Southern Chester USPSA – Stage 6

Southern Chester USPSA was in full swing. Our first stage of the day was in the books and we began the hike to the rear of the property. Around back are two relatively small pistol pits that generally hold fast, condensed, courses of fire.

After setting our gear down, we got a closer look at Stage 6 – Up The Ante. This course of fire had shooters hugging the left side of the pit, shooting to our right. As we got further down range, the path followed the foliage and banked left, where more targets were tucked behind barrels.

The Plan:

Up The Ante had shooters starting in a position that requires us to engage at least one target, to our right, immediately. If we were to begin moving, taking two to three steps forward would be the difference between seeing that first target or being beyond it and unable to shoot. As a result, most of us felt that it was in out best interest to engage this target, and one further up range, from a static position.

I took this one step further and opted to transition down range to pick up two more targets that were in my field of view. This wouldn’t be the fastest route but it would ensure that I would not fail to engage those targets as things became hot and heavy as I moved down-range.

Once eight shots were fired, I would begin moving into position to engage what I thought of as the second target array. I would reload on the move and engage a single target tucked between two penalty targets, then transition to a pair of steel plates. As long as I didn’t have any makeup shots, I would turn to my left and engage two additional targets tucked behind a low wall.

I would then perform a reload on the move and continue down range. To save a little time, I would engage the first of four targets while moving into position, then engage the remaining three as they became visible around barrels.

After The Buzzer:

When the buzzer sounded, I drew my gun and got down to business. I engaged the first two targets without issue but lost a little time when transitioning to the third. While reviewing the game film, it clearly shows that I drove the gun too far and had to swing back to get on target. I didn’t have this problem with the fourth target and cleared my first array.

I reloaded on the move and engaged the paper and steel, as planned, before transitioning to low targets behind a knee wall. Moving from the first to the second of these targets looks strange as I pull the gun back up and sort of bob it back down to get on target. I think this may have been a result of poor body position, which I will have to try to correct in the future.

I reloaded on the move once again and drove my gun out to the the first target in the final array. Once in a position where I could see the remaining targets, I began shooting. My cadence in this array sounded odd and I think I may have been looking for the holes to appear in the target before I broke the second shot.

Southern Chester USPSA – Stage 6 – Up The Ante
1st Person Video as Primary

Southern Chester USPSA – Stage 6 – Up The Ante
3rd Person Video as Primary

The Results

Even with a few hiccups in my game, I performed rather well on this stage. I placed 3rd in Production Division with 104 out of a possible 120 points. My shots landed me 16 A’s and 8 C’s with 87% accuracy. My time was 16.6 Seconds with a Hit Factor of 6.2651.