11/10/2025
Had a blast shooting another USPSA match yesterday, fifth so far and first since Sept thanks to a knee then lower back issue. Can’t wait to turn 47 in a few weeks. How I did this match felt a lot worse in my head before viewing the footage, but there were a few lessons I’m taking from it.
This was my first match drawing from concealment. I ran my Echelon 4.5F in a Carey Concealment Bounty holster with a Hunter Constantine belt. My main focus was to get clean draws and reloads from concealment and working on shooting while moving, along with everything else that goes through your head at a competition. That setup worked great. It was comfortable running around in, and I wore it for about five hours. I didn’t have any issues drawing or reloading, so I was happy with that part.
But I did run into a few issues with having to reload when I didn’t plan on it. I went to slide lock on three stages before I should have, so I was either having an issue with the magazines or I couldn’t math correctly when loading them. I’m hitting the range tomorrow to test them before Wednesday night’s match. I’m also making a point to clean any mags I drop on the ground before using them again and to dump any partial mags so I can recount and be 100 percent sure they’re loaded to capacity.
Then I had to clear a malfunction after my SRO hit the port on Stage 1. That was a little frustrating, but I worked through it and finished the stage. When I came off the stage, the match director was at a bench waiting for our squad to finish. He gave me some tips about how I ran the stage, like starting off on a different target so I could shoot the other one while backing out, and not going into a port if I don’t have to. Note taken. And that’s one thing I’ve noticed from every match I’ve been to so far across three different clubs. Everyone is super helpful and welcoming to the sport. So if you’re having any anxiety about shooting a match, don’t. Just show up, be safe, and have fun. You’ll learn a ton and meet some great people along the way.