Dear Friend and neighbor Gary W. and I decided to stage an informal two person IDPA-style match in our "backyard" shooting range--a location which is barely 3 miles from our actual backyards. We both live at the end of the pavement in this part of the Verde Valley.
It's classic Arizona highlands desert scrub vegetation and features a great backstop comprised of limestone deposited when the area was deep under the waters of an ancient lake. It's very rare to find someone else shooting in this area. There's a real nice open flat area totally free of trash and litter in which to spread out our targets. Perfect place for an informal IDPA match!
I designed four simple stages. Their photos are explained below. Gary paid the price to buy a brand new regulation range timer so we could record our stage times. Since Gary bought 50 official IDPA targets we were able to actually score the shots in the proscribed manner. We did use a couple of my own home grown Center of Mass targets to supplement Gary's targets. Gary came to visit us in Idaho Falls in August. We shot out at the SEIPS range and he was immediately smitten with the 2x4 target stands. When he returned to Arizona, he made six of them and they sure some in handy! This was also the first time we were able to use the newly minted cover structure. Altogether, we shot 100 rounds each. Gary was using his new FNH FNX 9mm and I shot my "new-to-me" XDM .45 ACP using cast lead 200 grain SWCBB bullets on 5.4 grains of Unique.
We shot the four stages at least twice each. It took Gary awhile to get the hang of the stages so we had him shoot them three or four times until he "got it right." We made notes of our times and "points down" and carried on a typically good-natured, friendly competition between each other. I easily beat him on three of the stages but he beat me by .09 of a second on one of the stages.
After finishing up the fourth stage, we then turned our attention to the 93-year-old Colt 1917 and shot 96 rounds (8 moon clips each). We both did very well at 7 yards and pretty good at 10 yards. Our accuracy at 20 yards was terrible. We obviously need a lot more practice at 20 yards. The Colt barrel isn't leading up any more. We're using 230 grain RNFB cast lead bullets that were tumbled in ALOX on 4.3 grains of Bulleye. The pistol is now very easy to clean and a joy to shoot. Hopefully, we will soon figure out how to lighten the DA trigger pull and also get better at 20 yards.
Here are all the photos with short notes below each one.
Stage One was put together for two rounds at each target from the left side of the cover followed by a reload with retention behind cover.
After the reload, the shooter was to put one round in each of the targets from behind cover.
This is the first half of Stage Two. The shots were to be taken from behind cover. I should have taken a better photo of this stage.
Here's the second half of Stage Two. There was no reload on this stage.
Stage Three was a lot of fun. The shooter was stationary for two shots to T1. Then, the shooter moved diagonally toward cover while placing two rounds in T2 & T3 while moving. Then the shooter placed two rounds in T4-6 in tactical sequence from behind cover
We really hit our stride in putting together Stage Four. This one was a real sweetie. The shooter placed two shots by drawing and firing with retention into the upper left circle at a distance of 3 feet. Then, the shooter ran to cover while placing two shots each in T2-4. The two shots in T2 had to be head shots because of the hostage. After reaching cover, the shooter had to place one head shot in T5 and T6 and then one shot in the upper left Center of Mass circle of T7. This was a Limited Vickers for a total of 11 rounds. (The other three stages were Vickers.) My best time on this stage was 9.19 seconds with all "zeros!" After four tries, Gary got his time down to 9.37 with all "zeros." It was a really fun stage.
Gary had never drawn and fired with retention. Here he is shown practicing the firing position.
After shooting the four stages, we also had a lot of fun with the 1917. The revolver is very accurate at 7 yards. Gary is very strong. He shot first and his first group at 7 yards was two inches. After the sixth shot he kept clicking through for another shot. I said, "You're done, Gary." And he turned and said, "I thought it was a .22 and there would be 9 rounds!" Very funny, Gary! There is a difference between the recoil of a .22 LR and a .45 ACP. But to Gary, the pistol felt as comfortable as a .22. Go figure.
A .22, huh?
Here's Gary's best group at 10 yards. Pretty spiffy shooting, Gary! I definitely didn't do as well as Gary did with the 1917 but I wasn't displeased with my shooting. I'd give my shooting a B grade and Gary's an A+ at the short distance.
Happy Shooting, jp
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