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A Basic Misunderstanding


Creeker, SASS #43022

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I've always said, no one goes to a mach to miss. 

As has already been stated, the fast shooters ( or group 1 and 2) dont necessarily care about distance.  It's the other shooters ( the majority of SASS) that usually pay the bills.  These shooters are the ones that we need to keep coming back again, and again.  

We are really in the entertainment business.  Who really remembers, or cares, who was overall winner, at any match, past a month or so? But everyone will remember whether or not they had fun. 

Just my 2 cents.  

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All this talk about optimal target size, set up array, etc…. is getting into my head. :wacko: I'm afraid that the next time I get to the line and hear the "beep," I'm going to forget the shooting order and just stand there and ask, are those targets the optimal size, and is that the best array? :unsure:

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    This is just my honest opinion and personal observations. Take it for what it's worth, which may not be much.

    People have no trouble hitting big close targets. They don't have trouble hitting smaller sized targets at greater distance either. Where the trouble comes in is hitting either setup at speed. Naturally the better shooters will have to slow down less than the less experienced shooters.

     The trick is to find the "sweet spot" you shoot at. I'm not talking distance, I'm talking speed limit. Every person will have a sweet spot speed limit for EVERY stage. If you run a 15 second 10-10-4  stage when targets are set at 4 and 9 yards, you may need 5 more seconds at 6 and 12 yards. Thats example only. The point is to hit consistently you will have to pump the brakes a bit. A group 1 shooter may only need minimal extra time but as we progress further down the line of shooters more time is needed. One of my biggest problems is exceeding my speed limit, so naturally I like pistol targets 4 to 5 yds. Closer than 4 yards and I outrun myself. Farther than 5 yards and I outrun myself. Not the stages fault, it's mine for not hitting the brakes. It doesn't change the fact that I like stages where I don't have to pump the brakes so hard though. This is a game of speed or we would not penalize a miss with extra time. 

    Widder uses the phrase optimum shooting distance or performance or something. He's right too. A traditional shooter uses 2 hands they can steady the pistol with. They wont need as much extra time as a duelist because they only use one hand. A duelist wont need as much extra time than gunfighter style because they only use one hand and have to change site picture after every shot. So that can go into the equation as well.

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23 hours ago, Tequila Chase said:

I've only joined this sport this year so my perspective may be a little off.  All the matches that I've been to it seems that there is a small percentage that shoot a "clean" match (no "P's" no misses).  To me that says that even with close targets folks still miss or shoot out of sequence.  Now if the targets were moved further or made smaller more shooters would not get clean matches. 

 

I'm one of those who goes primarily for clean matches.  But with big and close targets it's not a challenge.  My home club offers a sharpshooter category now so I can shoot at targets further out. 

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24 minutes ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

 

I'm one of those who goes primarily for clean matches.  But with big and close targets it's not a challenge.  My home club offers a sharpshooter category now so I can shoot at targets further out. 

Quick question. Are you challenged by the distance those targets are or by the speed you have to shoot those distant targets? Meaning, if you have a minute per shot, would you hit them every time?

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50 minutes ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

 

I'm one of those who goes primarily for clean matches.  But with big and close targets it's not a challenge.  My home club offers a sharpshooter category now so I can shoot at targets further out. 

Had someone once say - if the targets are not challenging - you're not going fast enough.

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I've heard and read on this forum that if a shooter transitions to the next target and needs to hesitate to confirm his sight picture before breaking the shot, the targets are to small or distant. It's now a bullseye match, to them.

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2 hours ago, Tennessee williams said:

    Widder uses the phrase optimum shooting distance or performance or something. He's right too. A traditional shooter uses 2 hands they can steady the pistol with. They wont need as much extra time as a duelist because they only use one hand. A duelist wont need as much extra time than gunfighter style because they only use one hand and have to change site picture after every shot. So that can go into the equation as well.

 

"Optimum Performance" level.

 

Its a level of performance EACH of us possess within the parameters established to accomplish a task.

 

Example: The worlds fastest track star has established his/her speed records by running straight, with no

obstacles in his/her path to interfere with their performance.

BUT, that speed can't manifest itself if there is a couple of hurdles they have to jump during the race.  

 

When it comes to our game of Cowboy shooting, we also possess an Optimum Performance level, within

our own self.

I ain't saying these numbers are exact nor actual, but I will use them for examples to show how Optimum

Performance levels are effected when we play our game.

 

Assuming plates are 16x16   or  18x18,  a Traditional style shooter can normally run these targets at distances

from 4 yards  to  around 7+ yards.   Regardless of their shooting abilities (slow or fast), they should

be able to maintain a high % of hits.    Move those same targets out and their performance

will diminish, either in speed or hits..... or both.

 

The DUELIST can run those plates at their individual capabilities at distances from 4 yards to approx 6 yards,

maybe a tad less without consciously slowing down... and still maintain a high % of hits.

Move those same targets out beyond 5.5 or 6 yards and their performance will diminish, either in speed

or hits..... or both.

 

The Gunfighter can run those plates at their individual capabilities at distances from 4 yards

to approx 5 yards...maybe a tad more without consciously slowing down...and still maintain a high

% of hits.    Move those same targets out beyond 5 yards and their performance will

diminish, either in speed or hits..... or both.

 

There will always be an exception to these things and those shooters are rare..... usually rare enough

to consistently finish top 10 among 1000 shooters.

 

And put those targets tooooooo close,  and our Optimum Performance levels will somewhat be

bridled.  This is due to angles.....and speed will jump up and bite ya.

 

This has been my observations AND a fellow cowboy shooter and I tested this theory a few

summers back with results as reflected above.

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

 

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On 9/11/2019 at 1:12 PM, Tennessee williams said:

Quick question. Are you challenged by the distance those targets are or by the speed you have to shoot those distant targets? Meaning, if you have a minute per shot, would you hit them every time?

 

I don't want to shoot fast.  The only thing about the timer that I care about is the beep that tell me I can sling lead downrange.  I could take a minute per shot if I wanted but then muscle fatigue would be an issue.  I have a rhythm.  On the pistols I'd wager that I don't take any longer no matter the distance.  On the rifle it does take me a bit longer because I have to actually line up the sights.  At normal cowboy distances all I have to do is get the front sight on the target and it'll be close enough.  The first match as a sharpshooter I found out I needed to regulate the sights on my rifle.  I had never touched them before because they were close enough to hit right out of the box. 

 

The sharpshooter pistol targets are everyone else's rifle targets.  The sharpshooter rifle targets are somewhere around 50-75 yards out (I forget which, maybe someone else from TRR can correct me if I'm wrong).  That's a pretty good shot with a pistol caliber. 

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