The Rose City IDPA Championship 2018

My First Tier 2 Match

I've shot more than my fair share of IDPA matches over the past few years, so it's about time for me to shoot a sanctioned match. As luck would have it, several of the local shooters worked together to put on a match in Tyler, TX so I didn't even have to travel! This was a lucky break as the travel expenses have deterred me from shooting anything but local matches. 

As a wheel gunner, I elected to shoot in the Revolver Division. IDPA's Revolver is divided into two categories; Stock and Enhanced. I typically shoot in the REV - S division with 115 power factor .38 Special ammunition and speed loaders. The REV - Enhanced division allows for a moon clips as long as the rounds meet the higher power factor of 155. Most factory .45ACP that isn't loaded light, but the shooter I borrowed this revolver from was happy to load up some rounds for both practice sessions and the match.

The eight stage event was held at Rose City Flying Clays on July 13-14, 2018. As the match was held on one large bay, the participants were divided into four squads, with a morning and afternoon shoot each day. I chose the Friday morning squad. The arrival time was early, but I figured that was better to get up before dawn than shoot in the heat. I arrived at the range that morning and after a detailed safety brief, we were ready to shoot! 
 

Match Revolver

Before we get to the individual stages, I wanted to discuss my rig for the match. The revolver I competed with was a Smith & Wesson 625 JM. It features an Apex Tactical Evolution IV Hammer and an Apex Extended Firing Pin resulting in a trigger pull between six (6) and seven (7) pounds. The 625 is chambered in .45ACP and while there is a more felt recoil, the Hogue X-frame Tamer grips cushion the recoil. I wish Hogue manufactured a version with no finger grooves, because I hate those grooves. 

I've mentioned before that I am very fond of moon clips and believe that all revolvers should be cut this way. This is especially true with the big round-nose bullets. The full moon clips load and unload incredibly fast compared to speed loaders. Even with the high power factor that is required to use moon clips, this was a lot of fun to run at my first sanctioned match. Now onto the stages!

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Stage One of the match required three shots per target from behind the fault line. There were three levels of priority which required targets to be engaged  from near to far. As the Smith & Wesson 625 cylinder only holds six rounds, I reloaded after engaging every two targets. This was a great warm up stage! Even with a misfire, my total time was 27.41 seconds with no points down. My overall placement was 52nd out of 72 shooters.

  

A 1000 Things to Remember

Stage Two was the standards stage. Targets were engaged in priority from near to far behind a designated fault line with each target receiving only one round. Between each fault line shooters were required to swap from freestyle at ten yards, strong hand only at seven yards,  and weak hand only at five yards. This was challenging, but I was only seven (7) points down with a total time of 50.58 seconds. My overall placement was 42nd of 72 shooters.

Law Breakers

Stage Three required one shot to the body and one shot to the head on each target. The first target array went well, but a misfire on the second array threw off my game a bit. That makes two misfires at this match after just three stages. Luckily, the round went off the second time under the hammer. I was only two (2) points down with a total time of 36.48 seconds. My overall placement was 53rd of 72 shooters.
 

Drop Tubby and Run

Stage Four began with shooters carrying a stuffed giraffe, named Tubby, that must be returned to his tub after engaging three targets. Many shooters elected to hold Tubby by his tail while shooting and drop him into his tub on the way to the next position. We were warned that Tubby was a delicate giraffe and could potentially bounce out of his tub. Those that aggressively released Tubby had to retrieve him from the mud before gently placing him in the tub. Tubby cooperated for me and I finished the stage only two (2) points down with a total time of 29.41 seconds. My overall placement was 44th of 72 shooters.
 

Steel Deal

Stage Five did not require the first array to be shot strong hand only, but the drop turner target moved quickly when the rope was pulled. At that distance, I figured strong hand only made the most sense. This turned out to be a good strategy and several shooters followed a similar plan. At the final position, a mover slide along a cable. I may have been trying to hard to avoid the no shoot because my shoots were on the far edge of the target. My second to last shot was another misfire. That makes three light strikes. I finished with seven (7) points down with a total time of 34.80 seconds. My overall placement was 57th of 72 shooters.

I Surrender...Nevermind

Stage Six was going relatively well until my second reload. I struggled with the moon clip for a few seconds before it seated in the cylinder. This ate up time and moved me way down the list. Upon further inspection, the case mouth had a burr that hung up on the cylinder. I must have missed this when loading that round into the moon clip. At least it wasn't another misfire. I finished one (1) point down with a total time of 35.41 seconds. My overall placement was 71st of 72 shooters. This was my worst stage.
 

Car-Motion

This stage featured for a car prop. We don't usually have vehicles on the range, so I thought that was pretty neat. When making ready for the stage, the moon clip would not seat in the cylinder. I remember the previous stage and rather than forcing it, I swapped to another moon. The first array went well, but the reload was a disaster. After fiddling with it for a few seconds, I chunked it rather than stowing it. Leaving live rounds is a procedural penalty, but my time was so poor the match director didn't give me one. If you listen, you can hear another shooter comment on the misfires that day. Further inspection revealed a split case, so I'm glad it didn't chamber. I finished one (1) point down with a total time of 39.87 seconds. My overall placement was 69th of 72 shooters.  
 

Too Much Junk in the Trunk 

Stage Eight featured an unloaded start and required shooters to stow any ammunition they needed before proceeding. I figured that I would bring the third reload just in case the ammunition decided not to cooperate once again. Thankfully, everything loaded correctly. I tried to leave the first position before engaging the third target and crowded cover after my reload. I was pretty tired at this point. I finished one (1) point down with a total time of 38.08 seconds. My overall placement was 50th of 72 shooters.

Conclusions

 

I finished the match just as it started to warm up around on Friday afternoon. It was a very early morning, but I was glad that I completed the match before the heat of the day. Dinner and a small award ceremony was scheduled for Saturday evening after the conclusion of the match. After a decent burger, I went into the clubhouse for the ceremony. It was a bit warm, but I got to chat with other shooters about their performance on the stages.

Despite the competition (myself), I managed to take home a nice plaque as the 2018 Revolver Division Champion! I don't know if I really deserved a trophy as the only shooter in my division, but it is proudly displayed in my office. I enjoyed my first sanctioned IDPA match and plan to shoot a sanctioned match or two next season. I really hope that this event happens again next year! 

One final note. While receiving my award at the ceremony Saturday evening, another shooter said that several folks planned to join me in the Revolver Division for the 2019 season. This is pretty exciting news! Competing against other revolver shooters is a welcome change. We'll see how many are up to the challenge!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

Final IDPA Match Shooting Revolver Carry Optics

  

Revolver Carry Optics

Back in August 2017, I discussed the topic of setting up a revolver for a Carry Optics Division (CO) in IDPA. For those unfamiliar with that division, it is a division that permits the use of red dot optic instead of/or in addition to iron sights. In my post A Revolver in Carry Optics?, I discussed how to set up a revolver for an IDPA Carry Optics. I based the revolver on several assumptions I made about a provisional division, assumptions that turned out to be wrong.

In order to fit the "theme" of the carry optics division, I selected a Smith & Wesson Model 66-6 with a 3.25 inch barrel. Why? Well it's not too big, but not to small. I've discussed my partiality for three inched revolvers in the past. I think that might be the perfect length barrel. In my post Model 66: Carry Optics Ready, I laid out the parts, the optic, and other gear required for the "new division" as I envisioned it at the time. 

That brings us to today's post. This is my final match with the Model 66 Optic in IDPA. Below, you'll find the normal recap of each stage but instead of a picture, there is a video! Revolvers Only has started a YouTube channel! There you will find complete match videos, individual stages, and hopefully reviews of guns and related gear! The complete match video is down in the Conclusions section, if you prefer that format. Now, onto the match!

Stage One

This stage was midway through my squad's match. This was a seated start, but once the timer went off targets could be engaged while standing. The barrel was on the right side of the chair, which me and another lefty were a bit concerned about, but the Match Director said to "reach the gun safely" so I picked it up as I stood. Both reloads were smooth, so I guess that practice is paying off! As a lefty, I like moving from right to left on a stage. It made shooting around those corners a bit easier! I finished the stage one (1) point down in 33.20 seconds.

Stage Two

Stage two was set up in every bay all three squads took care of this first. The stage was limited, with guns were downloaded to five rounds, a mandatory reload, followed by five more rounds. After my third shot, I ran into a bit of a problem. Another light strike. I tried to keep my composure as a furiously pulled the trigger looking for the last round. The stage wasn't a total loss, as I was only one (1) point down in 15.88 seconds.

I've actually encountered light strikes frequently with Remington ammo. This is not the fault of the ammo. The strain screw was filed for a 7 pound 2 ounce pull, which is perfect with Federal ammo. To fix the problem, the screw was shimmed which brought the pull weight up to 7 pounds and 12 ounces. Unfortunately, this was still not enough. Luckily, my gunsmith Jimmy trimmed another screw that pulled at 8 pounds and 8 ounces just in case I had issues with the shim. A quick swap and I was back in the game for the rest of the stages. I'm so glad we cut another screw!

Stage Three

This stage was a disaster! It was the second to last stage of my match and I was starting to get a little clumsy. I changed my plan right before the buzzer and I think that might have thrown me off a bit. Here's how it all played out.

I slipped on the fault line (board) while stepping into the first position. The shots were good and I too a big step backward to the next position to fire my last two shots. The rounds stuck and as I plucked them out, I dropped my speed loader. I grabbed a fresh loader but didn't retrieve the old one. I earned a procedural for leaving live ammo on the ground. After the third position, I loaded on the move and managed to pull one round out with the speed loader. I probably should have bleeped the video, but...I didn't. It was mess but I was only one (1) point down in 35.19 seconds with that pesky  three (3) second procedural hurting my time. 

Stage Four

This was actually the last stage of the day for my squad. It was starting to heat up and I was ready to head home. This was my best stage of the day. My reloads were smooth, the hits were all there, and all with no make-up shots. No points down and finished in 28 seconds. I was very happy to finally shoot a clean stage, even if it was the last stage of the day!

Stage Five

This was the third stage of the day for my squad. After the misfire and subsequent screw swap of stage two, and the swinger on stage six, I was ready to do a little moving. I reloaded at position two with a clear plan in my mind, but an unfortunate make up on a steel popper messed up that up. 

After knocking over the barrel at the final position, I took the last shot in my cylinder. I reloaded quickly, reengaged that target and addressed the final two paper targets. I guess it didn't hurt my plan all that much, as I needed to reload at that position anyway. I finished with one (1) point down in 31.54 seconds.

Stage Six

Stage six was limited to only six rounds. The rope was placed in the strong hand and on the buzzer, the shooter released the swinger, drew their downloaded firearm, and engaged the single target. My original plan was to shoot two on the left pause, two on the right pause, and the final two on the left pause. It didn't quite play out that way, but I was happy with it. The shooting sure wasn't fast, but I was only three (3) points down in 7.69 seconds. I heard a lot of other shooters with points down in the double digits.

Conclusions

As I promised above, here is the complete match video. I plan to video all of my matches from this point forward using my Go Pro Hero 5 Session and Sidekick Mount. I am also in the process of setting up a space to do table top reviews! In addition to a YouTube channel, these videos will also be Vimeo because of YouTube's ever changing policies. If you liked the videos, please like and subscribe!

Sadly, this will be my last match shooting the Model 66 Carry Optics. The reason for this change is not my dislike or boredom of this set up. It actually may be my favorite configuration thus far! I  removed the optic because I am shooting my first ICORE match at the end of June and decided to shoot the Smith & Wesson 929 in Open Division. More on that later!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

First USPSA Match with the Smith & Wesson 929

Match Day!

This is not my first USPSA match with a revolver. Last November, I shot my three inch Smith & Wesson Model 66 equipped with a Cmore RTS2 red dot and six Safariland speed loaders...in Open Division...against race ready 2011s. It went about as well as you would imagine, but I enjoyed every minute! That post remains my most popular to date. On to today's post.

I visited the range twice with this rig before the match and did a bit of draw, dry-fire, and reloading practice at home to prepare. For those curious about the revolver I used at this match, I actually have two posts detailing the upgrades and the racing gear I selected for the Smith & Wesson 929. Give them a quick read If you'd like. There were six stages to shoot after we finished setting up. Here is my breakdown of the match!

Stage One

T1 - T3 are not in the shot. Sorry about that. 

This was the second to last stage that my squad shot at this match. There were fourteen paper targets and two poppers: thirty two shots minimum. This was a loaded table start. Targets T1 - T4 were engaged from the seated position. I loaded on the move and stopped before I passed the leading edge of T5. I chose to shoot S1 and S2 before engaging T5, T6, and T7.

After a quick step to the right while reloading, I addressed T8 to my left and moved toward T9 behind the barrel. With four rounds left in the revolver, I pivoted and shot T10 and T11. Another side step while reloading and I engaged the finally three targets T12 through T14. I think my plan for this stage went well. I always try to reload on the move, especially if I am going to need a full moon clip for the next array. I finished in 35.19 seconds (27 As, 2 Cs, and 1 D) with a hit factor of 4.0352.

Stage Two

Don't break the 180!

This was the final stage of my match. Being a lefty is usually challenging, but occasionally it pays off. Several of the right handed shooters came very close to being disqualified for breaking the 180. I avoided this danger because the muzzle is always a bit further in front of me when moving toward my strong side. I reloaded after engaging each array. Three reloads on the clock for such a short stage isn't ideal, but with an eight shot capacity, they had to happen. I finished in 15.45 seconds (18 As) with a hit factor of 5.8252.

Stage Three

There was a bit of movement to this stage. From the start position, I engaged T1 through T3 and reloaded as I left the box. T4 and T5 were addressed as they appeared. T6 and T7 were shot while advancing to the safety line. I reached the line and reloaded to engage T8, S1, S2, T9 and T10 before a flat-footed reload. I shot T11 on the move to the port. From there, I engaged T12 through T14. No make ups. This was a fun stage. I finished in 33.20 seconds (23 As, 1 B, and 6 Cs) with a hit factor of 4.0964. 

Stage Four

This was my favorite stage.

From what I understand, this stage is a classifier know as "On The Upper Pad II." This is pretty straight forward. The steel poppers must be engaged withing the box for safety and T3 through T5 must be shot from the port. Some shooters engaged the S1 and S2, left the box, and took T1 and T2 wile advancing. 

The squad actually had a discussion regarding which target array to engage rights. The question at hand was, "Which side do you shoot first: the side you draw from or the opposite?" I've always engaged the targets on my holster side, in theory because there is less time to the target, but many shooters draw then reach across their bodies and work their way back to the holster side.

At the buzzer, I shot T1 and S1, transitioned to the right to take S2 and T2 from the box. This way, the revolver was on the right side of my body for my reload. It made sense in my head. I reloaded on the move to the port and shot T3, T4, and T5 through the port as required. This stage went great! I was particularly pleased that the reload was completed before I reached the port. I finished in 11.84 seconds (11 As and 1 C) with a hit factor of 4.8986.

Stage Five

My squad started at this stage. For me, the first stage is always a little rough. A slow draw, a missed shot, a bobbled reload. Well, except for the slow draw, this stage went fine. There were four pieces of steel. S3 and S4 both activated swingers. I decided to work from the center position, then move to the right position, and finish at the left position. At the buzzer, I engaged S1, followed by T1 through T3. With my final shot I knocked down S2. I reloaded and hit S3 starting the swinger, before engaging T4 and S4 to start the other swinger.

At the right position, I took T5 and T6 before a flat-footed reload. With a full moon clip in the revolver, I took two shots at T7 when it paused momentarily. I probably should have reloaded, but with six rounds in the cylinder, I figured I could finish the stage. I ran back across the stage and engaged T8 through T10. I think this was the right decision. I finished in 39.79 seconds (18 As, 3 Cs, and 1 D) with a hit factor of 2.5132.

Stage Six

Our second stage of the match was an unloaded start. These are always a little challenging for me because of my left handed loading technique. I need both hands to open the revolver, so I can't immediately reach for my moon clip. This adds time After I retrieved the revolver, I struggled with the cylinder latch before finally loading and engaging T1 through T4. 

I side stepped toward Position Two while reloading. I fumbled with the moon clip, failing to align the chambers on the cylinder. By the time I managed  to get loaded, I felt pressed for time and shot a pair of Cs and a D. I finished in 16.66 seconds (12 As, 3 Cs, and 1 D) with a hit factor of 4.2017. Another shooter realized the rules did not specifically state that shooters could not move toward Position Two while shooting. I think he won that stage.

Conclusions

My results.

This was a great first match with the S&W 929! My overall ranking was 23rd out of 28 shooters. Not great, but I still had a great time. Unfortunately, I was the only shooter in the Revolver Division. Hopefully there will be more revolver shooters at future matches. I've been chatting with people here and there an many of them own revolvers. Hopefully more wheel guns will start popping up at my local matches!

Quick side note: There were a few folks shooting Production, Carry Optics, and Open, but pretty much everyone was shooting Limited. This seems to be the most popular division in my area. The real surprise was the number of Pistol Caliber Carbine shooters. That division has taken off at this club! I even convinced a friend to come shoot the match with me and he placed 13th with his new Kel Tec Sub 2000. Maybe I'll work on a build down the road.

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

Back to Basics: IDPA 2-3-18

A New Year

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to revisit some of my revolvers that have largely remained unfired since I finished the S&W 66 Optic. After totally screwing up my last match of 2017, I decided to return to my first revolver, the Smith & Wesson 686-1. I shot an IDPA match the third week of January with this revolver and everything was alright...until the steel stage. Rather than reliving that debacle, I will share my experience at the February 2018 IDPA match.

Needless to say, this match went much smoother. It was a chilly Saturday morning on the range and the match director set up five short stages that we're completed before 1:00 p.m. Since last fall, I've spent most of my time shooting revolvers with red dots. This has made me extremely sloppy when shooting with iron sights. I realize that the red target labels are a bit difficult to see, especially with the orange clay in the background. I apologize for this oversight and will try a brighter color on the next match review. 

Stage One

  

For those that don't typically shoot competitively, the various sports have different ways to determine a shooter's skill level, referred to as a "Classifier." IDPA recently introduced a new classifier that is five stings of five rounds, totaling 25 shots. A shooters raw time plus any points down or other penalties produces a total time that is compared to an established rubric. IDPA's current classification system is: Novice (NV), Marksman (MM), Sharp Shooter (SS), Expert (EX), and Master (MA).

My first revolver classifier was back in April 2016. My time placed me on the lower end of the Marksman rubric. With the new classifier official in effect and the season just getting started, the MD decided that the first stage of this match should be the new classifier. At sign up, shooters could elect to have their scores submitted to IDPA as a classifier. I was in need of another REV division classifier, so I requested my scores to be sent. I bobbled the reload slightly on string three and only shot five points down total. I finally bumped into Sharp Shooter with an overall time of 36.05! All in all, I'd say the stage went well for me.

  

Stage Two

Follow the arrows!

   

Stage two required a seated start. Shooters began holding a large rock that was supposed to be a phone. At the buzzer, the "phone" was discarded and T1 and T2 were engaged on the move to the first cover position. Once in cover, T3 - T6 needed to be engaged while slicing the pie. Shooters then moved toward the targets obscured by the vision barriers, that felt like a hallway. The stage description required T7 and T8 to be engaged before T9. T9 was surrounded by Non-Threats with only the head visible. While there was no cover position at the barrels, EVERYONE kneeled in the same spot to avoid a shoot through on the Non-Threat. 

I loaded and made ready before being presented the latest "phone-rock hybrid". At the buzzer, I discarded the worthless technology and engaged T1 and T2. At the only official cover position, I engaged T3 and performed a solid reload. T4 - T6 ran the wheel gun dry again and I bobbled my reload on the way through the vision barrier tunnel. I engaged T7 first and then T8 while moving to "the spot." I placed two down zero shots on T9 without striking a Non-Threat. I finished this stage in 29.85 seconds with no points down.

Stage Three

This stage was borrowed from Silver Dollar 2016 but treated barrels as vision barriers. 

The MD has participated in several large matches and likes to hit us with his favorites from time to time. This stage was apparently borrowed from the 2016 Silver Dollar Match but adjusted to fit IDPA's current rules regarding fault lines and vision barriers. Shooters had the option to start at either position. T3 - T7 all had no shoots directly in front of them, so shooters engaged targets diagonally from their current position. T1 and T2, much like T9 and T8, were engaged second and third. This is because T4 and T6 were visible from their respective side's start position. Interesting, right? After engaging T4, followed by T1 - T3, shooters continued shooting targets as they appeared, reloading as necessary.

As most of the shooters were right handed, they chose to move from left to right. The two lefties, myself and another shooter in competing in CDP, chose to move from right to left. I drew and engaged T6 before taking two steps to the right to shoot T9 and T8. With the revolver empty, I reloaded and addressed T7. I started moving down the line shooting each target as it appeared in front of my sights. A couple shooters bumped their muzzles on the barrels because they crowded cover. I managed to avoid that. When it was all over, I finished this stage in 29.66 seconds clean.

Stage Four

The tactical broom was later replaced with a tactical stick.

This stage was designed by the MD's preteen daughter who has just started shooting matches with our club. At the buzzer, T1 and T4 become visible and must be engaged on the move to the first cover position. Once in cover, T2 and T3 must be engaged before a shooter proceeds to the next array. After leaving cover and heading toward the stomp plate to activate T5, T6 becomes an appearing target before shooters reach the plate. After engaging T6, shooters activate the stomp plate to reveal T5. Shooters move to Cover Position 2 to engage T7 - T9. 

She did a great job with the design! While advancing to cover, I addressed T4 first and then T1. From the right side of CP1, I engaged T2 and performed a reload while moving to the left side of CP1. Two quick shots on T3, one of them down one, and I was off headed toward the stomp plate. T6 became visible and I fired four shots to empty the revolver. I should have shot three on T3 and three on T6, but I figured four shots on a target while on the move was a safer bet. I bobbled the reload at the stomp plate, landed two shots down zero on the drop turner. At CP2, T7 and T8 were shot before my final reload. I dropped a point on T9. I finished this stage down two points in 31.25 seconds.

Stage Five

Note the tactical car seat. It had several holes by the end of the day.

  

This was the final stage of the day for my squad! There was quite a bit of movement between Cover Positions 1, 2, and 3. At the buzzer, shooters moved to CP1 and engaged targets while slicing the pie. Target 1 was 20 yards away, T2 was half that distance, but T3 was the furthest away. To increase the difficulty, the target hung partially obscured by a Non-Threat target. T4 and T5 were treated as appearing targets and everyone addressed these on the way to CP2. T6 and T7 were both visible from CP2 and were required to be engaged from that position. The steel popper, which activated a rising target, was engaged from that position or CP3. From CP3, shooters could make up any misses on T1 and T3.

T1 and T2 were both down one point. I aimed high right to avoid the Non-Threat on T3. I reloaded and shot T4 and T5 twice on the move, dropping another point on T5. I rushed the trigger press on the second shot. Once I entered CP2, I engaged T6 before reloading again. With a full cylinder, I shot T7 and ran to CP3. From CP3, a single shot downed the steel which fell and triggered the disappearing target T8. I shot it twice before reviewing T3. I couldn't see the hits until I reached the final position. I was actually down 8 points, so I reengaged it with my final shot in the cylinder. I should have shot the steel at CP2 then scurried over to CP3 before T8 rose and fell, but I was afraid of the timing. I totally could have made it! I finished this stage 8 points down in 36.19 seconds.

Conclusions

This was a great match! I still didn't do great, finishing 27th out of 36 shooters, but I was the only revolver shooter again. I feel like five stages is the perfect number for an IDPA match that starts at 10:00 a.m. One standards stage can assess skill, while four 18 round stages test both efficiency of movement and reload speed. I am still bobbling a reload with my Safariland Comp III speed loaders at least once per stage. I've found the issue to be my initial grip of the loader. If my index finger lands on top of a round, I tend to align the bullets with the chambers faster. I plan to focus more on the position of my hand when I go for a speed loader. 

So what is next for my IDPA journey? Well, now that I have another valid classifier under my belt, I plan to shoot a Tier 2 match in Summer 2018. In the mean time, I will return to the S&W 66 Optic now that IDPA has produced provisional rules for the Carry Optics Division. Just like USPSA's similar division, revolvers sporting a red dot have been left out of contention. Luckily, that doesn't stop me from shooting in the Specialty Division and comparing my scores with the other red dot equipped pistols. We'll see how that goes!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

How to Lose a Match in Six Shots: IDPA with the Chiappa Rhino

Not everyone shoots a good match every time. I can honestly say that the IDPA match the first weekend of December 2017 was the worst I've ever shot. Some people like to blame their equipment if the hits aren't where they need to be. We all know it is not the Rhino's fault my shots were not where I intended. The real problem is my lack of practice with this revolver. That is what led to my poor performance. Here is a break down of the stages and what I could have done better. 

Stage One

Ah standards stages. Many shooters seem to despise them, but I always find them fun. For my squad, this stage was actually toward the end of the match and man was challenging. The Match Director gave us a bit of latitude on how we shot the stage as long as each position saw the use of a different shooting grip whether free style, strong hand, or weak hand. After watching other shooters have some success shooting free style, to strong hand, to weak hand between positions, the next man up decided to shoot it differently. 

The course of fire was limited, demanding four rounds on each body and two on each head. Not wanting to miss any of the headshots, he choose to shoot strong hand at the back, weak hand in the middle, and free style up close. His scores were significantly better than those before him. Nearly everyone remaining, including me, followed suit. Although one of the headshots was outside the perforation and resulted in a miss, the rest of the shots were almost all down zero. I'll take it considering the earlier stages.
  

Stage Two

This stage required a table start with all shots taken from the seated position. The revolver was loaded to division capacity with three speed loaders positioned any way on the table. Since I load strong hand, I placed them to the left side of the table. I had to reach around them to pickup the Rhino at first, but it made for less awkward reloads. T1 required three to the body and three to the head. T2 - T7 were then engaged with two round each.

I always enjoyed seated shooting because I don't usually shoot sitting down when I go to the range for a session. The first six shots were fast and all down zero. I even heard someone say, "The thing doesn't even recoil in his hand" during my first reload. That's a lie. It does recoil, but it recoils back instead of up. I put two each on T2-T4 without issue and reloaded again. I pulled the last shot on T7 into the hard cover and decided to make it up. I think that was a mistake because the reload and trigger press may have taken just as long as the five second penalty due to a stuck case. 

Stage Three

This MD likes to run stages twice whenever possible to give the shooters more trigger time. Stage three required the gun to be holstered, loaded to six rounds only with all subsequent reloads performed from the belt. At the buzzer the shooter stands, draws, then engages T1 with six rounds. After a mandatory reload, the shooter must engage T2-T4 with the right hand only while the palm of the left hand was placed on the table for all shots. T5-T7 must be engaged with the left hand only while the palm of the right hand was placed on the table. This one was the most demanding stage of this match.

As the Rhino cylinder only holds six rounds, I would be reloading after each target array. Everyone else had a reload midway through the third target array. Sometimes it pays to play with a wheelgun, especially when the MD is often my only competition in the Revolver Division. He creates were revolver friendly matches. Engaging T1 resulted in more statements from onlookers regarding the Rhino's minimal muzzle flip. The left hand array went swimmingly with only two points down. Conversely, the right hand array saw a miss and several points down. The 10 pound trigger is significantly heavier than the 7 pound trigger of most of my S&W revolvers. I need to work on weak hand only.

Stage Four

Our squad started on the bay with stages four and five. This stage required holster handgun loaded to division capacity with hands placed on the wall. Shooters must engage target T1-T3 with three to the body and three to the head. It was unlimited so makeups were permitted. Looking back now, I should have taken a few make ups. The title of this post is a direct reference to this stage. I blew my match by missing four headshots total and shooting a pair of D zone hits on T3. What happened?

I said earlier that I am not going to blame the Rhino because this bad shooting is indicative of my lack of practice with this revolver. In my defense, there is a reason why my shots were high. I've been shooting my Smith & Wesson revolvers religiously for the past few months. The grip angle of the Smith's is different than the grip angle of the Rhino. I did not cant my wrist far enough to fully place the front sight post into the trench. This just shows that I need a lot more practice with the Rhino. I will definitely put in the dryfire at home, but recently received a new S&W N-frame from my fiance. As you can imagine, the majority of my range time will be dedicated to this new revolver purchased for USPSA.

Stage Five

After that terrible first stage, I started trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I walked to the safe area and performed a few draws. When I presented the revolver, I noticed the front sight was high every time until i readjusted my grip. Stage five was a straight forward engage while advancing in priority. The handgun was downloaded to six rounds. The stage began facing up range with hands on the brim of the hat. 

At the buzzer, I turned and engaged T1 on the move. No problems there. I stopped and reloaded to ensure I didn't run out of room before I got to T2. Although I'm pretty sure I put all six rounds into the down zero, the safety officer said there were only five holes on the paper. Welp. I reloaded a final time before engaging T3 on the move. A couple points down, but it was the miss on T2 that ruined that stage.

Stage Six

This final bay contained stages six and seven. This was a bit more of a run and gun stage and everyone was excited to shoot it. All paper targets of stage six required one shot to the body and one headshot. For a bit of a challenge, shooters had to engage T1-T2 while retreating. T3-T5 must be engaged from cover. The two steel poppers had to fall to score with a final array of targets to shoot while slicing the pie.

Shooting while advancing is challenging. Shooting while retreating is a bit more difficult. The weekend before, I was actually on the range working on retreating fire, so T1 and T2 were both down zero. I was careful not to break the 180 as I moved to the first cover position. I shot wide to avoid the non threat on T5 and was down two. At this point I had two round in the Rhino. I actually missed both poppers on the move and had to do a standing reload before moving to the final array of T6-T8 to engage from cover. Poor trigger control. The make up shots on the steel really hurt my time and threw off my reload plan. I had a final standing reload at the last cover position. Not great.

Stage Seven

This was the final stage of the match. The gun started loaded to division capacity, shooter facing up range with hands clasped on top of the head. T1-T2 as well as the steel poppers needed to be engaged while advancing. The start position was incredibly close to T1-T2 and these could quickly fall behind the 180 degree line. I engaged this array first before the steel. 

I guess I hadn't learned my lesson about trigger control because I missed both shots on S1 and S2 while advancing. As both steel had been engaged, I decided to move to the array on the right and come back to them later. I engaged T6-T8 quickly before reengaging the steel. This time both poppers fell and I engaged T3 on the move as soon as it became visible. A final reload at the cover position and the stage was over. So many make ups! At least I had fun running across the stage.

Conclusions

So there you have it. 21st out of 21 shooters. Abysmal. I may not be a great shooter but I usually end up around a little less than midway from the bottom. Although I realized my mistake relatively early, my shooting really didn't improve that much. The newest blaster and the neatest gear don't guarantee success in a match. Success comes down to practice with your chosen firearm.  

Despite my performance at this match, I still really like the Rhino and fully believe in the unique design. Several of my squad mates shot this strange little revolver after the match. Everyone who tried it was impressed by the lack of muzzle rise. I think a 4" Rhino in .40 caliber would be a monster in IDPA's revolver division. The reduced muzzle rise, coupled with the speed of moon clips, would seemingly make a great competitor. Maybe I'll get one and try it out!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!