Afternoon all,
This may be a little long but please hang in there!
I recently completed by Initial Firearms Course as part of my job and every 4-6 months we have to requalify on all the weapon systems we use. When I was on the course I did fine with everything on the pistol practice qualifications but when I was "under the pressure" of the real qualification I dipped shots on my twenty metre discipline. Needless to say when I retook the qualification I passed it and moved on.
We never really got much practice at twenty metres after that and when it came around to it (earlier than it should have been) we were pulled forward to requalify again and I dipped at twenty metres badly. So much so I'm back on "remedial" with the pistol but the development practice we've had so far hasn't really helped me.
As part of the qualification up until the final 7 rounds of a 40 round shoot I had dropped only a single shot. My fall of shot was pretty central (getting more spread as we move back through 5, 7, 10 and 15 metres). What happens at twenty metres however is my entire grouping drops to the low left corner and out of the score zone (hence dipping on the discipline). The whole fall of shot is different than when I stand at 15 metres or below.
We are trained (rigidly) to adopt only the Fairbairn Isosceles as a stance and since having to adopt it I've never felt totally comfortable with my stance, I think for me when I stand at twenty and the instructors highlight just how much you need to focus on all the elements of pistol shooting I simply can't get myself steady and comfortable in the timed exposures and so I rush my shots. Stupidly I group low and left rather than some others on the point who pepper the target with no grouping, my fall of shot may be in the wrong place but I do have a recognisable grouping acknowledged by the instructors.
I have since retaken the qualification and done EXACTLY the same thing and so I've tried to address this myself as all the tutelage I'e had from the instructors is "you know what feels right" and "we can't see anything glaringly obvious." Hardly the most helpful so I have since purchased myself a replica airsoft of the pistol we use (being in England means no pistols and they won't let me on the range to simply practice at twenty metres).
I know dry firing the airsoft and firing it isn't the same as live firing the issue pistol but I have very little alternative options. I've done lots of research on different stances and noticed that when I bring my weapon up in a Fairbairn at distance my sights are automatically aligned to the left (which tells me I am rushing my shots on the qualification by snatching at my initial sight picture). I have tried adjusting my grip but every time I do the initial draw and shoot for the first round my grip reverts to muscle memory and when I bring it up it's aligned left. Of note I am left eye dominant but right handed.
I have changed my stance to the Modern Isosceles/Combat/Tactical type stance with the weak foot forward, straight strong arm and keeping my chest still pretty straight on to the target as opposed to blading like the Weaver. That feels far more natural for me especially when stood at distance and when I initially "snap" the pistol up it is far more centrally aligned and doesn't feel like I spend precious time re-aligning my weapon on the timed exposures.
I've literally spent every day for the past week dry firing, adjusting stance and focussing on my breathing and sigh picture.
I'm not sure how the instructors are going to welcome a Modern Isosceles on the point and want to know if people think being forced to adopt the Fairbairn which feels awkward is likely to be a contributing factor to a low-left fall of shot at distance. I'm hoping that they're going to accept the fact I've developed myself and acknowledged some of my own weaknesses. I think that'll depend on the instructor for the day I suppose.
The twenty metre consists of 7 rounds, the first being drawn from the holster and a single shot followed by three paired shots. Each being on a five second exposure of the target. Give me that to do closer and I'm fine, just at twenty I think Fairbairn takes up too much of my concentration when I'm trying to make sure my body and arms are right when I should be focussing on breathing and sight picture. Is it a wrong thing for me to think that my forced stance is affecting me at twenty metres?
It's battered my confidence and up until I had the means to dry run at home the only weapons handling I would get would be on the range days which are once every six-eight weeks if not longer. I think this is helping me with my confidence but time will tell when I get a box of fifty on Thursday of this week fr some generic twenty metre practice (10 rounds at 10 metres in a respirator and the rest at 20 metres mixed with barricade shooting and free standing 10 kneel barricade/10 stand barricade/2x10 free-standing unsupported then it'll be back "to the office" to wait for another date to either have some remedial work or do my last chance at the qualification shoot.
The stupid thing is I have done this before, shown I can shoot at twenty but mind over matter can only get me so far.
Does anyone have any advice as more experienced shooters than I that can pick me up off the deck and help me brush my ego down a little and show this bloody qualifier that I can do it and will continue to do it!?!
Sorry for the rant/babbling.
This may be a little long but please hang in there!
I recently completed by Initial Firearms Course as part of my job and every 4-6 months we have to requalify on all the weapon systems we use. When I was on the course I did fine with everything on the pistol practice qualifications but when I was "under the pressure" of the real qualification I dipped shots on my twenty metre discipline. Needless to say when I retook the qualification I passed it and moved on.
We never really got much practice at twenty metres after that and when it came around to it (earlier than it should have been) we were pulled forward to requalify again and I dipped at twenty metres badly. So much so I'm back on "remedial" with the pistol but the development practice we've had so far hasn't really helped me.
As part of the qualification up until the final 7 rounds of a 40 round shoot I had dropped only a single shot. My fall of shot was pretty central (getting more spread as we move back through 5, 7, 10 and 15 metres). What happens at twenty metres however is my entire grouping drops to the low left corner and out of the score zone (hence dipping on the discipline). The whole fall of shot is different than when I stand at 15 metres or below.
We are trained (rigidly) to adopt only the Fairbairn Isosceles as a stance and since having to adopt it I've never felt totally comfortable with my stance, I think for me when I stand at twenty and the instructors highlight just how much you need to focus on all the elements of pistol shooting I simply can't get myself steady and comfortable in the timed exposures and so I rush my shots. Stupidly I group low and left rather than some others on the point who pepper the target with no grouping, my fall of shot may be in the wrong place but I do have a recognisable grouping acknowledged by the instructors.
I have since retaken the qualification and done EXACTLY the same thing and so I've tried to address this myself as all the tutelage I'e had from the instructors is "you know what feels right" and "we can't see anything glaringly obvious." Hardly the most helpful so I have since purchased myself a replica airsoft of the pistol we use (being in England means no pistols and they won't let me on the range to simply practice at twenty metres).
I know dry firing the airsoft and firing it isn't the same as live firing the issue pistol but I have very little alternative options. I've done lots of research on different stances and noticed that when I bring my weapon up in a Fairbairn at distance my sights are automatically aligned to the left (which tells me I am rushing my shots on the qualification by snatching at my initial sight picture). I have tried adjusting my grip but every time I do the initial draw and shoot for the first round my grip reverts to muscle memory and when I bring it up it's aligned left. Of note I am left eye dominant but right handed.
I have changed my stance to the Modern Isosceles/Combat/Tactical type stance with the weak foot forward, straight strong arm and keeping my chest still pretty straight on to the target as opposed to blading like the Weaver. That feels far more natural for me especially when stood at distance and when I initially "snap" the pistol up it is far more centrally aligned and doesn't feel like I spend precious time re-aligning my weapon on the timed exposures.
I've literally spent every day for the past week dry firing, adjusting stance and focussing on my breathing and sigh picture.
I'm not sure how the instructors are going to welcome a Modern Isosceles on the point and want to know if people think being forced to adopt the Fairbairn which feels awkward is likely to be a contributing factor to a low-left fall of shot at distance. I'm hoping that they're going to accept the fact I've developed myself and acknowledged some of my own weaknesses. I think that'll depend on the instructor for the day I suppose.
The twenty metre consists of 7 rounds, the first being drawn from the holster and a single shot followed by three paired shots. Each being on a five second exposure of the target. Give me that to do closer and I'm fine, just at twenty I think Fairbairn takes up too much of my concentration when I'm trying to make sure my body and arms are right when I should be focussing on breathing and sight picture. Is it a wrong thing for me to think that my forced stance is affecting me at twenty metres?
It's battered my confidence and up until I had the means to dry run at home the only weapons handling I would get would be on the range days which are once every six-eight weeks if not longer. I think this is helping me with my confidence but time will tell when I get a box of fifty on Thursday of this week fr some generic twenty metre practice (10 rounds at 10 metres in a respirator and the rest at 20 metres mixed with barricade shooting and free standing 10 kneel barricade/10 stand barricade/2x10 free-standing unsupported then it'll be back "to the office" to wait for another date to either have some remedial work or do my last chance at the qualification shoot.
The stupid thing is I have done this before, shown I can shoot at twenty but mind over matter can only get me so far.
Does anyone have any advice as more experienced shooters than I that can pick me up off the deck and help me brush my ego down a little and show this bloody qualifier that I can do it and will continue to do it!?!
Sorry for the rant/babbling.