jroback

I tend to see the laser hit the target in the vertical gaps between the front and rear sites. To understand what this is like, think of how even when you're concentrating on your front site you can still see the target, albeit in very fuzzy focus -- this same fuzzy focus is the way you pick up the laser hit. If you see the fuzzy laser hit in that site gap, you know you're on target. How is this useful? If you are pushing your draw speed you might "think" you've gotten an acceptable site picture before pulling trigger, but if the laser hit is not where its supposed to be so you need to fix your technique. Regarding your cocking question, you have hit on the great weakness I found when using the laser bullet on my CZ. I can't repetitively activate the laser with SA pulls. If I draw cocked and locked, I can have one SA pull but then to activate the laser subsequently I need to do DA pulls. So far I've been working on my draw time to first shot, and the laser has worked great for that. Also works great for dry fire accuracy work when you can recock after each shot.

Actually, depending on the distance from the target (nearer works better), you can watch your sites as you squeeze the trigger AND see approximately where the laser hits on the target. Of course, if you buy the laser light targets (which I haven't done yet) then you don't even have to worry about picking up the laser in peripheral vision -- the target will record the hits for you.

I think suggesting caution is reasonable here. I have implemented and discarded a number of techniques and training tools before, and there will probably come a time when the laser bullet is no longer useful to me. But for now it has been useful, although it does take discipline to call your shots based on the site picture, not where the laser hits.

I'm thinking about dropping Dish, but I was wondering -- where do you get your sports feeds?

I got the Shotmaxx a week ago. This is my only timer, and I am extremely happy with it. I have used it extensively as a par timer for dry fire. So far, I have only used it once at an indoor range but it picked up all my shots accurately even when there were 6 other people shooting around me. Got an IDPA match tonight, so I'm going to try to Spy function for the first time. FYI.... I had a small problem with the Shotmaxx yesterday (similar to what Ironic noted above), and got immediate assistance from Eli via email. Turns out it just needed to be charged

As a newbie (only 2 IDPA matches) I can't really critique anything you're doing since I'm not sure I would have scored as well as you did. I am a little confused by a matt's comment, however, because he made it sound like you had a choice to shoot on the move or shoot then move. Not sure if that is the case or not. In my 2 IDPA matches there were probably 5 stages total where shooting on the move was required (procedurals assessed for stopping and shooting). After going home and practicing, I realized that if I had to shoot while moving I was more accurate if I always broke the shot during the same part of the stride. So I press the trigger when weight has been transferred to the heel of my foot, then I keep the trigger pinned until the other foot moves forward. At this point I allow the trigger to reset and repeat. May be worth trying to see if it works for you.

The first time I shot IDPA I was predictably horrible at shooting on the move. I have been working on this during dry fire, and 1 trick that has helped me is to shoot at the same time during each stride. When my foot moves forward I release pressure on the trigger until it resets, and then I break the shot and pin the trigger back when that foot lands. It has taken me a while to develop muscle memory for this, but it seems to have helped.

I would check out Garrett Industries. They make at least 1 IWB holster for revolvers; not sure about OWB. http://www.giholsters.com/silent-thunder-iwb-revolver/ The reason I suggest checking them out is that I just got their Silent Thunder holster for my CZ and it it awesome. Kydex outer and leather-lined. Fit my gun like a glove right out of the box. JR

I'm using the Laserlyte laser trainer 9mm cartridge. I also saw some questionable reviews. However, I've had it for a few weeks now and have not had any problems. At the beginning of each session I carefully insert the bullet into the breach, and then use my pinky finger to make sure its seated as far forward as possible (the first couple times i placed it in sort of haphazard, let the slide go forward and it didn't seat right -- you could tell the laser was not hitting where the sights were). After each session I remove the laser from the gun and take the batteries out. My only complaint (which really has nothing to do with the product) is that I can't replicate a string of SA shots.

It was certainly helping when I was doing it as in Steve Anderson's first book. However, I've seen a lot more improvement after I incorporated the laser bullet into the program. For example, in Steve's par time drills he says "don't cheat, make sure you get an acceptable sight picture". However, its natural to cheat in order to make increasingly shorter par times. The laser bullet keeps you honest. You think you have an acceptable sight picture, but then you pull the trigger and the laser dot tells you that you didn't. You can correct some of your problems faster, and without having to go to the range. The only problem is that while it works great for the first trigger pull when I start cocked and locked with my CZ 75 Shadow, the only way to activate it for follow up shots is do DA pulls. So you can't really practice a string of SA pulls. But its a great tool nonetheless.

I like the 3rd one (stop admiring your work...)

Thanks for the clarification. This approach makes sense.

1. Wow. This is really interesting. I am not a great shooter, or even a pretty good shooter yet, but I am fairly accurate even when I try to shoot quickly. This gun dipping definitely happens to me when I get a malfunction. I assumed I was flinching, and I was planning on using dummy rounds to work on that, but based on the timing of this movement I think I'm just driving the gun down after squeezing the trigger. This totally changes my perception of what's really happening. 2. Thanks for clarifying what you mean by timing.

I like this practice idea. Let me ask a newbie question, however. It seems like what you're training here is 2 sequential actions after a signal (click, sight picture, etc): release trigger from rear to reset point, then squeeze trigger. Does this imply that as you're driving the gun from target to target you want to hold the trigger to the rear (not allowing it to reset) until you get the appropriate signal (sight picture) and then you reset-squeeze? Is this what top shooters do, or is their "hold" point after the reset? In other words, should the metronome practice be to hold trigger at the reset point then on the click squeeze-reset, then wait for the next click? Thx.

Technique and strength I get, but please elaborate on what you mean by timing. Are you saying that even with optimal grip technique and strength there is still some recoil, and that timing allows you to break the next shot just as the sights come back on target? Or is there another aspect to timing you're referring to? Thx.

Thanks.

I know 1eyed didn't ask this specifically, but I'm looking for a new belt that can be used for both IDPA and USPSA production (I'm also shooting a CZ 75 Shadow). is the CR speed belt you're using legal in production as shown above, and also legal in IDPA just using the inner (or outer) belt?

Been there with the kids for baseball games, and its a nice area. If you look below, Milton HS and a few surrounding high schools are all ranked pretty highly in GA. http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/georgia/rankings?int=9aa408

Its all trade-offs. If you have the money, Atlanta private schools and a home near Buckhead will give you the best of all worlds. If you go for the best public schools, then you deal with commuting in via 78 (south Gwinnett), 85 (north Gwinnett), 400 or 75 (east Cobb), which are all rough, although hundreds of thousands do it every day. You will also get more home for your money with this second option.

I think the first step for you should be be to determine public vs private schools for your kids. People who come from the northeast, in general, expect more from public schools than you are going to find in Atlanta. We bit the bullet and sent our two kids to private schools, near Buckhead. But it will run you $20-25k/year/kid. If you are set on public school, there are only a few communities (mostly northern suburbs in Cobb County and some parts of Gwinnett County) that have truly good public schools. Hope that helps. PM me if you want more info.

When this happened to me, I sent an email to Rob at CZC and he told me the exact part to order.

For working extensors, just wrap rubber bands around fingers and then spread your fingers. They sell special bands for this, but rubber bands work fine.

In Steve's book he says (paraphrasing) that you need to be honest with yourself when obtaining a site picture: did you really see a clear alpha when you released the shot? I found its easy to mislead myself on this point, especially when I'm pushing for faster and faster splits. I added the laser bullet to my dry fire routine, and its helped keep me honest -- its developed into an intermediate training method between traditional dry fire and live fire. For example, I had an idea for speeding my draw, I was improving my par times, the site picture looked fine but the laser was not consistently getting alpha hits. Previously I would have had to gone to the range to figure this out.

Dr. Phil: I like those ideas! Thanks.

After shooting my second IDPA meet, I certainly have a lot of things to work on but I think the skill I probably need to work on the most is target transitioning. I plan on doing a lot of dry fire exercises, but I'm wondering how to practice the skill live at an indoor range (the only kind of range near to me, and none of the ranges allow shooting across lanes)? I was thinking about turning the IDPA targets horizontally to landscape orientation and putting a post-it at each end. Any other ideas? Thanks, JR