This section is intended to provide information to a new / novice shooter to make his shooting safer and more enjoyable.

1. NEW SHOOTER ORIENTATION
   
   
2. CHECK LIST
   Please review the checklist for items you should have with you.
   Prepare the NIGHT before the shoot. Pack you bags / equipment together so you can grab and run.
   Use it - driving hours to a match to find you left you ammo behind is NOT fun - trust me.
   See CHECKLIST.
   
   
3. GEAR
   Talk to fellow shooters - see what they use and recommended.
   Do NOT scrimp on the BELT - HOLSTER and MAG POUCHES
   Clean your mags - they get oil and dust in them when they get used and /or fall.
   
   
4. WEAPONS
   CLEAN YOUR GUN Shooters and we mean ALL shooters should clean and lube their guns before a match. It prevents jams. Should you receive your gun back from a gunshop or buy a new or secondhand gun first do a function check a week or two before you want to shoot a competition.
   Function check means that you go to the range with your firearm, rounds that you just reloaded and the mags that you will be using and shoot the damn thing to check if it works.
   If it doesn't you have a couple of days to sort things out.
   This way you will not get a Did Not Finish (DNF) due to a gun that is constantly malfunctioning.
   It also saves the other shooters time and energy on the range. We have seen it happen so often in the last couple of months and we can really not understand how people can not clean the one thing that their lives depend on in today's day.
   
   
5. BIG BROTHER / MENTOR
   Find a experienced shooter who shoots a similar Gun / Division as you do.
   Ask for their assistance. Watch how they prepare plan and execute the match.
   Learn from their experience.
   
   
6. GENERAL TIPS
   WATER - dehydration affects performance more than most people realize. Drink enough water!
   FOOD / SWEETS - Keep your blood sugar / energy high and sustained.
   
   
7. RELOADING TIPS
   Make 100% sure you throwing right charge for the bullet you are using.
   Substantial variation can be found between even the same model gun. Verify exactly what velocities your gun gets.

   LEAD bullets will generally require 0.3 to 0.5 LESS powder than the same bullet weight in a CMJ (Copper Washed Jacket).
   Verify it in YOUR OWN GUNS

   Make sure your ammo makes power factor.
   We are finding that POWDER variation does impact velocities substantially. After any change chrono your load to confirm.

   If you use a PROGRESSIVE PRESS you will find tumbling your brass make it smoother / polished. This helps the operation of the press since the case binds less to the resizing die.

   Also when reloading youcan use surgical gloves OR cotton gloves to prevent sweat from contaminating the ammo. If the full surgical glove is too hot cut off the fingers and pull the tips over the fingers that you touch the ammo with. They can buy boxes of 100 gloves at Dischem for cheap.

   CHECKING AMMO
   After making your ammo: Final QC
     1. Check for high primers
     2. Lead shears along the case
     3. Excessively long OCL (bullets not seated)
     4. Make sure that No flare remains - crimp your bullets properly.

   After making your ammo: CLEAN IT
     1. Place a large handful in a BANK MONEY BAG.
     2. Throw in some TALCUM POWDER.
     3. Roughly rub / handle the bullets within the bag - wiping them all over.
     4. Place in container - leaving excess powder behind.
   The result will be bullets that have NO oil, sweat of bullet lube all over them. A by product is that your bullets will feel more clean and polished.