4th and final classifier stage. I'm anticipating being put in the B class, but I'll have to wait a few weeks to find out.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
USPSA Classifier "It's Not Brain Surgery"
3rd classifier stage. This one was difficult because it was six head shots, with a "no-shoot" penalty target in the middle.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Practicing on a Static Range
For a lot of people, the only way they can practice with their pistol is at a public range - which usually comes with all kinds of rules and cautionary measures. Drawing, movement, multiple target arrays, rapid fire and other essential techniques are verbotten. So what is one to do when the range officer at a public range is breathing down one's neck? Lean back and plug one into the baffling? Sail a round over the berm like everyone else? No! You can have quality practice on a public range if you just know what - and how - to practice.
For starters, you can get some good data on your gun. What is your point of impact at 25 yards with your carry ammo? How about your practice ammo? 15 yards? Shooting slowly and at easily prescribed distances (which is what public ranges do best) is a great way to get this essential data.
Next, you can work on work on your trigger technique. This not only means making accurate hits, but also practicing how you prefer to work the trigger between shots. For example, even though you're shooting slowly, that doesn't mean you can't prep your trigger between shots as if you were shooting fast. So either let the trigger reset under recoil, or let the trigger out and take up the slack under recoil, but get used to working your trigger that way for every single shot, slow or fast.
Do the same, but practice strong hand only and weak hand only. Push for perfect trigger technique and max accuracy while shooting one handed.
You can work on your grip, stance, and posture. It's so easy to just be lazy and lean back and blast away, but instead focus on proper technique even though you're shooting slowly and not moving around.
You can practice press outs. Bring the gun back into your chest, and practice a smooth press out toward the target where you pick up your sights as soon as possible and guide the gun onto the target with your eyes. It's worth spending a lot of time on this technique, as it's a major time saver when the clock is ticking.
You can practice calling shots. Put the target out to 15 yards or so, load only three rounds, and don't look at the target between shots. Stare at the front sight only. Depending on the caliber, the type of target you're using, et al, if you focus on the front sight the target will be blurry enough between shots that you can't see the bullet holes. This is good. Practice seeing the front sight lift as the trigger is pulled. Make a mental picture of that and remember where each of the three rounds impacted the target. After three rounds, focus back on the target and see if you were right. Work toward the point that you don't feel the need to look at the target at all between shots because you already know where the round impacted. Develop this skill, and you will be way, way ahead of most of the people you will meet at the range. You will also find yourself shooting really fast in when it comes time to compete, but it will feel like you're going really slowly.
Finally, dry fire. Fire a few rounds, then dry fire a few times. Watch what your front sight does when you pull the trigger. Shoot some more, dry fire some more. You won't burn through your ammo as fast, and your trigger pull will be leaps and bounds better for it. In fact, every time you make a bad shot, go back to dry firing on the range for a bit. You can even just fire a few into the backstop (not at a target) and watch your front sight as the gun goes off. If you're like the rest of us, you'll see your front sight dip and dive in weird ways that you never noticed when you were trying to hit the center of a target.
For starters, you can get some good data on your gun. What is your point of impact at 25 yards with your carry ammo? How about your practice ammo? 15 yards? Shooting slowly and at easily prescribed distances (which is what public ranges do best) is a great way to get this essential data.
Next, you can work on work on your trigger technique. This not only means making accurate hits, but also practicing how you prefer to work the trigger between shots. For example, even though you're shooting slowly, that doesn't mean you can't prep your trigger between shots as if you were shooting fast. So either let the trigger reset under recoil, or let the trigger out and take up the slack under recoil, but get used to working your trigger that way for every single shot, slow or fast.
Do the same, but practice strong hand only and weak hand only. Push for perfect trigger technique and max accuracy while shooting one handed.
You can work on your grip, stance, and posture. It's so easy to just be lazy and lean back and blast away, but instead focus on proper technique even though you're shooting slowly and not moving around.
You can practice press outs. Bring the gun back into your chest, and practice a smooth press out toward the target where you pick up your sights as soon as possible and guide the gun onto the target with your eyes. It's worth spending a lot of time on this technique, as it's a major time saver when the clock is ticking.
You can practice calling shots. Put the target out to 15 yards or so, load only three rounds, and don't look at the target between shots. Stare at the front sight only. Depending on the caliber, the type of target you're using, et al, if you focus on the front sight the target will be blurry enough between shots that you can't see the bullet holes. This is good. Practice seeing the front sight lift as the trigger is pulled. Make a mental picture of that and remember where each of the three rounds impacted the target. After three rounds, focus back on the target and see if you were right. Work toward the point that you don't feel the need to look at the target at all between shots because you already know where the round impacted. Develop this skill, and you will be way, way ahead of most of the people you will meet at the range. You will also find yourself shooting really fast in when it comes time to compete, but it will feel like you're going really slowly.
Finally, dry fire. Fire a few rounds, then dry fire a few times. Watch what your front sight does when you pull the trigger. Shoot some more, dry fire some more. You won't burn through your ammo as fast, and your trigger pull will be leaps and bounds better for it. In fact, every time you make a bad shot, go back to dry firing on the range for a bit. You can even just fire a few into the backstop (not at a target) and watch your front sight as the gun goes off. If you're like the rest of us, you'll see your front sight dip and dive in weird ways that you never noticed when you were trying to hit the center of a target.
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