bludog

i have a Burris fast fire 3, with an 8mo dot. The window size is small compared to other dots, but the Burris has held up well and held zero . If i shot the gun more frequently i would go to a red dot with a larger window-it would really helps with transitions.

I recently purchased a Defions Arms 2011 open pistol in 9mm. I just shot my first match with it. It ran flawlessly, extremely accurate, excellent fit and finish, great balance. More importantly Jason Bauman has outstanding customer service. I called him late on a Sunday afternoon and he spent time and effort dealing with my questions and solving my problem. I only have about 500 rounds through it but so far I'm more than happy with the build. Mr. Bauman is good guy to deal with-- knowledgeable, friendly and accessible. Very positive experience with Defions.

Do the coated bullets or jhp's do a better job of maximizing the gas needed to make the comp work in an open gun ?

I've been reloading for about a year and have stumbled into some Ginex small pistol primers. Seems like one out of twenty is too tight to fit the primer pocket. Most of the other brands of primers I use seem to work OK. Is the answer to swage the primer pocket before using this particular primer or are there certain brands of brass that are known for smaller pockets ?

I try to watch and learn from better shooters. There is always something I will focus on when an A, M or Gm shoots before me.. The bad news is those folks shoot so fast that when i follow next in line I think I can match their speed and the stage does not go well for me. The experienced shooters stage plans are often better than what i have come up with. Though simplicity in stage plan is currently my favorite way to go.

There are dry fire swinger targets available. Miniature, about 8 inches, connected to a small metal pendulum and a pull cord for activation. It has suction cups to attach the target to a window or flat surface. Search for "dry fire swinger targets" and you'll see what they look like. A little hokey but it does give you the experience of timing the shots.

I had a tx22 competition and dropped in the the Keep Tinkering trigger, added a comp and extended mag base pads. I liked the KT trigger over the factory, though it was challenging to install for me at least. It shot well and offered much larger mag capacity than my Ruger/Volquartsen. Still the feel of the gun was so different than the target grips on my VQ that i eventually sold the TX. I just didn't want to take the time to learn to shoot the new pistol. The Taurus mag release was also a bit difficult to operate. I know several people that shoot the Tx22, one problem a few have had is with the magazines feeding properly. But when they run they shoot fast and hold a lot of rounds.

I have been able to get to 165 pf with 7.8 of HS6 at 1.16 using 125 grain coated round nose. The group size is not as tight as with a jhp but close . The round nose seem to run more reliably in the mags as well. Feeding the 1.16 rounds was not consistent without tuning the mags. Seems to run well now. I have learned to become more fanatic about cleaning the mags after every use.

Thanks for posting the "mental aspects" video. I've read the Bassham book, but will go to the youtube link for a video reminder. Having had a couple of matches with problems memorizing stage plans I have lost some confidence in my ability to subconsciously put a plan in my head. I think what I'm hearing is stay positive, keep the plan simple, visualize it in my head and then just concentrate on putting the dot on the target and pressing the trigger.

So I would like to practice the advice from sfinney in the above post--trying to break down the the stage into smaller sections and then stringing them together. The challenge is I only see large/medium size stages at matches. So yes, I'm willing to learn from those real live experiences but are there any mental exercises that would enhance my ability to subconsciously imprint the stage plan. Would looking at USPSA stage diagrams be helpful for visualization ? Is it memory that I need to improve or finding the ability to make the "movie" in my head of me shooting the stage ?

Everyone says "visualize" the stage plan and memorize it. I get what I'm supposed to do but in reality am having trouble memorizing large or complex stages. Mentally I've been challenged to "see" the entire sequence and commit to my subconscious. Any advice on breaking the stage into smaller segments or picking markers with a specific number of targets at each . How can I best simplify the stage planning process, so my ageing brain can quickly comprehend it ? thanks in advance for any help/advice

For me(a relatively new shooter) I try to practice speed. In matches I try to focus only on seeing what I"m shooting and not worry about how fast I'm going. The theory here I believe is that the speed you have subconsciously gained in practice will be there in "Match Mode".

Thank you for the advice. Steve Anderson has been a great resource for me but I was unaware of the Casey Reed daily dry fire program. Seems like a good fit for me with lots of video instruction. You're right. It is consuming. I'll need to watch that. Again, thanks.

I have "Refinement and Repetition", in which there are 38 drills. What is your advice for a solid 10-15 minute a day (maybe twice a day) dry fire practice session ? Rotate through all the drills? Practice the skills you lack the most ? Is there a daily plan that has worked well for you?

I received advice to practice my dry fire draw in front of a mirror. Not moving your head and getting the gun up to eye level can be more easily observed.