[27th/28th June] IPSC Level III - U.K.Open

Bananaman

The U.K. Open is being held up north this June.

http://www.kellsrpc.com/ipsc/uk_open.php

A few champions are on the roster now including the current world champion Eric Grauffel. Saul Kirsch is shooting aswell which should make a for a good match.

Greg Midgeley is registered aswell which puts a dent in my plans for the first Irish Gold in standard (then again I could just be giving them a false sense of security - my Glock can take his CZ)

B'Man

Double-Alpha

"puts a dent in my plans for the first Irish Gold in standard"

Hey B'man, I think everyone else in standard is pitching for that first Irish Gold, you will have to get in line behind the rest of us..........:D:D

Bananaman

Kells, Co. Antrim

http://www.kellsrpc.com

Bananaman

Congratulations to the Kells RPC for a very well run match.

Great Stages - I had a couple of great days shooting - unfortunately the targets did not take part in most of it :-)

Looking forward to the next one.

B'Man

packas

Bananaman wrote: »

Congratulations to the Kells RPC for a very well run match.

Great Stages - I had a couple of great days shooting - unfortunately the targets did not take part in most of it :-)

Looking forward to the next one.

B'Man

Agreed B'man. Congrats to Alex & all the crew for a well run match. For me I had far too many misses & penalty targets. Time to start practicing again from the beginning the basics i.e. shoot as fast as you can hit alpha's. Simple concept but once the buzzer goes it's amazing how quick you forget those basic statements "shoot alpha's"

role on the selection shoots for Euro 2010 & the IPSA level III for next year.

Bananaman

I had far too many misses also. They were very challenging stages with the majority of targets at 15 metres +.

One of the stages on day one was particularly difficult where you had to shoot through two apertures each of which were from the floor to just above knee height and the targets were out between 15 and 20 metres.

I saw Saul Kirsch and later Eric Grauffel shoot this. I was most interested to see Saul shoot it as he is a foot taller than me. He just sat down onto his foot and let rip. Very impressive. Eric is bit shorter - ~ same height as me but a mite more pliable so he just did something gymnastic which I will not be repeating anytime soon :-)

It took me 14 seconds for the 12 shots and I had three total misses.
The rest half and half Alphas and Charlies.

It took Eric 6 seconds for 12 Alphas.

My best stage was on day two where there was a long stage on the outdoor range with 32 shots from four shooting posiitions, fairly far apart, including a swinging target.

I did that in 32 seconds, includng three reloads and had 22 alphas and 10 charlies (two in the moving targets). I had to take two extra shots aswell on the "haunted popper" so should have had a time under 30 seconds.

Saul did it in something like 15 seconds.

So, I was not at all happy with my own performance but any day you can spend on the range with the best in the world (who are in full practice for the World shoot in October) where you are seeing, first hand, how it should be done, is a good day on the range. Not only were Eric and Saul there but Angus Hobdell and also quite a few of the European STI team. I actually didn't get to see Angus shoot but I would like to thank him for all the advice he gave to myself and others on our off-range duties at Level III shoots :-).

It has to be said that I witnesssed some fantastic shooting from a few of our own aswell.

As Packas said though, we're all going to have to knuckle down and put in some real practice to tie down the basics (My crouched and strong hand shooting was brutal).

I'm away to Lithuania for their Level III Open on Friday so I dunno about the rest of you but I think I'll be heading to the range now and spend the day with my left hand in my arse pocket :-)

B'Man

Rosahane

+1 on all the above, praise for the organisation and officials

...similarly on the misses and penalties unfortunately:(

They did a great job in running the shoot and amazingly, given the weather, managed to keep pretty much to the schedule, so we started and finished on time both days

I even had confirmation that my god fearing, clean living lifestyle is paying off as on Friday in the outdoor stages the rain stopped when I was shooting:p

It fairly p11sed down on some others but we know what their morals are like;)

Bananaman

Seeing as we were expecting very bad weather it was not too bad.

My Squad had some bad stuff for our stages on the outdoor range for day one in the afternoon but thankfully had no rain on the morning of day two.

I was first up from our Squad on Day one and it lashed on me. I was Booted and Suited for it but the flash of steam off the firearm was a bit of a surprise when I took the first shot.

This is Practical and thems the breaks - it's never fun to shoot in the rain - I'd done it once before - ironically in July Last year - but the real stress is on the match organisers as it slows down the progress and the targets, patches and scoresheets suffer, however, the guys in Kells were well ready for it with loads of standy targets, very good "tents" for the scoresheets - must get some of those, etc. Regardless of the weather they kept it right on track. The all weather surface on the outdoor range performed very well with no water or muck underfoot for your magazines to fall into.

One of the aspects of "practical" shooting is that you have to take the rough with the smooth and perform, regardless of the conditions of the weather. I just have to try to make my own conditon a bit more reliable or predicatble for the next one :-)

B'Man

Double-Alpha

Lads,
Will the results of the UK Open be posted on the IPSA websiteor where ??

I would have loved to have seen it, even just a few of the stages, but alas, it was a bit far to travel.

I heard that the IPSA regional director and one other IPSA RO were officiating on some of the stages for the whole of the match. The same RO guys all the time, do they ever get a break and do they ever get to shoot themselves !!

Bye the way, B’man, what kind of measuring tape do you use “I was most interested to see Saul shoot it as he is a foot taller than me.”

:D:D:D


:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Mr Mole

I will begin by going through the "woe is me" part of this posting. Yes, I was DQ'd (disqualified) at the UK Open.

I am relatively new to the sport of practical pistol, and have shot a few level 2 competitions this year. On day one of the UK Open, I shot six stages, and was very happy with my performance on two of them in particular. The first stage on day two was also ok, but I met misfortune on the next. Regretfully, I could not then shoot the remaining stages.

Its very easy to find someone to blame, but there is only one person to blame....ME! Even though I might think the decision was marginal, the rules are not. Take it like getting penalty points on your Driving Licence for driving 5 KPH over the limit. The law applies the very same.

While I was a bit "gutted" I had the support and commiserations of some great colleagues, and I had the pleasure of watching them shoot to the final stage of the competition.

From my experience, I can only say to everyone,

1. Respect the decision of the RO.
2. Know the rules and appeals procedures applicable.
3. Move on and get over it!
4. Practice, enjoy the sport, and learn from your mistakes!

Mr Mole.:)

V Bull

Well said Mr Mole and more importantly, you haven’t gone off in a huff and blamed others or your gun.

It’s a harsh and blunt lesson learned by you and taken in the spirit of a true sportsman. Lesson learned and experience gained.

No doubt we will all see you again at the next IPSA organised shoot.

In answer to Double Alpha’s question, Yes, I am told that there were actually 4 Irish IPSA Range Officers helping out in the UK Open but only one for the whole period of the shoot and Yes, they did get time to shoot in the Pre Match which was held on Thursday.

Well done all involved...............:)

Rosahane

http://www.kellsrpc.com/ipsc/uko_results/kellsrpc01_12.htm

Unfortunately all the misses put me in midfield:o

... still it was great fun. Well done to organisers, officials and compeditors:)

V Bull

Yes,

the score line and positions for the IPSA guys are getting better & better, here is the link to the overall final result and the individual Stages can be clicked on at the bottom of the link page.

http://www.kellsrpc.com/ipsc/uko_results/kellsrpc01_mt.htm

The Usual Suspects feature very well indeed.....:cool::cool:

Well done all..................

Double-Alpha

+1

Very well done

Two people finishing in the top ten in both the Production & Standard Divisions is fantastic, and one of them being a Senior Shooter, a great result and just missed out with a top ten finish in Open

Congrats to the lads at Hilltop who as usual, represented the club very well, both on Saturday - and Friday night, if reports are to be believed!

V Bull

Hey, Double Alpha, just thinking, here is an interesting link for you and for all the other readers, goes by your own name sake.

www.doublealpha.biz

It is Saul Kirsch’s website, keep checking it out from time to time, he usually writes a report on some of the Practical Pistol matches that he attends, so hopefully he will do one on the UK Open and give us all more of an insight into the event.

You will find the Match Report link on the left hand side of the home page……..happy reading…..

:cool::cool:

packas

Mr Mole wrote: »

I will begin by going through the "woe is me" part of this posting. Yes, I was DQ'd (disqualified) at the UK Open.

I am relatively new to the sport of practical pistol, and have shot a few level 2 competitions this year. On day one of the UK Open, I shot six stages, and was very happy with my performance on two of them in particular. The first stage on day two was also ok, but I met misfortune on the next. Regretfully, I could not then shoot the remaining stages.

Its very easy to find someone to blame, but there is only one person to blame....ME! Even though I might think the decision was marginal, the rules are not. Take it like getting penalty points on your Driving Licence for driving 5 KPH over the limit. The law applies the very same.

While I was a bit "gutted" I had the support and commiserations of some great colleagues, and I had the pleasure of watching them shoot to the final stage of the competition.

From my experience, I can only say to everyone,

1. Respect the decision of the RO.
2. Know the rules and appeals procedures applicable.
3. Move on and get over it!
4. Practice, enjoy the sport, and learn from your mistakes!

Mr Mole.:)

Mr Mole,
Congrats on the attitude. Too many times do you see so called sportsmen blame other people for the DQ. It's unfortunate that it happened. But as you know the rules are to be applied strictly. In my view you're a great example of a true sportsman. I know you felt real bad getting DQ'd but you can be sure that the RO is not to happy to have DQ you either. I'm currently a trainee RO & the one thing that I'm really not looking forward to is having to say "stop" some day & DQ someone for a safety infringement.

Bananaman

Bye the way, B’man, what kind of measuring tape do you use “I was most interested to see Saul shoot it as he is a foot taller tha

I never got around to asking him to compare measurements....:rolleyes:
He's a big guy - one of, if not, the tallest there and also one of the top in the world so I wanted to see what he did to get down to shoot through those apertures.

The same RO guys all the time, do they ever get a break and do they ever get to shoot themselves !!

DA, you may not realise that under IPSC rules for a Level II or higher - it is mandatory that you have IROA sanctioned Range officers. There was a course held last year where the "same RO guys" were qualified by INROA (Irish National Range Officers Association). There has not been another course since.

That means that all Level II, or higher, matches must have the same guys at them or else they cannot go ahead.

Besides that - in order to keep your RO qualification you're required to RO at a number of matches in a year. Unless you wish to travel to get those points at Level III (International) matches you have little choice but to work at as many Level I (Club) or Level II (National) matches as possible here. We have only ever had Level II matches in Ireland.

I asked shortly after the last course (I didn't hear about it until it was over) and was told there would be one at the end of this year which I hope to attend, and pass.

Then there should be a few more people in the pool for clubs to contact and ask to RO at their matches. I'd prefer that each club had a few of their own and then only needed to call around and get a couple more for a shoot. If the course gets run with any regularity pretty soon each club would have enough to hold a shoot without needing anyone to travel and RO at it. Then people would only need to travel to shoot. Such high hopes I have :-)

In terms of the U.K. Open - that was a Level III and there were ROs from a number of countries. Ireland had a very large contingent. I personally was RO'd by five IPSA members during that shoot.

B'Man

Double-Alpha

Gentlemen & Ladies, I have just finished reading / browsing through the official IPSC Match Results on the IPSC website and I think that I have discovered something that others have not yet picked up on.

One of our IPSA shooters has won first place in the Senior Standard Division of the UK Open Level 111.

www.ipsc.org

Surely this is cause for the presentation of a Presidents Medal to this shooter as he is the first Irish IPSA shooter to win a first place in an International Level 111 match.

I don’t claim to know all the rules and regulations but I do think I’m right on this.

Double-Alpha

With reference to my last Post # 19,

I was right and it is now confirmed by the IPSC world body official website.

It’s up and posted on the official International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) website under President’s Medals.

Mr Senior Standard has won Irelands first President’s Gold Medal at the UK Open International Level 111 Match 2008.

Marvellous, Brilliant, Fantastic, Great, Well Done.

:);):)

Bananaman

Congratulations

fishdog

One of our IPSA shooters has won first place in the Senior Standard Division of the UK Open Level 111.

....and he was also an RO at the match.

Congratulations !!

packas

Paul Smith. First ROI winner of Presidents Medal for winning his division in an international IPSC pistol match


http://www.ipscireland.org/paul_smith_wins_presidents_medal.html


Congrats Paul. The entire IPSA region is extremely proud of your achievement.

Pat.

Bananaman

In case anyone is not aware of this.

An IPSC Gold Presidents medal is the equivalent of an Olympic Gold medal.

This is a major achievement, not just for the winner and IPSA but for shooting in Ireland.

Remember when Carruth was up for his Medal in the Boxing.....
10 Years from now I wonder will the pubs be putting the price of pints back to what it was this weekend when we are in the running for another Presidents medal :-)

B'Man

packas

Bananaman wrote: »

In case anyone is not aware of this.

An IPSC Gold Presidents medal is the equivalent of an Olympic Gold medal.

This is a major achievement, not just for the winner and IPSA but for shooting in Ireland.

Remember when Carruth was up for his Medal in the Boxing.....
10 Years from now I wonder will the pubs be putting the price of pints back to what it was this weekend when we are in the running for another Presidents medal :-)

B'Man

If you ask me it's worth more than an Olympic medal considering that currently IPSC shooting in Ireland gets no funding at all. Anyone invloved in the sprt knows that it's probably the most expensive shooting sport in the world. But now that we're officially on the map & have a medal the future looks very bright indeed:cool:

Rosahane

Congratulations Paul, well done!

PMS

I thank you all for your kind words.

Hopefully the guys will bring back somemore medals from Lithuania this weekend and I look forward to the after match chat on Boards.ie.

Thanks again.

Paul Smith.

Double-Alpha

We thank you for giving us, Ireland and the IPSA this fantastic honour.

Well done again.

Rovi

Yes indeed, well done that man!

A terrific achievement, both personally and for IPSA in general.
It's now up to the rest of us to try to emulate it.

b52

Well Done Paul.

Sparks

Excellent and well done!

PMS

Thanks a mill Sparks, but let's not foget about the other guys who finished with excellent scores in the top ten of the UK Open.

Well done to Andrew P, David VS and Mike P to memtion but a few.

Paul

les45

What most people dont know is that Paul was just one place off for the shoot offs in the IPSC Euro Handgun Match in September . Paul is the member every club ,organisation wants , he works tirelessly for IPSC here in Ireland , as both a RO and Instructor . He is a shining example of great sportsman and target shooter , Paul we are all very proud of acheivements . The first of many medals for the IPSA .

John

freddieot

Well done to all the lads !

Paul I'm sure that Medal will be the first of many. We've shot together a long time and a better sportsman would be impossible to find.

Thanks for making history for us. I think your renewals will be safe enough this year !!

Sean

V Bull

Yes, indeed, well done to all.

Saul Kirsch has posted his UK Open Match Report on his website at

http://www.doublealpha.biz/?fs=pages/matchreports/UK_open_2008.htm#top

Double-Alpha

Thanks again V Bull, from reading the report I don't think that Saul Kirsch was very impressed with the course design and stages.

Even the video clips look as if the stages were very basic. Makes Nurney's last Practical Pistol match look like a Level 1V............:D

Any comments from the IPSA guys on this.

Bananaman

I'm sure the IPSA boys will have comments.

I spoke to Saul on the day and he made the same point - he was not in anyway giving out about the shoot - it was just an observation.

It is not that he was not impressed - remember this was the first Level III in the "UK" since 1997. They are out of practice in comparison to Germany, Czech Republic, France, etc. In those countries some of the clubs hold multiple level III shoots every year.

People may be of the impression that it has been difficult for Practical to proceed here in the south but it is no less so in the north and they have been at it a lot longer.

You have to put his comments in context. Kells' stage design was in some ways limited by the range and in some ways by local requirements.

Almost all of the shots were 15 metres+ with all the targets visible directly in front of you which in some ways removed the ability for individuals to interpret the stage and come up with a solution which would give them an advantage or for people to get it wrong and forget a target.
If you had just shot the Czech Extreme Open (as Saul just had) it might look a bit basic.

His retro comment I get. You started a few stages, for example, holding a phone or writing on a pad or holding a garden rake. IPSC has been gravitating away from any situations which may have a "real world" aspect to their scenarios, for obvious reasons, so these types of props are not that common anymore, whereas they once were very common which is where his retro comment comes from.

I think the basic point he may have been getting across is that he did not feel particularly challenged by the stages. You have to remember that he was going head to head with Eric Grauffel and probably would have preferred a few more targets and positional changes in order to give him a chance to close the gap.

At the end of the day I think Kells pulled off a great shoot. The eyes of the IPSC world were on them to see how they got on and it went VERY well.
Be under no illusions, this was but the first of many Level III shoots for them and they will learn from this and other shoots and will progress.

The main point at a level III is that it runs well and to schedule. It does not matter if the stages are better than the world shoot, it does not matter if you have the top 3 in every division, it does not matter if you have 100 or 500 entries.

All of those things are good and you get a lot of kudos from it but it does not mean a hill of beans if you are not prepared and organised to handle all situations that may arise.

I was at a club shoot in Kells over a year ago where they were fledging the ROs that were working the match last weekend - I have been at two Level II shoots in Kells since where the same ROs were honing their skills. They have been preparing for this for a LONG time and they got it spot on. The proof in the pudding is that the weather went to hell and it did not make a bit of difference to them. they were prepared for it and just carried on as if the sun was shining.


B'Man

Double-Alpha

“probably would have preferred a few more targets and positional changes in order to give him a chance to close the gap.”

Or for Eric to stretch further ahead of him in the points….me thinks.

Yes, life is wonderful, “HEY Saul” if it was so simple, none challenging and lacking in targets and stuff, then why didn’t you win. Tee hee hee.

“It is not that he was not impressed - remember this was the first Level III in the "UK" since 1997. They are out of practice in comparison to Germany, Czech Republic, France, etc. In those countries some of the clubs hold multiple level III shoots every year.”

Aaagh Yes, that’s all well and good Mr B’man, but the Brits have been travelling around the world since their government gun ban, shooting at all the top level world IPSC pistol shoots, holding IPSC shotgun events in the UK etc etc. They have also helped to build and design courses all over the world. I don’t think that they are out of practice by any means, poor excuse.

My point is that it all looked very amateurish, flimsy and ad-hok. The guys in Newry & Ballykinler have been shooting practical style pistol for a lot longer than Kells and have a better set up and sturdier type stage equipment.

Look at the photos of the different Dutch Open’s, of Norway and Lithuania and places etc to name but a few that are floating around and compare their props and stages to that of the UK Open.

V Bull

Interesting comments Double Alpha, I wonder how many Level 111 Pistol Match's you have competed in or attended as a shooter. ???

What was your best score / finishing position ???

You say in other posts that you have attended shoots but have you ever entered and shot in one ???

To my knowledge I don't know of or have heard of any ladies (which you claim to be in other posts) doing the approved IPSA competition licence course!!!!!!!!!!!!

I respect everyones opinion, but in this case you have to have been there and done that. It was a pretty difficult course and remember that the Irish shooters have only been doing this since late 2005 or later, while our Europen shooters have been doing it for 30 years

I think that the Republic Of Ireland guys, the Northern Ireland and UK guys did a fantasic job in design, layout, admin & stats, RO'ing etc etc. I have attended and shot in many many practical pistol shoots about Europe and one in Asia and found this to rank among them.

Again I say well done to all those that planed and organised this memerable historic shoot, I tip my hat to you all............

:cool::cool: