How to loose places in a match, or easy guide to setup for failure.

Super fun matches this weekend.

A few pointers.

a) make sure your ammo goes *bang* and not *click* - bye bye 2nd place combined.
b) train with something you are going to run atleast a few times the week before match..
c) make sure to register plates not only by sound but also by Visual.
d) STICK TO THE PLAN.

Either way, got the combined handgun/mini rifle win, atleast something, but overall, not happy :p

Never again... you learn by being stupid.

Back to biz.

The vacationtime is over, work is in overdrive, but there are still some matches to attend to.

So far it has been going ok. Triggerfinger has been shitty from time to time (Bad finger!) but alot of the other aspects have come together finally.

The summer matches has gone as following:

#BSSK Handgun 1 - 2nd in Standard, 6th overall combined out of 23 competitors.
#BSSK Minirifle 1 - 1st in Open, 1st overall out of 8 (Only 8 but I take it! :o) )
#Lycksele Handgun 1 - 6th in Standard, 16th overall combioned out of 49 competitors.
#Grovskyttarna Boomerang 1 - 3rd in Open, 4th overall combined out of 26 competitors.

Also been doing the Swedish ICS cup matches. With horrible results most of the time.

#May - 36th in standard out of 70, first match of the year, overhyped - failed.
#June - 11th out of 52, not bad, happy about it.
#July - 44th place in Standard out of 47 :| not really enjoying that one..

I noticed a general trend in the ICS cup - too fast too furious. Trying a bit hard to race, and failing by a wide margin. At the other level 2 matches I however tend to overthink and be a bit to slow. Hopefully I can find that middleroad and start to get into the much search for "zone".

Leaving tomorrow for a two day match, 1st day, Handgun, gonna run Open again - yeah I bought a Open gun, Leatham 1 says the serialnumber, more on that later, and 2nd day is mini-rifle day.

Will be fun :>

Post-match, and post-training course with Eric Grauffel

Last weekend my club (bssk) held the seasons first Level II match, and I must say it was great time, and all visiting competitors seems to have left feeling they had a fun day with fun stages. We even had competitors from Finland and it was great to have a match meeeting new friendly people. I ended up 2nd i Standard, more out of luck I would say then anything else. Had a few brain freezes, but all in all it was a great day. The day after we ran a mini-rifle competition mostly for the fun of it, and I took home the "prestige" 1st place.

Last week also was the training course with Eric Grauffel. I was quite nervous, this beeing only my second year of competing, and not having that many matches under my belt - but it turned out to be two of my best days on a range - ever.  Again we had visitors that had come quite far away to attend a 2 day course in a small range in the slopes of an old military fort. Turned out they where supernice guys and we all had a great time getting into the deeper skillsets needed to become a better shooter and competitior. I think I could go on for hours about it all, but what was something I could recommend anyone that get the chanse, and I now have a list (quite long ;) ) with things I need to work on, but frankly, I Think I could have vasted tons of hours by myself on the range, and not come to understanding with what I need to do, and how to do it. 5/5 - would take a course again with Eric as instructor.

Here is Eric trying to explain during the morning coffee (mandatory Swedish tradition) how to calculate, on the fly, during a stage what you need to do in order to place well, from information you gather seeing those running the stage before it is your turn. Needless to say most of us was o_O ??? Still in the end it started sinking in.

All the course students from BSSK will cheer for Eric during World Shoot, for sure :)

So much to do, so little time, ie. status is normal

Final weeks before it is time for my vacation, so there is a buttload to do at work Before I can eject with out Felling  to bad for my buddies that still has a few weeks before they can enjoy sweet - sweet summer.

More related to IPSC, we have built a bunch of new wallsections, with diffrent ports for more creative stagebuilding. Next weekend we host our first Level II this year, followed by a Level I mini-rifle competition just for the club (also, our first mini-rifle competition).

Also we have doing the Swedish IPSC cup matches for May and June, was a blast, a fairly high number of clubmembers showed up and had tons of fun. Also, am going into the Open division for Handgun. Got a deal I could not turn down for a SVI/Springfield custom, built by none other then Rob Leatham. The price was a steal, so my poor wallet said "ynk" as it always does when I have to dip into the funds.

Also waiting for my .223 license, hopefully only 1 or 2 weeks away, and then training for the Nationals in the end of July.

Talking about training, only 2 weeks left before I go to the 2 day Eric Grauffel boot camp. Understatement to say I am nervous. :|

Summer is here! (apart from random snowblizzards every day)

Overall everything is going well. Pratice has been mostly alot of the "dry" kind as the weather has been far from supportive. This past weekend was my first course as an instructor. My club held the basic IPSC handgun course for 6 students, and we (me and my fellow instructors) cramed as much information we could into them in two days filled with repetition of the basic CoF, saftey guidelines and drills. At the end of Sunday everyone, both instructors and students exhausted from the experience and I am happy to say it was more fun then I expected. Not only could I find myself secure in explaining rules (Thanks RO-Course!) but also in the pratical, hands-on teaching. As we have a IPSC examinator in the club, he was also there and watched over both the students and us instructors, listening in on what we said, and how the students absorbed what we teached.

It was far more enjoyable, even as a fairly new IPSC competitor to share experience, tips, and hammer in the most important aspect of it all: Saftey, Saftey, Saftey.

If the weather just could stop having such temper, I forsee a great start of what looks to be a great season.

Ehehm, updates..

As always, it starts off good, but then I forget to update for weeks. Anyway, things are moving forward.

Past weekend I passed my first NROI course, and am now a RO in training, just need a few matchpoints to get my full RO status. The course was held by Ronny Bergstrom, winner of the IROA Ken Norman award in 2012 - "Presented annually to the International Official to have made the most outstanding contribution of  time and talent to IPSC Shooting. This award recognizes Excellence In Officiating and a standard of conduct for which we should all strive."

Also, I got accepted to become an Instructor in traning, which was an honour, to say the least.

Other then that, a few parts to order for my CZ, and waiting for a licence for a Stag 3G parts upper, yes, another hole to throw some money at ;)

Riflebuild then..

Seems like my taxreturn = the cost for a Stag 3G upper, what are the odds? I take this as a clear sign that I have to get one. Also, it sort of helped finding a Trijicon RMR sight on my desk at work this morning - thank you Trijicon-fairy!

So, 18" Stag 3G upper - minus their Comp which seems to have less then stellar performance - google or youtube 3G overcompensation and you will see what I meen. A Vortex x1-4  PST and the Trijicon on a 45 degree offset mount, a comp (looted from my mini-rifle at first) some Magpul magazines and I should be ready for some competitions =)

Also time to finsih my production to standard transformation for my Shadow. New fiber frontsight and a steel guiderod should finish it off, and some spare parts, just to be prepared for the competionseason.

Other then that, training goes well, seems to be improving :)

Smallish update.

Traning goes well, both at the range and the gym. Have been practacing some Mini-Rifle, mostly moving targets as I paid to have access to the local Hunting Clubs range time. I get a lot of comments as an AR platform rifle is not commonplace here, but I have let anyone who asks me try it out. So for I have not had one complaint, rather "how can I get one" - and then see them cringe when I tell them what a competitor in Sweden must go through to get an AR style rifle for IPSC.

Other then that I got more responsabilites in the IPSC club, I was tricked into taking over the leadership, which is one of the reasons for the lack of updates the past weeks. But the effort has been worth it. The other clubs in the region now has a solid competition calender - which will be even better next season - as we have agreed on working together in the region to make sure we have enough matches at level II but also level III matchs for the next season.

I have also started looking into a .223 build as matches now will be held within the region at a higher rate, which is great since we up here in the north now have matches we can drive to - not take a train or flight to be able to compete - super good!

Past week, and why double check what you order is a good thing...

I got to try out my new front fibersight, only to find out that I ordered one that was 1mm taller then the stock front fiber optic sight for the CZ. while 6.5mm over a normal 5.5mm might seem trivial, but the result was quite Visual.

At 15 meters I hit 10cm low (about 4").. I found a good guide over at Dawson Precision about sights and impact distance fron Point of aim. You can get it here in .pdf

I did the math, and it adds up, my font sight is 1 mm.. SCIENCE! However I would like something lower then 5.5mm so that I can slim down the height on my rear sights aswell. My Shadow is on a diet since it will run in standard division, and need to fit in the box! Thankfully a friend of mine also is a pistoleer and will build me one at his job that is a mechanical workshop, sweet :)

So far this week I have been able to pratice 3 times, and today I might go and pratice some mini-rifle. Tomorrow will see my return to the gym, woe is me.

I am not a fan of 25m precision shooting, but it beats cleaning the flat any day. Also past two weeks it helped me raise my average from 34/50p to 42/50p, I finally figured out some things about my grip and triggerpull, and that always helps no matter what dicipline you happen to compete in.

Also, looks like will attend a 2 day session with Eric Grauffel. That meens I have keep up the pratice during the spring.

So, IPSC Mini Rifle then.

There has been some controversy over this division. Some said it would affect IPSC in those countries that has strong rules about gun ownership i.e. it would be deemed  “why do you need a rifle in .223 when you could get one in .22lr - see less dangerous” - it would be the doom of the major rifle divisions.

Then again, Mini Rifle is popular in countries in Asia where in many countries getting a .22lr license is a piece of cake. Also, .22lr is dirt cheap, .223 is not unless you either can find som iffy cheapstuff that hardly is good for practice, or you have reloading equipment.

I see it as a gateway into the major divisions, and I would gess, most people here, has either  a cmmg bolt or a dedicated .22lr so that you can get cheap training time on the same platform.
When it was time for me to delve into Mini-Rifle, I had 3 choices. 1)  Ruger 10/22 , 2)  an “AR” clone in .22lr, like a S&W M&P 15-22, or a ‘real’ AR with a dedicated .22 upper.

no.1 - the ruger has tons of parts - I would guess thousands of aftermarket parts to customize it into a competition rifle.

no.2 - I really liked the M&P 15-22 for a number of reasons, but it was impossible to find someone who wanted to import it.

no.3 - Same as the ruger - Thousands of parts, you are bound to find something that works for you & and I could get the option to get a .223 upper if I wanted to move into the big rifle divisions.

I choose the third option.

After some lurking around I found a Swedish retailer that sold the German made Hera Arms - the15th rilfe. I contacted the shop MP-Vapen and first ordered a complete lower (Mind you, in my country, the lower does not require a licence, just the upper). I finished my rifle course, and after I had fulfilled the other obligations required for a license here, I placed the order for a Hera upper with a CMMG bolt and a CMMG WASP barrel with the correct barrel twist for .22lr. After some waiting for my licence it finally arrived a few months ago.

The machining is great, and the finnish superb. I went for Heras IRS handguard, and while it is quite nice, it is also quite heavy. The trigger I would say is ok, not bad, but at the same time not a match trigger. I went the full monty and I also ordered a JM compensator, since my goal is to eliminate all recoil, even from a small caliber as .22lr.

The biggest issue was finding something it liked to feed. CCI Standard or something that has the same bullet length is fine. Something like CCI minimag hp which is shorter - not so much. The accuracy was surprisingly good and there is no problems getting it hole-in-hole from 25 meters with a red dot sight.

Besides looking for a new handguard - carbon fiber most likely - there are some small things I  have on my shopping list like the pressure plug TACCOM, a charging handle that makes it less likely to get a casing stuck between the handle and the bolt (it has happened a few times)

And that is about it! I am really happy with it, I think it will be fun to practice and compete with, and most likely it will send me to the money sink that is rifle open division.

Edit: I will do a write up of the Hera shortly, with some pictures to follow!

Club championship in National Fullmatch.

National Fullmatch or "Nationell Helmatch"  - it is hard to translate, but it goes something like this.

4 rounds of 25m precision with 5 shots in each round on a standard International target, 50p max in each round, total 20 shots, 200p max.

4 rounds of 25m rapid fire pistol targets, where the target is visable for 3 seconds  with a 7 sec pause in between showings, 50p max in each round,  total 20 shots 200p max.

4 rounds of 25m on a special National Fullmatch target, 50p max in each round. Target is shown a specific time  each round, with shorter showing times each round.  18s/16s/14s/12s, 50p max in each round, for a total of 200p.

All all results from the twelve rounds are then combined for a total of 600p max. I have no idea what the result was, and like any true sportsman, I have reasons for it! The sun was in my eyes, the was a wind gusting! Or it was just bad planing.

4 Days ago it was time to practice with my Kadet kit, but after only 10 shots, one of the barrelpins got broken in half and fell out on the tablerest.. Thank god my office is next to a mechanical workshop, and I found a correct 3mm x 12mm pin, but I then had no time to acctually practice with it. The new slimmer grips helped to improve my score from last yeras club Championship, and with some winterseason training I think I can rasie my average precision score, even though it is the disipline I favour the least, but all training is training. Last season I raised my scores shooting Nordic Field thanks to all the IPSC training. Practice, practice practice!

The year 2012/2013 in retrospect

So looking back to see what has happend so far.

2012

• I pass the practical and written exam and finishes the IPSC Handgun course for my competition license!
• Since Winter comes, I pay my license the first week in January 2013,  since... no competitions when it is -18 degree C and snow outside.

2013

• As per normal the local shooting season starts in the end of april. More Nordic Field competitions, starts making top 3 in my class A1, where A stands for Pistol in .38 to .45acp, and 1 stands for sucky beginner.
• My first IPSC match! 8 hours of fun in a physical demanding course (large army training field in the  middle of nothing!) Longest stage was over 100m+ running. I miss my stamina.. Level II, and even though the number of competitiors was only 16, I met alot of really helpful guys that helped alot with geting into it.
• Second IPSC match, Level II held by my club. Around 10 people from around the region, fun day, even better then the first.
• Third Match, Level II by RJPS, 22 hour day, totally Worth it. 50 competitors, by far the most advanced stages, lots of plates, poppers, swingers and things that  messed up all and every plan I made :)
• Fourth Match, Club Championship ~9 people. I will to the end of times state that I got robbed on one stage, becuse I cannot have been that slow - the timmer must have registered my slide when I showed finished and pulled the trigger, ah well :) was still fun.

Placement in everyone was in the middle of the total field, and about  top third in my division, not bad, but I want to become even better :)

Best of all, no DQs!

So far I have been shooting about 8-9 Nordic Field competitions each year, and at each even you can participate in diffrent classes like 'C' for .22lr, 'A' for large caliber pistols, 'R' and 'B' for "pistols with ergonomic grips" - a divison that is dominated by .32 bullseye pistols like Walther or Hämmerli. Apart from that, 2-3 precision matches in the club. To be able to renew your licenses every 5 years, you must have documented proof of competition activity. That is just how it works in Sweden these days, so you need to attend some events that might not be your favourite type of shooting - but it is way better then doing the dishes.

And more  about 2014?!

• Pracise more - not just quantity, but quality. Have a plan - train the things I am bad at.
• Become a gymrat once again - which should be easy, considering my workplace is next to the best gym in town.
• Shoot less Nordic Field/precision - Shoot more IPSC!

The last one might be the hardest. When you live in a region that gets winter faster and spring slower then the rest of the country AND has fewer active clubs and competions nearby I have started making a budget for my hobby & sport. Luckily a  quite new club hit the jackpot, found a superb location for  a range and almost finished building everything for the 2014 season in a few months! It is roughly 1½-2hours away, but it looks totally worth it since it is going to become the northen sweetspot for IPSC Handgun, Rifle and Shotgun. Those of you from Sweden that might read this, check out the link on the right side of the blog, named Lycksele DS and watch their photos of the range build - it is worth it!

So, something about gear then.

So, what about the gear I use.

CZ SP01 Shadow - I have tried far from all pistols, but this is my yardstick when I get my chanse to try something else.
- 4 SP01 standard magaszines. Minor mod to fit in Magwell
- 5,5 mm with 1mm fiber optic front sight, fixed rear sights. (not on current pictures)
- CZ SP01 Magwell.
- CZ slim aluminum grips.
- Double Action belt with 3-4 Mag pouches, DA SP01 Holster that I am thinking about chaning.

Plans:
Even though shootning minor powerfactor in standard will be a drawback, that is where I am going with my Shadow, so that meens.

- Steel Guiderod
- Possible new lower sights to fit in the "standard" IPSC box.
- Possible SAO trigger

and on top of my list, the ACCU Shadow steel barrel bushing.


Hera 15th with dedicated CMMG bolt/barrel .22lr upper.
- 4 Black Dog Magazines
- Vortex Sparc red dot.
- MOE dressing, everything pretty much stock

Plans:
- New trigger group, while the stock one is not that bad, it is not a matchtrigger
- New handguard. The standard Hera is far to Heavy. Looking into carbon fiber.
- Taccom pressure plug
- Possible CMMG hold bolt on last shot upgrade.
- Possible upper for Rifle Open division (so expensive =( )

Other then that. Practice, practise, practice, practice, practice and more practice.

What needs to be done before the 1st of May?

Well, time to make a Schedule and try to follow it. At the end of April the Competitive Shooting starts, and every weekend is pretty much filled with competitions, mostly Nordic Field  which will serve as a bit of warmup. I tried to explain it to a friend, and the closest I came was "it is like eating a pizza when you have a hangover, and it just makes everything better." I enjoy it, but the focus will be IPSC.

Physical Traning plan then!

3 days a week. A stepdown from around 2005 when I was at the gym 5-6 times a week, but it is a start. I have all my old training material, and my old plans for food intake. I will this time  focus mainly on core strength, legs and my back/shoulders. Each session will end with 25-30 minutes of cardio just like my old plan just to get some extra burn, and build some stamina.

3days every Week,  Mon/Tues/Fri

Shooting.

We only have access to a Indoor where the maximum caliber is .32 wadcutters :/ So precision training it will be, since the facility has a "no movment while shooting"  rule, and it is never bad to get better at the basis, like triggerpulls. As I own a .22lr kit for my CZ, I could also do some draw  &  Magazine change drills. Also signed up so that I can attend the local hunting clubs Indoor trainings 1 Day ever Week for some Mini Rifle training time.

So during the cold  months:

2days of practice, Wed Handgun/Thurs Rifle

Finally, dry practice.

Two nights every week, draw, magazine Changes, basic manipulation.

Might be a bit boring, but it will hopefully make the start of the season easier, and hopefully when the first sunny and warm days come, outdoor practice will start smoother then last year, when it was like  going from zero up to eleven.

So what is this then?

This is a blog about a dude that like to compete in diffrent shooting sports. Mainly this will focus on IPSC and my training. It is also an easy way to keep stats on myself.

I started 3 years ago, getting my first .22lr license, and got my IPSC competition license late 2012, by the time the competition season was over in Sweden. 2013 I got to compete in three level II matches aswell as the club level I 'Championship'.

Other then IPSC I also compete in the Natinonal divsions, like 25meter Precision (not that much really) and Nordic Field Competitions.  Trying to explain Nordic Field for my friends in the USA is not that easy, but basiclly, it is 6 shots on 1-6 targets at ranges from 3 meters to 98 meters within a timelimit, most often 9-16sec depending on what division you are in (.22lr, 9mm, Revolver etc.) .22/.32 most often has less time then 9mm and up. So.. standing still, shooting diffrent targets of  diffrent sizes (can be flip up/falling targets) from either close or insanly long range.

Another reason is that IPSC is the first hobby I had in a few years that wants me to get back into the gym. Every second count! :)