rvb
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Posts posted by rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
75 minutes on the stationary bike tonight and a little bit of arm/shoulders on the free weights. (5 lb lost so far). While peddling I read a little from Saul's book and a little from Brian's.
30 minutes of dryfire. Set up a 14-round "stage" with my 1/4 size targets with steel as the last shots. Shoot the targets, reload and move, re-engage. really focused on a) being free of tension and b ) really calling the last shot on steel.
Things I noticed tonight...
-Being relaxed as well as having something "else" to focus on really makes my reloads smooth (reloads as part of a drill vs doing reload after reload and getting so wrapped up in reload performance).
-My minor grip changes as well as putting the trigger more on the tip of my trigger finger have made the dot a lot steadier in dryfire. I can work the trigger as fast as possible w/o the dot moving.
-Dropping the hammer on the last shot in the string (1/4 scale "steel popper") before leaving the shooting position reveals a bad call or trigger press better than pulling the trigger with the hammer already down. Amazing how often I "flinched" this shot dropping the hammer after 6 pretend trigger pulls.
While not an extensive dry-fire session, it was good to get the rig back on and have a relaxed and meaningful practice.
tomorrow.... to the range!
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
ZERO practice for 4 days. Hauled all my gear to OH thinking I was going to have a bunch of free time... HA! Mom is still in hospital so all the time was spent there instead of at home like we hoped. I'm hoping the time away will have a positive benefit... I'm trying to be relaxed more behind the gun. Free of tension. Been really fighting that lately. Read that section of Brian's book a couple times this weekend.
-rvb
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Thanks!!
Am I really 30 already?!
Does this mean I should start acting my age?
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
Did a little bit of serious dryfire last night, but still with no real movement while I'm healing.
on reloads, per a couple posts ago, I'm really working on being aware of EVERYthing as I do the reloads, and here is what I'm finding...
with my "new" grip (see last post) I can hit the mag release a little easier.
I'm not getting a 90degree bend with my elbow, more like 60 degrees... too bunched up on the gun.
Some real KEY things.... 90 degree elbow bend means less arm movement. Being less bunched up means more relaxed. Gun needs to be around 60 degrees from vertical for the new mag to line up properly. Left wrist with new mag needs to be straight as the mag is inserted (not stiff... still relaxed, but not arched).
I did MANY standing reloads, including reload to sho/who.
Some interesting evidence I am opening my awareness and being more relaxed...
I never used to notice the old mag falling free of the mag well. Since I was trying out new things I decided to make sure everything was smooth and actually drop a mag during the dry reloads vs just hitting the button. I must have missed the first 10 reloads as seeing the mag fall out was distracting me. I've been aware of a lot of things when I shoot (brass flying, dirt kicking up on backstop, slide cycling) but never aware of mags falling during the reload. Once I brought my focus back on the mag well I was quicker/smoother than ever before.
This weekend I hope to spend a bit of time working on:
-reloads while transitioning between shooting positions.
-calling the shot on the critical last shot of an array before moving to another position. my ability when entering a box is far superior to my ability when leaving a box.
-rvb
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Thanks, everyone, for the well wishes and stories. I've now heard of a LOT of people who have had basal cell. stay safe out there!
-rvb
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Glad everything went fine for you!
What was it that made you go have checked, frekel, discoloration???
I had a scratch that wouldn't heal. First noticed it around memorial day! after several weeks of it not going away I started self medicating (neosporin). it started to look better, like it was turning into a scar. Eventually I noticed the scar growing, and the edges were becoming inflamed. Got nervous and started googling. in oct I went to my primary care and he thought it could be a viral thing and put me on antibiodics for a couple weeks. Then I went to the dermatologist in nov when they did a biopsy.
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rvb
in Range Diary
Well it's been almost a week of no real dryfire. Things are starting to heal from my surgery and I can move around w/o bleeding, so I put the holster rig on tonight. No movement, just slow draws and reloads.
I spent the last few days reading Brian's book while confined to the lazyboy, really reading closely. It's maybe the 3rd time I've read it (in addition to referencing sections at times) but I've never spent days reading and re-reading each section before. I'm trying to mentally apply what I'm reading (awareness vs focus vs concentration, etc) to what I've experienced in past shooting and what I'd like my shooting to be.
I also made some small changes to my grip on the pistol and spent a lot of time just getting used to the grip and working the trigger prep/followthru/reset. I'm working on rotating my grip around a hair (mainspring housing more towards my fingers. I've not made much change on the top of my grip at the web of the hand, but trying to get the heal of the hand a little more behind the gun. I found this makes it easier to get the trigger nearer the tip of the trigger finger (about in the middle of the nail) which makes the dot a LOT more steady dryfiring slowfire. Small changes I can barely see, but they feel huge.
Finally I'm working on getting even more camming in my left wrist. My "old" grip had my left thumb pointing straight at about a 20 degree up angle, so I'm trying to do a better job of pointing at the target.
I like the changes so far, and now I just have to get them into the subconscious. Going to be a couple weeks before I can get on a range.
Will be in Ohio Sat through Tuesday, so I'll take advantage of the 'rents big basement for some moving dryfire (esp reloads leaving a shooting position, and first shots into new positions).
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I usually do 500 rounds of 9mm or 38 super in 50-60 minutes withOUT the casefeeder (primer tubes filled, brass lubed, etc before I start. 50 minutes assuming no primer jams or breakages, 60 minutes if primers or primer feed gets screwed up or something like the retainer clip on decap pin breaks). I don't feel like I'm rushing and [knock on wood] I've never made a bad round. I don't see the casefeeder getting me enough bang for the buck on the 550, so I'm saving the $ to put towards a 1050 someday...
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Had my surgery on Friday (Mohs Surgery). Been layed up since, but going back to work tomorrow. Today was the first I got out of the house (went to a movie with the wife since it was MLK holiday). Friday/Sat I couldn't even go upstairs to use the bathroom w/o things bleeding. Been sleeping in the living room lazyboy cause I'm afraid I'll end up rolling over in my sleep and ripping stitches out (got 17 of em).
The mohs surgery itself was cake... the reconstruction worked sucked. My nose looks like I was attacked by a pit bull.
Hopefully I'll get back to shooting and dryfiring soon. I stopped at Bass Pro and bought a goofy looking fishing hat to keep sun off the ears and stuff better at matches.
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
Here is a link to something I'm currently struggling with:Reloading question for guns w/ mag wells
I've worked on it this week in dryfire really slowing things up and trying to open what I SEE. The mag well, the bullet tip, my finger, the target, the lamp in the corner of the room, etc. Arching my finger so the tip is about 2/3 the way back seems to be the ticket. I'm feeling that things are smoother and the timer is showing I'm reloading just as quickly as I was before I started working on this (~1.2s) but I feel like I'm taking my time. I haven't yet pushed the par time. (Before I posted the question in the above link, I was reloading in about 0.9 on the par timer, but I wasn't consistant and realize now it was just luck of me craming it in there. In a couple weeks I'll come back and record progress and/or new discoveries.
-rvb
update: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=688443
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Thanks for your input, everyone. Things are going much smoother.
Haven't hit my finger in days and I'm much more consistant. Will continue w/ the dryfire. I'm now adding leaving the positions and reloading to sho/who...
regarding the issue on SEEING...
I've started slowly and carefully reading through Brian's book while spending time the stationary bike.
From Pg 19... "Concentration ... is a narrowing down of the mind to one specific, predetermined focal point.
From Pg 20... "Concentration, then, makes creative action and adaptation impossible."
No doubt why Brian called this section "The Concentration Fallacy."
I talked about myself "seeing" the mag into the grip, but I was concentrating on it so that I was unable to make the necessary adaptations. Seeing with focus but without concentration. Heavy stuff. Posting this question has helped a lot more than my reloads.
Thanks,
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
2" of slushy snow tonight so work let us out early... I don't mind getting pd to shoot so I tried to put the time to good use.
Got set up at the local indoor range to work on timing drills. Fired 2 rounds and the wife calls so I had to leave (was at the gas station, cc wouldn't work and their atm was down so I had to go w/ cash). Got back to the range and felt rushed, tense. Should have just gone home, a waste of 180 rounds.
I was WAY over gripping the gun. My first mag or so things were ok... dot would go up and come back down on target. Then I started TRYING. Of course that led to the dot dippipng and things got worse. Then I started trying NOT to try. Then the dot would go way the f$ up and then way the f$ under the target and then back on target. Now I'm afraid all I accomplished was engraining bad technique.
Tried a 7lb spring w/ buffer now that I had lightened the slide. As tense and off as I was who knows if it handled better. 3 feed failures so I'll be going back to an 8lb spring, or at least a variable 8. Until I fix ME I don't think it matters worth a damn. More timing drills next week.
Frustrated.
(and hungry... diets suck)
-rvb
edited to add: I should reflect on the positive... strong and week hand shooting went very well... about 30 rounds each. better sho/who dot tracking than ever. 25 yds I was getting all good hits w/ 0.4 splits... even w/ the f'd up dot control.
While peddling on the stationary bike pondering it all, I realized I should focus more on the fact that my first mag or so the dot tracked correctly. I -know- how to do something right if I don't think about it. Relax that grip!
-rvb
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Duane,
I actually found I'm 0.5-1s faster w/ rwr, even w/ the "extra time" behind cover. I can move faster and more aggressively to the barrel, my weak hand is free and ready to get a good grip vs fumbling w/ a mag, my focus can be on my mark and the target vs where I'm stowing the mag, etc. My rwr times are only about 0.5 slower than a speed reload. Old mag goes in front pants pocket and the hand is right there for the new mag. only one bulk movement of the mag hand. tl's have two movements to the belt and take a lot longer. And pockets are lot easier to hit when you're static...
As you pointed out, consistency is king. Some people bank on getting the old mag stowed while moving to the barrel, hitting their mark on the ground, and presenting the gun to the target. It's a lot to do in just a few steps. Some "hope" for a smooth TL on the move for a good time... Mostly I see a lot of people either a) moving slowly to the barrel to have time to stow the mag or B ) getting to the barrel and pausing while they finish stowing the mag and re-index their gun on the target.
Of course, that you put it on a timer and found the opposite results I did is why I put in the caveat that everyone has what's best for them..... but you definitely hit on good points why raw "best" times don't necessarily make the best plan. Basically I think we came to the same conclusions!
-rvb
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Either one.FWIW if you are dexterious enough to do the tac load on the second string it would be faster,the gun would be reloaded behind cover and you stow the other mag on the way to the barrel.BTW this belongs in the IDPA section
Just food for thought since everyone has what works best for them, but I found it a) much slower/harder to stow the mag on the move which b ) causes my movement to the barrel to be slower. The minor delay in stuffing the mag in the pocket and grabbing the new mag makes the "big picture" much faster/smoother, even considering the 1/4 second longer spent behind cover.
ymmv.
-rvb
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The Classifier specificially calls for a "TacticalLoad."
Then, also on page 41, the rules state: "Tactical Reloads and Reloads with Retention are interchangeable."
They are in deed interchangable. The classifier calls for a "tac load" so either a "tac load" or "reload w/ retention" are acceptable. I have completely stopped doing tac loads. rwr's are much faster every time (only once does your week hand have to go to your waist vs 2x w/ a tac load).
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
2008 Goals!
2007 was a good year for my shooting. I started dabling in Open. Got my A card in PD. 3rd in IDPA/SSP Nats (13th overall). Won SSP at the MD State IDPA match, learned a LOT (about my shooting and about myself). Hopefully 2008 is just as good to me.
My 2008 goals, in no particular order:
- Loose 50 lb.
- Move out of MD.
- Make Master in Production and Open
- Stay focused on a dryfire regiment
- improve 50 yd accuracy.
- MD State SSP Champ
- "Close the gap" with the top IDPA guys.
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rvb
in Range Diary
1/12/08 was the first match of '08. An informal fun-shoot at York. I shot Open.
The Good:
Dryfire and Steve Anderson's drills have really helped my indexing. The buzzer went off and the dot was just THERE. No sho/who to test that skill.
I ran timing drills a couple nights before the match and I noticed a difference in gun control. Very seldom did the dot dip under the target (my home-brew slide lightning also seemed to help).
I hit a noshoot. How's that good? I hit it on the 2nd of two shots required and put a 3rd into the A-zone of the actual target with a split equivalent to my first split..... ie. I called the shot quickly and correctly, made it up, and moved on with the stage. My shot calling is improving.
The Bad:
CHOPPY. Only my 4th stage (of 4) was smoooooth. I noticed the problem in my first 3 and focused on this on my 4th. Still need work programing my long courses. I still feel like I should be reloading a lot more, as if I were shooting PD. Lost a lot of time on the stages. Trying to figure out how to train for that away from the matches. A lot of mentally replaying/reshooting the stages?
Twice I left a steel array w/ the last steel standing. CALL THAT LAST SHOT. It's critical to stage time (stopping movement to the next position to go back and make up the shot is a real time killer).
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
Here is a link to something I'm currently struggling with:
Reloading question for guns w/ mag wells
I've worked on it this week in dryfire really slowing things up and trying to open what I SEE. The mag well, the bullet tip, my finger, the target, the lamp in the corner of the room, etc. Arching my finger so the tip is about 2/3 the way back seems to be the ticket. I'm feeling that things are smoother and the timer is showing I'm reloading just as quickly as I was before I started working on this (~1.2s) but I feel like I'm taking my time. I haven't yet pushed the par time. (Before I posted the question in the above link, I was reloading in about 0.9 on the par timer, but I wasn't consistant and realize now it was just luck of me craming it in there. In a couple weeks I'll come back and record progress and/or new discoveries.
-rvb
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rvb
in Range Diary
Post #1. Nothing exciting here. But it's time to get serious about a practice/match journal.
This is my second attempt at setting up a journal. I started one on some blog website that had a really poor user interface that became more hassle/headache than it was worth. I'm a bit of a private personal, so it's a bit of a leap for me to do a public journal... but the possible benefits of posting HERE vs elsewhere make it worth it.
I definitely won't be posting after every practice or match, but any time I hear "got to work on that" or even "ah-ha!" in my head I'll put it in here.
-rvb
for future reference, currently I am:
Open: B
Production: A
SSP: MA
ESP: MA
CDP: EX
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Right now I would say it looks like it does different things. Not consistant. While working to become consistant I was hoping to find out if there is a better or best way to do things.
Next time, while you are doing all that watching...figure out what it looks like when your finger does what it should.Between the posts here and a couple of pms, I am starting to realize my mistake in what I see when I'm 'looking the mag in.' I'm detecting a tunnel-vision focus on the well vs an openness.... will work on it....
Thanks!
-rvb
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Thanks everyone!
SA,
I certainly don't keep my index finger straight by any means, but I'll try arching it even more. That sounds like a promising solution or at least a starting point for me.
Steve,
Thanks for making me feel like I'm not the only one to do this!
Keeping the finger way off to the side seems to go against all the "right" things we've been taught about reloading. I'm always willing to try something different, but that'll take a lot of "undoing" be comfortable with. I've been toying w/ getting some of the vids out there, might be the time...
Pharaoh,
Thanks for chiming in!
The last few week have been the first I've used the par timer in a long time. I just started in open in '07 just for something fun and different and got w/in a gnat's fart of A (my next classifier should cause an old 57% to change from Y to F and put me over) w/o really practicing on it. In order to learn to index that dot better from draws, draw to sho/who, reloads, reload to sho/who, etc I've been going through the first half of Anderson's book about 3 times per week to establish some personal baselines and make sure what "feels" fast actually looks good on the clock. I started seriously in the middle of Aug and saw imidiate results w/ a 92% classifier in Nov, (but it was a pretty simple one (99-10)).
I need to do a better job w/ a journal... I started one back in Aug on some blog site I found, but the interface sucked and I got away from doing it. I guess I should just start a journal here. I certainly understand that "static shooting" is not the bread/butter of the sport and I do practice shooting on move and entering/exiting positions, etc. But this question is more about me getting familiar w/ a new gun and equipment.
Thanks for the good idea on practicing to music. "Outside the box" techniques such as that are what makes this site great. Thanks!
HSMITH,
I'll keep your thoughts in mind during my next practice. I believe I do a good job looking (not just looking at, but SEEING) the magazine into the well, but some thirt-party insight into the problem could help me find a problem I don't "think" I have. I do a lot of 1/4 speed motions where my attention is on where my FOCUS is at and making sure I'm shifting my focus as quickly as I can (from moving the week hand to the new mag and hitting the release, then to SEEING the mag into the well, then on to the sights/target). There are lots of times I'll tell myself "You got lucky on that reload, you had already moved your eyes up towards the dot" or "you were looking at the mag well, but your FOCUS was elsewhere." (yea, when I'm in the zone I find myself talking to myself a lot!
).Everyone, this isn't something that happens on every reload.
Between straight reload practice, 6-R-6's, el'pres's of different flavors, Burkett reloads, etc (in other words a hundred times per practice), I might slam my index finger into the well ONCE. But even that gets old 3-4 times per week! Hahaha..
Thanks!
-rvb
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Hello teachers!!
This student has what at the surface sounds like a stupid question... but I have been a dryfiring mamiac lately and I've encountered something I don't recall ever being talked about nor can I find in searches here.
I'm just getting into open (B ) and I'm shooting with a magwell for the first time. The last few practices I have been doing static reloads to sight-picture in 0.8-0.9 on the par timer which is phenominal for me, but occasionally my index finger (properly indexed on the front of the mag) slams into the mag well or even gets smashed between the mag and grip, and hurts like a mofo. This often results in the mag landing on the floor instead of in the gun.
With the non-mag-well guns, my index finger just slides up the front strap of the grip and out of the way, and honestly I never really gave it any thought before (A in PD and M in ssp and esp). Now I find myself wondering what I should do with my index finger when a magwell is present???
If I take my finger off the top/front of the mag as I'm about to insert it to get it out of the way of the mag well, I tend to loose my index and the reload isn't as smooth, fumbled, or occassionally even missed horribly. If I leave my index finger properly indexed but curl it down out of the way as the mag goes into the grip, I'm slower reaquiring my grip.
Anyone have any good advise? I'd like to build on a good technique now rather than fix bad technique later.
STI gun w/ STI magwell.
Thanks!
rvb
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But in IDPA, I'm not sure I find many opportunities to reload on the move, given the use of cover rules. Any tips, there?
In IDPA, I think position to position time is STILL one of the biggest areas most shooters need to focus on. In USPSA/IPSC, just as Ron A pointed out w/ the RL quote, it's all about being ready to shoot as soon as you are in the next shooting position. It's much the same in IDPA.
True, in IDPA you have to reload before leaving cover since you can't do it on the move, but when you get to the next position I watch most shooters litterally "slice the pie." They get to the wall/whatever, stand there, slowly leaning around until they see the target. It's easy to watch most shooters up to (and including a few) expert-classified shooters do this and you can count off one, two, even three seconds until they break the first shot. You should have an idea where that target is as you enter the position, and finish your movement in a position that lets you see the target while meeting the "cover" criteria. If you set yourself up properly, it's not significantly slower than if there were no cover rules.
Since, as you mentioned, you can't RL on the move, it does put a little more emphasis on reload speed since you need to do the RL before you break cover.
Target transitions, esp w/ cover, are also important. You only need 50% of your torso behind cover, so most of the time you should be able to lean out enough to see more targets than the one you are engaging (assuming they are not WAY far apart). This lets you shoot get your eyes on the next target w/o significantly moving your body. To be using cover so carefully that 100% of legs, 100% of torso, and all of your head except your dominate eye are behind cover will cause you to have to move your body position on each target just to see them and can turn a 0.2s transition into a 2.0s transition. The difference in body position required to accomplish this often be as little as a couple inches depending on how close the targets are.
Hope that helps.
-rvb
(idpa gamer*)
*gamer, NOT rule breaker!
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My production load (147gr zeros over 3.3gr titegroup, 132pf) run just fine in my 9mm AR. I have a 5" barrel and a silencer and it's run just fine, with or w/o the can. I had some failures in the first couple hundred rounds, but as the bolt/upper smoothed out it ran fine and I've gone about a thousand rounds w/o any more problems (yea, I don't shoot it too much... killed a lot of pumpkins over Thanksgiving with it though!). FUN! (and quiet!)
rvb
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Beretta Trigger Reset
in 1911-style Pistols
Posted
agree 100%.
Once a year I put a new factory trigger spring in the match gun to prevent breakage (along w/ new trigger bar spring every so often) and never had a problem.
And don't get lulled by the durability. They are more durable than a factory spring, but if you are shooting a lot and dryfiring a lot they do break. (I had one in my practice gun and broke it). Granted it goes longer w/o breaking, but factory style springs are so cheap....