spook

Grab a beer because this is going to be a post which you will probably understand better after a beer or two I shot my first match in about a year yesterday. On the way to the match I noticed all sorts of stuff going through my mind. I've played with the whole mental game thing for a long time and have come to the conclusion that shooters who are just plain positive and have the "smallest" mental game are the most succesful. I noticed that shooters who are really into the whole mental management are ironically also the guys who screw up because of it. So, I blocked it all out and told myself: "The only plan I have is to wait until I see the front sight settle in the notch on every shot" I shot a pretty decent match. I shot about 15 C's out of 100 shots. I saw my FS in the notch on all shots where I needed to and on the close stuff (arms lenght up to 5yds) I had a clean target focus. I lost the match on speed, not points. The other guy shot about 15% faster. This made me think. How can I increase the speed of shooting? What do I need to practice? I know exactly where I lose time. It is in recognizing the sight picture. I take too much time to "see what I need to see". It's like I need too much certainty to make the shot. Like I am too afraid to not call my shot correctly. It's definately a confidence issue. I have been working on my index (Stock Glock) for about 6 months. Most of my dry-fire practice consists of doing index and transition drills and drawing the gun to get comfortable with my shooting platform. I have developed a nice platform, but I find it hard to have a 100% consistency. About 5% of the times I present the gun on the target, I don't have a perfect sight picture. I am working on this. So, I lack confidence and I am now trying to find a way to make it go away with practice. The question is HOW? I am definately going to do some analyzing on and off the range, but any advice to increase confidence/sight recognition is welcome.

My experience is the exact oppsoite. I feel that the technique and practice are the major part of the equation and many lower classified shooters are often overlooking those elements and seek their improvement in equipment. I remember Jerry Miculek once stating he could never outshoot his guns. That included his S&W revolvers. There's no cycle time you can change in revolvers and the gun doesn't work for you. You have to return the gun by yourself. He said that that those sights were always there waiting for the next shot. If you're "waiting" on the gun to return, that's probably something you can fix with a bunch of timing drills. Also, sometimes the waiting part is more of an illusion than an actual hold back.

Thanks for the tips guys Wide45, you're right. But I am shooting with those guys at the same night, and it is too much work to sort out the 9mm brass. Besisdes, I just shoot 130PF loads with that brass Toddrod. I already lube the cases, but excellent tip on the 2x4! I'll get one today. Merlin, that's a bummer. Now I have no reason at all to get myself a 1050

MAn, you'd still have to reload every 6 shots. Just slap a C-more on that sucker and shoot Open!

you are saying: I have to assume you are going as fast as you can to get your HF. I am assuming you are not hiting all alphas. (If you get all As, go faster until you are no longer able to do all As, then re-read) Well, I hope I wasn't saying that, but I might have been at the time. Fast vs. slow...in my mind now...is a speed focus. Exactly, I was practicing reloads tonight and missed a few. I noticed I wasn't paying enough attention to the magwell. So what did I do? I told myself to slow down a bit. Guess what, I started missing them....slower LOL!

If you will set up 7yd open target array in a match, most will shoot it the same whether the array is a stage by itself, or set up in the middle of a field course with loads of long distance targets. On a long stage it's a damned shame to just throw those easy points away, isn't it? From my own experience, I shot a long course once at the World Shoot and went for points. Shot like 28 Alphas out of 32 shots and one miss (still think that was a perfect double ). I still ended up pretty well because I never took those close shots for granted. I shot about as many points as Jerry M., he was just a tad faster. Shooting loads of points deliberately on all targets will also give you a little leeway for those few shots where your visual attention is just not there for whatever reason. Wasting points is just that, a waste... If you can, take a look at Eric G.'s latest DVD of the Europeans. He has become the definition of shooting for Highest Hitfactor. He just walks that fine line on every stage. It's just insane to see him finish the EC with a 30 round long course shooting 30 Alphas....

Take a look at Nill Grips. Fairly expensive, but without a doubt the most beautiful and more important, the most natural feeling factory grips I have ever put my hands on. Everything they make fits me like a glove.

Improving your weaknesses. A lot of shooters (myself included) have a hard time working on the things you're not good at. Many just practice what they're good at.

The speed to shoot for is 0.00 seconds while shooting an A.

Dillon, thanks for the reply. It's great to have a Dillon official on these forums! I somehow started posting and submitted later, not reading your post before I submitted. I looked at the blue plate and yes, the blue bumps look a little dented/worn. The die still touches the shellplate when it's down, but it can move up and down a little without a case. Is it supposed to? After I put the brass ring on top, the die is solid a hell, touches the shellplate without a case, but strangely enough, when a case is in the die there's still light between the die and the shellplate. So the short anser to you question is "no, the die doesn't touch the shellplate when a case is inserted". I wonder if the blue plate will help, because the die is rock solid when the ring is on top of it and it feels like it can't get any tighter. Spook, With a piece of brass in station one and the handle pulled down, the die should contact the top of the shellplate. Send me your name & address information, and I will send a replacement friction plate to you. Wow! Great service as always PM sent.

Have a great one SAM!

I was thinking along the lines of "position" when I saw that...

Actually, those look like terns, not gulls Nice photo !

Maybe it's an idea to continue this thread without taking the dollars in consideration. I mean, it's all about shooting what you like in the end, isn't it? Shooting what you feel comfortable with. Make your decision based on that, and see if that's within your budget. Come on guys, nobody is trying to piss off anyone in this thread. Cy just wanted to know what makes a S_I worth the $ over a $1K Glock. The correct answer should have been that it's personal. Shoot both and see what it's worth to you.

That is not even close to what I said. If you read what I said, in context. The thread is about comparing a 2K S_I to a Glock. I made the comparison that it didn't matter to Dave in winning the USPSA Nationals. I didn't say anything about IPSC. If Dave would win the Standard division WS with a Glock that would go a long way to show further that a Glock is not inferior to a 2K S_I. But since a majority of the top Limited/Standard shooters are USA shooters I guess you could infer reasonable that Dave's USPSA Nationals win is comparable, though not the same at all, as a Standard WS win. I'm sorry Bill, I must have misinterpreted the phrase: "I am pretty sure there is no place above National Champion". I didn't mean to spark an IPSC/USPSA debate. I'll get back on topic.

Damn! He didn't get hurt... That's one lucky SOB!

Heh! I like that. Makes a lot of sense.

Dillon, thanks for the reply. It's great to have a Dillon official on these forums! I somehow started posting and submitted later, not reading your post before I submitted. I looked at the blue plate and yes, the blue bumps look a little dented/worn. The die still touches the shellplate when it's down, but it can move up and down a little without a case. Is it supposed to? After I put the brass ring on top, the die is solid a hell, touches the shellplate without a case, but strangely enough, when a case is in the die there's still light between the die and the shellplate. So the short anser to you question is "no, the die doesn't touch the shellplate when a case is inserted". I wonder if the blue plate will help, because the die is rock solid when the ring is on top of it and it feels like it can't get any tighter.

Well, I made an effort to be technical and I think it worked What did I do: 1) I did what Hoofy said and ground a bit of the bottom of the die, making the sizing ring (almost) flush with the steel outside. I made sure there's just the slightest bit of steel to get between the sizing ring and the shellplate after hearing stories of crackes sizing rings. 2) I took the plastic toolhead off and put a little brass ring on top of the sizing die. Between the sizing die and the toolhead. This results in the die not moving upwards when a case is inserted. Observations: Before inserting the ring, I noticed the sizing die can move up and down when the ram is down. It's kind of loose. After I installed the ring, the die couldn't move when the ram was down. The weird thing is that when there's no case in station 1 and the ram is up, the die still can't move and touches the shellplate. But when a case is inserted and the ram is up, there's about 0.1" (maybe a little more) of space between the shellplate and the die.... ??? The good stuff: Station 1 sizes the brass lower. But there's still a small ring it doesn't size. I unloaded some cases that wouldn't chamber. First I tried it in the chamber and then ran the brass through station 1. I tried again and most of the cases now fit! So I managed to make the SDB size better (more). But I still don't like that it doesn't size all the way. Benny, thanks for the link. That casepro looks great and fast too! But if I'm going to spend $600+ for a rollsizer, I'd rather get a 1050 with a EGW U-Die

I think there is. You just need to go international (which Dave did). LOL, I was thinking the same thing. We have been talking about Limited division or S_I 2K vs Glock's and such. Did Dave win Standard at a WS with a Glock? No Dave won Production at the WS. I think Luca meant to say that there is a place above US National Champion, winning the World Shoot. Thanks for catching that Spook - I should have been more clear. My point is: a) there is no significant diference in accuracy between the stock Production division glock Dave used and a Glock used in Limited or IPSC's Standard. Dave's win at the world shoot required him to: 1) shoot MORE accurately due to the Minor scoring for Production division and 2) IPSC's targets are smaller and often further than USPSA's targets. c) The Limited Glock is more than accurate enough for USPSA (that is the point Flex was making - and he has the stats & experience to prove it). So, we can collectively dismiss as untrue the argument that: "you need to spend $2000 for a sufficiently accurate USPSA gun." It simply is not true. Carlos, I agree 100% (as you can read in earlier posts). I think it's just a mental thing. The whole Dave Sevigny thing was just a response to BSeevers comment that there is no higher goal to attain in IPSC than the US Nationals. More of a thread drift really. Dave is an awesome shooter and proof that you can reach the top with a Glock.

Thanks guys, I was afraid of that. I'll try the rings to get the die lower first. If this doesn't work, I'll upgrade to another press. Shame the SDB can't handle it. It's my favourite Dillon press.

I had the same problem and moved my sights. But not after I checked were my shots went shooting weak hand (thanks Flex). If you keep shooting to the left, I would tap the sights to the right a tad.

I think there is. You just need to go international (which Dave did). LOL, I was thinking the same thing. We have been talking about Limited division or S_I 2K vs Glock's and such. Did Dave win Standard at a WS with a Glock? No Dave won Production at the WS. I think Luca meant to say that there is a place above US National Champion, winning the World Shoot.

OK, I have spent quite some time in the search function reading up on the bulged cases and how to get rid of them. But I couldn't find what I was looking for. I have a SDB in 9x19mm and I load 9mm minor for my stock Glock 17. Lately I get a lot (15%) of rounds that will not fit the chamber. The rounds have a ring/buldge at the bottom of the case (about 0.1" wide) that doesn't seem to get sized. I acutally get Failures to Extract when these out of spec rounds end up in my magazine after the first shot. It takes a lot of force with a squib rod to get them out. My extractor can't get them out. It will damage the rim before it extracts and slip over. Now I have a feeling it has something to do with some 9mm major brass that I pick up at the range (I shoot with a couple of guys that shoot 9mm major), combined with my SDB not fully sizing. I have looked at solutions, but the only ones given here are either roll sizing or the EGW U-Die (which doesn't fit the SDB). I wonder if anyone has ever modified their SDB to get the sizer lower (adding rings to the top of the die and/or grinding the die down to the sizer ring). There's still a lot of light between the die and the shellholder when the ram is up, so I figured I could win some there. Any suggestions to get rid of this problem are welcome.

I think there is. You just need to go international (which Dave did). LOL, I was thinking the same thing.