2014 IDPA Nationals

Gene and I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 IDPA Nationals in Tulsa, OK.  It was our first time to attend a national shooting competition so we really didn't know what to expect.  It was an eye opening experience.

We arrived at the U.S. Shooting Academy on Wednesday afternoon.  What a great range. They have a large range house with an expansive retail store which carries everything from clothing to gear and of course firearms.  The range itself is beautiful and green and much different than the ranges that we have at home.

Gene and I with Mike Seeklander

We took some time to get the lay of the land and to check out the stages.  Most of the shooters were done for the day by the time that we got there, but we were fortunate to be able to watch Mike Seeklander shoot his last stage of the day.  I have to admit I could not help myself and I just had meet him.  He was very nice and allowed me to pester him for a few minutes and get a picture with him.

We headed back to our hotel a little later and once we were settled I did some dry fire and reload practice in our room.  It was just enough practice to get the muscle strain in my right arm to start hurting.  I was really hoping that it was not going to give me problems on Thursday.

We woke up bright and early on Thursday and headed to the range for the 7:45 AM safety briefing.  I knew I needed to eat to keep my energy going since it was going to be such a long day, but I just could not force myself to finish my breakfast.  I guess it was my nerves.  I was excited and anxious at the same time.

Once it was time to get started the squad met up at the first stage in bay one.  The Safety Officer read the scenario to us and allowed us to review the stage. When it was finally my turn to shoot I stepped up to the line. As soon as I heard the timer beep, my nerves went out the window and I actually did pretty well.  I was relieved that the first stage was over with and I felt so much better.  Most of the shooters, including the safety officers, were able to shoot the stages in two days.  Our squad shot all 15 stages on Thursday, 9/11.  I must say that the entire event was rather surreal.  The stages were all great.  Some were typical of what we shoot at our monthly local matches and others were a little more complicated.  The Safety Officers were all very nice and not intimidating like I had thought they might be.  Here are a just few pictures of me shooting the match below.

I was fortunate to be a part of the first ever all female squad to compete at IDPA Nationals. The team was comprised of a bunch of wonderful and talented women who are all a part of the A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League. The squad was comprised of both members and facilitators from all over the country and we all have one thing in common, we are serious shooters and competitors. Despite some goofy moments and a lot of laughter and camaraderie, we were all intent on doing our best and learning as much as we can about a sport that we love.  Julianna Crowder, Founder of A Girl and A Gun, was our squad mom and Randi Rogers, National and World Champion shooter, was our coach.  For many of us on the squad it was the first time that we had met.  We only spent a few days together, but I feel a very tight bond with each of them.

On Friday, Gene and I took a trip to Oklahoma City and visited some of our friends at Flashbang. (We will blog about that at a later time.)  We went to the range on Saturday afternoon and watched the last of the competitors finish the stages and then we attended the awards banquet Saturday night.  I didn't win any awards, but I did finish 16th out of 41 people in my division and class.  I am proud of where I ended up, especially since it was my first national match.

Gene was there with me every step of the way helping me, encouraging me, and supporting me.  The only way that this match could have been better is if he had been able to shoot with me.  I truly cherish that time that we have together.

The pictures of the entire squad can be found in our Dropbox account using the following link: 2014 IDPA AG & AG Pictures. We hope you enjoy them.

Laser Engraving / Prep for Nationals

A few days before we left for the IDPA Nationals in Tulsa, OK, and also as an early Birthday present for Christy, we headed over to a friend's house to get some of our gear laser engraved. This is the same laser engraving machine that engraved our guns, mags, and knives. I wanted Christy to look sharp at Nationals and at the same time represent our blog. We were not sure how it would turn out on plastic and kydex, but the results were great! I filled in the lettering on her Blade-Tech holster and her mag holder to really make it stand out. It really complimented her shooting jersey and vest. I decided not to fill the engraving on my holster and mag holder because I liked the coloring that the laser left behind. -Gene

Preparing for 2014 IDPA Nationals

I am very excited that I will be able to compete at IDPA Nationals next week.  I will be part of the first ever all ladies squad which will be made up of women from A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League.  The squad will be shooting all 15 stages in one day.  It will be a bit of a challenge since I am only used to shooting 6 stages a day at a match.  That is definitely a lot to pack into one day but I am up for it. I will be shooting with a great group of friends and Gene will be there to support me as well. He is going to be filling the role of photographer (and pack mule if I can convince him to carry my stuff for me).  That shouldn't be too hard since we will be bringing the War Wagon (gear cart) for all the gear and ammo.

I haven't been shooting as much as usual this year because Gene has been recovering from his surgery and injuries.  I know that I wasn't the one with the injuries but since we are the couple that shoots TOGETHER...well you know. When I found out that I made the team, I realized I needed to kick it up a notch or two so I have been trying to catch up on my practice.

I have been practicing a little bit of everything including basic fundamentals in addition to working on my skills that are geared more towards competitive shooting.  In addition to extra trips to the range I have also been practicing at home using other tools.  I have really enjoyed mixing up the training.

Strong Hand Only

Distance Practice

Haley Strategic targets

One of the training tools that I have been using is airsoft.  We recently blogged about the benefits of airsoft and how similar my airsoft XDm is to my XDm 5.25 Competition.  I feel that shooting my airsoft XDm is about as close as I can get to shooting the real thing. We have been practicing with IDPA targets in our backyard and we are fortunate that our neighbors don't mind.  Safety is always a priority and we never let the BBs leave our yard. We have also been using airsoft with the Haley Strategic targets. They are a great drill when it comes to sight alignment, grip, and trigger control.  They force me to slow down and breathe!

Practicing Drawing from the Holster and Reloads-Airsoft

Haley Strategic 2-2-4-2-2 Drill - Airsoft

SIRT pistol and L.A.S.R. software

Our most recent training tool purchase is L.A.S.R which stands for Laser Activated Shot Reporter.  I had bought Gene the L.A.S.R. program for his birthday and I kind of hijacked it from him.  It is software that we use along with our SIRT pistol to practice sight alignment and trigger control.  The program is designed to be used along with a computer, web cam, and anything that you want to use as a target.  Our favorite thing to do is to compete against each other.  There is one drill in which the program calls out random numbers which are assigned to particular targets.  L.A.S.R records our par times so we can see who is faster and visually we can see who is the most accurate.  We have to hit the correct target before we can move onto the next one.  The numbers are called out pretty quickly so it really keeps me on my toes.  It is a really good target transition practice.  One benefit to L.A.S.R over airsoft is that we can train in the house versus in the garage or the backyard.  (Yes, that is a mannequin in the background and no it isn't one of the targets. LOL It is used for product display.)

In addition to the training I got our logo and my name embroidered on my shooting vest.  I also purchased a team shooting jersey which arrived about a week ago.  I finally feel official!

I can't say enough about how supportive Gene has been through this experience.  He is always encouraging me to practice and giving me tips and advice.  He is my gunsmith and my cheerleader.  Gene has always been supportive of my shooting and this is just one more example of how we are there for each other.

Cheaper Than Dirt Guns Store - Round Rock TX

There is a new Cheaper Than Dirt Guns retail store opening this Fall in Round Rock , TX. It will be located in the La Frontera Shopping Center. It looks like its going to be a nice size store from what I could see from looking in the window. We have great options when it comes to firearm retailers in the Austin, TX. area and this will definitely give a lot of us yet another option when searching for firearms or gear.-Gene