SDPS NEWSLETTER – Aug 2009
This year we had our traditional “Pizza and Prizes” Match in August instead of July. I don’t remember exactly why, but I think it had something to do with rained out matches and SO scheduling. No matter, it was great weather, a great turn out, a fun match, good food, and lots of prizes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SDPS New Shooter Clinic – “NEW”
Based on a survey of “new shooters” who have starting coming to our matches in the past couple of years, it was unanimously agreed that it would be nice for new shooters to have some more information / training on shooting a match with SDPS and our rules and procedures. While we strive to be “new shooter friendly” and always give a “new shooter safety briefing” before the match, after that you are put on a squad and “learn by doing”, with help from your “squad-mates” and start off shooting a complete match with a regular squad.
Most people agreed that having a special class that goes over safety, equipment requirements and guidelines, the IDPA classification system, all the range commands used during a match, scoring and taping targets, what to do / expect during a normal match, and to actually shoot 4 stages, that cover the basic IDPA skills, without the pressure to “compete”, and with the ability to pause and ask lots of questions in a learning environment would be a very positive experience that would lead to more comfortable and knowledgeable “new shooters”. It was also agreed that unlike a 10 minute safety briefing, this class would take about 3+ hours, including shooting several practice scenarios, so “when” and “how” became the big challenge. Do you do it on “match days”? … Then people could not shoot the “regular match” for that day. Or, do you do it on another day before the normal match? … But can / will people take the extra time to come to the range for a class? I guess we’ll find out….
For the rest of the year, we have scheduled an SDPS New Shooter Clinic on the Saturday before our regular matches starting at 9 AM. Cost is $20 per shooter which covers all range fees, targets, and instruction. Reservations are required and a minimum of 6 shooters are needed to hold the class. Shooters who have never shot a match with SDPS, and those who have shot a couple, but still have some questions and want some practice are welcome to attend. For more information check the website at www.sdps-idpa.org under Training Information or email Bob at newsletter@sdps-idpa.org
Calif State IDPA Championships
The California State match will be held at Richmond Rod and Gun Club on Oct 9-11. They are currently over 2/3 full with a limit of 130 shooters. For more info go to http://www.california-idpa.com/
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IDPA Postal Match 2009
Every year IDPA publishes scenarios that are sent to all their clubs around the country called the “Postal Match”. The idea is the same stages are shot by shooters at clubs across the country, the results are sent to national and published on their website, so you can see how you stack up against other sandbaggers, oops I mean classified shooters, across the country. This year the match has 4 stages. They try to make the directions and measurements so that the stages can be as identical as possible, but somehow there always seems to be a little controversy based on “interpretation”. Since there are four stages and we have eight bays, we will set up two identical versions of the match to help keep squad sizes small (shooting with 25 on a squad gets really boring waiting for the other 24 to finish so you can move to the next stage) and get through the match quickly. You need to be a current “classified” IDPA member for your score to count at the national level, but normal match scores for all shooters will be done for everyone who shoots with us. The SDPS Postal Match will be on Oct 4th.
Volunteer Coaches for FSC Youth Program
Folsom Shooting club is look for volunteers to help with their Youth Small Bore Program. The purpose of the program is to teach youth basic safety and rifle skills using rifles and ammo supplied by the club. You would spend 4 hours one day a month coaching juniors shooting 22’s. For more info contact Jim Bass at jb7706@hotmail.com or read the flyer at http://www.sacvalley.org/SacVal/Home/Folsom%20Shooting%20Club%20Youth%20Shooting%20Program.pdf
Scoresheets
Just a “gentle reminder”, if the scorekeepers cannot read your name (First and Last please), or the time is not readable or missing they cannot enter your results into the computer. With an average of over 80 shooter per match, taking 5 to 10 minutes to track down information for one shooter on one stage is no longer practical. So, YOU need to make sure you PRINT your first and last name on each scoresheet. Also, after you shoot a stage, the ASO has you initial the scoresheet. You need to make sure your TIME has been recorded and it is readable. If scoring cannot read it, or it is missing you will get no score for that stage and a DNF for the match results.
Aug 2nd Match Summary
The Match Directors for Aug were Wayne Johnson and Ed Vernon. As always the Pizza and Prizes match is designed to be simple and quick so we can all get to the Pizza and Prize Drawing in Ione sooner, rather than later. This year we had 6 stages total, three by Wayne and three by Ed. Our new VP, Chad Case, had the un-enviable job of making sure no one left early for pizza until all the scores were turned in and all the equipment was put away. He did a good job and didn’t even have to threaten to shoot anyone, LOL.
Check out that new “SDPS Inc.” Banner …
Stage 1 was “Aim Small”(drill) by Wayne. There was a single “reduced size” target at 25 yards, all you had to do was draw and fire six rounds in a nice tight group.
Stage 2 was “Posting The Mail” by Ed. You started with only five rounds (to simulate a failure drill) and engaged three targets with 2 round each, then re-engaged each target with a single head shot for a total of 9 rounds.
Stage 3 was “On The Move” by Ed. You engaged the first 3 targets in tactical priority with two rounds each while moving, then engaged the final target from behind cover, 8 rounds total.
Stage 4 was “Ed’s Reloading Standards” by, well you can guess I’m sure. You started behind the table with your gun loaded to 6 round and two mags with 6 rounds each. Draw and engage 3 targets with 2 rounds each, near to far, Reload, 2 rounds each, Reload, 2 rounds each, for a total of 18 rounds.
Stage 5 was “Bill Drill x2” by Wayne. Two reduced size targets at 7 yards. Draw and engage T1 with 6 rounds, reload, engage T2 with 6 rounds for a total of 12 rounds.
Stage 6 was “Bad Done Gone” The three reduced size targets represented a charging attack dog at distances of 15, 12 and 9 yards. While kneeling you drew and engaged each target with 2 rounds from far to near (simulating the dog getting closer).
After the shooting was done and everything was put away, all the SDPS members headed to the Pizza Factory in Ione for the annual “free lunch and prize give-away”. As usual, there were more prizes than people, and lots of pizza… so no one went home hungry or empty handed. The “grand prize” was “free match fees” for the next year and was won by Ed Vernon. But there were Chronographs, scales, 45 ACP magazines, range bags, scales, timers, almost everything you could want, except for some strange reason there was no Armadillo Wax? Wayne, what’s up with that? Are you saving it all for yourself??
Lots of Pizza ….
Lots of Prizes…
We had our biggest turnout of the year with 100 shooters, and we were still done by 1:00! See how hot pizza and cool prizes motivate shooters! There were 13 new shooters who had never shot with us before, 6 ladies and 8 juniors who shot the match.
Best score for the match was “Bad Chad” Case winning SSP with a 44.52 (15), almost six seconds ahead of the next best score. Other division winners were Wayne Johnson with a 50.24 (8) in CDP, Brian Gonsalves with 53.64 (15) in ESP, Gary Morgan with 70.33 (5) in SSR. Cindy Tucker was the fast lady at 75.06 (25) and Dylan Arbuckle was best Junior at 96.15 (19).
This month the best stage scores were:
Stage 1: 5.57 (0) Chad Case Stage 4: 12.77 (2) Scott Yu
Stage 2: 7.00 (0) Chad Case Stage 5: 6.08 (1) Chad Case
Stage 3: 4.39 (0) Allen Lowe Stage 6: 4.41 (1) Duane Chinnow
Adding those up we would get a Fantasy Shooter match score of 40.22 (4). The complete results are available at our website at www.sdps-idpa.org and follow the link to Aug 2009 Match Calendar and Results.
Till we shoot again…..
Bob Peake
SDPS Newsletter Editor