Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Keys to success - Practical - 50y


Flexmoney

Recommended Posts

The key to success on the Practical for me are 1) weak hand and 2) 25 yards.

My weak hand only skills are... weak...

The strings at 25 yards are tougher than they look. The par times are really tight (for me anyway) and I have to hammer the 3 and 3 string out as fast as I can.

The 50 yard line is a breeze if your gun is up to it. The par times are loooong so I can squeeze my shots off as carefully as I would when testing a new load for accuracy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I totally agree. If my first three weak hand are good, I am usually okay. But if I let one slip in the first three, the second target can get ugly (I gotta learn to let it go). I go prone at 25 so I really have to hustle the shots. They are by far the hardest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody needs to share the cof here. I don't know it. Our local match runs Los Alamitos instead...due to range limitations.

FYI, the rule book is online: http://www.nrahq.org/compete/nra-rule-books.asp Of course, the rule book is kind of like the side of the barn in Animal Farm, you can wake up in the morning to shoot the big match and find that it has changed during the night. :)

Overview:

7.6 Practical Event - Competitors must fire the 10 yard line segment in the standing position. Competitors

may fire the 15, 25, and 50 yard segments in the prone position at their option. This course is divided into four

stages. Each stage has three strings and 12 shots per stage. 48 shots:

A - 10 yards - one shot each target within three seconds, two shots each target within four seconds, and three

shots each target eight seconds.

B - 15 yards - one shot each target within four seconds, two shots each within 5 seconds, and three shots

each target within six seconds.

C - 25 yards - one shot each target five seconds, two shots each target six seconds, and three shots each

target seven seconds.

D - 50 yards - one shot each target seven seconds, two shots each target ten seconds, and three shots each

target fifteen seconds

Specific Rules:

10.22 Specific Rules for Conduct of the Practical Event

Rounds: 48

Targets: NRA AP-1 targets.

Range: 10, 15, 25 and 50 Yards.

Procedure:

Competitor stands facing 2 targets downrange. Tops of targets will be approximately 6 feet above ground level

and 3 feet apart, edge-to-edge. The starting position will be with the handgun holstered and both hands held

shoulder high. The starting signal will be an audible type (whistle, horn, etc.) or turning targets may be used,

preceded by the verbal commands "READY" and "STANDBY."

10 Yard Stage:

At the signal to commence fire, competitor fires one round at each target within 3 seconds. At the second

signal to commence fire, competitor fires 2 rounds at each target within 4 seconds. At the third signal to

commence fire, competitor fires 3 rounds at each target with weak hand only within 8 seconds; competitor may

use the strong hand to produce and exchange the handgun for this third segment, but all 6 rounds must be fired

with the weak hand without support for the hand or arm of any kind.

15 Yard Stage:

At the signal to commence fire, competitor fires one round at each target within 4 seconds. At the second

signal to commence fire, competitor fires 2 rounds at each target within 5 seconds. At the third signal to

commence fire, competitor tires 3 rounds at each target within 6 seconds.

25 Yard Stage:

At the signal to commence fire, competitor fires one round at each target within 5 seconds. At the second

signal to commence fire, competitor fires 2 rounds at each target within 6 seconds. At the third signal to

commence fire, competitor fires 3 rounds at each target within 7 seconds.

50 Yard Stage:

At the signal to commence fire, competitor fires one round at each target within 7 seconds. At the second

signal to commence fire, competitor fires 2 rounds at each target within 10 seconds. At the third signal to

commence fire, competitor fires 3 rounds at each target within 15 seconds.

Penalties:

A penalty of 10 points will be charged for a premature start, for each procedural error, for each round fired over

the designated number, for each round tired overtime, and for each round fired while supporting the weak hand or

arm during the third segment at the 10 yard stage.

NOTE: To fire this match indoors the 25 yard stage is fired on the AP-2 target at 25 feet and the 50 yard stage

is fired at 50 feet using the AP-2 target.

Edited by Flexmoney
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have found the best way to train for the weakhand (other hand) stage is to use the plates, I shoot them in the same time but at 15 yards, This prevents you from seeing a large hole appear in the target which can give a false impression on how good you are shooting. Seeing a plate fall down is better the watching a hole appear. After I had been training the for a few hundre rounds I then shot a comp and found that I was able to watch the dot and pad the trigger and shoot all x's

As fo you 25 yards being slow I fell that if you shoot the 15 yards prone (If you are able to go prone there) the 25 yard stage is a lot easier to handle. The other way I have traind 25 yards is to shoo that string at 50 yards. As for 50 Yards I used to have a lot of trouble shooting low 5's (with revolver) I found myself trying to make the shot go off before it was ment to, I trained myself to just watch the dot and squeeze the trigger, but since going to auto the 50 yard stage is a lot easier to handle, just watch the dot and hold in the middle and pad the trigger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something I have noticed over the years is shooters having trouble finding the dot on open guns with the weekhand at ten yards. 8 seconds sounds like a long time for a 3x3 but not being able to find the dot eats up the time quick. Telling a shooter having problems to cant the gun a little bit helps them a bunch. I know you are not suppose to cant the gun anytime but in this certain situation it seems to work very well. I don't mean gangsta style either. Just a little bit. At 10 yards the cant doesn't make that much difference in bullet impact. I've seen several people go from shooting 8's & 5's to 10's and x's immediately. Sounds crazy, but try it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I cant the gun to the inside a little bit shooting one hand with either hand. Works good for iron or red dot. I think the arm is twisted unnaturally when the

gun is vertical. I feel like I have better control of the gun that way. Everyone is different, but it might be worth a try in practice anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something I have noticed over the years is shooters having trouble finding the dot on open guns with the weekhand at ten yards. 8 seconds sounds like a long time for a 3x3 but not being able to find the dot eats up the time quick. Telling a shooter having problems to cant the gun a little bit helps them a bunch. I know you are not suppose to cant the gun anytime but in this certain situation it seems to work very well. I don't mean gangsta style either. Just a little bit. At 10 yards the cant doesn't make that much difference in bullet impact. I've seen several people go from shooting 8's & 5's to 10's and x's immediately. Sounds crazy, but try it.

Good point, I just realised that I cant the gun when I shoot weakhand as well. Must be the natural feel or line of the arm/should ect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My gun is sighted in to hit the center of the x at 50. However, due to my tendency to heel the gun, I aim at the bottom of the x at 50. I don't touch my scope during a match. I know quite a few shooters that change their elevation and windge knobs throughout an event. I believe doing this is just a disaster waiting to happen especially if you forget to do it one time or lose track of where you are on the adjustments.

I sight in for 50 and hold a little high at 10 and 15. Other than that i hold dead center.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best advise I have received in the years I have been shooting came from John Pride. At 50 hold the triger back well after the shot breaks. Believe it or not he told me you can move the gun before the round exits the gun. This was when I was shooting revolver at NPRC in the 80's. It brought my groups at the 50 in by almost 30%. I use the same practice today in action pistol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
My gun is sighted in to hit the center of the x at 50. However, due to my tendency to heel the gun, I aim at the bottom of the x at 50. I don't touch my scope during a match. I know quite a few shooters that change their elevation and windge knobs throughout an event. I believe doing this is just a disaster waiting to happen especially if you forget to do it one time or lose track of where you are on the adjustments.

I sight in for 50 and hold a little high at 10 and 15. Other than that i hold dead center.

I am wondering what about what most of you guys are doing for a zero. I have a 25 yard zero and then hold a little high at 50 yards. With this I don't worry about point of aim (elevation wise) at any other distance or match. This seemed to be the standard 15 years ago....."what say ye" :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me the Practical has been one of those "moving problem" matches. Years past the 25 yd line was found to be the toughest, then other years the 50 yd line was the problem. In the past several years the 10 yd WHO string has caused me the most problems. The real problem is between my ears. The only way to see this problem is to look into a mirror.

MJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
For me the Practical has been one of those "moving problem" matches. Years past the 25 yd line was found to be the toughest, then other years the 50 yd line was the problem. In the past several years the 10 yd WHO string has caused me the most problems. The real problem is between my ears. The only way to see this problem is to look into a mirror.

MJ

Sounds like me I had a lot of trouble witht e 50 Yard stage using the revolver. I used to snatch the trigger and pull low fives or eights. I then made the effort to just hold the centre of the target and squeeze the trigger unit it went off on it's own, I then found that I was shooting all tens and a lot of X's. Then it went to the WHO stage and I would shoot eights and fives I found that the more I trained and concentrated on the dot rather then the trigger I was hitting more and more x's. Not I have moved to the Auto and I have to start all over again. The 50 Yard stage is fine just the WHO stage has been a bit of a issue I just worked out again that I have to really concentrate on the Red Dot and let the trigger jus happen and the shots will release while the dot is in the x ring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
For me the Practical has been one of those "moving problem" matches. Years past the 25 yd line was found to be the toughest, then other years the 50 yd line was the problem. In the past several years the 10 yd WHO string has caused me the most problems. The real problem is between my ears. The only way to see this problem is to look into a mirror.

MJ

Sounds like me I had a lot of trouble witht e 50 Yard stage using the revolver. I used to snatch the trigger and pull low fives or eights. I then made the effort to just hold the centre of the target and squeeze the trigger unit it went off on it's own, I then found that I was shooting all tens and a lot of X's. Then it went to the WHO stage and I would shoot eights and fives I found that the more I trained and concentrated on the dot rather then the trigger I was hitting more and more x's. Not I have moved to the Auto and I have to start all over again. The 50 Yard stage is fine just the WHO stage has been a bit of a issue I just worked out again that I have to really concentrate on the Red Dot and let the trigger jus happen and the shots will release while the dot is in the x ring.

Is there enough time to pull back the hammer of a revolver and shoot? It would make it single action, or would it be illegal to do? I would think that would make it easyer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the 50 yd line there is plenty of time to cock the hammer and it is legal to do. If your gun has a really good double action, it may be better

to do it that way, depending on your skill level. Try both and see what works best for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Warren is dead on.

You have the time 7seconds one shot each target is the quick stuff at 50Y.

If your gun does not have the best double action (ie Prod Revolver) then it would be very beneficial to cock the hammer. I never really got the hang of the revolver with AP, I started with a Metallic Auto went to an Open Revolver and got away from that as quickly as I could. I now have a better appreciation of the revolver and shoot it much better. I don't think there is any one thing that makes revolver or auto harder or better. I all comes down to what you can achieve. I just prefer the Auto.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have watched a lot of revolver shooters as I try to learn something and I have yet to see a High Master shoot one single action... I call that a clue :)

I did try cocking it at 50 yards and found that after shooting the rest of the course of fire double action, trying to shoot one position with a different trigger pull was a disaster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll give ti try and see what happens.

I had a post earlier advising what John Pride has told me in PPC for 50 yards years ago. Shoot it double action and make yourself hold the triger back against the trigger guard until well after the shot breaks. Believe it or not you can move the revolver before the bullett exits the gun!

Kim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

For the open shooters, how much does hold over affect you here. If you aim dead center of the X-ring, where will you hit?

Depending on how your gun was built, POA/POI will vary.

I sight my gun in at 50 yards for the entire match. The only holdover I have to worry about is at 10 yards but even there it hits 1" or so low. ( this is for a 115gr Sierra bullet at 1140 fps )

Now if your scope is mounted at the wrong angle, or you have some slow moving .38 special or .45acp's, then I've seen people with some strange Point of Impact changes. Some people use hold off and a few click for different yard lines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...