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I won second place in dueling tree match, and got beat by Mike Dalton!
Yesterday was a dueling tree, person vs. person, match in SoCal which was the first hosted by the CalGuns Shooting Sports Association. I wasn't going to do it since it is more than an hour drive from my house, but a shooting buddy built a tree and wanted to do it. We practiced twice on his tree.
Match was shot with pistols using iron sights (fiber optic OK) and limited to 4 ammo feeding devices of only 6 rounds. Revolvers were good to go. I used my tricked out XD 40 Service pistol with 4 mags loaded up to 6 rounds each. Start low ready, on the buzzer, engage the three plates on your side and knock back any plates your competitor sends your way. You run until one side is empty or time is up. You could have ammo in a bucket and try to load more, but after 24 rounds, you were likely beat or time was up. There were 50 or so competitors.
It was a double elimination. You got two wrist bands with the same shooter number. I was lucky number 25. If you got beat, they took a wrist band and you went to the losers' group to duke it out with them. Winners had their own group. I made it through about 4 competitors without losing, so I had two bands still. It came down to me and this older guy shooting a 38 super 1911. He threw me off when we were told to make ready and I loaded up in 1.5 seconds and he casually pulled his gun and sprayed it down with sight black. 30 seconds later he was ready to go and I had been hanging on to a loaded pistol at low ready. He preceded to butcher me. I don't remember if I beat him in any heat. It was best two of three and he had no problem getting ahead of me at least twice. I wasn't confident in my sights or load that day either, or the last practice. Part of it was probably my shooting as well, but I don't usually doubt this gun. I have 40k rounds through it and use it for 3 gun and pistol matches.
I lost my wrist band to that guy, so he won the winners' group. I got to go duke it out with the losers. I beat all of them. Early in the day, I wasn't sure how far I would make it, but I didn't want to get taken out right away. After around 9 competitors, I had to go up against the only person who hadn't lost a band yet. I had lost one to him. If he took my last band, he won. I had to take both of his (win twice) to knock him out of the match. I heard people talking. They said don't worry about getting beat by him. They asked if I knew who he was. I had no idea, other than he was the guy I need to beat, just as all the other people were. His wife and granddaughter were spectating.
My load was a commercial cast 155 lead semi wad cutter that was harder than a rock, lubed with some blue plastic, seated over 4.6 grains of hp 38. It chronos around 1,000 fps from my 4" barrel. The trigger is sweet, the dawson sights set in a bomar cut, magwell, extended controls, etc. The load works great for 3 gun. Yesterday, it started to smoke like a freight train as the 6th or 7th match came up. The sun was getting lower and it was very hot in the sun. The duelling trees were in partial shade and the plates splattered with lead. The smoke got so bad I couldn't see the tree anymore and just hoped to hit a plate. The match took roughly 400-500 rounds of ammo for me. It made it hard to shoot for that guy with the 1911 as well, but not hard enough. He beat me on the first match and remained undefeated. He congratulated me for going so far in the match. Others told me not to feel bad about not beating him. They said he is a shooting legend.
The winner and I talked a bit after the match. He is a really nice guy that is very involved with shooting. His goal is to get others into the sport. He is so passionate about it that he came up with a simple little competition that anyone could shoot, but it challenges experienced shooters to push their speed. Have you ever heard of Steel Challenge. Yes, the one that held the world championships in Lake Piru, California. That older guy was/is Mike Dalton. He and another man by the name of Mike, started Steel Challenge. Here is some history: http://steelchallenge.com/media/stee...e-history.html
I have shot steel challenge twice at a local range. It was very fun and yet challenging. I am not into spectating sports and I only compete locally, so I know of only a few pro shooters. I used to help a local steel match and attended the SHOT show with them a few years back. I was surprised and honored to get to shoot with such a highly regarded person. Mike was cool and calm and shot like a machine. He also didn't brag about his accomplishments either..........he doesn't have a big head like some people might have who have made a name for themselves. He did tell me about his matches at Piru that he runs. They sound very fun and I have read a little about them, but it is a two hour drive from me. I am tempted to check them out though.
I wasn't even sure I wanted to attend that match and I ended up taking second overall for the match and the only person who beat me in a match was the legendary Mike Dalton. It is still a bit hard to believe I made it that far. I am a good shooter and am well respected at the local matches, but I don't win the matches. I shoot 10 round mags vs. the big mags others legally own, and my skill level is behind a number of other shooters. I think I had luck on my side.
I am in the left of the photo with "Second Overall", next to the woman who took "High Lady", followed by Mike Dalton with "High Overall", and on the right is the man who won "Third Overall."
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I had hoped to shoot the 40 cal boolits I cast with an NOE mold and powder coated, but my point of impact is different from the bullets I have been using, and I hadn't tested the PC boolits enough to change my sights and go for it. I was afraid my gun would get gummed up by the time I got eliminated. Recently, I also switched from my dillon 550 to the 1050 to load my 40 ammo, and I had a few bugs to work out on the press. I cleaned my gun the night before, and installed new fiber optics in the sights. The gun and ammo functioned perfectly. In practice, I could quickly make a 3-4" group at 40 feet with a 10 round mag. I might miss one or two, and I was shooting fast enough to barely have time to pick up the sights. On IPSC cardboard I get mostly A zone hits at up to 20 yards or so. On the same practice day, I could be on the tree then just start missing. I don't know if my ammo was inconsistent, or if it was only me. One thing is for sure, I won't miss those factory wax lubed bullets once I get them all loaded up and used. One match of 100-200 rounds will make a mess of my pistol.
Thanks for listening to me toot my horn. Does anyone shoot Steel Challenge?
