Nice all alphas run on 2. See ya on stage 1 at nationals.
@almostalphasАй бұрын
Thanks Nate! I was really happy with that as I edged Brandon just slightly and had great hits. Felt really confident on this one too, I was tracking the A zone on the swingers and as a result was able to call those shots. I think there were was some opportunity to shave time at the very beginning, but overall very happy with that one. I also liked Stage 6, particularly my Strong Hand string. But clearly need to work on weak hand.
@empiricalshootingАй бұрын
Man! I would have loved to run those stages again and take another swing at em. Especially 5 and 6, I bombed both during the Championship. Tough luck on those malfunctions man, they ruined some of these stages for you
@almostalphasАй бұрын
Yeah, they did, but I was just happy that the rest of the stages went off without a hitch, because I truly enjoyed the hell out of this day. Weather was perfect (both on my original Area 8 day and the Redemption match). The fact that I had a week to let the stage plans solidify in my memory, meant that I could just enjoy the process and focus on execution. On the stages where that all coalesced nicely, I had both a ton of fun and a perception (then and now) that things went well. Hope to see you at CO Nats, and love your content btw!
@01HondaS2kXDАй бұрын
Great match! The malfunctions definitely suck and like you said the bus stage was tough to optimize a stage plan for, but looks like aside from that you had a pretty great match.
@almostalphasАй бұрын
Thanks! That bus stage is the only one, not derailed by malfunctions, that could have gone better. Either through a more efficient plan or just cleaner execution, I probably could have shaved 2-3 seconds.
@empiricalshooting2 ай бұрын
What 1st person camera are you using?
@almostalphas2 ай бұрын
It's the Aimcam Pro3k. There are only 2 things I really like about it: 1) with enough fiddling, it can be set to an angle that picks up the dot. 2) It can record any length, so I often start it well before the stage and just edit the clip down after. Unlike the Ray Ban Meta glasses that take 60 second clips in portrait orientation. I have debated moving to the Insta360 Go 3, but it wasn't a big leap over the 2, so I'm holding out hope for the Go 4. Until then, this works fine for my needs. I've gotten used to the camera hanging in my peripheral view and no longer even notice it.
@wmetzler012 ай бұрын
I like your camera set up! What is it?
@almostalphas2 ай бұрын
Thanks! The overhead angle is just a GoPro Hero 10 on a tall tripod from Amazon. I'm not sure if it will let me provide an external link, but just in case I can: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004U5F3BC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If that link doesn't work, search for "Impact Heavy-Duty Light Stand (Black, 13')" on Amazon and you'll find the exact one I use. The first person shots are filmed on an Aimcam Pro 3k. It was a real pain to set up, but I haven't touched it since getting it setup a few years ago, and it hasn't moved on me at all.
@RedHotSerrano2 ай бұрын
How did you not get call out on the 180 on the classifier is beyond me. You ran well but you drew your gun clearly facing uprange.
@almostalphas2 ай бұрын
Yep, I noticed that too when editing that angle. I recall something feeling off with the draw, but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. It wasn't until editing that I realized that's why. The RO had to start closer than usual due to the rain picking up and making more noise (obscuring the beep), and was (fortunately for me) focused on getting out of the way. It was a good, fresh reminder for me of what not to do at Area 8 and CO Nats.
@RedHotSerrano2 ай бұрын
@@almostalphas draw then turn if you find yourself in that position in the future. You did keep finger off the trigger so thats a positive i take from it.
@almostalphas2 ай бұрын
@@RedHotSerrano I don't know why I didn't do that this time. Probably just too much rust. It reminded me of a stage at the Western PA match last year, similar situation that I know DQ'ed a lot of shooters: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fZN2u6mqdJzaYM4.htmlsi=LVm698PcebfTLsqo&t=81 I did it correctly there, just brain fart on this one.
@IkeStarnes4010 ай бұрын
Nicely done!
@michaelford485810 ай бұрын
You went for the bear trap! My man!
@almostalphas10 ай бұрын
I had nothing to lose after all the malfunctions on the first stage! I wanted to see if I could do it, and I'm glad I did. I got 2 charlies, but I think that was a function of actually waiting on the target to pop up for a split second. My brain began wondering if I knocked the steel down, and in that split second it popped up and I wasn't as prepared for it to come up as I should have been. Had I ambushed it (which I had time to do), I probably could have gotten 2 alphas instead of charlies. The other people in our group who went for it almost all ended up with 2 alphas. This was one of my favorite stages, nicely done Mike!
@UnloadShowClear10 ай бұрын
Love the Channel name 😂😂😂❤❤
@almostalphas10 ай бұрын
Thank you! Wish I could take credit, but pretty sure my wife came up with it. She'll be excited to hear you like the name!
@TCB300811 ай бұрын
2:07, they totally left the angle to shoot that paper target AND the steel in 1 shot lol it’s all I could think about soon as I saw you lean out and look at it 😅
@almostalphas11 ай бұрын
Yeah, I thought it was a good plan, but either I'm just slow (which I think is part of it) or others found a better approach. Sam Demko took 1st on this stage by shooting it in 15.66, and Nate shot it in 16.90. I need to watch Nate's video of this stage and see how he approached it.
@TCB300811 ай бұрын
“Wow those are bad hits”… Me after every first string on a strong weak stage 😅
@almostalphas11 ай бұрын
Lol I didn't even notice that @ 07:59 during any of the many times I watched these clips while making the video
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
So that’s what a run that beats mc to the crawl looks like 😅 nice one bec
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Good shooting all around but that run on 4 was nuts.
@andrewmccall1120 Жыл бұрын
Great match man!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrew! You too, since you beat me. I compared our results in practiscore. We were neck and neck on each stage! Stage 3 (the last one in my video), we had identical hits and I edged you out by 0.03 seconds! Stage 4 you beat me 0.70 seconds. Hopefully I can make it to a decent number of matches this year and squad with you a few times.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Glad you two could make it back out. If this was you shooting with several months of rust, I can’t wait to see the rest of the year.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks Nate. We loved squadding with you and your parents. It was such a fun, relaxed environment. And I appreciate all the guidance you've given me when it comes to stage prep...you have an eye for how to attack stages and often see things uniquely, which I find super helpful!
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
You guys made it to one! 🥳 how did it feel?
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
We did! I wasn't as rusty as I expected to be and am pretty happy with my performance for my first match back. Stage 3 @4:28 I took 2nd overall only to Drew. Other than my 1 stupid procedural on Stage 1, and my slow run on Stage 2, I thought I shot pretty close to or at my current ability. The classifier sucked, but no one shot it that well and I don't think it's going to pull me down (hopefully). Becca did well too and felt fine throughout, so I'm hopefully she'll be able to get a few more in this year.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Hey. Just a heads-up: keep an eye on your summit city bullets if you have ordered from them recently. I just received a shipment of 147gr from them and around 15% of them are 160gr.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks Nate, I ordered some 124s and 135s. I'll open them up and sift through to see if any were incorrectly packaged.
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
Nice transition between the poppers on the classifier, excellent makeup shot on the one mini-popper on the balance beam stage, great timing/sequencing on the slider. You've come a long way in one season!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks Jay, I really appreciate your feedback and observations, not to mention your time and energy spent putting together great matches! Looking forward to next season!
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
This was a tough match. Just about every stage aside from 1 and the classifier had some very difficult shots. And it’s a shame that steel wasn’t reset because you were absolutely crushing that stage the first time.
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
I see some room for time savings on transitions-there are a few places where the gun settles on the same target after a second shot, then starts to move to the next one.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Great point Jay. Watching it back now, I see that in a couple areas, although I'm sure I'm doing it a lot more and it's adding up to a decent chunk of time in a whole match. That's the nice thing about having all the original footage still. I can go in and look frame by frame and see the dot settle on the same target again, particularly after the 2nd shot.
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
@@almostalphas Well, after the first shot, back on target is where you want it, so that's not a bad thing. :P I really enjoy watching AimCam footage-being able to run the tape back and see if your shot calling was correct seems very helpful for the shooter, and it's a fun exercise for the viewer too.
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
Still light strikes? :(
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Indeed, although this is still the same batch of ammo. So I've got a few options. I'm gonna try a bullet of a different shape (not sure if this will help at all, but I have had to load these pretty short to chamber in her gun), rollsized brass, and as you suggested, I adjusted the primer depth seater just a bit to ensure all primers are slightly below flush. I ran about 5 test rounds through my press and all were a bit below flush (I want to say anywhere from .001" to .003" below flush). And last option is to sell the Rival and move her over to a P320 like I'm running, since I've had maybe 1 light strike to every 20 she's had.
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
Lol hurts to Re-live that PM classifier.. last shot 😭
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
I think if you had went straight at the no shoot and shot left to right on the classifier you woulda maybe shaved half a second off and got the A here! you had the round racked in and gun up and ready to fire your first shot superrr fast!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
That was how I initially thought of shooting it, but during practice I convinced myself that I'd be able to snap off a shot on the steel while still pressing out. Obviously missing that first shot on the steel cost me about .2 to .25. I would like to set this up again some time and see 1) how much time I pick up using the mag slide into the gun and 2) shooting left to right (or right to left) paper, steel, paper. Not sure how long it'll be before we see this one again, but it could come in handy for other similar classifiers in the future.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
@@almostalphas this is the first we’ve seen this classifier but I’d be happy to see it again. It was a fun one as far as the no-movement classifiers go. That being said regarding the question of saving time, 90% of the time, just reading across an array one way will be the fastest method. The only exceptions are things like activator arrays or when you’re moving and different targets appear and disappear in ways (probably) deliberately designed to force wide transitions, or if you have the option to move into a position while engaging an open target before taking the position and then taking a more difficult target with hardcover or a no shoot on it then it’s worth considering.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
@@01HondaS2kXD Makes sense. Had it been an open paper on one side, I definitely would have started there. I think the no shoot made me question whether it was fastest to start there, or start on steel. But you're right, it does make for a much wider transition than you get just going target to target.
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
@@almostalphas oh wow I didn’t even catch that was with a missed shot! Probably even .3 is fair to add for a makeup on steel, so yeah being clean there woulda prob done it too.. I want to try that push the mag in trick too!! I can’t believe I’ve never seen anybody do it until this week wtf? Lol you have never seen anybody do it either have you??
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Congrats on making it into C. You’re definitely improving and becoming more confident.
@rebeccatemplin3197 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Nate…. I’m glad it’s noticeable! Enjoyed shooting with you guys!
@warrenrosen132 Жыл бұрын
If this is a club match, those are nice stages!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
It is! We're fortunate to have this club, and many others, put on a match each month. This one (Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club) has lots of fun, dynamic targets too...it's the only place I've ever shot a sliding target, among others.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Decent? Dude, you did awesome here. Consistently in the 70’s and 80’s in our pretty warm CO field. Funnily enough even the one time I can see something potentially not going how you planned (just going off of the video it looks like up front on stage 1 you missed the popper, hit the activator, then came back to the popper) it actually helped rather than hurt. I’ve got nothing in terms of advice for this one other than keep doing whatever you did here.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Re: point one in your thoughts, we all have those days. Focus on that your good stages were really good. Your pm run on stage 2 was very good, both because you avenged your mistake from the morning and because while it can be tempting to try to burn down a 3 per stage, points are way more important on them, especially if you gamble with a 24/24 no reload strategy.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
As always, thanks Nate! I appreciate the advice and help you've given me since getting started. I always learn something, definitely when I shoot with you and often just from insights you pull out from my videos. I'm learning more with each match, and realizing that a big part of this is mental. Can't let past mistakes get in your head or you'll just spiral downwards. Each stage is a new chance to execute well!
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
3:40 my reaction to the classifier run is pretty hilarious. I’m like, “you got this, you got this, you got this, DANGIT!” Your pm runs on stages 3 and 4 were really good. Each did have a Mike, but the movement and cadence was so good that they still ended up as some solid scores.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
I know! Just out of frame were me and Tyler reacting to that last shot being a Mike too! So frustrating! But she more than made it up for it this Sat by having her highest ever classifier run (just a hair shy of a B!). As for the movement on 3 and 4, I 100% agree. Though the hits weren't great, I think the confidence showed in the movement. She can get good hits if she slows down, and now she's comfortable moving faster, so we just need to blend the two and she'll continue on her path of improvement!
@rebeccatemplin3197 Жыл бұрын
Everyone felt my pain, thanks for the support!!! I am starting to realize the benefits of moving (a little) faster!
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
Did I just see what I think I saw 😂😂Did becca shoot the disappearing swivel target that was already gone on stage 1 and freaking hit it 😂😂😂 what a shot
@rebeccatemplin3197 Жыл бұрын
Ha! Wow, good eye, we hadn’t even noticed that I hit it! I was screwed up my plan and was worried that if I didn’t shoot at it at all I may have lost more points.
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! I didn't get to shoot these, so it's really fun to see how they ended up. Thread the Needle and Squares Are So Last Month were mine-#2000 Saves was Johnny Wolfe's pick, out of an old Nationals matchbook, since he was directing traffic for Saturday prep while I was away.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
1:30 lol. I’ve had my own issues in the past and if you reload long enough you’ll eventually run into new and exciting issues as time runs on. I’ve even seen some of what I would consider some of the most talented local shooters run into squibs (the worst form of reload issue there could be). That being said, regarding the shooting itself you pressed on in spite of the malfunctions and absolutely crushed both the swinger activation sequence on stage 1, and the plates on stage 2.
@rebeccatemplin3197 Жыл бұрын
Thanks! It is a pleasant surprise when I can complete a stage with no ammo issues now. Once I realized I need to prep the trigger on the steel things got a little smoother for me too, LOTS to learn here :)
@JaySlaterOfMars Жыл бұрын
Your thumbnails are the best.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Lol my laziness got the best of me on the last 2 matches, so I didn't make them. And in fact, KZread automatically selected this one! The algorithm got it right!
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Dude! You absolutely killed it on stage 3. I didn’t think of that engagement pattern in the first window, but where you really picked up the time was that miraculous double tap on the swinger. Just about everyone (myself included) took one shot at each pass. That double tap was INSANE. Aside from that I will also say that you seem to have narrowed down the makeup shots. When you need one you fire it but for the most part (even on the difficult hardcover stage) you see to be showing more visual patience. Finally, yeah it seems like there’s some high primers or something preventing the rounds from going entirely into battery. I’d recommend really looking at the primers during case gauging and try to find a couple slightly high ones to verify if they will cause the failures to fire. Beyond that I’d check to see if the rounds all pass the plunk and spin test.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure I grabbed a box of ammo that I had intended to use in practice. We were running a bit low on match ammo, and I was in a hurry Sunday morning. The result was, as you rightly pointed out, a few slightly high primers and some brass that didn't gauge well (also may have been from an earlier batch I did that was a bit long for both our guns). I have since set a slightly deeper swage, and most of the primers are sitting just below flush now (obviously some variation between brass). Also, I set OAL about .01" deeper than it was in this batch, from 1.095" (I think that's what this batch that caused issues was) to 1.085". And I made sure the sizing die was going as low as absolutely possible, just before contacting the shellplate. The combination of these, as well as separating rounds that don't gauge perfectly from rounds that do, and carefully labeling each box, should hopefully eliminate future issues.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
@@almostalphas awesome. It sucks when ammo or gun issues ruin your match.
@andrewmccall1120 Жыл бұрын
Sorry I couldn't make it, great job bro!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
No problem Andrew! Was looking forward to seeing you, but we had a pretty full squad as it was so it took us awhile to get through stages.
@TCB3008 Жыл бұрын
Lol that classifier was only 67%?😆 it’s from 2006 absolutely shot to hell 🙄
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
I thought it was a 72%, but I had the same reaction you did lol. I didn't think I shot it blazingly fast, but it wasn't slow either. I would have thought all alphas at that speed would have at least been a low A.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
I just looked at it. It was 67% of the high score that day. Jeff Wolfe (PCC GM) did it in 2.46 with 7 alphas, 1 Charlie to set the 100% benchmark. So for Carry Optics nationally, my time was a 72.26% (B). I watched Kyle do it shooting CO with all alphas in 3.15. That was good enough for an 87% M nationally.
@andrewmccall1120 Жыл бұрын
Nice shooting man!
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrew, looking forward to shooting with you on Sat!
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
Dude you killed this match. Aside from grabbing 3rd which is nice you also beat some very talented shooters outside your class which is always nice to think about. You are correct that you nailed the double activator stage but stage 8 was also a very good performance, and you didn’t really have any bad stages aside from what you noted in the end card. That decision to take the top target on the double swinger from the front was one I wouldn’t have thought of. The one thing I will say to think about (just from the video- I didn’t get a chance to see the targets) is that you do throw a decent number of makeup shots. Sometimes they may be necessary (and it’s something I used to really struggle with- I recall firing five and six shots at a number of open targets in my time.) and a makeup shot is almost always better than a Mike, but I think right now the biggest thing you can do to improve is trade that extra .02 of a second to settle the dot twice for the time you spend firing a makeup shot or two. Just something to think about. And like I said you are killing it considering this is only your 2nd major match.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for this feedback, Nate. It's not intuitive, in the same way that sometimes moving more deliberately (as opposed to frantically) feels slower but is faster. After I think about, what you say makes complete sense. I think the hard cover had me throwing extra make up shots, instead of just taking the extra .1 or .2 seconds to get a good 1st and 2nd shot. Wish I could take credit for the top target of the double swinger, but I saw a few people in the group before me shoot it that way. I'm not sure if it worked out. I may have been better off staying where I shot the bottom from, the problem was there wasn't much to do from that position while waiting for it to return. I really enjoyed Stage 8 too. I thought that was just an all around solid performance of mine. Nothing really stood put to me, in a good way or bad. I just followed my plan to a T, my transitions were pretty good (for me), and stage plan (thanks Darren) was good and easy to remember.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
This looked like a very tough match, especially with regards to high accuracy demands. The movement was definitely pretty good. Unloaded starts (from tables) are also something I am a fan of. As a matter of principle I dislike them from holsters, but they’re still fun.
@almostalphas Жыл бұрын
It was tough. Lots of hard cover, fairly long shots. I think everyone felt those made it fairly challenging! Remind me this weekend to get your email address so I can send you an Excel macro workbook I made that automates creating the score banner at the top of the videos. I finally got tired of doing it manually, and built something that creates image files. All you need to do is copy/paste the practiscore results into a single sheet, and then click run.
@01HondaS2kXD Жыл бұрын
@@almostalphas lol I appreciate the offer but I think you’ve underestimated the art form that is my laziness. All I have to do is take the screenshot which I can just drop right onto the video lol. Edit right on the phone.
Пікірлер
Nice
Nice all alphas run on 2. See ya on stage 1 at nationals.
Thanks Nate! I was really happy with that as I edged Brandon just slightly and had great hits. Felt really confident on this one too, I was tracking the A zone on the swingers and as a result was able to call those shots. I think there were was some opportunity to shave time at the very beginning, but overall very happy with that one. I also liked Stage 6, particularly my Strong Hand string. But clearly need to work on weak hand.
Man! I would have loved to run those stages again and take another swing at em. Especially 5 and 6, I bombed both during the Championship. Tough luck on those malfunctions man, they ruined some of these stages for you
Yeah, they did, but I was just happy that the rest of the stages went off without a hitch, because I truly enjoyed the hell out of this day. Weather was perfect (both on my original Area 8 day and the Redemption match). The fact that I had a week to let the stage plans solidify in my memory, meant that I could just enjoy the process and focus on execution. On the stages where that all coalesced nicely, I had both a ton of fun and a perception (then and now) that things went well. Hope to see you at CO Nats, and love your content btw!
Great match! The malfunctions definitely suck and like you said the bus stage was tough to optimize a stage plan for, but looks like aside from that you had a pretty great match.
Thanks! That bus stage is the only one, not derailed by malfunctions, that could have gone better. Either through a more efficient plan or just cleaner execution, I probably could have shaved 2-3 seconds.
What 1st person camera are you using?
It's the Aimcam Pro3k. There are only 2 things I really like about it: 1) with enough fiddling, it can be set to an angle that picks up the dot. 2) It can record any length, so I often start it well before the stage and just edit the clip down after. Unlike the Ray Ban Meta glasses that take 60 second clips in portrait orientation. I have debated moving to the Insta360 Go 3, but it wasn't a big leap over the 2, so I'm holding out hope for the Go 4. Until then, this works fine for my needs. I've gotten used to the camera hanging in my peripheral view and no longer even notice it.
I like your camera set up! What is it?
Thanks! The overhead angle is just a GoPro Hero 10 on a tall tripod from Amazon. I'm not sure if it will let me provide an external link, but just in case I can: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004U5F3BC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If that link doesn't work, search for "Impact Heavy-Duty Light Stand (Black, 13')" on Amazon and you'll find the exact one I use. The first person shots are filmed on an Aimcam Pro 3k. It was a real pain to set up, but I haven't touched it since getting it setup a few years ago, and it hasn't moved on me at all.
How did you not get call out on the 180 on the classifier is beyond me. You ran well but you drew your gun clearly facing uprange.
Yep, I noticed that too when editing that angle. I recall something feeling off with the draw, but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. It wasn't until editing that I realized that's why. The RO had to start closer than usual due to the rain picking up and making more noise (obscuring the beep), and was (fortunately for me) focused on getting out of the way. It was a good, fresh reminder for me of what not to do at Area 8 and CO Nats.
@@almostalphas draw then turn if you find yourself in that position in the future. You did keep finger off the trigger so thats a positive i take from it.
@@RedHotSerrano I don't know why I didn't do that this time. Probably just too much rust. It reminded me of a stage at the Western PA match last year, similar situation that I know DQ'ed a lot of shooters: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fZN2u6mqdJzaYM4.htmlsi=LVm698PcebfTLsqo&t=81 I did it correctly there, just brain fart on this one.
Nicely done!
You went for the bear trap! My man!
I had nothing to lose after all the malfunctions on the first stage! I wanted to see if I could do it, and I'm glad I did. I got 2 charlies, but I think that was a function of actually waiting on the target to pop up for a split second. My brain began wondering if I knocked the steel down, and in that split second it popped up and I wasn't as prepared for it to come up as I should have been. Had I ambushed it (which I had time to do), I probably could have gotten 2 alphas instead of charlies. The other people in our group who went for it almost all ended up with 2 alphas. This was one of my favorite stages, nicely done Mike!
Love the Channel name 😂😂😂❤❤
Thank you! Wish I could take credit, but pretty sure my wife came up with it. She'll be excited to hear you like the name!
2:07, they totally left the angle to shoot that paper target AND the steel in 1 shot lol it’s all I could think about soon as I saw you lean out and look at it 😅
Yeah, I thought it was a good plan, but either I'm just slow (which I think is part of it) or others found a better approach. Sam Demko took 1st on this stage by shooting it in 15.66, and Nate shot it in 16.90. I need to watch Nate's video of this stage and see how he approached it.
“Wow those are bad hits”… Me after every first string on a strong weak stage 😅
Lol I didn't even notice that @ 07:59 during any of the many times I watched these clips while making the video
So that’s what a run that beats mc to the crawl looks like 😅 nice one bec
Good shooting all around but that run on 4 was nuts.
Great match man!
Thanks Andrew! You too, since you beat me. I compared our results in practiscore. We were neck and neck on each stage! Stage 3 (the last one in my video), we had identical hits and I edged you out by 0.03 seconds! Stage 4 you beat me 0.70 seconds. Hopefully I can make it to a decent number of matches this year and squad with you a few times.
Glad you two could make it back out. If this was you shooting with several months of rust, I can’t wait to see the rest of the year.
Thanks Nate. We loved squadding with you and your parents. It was such a fun, relaxed environment. And I appreciate all the guidance you've given me when it comes to stage prep...you have an eye for how to attack stages and often see things uniquely, which I find super helpful!
You guys made it to one! 🥳 how did it feel?
We did! I wasn't as rusty as I expected to be and am pretty happy with my performance for my first match back. Stage 3 @4:28 I took 2nd overall only to Drew. Other than my 1 stupid procedural on Stage 1, and my slow run on Stage 2, I thought I shot pretty close to or at my current ability. The classifier sucked, but no one shot it that well and I don't think it's going to pull me down (hopefully). Becca did well too and felt fine throughout, so I'm hopefully she'll be able to get a few more in this year.
Hey. Just a heads-up: keep an eye on your summit city bullets if you have ordered from them recently. I just received a shipment of 147gr from them and around 15% of them are 160gr.
Thanks Nate, I ordered some 124s and 135s. I'll open them up and sift through to see if any were incorrectly packaged.
Nice transition between the poppers on the classifier, excellent makeup shot on the one mini-popper on the balance beam stage, great timing/sequencing on the slider. You've come a long way in one season!
Thanks Jay, I really appreciate your feedback and observations, not to mention your time and energy spent putting together great matches! Looking forward to next season!
This was a tough match. Just about every stage aside from 1 and the classifier had some very difficult shots. And it’s a shame that steel wasn’t reset because you were absolutely crushing that stage the first time.
I see some room for time savings on transitions-there are a few places where the gun settles on the same target after a second shot, then starts to move to the next one.
Great point Jay. Watching it back now, I see that in a couple areas, although I'm sure I'm doing it a lot more and it's adding up to a decent chunk of time in a whole match. That's the nice thing about having all the original footage still. I can go in and look frame by frame and see the dot settle on the same target again, particularly after the 2nd shot.
@@almostalphas Well, after the first shot, back on target is where you want it, so that's not a bad thing. :P I really enjoy watching AimCam footage-being able to run the tape back and see if your shot calling was correct seems very helpful for the shooter, and it's a fun exercise for the viewer too.
Still light strikes? :(
Indeed, although this is still the same batch of ammo. So I've got a few options. I'm gonna try a bullet of a different shape (not sure if this will help at all, but I have had to load these pretty short to chamber in her gun), rollsized brass, and as you suggested, I adjusted the primer depth seater just a bit to ensure all primers are slightly below flush. I ran about 5 test rounds through my press and all were a bit below flush (I want to say anywhere from .001" to .003" below flush). And last option is to sell the Rival and move her over to a P320 like I'm running, since I've had maybe 1 light strike to every 20 she's had.
Lol hurts to Re-live that PM classifier.. last shot 😭
I think if you had went straight at the no shoot and shot left to right on the classifier you woulda maybe shaved half a second off and got the A here! you had the round racked in and gun up and ready to fire your first shot superrr fast!
That was how I initially thought of shooting it, but during practice I convinced myself that I'd be able to snap off a shot on the steel while still pressing out. Obviously missing that first shot on the steel cost me about .2 to .25. I would like to set this up again some time and see 1) how much time I pick up using the mag slide into the gun and 2) shooting left to right (or right to left) paper, steel, paper. Not sure how long it'll be before we see this one again, but it could come in handy for other similar classifiers in the future.
@@almostalphas this is the first we’ve seen this classifier but I’d be happy to see it again. It was a fun one as far as the no-movement classifiers go. That being said regarding the question of saving time, 90% of the time, just reading across an array one way will be the fastest method. The only exceptions are things like activator arrays or when you’re moving and different targets appear and disappear in ways (probably) deliberately designed to force wide transitions, or if you have the option to move into a position while engaging an open target before taking the position and then taking a more difficult target with hardcover or a no shoot on it then it’s worth considering.
@@01HondaS2kXD Makes sense. Had it been an open paper on one side, I definitely would have started there. I think the no shoot made me question whether it was fastest to start there, or start on steel. But you're right, it does make for a much wider transition than you get just going target to target.
@@almostalphas oh wow I didn’t even catch that was with a missed shot! Probably even .3 is fair to add for a makeup on steel, so yeah being clean there woulda prob done it too.. I want to try that push the mag in trick too!! I can’t believe I’ve never seen anybody do it until this week wtf? Lol you have never seen anybody do it either have you??
Congrats on making it into C. You’re definitely improving and becoming more confident.
Thanks Nate…. I’m glad it’s noticeable! Enjoyed shooting with you guys!
If this is a club match, those are nice stages!
It is! We're fortunate to have this club, and many others, put on a match each month. This one (Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club) has lots of fun, dynamic targets too...it's the only place I've ever shot a sliding target, among others.
Decent? Dude, you did awesome here. Consistently in the 70’s and 80’s in our pretty warm CO field. Funnily enough even the one time I can see something potentially not going how you planned (just going off of the video it looks like up front on stage 1 you missed the popper, hit the activator, then came back to the popper) it actually helped rather than hurt. I’ve got nothing in terms of advice for this one other than keep doing whatever you did here.
Re: point one in your thoughts, we all have those days. Focus on that your good stages were really good. Your pm run on stage 2 was very good, both because you avenged your mistake from the morning and because while it can be tempting to try to burn down a 3 per stage, points are way more important on them, especially if you gamble with a 24/24 no reload strategy.
As always, thanks Nate! I appreciate the advice and help you've given me since getting started. I always learn something, definitely when I shoot with you and often just from insights you pull out from my videos. I'm learning more with each match, and realizing that a big part of this is mental. Can't let past mistakes get in your head or you'll just spiral downwards. Each stage is a new chance to execute well!
3:40 my reaction to the classifier run is pretty hilarious. I’m like, “you got this, you got this, you got this, DANGIT!” Your pm runs on stages 3 and 4 were really good. Each did have a Mike, but the movement and cadence was so good that they still ended up as some solid scores.
I know! Just out of frame were me and Tyler reacting to that last shot being a Mike too! So frustrating! But she more than made it up for it this Sat by having her highest ever classifier run (just a hair shy of a B!). As for the movement on 3 and 4, I 100% agree. Though the hits weren't great, I think the confidence showed in the movement. She can get good hits if she slows down, and now she's comfortable moving faster, so we just need to blend the two and she'll continue on her path of improvement!
Everyone felt my pain, thanks for the support!!! I am starting to realize the benefits of moving (a little) faster!
Did I just see what I think I saw 😂😂Did becca shoot the disappearing swivel target that was already gone on stage 1 and freaking hit it 😂😂😂 what a shot
Ha! Wow, good eye, we hadn’t even noticed that I hit it! I was screwed up my plan and was worried that if I didn’t shoot at it at all I may have lost more points.
Thanks for the video! I didn't get to shoot these, so it's really fun to see how they ended up. Thread the Needle and Squares Are So Last Month were mine-#2000 Saves was Johnny Wolfe's pick, out of an old Nationals matchbook, since he was directing traffic for Saturday prep while I was away.
1:30 lol. I’ve had my own issues in the past and if you reload long enough you’ll eventually run into new and exciting issues as time runs on. I’ve even seen some of what I would consider some of the most talented local shooters run into squibs (the worst form of reload issue there could be). That being said, regarding the shooting itself you pressed on in spite of the malfunctions and absolutely crushed both the swinger activation sequence on stage 1, and the plates on stage 2.
Thanks! It is a pleasant surprise when I can complete a stage with no ammo issues now. Once I realized I need to prep the trigger on the steel things got a little smoother for me too, LOTS to learn here :)
Your thumbnails are the best.
Lol my laziness got the best of me on the last 2 matches, so I didn't make them. And in fact, KZread automatically selected this one! The algorithm got it right!
Dude! You absolutely killed it on stage 3. I didn’t think of that engagement pattern in the first window, but where you really picked up the time was that miraculous double tap on the swinger. Just about everyone (myself included) took one shot at each pass. That double tap was INSANE. Aside from that I will also say that you seem to have narrowed down the makeup shots. When you need one you fire it but for the most part (even on the difficult hardcover stage) you see to be showing more visual patience. Finally, yeah it seems like there’s some high primers or something preventing the rounds from going entirely into battery. I’d recommend really looking at the primers during case gauging and try to find a couple slightly high ones to verify if they will cause the failures to fire. Beyond that I’d check to see if the rounds all pass the plunk and spin test.
I'm pretty sure I grabbed a box of ammo that I had intended to use in practice. We were running a bit low on match ammo, and I was in a hurry Sunday morning. The result was, as you rightly pointed out, a few slightly high primers and some brass that didn't gauge well (also may have been from an earlier batch I did that was a bit long for both our guns). I have since set a slightly deeper swage, and most of the primers are sitting just below flush now (obviously some variation between brass). Also, I set OAL about .01" deeper than it was in this batch, from 1.095" (I think that's what this batch that caused issues was) to 1.085". And I made sure the sizing die was going as low as absolutely possible, just before contacting the shellplate. The combination of these, as well as separating rounds that don't gauge perfectly from rounds that do, and carefully labeling each box, should hopefully eliminate future issues.
@@almostalphas awesome. It sucks when ammo or gun issues ruin your match.
Sorry I couldn't make it, great job bro!
No problem Andrew! Was looking forward to seeing you, but we had a pretty full squad as it was so it took us awhile to get through stages.
Lol that classifier was only 67%?😆 it’s from 2006 absolutely shot to hell 🙄
I thought it was a 72%, but I had the same reaction you did lol. I didn't think I shot it blazingly fast, but it wasn't slow either. I would have thought all alphas at that speed would have at least been a low A.
I just looked at it. It was 67% of the high score that day. Jeff Wolfe (PCC GM) did it in 2.46 with 7 alphas, 1 Charlie to set the 100% benchmark. So for Carry Optics nationally, my time was a 72.26% (B). I watched Kyle do it shooting CO with all alphas in 3.15. That was good enough for an 87% M nationally.
Nice shooting man!
Thanks Andrew, looking forward to shooting with you on Sat!
Dude you killed this match. Aside from grabbing 3rd which is nice you also beat some very talented shooters outside your class which is always nice to think about. You are correct that you nailed the double activator stage but stage 8 was also a very good performance, and you didn’t really have any bad stages aside from what you noted in the end card. That decision to take the top target on the double swinger from the front was one I wouldn’t have thought of. The one thing I will say to think about (just from the video- I didn’t get a chance to see the targets) is that you do throw a decent number of makeup shots. Sometimes they may be necessary (and it’s something I used to really struggle with- I recall firing five and six shots at a number of open targets in my time.) and a makeup shot is almost always better than a Mike, but I think right now the biggest thing you can do to improve is trade that extra .02 of a second to settle the dot twice for the time you spend firing a makeup shot or two. Just something to think about. And like I said you are killing it considering this is only your 2nd major match.
Thanks so much for this feedback, Nate. It's not intuitive, in the same way that sometimes moving more deliberately (as opposed to frantically) feels slower but is faster. After I think about, what you say makes complete sense. I think the hard cover had me throwing extra make up shots, instead of just taking the extra .1 or .2 seconds to get a good 1st and 2nd shot. Wish I could take credit for the top target of the double swinger, but I saw a few people in the group before me shoot it that way. I'm not sure if it worked out. I may have been better off staying where I shot the bottom from, the problem was there wasn't much to do from that position while waiting for it to return. I really enjoyed Stage 8 too. I thought that was just an all around solid performance of mine. Nothing really stood put to me, in a good way or bad. I just followed my plan to a T, my transitions were pretty good (for me), and stage plan (thanks Darren) was good and easy to remember.
This looked like a very tough match, especially with regards to high accuracy demands. The movement was definitely pretty good. Unloaded starts (from tables) are also something I am a fan of. As a matter of principle I dislike them from holsters, but they’re still fun.
It was tough. Lots of hard cover, fairly long shots. I think everyone felt those made it fairly challenging! Remind me this weekend to get your email address so I can send you an Excel macro workbook I made that automates creating the score banner at the top of the videos. I finally got tired of doing it manually, and built something that creates image files. All you need to do is copy/paste the practiscore results into a single sheet, and then click run.
@@almostalphas lol I appreciate the offer but I think you’ve underestimated the art form that is my laziness. All I have to do is take the screenshot which I can just drop right onto the video lol. Edit right on the phone.