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Thread: SEG Flat Range Challenge

  1. #1

    SEG Flat Range Challenge

    Anyone else stopping by over at the Silver Eagle Flat Range Challenge? Anyone here compete at the last one? Impressions?

  2. #2
    Site Supporter JSGlock34's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    Well, don't expect it to be a typical IDPA or USPSA match. The last Flat Range Challenge was a single stage match that incorporated some MMA elements (start by ground fighting this punching bag), then sprint downrange, engage several targets from cover and on the move, and then retrieve your downed buddy (not helpfully played by a 200lb sand filled dummy wearing a plate carrier) and drag him back to cover. Meanwhile, the range officers are creating a relaxing environment by yelling (not) helpful hints and playing some kind of metal soundtrack over a bullhorn. Good times.

    From a purely marksmanship standpoint the match wasn't challenging - doing it while your heart rate is up, you're trying to catch your breath after sprinting and dragging the rescue dummy, and your arms are a bit fatigued from pummeling the hell out of the punching bag - that was the challenge. I was surprised to see how much my accuracy suffered. There was also the added mental challenge of remembering the extended course of fire while lizard brain was seizing command - and he's just not good at math.

    I enjoyed it - cool way to start my Saturday morning and different than the standard fare. I'm a bit disappointed to see SEG raising the price for these weekday matches - I hope they expand the format. I recommend stretching beforehand, as my back didn't appreciate dragging that goddamn dummy. Next time I'm leaving his ass behind...
    Last edited by JSGlock34; 03-24-2012 at 02:32 PM.

  3. #3
    Thanks for the advice. It was a good night out.

    Physically demanding, as one might expect, with low round count. Good problems of shooting on the move, moving targets, and cover problems, plus wounded man recovery and ground fighting segments. Tore me up a bit, but thats my fault for too long at the desk job and out of the field. Good batch of guys out to shoot, and good RO's. Scoring was pretty opaque, and targets were round limited (which meant normal failure recovery options were not open) - but as in the real world, only good hits count well.

    A long two and half hours to get to shoot, but ran into one other member from an earlier KSTG match... led to good conversation while in the stew room waiting to move to the line.

    You were dead on about the muscle fatigue and accuracy challenge, but that is a shooter conditioning issue - at least one participant shot a perfect run. The course of fire was a bit more of a memory game than one might have thought, only because the sequence wasn't intuitive (although arguably it wasn't poor tactical choices, just not the ones I would have made by training and experience.)

    All in all, worth doing - but perhaps not something one would do every week.

  4. #4
    Site Supporter JSGlock34's Avatar
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    Thanks for the update...was this another single stage match or were there multiple stages? Sounds very similar to the first match, though there were no movers in that one.

  5. #5
    Single stage, something like 5 shooting positions / movement steps. 20 rounds or less this time. A few minutes of hard work.

    Each shooter ran solo in the bay with 2 ROs, thus the time elapse. But nice to have the whole field, and they have a good observation window for those who already shot.

    ROs claim they will not repeat stages.

    Some lessons learned (or more so remembered) about movement efficiency, tactical reload choices, and retention settings for secondary gear. Also why shooting gloves with knuckle protection are worth carrying. Also found a square range cognitive bias, where I could have taken a safe angle shot series but moved to square up out of habit.

  6. #6
    Are we talking about the SEG out in Ashburn, VA?

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by bdcheung View Post
    Are we talking about the SEG out in Ashburn, VA?
    Yes, same place.

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