I don't like hard stops through out the COF for one target. I like a COF that flows and gives you something to shoot at on your way to another position. Good mix of steel and paper, I like the star.
I don't care for stages where you start with an empty gun, seems like stupid human tricks. What's the point of having a pistol competition where you start with an unloaded gun? So, I'm tested on putting in a mag and racking the slide?
Empty gun starts aren't my favorite, but nothing really 'gotcha' about them.... now stages where you have to stash mags around the course, that can be 'gotcha' because a malfunction or couple extra shots can really screw your stage, so those seem to me to be cases where you can be defeated by the WSB, not the shooting...
Stages that 'flow' get boring.....
-rvb
Any stage I screw up on is a gotcha stage.
In all seriousness, the only thing I'd really consider a "gotcha" would be an egregious 180 trap.
I've been to majors where the 180 trap was so bad, they stationed RO's at that point just to catch it.
I don't consider any of those "gotcha" stages.
When I think "gotcha" stages, stuff like mixed number of rounds ("shoot T1-T3 w/ 2 rounds, T4 w/ 6 rounds, T5-T6 w/ 3 rounds") and random draw stuff ("pick a card from the deck and the suit is the no-shoots") come to mind. Never see the first in uspsa, but used to see it in idpa all the time. Haven't seen the later in uspsa in several years. Basically, a course where the WSB screws you up and leads to penalties, not the actual course/shooting.
Everything in your list looks fun to shoot to me; it's all good!
-rvb
ps maybe Corey will be on here and can post the vid where I can be heard on film saying "Gotcha!" Haha. I created a position you had to run into and back out of for just one 10+ yd plate and I even told him before the match I wanted to see how many people I could catch doing the hokey-pokey stepping in and out of the box to get that plate...
-rvb
an egregious 180 trap.
Empty gun starts aren't my favorite, but nothing really 'gotcha' about them.... now stages where you have to stash mags around the course, that can be 'gotcha' because a malfunction or couple extra shots can really screw your stage, so those seem to me to be cases where you can be defeated by the WSB, not the shooting...
Stages that 'flow' get boring.....
-rvb
Empty starts where all of your magazines are on the same table at the starting point are a gotcha for single stack and production shooters. You can't put mags in your front pockets like you can in Open, Limited, Limited 10 or you move to Open when you pull one out and put it in your mag.
And I'll add I can't reach my back pocket on my left side because of a shoulder injury, so that's a no go for me and anyone else who can't reach.
It takes a LONG time to shove 3-4 single stack magazines into mag pouches when you have to just stand there and do it.
I've been to majors where the 180 trap was so bad, they stationed RO's at that point just to catch it.
You can't put mags in front pockets and you have so many it takes a while to stuff them in your pouches. While true, everyone in the division has to do that, so its still a level playing field.