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How to transistion faster in Steel Challenge?


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Hey guys, I've been shooting steel challenge matches for about 1 1/2 years. I practiced a lot in my back yard steel range before I ever shot my 1st match. My score on 5 stages on my 1st match was about 116.

A year later "now" I'm shooting low 80's for 5 stages. I've got a goal of reaching mid 70's.

My draw and 1st hit is pretty good from dry fire practice but I know my target transitions are slow. My best string even on smoke and hope has been a 2.48, and that was with a .8x draw and 1st hit. I can watch myself on videos and I simply transistion too slow. I'm 51 years old and I can't tell if I'm hesitant on taking the shot or my body just don't do what it use to. I always shoot better taking my time Over spray and pray but I really want that 7x score. Any tips on transitions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Tony

Edited by Speedsouthshooting
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Smoke and hope is actually a bad example of how anyone shoots Steel Challenge. Most people are just point shooting that stage which tends to lead to sloppy shooting. A better example to judge your times would be Roundabout since you actually have to aim at the plates. If you look at many of the top shooters, their Roundabout times are almost the same as S&H. I don't even practice S&H since I think it only teaches you sloppy point and shoot type shooting.

That being said, the way I learned to speed up is to lead with my eyes. Meaning that I once I call my shot on a plate I jump my eyes to the next plate. The gun will follow and your dot/sights will usually show up exactly where you are looking on the next plate. Also, practice getting your gun to the next plate as fast as you can. Getting it there faster will give you extra time to settle your dot or sights before breaking the next shot. Hope that makes sense.

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^^^^ that's good!

I used s&h as just an example of transistions. Hitting the targets isn't a problem. I just feel like I'm losing all my time on transistions.

I'm shooting a match tomorrow and my goal is 7anything. I'm gone dry fire about an hour before I head to the match to see if that will help. I am the match director and a squad leader so I have no time to do anything after I get to the range. ( including mental preparedness).

Tomorrow I have 75 guns registered and 4 hours to complete the match before dark. Gonna have a lot of match stress which just makes my shooting a bit harder for me. Usually aggrevated already when I step into the box. Lol

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I am the match director and a squad leader so I have no time to do anything after I get to the range. ( including mental preparedness).

This is one reason why I'm thankful there's another club where I can shoot SC as a competitor and not the MD. It's nice to not have to worry about everything for a change.

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In Steel Challenge, the targets are spaced wide enough that leading with the eyes, or even turning your head to find the next target, gets you there fastest. You have to find the target before you can get your sights on it quickly and accurately.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

My last 8 stage match in CFO was 144.02 which works out to right in the middle of B (6 classifiers in 101.x). But in RFRO I shoot between 87-93 for all 8 stages. Not a lot of correlation when you are comparing drawing divisions to low ready start divisions. Scott and I just finished a 3 day weekend with Max Michel and we are both shooting a 6 classifier stage match at the end of the month. Hope I can dip several seconds under the 101.x. Only another 16 seconds to A at 68yo.

Good luck to you also.

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My last 8 stage match in CFO was 144.02 which works out to right in the middle of B (6 classifiers in 101.x). But in RFRO I shoot between 87-93 for all 8 stages. Not a lot of correlation when you are comparing drawing divisions to low ready start divisions. Scott and I just finished a 3 day weekend with Max Michel and we are both shooting a 6 classifier stage match at the end of the month. Hope I can dip several seconds under the 101.x. Only another 16 seconds to A at 68yo.

Good luck to you also.

That's great! Son and I shot steel and were 125 (me) and 128 (him) for the six classifier stages making us mid-C. I figure just one less miss per string and getting to B is a possibility.

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