Fast Draw
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In a fast draw competition, shooters must start with the gun holstered, and their hands not touching the gun. A signal, usually both audible and visible, signals the shooter to fire. A timer is started when the signal is given. The shooter fires at either a metal plate (for wax bullets) or a balloon (for blanks). The timer is rigged to stop on the sound of the wax bullet hitting the plate, or the balloon popping. Different types of match can use one or more targets, and the shooter can fire from a standing position, or while walking towards or backing away from the target(s).
Fast draw is one of the fastest sports. A world class competitor can draw and fire a shot in under half a second; the current world record for open style standing blanks is 0.208 seconds--and that includes the time to react to the signal. Given that the average human reaction time is around 0.2 to 0.25 seconds, the round is over before most people can react. The reaction times of the best fast draw shooters is 0.145 seconds, which means that the gun is cocked, drawn, aimed (from the hip), and fired in just over 0.06 seconds. To establish a World Fast Draw Association record, a second shot must be fired in the same competition that is no more than 0.03 seconds slower than the first; this is intended to prevent a shot that anticipates the start signal from setting a record. In competitions where two rounds must be fired, at separate targets, less than 0.10 seconds separate the shots.
[edit] Records
Here are some examples of world records, from April 1st, 2006, from the World Fast Draw Association:
| Record times (in seconds) | MEN | WOMEN | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Shot | Event Total* | Single Shot | Event Total* | Single Shot | Event Total* | Single Shot | Event Total* | ||
| Standing Blanks 4" @ 8' (Index) |
Open Style | Ernie Hill | .219 | Howard Darby & Ernie Hill |
1.180 | Linda Mastro | .255 | Joyce Tryon | 1.409 |
| Traditional Style | Howard Darby | .252 | Howard Darby | 1.334 | Peggy Franks | .294 | Nicole Franks | 1.624 | |
| Standing Blanks 4" @ 8' (Elimination) |
Open Style | Ernie Hill | .208 | n/a | n/a | Linda Mastro | .246 | n/a | n/a |
| Traditional Style | Ed Thielke | .236 | n/a | n/a | Nicole Franks | .263 | n/a | n/a | |
| Standing Wax 15' (Index) | Open Style | Joe Nelson | .240 | Ernie Hill | 1.371 | Lucy Fair | .319 | Sharon Wenrick | 2.144 |
| Traditional Style | Rich Parmentier | .280 | Ron Phillips | 1.854 | Jan Barry | .357 | Dinah Elrich | 2.644 | |
| Double Blanks 4" @ 8' (Index) | Open Style | Bob Mernickle | .377 | Bob Mernickle | 1.246 | Dee Wiwchar | .494 | Lucy Fair | 1.591 |
| Traditional Style | Rich Parmentier | .404 | Cal Elrich | 1.309 | Peggy Franks | .509 | Rita Guerra | 1.926 | |
[edit] See also
- Cowboy action shooting
- Bridgeport rig
- Gunspinning
- Nicole Franks, Women's World Champion
- Bob Munden, former Guinness record holder
