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

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: