UPDATE Apparently, all of these "holidays" are interfering with your priority of shooting things. So, in fairness, the deadline has been extended until January 20th. Have fun saving the world!
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Time to mix things up.
I was thinking about why we have these postal matches: to promote increased familiarity and proficiency with your firearm. So.... that made me think about when you need to be familiar and proficient - of course, the zombie attack scenario! I then Googled "zombie postal match". Turns out that two brothers who do not live in the same area have made their own postal match series using zombie targets:
http://www.moral-flexibility.net/archiv ... tal-match/
Each one comes with its own story line about why they need to be shooting zombies. The last one was in 2007, so its not active but it did spark some neurons in my head.
So, here we go with our simpler and less creative version:
Ours is a SHTF scenario of zombies attacking. 5 zombies are coming up your driveway and you are sitting in the garage cleaning your firearms (what luck!). You need to kill the 5 zombies. You will need a range that is at least 25 yards - most around here seem to be that long, and 5 printed targets.
You can use any weapon you like - as long as you are using iron sights - no scopes, red dots, etc. I was going to allow shotguns, but that complicated the match design a bit, so not this time - sorry.
Its going to get a wee bit complicated but here are the basics.
1. Start cold - no practice before hand. - you didn't know they were coming.
2. Ammo
Zombies are fairly slow so you have 5 'loads' to kill all 5 zombies. A 'load', for these purposes, will consist of one hypothetical loaded magazine, cylinder, tube or whatever. To account for different capacities and reloading times the following shall be in effect:
For pistols a load will be 6 rounds. (a total of 30 rounds for the match)
For rifles a load will be 3 rounds. (total of 15)
For handgun caliber rifles (.22, .9mm, .357, etc) a load will be 4 rounds. (a total of 20 rounds for the match)
Whatever weapon you choose you will have 5 'loads' at your disposal.
3. Kills
Your job, of course, is to kill all the zombies. Killing is defined as follows:
Rifles - one shot within the middle ring will do it (NOT the 'bullseye' or 'center' ring - the middle ring will suffice)- or 3 shots within the outer ring.
Handgun Caliber rifles - 2 shots in the middle ring - or 7 in the outer ring.
pistols:
.357, .40S&W, .45ACP or any round larger than .380 - 2 shots within the middle ring - or 6 shots within the outer ring.
Any other round smaller round - .32, .22, etc. - 3 shots within the middle rings - or 8 shots within the outer ring.
Sorry, turns out that zombies are tougher than most movies make them out to be.
4. Distance
It would probably be easier to hit the zombies at first since they are farther and less of a threat than when they get closer. As they close in on you, shooting will be more difficult. To simulate this difficulty, we are reversing the distance. The first zombie will be shot at 5 yards and we will move targets back from there.
Start with a target up at 5 yards. Kill it. Use as much ammo as you have to to kill it.
However! you must move targets back 5 yards every time you kill a zombie OR every time you run through a 'load'.
So, if you are shooting a .357 this could be a hypothetical match:
Target at 5 yards - 3 shots results in a kill - move new target back.
Target at 10 yards - 3 more shots and you have not killed the target. New load, move target back.
Target at 15 yards - 6 shots results in a kill - and a new load - move new target back.
Target at 20 yards - 5 shots results in a kill - move new target back
Target at 25 yards - 10 shots results in a kill (25 yards is the max distance)
You had 30 rounds, you used 28. You have 2 left over.
5. Timing
Each load must be fired at a 'rapid fire' pace. Leave no more than 2 seconds between shots (or whatever your range might require).
6. Scoring
Everyone starts out with 100 points.
Subtract 20 points for every zombie that you do not kill after using all available rounds.
Add 5 points for every pistol round that you did not use.
Add 10 points for every rifle round (even the handgun caliber rifles) that you did not use.
Our .357 above had 2 rounds left over and killed all zombies for a total score of 110.
Note that if a pistol shoots 5 zombies with 10 rounds they will have 20 rounds left over. 20x5 = 100 for a total score of 200.
If a rifle shoots 5 zombies with 5 rounds they will have 10 rounds left over. 10x10 = 100 for a total score of 200.
If a handgun caliber rifle shoots 5 zombies with 10 rounds they will also have 10 left over. 10x10=100 for a total of 200.
The max score for all of them is 200 points.
6. Mixing things up
Just to make things complicated, you can mix and match weapons. If you want to use your pistol for close up shots and your rifle for distant shots, no problem (or maybe the reverse is a better strategy, I don't know). However, there are rules:
1. You can only change weapons when you are changing 'loads'. So, for example, after you fire your first 6 pistol shots (using one 'load') you can start using your rifle.
2. If you change weapons mid target you will not get any bonus for shots already fired. In other words, you can't combine shot types for a kill. You can't have one pistol round within the middle rings and one rifle round within the outer ring. You must completely score a kill with any one round.
3. For scoring, leftover rounds are counted as whatever type of weapon you killed the last zombie with
In other words.... lets say you shoot the following:
Target 1 and Target 2 are killed with load#1 on a pistol.
Target 3 and 4 are killed with loads#2 and #3 of a rifle.
Target 5 is killed with 2 rifle shots of load #4.
So, you have used a total of 3 'loads' and 2 shots of load #4. So, your left over ammo is
1 rifle round out of load #4 and load #5 (which we will count as a rifle load since that is the last thing you were firing). So, you have a total of 4 rounds left over and get (4x12.5)+100 points.
There is definitely a trade off between more rounds and more accuracy. The choice is yours. Consider the point value of each before switching weapons.
If this doesn't make any sense you can PM me for clarification - or just use one weapon
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You can download the target here: http://www.theliberalgunclub.com/postal ... target.pdf
If your range doesn't let you shoot at targets with zombies or zombie-like images on them, here is a zombie-less target. Its the exact some one without the rings: http://www.theliberalgunclub.com/postal ... zombie.pdf
It is a modified version of the one that the guys on moral-flexibility.net used. Ignore the scoring numbers at the bottom of the sheet.
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Scores must be submitted by December 20th.
Submit scores here: http://spreadsheets.google.com/embedded ... 21hMS1DRkE
Prizes:
First prize will be a $35 gift certificate to Target or Amazon.com (just in time for Christmas) and an LGC bumper sticker.
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Bonus:
If you beat Paladin I will throw in an LGC t-shirt.
If you two or more LGC members shoot this together, each gets a 5 point bonus and a free bumper sticker!
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Confused? Just ask - I will try to clarify.
Good luck and have fun!
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UPDATED - updated the scoring to reflect the addition of handgun caliber rifles. Please read over and make sure that it makes sense and that you understand before going off to the range.
December/January Postal Match
1"The waves which dash on the shore are, one by one, broken; but yet the ocean conquers nevertheless."
- Lord Byron
- Lord Byron