2014 GSSF Nationals at South River - Conyers, GA

[alfsauve]

Sorry, I didn't give everyone warning about this upcoming match.   Gunny and I were sponsoring this year's match.

(Okay, Okay.  Gunny sponsors the match.  I'm just a civilian amateur shooter.)

GSSF has done a lot of things right and improved a number of office function.  Now I hope they put some effort into their registration process.  I feel for Cindy Noyes and the others running registration.   Computers didn't work and it appears the the last weekend pre-registrations weren't processed.   Of course that dumps a lot of people into On-Site registration.  As usual, I was there early, but for the second match in a row, they didn't have my pre-registration.   It was 10am before I got to the range.  bummer.

I usually don't do well at the Nationals.  My best score every year is at River Bend in Dawsonville.  But at least I did better this year than in past years.  77.98 was my prelim score.  If you look at last year's nationals it puts me around 20 out of ~340.   For some reason there seemed to be fewer bays and longer waits.  But running the numbers through my head I don't think they had too few bays.  When I left waiting times were diminishing rapidly   I may rethink my strategy and go later in the day next year.

Gunny and I didn't connect this year.  I'm think he was doing photo-ops on the lower bays and I was shooting at the upper ones.  So no pictures this year. 

Here's why GSSF is important.  (Having a lot of time waiting this year)  I talked to a couple of new shooters.  They are new to shooting and are happy just to be able to get their 100 rounds down range.  They're full of excitement and want to try other disciplines.  It was encouraging to see them shooting and to hear their enthusiasm.  GSSF is a low stress entry in to action shooting.   No extra equipment beyond 4 mags, no drawing from holster and no reloading on the clock.  An excellent program for beginners.  Lot's of juniors and lady shooters.   Lady's both young and old. 

Speaking of seniors, the guy before me on 5-to-Glock was Mason Murphy.  I think he cleaned the course with times better than mine.   I checked and he won Super Senior last year, so there goes that $75.   His last year's score was 76.29, so unless he choked on the other courses of fire I'm second high senior which isn't bad.

Anyway, good time and I'm encouraged that I'm doing better.   What I really need is a real plate rack to practice on.  I may have to break down and join River Bend GC.



 

[les snyder]

and there is a great barbecue place if you stay in McDonough, and not Conyers   

[alfsauve]

[Thanks, Les.  Going through Conyers is quicker/shorter for me ;( ]

Prelim results are in,  36 out of 395.  That's the highest finish for me at the Nationals.  Bad news is I'm on Page 2.  I'm the first one on page two, but still page two.  Everyone was setting new personal bests.  Last year my score would have landed me in the top 20.

I am the second highest Super-Senior (65+).  Mason Murphy was the high Super Senior finishing 4th overall (65.69)!!  Congrats to him.  I was behind him at 5-to-Glock stage and while I didn't actually "meet" him, from what I could tell he's a fine gentleman.  I watched the way he conducted himself when he was pasting targets and interacting with other shooters.   I pasted his run and wow, he shoots well.    That wasn't his best run though.   In Comptetive class, against master shooters, he scored 63.49.

Just to give you a perspective, high Amateur was 57.27 and high Master was  39.43.

[MikeBjerum]

I have read your accounts of this match in the past, and I have enjoyed it without researching.  However, tonight I looked it up:  Damn Sam!!!  This looks like fun!

I don't think Milwaukee will happen this weekend, but I see they are in Wellington, KS.  I'm thinking I can go visit the kids (only 60 miles from Wellington), and maybe Cooptire can drop down, Rastus can take a short drive north, and then there are two M's in the neighborhood as well.

Thanks for the review Alf!

[alfsauve]

GSSF matches are simple and don't take all day.   In fact it can be a little disappointing with how quick it's over.  You can easily register and shoot and be done in 2 hours, or less.

What takes getting use to is the sqaud-ing process at each stage.  Once you grasp how that works things go pretty quickly.    It didn't make a lot of sense to read the rule book, but watching it work in person I realized what they were trying to do.   On your first stage have the assistant RO go over how it works.

I may have groused about the pre-registration process, but last week's nationals had over 1,300 entrants and they were able to register 500+ of them on-site.

[Sponsor]