The Bet

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

There have been some off-handed references in some of the threads about IDPA to a bet that was made between IrishPete'sBoss (Sandy) and Mr. Stu. Well, it culminated yesterday and the story is just too good not to share. So, with their permission, I give you the rest of the story...

 

The Bet

The characters:

Sandy – A woman of petite stature that likes to shoot BIG guns. Sandy has been shooting about three or four years is an IDPA SO and an NRA instructor. Sandy was classified “Novice” in CDP.

 

Stu – A British Ex-Pat and accomplished shooter. A local club IDPA match director and SO and also an NRA instructor. Stu was/is classified “Expert” in CDP.

 

The setting:

An IDPA training class with our two characters demonstrating courses of fire to the students.

 

This day, Sandy is wielding a Glock 41 (full-size .45 ACP). It looks gargantuan in her tiny hands, but she is shooting it quite well, albeit with considerable muzzle flip with the factory ball ammunition.

 

Stu is shooting a Glock 35, which is chambered for .40 S&W, with handloads tailored to just make power-factor. These are both considered “tactical/practical” guns and are favorites for practical competitions.

 

In response to some teasing by Sandy, Stu points out that his scores on the demo courses were about half of Sandy’s to which she replies that in order for him to understand what she is experiencing, to truly empathize with her situation, her shooting the Glock 41 would be like him shooting a Desert Eagle in .50 AE. And thus the bet was born.

 

Sandy is affiliated with a local range and they agreed to donate the use of a Desert Eagle and 25 rounds of full-house hollowpoint ammunition, for Stu to use. Sandy was going to use the Glock 41 and ball ammo.

 

The test was two IDPA targets at ten yards. Three shots on each (two body, one head) from low-ready, with the body shots in tactical sequence (must shoot one body shot on each target before shooting the second body shot – usually shot T1, T2, T2, T1) and then the head shots. They were going to do three strings like that, throw out the worst string and total the remaining two. Lowest time wins.

 

Targets were scored per IDPA rules with each point down adding half a second to the raw time (center mass & heads are 0 points down. The area surrounding center mass is 1 point down and the remainder of the target is 3 points down. A miss is 5 points down).

 

Stu is allowed a few practice shots, as he is totally unfamiliar with the DE 50, but then goes for his initial string…

 

Before we go further I should mention the stakes. If Sandy wins Stu must wear a bright pink T-shirt emblazoned with some sort of disparaging text (TBD after the shooting) to the next match. If Stu wins, the same applies to Sandy with the addition of wearing a pink tutu. (she was the one that proposed the bet – thus held to a higher, errr, lower standard). Sandy hates pink.

 

OK, so Stu shoots first and blazes his first string at 7.42 seconds and only down 1 point, to yield a first run of 7.92 seconds. The wheels came off on Stu’s second string. Not a bad time of 9.93 seconds, but some serious misses on target – down 20 points for a total of 19.93 seconds. Sandy is feeling pretty confident at this point. Stu goes for his third string and pretty much splits the difference, in raw time, between the first two strings. That raw time being 8.98 seconds. Examining the target (not hard to do with 50 caliber holes) shows that he is down 6 points, yielding a total of 11.98 seconds. Throw out the disastrous second string and totaling the two remaining: 19.90 seconds

 

Sandy is up and feeling pretty good. Her first string is a more than respectable 10.10 seconds and she is only down 1 point, for a total of 10.60 seconds. Sandy pushes too hard on the second string with a blazing 6.71 seconds raw time, but down 8 points, which balances out the second string with the first at 10.71 seconds total. Third string will be the deciding one. She brings it in at 9.55 seconds, but is down 6 points making her final string a 12.55 seconds.

 

You are probably ahead of me, and have already done the math. Stu, with a total of 19.90 seconds, bests Sandy’s total of 21.31 seconds – a mere 1.41 seconds separating the winner and the loser.

 

Yesterday was the match that included the pay-off and to Sandy’s credit, she did not  welch. She shot the entire match, a classifier, attired as you see her in the picture below. While she didn’t use the Glock 41, she was shooting a Colt 1911 Combat Elite, in .45 ACP of course, in CDP division. She controls this one better than the Glock, due to the short trigger and slim grips she had installed, which enable a better grasp. She was the only shooter that elevated her classification that day, moving up from Novice to Marksman with a score of 175.7, almost 20 seconds better than what was needed. That result, of course, brought on the expected comments that she should wear a tutu at every match.

 

Sandy claims that she’ll get him next time, and when she does, he’ll be shooting the match dressed as Robin Hood and will be required to speak Middle English throughout the match – no word from Stu yet as what Sandy’s penalty might be.

 

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob<------Hoping for a sequel. I'd make a hell of a Friar Tuck

[TheLugNutZ 21]

Nice lol

[tj462nj 32]

lol, that's great, plus they had fun doing it

[Lalo 13]

LOL, that was AWESOME!

[Mr.Stu 1,932]

Thanks for telling the story so well Bob.

 

And thank you to Sandy for being such a good sport. I know you really do hate pink.

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Sandy 44]

Hey Bob , if it was not for you I would not be shooting IDPA . Thanks for being such a great ambassador to the sport , and a really good friend

Friar Tuck , huh ?

I may feel a double challenge coming on .

[Sandy 44]

Thanks for telling the story so well Bob.

 

And thank you to Sandy for being such a good sport. I know you really do hate pink.

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

I hope to one day give you an opportunity to show off your good sport skills as well

[JT Custom Guns 959]

Excellent story and it appears Sandy is a good sport.

 

Thanks for sharing Bob!~

[ogfarmer 138]

awesome story

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Bob, nice narrative!  Almost felt I was there, next best thing to video.

 

I don't know Stu at all, but I know Sandy a bit, certainly well enough that I would never bet against her.  I should be able to get better odds on her now in

the rematch.  

 

Looks like both of them are good sports who had some fun with the whole thing.  

[bry@n 195]

Awesome story. Great pics also.

[High Exposure 5,678]

That is outstanding. Good people having good natured fun. Well done to both of you!

 

Sounds like so much fun that everyone was a winner in the end.

 

I really need to try IDPA/IPSC or something.

[Sandy 44]

That is outstanding. Good people having good natured fun. Well done to both of you!

 

Sounds like so much fun that everyone was a winner in the end.

 

I really need to try IDPA/IPSC or something.

Somerset is a great first match to check out. Tutu optional

[A-Tech 8]

This is awesome. Well done!

[Krdshrk 3,878]

Note:  Don't bet against Stu

 

Love this... hahaha.

[Kingsoverqueens 10]

This is good stuff.

 

Things like this are what makes the internet fun.

 

And boobies.  

[Smokin .50 1,907]

I've shot with all three of the Players, including our own Friar Tuck at Somerset a coupla months ago (if Bob needs a Stand-In, I'm game!  His outfit might fit me).  Proud to call them friends of mine!  Bob you did a wonderful job with the commentary and Frank is right...I felt like I was right there too!  This is a GREAT example of what the shooting sports is all about:  having FUN while improving your skill set!  In fact it highlights what I've been saying here on the forum for YEARS, and that is the fact that attending club sponsored League Matches is one of the smartest ways to practice, especially for those relatively new to the sport.  Pink Tutu aside, shooting factory .45 ACP BALL ammo (instead of reduced hand loads that just make power-factor rating) while competing takes talent!  Dramatic results like Sandy's proves that glass ceilings and stereotypes aren't present at these Matches, women are not only merely accepted to "play the game", they're encouraged, and friendships as well as camaraderie are born instead.

 

Again, GREAT job to all of you! 

 

Rosey

[Mr.Stu 1,932]

For the bet Sandy was running factory ammo.

 

I persuaded her to use my handloads for the classifier this weekend. She is still not convinced that they make that much difference, but I think it is more likely to have helped than wearing the tutu

 

Having said that, most of the improvement that earned her the Marksman classification was down to her, I'm certain.

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Sandy 44]

For the bet Sandy was running factory ammo.

 

I persuaded her to use my handloads for the classifier this weekend. She is still not convinced that they make that much difference, but I think it is more likely to have helped than wearing the tutu

 

Having said that, most of the improvement that earned her the Marksman classification was down to her, I'm certain.

 

Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2

Well , I shot factory at the range last night and did fine lol . I do think it makes a difference though , yes . I need to try them one mag vs another , same session , to see how much of a difference they make though.

 

Thanks for making them for me. I may just have to learn to reload  

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Thanks for making them for me. I may just have to learn to reload

 

Watch out Pete - better limber-up that credit card. I just love spending OPM.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[silverado427 10,831]

Great story !! sounds  like you guys had a great time.