Am I too unprepared?

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Yuk

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I'm signed up to take the Black Badge course this weekend (in two days), and I intended to do a lot of studying... However, work and family obligations have meant that I have only read the the manual once in the last two months and I've barely looked over the Handgun Competition Rule book. :(

Should I try to be excused from this weekend's course and try for another date in the future, or is it possible to pass the course with this basic reading and the in-class instruction?

Thanks.:redface:
 
Relax. You will be fine. The course is meant to Help you shoot well and learn the safety and course rules in IPSC, it's not meant to bust balls. I took it back in July, and loved it!! It made me a way better shooter and was fun. Get good at navigating that rule book though, you will need to be able to locate specific rules in there. Good luck:D
 
Go for it. I think a lot of guys get intimated for no good reason when the start out.

The black badge is all about safety, rules are secondary. Remember that you're not learning to RO - you're there to learn to be safe during stages.

On your first match again don't get too wound up. Every IPSC shooter was a novice once and most guys will go out of their way to help you along.
 
toxic said:
Go for it. I think a lot of guys get intimated for no good reason when the start out.

The black badge is all about safety, rules are secondary. Remember that you're not learning to RO - you're there to learn to be safe during stages.

On your first match again don't get too wound up. Every IPSC shooter was a novice once and most guys will go out of their way to help you along.
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Treat all firearms as if they're loaded at all times

Do not point a firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy

Keep your finger off the trigger until you've made the conscious decision to shoot.

Be sure of your target and beyond

What more do you need to know about safety?


TDC
 
If you're going to shoot IPSC (or other action shooting sport) - there is much more that you can learn about safety. You'll be required to draw a gun from a holster and run in different directions while holding a gun and possibly shooting targets and performing reloads. And you should be able to perform all this in a safe manner.

But you should not be worried about prepearing for all this before attending Black Badge course. After all - this is not a final exam, this is just a first step. This course is not supposed to teach you everything, just a bare minimum required to start.
 
My course was spread over three days with a week to study and complete the open book exam in between the Sunday sessions which were almost all practical stuff on the range floor. While it is an open book, the exam is very well done and will take you through that rule book several times. I'm not sure of how your course is organized but do not under estimate the time required to do the exam as the questions have only one answer and it can take a while to find the right reference which is required for each question.

Wear good shoes and be prepared for a work out. Everybody in my course was tired out at the end of the day. While intense, the course was one of the most satisfying I have taken in a long time. Try not to get discouraged at any point if you struggle and I think most people struggle. Remember, everyone wants to see you succeed and pass. I found myself pulling for the other guys as much as I tried on my own part with some of the exercises. This is a game that challenges you physically, mentally AND emotionally. Have a great time!!
 
In my humble opinion, safety isn't what you know. I absorb the book stuff rather easily but have found out that this doesn't count for much. What is important is how you instinctively behave with and around firearms. I've made lots of mistakes and almost all of them came at unexpected times when my normal instincts took over. Normal instincts often have no place on the range. I am gradually being conditioned to doing the right thing automatically without thinking. For me this is an on going process. I can get 100% on some test that is covered by the book and blow it in an instant when real life breaks my routine. "What else do you need to know about safety" IMHO a lot, but what you do is what counts. That's why we have RO's and others that pick up where the course leaves off.
 
a lot was in response to "what else do you need to know about safety"
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Thanks, I understand now.

hercster said:
In my humble opinion, safety isn't what you know. I absorb the book stuff rather easily but have found out that this doesn't count for much. What is important is how you instinctively behave with and around firearms.
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I totally get what you mean. Knowing it, and putting it into practice is often two different worlds. For instance, trying to not grab for a dropping/dropped gun. Totally counter instinct.

BTW. I finished the course today, and even though I wish I had done a lot better, I passed and am very excited!
 
Congrats Mr. Yuk!
Welcome to the fraternity. Now you can let your IPSC group move on with your development. It is sort of like joining a benevolent wolf pack. The older guys will start the grooming needed to turn you into a more finished product. That's what happened to me and it's not over. Listen carefully to the criticism of others as it is always well intentioned and usually timely. Just remember that everyone wants you to succeed.
 
"what else is there to know"

In my humble opinion, it is a mistake to over simplify safety. Here are some of my mistakes that could have gotten me or others injured:

- I "broke 90" by just relaxing my arm after a finally learning to do something I had trouble with. My arm swung back in a common "relief" gesture and pointed at the RO's foot

- In the beginning, I had a habit of raising the muzzle when handling a revolver just as I had seen on TV 10,000 times.

- I have a new gun with a powerful recoil spring and so have trouble racking the slide. I developed a bad habit of letting my "little finger" get too close to the muzzle

-My trigger finger can wander when I get flustered; it's unconscious.

I could go on but to me muzzle control is much more involved than what is implied by simple phrases. Many of my infractions were just not that obvious to me. I know that I need to have better people watching me carefully in order to correct some of these behaviors. Catchy over simplifications are just not enough for me.
 
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