LR308 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Here is what works for me: First string I try my best to center my shots for a black dot. (Like everyone) I shoot my standing left to right, my prone right to left this way I can roll my body behind the pistol I force myself to be super slow I always pause on my first shot to slow myself down Sight picture is everything Some guys shoot at a different point on the plate when they go prone, I don't, I shoot them straight on This is going to sound funny but I pretend in my mind before I take the shot that my pistol is a laser and that I know the bullet is going where I want it Don't wait for the plate to fall, just keep shooting. Shooting iron instead of a dot will force you to concentrate even more, shut out everything around you and make that little white circle your world Lastly, breathe twice as much as you normally do in between strings, don't want the eyes going fuzzy The plate rack at Bianchi can be really finicky, I don't care what anyone says, last year I saw more than one guy loose plates after hitting them, I protested it but it was at the end of the day on Friday and nobody really cared I think where most people go wrong with the plates is that they approach it as one collective stage like the others. It's not, it's actually 48 individual little matches, with 48 different approaches. Once you conquer it in your mind cleaning it is doable. Embrace it and make it yours. Hope this helps! Jared Owensby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmbeckwith Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Have done this for a few years, since 1985. My secret is to shoot left to right, the reason being is that the recoil of my 1911 38 super is up and to the right. My dot after firing is on the next plate after recoil. Learn to go prone fast, more on target time and yes I shoot prone at 15 yards. Nerves don't effect the ground as much :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 I shoot plates right to left, I am right handed, and Kim goes left to right. Be aware that there is no "right" way to do that. You have to find what works for you. I tried both ways and found that right to left suited me better. Kevin A stands at 15yards, I go prone, Kim goes prone. Kevin runs the theory that he uses the extra time to make sure he gets them all dead centre. I use the ground and the stability it offers to do the same. The funny thing is, if I am going to miss one, it is at 20yards, prone, usually first shot on any given string. Given all the above ways of doing it right, you always seem to find a new way to miss one. The 470 club has plenty of members. Took me 3 years to clean plates at the Cup, I have nearly shot 470 on a few more occasions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Pistolero Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I have a montra that I started saying to myself years ago and still do it. It's dot trigger. When the dot is on my black mark on the plate, I pull the trigger. I say this in my mind for every plate, everytime. When I hit a plate outside of my mark it's because I jerked the trigger. If I was shooting for red on white, that jerk could be a missed plate. In Metallic, I use a 3 step montra. It's sight, freeze, squeeze. Works every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Carter Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I found a trap in the strategy of making that black dot in the middle of the plate up close and them aiming at it later. What happens if you struggle up close and have shots all over the plate? You are expecting something to aim at that might not be there. Your mind can panic because what is expected is not there. Ever notice when shooting paper if you start a group off center a little how hard it is to ignore that group and shoot them in the middle? I've looked at taped up practice targets after a day and it's obvious how many shooters were drawn unconsciously to that wad of pasters instead of the center. What worked for me is to always, not matter from what distance to shoot the center of the plate. Really more or less disregarding the marks on the plate and drilling the center of the plate. I totally agree with the advice to not start shooting until you are solid and in the middle of the first plate. I've posted before but you need to keep a healthy respect of the plates. It's like shooting free throws, you shouldn't miss one but the possibility is there lurking if you back of your focus just a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmbeckwith Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Well said Ross!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Pistolero Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 The key is to not struggle up close. When the buzzer goes off, get the gun on target as fast as you can and get the shots as close to the middle as possible. A shot may go near the edge up close but I adjust as I go along. Shooting at pasters went away with the black dot. You could always see a paster on the old targets and most would shoot for it because you couldn't really see a ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Carter Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 The key is to not struggle up close. When the buzzer goes off, get the gun on target as fast as you can and get the shots as close to the middle as possible. A shot may go near the edge up close but I adjust as I go along. Shooting at pasters went away with the black dot. You could always see a paster on the old targets and most would shoot for it because you couldn't really see a ring. No doubt you don't want to struggle up close, that's not my point at all. On any given day stuff happens especially at the Bermuda Triangle of shooting AKA the Cup, so I try to go for as close to a fail safe plan as I can. The pasters reference was like shooting practice or other sports where pasters are used between shooters. It's a human nature thing, I've seen it happen all the time as an instructor running people thru a course, a group of pasters get's formed and more shots go there than the center. It's not that the shooters are aiming for the pasters they don't even realize it's happening. Stick up a new target and the shots are going back in the middle. With the nice clean targets at the Cup that is not a factor, I was trying to relate that human nature thing of your vision being easily deflected or misdirected, whatever the correct term is, to peripheral bullet marks on the plates that might draw your vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooter1911 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I think the plates are all a mental game. I shoot the plates just a tad bit faster than most, but that works for me. I must have heard a million times to slow down. There are no 5's or 8's on plates. Plates are something that take a lot of practice to get your confidence factor up. Confidence is everything in this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris1911 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Keep it simple. Front sight, middle of plate. Hopefully that will work for me someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywatcher Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 i shoot better standing as if i went prone prob never make the time did a 48 plate last week and ended up with 46 of 48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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