Nickb45

Last minute trip out to the range today, set up "Accelerator" I was running it at 6.5-7.0. I started it shooting my 9mm 1911, after about 100 rounds I switched to my commander length .45. My times were very close between the two pistols. The big difference was I shot my shorter barreled .45 a lot more accurately than the 9mm. I noticed when I shoot the 9mm I don't hold onto it as tight as I do the .45. I'm not sure if it's due to the thin grips on the .45 compared to standard grips on the 9mm, or if I just feel like I don't need to have a good hold on it because such a lack of recoil. Anyways I found I was a lot more accurate going far to near, my draw was around 1.3 on the 25 yard target and 1.0 on the 7 yard. It was easier to keep my accuracy when I went far to near. It was hard to slow down and still shoot As and Cs going near to far. I need to upload some videos.

That's awesome! I might have to plan some trips out there. All steel USPSA style stages are a lot of fun! Tell them to get it on their Facebook page and I will be sure to get the word out to the Yakima area locals!

Ephrata is doing a State match June 20th. Entry forms will be on Practiscore this weekend.

Good to hear you guys are starting to do steel out there! For anyone who hasn't been Rattlesnake Mountain is a very nice range! YRPA is doing our 8 stage "Steel Classic" match June 6th. We will be shooting 8 new stages that look like they will be a lot of fun! Lunch is provided and the prize table usually has something for everyone who attends. (Thanks for the plug drysideshooter). If you anyone is on Facebook there is a Central Washington Action Shooting Page that usually stays pretty current on matches in the area. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Washington-Action-Shooters/751180358328731

I've been laid off for the last month, short on money, lots of free time. I've been dry firing for at least an hour a day, 5-6 days a week, not much practice range time, a few SC matches and a USPSA match. I shot my first 60% classifier last month. I will be shooting an all classifier match Sunday, I should make B. This reinforced my dry fire even more, I haven't shot much but have seen major improvements in my shooting game.

This week I decided to plan out each day of the week for my dry fire. This way I have a set plan to follow, instead of waking up and wasting half hour deciding what drills I want to do each day. I have two drills from each section of the Bens dry fire book.

Headed out to the range today to run some drills. I had a few gun issues, swapped recoil springs and everything ran great after that. The only problem was I only had a 20 pound spring instead of an 18 which is what I normally run. Did some group shooting at 25. Set up 6 mini poppers at 10 yards and ran those down between 4 and 4.5 seconds. Ran El Pres at 10 yards, 1.5-1.6 draws and 1.6-1.8 reloads (not having a magwell sucks). Best times were: 6.57 53 points 8.06 HF 7.1 53 points 7.46 HF Picked up the speed to 5.64, dropped a lot of points to 44 but a HF of 7.8. Did a few bill drills at 10 yards: 2.5 29 points 11.6hf 2.41 25 points 10.3hf 2.45 26 points 10.6hf 2.13 26 points 12.2hf Last drill I ran was the Blake Drill: 2.53 22 points 8.69hf 2.55 26 points 10.19hf This was the first time I've ever set up drills, recorded my times and points. I feel like it was a very well spent 300 rounds.

Shot a steel match today, it was out of town at a range I have only shot at twice before. I wasn't as focused on shooting good like I was last weekend, I was more worried about where I was going to finish. It ended up costing me a few spots. I was not as consistent as I should have been, threw 2 misses (this range added 5 seconds instead of 3). I finished about 14 seconds away from 1st. Now for some good from the match, I had some of the fasted strings on 4 of the stages I believe, my draws were .99-1.1. At the end of the match I shot a friends 6" STI. I was worried that a 6" gun would be too nose heavy, his barrel was fluted and the slide was lightened... This winter I think I will be building a 6" STI in .40. My plan for this week is to dry fire at least 6 hours, I have 400 rounds set aside for a range session. Also I need to read "With Winning in Mind" and a few sections of "Practical Pistol".

Our steel match director had some stages set up looking for opinions on them today. Shot 3 stages, everything felt good. After I gave him my opinion on them I stayed after and shot a little. Did some draws on a 10" plate at 10 yards, I was consistent between 1.15-1.25 from surrender. On the same plate I did some reloads, I was between 1.5-1.6 without getting too sloppy. Then went onto 2 at 25 yards on a steel target that's only the A,B and C zone. First shot was in the 1.30 range, second shot was 1.75-1.8. Finished on the same target, doing 2 at 10 yards, .95 first shot, usually finished at 1.15. I need to be practicing reloads and splits a my splits a little. I also don't care for running drills on steel, but I was short on time before the range closed so it was quick and easy.

Indoor went good tonight, I think I shot 21 A's and only 4 C's. Waiting for the sights maybe added a second for all 3 runs combined instead of shooting D's and M's. Going to head out tomorrow and set up some steel, I will try to remember my GoPro.

Looks like an interesting app. Thanks for sharing.

More dry fire the last couple of days. Monday I did 2 drills from each section of the Stoeger book. Today I did some gun/ammo pick up (someone told me the classifier match will have a lot of starts with gun/ammo coming from a table and I don't practice it all that much). I then set up 3 "stages" all with tight shots (pepper poppers and no shoots covering paper) they were also all around a barricade. Tomorrow is the indoor shooting, I need to be in the same mindset that I was in at the steel match last weekend and worry more about good hits rather than just squirting bullets towards the targets.

I would be interested in some 135grn 9mm and 200grn .45 bullets.

Staying relaxed and being patient with the sights sure does feel slow, until I heard the times for my strings. I came away with the win in CF Lim. at the steel match today, 2nd place was almost 10 seconds away. I feel like I am getting really big gains from dry fire. I got my grip every time on the draw, and just about all of 1st shots were hits (something that use to give me problems). Back at dry fire real hard for the next two weeks getting ready for the classifier match.

WST meters better than Solo1000 for me (dillon 550). If I go to the low end of the load I get a big spread, when I'm mid to upper end then it's pretty consistent through the chrono,

I got out to the range later than I wanted to today. By the time I was out there it was time to set up stages for our steel match tomorrow. After the stages were set up I ran 2 strings on each stage. I was very patient with the sights, and very relaxed. It felt slow, until I looked down at the timer. I just need to keep that in mind tomorrow under match pressure. Another thing I will be looking at tomorrow, is a few of my buddies I normally squad with won't be at the match. I think I let them pressure me into rushing my shots.

Our local club has been using stages that are similar to NSSF stages. The guy who picks out our stages and sets them up shoots a lot of matches all around the place so he takes pictures and sets em up for us.

I shot at a local indoor range tonight, they set up 3 "stages" usually 4-5 open targets per stage with a little bit of moving. I shot good, my draw felt really good, transitions were good. I always shoot a 9mm 1911 there since they don't do power factor (it's all just for fun and to get people introduced into "action shooting"). The only problem is I have a difficult time tracking the sights on that pistol indoors (it just has a painted front post, no fiber or tritium insert) and I tend to go into spray and pray mode at the close ranges that they have set up (7-10 yards). I think I also need to go in thinking of it more as a real match, take my time and be patient with the sights. Next week I will shoot the 1911 I usually shoot and see if I can get some more points. I also talked to the guy who sets up the stages and he said he would like my input on what to set up next week. Sounds like we will be shooting el pres and Ben Stoeger's Accelerator drill.

Did 30 minutes of dry fire this morning. I have never dry fired a classifier before but 03-11 had everything I wanted to work on. I used a 5.5 second par time for strong hand, 6.5 seconds for weak hand. I got in about 10minutes of the Hopkins drill with reloads after dinner (this is probably one of my favorite dry fire drills), I got my wife to dry fire the same drill (without reloads, she only shoots steel challenge for now) for about 15 minutes.

Thank you. Yes, I have read "With winning in mind" It was worth the read! Today I did an hour of dry fire, mostly working on marksmanship and core USPSA skills. I didn't set up any practice stages. My next match will be a steel challenge then an all classifier match. After May I will have a new pistol, I'm really curious to see if a 5" barrel helps at all, I know having a magwell will speed up reloads.

I started shooting competitively almost a year ago, right away I knew I was going to get hooked. When I started I had always just shot paper, standing in one spot... and I wasn't that great at that. I've been shooting a bobtailed commander length 1911 (my everyday carry pistol). My first match was a steel challenge match This was my first time transitioning targets and shooting with a timer. My first USPSA match was a few weeks after. All last summer I didn't have any guided training, I wasn't on this forum, I didn't know about dry fire and never ran repeatable drills to work on skills and keep track of where I am. My initial classification in Lim10 was a C. After that a few shooters recommended Ben Stoeger's 15 minute dry fire drills, I worked on those when I could find time, it seemed I would get a couple of nights of dry fire then a couple of weeks off. Around Christmas time I got all three of Bens books, since then I have read through Practical Pistol a few times and have been working out the dry fire book. One goal I set was to get at least 10 hours a month of good dry fire practice. I fell into the same routine of a few nights on then a week or so off. I have only had a chance to get live fire practice a few times since getting his books, so I haven't ran too many drills. Lately my live fire consists of a Steel Challenge match and a USPSA match each month. Over the last couple of weeks I have had a lot of free time for dry fire, I have been doing about an hour (or until I get bored) of drills, then setting up different mini stages throughout my house. Today was the first time I really felt efficient at a match, all of my skills felt natural, I wasn't thinking about "doing it right". I got the stage programmed in and stuck to the program. A few things from today's match that really stood out to me was my stage break down/programming. One stage in particular had an array of paper with a group of poppers, the first two poppers were very slow forward falling with mini poppers behind them. I was able to shoot the two forward falling poppers transition to a paper target that I intentionally skipped due to reload positions then back to the mini poppers just in time for the first two forward falling poppers to be almost all the way down. My position entry/exit also felt really good throughout the day. The last accomplishment from today's match was the classifier. We shot 99-16, I had a hit factor 5.75 which should be right at 60%, my highest % on a classifier to date. With performances that feel this good. It's a lot of motivation for me to stick to dry fire.

I'm using Cr Speed belt. First belt I've bought and I see no reason to change.

Good to hear you will be back. If you guys shoot USPSA we have a match on the 29th this month.

Drysideshooter, I'm glad you guys had a good time at the YRPA match. It seems a lot of the "regulars" like the variety of stages (I know I do). I think it evens the playing field a little, you aren't shooting against some who practiced the stage the day before.

WST and Solo 1000 for my .45 loads.