Author Topic: Matches and USPSA. A first timers Experience (A little long)  (Read 1916 times)

Offline frgood

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Matches and USPSA. A first timers Experience (A little long)
« on: April 21, 2014, 06:40:24 PM »
I want to share this past month's roller coaster ride of enthusiasm.
 
 Earlier this afternoon the scores from my first USPSA match were posted. With the teaser firmly in place I am going back a whole month.
 
 I have a RIA 9mm. It has been very reliable and as accurate as I need for training. My other trainer is a SIG P250. It's DAO is supposedly teaching me trigger control. I'm an older person (52) and was very excited with landing in the middle of the pack at a Zombie match last month. It is a very casual atmosphere and group which is accommodating to a first timer like myself. I learned how I can work with my holster under a modicum of pressure and I found my belt was too thick for the mag holders. So I ran with all the magazines in my pants pocket.  In the end  a Zombie match is incredible fun and I strongly recommend it for anyone, everyone.
 
 Two weeks ago, at CFRPC was an 'Action Steel Match'. It is, from my understanding, a more casual Steel match and, again as in the zombie, I faired pretty  well by not being at the very bottom. My ego and enthusiasm were high and higher. So much so that I bought a SIRT Laser trainer and practices my draw and sight picture every morning and evening in the hotels I travel for work. This is such a fun a great sport and I do love competing.
 
 This past Sunday, CFRPC held their monthly USPSA match. I arrived at 6am. Two extra hours of eagerness and a stomach of McD' burritos and assorted McMuffins.. I was wired. At least I would not look the complete fool I was prepared to walk through and earn a nice 'beginner' pat on the back. I tried to remember all the things in Ben Stoeglers's books and videos. I made a best effort to remind myself that I carried 9 in each mag.  I had an ambi safety installed and now I would not be fumbling immediately after the draw.
 
 I was not ready for the rush of adrenalin the moment that buzzer went off. Most noticeable,  I was just so cute and dainty with my mags. Causing a Tap, Rack, Bang on 3 of the five starts. I changed my mag count because I could not remember how (to count). 
 
 I had fun.
 
 But you must remember, I'm a sadist. I work with computers for a living. I am only happy when I'm frustrated. And boy was I happy this Sunday.
 
 I did hit some targets. I did run backwards for a while. I did not get an IDPA jacket caught in a doorway, like someone else. My mags did not drop, as another. I met some incredibly fast match runners and learned a lot.
 
 I am going to start walking and exercising. I am going to practice mag changes and draws AND I GOING TO WORK on getting that sight picture aligned in a second. Out of the 4 in the Single stack Division I came in fourth. This is my kind of race.
 
 On a confused note, I had recently purchased a CZ-75B with plans for using that for competition. It is still being broken-in but in me excitment, I should have gotten the CZ- 85  as that is for lefties (ambi safety). I'm not keen on changing sights, but the lollipop (6 O'clock) hold really does me no good.
 
 I think I'll have to swap it somehow and probably sell of my prize Paintball gun collection to pay for the difference. I'm in love with the CZ and know that that happiness will translate in getting a proper ranking in future matches.
 
 In the immortal words of Flounder: "Is this great or what!"
 
 
 oh I almost forgot to mention that after adding the ambi-safety, I found myself placing my thumb atop the safety. This caused my palm to rise up thus disengaging the grip safety. Arrrrrgh!