"Hats off" to John Strayer for a great IDPA match

[FullAuto]

John,
I don't have your personal e-mail, so I'll compliment you publicly on a well run match today at First Coast IDPA. I thought the stages were well designed (favorite was stage 1), as they had the right mix of realism and complexity.

If you are the MD for another match, I'll be sure to come out for that one as I know it will be good!

Thanks!
-FullAuto (aka George)

[Kevin]

Stage One was awesome! The whole match had a different "Feel" to it today. Really enjoyed it. Thanks to John and the Pro Arms crew for all the work they put into it. Our SO was handing out a free 5 seconds off your time if you got your feet over your head when dismounting the lawn mower... No one took him up on it...
-Kevin

[MasAyoob]

Jon did an AWESOME job on that.  I'm betting we ain't gonna see a whole lotta "down-zero" scores. It was challenging!

Congrats, Jon!

Best,
Mas

[S391]

Is there any way to get copy of the CoF? I would love see the design.

[MasAyoob]

Dunno if Jon has it scanned or not, will see him tonight or tomorrow & will ask.

best,

Mas

[Chris]

JB (you know him as John Strayer) has this thing about "getting the job done right". It's been ingrained into him all his life, and he does it well. He darned sure did so here, with a little help from his friends & team mates. I loved the fact that there was a target out to 35 yards. IDPA says do it every now and then, but it doesn't get done that often. Kudos to JB for this one. Pro Arms Team mate, Norm Ambrosy, designed another stage that stressed both speed and accuracy, with reloading. Norm and I did discuss it over "adult beverages" (yes, alcohhol was involved in designing that stage). But, it was a great test of speed, accuracy and gun handling skills.
Everything else worked out well... with a mix of pure speed, then followed by some accurate shooting tests of skills.
The swingers on Stage 1 would have to be seen to be believed. JB figured out what he wanted (he has great mechanical skills)... built it from the ground up... dragged a battery over there to power the viscious SOB (I was 13 points down... but at least I didn't whack one of he Non Theats)) and got it installed and working right.
JB done good... He left Live Oak with his crew (Terri & Norm) on Friday... spent a night in a motel... got there early to set up.. and had that match running on time & like clockwork.
Don't tell him I said this (it'll just go to his head) but JB done good.
Chris Christian

 

[MasAyoob]

John (JB) posting on Mas's computer

Folks thank you for the praise, but it could not have been pulled off without the help of the entire ProArms team. We just wanted to make the match challenging and kind of a front sight match. The swinging target system was provided by James Bliehall, it was sent to Mas for T&E. I just borrowed it from Mas when he was't looking.
I do want to thank all of the people that were there early to help with set up! We would not have started on time without them. Blaze thanks for the intel on the other gate being open.
As I told Dan yesterday, Ed and Dan's job sucks. You have no idea how much work they put into keeping this club running KUDOS to them. Being MD is a lot of responsibility and for them to do it on a monthly basis is a huge undertaking. Thank you both.

Putting this match together was fun,  challenging and educational. I am just glad we were able to pull it off.

John posting as Mas

[Gail]

Pics from Stage 1

First you had to shoot this guy in the CNS or stomach:


Then there were two sets of these swingers with the no-shoot in front and two targets behind, they were all moving:



Over view of the whole stage:

[Gail]

Stage Description for the No-Mow Match:

https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#v=t&b=1471d897-cfe9-41e2-a916-3d80ab2d9a10&z=d

or

http://proarms.podbean.com/mf/web/e2q563/TheNoMowMatch.pdf]http://proarms.podbean.com/mf/web/e2q563/TheNoMowMatch.pdf]http://proarms.podbean.com/mf/web/e2q563/TheNoMowMatch.pdf

[Terri]

I am glad it worked out good, hopefully for everyone. I also want to thank Norm, Blaze and everyone from Pro Arms group who came out early to help set up. Also the help we got during the week, getting things set up to take over for the stages and course designs. But I also want to thank the other shooters who came early and jumped in to help. They jumped right in dragging out props and setting up stages. Thanks guys it was much appreciated.      Terri

[FullAuto]

Pics from Stage 1

First you had to shoot this guy in the CNS or stomach:

Gail,
I think you're talking about the target on the right, not Mas. Right?

 

[Miggy]

with Gail, you never know

[MasAyoob]

Since the target did not have a third, lower circle for a scrotum shot, I presume she's talking about the one my color who was wearing more black than me...

Getting nervous now that you mention it, though...

Mas

[Tim/GA]

I also would like to add my thanks.  It was my first IDPA match and I had a great time.  A big plus was getting to meet everyone from the ProArms team (actually I missed getting to meet Gail, she looked to busy when I was around) before and during the shooting.  Special thanks to John, Terri and Vince with those of us on the new shooters squad.

Just checked the results and am pretty happy with 10th in the Unclassified SSP.  Stage 2 got me, it was our first stage and I was second or third to shoot.  Would like to have that one back, although I think the whole new shooters squad got a kick out of my comments as a I ejected a partial mag (at least I used cover!).  Nothing like starting right off with a procedural!  After that stage I tried to take Mr. Ayoob's advice to me when I met him prior to the match- slow it down and get the hits.  Worked pretty well right up until I got to our last stage with the movers and the USPSA side kicked in, I picked up the pace and promptly put two in the non-threat movers.

Looking forward to improving next time, I plan to be back.  On a side note, shot the smallbore silhouette on Sunday at Gateway and won my class in both matches and moved up a class in Hunter.  Two great days to shoot!

[MasAyoob]

Glad you enjoyed it, Tim! And a weekend with a shooting match each day...well, what's not to like?

Hope to see you there again.

Best,

Mas

[Gail]

I'm never too busy to meet one of our listeners. In fact, one nice guy came over to our squad and introduced himself and told me about his Video podcasting setup. Can you just imagine herding these ProArms cats on video?
I think I want to look at it anyway.

Gail

[Terri]

Tim you shot great. Sorry not able to talk much with you, because of working the stage. As the stages went you were right on. As for the reload and the little hicup, we still do that at times. We even say things sometimes out loud. Oh gosh dang it. Hope to shoot with you again sometime.                Terri   

[Kevin]

Tim,
     Did you find yourself running back over every stage in your head as you tried to go to sleep? I totally dissected my first match for about a week. I still sit and study the individual stage results like there's going to be a test. Drove me crazy that they didn't have the results out on Sunday as they usually do. My big mess up waited until stage three. I tried to ramp up the speed, and ended up with my slowest stage, and most points down. Stupid! I should have stuck to the game plan... "Smooth" I told myself, "be smoooooth" and then I jerked all over the place to get my first ever FTN, with 13 points down on top of that. Ruined what should have been a really excellent match for me. I tend to focus on the negatives a little too much... Hope you come back next month. Come over to the Live Oak squad if you get a chance and introduce yourself.
-Kevin, wishin' he could get a "do-over" on stage three...

[MasAyoob]

Hell, son, there's folks that wish they could get do-overs of their whole LIVES...

Shootin' matches are easier to deal with...

best,
mas

[Tim/GA]

Mas, that is for sure.  Getting to shoot two nice "spring" days is alway great.  Getting to shoot a new type of competition AND do well in another on the same weekend is icing on the cake.

Gail, I will make sure to introduce myself next time and thanks for all the work you put in on the podcasts, I can only imagine what it is like to keep up with that group.  Then again, I am a high school math teacher so maybe I do understand at least a bit    Thinking back on one of your "limited editing" podcasts with more of the behind the scenes, as it went format- I can only imagine what a video would be like!

Terri, thanks for the compliment.  I am pretty happy with how it went.  A fun, safe first shoot without making a total fool of myself- and plenty of room for improvement in the future.  Thanks again for the help.

Kevin, Yep, I do tend to re-run the stages in my mind over time (same with USPSA, etc.).  Much like the old AARs (after action review) in the Army, you only learn if you look back at your actions with a non-biased eye.  Numbers are very good for that!  Being a mathematics teacher I know that numbers don't lie, only the way people use or abuse the numbers is the lie.

I will be back to shoot again, that is for sure.  Not sure exactly when yet, with shooting at the gun club in Brunswick, being a re-enactor at Fort King George in Darien (I get to burn LARGE amounts of power there, just no lead down range) and trying to get in some fishing there just are not enough weekends 
Looking forward to next time!