The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Competition Shooting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 24, 2009, 09:30 AM   #251
Bignoot
Junior Member
 
Join Date: December 4, 2008
Location: Northwest Alabama
Posts: 4
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
Bignoot is offline  
Old December 24, 2009, 03:02 PM   #252
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,928
Quote:
I've discovered that the device the SO is holding is not a timer....it's a MIND ERASER!!!
Excellent observation. I've experienced exactly the same thing--I wish I'd said that.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old December 25, 2009, 03:19 PM   #253
mrt949
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 16, 2008
Posts: 1,692
When you don't shoot a match in over 15 years .And you DON'T HIT ANYTHING . You must practice, practice, or BOW YOU HEAD IN SHAME.
__________________
No Gun Big Or Small Does It All
mrt949 is offline  
Old December 28, 2009, 11:11 AM   #254
Jeff22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 15, 2004
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 715
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.
__________________
You can only learn from experience if you pay attention!
Jeff22 is offline  
Old January 26, 2010, 03:53 PM   #255
TheDarkOne
Junior Member
 
Join Date: January 26, 2010
Posts: 6
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.
TheDarkOne is offline  
Old February 6, 2010, 01:36 AM   #256
Jeff22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 15, 2004
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 715
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.
__________________
You can only learn from experience if you pay attention!
Jeff22 is offline  
Old February 8, 2010, 05:29 AM   #257
Jeff22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 15, 2004
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 715
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.
__________________
You can only learn from experience if you pay attention!
Jeff22 is offline  
Old February 8, 2010, 01:35 PM   #258
kle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 30, 2007
Location: NoVA, USA
Posts: 419
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.
kle is offline  
Old February 15, 2010, 03:40 AM   #259
Jeff22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 15, 2004
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 715
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)
__________________
You can only learn from experience if you pay attention!
Jeff22 is offline  
Old February 15, 2010, 02:42 PM   #260
Glenn E. Meyer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 20,064
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.
__________________
NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens
Glenn E. Meyer is offline  
Old March 21, 2010, 02:16 PM   #261
TXGunNut
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 16, 2010
Location: If you have to ask...
Posts: 2,860
Keep a good eye on the parking area...

If a busload of gorillas show up they're here to jump up and down on you while you're trying to shoot!
Other than that it's the same thing I learned at my first match: Hold tight and favor the X-Ring.
__________________
Life Member NRA, TSRA
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove
My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.
TXGunNut is offline  
Old March 22, 2010, 08:26 AM   #262
gibar
Junior Member
 
Join Date: March 11, 2010
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 6
Listen to the guy who is a former sniper instructor. Valuable info was learned today.
gibar is offline  
Old March 29, 2010, 04:35 PM   #263
Glenn E. Meyer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 20,064
In training, you reload the gun when it runs dry - no matter where you are. In IDPA, if you have to move and reload - you need to reload under cover. I dropped an empty mag before I got under cover.

Ah, so what!
__________________
NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens
Glenn E. Meyer is offline  
Old March 30, 2010, 06:23 AM   #264
Jeff22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 15, 2004
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Posts: 715
lessons learned

I've shot in two USPSA special classifier matches in the last three weeks.

On the first match, I was able to shoot 4 different guns and shoot 4 classifier stages in each Production Class, Single Stack, Limited 10 and Revolver.

On the second match, I shot 5 classifier stages in Production class.

I've discovered I need to practice engaging multiple targets strong hand only and weak hand only at 10, 12 and 15 yards.

I also need more practice engaging targets partially screen by "no shoot" targets or partially screened by hard cover.

In the first match, I hit 6 "no shoots" (in 16 stages fired)

In the second match, I didn't hit any "no shoots" in 7 stages (of which 5 were classifiers)

And my in-battery reloads are not as fast as my out-of-battery reloads. I'm not sure why, but it's something else to practice.
__________________
You can only learn from experience if you pay attention!
Jeff22 is offline  
Old March 30, 2010, 09:12 AM   #265
Bongo Boy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 18, 2008
Location: Colo Spgs CO
Posts: 517
Two things, but I feel the need to mention them both:

1. It's a challenge to remember to use your sights when you're trying to engage multiple tough targets while moving quickly, and using your sights is good.

2. Same rules of target engagement apply to swingers as they do to any other target...as do the basics of calling your shots. Conversely, spray-and-pray works even worse on swingers than it does on other targets.
__________________
NRA Benefactor Member
“If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.” T Bankhead
"I think only the authorities should have weapons." The New American Electorate
Bongo Boy is offline  
Old March 30, 2010, 07:06 PM   #266
Citizen Carrier
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2008
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 671
Shooting rimfire bullseye leagues almost exclusively, I found that slow fire was not my friend and I tended to shoot it just like I do timed fire.

This league I switched to an M9 NM pistol to start preparing for Camp Perry.

Everything was reversed. I take close to the whole 10 minutes to shoot slow fire and timed fire is no longer my friend. I now finish timed fire just as the whistle blows to stop.

I've also learned that if all you routinely shoot is rimfire, then centerfire will come as a rude awakening.
__________________
Once you've got your sights adjusted to the ammunition you have, step away from the bench. In competition or the field...there are no benches.
Citizen Carrier is offline  
Old April 6, 2010, 04:07 PM   #267
Hardcase
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 14, 2009
Location: Sunny Southern Idaho
Posts: 1,909
I went to this year's first NRA silhouette match with a new tang sight on my rifles.

Lesson learned: the match is not the place to experiment with new sights. Don't be surprised if you get the worst score of your life.

There is also probably a lesson to be learned about giving your wife the 100 year old .22 rifle and keeping the brand new rifle with all the goodies on it. The one that I learned is that my wife is some kind of crazy sharpshooter with a Winchester 1906. Somehow I am now a class below her.

On the bright side, though, it was a beautiful day and we had fun.
__________________
Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae
Hardcase is offline  
Old April 14, 2010, 09:30 PM   #268
jknight8907
Member
 
Join Date: February 25, 2006
Posts: 87
I just did my first USPSA match with a stock Glock 17. I learned that I'm very accurate, but too slow for it to matter. Oh well, practice will fix that. And DANG is USPSA fun!!!
jknight8907 is offline  
Old April 26, 2010, 07:50 AM   #269
Rifleman1776
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,309
age matters

My competition shooting these days is limited to traditional style muzzle loaders. Last match I learned age matters. Bad left shoulder. Cannot even hold the rifle to shoot without much wiggle and pain. Downer. Surgery scheduled. But, after that and recovery, I'll be even older.
Rifleman1776 is offline  
Old April 26, 2010, 05:15 PM   #270
RickB
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2000
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 8,511
That those pieces of scrap lumber on the ground are not there just as trip hazards, but as 180 reference points.
RickB is offline  
Old April 27, 2010, 10:22 PM   #271
Garandpa
Junior Member
 
Join Date: April 10, 2010
Posts: 5
How to win

I learned that if I don't allow myself to shoot any nines, I shoot a lot more tens. I ended up 289 - 6X in a 30 shot match and took high service rifle.
Garandpa is offline  
Old April 28, 2010, 03:02 AM   #272
spankaveli
Member
 
Join Date: July 8, 2004
Location: Gonzales, LA
Posts: 26
I learned that whole PPPPPP thing all over again.

Several stages where I didn't do so well on weren't properly planned. The two stages I did best on (5th overall out of ~106 Production shooters) were properly executed.

I plan to implement a new strategy I learned recently in the next local match and, if it works, will implement it at the next two major matches I go to.
__________________
www.BayouShooter.com - Louisiana Firearm Discussion
spankaveli is offline  
Old May 2, 2010, 11:09 AM   #273
IZinterrogator
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 8, 2004
Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
Posts: 2,457
Learned at my last ACTS match a few weekends ago that the proper time to open the lens covers and turn on my red dot scope is before the timer goes off, not while I'm running downrange with the rifle tucked under my arm as I fiddle with the scope.
__________________
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!” - Samuel Adams
IZinterrogator is offline  
Old May 11, 2010, 01:25 AM   #274
thug23
Member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2007
Location: Boston, MA.
Posts: 51
Shot IDPA for the first time recently and found out two things right off the bat that I suck at...

A. Shooting while moving
B. Shooting with both eyes open :barf:

And I thought I was pretty good...until I got here.
thug23 is offline  
Old May 11, 2010, 10:45 PM   #275
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,928
At my last match I watched another shooter have a meltdown as a result of one bad run. The next run was even worse--as one might have expected and the shooter left the match in an obviously perturbed state.

When you have a bad run or a bad stage consider it an opportunity to practice dealing with adversity, a chance to practice maintaining your composure. Everyone has a bad run now and then, but some shooters let it wreck the whole match for them while others deal with it and move on to the next challenge.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.18518 seconds with 11 queries