spankaveli
New member
If you leave a steel standing and see it after you drop the mag it's probably bes to take the points hit over the time that you've lost.
Name one thing you learned at your last match...
- Thread starter caz223
- Start date
Willie Lowman
New member
When shooting plates, getting hit with bullet fragments is something that happens. Sometimes it happens frequently. Sometimes the fragments are large. Sometimes they hit you in the leg and sometimes they hit you in the collar bone.
Eyes and ears are mandatory, a hockey mask and a flack jacket might help too.
Eyes and ears are mandatory, a hockey mask and a flack jacket might help too.
azredhawk44
Moderator
A 1911 needs to be reloaded a whole heck of a lot when shooting steel, and the time difference between "slingshotting" and just using the slide stop is something that adds up to make the difference between D and C class shooting.
I'd probably benefit from "counting" my shots and doing a tactical reload w/ an empty mag on shot 7 rather than a slide-locked reload. But, my shooting slows down when I try to count.
I'd probably benefit from "counting" my shots and doing a tactical reload w/ an empty mag on shot 7 rather than a slide-locked reload. But, my shooting slows down when I try to count.
.22 conversion units for practice
For most of 2009, I've used .22 conversion units on various pistols for "routine" practice, because ammo has become both expensive and scarce, depending upon the caliber.
Most of my practice has been accuracy based at 50 feet on an indoor range, shooting at 1/2 or 1/3rd scale targets. I've also practiced a lot shooting strong hand only and weak hand only.
(I've always found that shooting with .22 conversions units has been very valuable to maintaining my skills. Some people prefer to dry fire practice -- I prefer to use the .22s)
Last weekend I shot my first match since early June (using my Sig 226R-DAK duty gun) and did reasonably well. I wasn't particularly fast (I never am) but I was pretty smooth and accurate.
I still have to practice more on engaging multiple targets from behind cover (as I've noticed in previous posts in this discussion).
For most of 2009, I've used .22 conversion units on various pistols for "routine" practice, because ammo has become both expensive and scarce, depending upon the caliber.
Most of my practice has been accuracy based at 50 feet on an indoor range, shooting at 1/2 or 1/3rd scale targets. I've also practiced a lot shooting strong hand only and weak hand only.
(I've always found that shooting with .22 conversions units has been very valuable to maintaining my skills. Some people prefer to dry fire practice -- I prefer to use the .22s)
Last weekend I shot my first match since early June (using my Sig 226R-DAK duty gun) and did reasonably well. I wasn't particularly fast (I never am) but I was pretty smooth and accurate.
I still have to practice more on engaging multiple targets from behind cover (as I've noticed in previous posts in this discussion).
its in the mechanics,
Here I was all slicked up to gain a few seconds and maybe the match in my class. I was so psyce'd on aiming and sequence I forgot to check my rear sight when it started to go south. It was only a day later that I found my dovetailed rear sight had shifted over, oye!
PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!
MAX
Here I was all slicked up to gain a few seconds and maybe the match in my class. I was so psyce'd on aiming and sequence I forgot to check my rear sight when it started to go south. It was only a day later that I found my dovetailed rear sight had shifted over, oye!
PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!
MAX
williamkevin
Inactive
I've discovered that the device the SO is holding is not a timer....it's a MIND ERASER!!!
Speed vs accuracy
I learned that just because you had your trigger pull changed from 5.5lbs to 3.5lbs does not mean you will shoot any faster with accuracy, it just means that it is easier to pull the trigger, sometimes when you do not necessarily need for it to fire. Like when you have not made it to the -0 yet, or on the head shot when you miss the whole darn target.
Bob
I learned that just because you had your trigger pull changed from 5.5lbs to 3.5lbs does not mean you will shoot any faster with accuracy, it just means that it is easier to pull the trigger, sometimes when you do not necessarily need for it to fire. Like when you have not made it to the -0 yet, or on the head shot when you miss the whole darn target.
Bob
fiber optic front sights
I shot in an informal club match on an indoor range last night.
We had a dozen shooters. Three of them had fiber optic front sights on their handguns. They discovered that there isn't enough ambient light on an indoor range for the fiber optic front sight to work properly. That's what they learned.
I relearned that if I try to go too fast and bash the trigger, the results aren't pretty. Fortunately, I only did that on the first stage and then I calmed down and shot better for the remainder of the match.
I shot in an informal club match on an indoor range last night.
We had a dozen shooters. Three of them had fiber optic front sights on their handguns. They discovered that there isn't enough ambient light on an indoor range for the fiber optic front sight to work properly. That's what they learned.
I relearned that if I try to go too fast and bash the trigger, the results aren't pretty. Fortunately, I only did that on the first stage and then I calmed down and shot better for the remainder of the match.
TheDarkOne
Inactive
New shooter and new to the forum. This is a great sticky as you are always coming away with something new after every competition. I just started to shooters journal to keep log of all such thoughts.
My latest thought was to give up on speed, focusing more on accuracy and precise motion. Just as the adage 'only perfect practice makes perfect', I think that 'only perfect competition makes for a perfect competitor'. I know times where I have cut that 'perfect' corner while competing just to get a faster time. While shifting this mentality may ding me a little in the overall standings at first, eventually the speed will come and I will be that much better of a shooter when it does.
My latest thought was to give up on speed, focusing more on accuracy and precise motion. Just as the adage 'only perfect practice makes perfect', I think that 'only perfect competition makes for a perfect competitor'. I know times where I have cut that 'perfect' corner while competing just to get a faster time. While shifting this mentality may ding me a little in the overall standings at first, eventually the speed will come and I will be that much better of a shooter when it does.
lessons learned
I shot a USPSA Classifier match on the first Sunday in January. It was at an indoor range, but the weather outside was bitter cold and it was pretty chilly in the range, even though the heaters were going.
I was a layer of clothing short, but the match ended before I really took a chill.
One of the guys in my squad can cleaned his gun with MPro7 (a water based cleaner) the night before, and then put his gun & equipment in the trunk of his car so he could make ak quick departure in the morning. His car was parked in an unheated garage.
He had a Para Ordinance .45 with a firing pin safety. The cold caused the water-based cleaner to freeze up, and his gun wouldn't function until he thawed it out.
One of the shooters on my squad was a cop with Chicago PD and he said they had occassionally noticed the same thing when shooting outside in the winter.
I shot a USPSA Classifier match on the first Sunday in January. It was at an indoor range, but the weather outside was bitter cold and it was pretty chilly in the range, even though the heaters were going.
I was a layer of clothing short, but the match ended before I really took a chill.
One of the guys in my squad can cleaned his gun with MPro7 (a water based cleaner) the night before, and then put his gun & equipment in the trunk of his car so he could make ak quick departure in the morning. His car was parked in an unheated garage.
He had a Para Ordinance .45 with a firing pin safety. The cold caused the water-based cleaner to freeze up, and his gun wouldn't function until he thawed it out.
One of the shooters on my squad was a cop with Chicago PD and he said they had occassionally noticed the same thing when shooting outside in the winter.
IDPA classifier match
I shot in an IDPA Classifier match on Saturday evening.
In the past, the times I've finished poorly were because I blew Stage III of the classifier match. For those unfamiliar, Stage III involves shooting at multiple targets from behind a high barricade at 25 yards and from behind a barrel at 15 yards. You can't shoot over the top of the barrel -- you have to shoot around the sides.
In the past, I sometimes had trouble because I shot too fast on this stage and also because I crowded cover. When you crowd your cover, you sometimes create a situation where your firing stance is contorted. This is particularly true when shooting around the side of low cover.
Well, I didn't shoot too fast and I didn't crowd cover, and so only dropped 27 points in a 90 round match. (My personal best with this gun was 22 points down). I didn't have any misses, either.
One of the ROs is a firearms instructor at a local PD, and somebody I trained in the Police Academy. Before we began stage III he reminded me "Shoot at your own pace and get your hits" and I did and it worked.
I shot in an IDPA Classifier match on Saturday evening.
In the past, the times I've finished poorly were because I blew Stage III of the classifier match. For those unfamiliar, Stage III involves shooting at multiple targets from behind a high barricade at 25 yards and from behind a barrel at 15 yards. You can't shoot over the top of the barrel -- you have to shoot around the sides.
In the past, I sometimes had trouble because I shot too fast on this stage and also because I crowded cover. When you crowd your cover, you sometimes create a situation where your firing stance is contorted. This is particularly true when shooting around the side of low cover.
Well, I didn't shoot too fast and I didn't crowd cover, and so only dropped 27 points in a 90 round match. (My personal best with this gun was 22 points down). I didn't have any misses, either.
One of the ROs is a firearms instructor at a local PD, and somebody I trained in the Police Academy. Before we began stage III he reminded me "Shoot at your own pace and get your hits" and I did and it worked.
let's see...last match.
My last real match was an indoor 25-yard 1800 Bullseye match at Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers a few weeks ago. I learned there's a good reason that people don't shoot .44 Special in centerfire Bullseye competitions anymore: too much recoil for a job that could be done by .32 S&W Long, or with that kind of recoil a shooter might as well shoot a .45.
Also, if you're going to practice for a match, make sure you're practicing on the right targets. I had been using the old, pre-1993 B-16 targets to practice. The new B-16 targets we used in the match have much smaller scoring rings and are therefore much more difficult to shoot.
My last real match was an indoor 25-yard 1800 Bullseye match at Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers a few weeks ago. I learned there's a good reason that people don't shoot .44 Special in centerfire Bullseye competitions anymore: too much recoil for a job that could be done by .32 S&W Long, or with that kind of recoil a shooter might as well shoot a .45.
Also, if you're going to practice for a match, make sure you're practicing on the right targets. I had been using the old, pre-1993 B-16 targets to practice. The new B-16 targets we used in the match have much smaller scoring rings and are therefore much more difficult to shoot.
PPC match
I shot a PPC match at a local gun club on Sunday.
We shot a 48 rnd modified PPC course, and you could shoot as many times as you wanted for $5 a run. I shot the course 3 times.
And I was generally somewhat disappointed in how I did. Several of my routine practice courses are based on the PPC using the NRA B-34 1/2 scale target at 50 feet.
The stage I had trouble with was 6 rnds kneeling, 6 rnds left barricade, and 6 rnds right barricade in 90 seconds. 90 seconds is forever. You almost have time to have a cup of coffee and run to the restroom in that stage. Still, for some reason I shot too fast, and when shooting left barricade/left hand with support, I bashed the trigger and pulled my shots low right about 4 o'clock out of the scoring rings.
On the other stages, my group wasn't as tight as it should've been, but it was acceptable. (We pulled targets after each stage)
I practice left hand with support all the time because it can be useful when shooting around cover. I may never need it in the real world, but it certainly comes in handy at matches, and is sometimes required. (Left hand with support is basically mirror-image for me as I'm right handed).
So, I have to get out the timer and practice that some more.
Still, it was an enjoyable morning. I've always liked shooting PPC and since there was a small number of shooters, I was able to shoot through the course 3 times and be on my way in an hour.
(My best score was 427-12X out of 480 possible. Normally, on that course, I'm in the low 450s or so)
I shot a PPC match at a local gun club on Sunday.
We shot a 48 rnd modified PPC course, and you could shoot as many times as you wanted for $5 a run. I shot the course 3 times.
And I was generally somewhat disappointed in how I did. Several of my routine practice courses are based on the PPC using the NRA B-34 1/2 scale target at 50 feet.
The stage I had trouble with was 6 rnds kneeling, 6 rnds left barricade, and 6 rnds right barricade in 90 seconds. 90 seconds is forever. You almost have time to have a cup of coffee and run to the restroom in that stage. Still, for some reason I shot too fast, and when shooting left barricade/left hand with support, I bashed the trigger and pulled my shots low right about 4 o'clock out of the scoring rings.
On the other stages, my group wasn't as tight as it should've been, but it was acceptable. (We pulled targets after each stage)
I practice left hand with support all the time because it can be useful when shooting around cover. I may never need it in the real world, but it certainly comes in handy at matches, and is sometimes required. (Left hand with support is basically mirror-image for me as I'm right handed).
So, I have to get out the timer and practice that some more.
Still, it was an enjoyable morning. I've always liked shooting PPC and since there was a small number of shooters, I was able to shoot through the course 3 times and be on my way in an hour.
(My best score was 427-12X out of 480 possible. Normally, on that course, I'm in the low 450s or so)
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
Don't forget that when they say you MUST shoot two to the body and one to the head - you don't shoot all to the head. Sigh.