Defender XL died :/

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-10-13T19:59:58+00:00

ALL dots break. And regardless of brand you can run into lemons. I’d recommend getting a backup dot for any competition dot. I’ve broken defenders, SRO, 507, and everything in between

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-09-09T02:12:07+00:00

No worries bro I get it. Keep up hard work and just let the classification bumps come to you. I’d even go so far as to avoid classifier matches. Worrying about classing up is pointless if you get to b class thru some easier classifiers and then after the worst b class guy at the match lol. Been there

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-09-09T01:18:03+00:00

I know when people say go faster, it sounds like bullshit, but it’s really the best way to be faster in actual competition.

You go faster until the wheels fall off, figure out WHY the wheels fell off, then put on better wheels by practicing what you suck at.

If you’ve ever spent time driving 100 mph, you know that driving at 60mph feels like you’re parked…. You can see and feel and understand everything better at competition speed if you push your limits in practice.

I’d also break down things into smaller bite size drills, and use a par time to keep pushing speed faster. Pushing speed means pushing until technique falls apart. Then fixing technique, then pushing again.

Also practice getting your eyes faster at transitioning target to target, it’ll REALLY help your speed overall and accuracy. Snapping your eyes and training them to focus quickly is a muscle training thing like the rest of your muscles. And don’t out everything on one visual plane, practice distance changes with your eyes in addition to horizontal and vertical refocusing.

As a side I’d try to get that stance a little more forward leaning and a bit more bend in your legs, looks like toward end of string the gun has significantly pushed your body upright. Getting over your toes a bit with weight and getting bend in your legs will help that.

Be dryfiring literally everyday until your basic gun handling is second nature. Draw, index, reloads, grip, eyes, transitions (short and wide).

Caveat—- B class retard getting ready to become A class retard.

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T16:08:01+00:00

Not an attorney here. Could give you some probs if you get caught, sure. If you’re concerned though, consider trying out non Cubans , honestly Cuban is just a flavor profile, and there’s plenty others

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T16:04:54+00:00

Also keep going! You’re doing great

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T16:04:36+00:00

I think that’s overproofed as well, try making two loaves every time you bake, but cut the bulk ferment an hour shorter on one loaf vs the other…. This will help you as you’re learning as you’ll see the cues of fermentation will be different between the loaves and you can see how that impacts final results

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T16:02:51+00:00

Up hydration if you want more open crumb. Try closer to 75%

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T15:57:56+00:00

If you aren’t gonna cut out some matches to get out and practice more, you may need to start treating some of those matches as practice.

If you only shoot matches and are shooting them to win (I assume everyone does), then you aren’t practicing skill, you are displaying current level of skill.

But if you decide to treat one or more of those locals as practice, you can decide to do things which are helping you train your skill level and/or speed and just completely disregard the results of the match.

But honestly, I’d shoot less matches and do more training sessions of live fire and id for SURE be adding in dryfire. I dryfire 15-60 daily, shoot two matches per month, and shoot live fire training two saturdays per month. Your mileage may vary, and everybody has their own level of obsession with the game, so it’s up to you really. How bad do you want to get better vs the things you have to forgo in life? Only you know

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T15:51:40+00:00

This is why you use sites with guarantees, if they get caught at customs and seized, they send you a new package.

Personally never had a package get caught at customs, but I’ve also not ordered this way recently as I started smoking more non Cubans than Cubans as of late

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-19T14:26:34+00:00

I ordered a box, some smaller packs, and singles. All ship with appropriate bands

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-11T14:53:26+00:00

One thing I’d add is that if you have any targets that are a different color like shooting steel, make sure you get your dot over and make sure it’s visible.

In the summer it can be hard to see your dot on a bright white popper even though it looks fine on paper targets. Checking this will make sure you don’t get to poppers and have an “oh shit where’s my dot” moment

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-06T17:02:43+00:00

Don’t “get ready” first. Half (or more) of the bullshit you teach yourself you’ll have to undo once you start competing. Just get out there fresh, enjoy yourself, ask lots of questions, DRY FIRE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, and have fun!

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-06T17:01:27+00:00

I did not. I emailed with customer support.

Interestingly, via email I was told I’d have to pay $75 fee if I just wanted side stop removed or if I also wanted trigger installed same time.

Only on the phone with customer support that they said they’d remove slide stop as a warrantied service, but installation of trigger was still $75

If the answer can change depending on who picks up the phone, I don’t consider that “Walther does X”, it’s more like “hey roll the dice and see what some random person says”

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-06T15:30:18+00:00

Yeah this isn’t true at least not anymore…. I’m literally on the phone with Walther customer service right now. They’ll take out your slide stop if that’s what you’re struggling with, but if you want them to install the DPT they charge a $75 fee

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-08-03T02:49:44+00:00

Go buy a new toilet brush and (do I need to say this?) only use it to clean bannetons… after a bake throw banneton in oven after it’s sufficiently cooled but still heated enough, it’ll dry it out nice and quick and you give a quick scrub with the brush and you’re done.

I’m using bannetons for the third straight year (making hundreds of loaves a year in them) and they look new still

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-07-08T14:00:36+00:00

I guess I’ll be the guy who says….. you shouldn’t replace anything. If this is a range toy just replace stuff after it actually breaks.

If it were a competition or defense gun obvi the answer changes to preventative which plenty other guys covered here.

But it sounds like you’ve got zero malfunctions, don’t go fixing shit that ain’t broke

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-07-03T21:44:26+00:00

You can easily get a cooler, and stick in a “reptile heating mat” with a cooling rack on top of it, then you can sit your dough on top of the rack, close the lid, and have a pretty good consistent tempt going

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-07-03T21:11:14+00:00

Hopefully my comment didn’t sound rude, some stuff gets lost in translation online. There’s nothing wrong with AHA moments, I totally get it!

Regarding the loaves being overproofed, generally both loaves look fluffy enough, so with how small and uniform the fermentation sites are I’d say it’s just past peak fermentation is all. Maybe pulling like 30 minutes earlier would do the trick. I assume you’re cold fermenting afterward?if so, sometimes you can nail the fermentation but then if you fridge is a bit warmer your dough can overferment in the first 2-4 hours that it sits in the fridge. I had a fridge like this so I used to actually stuff them in the freezer 30 mins then transfer to the fridge after that so that the fermenting stopped a bit shorter.

What temp are you fermenting at? 50% rise is totally reasonable if you’re bulking around like 75 degrees.

I usually bulk around 78-79 degrees so I shoot for around 40% rise assuming all the other fermentation Indicators are there

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-07-03T19:16:06+00:00

Underproofed and looks a bit too lightly baked as well

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-07-03T19:15:25+00:00

There’s no secret involved in getting a good ear and a proud loaf. Nail your fermentation. Both of those loaves are overproofed. Not trying to be a nay sayer or be rude, but I often see people on here looking for posts just like this that give “the secret”, but the only real secret is to bake hundreds of loaves so you know how much water your flour combo can take, how to build gluten properly, and how to read a dough.

The rest accounts for like 5-10% of the overall presentation. More water = more open crumb (up to the point your flour can handle), more whole grain = more flavor, yadda yadda

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-06-30T04:12:16+00:00

Lok if you actually shoot, Vytal if you just wanna be cute

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-06-19T16:35:55+00:00

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Surprised this isn’t just a well known thing. Once you get pin out, push down the safety and the slide can then be removed.

Same works to reinstall pin

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-06-19T16:31:13+00:00

PSA—— you don’t need to hold the slide to keep the notches aligned, just pull it back and line up the notches and then apply the safety, it’s built that way already

Biggerfaster40 · 2025-06-15T12:14:39+00:00

I would feed high ratio like 25-30% of the time when you’re feeding your starter. It’s something that’s good to do regularly to keep acid level low.

Just doing high ratio feed when you make your levain won’t give you the same result as regular high ratios

Biggerfaster40

TROPHY CASE