This past weekend I was fortunate enough to shoot in the 2013 ZSA Ground Zero NC State Championship Match. It was 307 rounds required to shoot it clean attempting all bonus shots. I don't think I fired more than two or three dozen makeup shots thanks to a challenging course of fire designed by my good friend John Zaczek Sr. There were sixteen stages with anywhere from three to 38 shots available. I use shots available due to the expansion of the stages due to bonus targets and their optional engagement. Engagement range was 10 to 60 yards on steel targets and 3 to 50 yards on  paper.

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Top: John explains the stage.
Bottom: Cliff and Kori strategize.

I shot this clean free style and weak hand only. It was about fifteen yards maximum range, maybe 18.
The directions were 12 shots limited with a mandatory reload before the last shot. Freestyle for the first string and the option to get bonus points for shooting strong hand only and massive bonus points for shooting weak hand only. The catch was that the penalties doubles and tripled as well. I decided that I would take the WHO route as I had fired extensively with my left hand in cowboy action. It paid off magnificently with a clean stage that erased two penalties from other stages.


By far the most amazing part of the weekend was the people. Some of the people have known me for years and when I walked up I felt like Norm strolling into Cheers.  The catch was it had been over two years since I had seen some of them. You can imagine how touched I was to be fondly remembered by a group of shooters. I truly believe that this is the warmest of the shooting communities with a deep fellowship and camaraderie. The only shooting sport I have seen approach this level is cowboy action. I saw unhesitating generosity all over with shooters helping other shooters plan the stages out, with ammunition shortages, even water and snacks. After the shooting was done on Saturday the band Madison Rising played a special concert for us after shooting the match. You really need to hear their rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. It will reaffirm your faith in our country's greatness.

Myself and the great shooter and Top Shot contestant Cliff Walsh. 

So the beginning of the match was a little bit of a rough start with unfamiliar borrowed gear shooting a relatively new platform. The M&P is still young in my hands and I had really only out about 500 rounds through it before the match. I had planned to shoot out of simple gear: a. Leather IWB holster and a simple Fobus magazine pouch. Some safety concerns about the IWB holster from fellow RO's led me to borrow some less than simple gear that in the end was highly efficient and worked out great. I think it was a smart choice and good advice overall. Thanks so much for the loan Mel! (Mel Zaczek is John's lovely wife and a truly awesome and generous shooter.)



By the second half of the match I was accustomed to the gear and its advantages and limitations. The advantages I found were a quick draw and very easy access to the pistol and magazines for speedy reloads. The disadvantages I found were due to my style of shooting which relies upon my foot speed to make up for slower more deliberate shooting. I dropped a magazine on a stage that I ended up not needing, but it unnerved me. Other issues arose with the holster. I didn't feel comfortable running flat out with the gun in it and I found it easy to inadvertently lock the gun down during the draw stroke.

There was a stage which required entering a school bus and engaging some 14 target from the inside. The catch was the start position was right on the 180/DQ line and you ran up the steps and turned to the left and down range. Another complication was that there were bars to be navigated at the top of the stairs presenting additional "muzzle foulers." So before the beep my plan was to get to the top of the stairs and draw after turning toward the first target. After the beep the plan modified into a step and a half into the bus, grabbing the rail with my left hand, and drawing the gun as legs and arm propelled my into the bus. I just didn't feel comfortable leaving the gun in the unlocked holster going up the stairs.

On another stage I locked the gun down as I grabbed for it my super long fingers and flipped the lever up. It cost me a half second or so on the draw as I thumbed the lock down and redrew the gun.  This wasn't a super stage killer , but it was a belt flexing annoyance.  I can definitely attest to the security of the locking function. I think that despite all my experience with the Hogue holster, I will stick to a more conventional design with my auto loaders.

By the end of the match I had found a familiarity with the M&P and really finished strong.

The game face.