The 2024 USPSA Alabama Section Championship, hosted by Rocket City Practical Shooters, took place at Cavern Cove Competitive Shooting Range in Marshal County, Alabama, from May 16-18, 2024.
More about Cavern Cove: Nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Cavern Cove Competitive Shooting Range offers a scenic and well-maintained private range for competitors of multiple disciplines. The range is always undergoing improvements, which included an impressive push prior to the 2023 Alabama Section to finish the bays needed for the large match. Over the past couple years, the water drainage has been upgraded, Wi-Fi was installed, and the tables and benches in all the bays were sanded and repainted. I especially appreciate the attention that is always paid to the restrooms and port-a-potties at the events I attend. They are always well kept and include fully stocked hand washing stations.
Cavern Cove hosts USPSA, Steel Challenge, Cowboy Action, Rimfire Challenge, NRL 22 and, recently, a Shoot SIG event. Occasionally, the facility hosts top-tier classes taught by national and world champion competitors. Camping, full RV hookups and rooms to rent are available for those traveling to the area.
2024 Alabama Championship
May 16 was the admin day, where the match administrators formed a single squad and shot all the stages to ensure everything would run as intended for the main match and that all stages were set up properly.
The main match took place May 17-18, with staff and competitors shooting Friday and competitors only on Saturday.
T-shirts, lunches and beverages were included for competitors and staff. A solid assortment of prizes were awarded by raffle including firearms and many different parts—triggers, optics, charging handles, ultralight low-profile buttstocks, optic mounts, extended magazine releases and thumb rests, as well as certificates for bullets, holsters, magazines and eye and ear protection. In addition, awards were hand-delivered to the winning competitors at their bays.
Minor adjustments and improvements were made from the year previous, and every stage was efficiently run by their respective range officers. The state championship was well-planned and well-ordered with up-to-the-minute live scoring. After shooting each stage and hitting “accept,” an automated email is immediately sent to you with your information. Scores can also be found on the Practiscore website under Score Logs. At the bottom of the score log for each stage, you can click on the link for the full score log information for every person and every stage for that match.
The weather was sunny and hot on Thursday and Friday, and we had a small weather delay during an hour-long pop-up storm in the early afternoon on Saturday. The upgraded drainage system was outstanding; after about an hour of sun—aside from the normal standing water on stages—you could hardly tell that it had rained.
All the stages, designed by John Taylor, were challenging and enjoyable. There were nine space-themed stages and, as expected, many of them required careful stage planning to execute well. From large field courses, to fast hosers, Alabama State was a blast to shoot.
I worked this event as an assistant to stats, and it is the second USPSA Alabama State Championship I have both competed in and worked since moving to the South. At this point, I have been a USPSA member for four years, a Range Officer for three and am classified in five divisions. I’ve worked and competed in four USPSA Nationals, two Area 7 matches, two Area 6 matches and many other state and sectional championships.
Regarding my setup for Alabama State, my Davinci Machining pistol-caliber carbine ran flawlessly as usual. I’ve been able to put my trust in this pistol-caliber carbine for more than two years. I have had zero issues with it, and I purchased it well-loved already, with tens of thousands of rounds through it.
I’ve been using Hunters HD gold glasses as my eye protection since 2021, and they have been phenomenal. The photochromic lenses that darken in the sun are convenient, and I don’t have to worry about switching eye protection due to lighting changes. The glasses are well-made, look great and I love the side shield option. This year, I have begun to use Apogee 3D custom Kydex magazine pouches for pistol-caliber carbine, and magazine pouches and holsters for other divisions. They are well-made and beautifully finished, with a quick turnaround.
In 2022, I moved from Maine to Alabama, and I have been consistently impressed with the quality and quantity of the matches that are within range for me to easily be able to attend. I miss the Maine and New England matches and community, but I have come to love the South equally. A huge plus is being able to shoot outside comfortably year-round.
Several ranges—Cavern Cove (Rocket City Practical Shooters), Brock’s Gap (Steel City Practical Shooters), CMP-Talladega (Talladega Practical Shooters) and Alabama Firearms Academy (evening match)—as well as others, are all within easy driving distance from where I live. These are all great events, and a ton of energy goes into making them happen.
If you have not already, please consider contributing to matches you attend by helping set up, tear down, run tablets, etc. A little more help can sometimes make a big difference. The individuals who put in so much work providing amazing local matches are, in my opinion, the heart of our sport.
Article from the September/October 2024 issue of USPSA’s magazine.
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