So far I’ve shot two 2 USPSA matches this year. It’s been a learning experience. I’m just not smart about stage plans. I accidentally run the gun dry too often. Next match is Friday. Weather permitting.

Anyone shooting the SE LE handgun classic?

Second Steel Challenge match of the year is next weekend. Will be cold with snow still on the ground.
I have a new Beretta 92XI to shoot and get comfortable with. My hope is to shoot it solely for all matches in ‘26.
AR PCC build has shot one match in January - that one will be shot for most matches this year as well.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Anyone shooting the SE LE handgun classic?

I gave it a really hard look this year and decided against it. I have a bunch of USPSA Majors on the ballot and would ultimately have to swap it for one of them. Since it's not a sanctioned match, I just couldn't justify it.

I love what they're doing though and it looked awesome last year. There is also a southwest one that did pretty well. Somebody tried it in the Midwest but I don't think it was as popular, which I think was a function of the specific location (very rural Missouri).

Got a text from one of the guys that runs my local USPSA club. They received one spot for race gun nationals from the state section and are giving it to me as the highest performing paying club member at their matches in 2025, and they're paying for it ($400-$450 match fee), so that's pretty cool.

Pays to play sometimes.

That is very cool.

I’m 5 matches in so far for the year. Pretty solid B class and low A in some cases.

Just signed up for the KTOA Valor Cup LE/Mil only match in August.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Just signed up for the KTOA Valor Cup LE/Mil only match in August.

I saw that one pop up but it conflicts with nationals. I would like to try one of these larger LE/mil matches.

I ran my first LE only match of the year this week. Four stages and about 100 rounds. Only had 15 or so guys so I am hoping that the momentum increases. It ends up being a pretty big undertaking to get out there, build stages, and then hang out all day running squads at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30.

I have a club match this weekend. First outdoor one of the year.

KTOA posted that 50 signed up in two days. I’m pushing most of my guys to go. Even volunteered to pay their entry fee. This is the kind of stuff that team guys and FI’s need to be doing.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
KTOA posted that 50 signed up in two days. I’m pushing most of my guys to go. Even volunteered to pay their entry fee. This is the kind of stuff that team guys and FI’s need to be doing.

100%

Ego keeps a lot of guys out. Our agency's tac team (I am not a member) has an annual training week in another part of the state that also has a weekly USPSA match (with some heat). Last year I got about half of the guys to go and I drove over to squad with them. One of those guys still talks about getting smoked by a guy that had both knees replaced.

You've obviously been around a long time...don't you wish you'd have figured this out earlier? I sure do.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:

You've obviously been around a long time...don't you wish you'd have figured this out earlier? I sure do.

Shooting only local IDPA matches all those years gave me a false sense of security. Traveling to shoot USPSA this year has opened my eyes and also made me a much better shooter.

Had my best match so far Saturday. Shot in the upper 1/3 of carry optics, little under mid pack over all. Bombed the first stage real bad. Was on fire the 4th (classifier) stage.

A friend got a position with the county, predominantly courthouse security but will work a biweekly training session with other county AGEs.
He says none of this business of practicing to qualify, they will be seeing things common in IDPA and USPSA.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
He says none of this business of practicing to qualify, they will be seeing things common in IDPA and USPSA.

If red shirts aren’t training this way, they are failing their students. A recent set of ranges at my work centered around USPSA 19-03 and “Bar hop”.

The best .mil shooters in the world are following this pattern. We are dumb for not following it. All gunfights involve practical shooting skills.

Hey fellas, check in. What’s everyone up to?

Stuck in A class still. I have had a couple pretty disappointing classifiers - each of which went from 100%+ to 72% for one and 80% for the other over a single shot. One was an uncalled miss (literally 9A 1M) and the other a called miss I went back for. Keeping the miss would have been 85%. Going back was 80%. Not missing in the first damn place would have been 102%.

I've had some decent success of late at locals, though. Since the start of May I have shot four locals and finished 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and 1st in CO and 4th, 1st, 8th, and 5th overall. The overall win was a small 16 person match that I win more than I lose. The other three were 50-60 people.

So the journey continues...

Area 2 filled in under 2 minutes.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Area 2 filled in under 2 minutes.

That's impressive. The Area 2 match last year looked incredible.

This is only my third season but I feel like around here (Iowa and the rest of the midwest) that matches filled faster in 2024 than they did in 2025 and 2026. The majors tend to fill quicker but generally over several days or weeks.

Locals might not fill until the day or two before the match, but they do generally fill, which is good. The sport is very popular right now and fairly healthy. Hopefully that momentum will continue.

I got an email time stamped 8:01 that waitlisted me. Other 3 dudes I was with got in.