Using Cover

[NickA]

Or in my case how not to. This got touched on in the Weaver vs. Iso thread (I asked if Weaver would be useful in shooting around corners) but needs its own thread. I’ve had a few training classes but none have covered cover, so to speak. About the only nugget I’ve picked up is to not crowd too close, but I rarely remember to do it.
I shot IDPA this weekend, and it was announced that the SO’s would be getting more strict on cover calls. I had no procedurals until the next to last stage. Apparently on this one my multitasking went to shit and I pretty much ignored cover. I was really trying to focus on accuracy (which actually worked- 0 down on 2 stages, 1 down on 2 more, and 8 on the other but with a hard cover hit). With my excuses all laid out:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jpSjvIcZm-z4oTHTXhRZoD-13vRzPTbmYIklXeFWM2U?feat=directlink

The SO’s look of disgust after he calls the PE is fairly priceless;) At the end there he stopped me to explain what I’d done and that he would be kind and only ring me up one PE for it (he’s actually a very nice and helpful guy). I swear I’m usually a lot better than this, though I’m nowhere close to good.
So, give me your wisdom on using cover, in general or this stage in particular, and in gun games vs. real life. Or just enjoy the lulz at my expense :cool:
ETA: Feel free to chime in on whatever other problems you see, I know there's plenty, but mainly want to hear about cover.

[JM Campbell]

Links not good Nick, viewers do not have access "Oops... there's nothing to see here. Either you do not have access to these photos, or they don't exist at this web address. Please contact the owner directly to gain access."

Let me know when the next event is, I'll meet you out there and see what it's all about.

[jetfire]

I will start this by stating that cover in the real world is very different from "cover" in the IDPA sense. I am not a gunfighter or a professional instructor in the fine art of shooting people, so don't ask me about "real world" cover. I will address the use of cover as it pertains to my beloved IDPA.

IDPA stats that "100% of your lower body" and "50%" of your upper body has to be behind cover relative to the target you're engaging. So rule number 1 for cover is "watch your feet". That's what most safety officers will be looking for as well, because it's impossible to tell if your upper is 49% exposed or 51% exposed, but it's fairly easy to tell if your foot is hanging out.

On the video you linked, you actually had three different calls that would have resulted in "cover" procedurals had the SO been strict. The first one you got when you engaged the first array by just straight up stepping out in the open and blasting away. The second one would have been incurred when you just stepped into the middle of the port an didn't properly "pie" around the port. The 3rd and final call would have been at the barrels, because it appeared that your foot was way out from behind cover.

Please note, I do not agree with IDPA's interpretation of cover as I think it's needlessly arbitrary and they should just use fault lines like USPSA. That being said, the easiest way to avoid cover calls is two-fold: 1) watch your feet, and 2) don't crowd cover. Lots of people like to get right on top of the wall and go to work, when in fact you should be at least and arm's length back if not more to get optimum gun position.

[NickA]

Skyline- Link seems to work from my computer but not from the phone for whatever reason.
Caleb- you're exactly right, i did blow the cover also at the barrels. I kind of corrected it but was already firing. At first the SO said he could only give me one PE, but someone pointed that each violation should count (i think that changed not too long ago?) Anyway he let it go at 1 since he had already said it.

[ToddG]

When you were shooting at the port, you exposed yourself to the target around the right side of the barricade, too.

When they design a stage that forces to you expose yourself to multiple targets at multiple angles at once, either it's bad stage design or they need to know they did it and not ding folks.

Having said that, your use of cover was kind of pathetic. But as caleb pointed out, there is IDPA cover and real cover. Real cover is very situational. For every guiding principle (e.g., "don't crowd cover") there are multiple exceptions.

There are also two issues with cover that I don't think are addressed often enough:

Time. If it takes you three times longer to get into position and get effective shots downrange because you're using "perfect" cover, that is a lot of time for incoming fire to find you... especially if the object(s) you're using for cover won't really stop bullets.
Movement. When we get all wrapped around the axle about using "perfect" cover, it necessarily assumes a static target. If you've got a barricade to your right and you engage a threat from an ideal position of cover, what happens if he moves toward your right side? You need to come out more. What if he moves toward your left side? You need to get back farther behind cover if you want to maintain that "perfect" use of cover.

[NickA]

When you were shooting at the port, you exposed yourself to the target around the right side of the barricade, too.

When they design a stage that forces to you expose yourself to multiple targets at multiple angles at once, either it's bad stage design or they need to know they did it and not ding folks.

Having said that, your use of cover was kind of pathetic.
I would have had to actually use the cover to even be pathetic ;) that video is probably a poor example since it's so egregiously bad, but I'm always willing to be a negative example.
I didn't notice anybody else get dinged for being exposed around that corner, think it was just me. It was a little tricky though- through the port you engaged a target at about 11:00, another at maybe 9:30 (when I backed around the corner) then back to about 12-12:30 for the steel to trip the swinger.
On the bright side (for you anyway) I wasn't wearing my PT hat.

[ToddG]

It was a little tricky though- through the port you engaged a target at about 11:00, another at maybe 9:30 (when I backed around the corner) then back to about 12-12:30 for the steel to trip the swinger.

In other words, you were required to expose yourself to multiple simultaneous threats in order to complete the COF. So that's no ding on you.