The W's for Swagler's Challenge
WHO - Anyone that is interested in testing their ability at taking what would normally be a long shot with a normal, everyday carry gun, either concealed or open carry.
WHAT - Informal three string shooting match.
String 1:
65 yards, standing, from the holster, three rounds, no time limit but timed for any ties on points.
String 2:
65 yards, standing, from the holster, all rounds fired, no reloads or alibis, no time limit but timed for ties on points.
String 3:
65 yards, from standing and holstered, draw and assume any position (standing, sitting, kneeling, prone), all rounds fired, no reload or alibis, no time limit but timed for ties on points.
There will be one PPC shoot target scored 0-5 points. There will be two "no shoot" or innocent targets nearby. A miss but on the shoot target will be -5 points. A miss and not on any target will be -10 points. A hit anywhere on the "no shoot" target will be -20 points.
Again, this match is meant for everyday carry guns. You can bring your AR pistols and 8" scoped Peacemakers, but please don't tell us that you walk around with that strapped on your hip everyday. The BS flag will be thrown. Most people carrying auto pistols come in right around 5" or less for barrel length, and that is one of the things that makes this course of fire challenging.
If you Open Carry, then please come that way. If you carry concealed, then you won't be alone. If you currently do neither and don't have a holster, you can start from the low ready, but 3 seconds will be added to your time just too even things out.
You can see that there are not a lot of rounds to this course, but bring as much as you want. Hearing and eye protection, pistol, holster, and ammo should be all you need. There is no cost to shoot.
WHERE - Pawnee Grasslands and here are the directions. If this doesn't help you, PM me here and I we can talk about what to look for. It is the Grasslands, so landmarks are few and far between.
Put these coordinates into Google Maps:
40.649082,-104.383839
Then look about 2000 meters north of Rt 14 and you will see what looks a little like a construction site. This is an old, decommissioned Atlas missile site. There is a barbed wire gate about 50-75 meters after you turn off Rt14. Please leave the gate the way you find it, which should be closed.
WHEN - Saturday, September 24, 2011. Arrive between 8 and 9 AM. I'd like to be shooting by 9 AM.
WHY - On Tuesday, September 6, 2011, an individual carrying an AK47 began shooting people at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City, NV. Here is a link to a local news story on the incident. http://www.rgj.com/article/20110907/...ded-least-once
Eduardo Sencion parked a blue minivan with a "Support our Troops" yellow ribbon decal in the parking lot between Local's BBQ and the IHOP in south Carson City. It was just before 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Local's owner Ralph Swagler was standing inside his restaurant with his son, Ryan, when they heard gunfire.
It was the sound of Sencion shooting a woman standing next to a motorcycle in the parking lot. She was the first of Sencion's 11 victims in his shooting spree.
They saw Sencion walk into the IHOP. Swagler's son started to lock the door.
Ralph Swagler stayed down in his restaurant until the shots stopped.
"I had my pistol; I wasn't going up against an automatic rifle," Ralph Swagler said. "I'm sorry. I wish I would have shot him in the back now as he was going toward IHOP, but I wasn't clear on the situation."
The distance from Local's BBQ and the IHOP has been estimated at approximately 65 yards. Ralph Swagler will have to live with the decisions he made that day as we all do with every decision we make each and every day.
There are some who question Swagler's decision and push for those of us who carry firearms to challenge ourselves with our training so that we can do more than Swagler did that morning. There are some who say that 65 yard shooting with daily carry pistols is easy and they have done it many times.
This is what Swagler's Challenge is. If you can take that shot and consistently engage targets from that distance, show us. If you don't know if you can take that shot, come find out. If you are certain that most people can't consistently engage targets at that distance, here is a chance to practice. Something for everyone and all it will cost you is some time, gas money, and ammunition. Isn't that how we would all like to spend our free time anyway?
Any questions, please PM me here. I will do my best to get back to you in a timely fashion.
Swagler's Challenge I is in the books!
Name String 1 String 2 String 3 Total Hit Percentage
Veritas -10 -35 0 -45 48%
Travis -25 -35 -25 -85 15%
Jim -30 -10 0 -40 40%
Philip -30 -50 -5 -85 23%
cstone 5 -5 0 0 61%
Mike -15 -35 -20 -65 31%
Veritas (2nd) 15 -10 25 30 76%
The first bold number is total points for all three strings. The second bold number is the percentage of hits for total rounds fired.
Handguns fired
Springfield 1911
Walther P99
Sig P250 subcompact
S&W Sigma 40VE
Glock 17
Glock 19
Sig P229
The weather was sunny and warm with a nice breeze from the north, right in the face of the shooters. The 65 yard line was verified with a rangefinder. The targets were transitional II silhouettes used for the Practical Pistol Course. They are actual life sized silhouettes. The targets were scored as 5 points for any hit inside the silhouette. Any hit on the target outside the silhouette was scored as a negative 5 points. Any round fired which completely missed the target was scored as a negative 10 points.
As you can see from the scores, man sized targets, at 65 yards, under better than real life, real stress conditions are not that easy to hit for average shooters. Given the great responsibility everyone has for each round they fire and where that round goes after it is fired, the average shooter should think long and hard before taking any shot with a pistol at this distance. I will leave it up to the other member of the group to comment on what they learned from this experience. I cannot personally think of a situation where taking a shot with my every day carry pistol, at this distance, would be a wise decision. You of course will have to make your own decision if that time ever comes.
Stay safe!
