Here's an oldie Travis! USPSA match at Shooters Paradise

[Robb Jensen]

This video has me (Robb Jensen), Travis Haley, Douglas Johnson, Sterling White, Jeffrey Salzberg and Vlad (can't remember his last name).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpGrFeNpZs

[BSHNT2015]

looks like fun, our range at work is similar but I got the feeling they would never let us shoot downward and towards the wall, when the shooters ran a short distance and engaged the 2 targets-ground level.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Are there bullet traps behind the targets near the walls?

[Robb Jensen]

The walls were lined with steel and the bullet trap was the entire width of the range. It used rubber to stop the rounds.

[TY44934]

I can speak to the walls and temporary backstops - because I built them. Thanks for posting this reminder of the good 'ol days GotM4!

When Shooters was purchased by grand master Phil Strader in 2003, we up-graded the range with a Caswell Gran Trap rifle capable backstop that used shredded rubber.

We also lined the block walls with 4'x8' steel plate that was close to T1 hardness (sourced from Potomac Steel in Springfield). So lined, the walls were inteded to withstand handgun hits at angles up to 45 degrees; this knowledge came from Phil's extensive experience as a federal LEO firearms instructor for, among others, FLETC (north).

In practice, the angles sometimes exceeded 45 degrees and the steel held up perfectly. Bullets striking walls tend to travel along the walls and into the backstop.

But to add to the utility of that small bay (it was 36 feet wide by 25 yards long) I built 4 wood boxes that I filled with shredded rubber from the backstop and a rubber liner that was not being used over the backstop. We became and affiliated USPSA club. I tested these boxes with a 9x23 Winchester load I used at the time that sent a 115 gr bullet downrange at over 1400 FPS; the temporary backstop box stopped that round, along with .357 sig, 9mm, 45, etc.

At the end of each match, we used to empty the boxes into the backstop and transport the empty boxes to the back room with a handcart.

Travis used to live in the area & in 2004 or so he asked to join my GSSF (glock) competition team & I agreed. We shot a lot of GSSF matches that year and we did quite well. In the grand scheme of the shooting world, he is an above average competition shooter & he's far more well-rounded than most competitive folks (he even shoots / has shot SASS/cowboy stuff).

Sad for us, Travis moved to Hawaii to teach tactics to Navy people & I miss his company around here. But he seems to have a good thing going with Magpul.

Shooters Paradise burned down in 2007 and was not rebuilt. I now run an indoor USPSA match at Silver Eagle Group (though without lined walls or backstops).

[Middlelength]

I remember shooting IDPA back there in 2005, you could do more on that indoor range than most outdoor ranges I've seen.

[TY44934]

I remember shooting IDPA back there in 2005, you could do more on that indoor range than most outdoor ranges I've seen.

Thanks Middle length! That means a lot to me; we put a lot of effort in to all the shoots we had there over the years.

For now, I am running the USPSA club at Silver Eagle out in Ashburn, but it is a lot tougher without steel-lined walls.

[Garandad]

Hey Robb, Doug, Sterling, et al
Yep, I remember those days. Turns out Phil Strader has family in LA that know my daughter. Small world. Also remember the GSSF matches at Cavalier. Never forget that damned hanging aspirin!
Steve