USPSA Match this weekend, stupid Newbie mistake!

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sturmruger

sturmruger

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This weekend I shot at my Club's monthly USPSA match. I shot the first two stages very well for a action shooting newcomer. Got over to the third stage, I was the very last shooter of the day. Everyone else was done shooting so they were all sitting around watching the last of our group shoot. It was a simple stage that had 7 steel poppers, and 8 paper targets. We were to engage all of the targets from inside a shooting box.

The trick to this stage was we were supposed to load our gun, place it on a table in front of us, then when the buzzer sounded we were supposed to spin around three times then grab our gun and start shooting. I decided that I was going to shoot all of the steel and then move on to the paper. I shot all of the steel and started reloading. While I was reloading someone asked if I was planning on spinning around any time soon. I was stunned how could I forgot something so simple as to spin around 3 times before I started shooting. After the comment from the peanut gallery I decided to just keep shooting. I don't know why I kept shooting I was so mad at myself I couldn't hit :cuss:. When it was all said and done I was PISSED it was so simple why couldn't I remember to spin around. I got a procedural for each shot I took. I got like -230 for that stage if I understand the scoring properly. The good news is they lowest score you can get is 0. So when the match results come through that will be my score for the stage.

Oh well mistake happen, I am just glad I wasn't shooting a classifier. Oh ya, I have yet to make any safety snafus.
 
Everyone present should be very grateful that you didn't decide to spin after being "reminded". Had I been the R.O., I would have had a serious discussion with your "coach". That said, one procedural per shot fired seems a little much, yeah thats the rules.
 
Spin around three times before you pick up the gun huh? I do not think I would want to be around a dizzy guy with a loaded handgun. :scrutiny:
 
From what everyone else was saying spinning around 3 times wasn't enough to get you so disoriented that you would do something unsafe. It did make the first couple of shot a little shaky, but most guys were able to shake off the effects of spinning around quickly.
 
From the description you gave, the stage is an example of some pretty poor course design not to mention it is in violation of USPSA rules, unless there was more to the stage than what I have read.

Yeah, I know it's hard to get guys to design and set up stages so we all just go with the flow. When I encounter something like you described, I just shake my head and shoot it and keep my mouth shut, but I don't take it seriously.

If the match was a sanctioned match with a classifier you could have played their silly game by producing a rule book and demand the stage be thrown out. :p
 
I agree with the above posters, that just sounds like stupid stage design. What exactly is it supposed to test? Spinning speed? :)
 
To everyone disagreeing with the triple spin move:

Its stupid stage design.

Its impractical.

Its borderline insane.

Its typical IPSC.

Personally I think that something like that is egreiously stupid and terribly unsafe.
 
Well I think you did just fine to keep shooting and no to spin around soon as you heard someone say it, that would have been ugly. Nobody will remember this in 2 years at the club, but spinning with the gun would have never been forgotton.

I agree with John Forsyth, the spinning idea does not sound good and any gun games. Drop that part and just have a little pick up and shoot speed stage or something. Eight years and lots of IPSC and IDPA match's I have not had to do this yet.

As for zeroing a stage, I have still done that from time to time:D Reload? was that on this stage...doh
 
The best solution?

When somebody asked when you were going to start spinning, you should have just given him the finger, and then shot the rest of the stage. And I'm not talking about the trigger finger. :)
 
Coaching in IPSC is a no no and you can pen people for doing it. All thou this does not happen much maybe it should have here, because had it been a new to shooting-shooter who is all ready un sure of the rules etc and nervous they would have just heard the "someone asked if I was planning on spinning around any time soon" and might have done it.

Correia's idea is pretty good too:D
 
IPSC has some awesomely good shooters, but a "spin around and shoot" stage is the reason that some call IPSC the Idiotic Play Shooting Club.

I mostly shoot IDPA, but have shot at a number of USPSA matches, which I've enjoyed . . . I've seen tremendous shooting, and have NOT seen any downright silly stuff like this.
 
Yep, flip them the bird and say "spin on this." :)

This shouldn't be a condemnation on IPSC, I've seen stupid ideas in IDPA as well. Stupid stage design transcends all borders.
 
OH I cringed reading that! I could just see you spinning around, gun in hand when the "coach" said something. You may be new, but thank you for being smarter than all the peanut gallery and the stage designer put together. I realize that I may have to drive up to 170 miles, but when I have time to shoot I am blessed to be able to go to a club each weekend and be treated to some really good stage design. The change from boxes to "shoot 'em as you see 'em hampered some clubs, but plastic barrels, pre-fab fencing sections, orange snow fence etc. really aren't that expensive, clubs are just lazy. So, as a new guy who wants good stages, volunteer to build them.
 
Its typical IPSC.
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Funny you think its typical. I have been shooting IPSC for 8 years and have yet to see anything as typical as this.

I am amazed the shooters at this match actually went along with this stupid stage description.

Fear not, if you ever come out to Colorado, you wont see anything as stupid as this at an IPSC or an IDPA match.
 
Its typical IPSC.
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That's the kind of remark you typically hear from people who have shot little or no IPSC - usually folks who rely on the propaganda of a couple gun-rag writers who have a vested interest in the financial success of other shooting sports competing with IPSC for the relatively limited number of action pistol shooters. That sort of stage is not encourage by the USPSA or IPSC.

Beyond the stage being profoundly stupid and borderline unsafe, how was the stage procedure written? If it did not specifically state "1 procedural for each shot fired before completing 3 turns", the penalty should have been one and only one procedural for not following the course procedure.
 
I might be new to this, but I don't see how this could be a "stupid stage" From what everyone said at the match spinning around was not something many of us had done before, but our stage design commitee got the idea from one of the regional matches so I don't think it is too out there. I would say 90 percent of the stages probably fall into the "shootem as you see'em" category. THose are fun and always interesting to see how everyone runs them just a little bit differantly.

As far as spinning around being unsafe I think the most unsafe thing I have seen is people running on wet grass. Spinning around in a box while not holding a gun hardly falls into the "unsafe" category. Spinning around three times is not enough to make a person fall over. It did slow people down for around 3 shots but after that it was pretty much a non-factor.

I think they made it 1 procedural for each shot because they were afraid some people would skip the spinning take the 1 procedural and finish 5 seconds ahead of everyone else. I can't say it is my favorite stage ever but I did think it was a challenge to shoot. They mixed in a lot of tricky no shoots, but I am glad we won't see it again. My luck I would forget to spin around again! :banghead:
 
Sturmruger, "No plan survives first contact".:D

One of the reasons I play the "gun games", is to practice under stress. Isn't it funny how the "fan club" and that darned clock can make us forget what we wanted to do, what we planned to do not seconds before?

That's what makes the great shooters - FOCUS.
 
Rabbit9, before I started shooting against the clock I always heard people say that it was more of a mind sport then anything, and never believed them. Believe me I don't doubt it now.

I am planning on setting up a stage in a couple of weeks and doing nothing but run it over an over again. Then I will see how my scores improve and what I can do to make my time better.
 
I help run IPSC at my club and every month I see course design that is frighteningly impractical - this is a trend throughout USPSA.

Sorry, but I dont think giving shooters 3 turns on a dizzy bat is a good idea. While we're at it why dont we start out with all shooters have to take 2 shots of Jack Daniels to simulate a barfight. Oh yeah - we happen to be wearing our open gun and CR speed rig with 3 magholders on it at the same time.

I'd shoot IPSC if they dropped "practical" from their name. Thats just what I believe in. I'm not saying IDPA is any better or worse but IPSC is the standard for the "Attack of the green men from mars" stages or the "20 people are attacking you in the costco parking lot" scenario.
 
We need to understand the differences between the sports. I say sports for a reason, sports are games, and we play games. I think asking someone to spin around 3 times is fundamentaly unsafe. I could care less what the sport is. I can also say from shooting both, that I have never heard of such a stage in either. And as Correia said, I have seen stupid stuff called out in both.

We need to stop the little bickering between the two sports and say both are good because they are. Anything that gets someone out and shooting is good. Some like one, some the other, and some like me like them both. I shoot both with exactly the same equipment, just carry a couple more mags for one.
 
I help run IPSC at my club and every month I see course design that is frighteningly impractical - this is a trend throughout USPSA.
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dukeofurl, does this mean you're taking responsibility for that trend?:D
 
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