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Thread: The Riddle of Steel (Challenge)

  1. #11
    Member Zincwarrior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by olstyn View Post
    On the outside looking in, I'm confused that it doesn't operate that way. Wouldn't people get extremely bored extremely quickly otherwise?
    Well if they are following standard Steel Challenge rules and setup, they can send all the officcial stages in for classification just like USPSA does its classifiers. Our local club sends all its "official" stages in for classification.

    I like it. Its not something I want to do every weekend, but it can really focus you on shooting skills really fast. You focus even faster when some 8 years girl comes up and just wipes the floor with you...

    Additionally, in central Texas its very nice during the hot parts of the year (like right now). No running around taping, scoring or shooting. Plus ROs can easily be rotated - there seems to be a lot more enthusiasm helping run the pad or run a shooter. When its 105 in the shade, this is officially a big deal.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stony Lane View Post
    The standard Steel Challenge stages need to become, more or less, classifiers (as in USPSA). One or two should be shot each match, then many different (and changing match to match) combinations of plates should be used for the other stages.
    Often I've seen 4 standard stages and one "outlaw" stage at our matches and it works quite well. I would not want to shoot a SC match with only one or two standard stages...

    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    While I wouldn’t give up USPSA for Steel Challenge, I love it as an additional activity. We had a thread on it, started back in December.

    https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ls-development

    I shoot PCC and Carry Optics in Steel Challenge, and my wife shoots Carry Optics.
    Awesome GJM, I will look into it - I want to discuss skill development so I may revive that one if I see some of what I am looking for - I will make an in-depth post after I read through that thread.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rapid Butterfly View Post
    I recently started steel challenge as supplemental to idpa and USPSA. I enjoy it, and feel each discipline helps with the others. I’m new at everything still, this being about the fifth month of my first season.

    I do agree with a certain amount of frustration at numerous .22 lr malfs, long guns being slow to deploy, etc., and almost wish they had a day just for pistols from the holster. But then again, i truly enjoy meeting older shooters who maybe used to do USPSA but don’t want all the movement as they’ve aged. Lots of them still flat get it done on steel, and that makes me happy.
    This is what aggravates other competitors the most, other than safety violations. After shooting enough matches it isn't too hard to balance being kind to "new&inexperienced/having an off day shooters" by simply timing them out and letting them know ahead of time in the shooter's meeting on the importance of match flow.
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zincwarrior View Post
    Well if they are following standard Steel Challenge rules and setup, they can send all the officcial stages in for classification just like USPSA does its classifiers. Our local club sends all its "official" stages in for classification.

    I like it. Its not something I want to do every weekend, but it can really focus you on shooting skills really fast. You focus even faster when some 8 years girl comes up and just wipes the floor with you...

    Additionally, in central Texas its very nice during the hot parts of the year (like right now). No running around taping, scoring or shooting. Plus ROs can easily be rotated - there seems to be a lot more enthusiasm helping run the pad or run a shooter. When its 105 in the shade, this is officially a big deal.
    Feel free to reply in PM, do you shoot in the Austin area?

    I think that many shooter's don't lend SC enough credit in the sense that you have to focus on shooting well at speed - those peak times are no jokes. Taking out movement and stage planning gives SC a different shooting experience.
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  4. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by guymontag View Post
    Feel free to reply in PM, do you shoot in the Austin area?

    I think that many shooter's don't lend SC enough credit in the sense that you have to focus on shooting well at speed - those peak times are no jokes. Taking out movement and stage planning gives SC a different shooting experience.
    Steel Challenge as a pursuit can be reduced to a draw and four transitions, repeated four out of five times on any particular stage. While there is not stage planning in the traditional sense, serious competitors are very particular as to the order they engage the targets, and that order often varies by shooter.

    If you check the Steel Challenge classifications, you will see that many top USPSA shooters are also very accomplished Steel Challenge shooters. The steel encountered in a typical USPSA match seems pretty easy after shooting Steel Challenge.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    Steel Challenge as a pursuit can be reduced to a draw and four transitions, repeated four out of five times on any particular stage. While there is not stage planning in the traditional sense, serious competitors are very particular as to the order they engage the targets, and that order often varies by shooter.

    If you check the Steel Challenge classifications, you will see that many top USPSA shooters are also very accomplished Steel Challenge shooters. The steel encountered in a typical USPSA match seems pretty easy after shooting Steel Challenge.
    I remember Enos' book or forum? discussing the "traps" and shooting order, etc. I am sad there aren't too many videos I could find of the top shooters shooting the stages like you would see in USPSA.

    But this gets into what I would like to discuss with yall - so what stages do you shoot in what ways? Any tricks along the way? Everyone is different but I am striving to hit as close as possible to peak times myself in Carry Optics and Production and there aren't too many people discussing the finer details - I think it would be fun.
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  6. #16
    Member Zincwarrior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by guymontag View Post
    Feel free to reply in PM, do you shoot in the Austin area?

    I think that many shooter's don't lend SC enough credit in the sense that you have to focus on shooting well at speed - those peak times are no jokes. Taking out movement and stage planning gives SC a different shooting experience.

    For steel challenge: USPSA out of ARC. Probably not this month as I am losing too many Sundays with IDPA and promised to MD a match there, but likely in August.

    Also Copperas Cove runs two steel matches a month. These are action steel though (poppers and falling steel) so a bit different.

    As to methods, I generally shoot right to left. I am not much of a help as I will forget a plate if I get complex. Plus I am only a hack C shooter.
    Last edited by Zincwarrior; 07-11-2019 at 09:30 AM.

  7. #17
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    I shoot Carry Optics and Production - both about the same level, A-M.

    I recently had a few breakthroughs on the "faster" stages like Roundabout and Smoke and Hope - without consistent practice I've dropped about a second off of those two stages, almost sub-10 on S&H and mid 11s on Roundabout. It was a mental shift on how I engaged the targets that helped.

    Now Five-to-Go has been one of my better ones in the past but I am off on it now - I think the fastest has been low 14’s for me? How are y’all shooting this one?

    I’ve made some strides on Pendulum, and my times have slowly gone down to about A-class level but I’ve reached a plateau on this one – and I don’t know if or how to potentially dryfire out of this one. How are y’all shooting on this one? Any M or GM level performance here?
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  8. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by guymontag View Post
    I shoot Carry Optics and Production - both about the same level, A-M.

    I recently had a few breakthroughs on the "faster" stages like Roundabout and Smoke and Hope - without consistent practice I've dropped about a second off of those two stages, almost sub-10 on S&H and mid 11s on Roundabout. It was a mental shift on how I engaged the targets that helped.

    Now Five-to-Go has been one of my better ones in the past but I am off on it now - I think the fastest has been low 14’s for me? How are y’all shooting this one?

    I’ve made some strides on Pendulum, and my times have slowly gone down to about A-class level but I’ve reached a plateau on this one – and I don’t know if or how to potentially dryfire out of this one. How are y’all shooting on this one? Any M or GM level performance here?
    I have a 12.95 on Pendulum in Carry Optics, just over 100 percent. I shot it the first or second Steel Challenge match I went to, and didn’t know then that Pendulum is supposed to be real hard. . I just shot it left to right.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zincwarrior View Post
    For steel challenge: USPSA out of ARC. Probably not this month as I am losing too many Sundays with IDPA and promised to MD a match there, but likely in August.

    Also Copperas Cove runs two steel matches a month. These are action steel though (poppers and falling steel) so a bit different.

    As to methods, I generally shoot right to left. I am not much of a help as I will forget a plate if I get complex. Plus I am only a hack C shooter.
    Then you and I have likely run across one another, Falling Steel and ARC are my main ones, at least two years ago and starting now - I should be at Tuesday Night Steel next week.

    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    I have a 12.95 on Pendulum in Carry Optics, just over 100 percent. I shot it the first or second Steel Challenge match I went to, and didn’t know then that Pendulum is supposed to be real hard. . I just shot it left to right.
    It's definitely a more mental stage for some - it's interesting how some people choke on Pendulum and some choke on Smoke and Hope. I take it with those times you are in the M to GM range?
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by guymontag View Post
    Then you and I have likely run across one another, Falling Steel and ARC are my main ones, at least two years ago and starting now - I should be at Tuesday Night Steel next week.



    It's definitely a more mental stage for some - it's interesting how some people choke on Pendulum and some choke on Smoke and Hope. I take it with those times you are in the M to GM range?
    Yes
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

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