---

Movers & Shakers
By
Gary W. Burris

Have you noticed that there seem to be more movers and reactive targets used at IDPA matches lately? I'm not complaining, in fact I think it adds more realism to the match. I like the challenge offered by some of these devices. The Texas State match will be held again this year at PSC and I have expressed my opinion to them that they should have a "Gadget Match" where every scenario has a mover or reactive target.

I will explore some of the things I've seen and give you my thoughts about them. Target systems can be anything from simple to very complex. Commercially available systems work quite well, although they tend to be expensive. There is a lot of innovative thinking out there when it comes to designing a target system. Some try the Rube Goldberg approach with lots of pulleys, levers, wires and weights. I firmly believe in the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) when designing a moving or reactive target system. Adding moving or reactive targets to a scenario adds time for resetting and scoring as well as time to shoot. So, take into account this added time when hosting such an event to try and avoid bottlenecks.

A number of different systems will challenge even a master shooter's skills while others are just plain fun. The motive force used in various designs includes gravity, electrical, pneumatic, spring and human powered.

Some method to activate the target system is required. This ranges from the shooter pulling a cord to somebody operating a remote control device. I think the best way to activate a mover is for the shooter to do something that causes the mover to be activated. In an earlier article I commented on the fact that I do not like the shooter pulling a trip cord to activate a mover because too many shooters get tangled in the cord creating a possible safety problem. Ask Johnny Van Etta about the hazards Safety Officers face when the stage they are running has a shooter pulling a cord to activate a moving target.

There are a number of other ways to activate a mover. Opening a door that pulls a cord to trip the mover or shooting a pepper popper that falls and activates a mover are two of the simplest ways I've seen to accomplish this task. I've seen trip switches used where the shooter steps on a board to activate the mover. There has even been some very sophisticated electronic eye type devices used. I've encountered a number of different systems in my travels and will describe some of them and at the same time give some of my thoughts about the particular system.

• A reactive target system involving a target held to target stand by placing a balloon behind the target and a tying a string between the sticks to hold everything together. When shot the balloon breaks and the target falls off the stand. This system requires at least one balloon per shooter. On the positive side you don't have to tape the target. A variation of this is to cut out the 8" "A-zone" of a target and tape a balloon in the hole. As far as I can tell, this design was created first by yours truly and used by the Tactical Shooters Club as a replacement for steel targets.
• I encountered the falling leaf target system the first time at the 2000 Mississippi State match. This is a simple design where the target stand is mounted on a piece of twisted bar stock and when released, falls vertically into a cylinder and twists as it falls. The target is visible only a second or two and then disappears. I really like this system. The only drawback I noticed was that grease was used to lubricate the system and made it a bit messy to handle.
• The 2000 Mississippi match also had a horizontal mover that ran on a cable stretched between two trees. The system worked very well, but I thought it moved rather fast due to the steep angle of the wire. I've seen variations of this system a number of times. The ones that work the best, not counting commercially built, use gravity as the motive force. Those systems that use pulleys and weights to move the target always seem to have mechanical problems. There is also the danger of having the wire shot and thus disabling the whole system. I've seen that happen in a couple of different matches.
• The Missouri State match held at the Chapman Academy range in Columbia, Missouri, had some interesting mover systems. They have the best horizontal mover system I've ever encountered. It is a commercial model and worked very well. This last year they added some new movers that used pneumatic actuators to rotate targets ninety degrees. This required someone to operate the controller box. I was impressed by the performance of these systems. They used cylinders of compressed gas to operate the system.
• The Arkansas Indoor Regional match in 2001 had a pop-up and disappearing target. The system was mounted on a lever that had a weight on one end and the target on the other. When the shooter opened a door, the stick holding the weight up was pulled and the weight made the target visible. As soon as the weight hit the ground it fell off and the weight of the target caused it to disappear again. Very simple and worked very well. I've seen commercial versions of this system and they worked no better than this one made of scrap wood.
• The Arkansas State Match last year had an interesting system with two targets that were mounted on a beam that resembled the letter "T". There was a target on each end of the cross member and a pendulum that caused the targets on either side to pop into view and disappear as it tilted back and forth. It worked really well and was very challenging to boot.
• In the Republic of Texas match a few years ago, they had a mover that was driven by an electric motor. It was a four-wheel cart with a target stand that moved directly at the shooter. Again, it required someone to operate the controls. We had a few hitches with the system when the safety officers shot the match on Friday but overall it seemed to work well. Unfortunately we could not use it in the regular match on Saturday due to rain and the possibility of electrical shock.
• The West Houston IDPA club has a number of movers. The one that was new to me was the "clamshell" target system. This has a threat target that pops up and a few seconds later a non-threat pops up in front of the threat target. It was a lot of fun to shoot and seemed to work well. By far the toughest one they have is the "Texas Star" system. It consists of five plates mounted on a five-pointed star frame that rotates in the middle. When you shoot one of the plates it falls off creating an imbalance and the star begins to rotate. It goes downhill from there. I've see shooters shoot all their ammunition trying to finish off this torture machine.
• You will see swingers at almost every competition. Some move fast and some slowly. I saw a swinger with a new twist at the Humble Tactical Club a few weeks ago. It was mounted to the track system of an indoor range and swings like a pendulum.
• The folks at CenTex (Dripping Springs, TX) have a twisting mover that appears and disappears. I've tried to duplicate it but cannot get the timing right. I did however build one that continues to rotate on a Lazy-Susan ball bearing. They also have a commercially built target system that uses steel plates located behind the A-zone and the head of paper targets. When correctly hit these systems fall. Both of these movers worked well.
• Perhaps the simplest reactive target I've seen was in the 2002 Alabama State match this year. There was a target stand tilted on its side and leaning on an 8" steel plate. When you shot the plate, the target fell and was then visible.

What can go wrong with a target system? The simple answer is anything that can go wrong probably will go wrong. Here are some things that you will have to deal with when you use target systems.

• Wires, ropes and strings will break. Have spare supplies on hand.
• Wind and weather play havoc with target systems. If possible, have moving targets protected from the effects of wind. Cover targets with plastic bags in rain and secure the bottoms of the bags or they will become sails.
• Ropes will stretch if they become wet so have a method to tighten them quickly.
• Stake movers or weight them down to keep them in position because they like to creep around.
• Shooters will shoot your apparatus. They seem to take some sadistic joy in this. If your system is built of PVC or wood, be prepared to repair the system. If your system is constructed of steel, you will need to protect it from being damaged by stacking wood or sand bags around sensitive parts.
• Avoid letting competitors reset target systems. If the shooters want to help, they can paste targets. I have found it is best to have the same person (part of your match staff) reset all movers and reactive target systems. That way they are set the same for each shooter and you are less likely to have to re-shoot a stage

---

Where Have All the Women Gone?
by
Gary W. Burris

Have you noticed that there aren't many women participating in IDPA shooting competitions? I have. Several women have come to our monthly IDPA competitions two or three times and then we don't see them again. Why is this happening and what is the problem? I took a step back and tried to figure out why, with a few notable exceptions, the IDPA is a masculine sport. I've attempted to understand what obstacles women face and draw some conclusions that will help to get more of them involved in "our" sport.

I'll grant you that this is written from a man's point of view and my reasoning may not accurately reflect those of women, given the same facts. John Grey wrote a book titled Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and if your have not read this book, perhaps you should because it will give you some insight into the female of the species. Fundamentally, men and women are different. We are not only biologically different, we process information differently and our priorities are not the same.

The first thing I discovered is that women aren't built the same as men. I know this sounds strange coming from someone who has been married for 38 years. But it's true! A woman's anatomy is such that her waist is higher than a man's. This presents a problem with equipment like holsters and magazine carriers. Very few holsters are built with women in mind. Holsters tend to tilt in toward the body of a female making drawing and re-holstering cumbersome. Also, because of the higher waistline, a woman's draw has to be a little more exaggerated. On the plus side, this makes her equipment easier to conceal.

Obstacle number one is shooting equipment and accessories are designed for men. How can we expect women to shoot with us if they have to wear a man's stuff? After all, we would not wear high heals or a skirt in competition. Well, most of us wouldn't. The obvious solution is designing more equipment for women. I know that Beverly McCord, the first woman shooter I met in the IDPA, makes custom holsters and accessories. There are probably others who make shooting equipment for women. Surely more women would join us if they could get properly fitted equipment.

Obstacle number two is the cultural and social aspect of shooting. We tend to think of shooting as a macho man thing. Even before recorded history men have assumed the role as hunter/protector. Women have traditionally been homemakers. They stay in the cave with the children and depend on the man to protect them from predators and hunt for food. A lot of us assume this dominant role in our sport. And I believe women sense this attitude and are put off or intimidated even though we men have the best of intentions.

Another social attitude that has bothered me, and I'm sure a lot of women at some shooting competitions, is the liberal use of profanity. Guys we should project a mature attitude and not display our lack of vocabulary and social grace. If we want more women in the sport, we need to show them respect and treat them as equals on the playing field.

Obstacle number three is related to shooting ranges. A lot of shooting ranges are very poorly equipped for women. Bathroom facilities are usually skimpy or nonexistent and not adequately maintained. Out of necessity, shooting ranges are in remote locations. This means that we sometimes have to travel over rough and dirty roads taking everything we will need for the day with us. You spend all morning in the dust, heat and noise with a break for lunch then back to the dust, heat and noise. And then there are the cold and wet days. Why would a woman want leave her comfortably air-conditioned house with a fully stocked pantry, color TV and a clean bathroom with running water to spend a day shooting? For that matter, why would I?

I think you're starting to get the idea that we need to work on creating a pleasant environment where we can hold our shooting competitions without feeling like we're roughing it on the Serengeti plains of Africa. I'm not saying that a shooting range needs to be a home away from home. And I know it costs a lot of money to have and maintain good facilities. What I am saying is we can work towards providing better facilities. Things like covered seating areas, clean bathrooms, good water to drink or an ice chest with soft drinks will help to make the whole shooting experience a pleasant thing.

Obstacle number four is timidity. I know several women who will go to a shooting range with their spouse or boyfriend and shoot every gun within reach. However, they will not accompany the man to a shooting competition much less compete. I don't know if it is due to shyness, fear of embarrassment or what. My best guess is that all the other shooters intimidate them and they are afraid that they will make fools of themselves. Let me make it perfectly clear that I do not for one minute think that this is a valid reason not to join in the fun of IDPA shooting. I've made a fool of myself more than once.

I started the Practical Shooters Club primarily to give new shooters and shooters with concealed handgun licenses a non-stressful, noncompetitive and safe way to practice handling their handguns. What I found was that women seemed to like the relaxed atmosphere where there was no pressure to perform competitively. They were all eager to learn and as they gained confidence I encouraged them to try the IDPA. Nothing makes me happier than to see one of my Practical Shooters Club members step up to the line to shoot a scenario. They may be shooting as a novice, but you can tell by their smiles that they had a great time.

The conclusion here is that we must make women shooters feel welcome into our midst. I have found that women operate mostly on feelings and emotions while men abandon these for logic and control. I don't think men do this intentionally, its just part of our competitive nature. But guys, we have to allow our feelings to surface long enough for the fairer sex to feel welcome in "our" sport.

---

Motivated to Shoot
by
Gary W. Burris

I've often wondered what motivates people. Particularly, I'm curious about what motivates people to participate in a competitive shooting sport like the IDPA. It's a lot of fun for me to observe the other shooters in a shooting competition and try to categorize them into one of several groups and sub-groups that I have identified. You will probably find yourself in one of the groups below.

A. This group of shooters has a vested interest in performing at the top in every competition. These folks include those individuals who are sponsored by someone in the gun industry or make a living in some gun related field. Their standing in the gun community and possibly their livelihood depends on adding different championship titles to their list of accomplishments. I've found that these professional and semi-professional shooters are also very personable people. The ones I've met at state and national competitions have all been more down-to-earth folks than I expected. Don't misunderstand, these guys are very professional and focused when the buzzer sounds.

A-1. This is a subgroup of group (A). These are the want-to-be shooters who aspire to move into group (A). A-1 people are very intense and sometimes downright unfriendly. However, these first impressions can be deceiving. After the match they will let their true personalities show and you will discover that these folks are a lot different than when they are in "competition mode."

B. This group encompasses the largest percentage of shooters. It includes people who, like me, were looking for a practical shooting venue to practice their gun handling skills. Many of this group have been poking holes in paper targets for years and discovered that IDPA style shooting added a new dimension to the sport.

B-1. This subgroup is the law enforcement contingent. I have to say that I'm surprised we don't have a lot more cops shooting in the IDPA. Maybe they are a little embarrassed by their performance as compared to some of the civilian shooters. The LE guys that do compete usually start out slowly then improve exponentially over time. Perhaps the motivation for those who succeed in the IDPA is the chance to gain knowledge and experience that may save their life. This subgroup includes some of the finest people I've met in the IDPA.

B-2. IPSC dropouts fall into this subgroup. I think most of these folks joined the IDPA so they could return to real practical shooting. Sometimes the transition to IDPA style shooting is difficult for them but most seem to take it in stride. These guys are easy to spot if you've ever worked as a Safety Officer. And they are a lot of fun to watch as they move through a scenario. I've never competed in IPSC and have a hard time understanding why these guys think the IDPA is too restrictive. This subgroup accumulates a lot of procedural errors. They are lax in the use of cover and the concept of tactical priority seems to escape them. But once they get the hang of things they can be some of the most competitive shooters.

B-3. This subgroup is for beginners. Almost everyone transitions through this subgroup. Some get stuck here and never move on to another group. This subgroup is very entertaining to watch. Perhaps I get so much enjoyment watching them because I see a lot of myself in them. We can all empathize with a beginner and say, "Been there, done that!" when they do some bonehead thing. And I believe that this subgroup gets as much enjoyment from the sport as anyone. I should tell the reader that I have struggled to come up with what I think motivates a new shooter. The problem is not that I can't think of anything that motivates them; the problem is that there are so many that it is impossible to enumerate them.

B-4. Folks in this subgroup have the most fun of all. It is comprised of people who shoot for fun. The competition gives them an opportunity to socialize with old friends and have a few laughs at each other's expense. Don't get me wrong, these guys are highly competitive and are happy to take your trophy away in a match. Yet on the other hand they will smile and congratulate you as you walk off with their trophy.

B-5. This is the perfectionist subgroup. Everything they do, they must do perfectly. They strive for zero points down on every stage. A procedural error will drive them into a deep state of depression. God forbid that they should shoot a non-threat target or get a failure to neutralize. I don't even want to consider the ramifications of something like a failure to do right penalty.

C. This is a group of outcasts. And if you find yourself here, you should consider joining the French Foreign Legion. I sometimes put shooters in this group temporarily simply because I know they are motivated by something but haven't figured out by what yet. Usually their motivation is evil. Well, maybe that's too harsh, lets just say sinister. Whatever the reason, it is not something we want in the IDPA or shooting sports in general.

C-1. Sand-baggers are found here. You know who you are. Sand bagging is just another form of cheating. What would motivate someone to compete below his or her ability? Any victory gained this way would certainly be hollow. I believe folks in this subgroup have an identity problem and need to get recognition any way they can.

C-2. Gamers make up this subgroup. Gamers are those folks who pick at the wording of a course description knowing full well the intent of the scenario. They will push the envelope on every scenario to gain an edge in the competition. Gamers are typically good shooters and don't really need to cheat to win. Probably the motivation here is to win at any cost. Or they try to make up for a lack of skill by using any trick they can muster. There is a distinct difference between a gamer and someone who strives to achieve the best results possible.

D. A group of shooters who don't belong in any of the other groups. They have no discernable motivation. Or said another way, they don't have a clue about what they are doing or why they are doing it. Very often these folks will dilly-dally around until their turn to shoot and come to the firing line unprepared. Or they will become upset and say, "I didn't know we were supposed to do it that way." when they get a procedural because they didn't follow the course description that was printed out for them as well as read and demonstrated with a course walk-through.

---

The Unsung Hero
by
Gary W. Burris

The day has arrived for your local IDPA club match. Shooters begin to show up at the range and assemble their gear. There's a lot of small talk about the weather. You see folks showing off their latest holster or hear them discussing the correct amount of powder to use to meet the minimum power floor requirements for a particular bullet weight. After the match you observe people packing their gun bags and making excuses about why they shot a bad second stage. Soon the dust settles and the range is empty except for a few brass hounds walking around all hunched over picking through leftover casings.

The majority of the participants in the day's activities haven't given a second thought, much less a first thought, about what it took to bring together everything it takes to put on a shooting competition like the one they just enjoyed. It's high time that we as members of the local IDPA club recognize the hard work of one "invisible" member.

It's the Range Master. Oh sure, we all know the guy. We see him at every match and even call him by his first name. But most of us don't have a clue how much effort he puts into making our monthly club match happen.

Let's follow the Range Master around and see what he does between matches. We'll begin our trip at the end of today's competition. The Range Master can be found picking up the target stands and putting the other props away in a storage shed or loading them into the back of his pickup to haul them home. Most of the shooters have left the range to catch a bite to eat or stop by a local watering hole. A few lingered behind to help pick things up, but it sure would be easier and faster if a few more had stayed to help.

As he is picking up the target stands he notices that the wooden stakes have pretty well been shot up and have a lot of staples in them so he makes a mental note to talk with the club treasurer about getting some money to buy new ones. And he thinks, "I had better inventory the rest of the supplies." There seems to be plenty of targets to last a couple of more matches. However, pasters are running low and we could use another staple gun and more staples. Add that to the list of things to buy. It looks like someone has run off with a couple more pens and one of the clipboards has a broken clip. The list is getting pretty long so he gets a piece of paper and starts writing.

The Range Master arrives home, late as usual on match day, and his wife tells him that the chicken is in the refrigerator and he can put the potatoes and gravy in the microwave. She bought some of that new vanilla Coke at the store if he wants to try it. After dinner he relaxes in front of the TV and pulls out his list to review just in case he missed something. After a few minutes he remembers that next month they want to have tee shirts on all the targets. So he adds that to the list.

The following week he finally gets hold of the treasurer after playing phone tag for a couple of days. It seems the treasurer is going out of town on business for two weeks so he will have to front the money to buy the supplies. He makes another mental note to keep all the receipts.

Some days later he turns on his computer and sends emails to some of the regular club members to ask if they can bring some old tee shirts to the next match. Then he logs on to http://www.tacticalshooters.com to check out their library of over 600 scenarios. He finds several that he feels will make a good match. One of them has a disappearing target that he will have to build. He adds that to the list of stuff he needs to get at the home supply store.

It is only a couple of weeks to the next match so he skips the ball game and makes a trip to the home supply store and buys everything he will need. Except for the pasters and he needs to call the supplier and have them shipped. A check of his email shows six replies to his inquiry about tee shirts. Two say they won't be able to make the match this month. Three say they will bring what they can, no mention of quantity. And one says he thinks he can bring five or six. His wife pulls out eight tee shirts that she says he can use. One of them is his match shirt from last year's IDPA Nationals. He says, "thanks honey" and takes the bundle out to the truck. However, only seven make it all the way.

He counted thirty-seven targets that need tee shirts. If he cuts the tee shirts in half he will need about nineteen. "Let's see," he thinks, "I have seven and there are probably another eight or ten that the other members will bring to the match, so that leaves me a little short. I'll stop by the second hand store on 5th Street and buy another ten from them, just to be safe. I think they sell them for about fifty cents each. That'll be another receipt to keep track of."

He is sweeping the sawdust out of the garage after building the new target system he'll need for the match when he remembers he didn't not call and order the pasters. "Damn!" he exclaims under his breath. He drops the push broom, rushes into the house, calls the supplier and hears a phone mail message explaining their hours of operation and to please leave a message. He hangs up without talking to the infernal machine. After a few moments of panic he calls the president of the other shooting club in the area and asks if it would be possible to borrow some pasters from them. Sure enough, they just got a new supply and he is welcome to whatever he needs. So he jumps in the truck and drives across town to pick up five boxes of pasters and promises to repay them when his order comes in. Make a note to call the supplier first thing Monday morning.

"I might as well stop by the second hand store while I'm in this part of town" he says out loud to nobody in particular. They only had five tee shirts so he bought them all. And he thinks, "We'll just have to wing it if we don't have enough." And as he arrives back home he remembers that he didn't ask for a receipt.

Monday he called the supplier and they were glad to take his credit card number over the phone and promised delivery in three days. "Well," he thinks, "I guess I really didn't have to panic and borrow pasters from the other club but you never know. I wonder how much money the club owes me now?"

It is now Friday afternoon and the match is tomorrow. The Range Master loads his lawn mower and edger into the truck. On his way to the range he stops to buy gas for the mower and some two-cycle engine oil for the edger. Kept the receipt this time. At the range he unloads and starts mowing. Seems like that rain last week really made the weeds grow. He killed the engine twice in bay E due to the thick undergrowth. After edging everything he loaded the stuff back into the truck and headed home. On the way back, he mentally kicked himself for not hauling the new target system out to the range. He'll have to remember to take it in the morning.

Mowing made him hungry enough to eat half a cow so for dinner that evening he cooked a thick T-bone on the grill. After dinner his wife volunteered to help him cut the tee shirts in half. He went to the truck and retrieved the twelve shirts. His wife noted that there should have been thirteen counting the eight she gave him and the five he got at the second hand store. He replied truthfully, "That was all that was in the truck."

He loaded the truck with all the stuff including the new target system, tee shirts, pasters, staplers, staples, pens, clipboards and new wooden stakes. A quick check confirmed that all the equipment was accounted for and ready to go. That evening he made sure to catch the local weather on TV. Looked like it would be a nice day with mild temperatures, partly cloudy and a slight breeze out of the west. It will be a perfect day for the match. He wouldn't need to take the plastic bags because there is no rain in the forecast until Tuesday of next week.

The Range Master got up early on Saturday morning and cleaned out the insulated water cans. On the way to the range he stopped and got ice for each of them and filled them with water. When he arrived at the range it was empty and he started to unload all the equipment. He had all the target stands in place and was putting tee shirts on the targets when the first car pulled up. The competitors wondered over in time to help finish that stage by moving a couple of barricades into place. One of them tells the Range Master that the treasurer caught some bug while away on business and is sicker than a dog. The treasurer told him to ask the Range Master to collect the range fees this month. Well, at least he will recover part of his out of pocket expenses.

The weather was as promised, a really beautiful day. Shooters begin to show up at the range and assemble their gear. There's a lot of small talk about the weather. You see folks showing off their latest holster or hear them discussing the correct amount of powder to use to meet the minimum power floor requirements for a particular bullet weight. After the match you observe people packing their gun bags and making excuses about why they shot a bad second stage. Soon the dust settles and the range is empty except for a few brass hounds walking around all hunched over picking through leftover casings.............