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Shooting steel vs IPSC targets


niroth81

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Due to vacation and other things, I missed my usually scheduled USPSA matches the past couple months and was shooting 1-2 informal steel matches per week.

I thought the steel shoots would help with USPSA accuracy and they did, but I did not learn as much recoil management/trackings sights for the USPSA two rounds per target. I did get better at calling my shots and transitioning between targets which is helping on some of the blaster stages, but probably at the cost of good second sight picture/trigger pull.

To illustrate, I was owned by an el presidente type classifier shot at about 40ft. I did shoot it cold, with a new gun but still a glock, and new sights, but next time I do steel practice shoots, I'm going to mix in multiple rounds per target before transitioning.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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In USPSA I'm a high percentage (normally 92% to 94% in any given match), but glacially slooooowww shooter.

Shooting steel matches has given me an entirely different perspective, and made me speed up. Almost to an astounding degree. In my only 2 steel matches so far, I've placed 2nd and 3rd in Limited- but MORE IMPORTANTLY, and the cause of my doing better, was that I figured out how to step on the gas.

I've fallen in LOVE with shooting steel, and doing it fast.

In off road and trials motorcycling, a simple rule is that "You will ride where you are looking." It was beaten into my head (mostly by the ground or trees when I WASN"T looking where I wanted to go), and even 40+ years of riding later, I still say in my head, "look there, look there, look there" when picking lines and riding fast or technical stuff.

In shooting, I think the same thing applies: The fact that most steel is only 6 or 8" in diameter makes me focus/aim and look at ONLY that, whereas on a USPSA target, it's what, 18"x30"? I have a problem narrowing my focus on a USPSA target to the A zone, and shooting steel has made me MUCH faster on my USPSA A zone shots.

A semi local (200 miles away) steel match has lots of torso-sized steel where you have to put 2 shots on each torso. Those are an absolute blast! Yes, some will prbably say I'm training myself to get Ds and Cs, but shooting Alphas has never been my problem in USPSA- shooting them FAST has, so this is helping me tremendously.

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<snip>

In off road and trials motorcycling, a simple rule is that "You will ride where you are looking." It was beaten into my head (mostly by the ground or trees when I WASN"T looking where I wanted to go), and even 40+ years of riding later, I still say in my head, "look there, look there, look there" when picking lines and riding fast or technical stuff.

In shooting, I think the same thing applies: The fact that most steel is only 6 or 8" in diameter makes me focus/aim and look at ONLY that, whereas on a USPSA target, it's what, 18"x30"? I have a problem narrowing my focus on a USPSA target to the A zone, and shooting steel has made me MUCH faster on my USPSA A zone shots.

<snip>

That's an interesting piece of feedback, and from a perspective that really punishes when you forget - not that Alpha Mike Noshoot isn't punishment for practicing shooting at a *large* target.

I'm working on moving my eyes first, and every time I do it the shot is better placed. Hard to break old habits, it'll take some time.

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i like shooting steel because it gives positive feed back right away instead of walking down range

Once you learn to call your shots you'll get feedback on every target you shoot ...

Nimitz, any thoughts on learning to call shots? I keep thinking I knew where it was going from where the sights were when I broke the shot, but at least half the time it wasn't there.

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New guy to USPSA what do you guys mean by "calling your shots." I think I know but not sure? And I certainly cannot explain it?

calling your shots means you know where your shot landed without having to go check the target. depending how good you are at it I have seen people call their shots within an inch or two. Me, I can only tell you what scoring zone I hit

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...

I just got into the sport, Ive been shooting for along time, but the average once in awhile goto the range and blast some targets shooter. I was a small arms instructor in the military, but that is very basic when it comes to what all is involved in this sport.

Once I got all my equipment and my gun tuned, I have some IPCS targets, and I also have 8" ar500 steel targets that I shoot primarily, Draw one shots on steel at 25 yards working down to 1.5 and getting hits consistently, move into 15 yards and dropping down into the 1.29-1.33's.

So after about two weeks of practice, probably around 1k rounds I shot my first uspsa match, I finished 3rd overall in SS and had the most A's out of all the other SS shooters.. I feel shooting the small targets helped me greatly, However, they are kind of two different games.. I could drop some A's and pick up a lot of time on high point stages, this I did not really realize going into my match.

I like the sound steel makes, I'd love to shoot steel challenge, Hell I may go shoot it with my SS .45 just to do it regardless of the outcome. I do believe it will make me a better shooter, given the limited practice I have it definitely made me more accurate and when looking at an IPSC target at 40yards I'm thinking no biggie that thing is huge :)

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New guy to USPSA what do you guys mean by "calling your shots." I think I know but not sure? And I certainly cannot explain it?

When you put that red dot or fiber optic front sight in the A zone and feel that shot break cleanly you can basically say YEP I HIT IT THERE. Then you follow your sights during recoil and do it again. Biggest problem I have is calling my shots, I've only shot one match so far, and the only shots I could tell you where I was aiming was at a two 40yard IPSC targets.. Other than that I really don't remember seeing my sights all that much, somehow I got a lot of A's...... subconscious maybe.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Being a new shooter I can shoot the bigger steel with no problem and actually prefer it over paper. However, some of the clubs near me love to use 5 or 6in steel squares and always like to stick them out there a ways. One match had leaning shots at 21 yards with 3 pieces on each side of the stage. I watched a lot of good shooter struggle on these pieces of steel which made me the new guy very nervous while waiting to shoot the stage. I think it took me around 20 rounds for those 6 pieces of steel. :angry2:

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Mike Dalton and Mike Fischman invented the Steel Challenge back in 1981 to help IPSC shooters to become better shooters by focusing on smaller targets at faster speeds.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I loves me some steel! Big steel. Small steel. Doesn't matter.

Some of the guys at our club hate setting up and tearing down big steel stages. I get that. I don't get the ones who hate shooting big steel stages.

Steel (especially small steel) can expose the weakness of some seemingly ridiculously fast shooters.

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Being a new shooter I can shoot the bigger steel with no problem and actually prefer it over paper. However, some of the clubs near me love to use 5 or 6in steel squares and always like to stick them out there a ways. One match had leaning shots at 21 yards with 3 pieces on each side of the stage. I watched a lot of good shooter struggle on these pieces of steel which made me the new guy very nervous while waiting to shoot the stage. I think it took me around 20 rounds for those 6 pieces of steel. :angry2:

don't take this the wrong way and I guess everything is relative but "very good shooters" should have no issue with 6" steel targets at 21 yards. I suspect what you witnessed are shooters who have developed shooting skills for certain types of shooting but are not well rounded enough to handle whatever the evil MD director decides to throw at them .... you will see this a lot at the local level and another very good reason not to watch shooters in front of you shoot a stage, unless they are a legit GM ...

and yes, if you want to get comfortable at shooting steel fast, start attending your local Steel Challenge matches. Besides being a lot of fun you will need to develop 3 of the important USPSA fundamental shooting skills if you want to be any good at them .... fast draw, fast transitions & never miss ... big fun .... :)

Edited by Nimitz
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