Uspsa cronographs for power factor?

[harokyle]

So I've been curious for a while when you go to a USPS a match and you say that you are shooting major power factor how do they make sure that's actually true do they have everybody shoot through a chronograph and also test the weight of the bullet there using?

 

[kevinsr98]

Local club matches no chrono, your on the honor system. I believe that level II matches and up have a chrono stage.

 

[Grelber]

So I've been curious for a while when you go to a USPS a match and you say that you are shooting major power factor how do they make sure that's actually true do they have everybody shoot through a chronograph and also test the weight of the bullet there using?

Yes and yes for the hoity toity matches, and if your gun breaks down and you have to use a back up then they make walk all the way back down to the stupid chrono stage and do it all over again. Insult to injury in my humble opinion.

On the bright side, if you do not make power factor they either bump you to minor scoring or if you do not even make minor let you shoot but no score.

 

[harokyle]

Thanks I had always wondered that I've shot several steel matches but never USPSA seems like you definitely have an advantage if you can shoot major power factor.

 

[Coach]

Thanks I had always wondered that I've shot several steel matches but never USPSA seems like you definitely have an advantage if you can shoot major power factor.

In scoring yes. In managing recoil no. That is why the benefit of the higher point totals.

 

[Twangbanger]

Thanks I had always wondered that I've shot several steel matches but never USPSA seems like you definitely have an advantage if you can shoot major power factor.

I'm not a good shooter, but imo, the difference is negligible for an average person at a small match. Just for gits and shiggles I've gone back and recalculated stages sometimes, adding a point to my total for each off-center hit to rescore as major (& assuming I could have gotten the major hits in the same elapsed time - dubious), and it never made enough difference in hit factor to justify the extra money to me, as a casual shooter. 40 cal brass is a bit less common, and I'm too cheap to throw away my .45s, so I just don't want to bother with anything sexier than 9mm. (Famous last words...* shows up with .40 cal gun in 6 months *, lol).

I can remember reading Cooper's Corner in the back of Guns & Ammo magazine in the 80s and 90s, discussing the changes happening in the sport. I knew nothing about it then, but now that I see how comparatively little accuracy and power really count for in USPSA scoring, at least for average competitors, I guess I kinda see what he was *****ing about. If you're setting up classifiers and practicing them (isn't that cheating?), and calculating percentages and all that, then you probably want major caliber. But don't think you're dead in the water with minor caliber, because you're not. You can have a lot of fun with minor, and let the other folks shoot more dollars downrange.

 

[rvb]

fyi they typically pull a bullet and weigh it in addition to shooting some over the chrono.

major is a pretty significant advantage. it's not just the points, but it typically affects how aggressively you can attack a stage. There's a good chance if I shot the same stage twice, once major and once minor, my points % would be about the same, but I'd be a couple seconds faster w/ major. my goal is ~95% of the points regardless of division. for every C you shoot shooting minor you can shoot 2 in major and have the same % of points. what I consider an acceptable sight picture somewhat changes. that gives more opportunity for shooting on the move, aim a couple inches farther from a NS, etc. It's not so much about recoil issues and "shooting faster," but I can attack the stage more aggressively.

-rvb

 

[Twangbanger]

...major is a pretty significant advantage. it's not just the points, but it typically affects how aggressively you can attack a stage. There's a good chance if I shot the same stage twice, once major and once minor, my points % would be about the same, but I'd be a couple seconds faster w/ major. my goal is ~95% of the points regardless of division. for every C you shoot shooting minor you can shoot 2 in major and have the same % of points. what I consider an acceptable sight picture somewhat changes. that gives more opportunity for shooting on the move, aim a couple inches farther from a NS, etc. It's not so much about recoil issues and "shooting faster," but I can attack the stage more aggressively.
-rvb

Those are some good insights. See, that's the difference between a good shooter, and a bad one. I'm thinking, "Golly gee, I can aim once, shoot twice, and get everything on paper quicker with less recoil amplitude..."...where a good shooter is watching their sights and knows the hits are there, but is more concerned about "how" it gets done and the numerical result. I've heard other good shooters talking about the slower pace of shooting minor. It isn't the shooting that takes up the time; it's the aiming...so how much aiming is required for what you're trying to do? I'm still a bit of a novice at continuously tracking my sight, so since I know I'm letting some shots go under suboptimal sight pictures, my focus is on reducing the amplitude of the recoil so that "second" one doesn't wander too far off, at a tempo that feels like I'm pushing a little bit (ie, controlling tempo consciously, and allowing recoil amplitude to determine where one of the shots ends up). Where a good shooter turns it the other way around, using the sights to put the shots where they need to be, and allowing external factors to dictate how fast that gets done.

So...I think I see what you're getting at...(ahem)...I obviously need to acquire another gun

 

[romack991]

In scoring yes. In managing recoil no. That is why the benefit of the higher point totals.

It really doesn't help the recoil when you chrono 195 PF.

 

[rvb]

I'm thinking, "Golly gee, I can aim once, shoot twice, and ..... my focus is on reducing the amplitude of the recoil so that "second" one doesn't wander too far off, at a tempo that feels like I'm pushing a little bit (ie, controlling tempo consciously, and allowing recoil amplitude to determine where one of the shots ends up).

so, um, yea... don't do that.
sight. picture. for. every. shot.
one of the best things you can do for your shooting is learn to call your shots. that will help you learn to be able to see everything that's going on with the sights/gun for every shot.

timing drills, bill drills, etc are great tools for learning all this.

So...I think I see what you're getting at...(ahem)...I obviously need to acquire another gun

nothing wrong with shooting what you have, especially until you get some of the basic like shot calling down (which imo is easier to learn on a minor cal gun [even a .22]). learning to aim and not just 'double' will get your farther than going to major.

but if you're just asking for an excuse to buy a gun, then yes you NEED a new gun.

-rvb