MD Notes for MM #4 - February 20, 2016

MD Note Added February  19, 2016

We will be using  muzzle safe points as per IDPA Rules for this match.  The only safe way to have two Squads is if we significantly reduce the normal 180 degree plane down to a much smaller radius.

Here are the rules:

"2.9 Muzzle Safe Points.
2.9.1 If the muzzle of the shooter’s firearm points further up range than a “Muzzle Safe Point” the shooter will be Disqualified from the match. The shooter will be given the command “Stop.” The shooter will stop immediately, place the trigger finger obviously and visibly outside the trigger guard of the firearm, and wait for further instructions from the SO.
2.9.2 There are two types of Muzzle Safe Points used in IDPA. The CoF description will describe which type of muzzle safe point is used or if the two types are used in concert. One or both may be used on a single stage, however if no muzzle safe cones or flags are present on a stage, the default is the 180 rule.
2.9.2.1 A Muzzle Safe Point is a physical and clearly visible marker such as a traffic cone or stake in the ground with a brightly colored flag or marker tape attached."

Please also note to bring at least four mags for your pistol.  You will need four mags on one of the stages.  If you have a shot timer, please bring it, too.  Thank You,

MD Note Added February 18, 2016

Everything is ready for the Match.  All of the targets have been put together and the paperwork and Practiscore stuff processed.   If everyone shows up, we're going to have to shoot in two Squads.  If we have some "no shows" then we might reduce to one large Squad.

Note that The 'Long Shots" stage has been redesigned.  It is now two targets instead of three.  Why?  Well, it's going to make it  a LOT  faster and easier of we don't have to wait on a taper or tapers to go out 35 yards and back.   We have four targets for this stage.  Someone will simply take two taped targets out and  swap them for the "shot" targets.  That way only one person needs to go 70 yards Round  Trip.  The two shot targets will be taped during the next shooter's turn and used to swap out afterwards.

We really, really need to not linger looking for brass.  We can definitely speed up each match if we cut short the Brass Search and get back behind the firing line when the next shooter is prepared to "Load & Make Ready."

The weather looks fine and there hasn't been any precipitation here in The Verde.

Please be on the range no later  than 10 AM.

See You Saturday!   Happy Day & many Cheers, jp

MD Note added February 16, 2016

Well, it took three hours but the cowpies were cleaned up today from our shooting areas.

 Here is what a portion of Bay 2 looked like on February 8th, the day the cattle began to be herded to a different pasture.

 And here is the same area after we finished our task on February 16th.  Luckily, the  hot, dry weather dried out the droppings.

 Here's Bay #1.  I forgot to take a "before" photo.  It was a real mess.

About 15  wheel barrow  loads later,  things look pretty good in the bays.  We did not  clean the entire area, just the shooting areas--so be forewarned!


MD Note added at 4 PM, January 17, 2016

YES!  Larry's runner works!  Larry tested it for the first time Sunday afternoon, January 17 and it passed the test with flying colors.  Since the color contrast between the cardboard target  and the earth is minimal, we put a red "X" on the moving target.  It shows up better in the YouTube video here:

https://youtu.be/-g0hmuoNgeM

Congratulations, Larry!  We are all looking forward to shooting your awesome target on February 20!!

MD Note added @ 9 AM, January 14, 2016.

Many Thanks to Stage Designer Larry Messer for this 3-D video rendition of his Stage Design "My Pal Tueller" for MM Match #4.  https://youtu.be/rLzp3Dw791k

MD Notes added @ 10 AM, January 11, 2016

Club Dues Paid

Thanks to everyone who donated a total of $55 at MM Match #3 on January 9, 2016.  We  used the donations to renew our IDPA Club #633280 membership on January 10.  We felt it was an appropriate time to renew our dues since it was the 4th anniversary of meeting Jeff Brown back in Indiana.  If not for Jeff, Montezuma Marksmen wouldn't even  be an IDPA club!  So it was special to use the donations from the January 9th Match to make this renewal.  Thanks, Jeff!

Range Usage Update

On Monday, January 11, we contacted the US Forest Service Range Technician who works with the Apache Maid Ranch.  Our shooting range is located in what's known as the Beaverhead Flat East Pasture.  The  Range Tech confirmed that cattle are being turned onto this pasture on January 18 and will be there at least until February 2.   As usual, the Range Tech noted that some cattle may be turned into the pasture before January 18 and some may remain after February 2.

We purposely gave the ranching use of our shooting area a wide berth.  That's why the next match isn't scheduled until February 20th. By that time, it's fairly certain there will no longer be any strays wandering around in the Beaverhead Flats East Pasture.  We simply can't take a chance that we would stage a  match and suddenly have a stray bovine meander into our downrange area.  That's why we're waiting so long after the cattle are supposed to be out of that area.  It rarely works out that they all obediently leave on the date written  into the annual Range Management Plan.

Thanks for the match tear down

Ya'll did a wonderful job tearing down and helping pack up the match gear on January 9th.  VERY impressive and gratifying!  It took me about an hour to empty the match truck and stow away the various match gear.  High on the list of making this possible were several things:

1. Helping get the new shorty target stands back in their proper place in the truck
2. Stripping the cardboard off the sticks
3. Sorting out and stowing the rebar properly.
4. Having all hands help pass in various materials in the proper order

We greatly appreciate this new regime of post-match logistics.  Years ago when we began staging matches here in The Verde, it would often take me several hours to unpack and store match gear.  The de-rigging process after the January 9th match was the fastest ever.

THANK YOU!

Stage Designs for MM #4 - February 20, 2016

Stage Designs will be added as they are completed from time-to-time.

"The Six Pack" added February 15, 2016 @ 1 PM.

Here is a video showing the "New & Improved" Swinger in action:

https://www.facebook.com/My.Idaho.Shooting.Highlights/videos/1130573166975955/

(NOTE:  The steel will be at least 10 yards from P1.)

We are pleased and proud to announce an awesome Guest Stage Design by Larry Messer for MM Match #4.  Larry not only went the proverbial extra mile in the Stage Design but worked diligently for months to fabricate a genuine "line runner" target.  Of all the reactive and moving targets, the famous Line Runner is arguably the most popular Stage Design prop in The World of IDPA.  This is generally the type of Stage Design one sees in Tier II matches and above.  We are thrilled and grateful to be able to showcase Larry's handiwork at the February 20 MM Match #4.  The threat targets are shot in Tactical Priority which is also in numerical order in this graphical depiction of the Stage Design.  The steel activator is shot after engaging T3 so that the shooter then engages the Line Runner (T4) before moving on to engage T5-T6.  It is a Classic 18-round Stage with the extra added kicked of the Line Runner  element in the middle of the COF.  THANK YOU, Larry!

NOTE: Not only is Larry a Top Notch Stage Designer, but he also has the magical knack of rendering his Designs in 3-D video!  Yep, 'tis true.   Here's the rendition of this Stage: https://youtu.be/rLzp3Dw791k

Stage Design "Getting Kicked on Old 66" added at noon, January 13, 2016. (Edited & reposted @ 9 AM, January 14, 2016)

Here is one of our favorite stages.  Each time we conduct this Stage, it changes.  This is a somewhat new rendition of and Oldie But Goodie.  First off, all three initial targets are engaged with retention---two rounds each.  After moving to P2, the shooter must engage the next three targets with two head shots each.  One or more of these targets will have the head area reduced to the IDPA legal 18-square inches.  W haven't yet decided whether to include Non-Threat targets in this Stage.  You might see them and you might not.  OK, moving on, the final six targets comprise the Classic Crack Head Stage incorporated into this stage.  Consequently, you don't even see T7 until you have engaged T4-T6.
What happens here is that the gang splits into two groups of 3 and comes at you from different directions.  When the Gang Leader sees his troops wiped out, he becomes enraged , grabs a shield and charges you.  Since he is high on crack, your bullets are not fazing him.  So, the targets simulate someone running toward you while holding a non-threat.  You keep firing at him and he keeps running.  That is why the last shot must be a head shot.   Note that the head of T12 will be reduced to 18 square inches as per IDPA Rule.

Note also that Retention has been better defined in this Stage Design.  We found a correct definition of Retention in the PRG "South Mountain Showdown" 2016 Match booklet. Since we know that every aspect of all Stage Designs for this match have been reviewed and approved by a wide variety of IDPA officials, we feel confident that is a correct, acceptable definition of Retention.

Stage Design "Long Shots" added @ 10 AM, January 11, 2016.

As everyone knows, we enjoy designing "very" challenging Standards Stages. In MM Match #2, the "All In Your Head" Standards Stage racked up 290 Points Down! No one shot it Down Zero.  If there are few Points Down on a Standards Stage, then it wasn't designed "tough enough."  The "Long Shots" Standards Stage is in keeping with this challenging "tough enough" tradition.

First, we have reduced the round count to six.  Normally, our Standards Stages have a round count of at least 12 and sometimes 18. Since we plan on designing three complex Scenario Stages for the February match, we want to cut down on the total time it takes to complete the monthly Standards Stage.  Scoring and taping this short stage is going to take far longer than shooting it!

Luckily, IDPA allows targets up to 35 yards in Standards Stages.  This is the very first time we have actually used almost the full 35 yards.  No shot is closer than a theoretical 30 yards.  As we all know, it's "tough enough" to hit 25 yards while moving, let alone 30-35 yards.  Luckily, there are no FTNs allowed in Standards Stages so the worst anyone can rack up on this stage will be a mere 30 Points Down.  By comparison, the "All In Your Head" stage in early January had a theoretical maximum of 90 Points Down.

Many of us are generally capable of hitting a 35 yard target while standing still.  It's going to be "very interesting" to see how the results of this "Long Shots" Standards Stage stack up.  It's definitely a "Short But Sweet" and fun standards stage.

Here is the ALT Stage in case Larry is unable to attend and set up the line runner.

Results for MM Match #3, January 9, 2016

Tom C. strolls, shoots and savors some Texas BBQ.

Thanks to the eight hardy shooters who braved the early January elements to make Montezuma Marksmen Match #3 a success.  Thanks to all for "enjoying" so much single hand shooting in four challenging stages.

Congratulations to Tom C. for his blazing fast #1 time and also for being Most Accurate Shooter!  Way to GO, Tom C.!

Believe it or not, there were 457 total Points Down in this match!  And, yes, 290 of those points (63.4%) were recorded in the "All In Your Head" stage.  Perhaps next time, we should change match rules to be like a basketball or football game and say HIGH score wins!

Here are the Match results.  You can also see them on Practiscore via this link:

https://practiscore.com/results/15274

Here are the top three finishers for each Stage:

ANd here are the Points Down rankings

Above is a partial collage of some of the photos we used.  We put them on a dormant Facebook account.  You do NOT need to be a member of Facebook to view the photos via this link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1108776279155644.1073741838.100000698462134&type=1&l=b10facd3d7

Thank You for your $55 in donations.  Your donations dollars this month will buy more target sticks, target tape and at least one more netted cover structure.  MUCH appreciated!

The next match will be February 20.