IDPA match at Mecklenburg Wildlife Defensive Shooters 4-28-2012

Finally got back on the horse and shot an IDPA match. I haven't shot an IDPA match since the February match at MWDS which was the classifier. Between weather and being sick most of the last 4-5 weeks, I just haven't much felt like getting outside and shooting. Anyway, it was another quality match put together by Bruce Hurt. It was six stages which had some interesting situations and a steel plate rack which I've never shot before and as bad as I shot it, hope I never have to shoot it again. I only got video of the first five stages and didn't get my times and scores. For the most part, my shooting was decent and I think my times were ok. I was mostly just wanting to get back out there and throw some lead down range and not break any safety rules. This was important as we had two people disqualified on the very first stage.

Stage 1 you are sitting facing uprange, your gun in a box, with 10 rounds in the mag, no rounds in the chamber and your mags on a table. At signal, you get up, go to the table, stow your mags, chamber a round and engage two targets from the table. From there, you move up, and engage three targets in the first room, then two targets in the second room, and finally one target in the last room. Sounds easy, right? Well, I brain farted this course of fire. I did everything right up to the first room. Shot the first two targets just fine and forgot about the third target. Moved on and finished the course of fire. So, procedural penalty, -10 for completely missing the target, and a failure to neutralize. Nice way to start the day. Anyway, here is a video of one of our revolver shooters running the stage. He did a really nice job.

Stage 2 was just a bunch of targets behind hard cover that you had to shoot from behind cover. Differing amounts of each target was available to shoot. Didn't have too much of an issue with this course of fire. I was all zero's and one's with one score of two on this course of fire. I had been working on my head shots at the range last week, so I think that really helped out here. See the video. I think I may have cut off a bit short, but you'll get the basic idea.

Stage 3 had you again facing up range, you turned, drew your weapon and fired at three targets in sequence 1-1-2-1-1, each target gets one shot before any target gets a second shot. From there, you move to cover and shoot each of three more targets from cover with two shots each. Sorry about the video. Lots of people moving around.

Stage 4 had 9 targets and was shot under Vickers scoring. What this means is that you can ONLY shoot the prescribed number of shots per target. No makeup shots. Basically, 3 targets right, 3 targets left, and 3 targets further downrange. You draw and shoot in any order, but 3 targets to either side have to be strong hand only, weak hand only, and the 3 targets downrange are free-style (two handed). I did ok here except for my last shot weak hand. I pulled it right and off the target for a miss. Was really my only bad shot all day except for not shooting that target on stage one. I really need to work on my one handed shooting. Anyway, here is a video of stage 4. Kinda hard to get in all the targets, so sorry for the quality.

Stage 5 had a first for me. It was a steel plate rack with 6 steel plates. After shooting those, you step on an activator panel which releases a swinging no shoot, move to cover and shoot 3 targets while slicing the pie with the no shoot swinging in front of them. What should, if you are a good shot, take you 12 rounds to shoot took me 21 rounds. I missed the first steel plate with 4 rounds. Seems I was high and left with is completely out of character for me. If I miss, 99.999% it's low left. I'm "Grand-Master Flinch" which causes you to pull low left. Anyway, I got through it. It was ugly, but I got through it. Not sure the distance, but I'd guess it was between 12-15 yards for the plates. Guess I need to work those distances a bit more. 

Finally, there was stage 6. Stage 6 was 9 targets. All of which must have been shot from cover. Unfortunately, I don't have video for you, but the first 5 targets are shot from the starting area with four of them at around 7-10 yards and one of them probably 20-25 yards. Reload, move up to cover spot two, shoot 3 more targets in various levels of cover, one of which only gave you basically the head and shoulders to shoot at, and finally, move forward and left to shoot at one more target at basically arms length around a barricade. So, nine, targets, 18 round minimum. I shot 21 rounds total. I know I shot 3 at the long distance target, and 3 at the head of the head and shoulders target because I wasn't sure I had hit it twice. Can't remember where the third extra round went. I'm checking with my friends on North Carolina Gun Owners to see if anyone else has video of stage 6. If they do, I'll update this post and add it. 

Well, that's it for me. Had a great time again at Mecklenburg Wildlife Defensive Shooters. They  put on another great match as usual. 

Remember, shoot safe, shoot straight!