The SIRT Training Pistol

A couple of months back I bought a SIRT training pistol from Next Level Training.  It was a really cool training tool, but ultimately it wasn't for me.  Here's why:

The SIRT pistol wouldn't fit in my Blade-Tech holster the same way my G17 and 34 do.  That meant I had to drastically loosen the retention screws on my holster, which was a pain.

The SIRT actually trained me to shift my focus from the front sight to the target at exactly the worst time. One of the best aspects of dry fire is that nothing distracts you from seeing the front sight all through the trigger pull, and this is how you really train yourself to be accurate and to call your shots. With the laser shining on the target, it's all too easy to train yourself to look at the target after every shot, which is not only slow, it makes it so your shot calling learning curve is lengthened dramatically. 


They do an admirable job of recreating the Glock trigger feel, but it's just not the same as the real thing.  Really learning your particular trigger is key to being a better shooter, and working with an approximation just doesn't seem like the best idea.


Ultimately I sold my SIRT.  I still think it has a lot of value in some applications, for instance I think it's better for instructors than shooters. If I'm teaching someone to shoot, I always start with dry fire to go over the fundamentals. When they're working on trigger control, I have to watch very carefully to see if their sights are moving. However, with the SIRT I can just look at their target and see if the laser moves when the trigger is pulled. It's easier that way - plus, it has advantages for "tactical" training where you can see if anyone is muzzle-sweeping their buddies. 

At $430, I think the money is better spent on a proper class with a quality instructor.  That's just my opinion.  Oh, and I did end up buying another of their weighted practice magazine after I sold my original SIRT kit.  That practice magazine is great - it features the same feel of working with a loaded magazine without the danger of a negligent discharge.  


Anyway, whether you try a SIRT or do traditional dry fire, get practicing!

ACES

 Here's something interesting:

 

http://www.aceshooters.com/ 

 

My guess is they'll try to make a television show out of it, sort of like Top Shot but with established world champions.  I'll definitely be paying attention to see what comes of it.

Book Reviews

The Colt .45 Automatic - A Shop Manual by Jerry Kuhnhausen

This really is just what it claims to be - a shop manual.  I bought this book, and I think most people buy this book, thinking there will be some general "how to's" included.  It's a good reference guide if you need to know the depth of say, the locking lugs on your barrel, but the gunsmithing forum at www.1911forum.com is a lot more helpful for people wanting to work on their own 1911's.

Thinking Practical Shooting by Saul Kirsch


I really like this book.  There are some technique-oriented nuggets on recoil control and shot calling in the beginning, and then it launches into all the other things that make up the sport of Practical Shooting; things like: Mental aspects, physical preparation, goal setting, match performance, etc.  Just as the title suggests, this book will give you a lot to think about, but it won't spoon feed you things to do.  The steps to building a training program are all here for example, but it's up to you to digest the bulletpoints and actually create a program for yourself.  This book is well worth purchasing and reading, but it's more of a long-term investment in the sense that you won't get a bunch of new insights and drills that will immediately improve your shooting, but you will be able to reference the content for years to come as needed.

Practical Shooting - Beyond Fundamentals by Brian Enos

The title is "Beyond Fundamentals," and that's just what this is.  Anyone setting out to write a book on the techniques of successful Practical Shooting has an incredible challenge ahead of them, as the techniques are constantly changing.  Most shooters would probably change their grip three times before their book on grip technique was even in first draft form!  But what Enos has done here, and why this book is still considered the most important in Practical Shooting even after 21 years, is boil everything down to the bare bones of what makes a technique successful.  For example, he has some wonderful description of a proper grip, but most of his description boils down to is the importance of neutrality.  If you want a book to tell you your exact perfect grip, this isn't that book.  However, if you want to be set on the path of finding your perfect grip, this is all you need.  This is a big part of why most people agree this book is more of a Zen treatise than anything.  After all, according to Enos, "Techniques do not make the shooter.  The shooter is the technique."

The Book of Two Guns - The Martial Art of the 1911 Pistol and AR Carbine by Tiger McKee 


I really can't recommend this book.  It's not really readable, and pretty much all the info contained in it is available in 5 minute Clint Smith youtube videos.  I was hoping for some insightful information on 1911 pistols and AR15 Carbines, but there is none of that (in fact, there is nothing specific to either of these two weapons at all, which makes me wonder why they're mentioned in the title in the first place).

Refinement and Repetition: Dry Fire Drills for Dramatic Improvement by Steve Anderson


Anderson has broken down USPSA classifiers (and by extension, USPSA stages) into the basic technical components.  He features a few technique descriptions in the beginning, such as draws and reloads, and the rest of the book is an excellent dry fire training manual.  If you want to buy a book that will help you start improving the minute it arrives, this is the one.  Of course, all of the dryfire drills can be replicated on a live range as well.  There is a reason this book is as popular as it is.  If your goal is to improve your USPSA/IDPA classifier and stage times, this is probably the one book to have.

Principles of Performance: Refinement and Repetition 2 by Steve Anderson 


There are more great dry and live fire drills in this one, with more emphasis on movement.  However, what makes this book very interesting is the other content, like the mental management program, Steve's experiences shooting on super squads with some of the world's best shooters, and common mistakes everyone encounters in the sport of Practical Shooting.  When you're stuck in your class and can't seem to break through to the next plateau, this is the book to turn to.

Your Competition Handgun Training Program by Michael Ross Seeklander 


This is like a combination of "Thinking Practical Shooting" and "Refinement and Repetition."  I actually just got it, but I like it a lot so far.  If you're like me, you would prefer to spend the $20 to get a ready-to-use training program so you don't have to spend the time digesting Kirsch's bulletpoints, combining them with Anderson's dry fire and live fire routines, and incorporating those with Bassham's mental management techniques.  This is that book.  There is also a section on "visual training," as in, how to train your eyes to see faster.  I'm not aware of any other resources that cover this in a prescriptive format, but it's one of the most important aspects of shooting.

Surgical Speed Shooting - How to Achieve High-Speed Marksmanship in a Gunfight by Andy Stanford


Don't buy this book.  It's a pure "technique" book, and a lot of it either won't apply to how you as an individual should shoot, or is largely outdated.  Instead, peruse the handgun techniques subforum at www.brianenos.com.  And take a class from an active, successful competitor.

With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham 


Pretty much all of the mental management techniques from Saul Kirsch, Mike Seeklander, Steve Anderson, et al all come from this book.  It's really the bible of mental performance in sports.  And it's only 150 pages and $9 or so on amazon.com.  It's well worth the investment.

A new direction in my shooting...

It's time to go to work.  Up to this point with my shooting I've been working on base fundamentals, and I think that work has paid big dividends - I'm happy with my trigger control, accuracy, shot calling, and reloading, though of course there is always room for improvement in those fundamentals.  It comes down to the fact that I'm really proud of the progress I've made since I attended my first IDPA match 13 months ago, and I'm ready to turn yet another page in my shooting career.  To that end, it's time to get organized and start doing the things the best guys are doing, because in my mind I'm one of the best shooters, just one that quite learned all the things there are to learn.

So starting today, these are the changes I'm making:

Make Ready Routine and Mantra.  From now on at the "load and make ready" command, instead of being just zoning out and going through the motions, I'm going to execute a choreographed set of motions, and repeat a mantra in my mind.  Specifically, I'm going to reset the trigger, press out on the first target, and dry fire.  Then I'll load my barney mag, chamber, put the barney back in its pouch, and load my full magazine from my pocket.  I'll keep my grip after holstering, and as I think to myself, "Aggression.  Smooth Aggression."  I want to keep it simple, and keep the things top-of-mind that I want to emphasize in my runs.  This is also just a start.  I'll probably change it from time to time.

Stage Clustering.  Until now the way I have approached stages has been to think about the stage as a whole.  Shoot these targets then reload while moving over here then shoot these other targets, etc.  From now on I'm going to "cluster" stages and think of them as individual drills that I'll then link together.  For example, I'll say to myself, "Drill one is to draw shoot these four targets as fast as I can.  The key to this drill is transition speed.  The next drill is to reload and get into this position fast and smooth with the gun up indexed on this spot.  The next drill is to shoot these four targets, with the key being trigger control (for tight shots, for example).  And so on.  I figure most 32 round stages can be broken down into 5 or 6 clusters.

Skill baselining.  At every range session, I'm going to start by baselining a few skills like the draw, turning draw, speed reload, and a few others.  I'll do five reps each, record the times, and chart them in excel over time.

Very focused practice sessions of 300 to 400 rounds.  From now on I'm going to go to the range to practice one or two specific things.  I'll plan the things that I want to work on in advance and record everything so that I can see what works and what doesn't.

Daily practice routine.  I'll focus on daily practice, both dry fire and cardio/strength training.  I'll improve something every day.

Match diary.  I'll keep a diary of match performance every time I compete.  I'll record impressions, things I did well, and things I learned about the way I shoot and the kinds of challenges I encounter.

Goal setting.  I'm going to set a goal and work toward it.  This will give me motivation, and also allow me to chart my progress more effectively.  My immediate goal is to make A class.  I only need one or two good classifier runs to do it, and the work starts now.

Tips from a recent competition class

Recently I got to take a class with a top competitor, and I thought I'd share a few of the key lessons and tips that I learned.

• Even when engaging in dryfire training, grip the hell out of the pistol just as you would when competing for real.  This will result in your grip becoming fatigued well inside of 5 minutes, but your grip will be stronger over time and your practice will more closely mimic what you should be doing in matches.
• Many people using a thumbs-forward grip point their right thumb up in the air, when it should be either relaxed and overlaid on their left thumb, or riding atop the safety.  Having the thumb pointed up increases the chances that you will disrupt the sights during trigger manipulation.
• Take the time to chart as much data on your practice sessions as possible.  Evaluate individual techniques individually, and only incorporate multiple things to make sure you're putting things together properly.  For example, practice and record data on your turn and draw.  Practice and record data on your slide lock reload.  Practice and record data on your transitions (eg, start time, fire one shot on one target, transition, and fire two on the next target - record only the transition time).  Experiment with different techniques to try to make each of the above as fast as possible.  After all of that, then put it together with an El Prez drill and record all of the data.  See how your actual data from the El Prez drill compares to the data from practicing the individual components.  Work on those areas where you are slower in the drill than you are with the individual technique.
• Everything other than confirming sight picture and pulling the trigger is non-shooting, even waiting for the front sight to return.  To get faster, work on getting faster at everything that is non-shooting, that way you have more time for the actual shooting.  This is how the pros are both faster and more accurate through a stage.  
• Golfers are constantly checking their grip, stance, and backswing, and even expert golfers are constantly having pros give them tips on grip, stance, and backswing.  As shooters, we should be doing the same thing with our grip, stance, and movement.
• Vertical stringing is better than horizontal stringing.  Vertical stringing is the result of simply a timing or recoil control issue, which are both easy fixes.  Horizontal stringing is the result of a major fundamental flaw like trigger control, grip, or stance.  
• Practice outside of your comfort zone - somewhere between 110% and 120% of your ability.  Take the ego out of it.  Work yourself into a higher comfort zone.  This is the only way to become comfortable at higher speeds.
• Practice is about missing.
• Tell your shooting partners / squad mates what you're working on so they can watch and give you feedback.  
• Whenever you're the first shooter on a stage, ask for a test beep.  If the RO asks if you're ready, give an audible response, not just a head nod.  
• When moving to a new position, explode out of the current position and glide into the next one.  The gliding is more important than the exploding, so if it's a short movement, don't go so fast that it disrupts your smooth glide into the new position.
• Don't take extra steps.  Always use positive footwork.
• How you set up to a target depends entirely on where you need to go next, and how and where you go next has everything to do with getting to the last target as soon as possible.
• Pick a near spot to index on for each new position on the stage walkthroughs.  That way when you enter a position - before you can see the target - you can begin to index and be that much faster once the target comes into view.
• Your dominant eye has to clear a barricade/obstruction in order to shoot a target, so try to end on targets on the left if you're right eye dominant and targets on the right if you're left eye dominant.

Basic Tips on Shooting USPSA or IDPA for the First Time

I think everyone who owns a sports car owes it to themselves to take a few driving lessons on a real race track.  Unless you really feel what it's like to drive on track conditions, and learn the techniques of real high-performance driving, not only are you not getting everything you can out of your car, but you will also likely be less safe than you would be otherwise.  Likewise, everyone who carries a pistol for defense, or who keeps one on the nightstand, owes it to themselves to get out and run the thing under stressful conditions.  That could be an expensive multi-day training course, or it could be the crucible of competition.  However, courses are time and money intensive, and competition is stressful and can be a major blow to the ego.  The following tips will hopefully allow someone who is going to a competition for the first time be a little more prepared, and a little less stressed out.

- Know how your gun works. All the time people step up to the line and act as if they've never seen their own pistol before. I'm sure a lot of that is just nerves, and that's ok. But still, if your gun has a safety, a decocker, a funky magazine release, etc it would be a good idea to become intimately familiar with them before coming out to a match.  You can easily accomplish this by spending a few moments at home dry firing your EMPTY gun.  Get used to inserting magazines, removing magazines, charging the weapon, applying safeties and decockers, etc.  

- If you haven't already committed to a caliber, start with 9mm. It's just easier to shoot. You can get into .45 later when you want to try IDPA CDP division, or .40 when you want to shoot USPSA Limited division. At least in the beginning, start with a round that makes it easier to get accurate hits, and is cheap to purchase for practice.  There is no shame in starting, and staying in IDPA SSP and USPSA Production divisions, and both of those are primarily 9mm divisions.  

- For your first match, you will probably have a lot of well-meaning people trying to offer all kinds of advice. Ignore them. You should only focus on two things: safety (basically just muzzle awareness and trigger discipline) and following the range officer's commands to the letter. If you're a natural or a badass, try to win your second match. For the first, just be safe.  No one will be judging you on your hits, your speed, or your technique.  All anyone really cares about is safety - the rest is just for fun.

- Unless you're a police officer, wear your normal clothes. This is me being snobby, but none of the good shooters wear tactical gloves, tactical pants, tactical knee pads, tactical boots, etc. Save the stuff from nutnfancy's youtube videos for a tactical carbine class.  And leave the camo at home.  If you're on an outdoor range, you want to be seen when you're downrange taping targets.  


- Help out.  When people are taping targets, grab a strip of pasters and go help.  When it's time to break down, don't just grab your stuff and leave.  Everyone's favorite new shooter is the one who asks questions about what's happening and who helps out with the "work" aspect.  

USPSA Classifier "Diamond Cutter"

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.