Re: Outback 2 Man Tactical Match
OK,so first off, allow me to say thank you to Geordie, the match sponsors, my partner, and everyone there for making this a great experience. For those that took time and helped me out with advice and just talking to me and showing me the ropes, you all know who you are and I thank you as well. Alright, so for those that did not know, this was my first match. For those that have never been to this, go. It was great. I learned alot, and met alot of great people. I am going to run down a few things i learned from this:
1. Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Learn from those who are there and take their advice. It's usually pretty good. Pay attention to what the RO's are saying.
2. First time, go slow. Slow is ok, stupid is not. Don't be stupid. I will be taking my own advice on this one from now on.
3. Run what you brung. If you are worried about kit, don't be. I'm pretty sure most people there brought more than enough kit for themselves and had extra as well. And if there is something you need, there is almost always someone who is willing to lend it to you. Case in point: I was shooting shotgun, and was using my dump pouch to hold shells. I had no less than 6 people come up to me and offer to let me use their high speed belt shell holder thing. The only reason I said no was because I was unfamiliar with them and didn't want to break other's kit. For those that did offer, thank you. Once you see what most people are using, then you will be able to get that stuff for the next time. Get what you can, when you can. No need to be super high speed first time out, keep it simple.
4.Have fun, loosen up, go mingle. Go talk to people. Insert yourself into a group of people, politely of course, introduce yourself , let them know you are new, you will be surprised at how receptive they are and willing to share with you. You get to meet new people who interested in the same thing you are. Always a good thing.
5. Bring beer. Apparently this is a tradition I was not aware of. This will be corrected for the next time. I was upset to see no Shiner however. I will fix that.
6. Pay attention to the guys going in front of you. Watch what they do, learn from it. That will help answer alot of questions about the course of fire. On that note, if you have a question about the course of fire, ask it. No one gets mad at questions, they get mad at stupid. See number 2.
Again, thank you to all those that made this happen and all those who made this a great experience. I appreciate everything. Hope to see some of you again soon.