Anyone going to STI American Handgunner? [Archive]

Mark L Miller

05-26-2002, 02:45

Anyone going to the STI American Handgunner in Montrose Colorado the week of July 15th? The Handgunner is such an unusual match, man on man, like it is. This is a great match for anyone to attend, even if you have some physical challenges. There is no running from place to place. For people that really like to shoot (maybe 1000 rounds in 3 days), this is the match for you. Anyone that is interested in info about this match, email me or post your questions as a reply.

Hope to see you all there, MLM

There is still time for you to sign up, two weeks & a few days. I hear some of the ladders aren't filled yet. No time like the present. www.sanjuanrange.com MLM

Custom Glock Racing

05-26-2002, 04:27

Im going to Handgunner. And USPSA is the one that scheduled another match that overlaps with Handgunner and its the Nationals.

matt

BCarver

05-26-2002, 06:16

This "old boy" from Texas is going so that Matt from CGR will "spot me one".:) :)

Mark L Miller

05-27-2002, 10:51

Well, Matt, Bobby, You guys think we will be the only ones there this year?:rolleyes: I hope they have a good turnout. :) After shooting that last year, I just knew I had to go again. The adrenalin rush is incredible, & when you lose one round, you just take a little break, get your head together, & step up for the next round. I do wish that lots of people will show up. This USPSA match is kind of a bummer but realistically I guess most folks that are serious IPSC would choose to go there even if it was the week before or after. It seems to me the economy is a little better this year than last for lots of folks so maybe attendance will be over 200. The more the merrier. Even if I get beat :( I have learned, there is always someone better than you. No matter who you are. Matt, we are looking forward to you coming over around the 4th of july & getting some good practice at our range. Bobby & Cliff & I are gonna have to get out & do a little maintenance work before then. ;g MLM

MFinch

05-27-2002, 11:45

Looks like the Lubbock crew is beginning to tune up for Montrose! Great guys...and good shooters.

Mike F.
Midland, TX;a

Mark L Miller

05-29-2002, 14:42

Mike, Thanks a lot for the kind words. Bobby & the guys are great shooters & good guys. They have helped me a lot! As a matter of fact if I have any success at all, it is due primarily to them. Are you going to be in Montrose? I don't remember you being there last year. I hope you can make it. I think some guys are coming to practice here at our range the week of July 4th, the week before the Handgunner. You are certainly invited to come out & shoot with us. I haven't checked my schedule but I think Bobby is going to be out there a whole lot. I hear he has a few friends coming in from out of town. If you have any free time, come on up. You going to shoot in the Midland Paper & Iron? It is a lot of fun, also. Not as much as the handgunner but it is a lot shorter drive. There are only a couple of stages that you have to move from box to box so no major hip stress. See you soon & thanks again for the compliments. MLM

D.R. Middlebrooks

05-30-2002, 03:24

It looks like TEAM FISTFIRE will be there (Me, Barb and Daniel Horner that is)...

Seems USPSA has once again sceduled yet another major match at the same time. Oh, well!

Stay safe,

D.R. Middlebrooks - Director
Tactical Shooting Academy (TSA)
www.TacticalShooting.com

Mark L Miller

05-30-2002, 14:18

D.R. Are you going to win it this year? I wasn't sure what all was happening last year but I remember you were in the shootoff, maybe the final. It was my first big match like that. I had shot in two GSSF matches previously but this is a couple of steps up in the adrenalin level. I was kind of lost in what all was happening. I intend to make the shootoff this year:) D class of course but hey, got to start somewhere, right? It will be great seeing everyone & not being so excited that I don't know what is going on this year. We are hoping to bring several folks from our club, several meaning 9-10, maybe. Hopefully a couple of these will be relatively new to shooting sports. Guess we will see you there. Good luck! MLM

D.R. Middlebrooks

05-31-2002, 01:07

Originally posted by Mark L Miller
D.R. Are you going to win it this year?

It seems like someone always asks me this question. The fact of the matter is, as shooters we have no control over who wins, only what we do...

As FISTFIRE Instructors, our job is execute the FISTFIRE technique as flawlessly as possible, without mental mistakes (which is the hard part :)). Then we analyze the results. If we learn from our mistakes, we come away a better shooter. If we learn more about shooting, about mental toughness, we are all better off for it. Winning is an added bonus, but not the focus.

The World Shoot Off’s is the toughest match in the world (at least according to Jerry Barnhart, Jet Dioniso, Matt McLearn and others). It’s a pure test of Surgical Speed Shooting with the added pressure of Man vs. Man duels. You will learn alot about shooting and about yourself at this match.

I would give you this advice: Confirm every hit, stay on it until it's going over. Feel the trigger, pay attention to the front sight PAY NO ATTENTION to the guy beside you. JUST HIT THE BLUE PART!!!

See you guys there!

Stay safe,

D.R. Middlebrooks – Director
Tactical Shooting Academy (TSA)
www.TacticalShooting.com

P.S. – Hey, Matt, I saw your picture in the new Combat Handguns (Aug 2002 issue, page 36). Can I have your autograph? :) :) :)

crosby

05-31-2002, 03:25

Does Andy Stanford shoot in these matches? His book seems to capture the techniques involved in precision shooting. Does he demonstrate his method in competition? Just wondering....

Mark L Miller

05-31-2002, 09:36

Crosby, I am pretty new to shooting sports so I do not know Andy Stanford. If he is a great shooter, or a beginner or anywhere in between, I hope he shows up at the Handgunner. It is an absolutely incredible experience. I understand people saying the handgunner is a hard match & agree but it is also very beginner friendly. Last year was my first but it won't be my last. Everyone helped me out. All the old hands were eager to help. It is just the nature of this type of competition. On any given day, anyone can win or get beaten. That was proven over & over last year. I won a few rounds, I lost a few. I beat the guy that won our class a round or maybe two. Everyone in our sqad won a round or two or more. If you have ever shot & you really like it, the Handgunner is the place to go. I believe D.R.'s advice is right on track. I am working on the bugs but the best thing is the real thing. Competition in shooting sports is really a big rush. I believe I can safely say I have never done anything that was as big a rush as this. Now, let me tell you, I am kind of an adrenalin junkie. I am a fireman in a city of 200,000 so I have had some rush but this was way above anything at a fire. Try it if you get the chance, I am betting you won't regret it.
MLM

MFinch

05-31-2002, 15:50

Mark,

The club plans on hosting the Paper and Iron again this fall. I'm shooting with those guys monthly so I'll probably make it. I won't be able to make Montrose as I'll most likely be in New Orleans about that time. For the most part my schedule is hosed for the next few months and maybe a few after with a lot of things going on.
Hope to make the 2 hour trip to Lubbock sometime.

Regards, Mike F.

Mark L Miller

06-01-2002, 13:32

Mike,
Too bad about Montrose & your work. When are your monthly shoots in Midland? I got a letter from the club about the paper & iron but it didn't have the dates on it????? It is a pretty good match & they said the entry would be less this year. Hopefully we will see you there if not sooner. MLM

MFinch

06-16-2002, 00:53

Mark,

Looks like the Paper and Iron will be in early Oct. with a flyer currently being drafted. It will be a trophy match with a moderate entry fee. It will most likely include prizes for class winners depending on sponsorship. There will be a shootoff and and several side matches for $.

The monthly shoots are scheduled around other major shoots....so no set time each month. I understand there will likely be a sectional match in Midland in Aug???? Just a fun thing to get everyone together.

Most of these guys focus on Sportsmans Team Challenge, 3 gun, Masters, USPSA, etc... My primary interest is GSSF, steel and perhaps some NRA action pistol (San Antonio). Too many aftermaket parts in my body to work USPSA too hard.

Call sometime if you want to come out...and bring Bobby.

Also, you better decide which Glocks you are going to select through GSSF. The way your shooting is going there will be some certificates coming to you in the near future.

Mike Finch
Team Sidearmor
Leadheads Bullets

Mark L Miller

06-16-2002, 01:57

Mike,
;J Thanks, I am working hard at GSSF. I have a friend that is in our club that is pushing me pretty well. :) With all the help I have gotten & with the equipment I have, I certainly hope to win a gun in the next year. If I get a break or two & the really good guys go ahead & promote, & it all happens at the same time, maybe. I sure do hear a 34 calling my name. I wish I could make a few more GSSF matches, though.
I don't have any aftermarket pieces on my body but I like shooting way more than running around, ducking under cover & all that stuff. Those are fun but I like pure shooting better. If I had started shooting before I was 40 years old, that might have looked like more fun, I don't know. ;Q
What is that NRA action shooting you mentioned in San Antonio?
MLM

MFinch

06-17-2002, 14:02

They shoot Bianchi type matches (mover, plates, barricade, etc..). At times they have held the state NRA Action Pistol Match. Same range as GSSF event and on the internet.

Cut a deal today for a Caspian 38 Super with all the extras. Should have it in next week.

You'll like the 34. I have mine set up as unlimited. Like my 17 best of all.

Mike

Bryan Whited

06-20-2002, 10:35

I'll be there.
Can't wait!
What class is very body shooting?
I'll be in A Stock.

BCarver

06-20-2002, 14:29

Hello, Bryan,
I will be shooting Master Class Stock.

Good luck!!
Bobby

Mark L Miller

06-20-2002, 14:51

Bryan, I will be shooting D stock. I can hardly wait, this is my second year & the anticipation is killing me ;g I hope my glock holds up to the demands of hard shooting ;Q Actually that is the least of my worries. Well, we will see you all there, MLM

Bryan Whited

06-20-2002, 16:02

Great!
A bunch of people I'll have to go against in the Stock Shoot-off's.
At least that's the plan.
Remember Bobby, you can't beat me this year. OK?
It'll be good seeing you again.

Looking forward to meeting you Mark.

D.R. Middlebrooks

06-21-2002, 12:20

Can't wait to meet you guys...

Barb is shooting in "B" stock...

15 year old Daniel Horner is shooting in Master Class Stock...

I'm in Grand Master Stock...

They make the Masters shoot with the Grand Masters there, so welcome to the "WOLF PACK" Bobby! (that's what we call the Master/Grand Master Stock class because it's a "Dog eat Dog" world! :))...

No worries, we are all there to have fun and learn something about shooting, something about our equipment and our guns...

Great bunch of guys that will help you out anyway they can. No head games or B.S., just fast and furious "DRAG RACING WITH A HANDGUN!"

Stay safe,

D.R. Middlebrooks - Director
Tactical Shooting Academy (TSA)
www.TacticalShooting.com

Bryan Whited

06-23-2002, 04:15

I still hope to make it but I was involved in a serious collision this morning. I'm OK (physically) but the truck is totaled.

It was great. Brass, ammo cans, targets and stands flying all over the place and when the truck finally stopped (didn't roll) there was brass all over the road (two lanes each direction and a turn lane) for 100 yards. I had three 5 gallon pales in the bed and the one that was full did not have a single piece of brass in it when the truck stoped.

Truck was hit on the right side at the back of the cab and destoryed the bed, RR rim, dropped the drive shaft, tail gate was only hanging by on of the retaining cables, transmission is making bad sounds, ripped the RR leaf spring from the axle and the passenger door didn't want to open.
I think it's totaled.

Dump1567

06-23-2002, 10:09

Good to here yor O.K. Hopefully it wasn't your fault. You sure your neck isn't starting to hurt?;)

Bryan Whited

06-23-2002, 10:33

I know my light was green and he says his light was green.
There were no witnesses (8am sunday morning).
He went head on into the right rear of my truck.
That's all the information for determining fault.
I like the neck thing but the only injury is my trigger finger is swollen and the nail was pulled on (blood under almost 1/4 of the nail). Must have been hit by a steering wheel spoke.

Mark L Miller

06-23-2002, 14:28

Bryan,
I agree, I am glad you are ok, sorry bout the truck. What was the police determination of the accident. I am guessing that since he hit the side of your truck they are ticketing him but who knows about that stuff. Is there anything we all can do for you? You are ok, what about your guns????? Post it if we can help. MLM

Bryan Whited

06-23-2002, 14:46

Police responce was that he recorded what he saw and was told.
Since we both said the light was green he can't determine what happened. He was not there.

My equipment should be fine. Will test fire as soon as I get a chance.
It's just financial and time. Financial I'm SOL anyways so this will just make it worse.

Somehow I will have to get my ammo loaded.
I am in the process of moving my reloading from a freinds house to the range. Need wheels so I can get the press setup at the range and start working on the ammo for Handgunner.

So I don't really know what you'll could do but thanks for the offer.