Good Article/AAR in USPSA Downrange by Jake Martens

[bwframe]

http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/uspsa/ready111617.pdf



...It was late when I arrived at the match hotel, and the parking lot was full. I found a spot around the back of the hotel, grabbed my luggage and range bag and proceeded to the entrance. While walking to the front desk, I could pick out my follow competitors vehicles with the obvious stickers adorned to them.


All checked in, and up in my room, I go over my gear, guns, and ammo. I loaded up the twelve 20-round magazines, checked both my main limited division handgun and the identical backup for it, add some oil and put everything back in the range bag. Since I didn’t get a chance to check in at the range and walk stages, I would hit it very early in the morning.


It was still dark as I made my way to my vehicle with my range bag in hand. As I went out the door into the back parking lot, I noticed two individuals trying to break into someone’s car; scanning the lot, I could see that they had already hit a few cars, including mine. As I stood there, feeling the weight of my range bag pulling on my right arm, the pair noticed me, and the range bag; their attention was now focused on me...

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Double Tap

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Very well written!

Excellent write-up. Anyone who is on the fence about training with someone who charges the money that nationally (and internationally) recognized instructors charge, please read this article. You have the opportunity to get what you pay for when you go in with an open (and trainable) mind.

Having attended the same Defensive SG class on Friday, Jake explained things very well.

I'm a Rangemaster Certified Instructor (one of around 800 at this time, with more than a handful on INGO) and I continue to seek more opportunities for training from he and his crew.

 

[rhino]

That's an excellent article.

I wish more people who are competition only would complete some defense-oriented classes. I wish more people who only train for defense would try competition. Both of the "only" groups all too often really don't know what they don't know and would be better prepared if they did both.

It's also interesting that Jake experienced the PPQ "auto mag release." That's why I can't carry PPQs. Otherwise, they would be my carry guns. When I switched to Sigs, I sometimes had the same problem, but only when I allowed my support hand grip to fail miserably.

 

[bwframe]

That's an excellent article.

I wish more people who are competition only would complete some defense-oriented classes. I wish more people who only train for defense would try competition. Both of the "only" groups all too often really don't know what they don't know and would be better prepared if they did both.

It's also interesting that Jake experienced the PPQ "auto mag release." That's why I can't carry PPQs. Otherwise, they would be my carry guns. When I switched to Sigs, I sometimes had the same problem, but only when I allowed my support hand grip to fail miserably.

I'm not picking on Jake, I think he does an excellent job, this article included.

He was pretty hard on himself in relation to carry/training vs competition. Having to stop and buy a mag carrier for the class was an eye opener.

Hopefully this write up will open some eyes of a lot of our friends who only gun up for the match?

 

[cedartop]

Very good write up. I am sure this will get shared a lot. Kudos to Jake, I assumed he was just a gamer. Glad he got to train with Tom Givens.

 

[rhino]

Very good write up. I am sure this will get shared a lot. Kudos to Jake, I assumed he was just a gamer. Glad he got to train with Tom Givens.

That may have been his first defense-oriented class and I hope he does more! I'm glad he wrote about it because people who ignore people like me (but probably shouldn't) just might listen to him.

 

[Slawburger]

Thanks for posting it BW.

Nice article Jake, sounds like a good class.

 

[Slawburger]

Edit

It was a nice article but one praising comment was enough. (silly double-post)

 

[ColdSteel223]

Excellent review. I was in both classes as well, from my viewpoint he nailed it.

 

[Twangbanger]

Not entirely in line with the thrust of the article, but on the subject of vehicles getting hit: there are thieves who work hotel parking lots in the orbit of major shooting events and do very well at it. The Grand American and Satellite Grands (trapshooting) have experienced this a lot (expensive guns)...reading the "lost/found" section of Trap & Field magazine used to yield a good selection of ads stating "stolen from vehicle in parking lot while attending Southern Grand," etc.

Not all people in the orbit of competitive shooting are "good people." The competitors generally are; but they tend to have acquaintances who, in some cases, are not. "OPSEC," being careful with control of information, including what you advertise on your bumper, etc, are in order.

 

[rhino]

Excellent review. I was in both classes as well, from my viewpoint he nailed it.

Which raises the question . . . when are you going to start shooting some matches with us? You can carpool with Burl.