared for grabbing some brass.

-rvb

 

[rvb]

cross posting...

Interesting, I was about to post in the "how to be a good shooter" thread not to have a consumer/customer attitude. I view match fees as payment for consumables I use or covering other expenses needed to make the match happen. Just because I pd $ doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing my part to paste, RO, setup/teardown when possible, etc. As an RO, I have no "customers." Every shooter gets the same consideration per the rules. I don't care that someone pd $ to be there, or had to travel x many miles, I'm not overturning the mike or the DQ (yes, I've had folks use those as reasons why they shouldn't get DQd).

ROs have to do their best to follow rules and be fair and follow the golden rule with the shooters. Shooters who shoot-n-scoot sometimes forget it's still an all-volunteer sport.

-rvb