ammo

Quote of the day

Posted on by Caleb

For one example, the M&S (Marshall & Sanow – ed) study measures instances of “One Shot Stops”. Fine. Fair. But they don’t go on to qualify this measure. “One Shot Stop”, as a name, doesn’t offer any information regarding WHY the person stopped; i.e. the difference between a “physical stop” (the person is physically/mechanically disabled and cannot continue the attack) and a “psychological stop” (person undergoes the “I Just Got SHOT!” reaction and subconsciously DECIDES to stop the attack themselves). Without taking the time and care to qualify what parameters you use to define the Primary Measurement used in your study, anything you derive from that measurement is going to be inaccurate.

In conclusion, reading the M&S study is like working under a car with a child fetching your tools. What you really need is a 3/4″ socket. When the kid shows up with a handful of screwdrivers, you have to thank him for trying, but you still can’t use any of those to fit the task at hand; and you’re really no closer to tightening that bolt. What you really need now is someone who knows what that tool looks like, and knows how to get it to you.

From this thread at The Firing Line.  Most of it is pretty bad, because it’s full of people who believe that the Marshal and Sanow study was something other than total nonsense.  The guy that wrote the post I linked to though is pretty squared away.

Remember, the one-shot-stop is a myth.  The most effective way to incapacitate an attacker when using a pistol is multiple rapid hits to the thoracic cavity, and even then that’s no guarantee.  Your gun isn’t a deathray, whether it’s a 9mm, a .40, or a .45 ACP.

IDPA/revolvers

IDPA Stock Service Revolver Power Floor Reduction

Posted on by Caleb

The official announcement from IDPA HQ:

IDPA recognizes the difficulty of finding off the shelf factory loaded .38 special ammunition that meets the the existing 125,000 power floor for SSR.  Because of this difficulty, IDPA has decided to lower the power floor required for SSR to 105,000. The 105,000 power floor will allow more off the shelf brands of ammunition to meet the requirement for the SSR division. This change in power floor should allow IDPA members more opportunity to participate in the SSR division without having to invest in reloading equipment.

This change in power floor will become effective on January 17th, 2011.

Robert Ray
IDPA HQ

Like I said, I think this is smart on IDPA’s part.  I’ll be ordering up some 130 grain FMJ for IDPA and keeping the 125 grain BVAC JHP for Bianchi Cup competition.

shooting/Team Gun Nuts

Tracking improvement

Posted on by Shelley

Quantifiable improvement is my favorite kind of improvement. I like to be able to see what that improvement is and track why it has occurred. Part of my past frustration has been an inability to track concrete progress in my shooting, until this week.

Most of the recommendations I have received in the past have involved starting a notebook and doing everything with a timer then tracking my times. I have two problems with this, the first of which is that I lose notebooks. The second is that my training is so accuracy focused and my ability level so novice that I’m not yet at the point where I spend a lot of time with a shot timer practicing live fire.

I had a really good day at the range on Wednesday. I was able to land some nice 20 yard shots, hit over 40 on both my Dot Torture drills and run my fastest FAST drill (haha) yet. This really pushed me to find a way to track my progress, so with the help of Caleb and another shooting buddy of mine I was able to put together three spreadsheets:

The first tracks my shooting in general. Date, gun, ammo, number of shots, number of malfunctions, and the drill run. This way I can see which guns work best with what ammo, when I was running what drill and how many shots total I’ve put through each firearm.

My second spreadsheet is a very simple sheet designed to monitor my times with the FAST drill. It has the date, the gun, the ammo (things I consider it important to track at all times given that I will shoot differently with different firearms and ammunition types) and my time on the FAST drill.

The final spreadsheet came from a friend and is specifically designed for Dot Torture. I edited it a little to add the gun and ammo, but it includes the date and tracks my hits on each dot as well as my overall score. This allows me to track which dots I am occasionally throwing shots on and which ones consistently require improvement.

It’s important to track your progress, however you choose to do it. It not only shows you what you need to work on but also can act as a confidence booster. It’s great to see proof that you’re getting better rather than just assuming all this practice ought to be doing something.

Uncategorized

Only 4 spots left

Posted on by Caleb

In January’s IDPA Basic Competition class at Norpoint Range in Smokey Point, WA.  If you’re an IDPA Marksman or Sharpshooter looking to take your game to the next level, this class is for you!  It’s two days of instruction for the low cost of $150.  Info on the class is at this link, and to hold your spot send an email to [email protected] – I’ll see you there!

podcasts

Gun Nuts Radio returns

Posted on by Caleb

Check out last night’s episode of Gun Nuts Radio, our first since the election cycle!  I cannot say “thank you” enough to the people who emailed me during the hiatus to encourage me to bring the show back, without those messages of encourage I may have just given up on it.  As usual, you can download the show by clicking the link above, or by hitting the button for the iTunes download.

Gun Nuts Radio | Blog Talk Radio Feed

On last night’s show we talk 1911s, I get distracted by a shiny object, and answer questions on Facebook chat. If you have a question about the show, email me at [email protected] or follow the Gun Nuts Facebook page. I also really do want to thank everyone that tuned in last night and caught the early download. According to our stats, we had over 100 live listeners last night and have already gone over 1500 downloads! Thank you again, and we’ll be back next week with coverage from SHOT SHOW!

IDPA/revolvers

IDPA SSR Power factor

Posted on by Caleb

There is a rumor going around that IDPA is going to lower the power factor for Stock Service Revolver to 105 from its current place at 125.  To make a 125 power factor in IDPA, you’d almost exclusively have to handload .38 Special for SSR, as most factory loads come out around 105/115 power factor, and only a few +P loads with 158 grain bullets exceed the power floor.  By lowering the power factor to a more reasonable number, IDPA actually opens the door to SSR to a lot of new shooters.  Previously, this was the hardest division to compete in, as you couldn’t in many cases buy factory ammo to shoot in SSR, and had to handload.  For someone with a K-frame that they picked up for cheap and a desire to improve their gunhandling skills, that can be a high bar of entry.

Model 60
Model 60 and Federal 130 grain FMJ

With the new rules for power factor hopefully going into effect before the major match season kicks off, I’m excited to see what my S&W 686 (not pictured) can do with 130 grain ball ammo.  For whatever reason, 130 grain FMJ has become the most common .38 round available, and yet none of the factory loadings would actually make IDPA power factor.  Assuming again that this isn’t all a horrid rumor, you’ll be able to buy factory ammo, like the Federal American Eagle 130 grain FMJ pictured at left and make IDPA’s power factor.

I think this is a good thing, I hope that IDPA releases the ruling soon so that the change can be made official.