Getting the most out of an alibi

[dryfire]

My last match of the year I had an alibi. I shot 1 shot, indicated alibi and the alibi was accepted. When I shot the alibi string there was another malfunction. I cleared the chamber and continued to shoot until time expired during the rapid fire string. Needless to say, I was not pleased with the score. My question is does anyone practice for how to minimize the effect an alibi has on ones score? What do you do? In golf, Ben Hogan practiced for the equivalent alibis in golf.

[jconrad2754]

Several years ago I was getting frequent alabis, usually with four fired. I spent my effort on getting the gun reliable. Last year I went alibi free. I found the frustration of counting the lowest of 14 to cause me to shoot worse than normal. I don't know how you would practice for an alibi; I think it is best to do all you can to avoid them.

[CR10X]

An alibi should have no effect on your score. If it does, then you are thinking about the alibi rather than the refire string you are shooting. Just remember, we don't score alibis, just the holes in the target. Just put whichever ones go off in the middle. Do the gunsmithing before or after the match.

Or occasionally I'll have a non-alibi match. Then you have no worries at all! But it sure does separate the weak load, dirty guns or limp grippers from the rest of the crowd......

CR

[Rover]

I also worked on making my gun more reliable. I now go through hundreds or thousands of rounds (multiple bricks of CCI Standard) without an alibi. If I have one, it's no biggie because I know I won't have another any time soon.

This is with a gun I've been shooting for well over thirty years.

[bdutton]

1. An alibi is usually a product of poor maintenance or choice in ammo. I'll take reliability over accuracy 100% of the time.

2. Attitude. An alibi string is an opportunity to shoot better.

[rigwhanson]

On the other hand if you shoot all 10's and 9' a alibi probably will not mean too much! Since I don't do that and tend to think too much when shooting a alibi I have thought about not shooting it if it is a 4 shot and I feel pretty good about the first shots on paper. And of coarse if you shoot nothing but 10's it does not matter at all :-)

[Misny]

My last match of the year I had an alibi. I shot 1 shot, indicated alibi and the alibi was accepted. When I shot the alibi string there was another malfunction. I cleared the chamber and continued to shoot until time expired during the rapid fire string. Needless to say, I was not pleased with the score. My question is does anyone practice for how to minimize the effect an alibi has on ones score? What do you do? In golf, Ben Hogan practiced for the equivalent alibis in golf.

It's 90% mental...the rest is in your head. There is nothing quite as nerve wracking as shooting an alibi string, by yourself at Camp Perry. You also will benefit from a reliable gun/ ammo combination.

[dryfire]

Thank you all for your interest and your views. With an alibi you have to make a split decision concerning what you will do, take it or not. I chose to take it and I had what amounted to a double alibi, if there is such a thing. This is what occurred. I shot a 1 shot alibi. Next string 5 shots and alibi string 1 shot so there was a total of 7 shots. My 41 functions fine. One of the culprits was a new sticky magazine. I found this out at my practice. I have since identified all of my magazines with a different number, so that I can locate the problem and hopefully lessen the possibility of it being repeated. Going forward I will meticulously control what I can and continue to perform the fundamentals to my best ability.

Dryfire

[dronning]

Thank you all for your interest and your views. With an alibi you have to make a split decision concerning what you will do, take it or not. I chose to take it and I had what amounted to a double alibi, if there is such a thing. This is what occurred. I shot a 1 shot alibi. Next string 5 shots and alibi string 1 shot so there was a total of 7 shots. My 41 functions fine. One of the culprits was a new sticky magazine. I found this out at my practice. I have since identified all of my magazines with a different number, so that I can locate the problem and hopefully lessen the possibility of it being repeated. Going forward I will meticulously control what I can and continue to perform the fundamentals to my best ability.

Dryfire

Good plan.
One would hope a function issue never happens on an alibi string. I have very few alibi's, but this is why I always have a 3rd loaded magazine available. I had a function issue happen on the first round of an alibi string once, and was able to clear the gun and insert the 3rd mag and end up with an 87 and yes it was on a rapid fire target, my 4 shots from the 3rd mag were a X, 9, 8 and a miss in that order. This is where being involved in action shooting actually helped in bullseye.

- Dave

[nglitz]

With an alibi you have to make a split decision concerning what you will do, take it or not.

...

Going forward I will meticulously control what I can and continue to perform the fundamentals to my best ability.

Dryfire

Always take the alibi. Otherwise, those unfired rounds are zeros. Those don't help your score any.

Good plan, BTW.

Another BTW, you won't find the word alibi in the rule book. We all use it, but an alibi is an excuse for asking for a refire. That extra five shots is a refire string.

[jmdavis]

Since most of my problems come from a dirty chamber, I clean the chamber before every match with a bent .25 caliber brush and a dry patch, followed by a patch, also on the pull through, with clp, and another dry patch. The goal isn't to clean the barrel but to get anything that might hinder chambering out of the gun.

If you have any unreliable ammunition, you can also practice Alibis and clearing.


Remember, CMP has emlinated alibis this season for their matches.