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jetfire
08-06-2011, 07:31 AM
I am so deeply conflicted about this particular aspect of the shooting sports. On the one hand, I love it so much because it is pure, unambiguous speed - you either hit the steel or you didn't, no no-shoots, no whining, no arbs, and no magic doubles. On the flip side though, it's probably the 2nd least practical of the Big 4 action sports; with only Bianchi Cup being farther removed from practicing self defense skill sets.

I'm shooting the big match this year in Piru (and I'm heading to Yakima in 40 minutes for a big statewide match to practice) but I'm kind of thinking about at the end of this shooting season, after the IDPA World shoot about taking all of next year and focusing exclusively on Steel Challenge. This one is all about muscle memory and repetitions, and I can actually set up any of the 8 stages at my practice range. The problem I'm worried about is that if I spend a year and 25,000 rounds doing nothing but shooting single shots on steel that I'm going to wreck myself for other games. Thoughts?

Edit: I should add that I am writing this at like 0530 local time and I've only had one cup of coffee so my thought process isn't exactly organized yet.

ToddG
08-06-2011, 08:22 AM
Steel Challenge is analogous to Rogers Shooting School in some sense. Except for make-up shots on missed targets there are almost no multiple shots and it's primarily about single shot accuracy at maximum speed, transitions, and vision. Would I use a Rogers range as my only practice method? No. But the times I've attended class there have all been challenging and all definitely helped hone my shooting in a way that, frankly, no other system can.

Short term, focusing on Steel Challenge for an entire year will mean some of your other core skills will suffer. But long term, the benefits from dedicated work on the things that are critical for Steel Challenge will carry over into future years. Plus a lot of it will depend on what you practice. The years when I was serious about IDPA I never had to make 50yd shots or deal with realistic target ID, but that didn't keep me from practicing those things on my own.

Odin Bravo One
08-06-2011, 10:36 AM
Yeah, that is a bit of a conundrum.

I LOVE shooting steel. Absolutely do. It is one of the best forms of shooting entertainment I have found for all the reasons you mentioned.

Flip side is that in the real world, most assholes that are shooting at you don't give you a lot of "make up" shots when you miss, and pass them by to the next target. You are very likely to get filled in before you get a chance to make it back to the one that slipped.

But that really becomes a mental game for you, the shooter. If you can make the switch mentally, then shooting the steel only helps to solidify the fundamentals of the mechanics which never hurts. Fighting with a pistol, or any other weapon for that matter has a lot more to do with keeping your head in the game and thinking your way through the problem presented than it does with mechanics or fundamentals. Certainly being lapse in your basic skills is not going to help any, but there a lot of guys who spend some serious time and dump retarded amounts of ammo at steel plates and targets who have never had a problem with making the switch from Shooting, to Fighting.

I'm all for it.

Where's the plate rack?

ToddG
08-06-2011, 10:53 AM
I think that is one of the big benefits to reactive steel, whether it's the high-tech system at Rogers or a plate rack. Even if you're not a great shot caller, you are getting feedback that should be helping you evaluate whether it's time to move on or stick with the target you've got in front of you still.

BN
08-06-2011, 04:51 PM
There were several of us that shot J-Frames at a local Steel Challenge match last month. Lots of fun. With only 5 targets, things worked out OK until you had a miss. :) We started from a ready position because some didn't have a belt holster and the club didn't want us drawing from anything else. The match director was kind enough to keep the targets all within 12 yards or so. The next time they will be farther away. ;)

jetfire
08-06-2011, 08:08 PM
oh my god, f*ck outer limits right in the ear. Someone call the crisis counseling hotline, I've just been savagely beaten and left by the side of the road.

BN
08-06-2011, 08:54 PM
I'd probably have to figure hold over for Outer Limits. ;)

jetfire
08-07-2011, 03:16 PM
What was really annoying was right before the wheels fell off, I had a decent (not good, but decent) run on Outer Limits. Best time in the sixes, worst time in the nines. Then I ran it again for the second time and I had a 6.60, then everything else was more than 12. I completely lost the ability to do something (hit an 18x24 plate at 35 yards) that I had done 18 times previously that day. Incredibly frustrating.

For people that haven't shot Steel Challenge before, here's some raw POV match footage. This stage is Five to Go, which is five 12 inch plates placed at 10, 12, 15, 18, and 7 yards (in the order I shot them). I've always struggled with this stage, because what I'll tend to do is get a very fast hit on the first plate then try to maintain that pace on the last four plates and watch the whole thing go to hell.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glWNEgEoYK0

About 3 stages in to the match it dawned on me that if I had a really good press-out, I could actually shoot faster. Amazing how that works...

DonovanM
08-07-2011, 05:28 PM
I don't get it. Why does everything always need a strict practical basis? Can't it not only just be fun, but also eye opening for a shooter who's always looking to improve their skills? There is such thing as adequate, in my opinion, and I highly doubt anyone will ever need any of the skills beyond that of an IDPA Master to defend their lives in a gunfight, and that's probably part of the reason for the classification being the way it is. But, it's only the equivalent of like A class in USPSA (at best). If we get too wrapped up in the practicality of it all, what would ever be the purpose in striving beyond that point? The answer, for me, is to have fun and grow as a shooter, not to be a better gunfighter (although it sure is nice as a tertiary benefit).

It's the same way with other forms of racing and gunsmithing to me. Lapping the Nurburgring in 8 minutes in a road car/bike is just as impractical as a 4 second El Pres with a stock gun, but that doesn't make it any less boner inducing. I also don't need a 2lb trigger in SA with 2mm of total travel on my SIG to be competitive, but that doesn't mean that having it isn't less nice or doing it less fun, even with adequacy in mind.

Besides, if it needs a practical basis, think of it this way (using your logic). Shooting Steel Challenge makes you better at shooting steel. Shooting steel better makes you better at IDPA/USPSA. Shooting IDPA/USPSA better makes you a better gunfighter. Right?

Also, I think 3 months is a much better period of time in which to specialize. I think I'd get bored, but YMMV.

Slavex
08-07-2011, 06:42 PM
I don't think I could ever dedicate a year to just practicing SC. waaaaay to dry for me. It's a great way to practice for the other sports when included in a regular regimen. If you can do it, I bet you'll see huge dividends when you jump back into USPSA and IDPA on your first shot and transitions though. Movers, multiple hits etc might suffer a bit though. Although you could throw in the odd 2 shots on each plate run into your practice for SC, since they don't fall over you could do triples and quads for that matter.

rsa-otc
08-10-2011, 08:03 PM
I know one USPSA GM/IDPA DM who is a firm believer in static steel as a training tool.

london waldorF
08-12-2011, 01:48 AM
Me either Im not gonna devote my year to that maybe for just a couple of months I can take that.,

JohnUSCG
01-11-2012, 10:29 PM
Caleb......how is your plan working out for you?

jetfire
01-11-2012, 10:37 PM
The short answer is "it's not" - late in 2011 I picked up a contract to work with IDPA to help promote and grow the sport; so I'll need to shoot lots of IDPA this year. It's a bit more practical for me to focus on that since I'll be shooting at least 5 major IDPA matches this year.

JohnUSCG
01-12-2012, 09:57 PM
Well, I wish you the best for your IDPA venture! Your SC thoughts from last year has made me focus much more on my SC shooting exclusively for 2012. I really do like the raw speed and accuracy design of SC shooting. Maybe next year it will be IDPA focused for me.

EmanP
01-14-2012, 12:14 AM
You going to the Steel Challenge match tomorrow at Kitsap? Starts at 9.

jetfire
01-14-2012, 01:10 PM
Apparently not! I have to pack for SHOT anyway, flight leaves tomorrow.