[g34]

Introduction: I am fifteen years old, and I shot my first USPSA match when I was thirteen. I was hooked ever since then; however, I was forced to stop shooting due to hurricane Katrina completely destroying my house. Now that we have moved back and have settled in I have started to shoot some more. I have been dry firing every night for the past couple weeks, and it has really payed off. I went and did some live fire practice today, and really noticed improvements in my shooting. I got my draws down to under a second, and had very good transitions. I have started cutting lots in my neighborhood to make some money to pay for all of my ammo and the cost of matches.

Equipment: I am currently shooting a glock 34 with a fobus holster, and cr speed belt. I have a friend who is into uspsa shooting, and he is letting me use his Dillon press.

I decided to join this forum mainly for the range diary, because I think that it will be a good way for me to keep track of my progress.

[Chris Keen]

Sounds like you are well on your way. Keep us posted on how you do at your matches. We would love to hear more.

[g34]

Today I did about an hour and a half of dry fire. I worked on reloads, drawing, shooting on the move, and transitions. Im not sure what a good time for a reload is, but it takes me a little under 1.5 seconds to drop a magazine put a new one in the gun and get back on target. I have been using a competitive edge dynamics timer that someone is letting me borrow. I am shooting my first match in over two years on Sunday and am very excited about it.

[Paul Burtchell]

Sorry to hear about you and your family's loss to Katrina. Glad you are back and shooting once again. I have a 16 year old nephew who started shooting USPSA last year and he to uses a GLOCK 34. Great gun.

You certainly know your terminologies and you write very well. You sound like you are well on your way. Keep up the practice and as was mentioned by Chris, keep us posted on your progress and how you do in any matches you may shoot. You are indeed the future of this sport. Best wishes. We all support you.

[g34]

Thanks for the replies guys. My dad might not be able to make the match on Sunday, but I will be going with one of my dad's friends. Is it alright for me to shoot without a parent there?

This post has been edited by g34: 27 April 2008 - 06:46 PM

[Chris Keen]

Some clubs will generally allow a teen to shoot as long as he is "supervised" or sponsored by an adult, or so long as they have some sort of written permission directly from the parents, then they could shoot.

Just ask .... somebody will be able to tell you.

This post has been edited by CHRIS KEEN: 27 April 2008 - 07:10 PM

[g34]

I've been dry firing every night for a little more than an hour trying to prepare myself for the match tomorrow. I just received a phone call from my dad's friend who was supposed to take me to the match and he said that he wasn't going to be able to make the match. I was really looking forward to shooting this weekend, but I guess I'll just have to be patient. I can't shoot next weekend, because we already have plans for Mother's Day, so hopefully I will be able to shoot the week after that.

Kevin

[PINMAN44]

Keep it up buddy! I was off for almost three years and now am back. I hated being out of shooting too! Your doing great and you seem extremely dedicated!

Keep working hard, keep dry firing.

Robby O.

[g34]

I still have not been able to shoot a match due to a busy schedule, but with school ending this week I will have much more free time. I have been sticking to my dry firing schedule and am noticing major improvements. On saturday I had to get a physical for cross country at my school and found out that I have 20/40 vision. I would guess that this is affecting my shooting, so I'm going to have to get glasses or contacts.

-Kevin

[steel1212]

g34, on May 19 2008, 06:28 PM, said:

I still have not been able to shoot a match due to a busy schedule, but with school ending this week I will have much more free time. I have been sticking to my dry firing schedule and am noticing major improvements. On saturday I had to get a physical for cross country at my school and found out that I have 20/40 vision. I would guess that this is affecting my shooting, so I'm going to have to get glasses or contacts.

-Kevin

Wish I had 20/40 vision.... If you can't make the match, make the match at home. Cut out some small targets and stick them around the house going bang, bang, bang, bang, See the sights everytime you do it.

[g34]

Well I finally got to shoot a match yesterday. I had a blast! I shot fairly well and I am still waiting for the results to be posted. I would have done much better, but I recently bought some remington primers which cause misfires in my glock. It was a classifier match and I shot less than 100 rounds, but I had seven misfires. On one of the stages I drew my gun fired one shot went to shoot again and had a misfire. I racked the slide pulled the trigger again and nothing happened. I racked the slide and an empty case came out. I stopped shooting and unloaded the gun. The R.O. didn't catch it, but it was a squib. We got the bullet out of the barrel without too much trouble. It was a lot of fun and I am definitely hooked. I am going to shoot a steel match this saturday. I also bought 5,000 federal primers, so that should take care of the misfires.

-Kevin

[g34]

I shot my first steel match yesterday, and I think I did pretty well. I still haven't gotten the results yet, but here are some pictures and video that my dad took. I'm wearing a camo cap and shooting a Glock 34.

http://web.mac.com/o...ux%20Steel.html

http://web.mac.com/o...9/Shooting.html

[g34]

I shot my second steel match yesterday and did pretty well.

Here are the results.

http://www.lagator.o...ores/081011.htm

BTW I'm Kevin Fitzpatrick

[g34]

I shot my eleventh match yesterday. I did pretty well. I finished second in production and fourth over all out of 34 shooters. Here is the video from three of the stages. If anyone has any advice or observations from the video it would be greatly appreciated.

I had 1 C on the first stage, 1 C on the second, and 5 on the third.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=EZwrf0_801g

This post has been edited by g34: 21 April 2009 - 04:47 AM

[little_kahuna]

You're looking great bro. Real smooth and quick. I did notice one little thing: in the last video, as you finish shooting from the box, you go to move out of it, and you take a step back before you step forward. Maybe think about balancing your weight such that you can just step forward, because taking a step back is (if only just a little) wasted motion. Looks good though. keep us updated
Also, will you be getting to any bigger matches? I hate not seeing many juniors at matches. Have you heard of the USAMU Junior Clinic? It's a great place to get some time w/ some of the greatest shooters out there.
Way to go Kevin!

This post has been edited by little_kahuna: 20 April 2009 - 02:34 PM

[g34]

Thanks Nick,

That's a good point about moving back before I go forward. I never noticed that when I was watching the video. I doubt I will be going to any big matches in the near future. The biggest match I have shot was the Gator Classic, but being the only shooter in my family it's kind of hard to attend an out of state match.
I have heard about the clinic and wanted to go this year, but my exams were the week of the clinic. I plan on making it next year. Also, do plan on going to Camp Shootout this summer?

Hope to meet you on the range,

Kevin

[little_kahuna]

I doubt i'll be at camp shootout, but I'm planning on the AMU clinic. I know how it feels not to be able to get to many matches
But I'll be hittin up a few matches out your way sometime. I've heard a lot of good stuff about the Gator classic, and someday i'd like to attend it.
Do you have a USPSA #?

[noypi916]

Damn, he is good! Looks like another D. Sevigny in the making.

[g34]

A-61677

[g34]

I shot a match this past weekend and did pretty well. I got first in production. Here are the results.

I will post the video later.

[g34]

Here is the video.

Any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

-Kevin

[Adrian_Sorah]

Not too much to critique, your reloads look awesome.
The only thing you could probably work on is movement.

Heres the website http://www.juniorshootercamp.org/ .
I think the price was like $200 which included instruction from some of the top shooters, 1200 rounds of ammo, and the hotel room.
Two of the days was instruction, then the third day was a match.

[lugnut]

Looks a lot better than your classification!

[g34]

I shot a match yesterday and had a great time. There were great stages and difficult competition. I learned a few things from yesterday's match. 1) Don't try and shoot an IPSC turtle target at over 15 yards on the move. 2) If half of the A zone is covered by hard cover, it is better to aim left of the A zone and get two C's than to aim center of the unobstructed A zone and take two Mikes. 3) Always use your sights on close targets.

Here are the results.

Place Name USPSA Class Division PF Lady Mil Law For Age Points Stg %
1 Diebold, Guy L2746 M Production Minor N N N N 521.7057 100.00%
2 Fitzpatrick, Kevin A61677 C Production Minor N N N N 508.0985 97.39%
3 Martin, Jr., Jim A50938 B Production Minor N N N N 505.8381 96.96%
4 Trahan, Jeffery TY53721 B Production Minor N N N N 503.3092 96.47%
5 Hall, Andy A53123 B Production Minor N N N N 434.6464 83.31%
6 Sanford, Shawn A56750 C Production Minor N N N N 415.3039 79.61%
7 Ingram, Chuck A50459 C Production Minor N N N N 361.9994 69.39%
8 Darrah, Curtis A53214 C Production Minor N N N N Senior 325.5118 62.39%
9 Ellis, Hank A50176 C Production Minor N N N N 318.3674 61.02%
10 Heidorn, Robert Pen U Production Minor N N N N 175.6181 33.66%

Here is the video.

[Flexmoney]

[from your April vids and results]

Very solid. All around.

You seem to be getting your points. That is vital.


I like that you are getting your points on the move in the first stage (4 19 09 vid). It seems that you were using your vision to dictate what you could do there. very nice.

Your turn and draw there...wrong direction and extra shuffling. Check out vids of Steve Anderson, Jake Divita and Ben Stoeger. You will see some variation between them, but they are all snapping the head around and getting right to the shooting.

On the 3rd (barricade start), I don't know about that shuffle step. It makes you bounce a bit and isn't as smooth as your other setups. I'm OK with you left leg lift to start out there, but it looks like a cross-over could've been your next step. That could have got you a bit deeper to the left (if your first target would allow that?)...which would have saved you the time of the lean on the last target that you shoot in the first position there.

Really solid...and I am nit-picking to find anything.


Keep using that vision and hitting the points.

Remember those points when you shoot the classifiers!