TheChewycookie

Congrats and good luck

When you a chance, post a video of you doing doubles, Bill Drill, or another drill that focuses heavily on recoil control. That will help show some things you are doing before, during, and after recoil. Just make sure it's at the highest possible resolution. You don't necessarily need to make it slow-mo since youtube has the tool to slow video down. But if you have something that keeps it at higher resolution then that's better. Here's a video from lefty super squad capable GM, Tim Herron.

What I think is happening is similar to my short "burnouts" throughout this year's shooting season. Your anger is stemming from not performing to what you wanted/what you know you're capable of. The mental change I was making would sometimes take several weeks to take place before I was performing where I knew I could. The moment I knew I was performing to my ability was more like a sudden "click" in the brain at moments of peak capability. At that point I just had to visualize what was needed to perform at max capacity. Perhaps taking a break away for a week to refresh is the answer. You can only want so much from yourself for a long period of time before your brain shuts itself down and you simply go through the motions. -Process and mental calm, not hasty desired results.

The cool thing is that your starting to see where an the target you want to hit, that's great. Ports - in your walk through think about where you want to be to get all the targets needed. On a second walthrough figure out what you should see visually before you start slowing down and how the "full picture" through the port should look such as what position you need to be and when to start turning to engage the target. For tight ports or farther targets, I have the thought of "control". Popper activated targets - there's about a good 1.0-1.5 seconds, depending on what popper is used, after impact that you have before the target starts moving. Think about when the RO activates the target what you can fill the space with. It's all based on your confidence and experience with target transitions and basically a "par timed" target. Keep visualizing how you want things to go and what your key points will be. Also think about where you should be predicting your shots, and when you should react for better points.

I use it due to the ergos of my arm. I have tried using a traditional grip and found that the traditional grip would cause unreasonable strain in my forearm muscles throughout a day of shooting. I haven't tried going back recently, but knowing what I do now I might be able to make it work, and maybe those muscles have become more flexible than what they previously were. My key tip to a finger front grip is hitting the right position with your weak hand both under the trigger guard with your middle finger and base of your palm on the grip frame. The weak index finger should also just "sit" on the trigger guard rather than flexing to hold the trigger guard down.

Those are discontinued which why I said no one is manufacturing a backstrap magwell except Dawson. I prefer not to cut on any of the parts I use if possible

Your state match is a short term goal, but what is your long term goal?

I'm not sure you were actually pushing visual speed on this one, but rather overall movement speed. You'll see on a number of targets you moved your head before you comfortably finish shooting those targets. Opinion - pushing visual speed means that you see all the targets and visual cues/notes you made for your stage plan for the amount of time you need. Pushing past your current visual pace should be done in dry and live fire with notes as to what you do at the right amount of stress, low stress, and purposeful high stress and noting where you were looking for each run. If you're still continuing to use these locals as experiment matches that's cool, but you need to actively observe things that are happening at moments of failure, AND you need to figure out when it's time to bring it back and actually execute everything to plan for your best possible score. Throwing out hopers every stage is going to stunt your growth rather than having place markers of what your current capabilities are. Make sure to note your issues either in your phone or write it down to make it more tangible to come back to. If you notice repetition of issues that should be a clue as to what you actually should be working on. Something that will also help us make better assessments of you is to also link your scores for each match. Your hits and times will tell a lot about how other people scored better than you. Like here: shot 1 - turn head - BANG shot 2 into what I assume was the berm

Updates: didn't shoot CCUSPSA 7/25/2021 to an appreciable level due to dehydration. Helping setup a stage didn't help out so either. Need to chug some electrolytes day before, during, and after to make sure I don't crash due to 100+ heat and heavy humidity. Grip started to breakdown early so I decided to shoot an indoor GSSF match to knock some of that down. GSSF match Friday 7/30/21: won stock division by 2 points. Hits outside of x-ring were either due to pre-ignition flinch or not looking in the very center of the target. Shots out to 25 was 10 rounds in 30 seconds; had 2 8-ring hits that were caused by not returning the gun to center of target. I also had a very long time frame that I could have used for each shot, but decided to complete the string in less than 14 seconds. Grip however was solid throughout the entire match since that was my focus, so goal of that day was accomplished.

The results you draw in matches and classification is entirely dependent on what kind of concentrated efforts you are making between dry and live practice and how you translate that into the match. There are way too many variables to consider for each person. MASSIVE SIDE STEP BUT STILL RELATED Since we aren't sure of what you want, here's a somewhat general list but definitely some things to consider. You might be asked by some of us what you want so that we can publicly offer help. What is your current classification and match results compared to the top guys in your local? Have you considered where you are in your current shooting journey? What is your currently desired classification and match result? What's next? Is this goal attainable? How soon? What are you doing in dry practice and how are you translating what you are learning there to live fire of any kind, and are you actively learning from both dry and live fire? Are you doing any kind of experimenting in practice? What are you experimenting with? What errors are you inducing that can be resolved, and how? Again, just a general list but most importantly: Why do you play this expensive game? If you want something that much you will set aside time for it, right? If you know what kind of time commitment you have you should be able to easily balance this with the rest of your life. Process of ideas: Establish what your big dream is, establish goals as markers that will help attain your dream, create the steps to make those goals. Steps turn into quantitative goals that act as big steps to your dream. So, what are: Your dream? Goals to achieve that dream? What smaller steps will help you achieve those goals? Will I have quantitative data to statistically prove I am getting better (or worse for that matter)? I encourage you to read some of the books on a couple of roads of shooting that they have been on. Ben Stoeger's book with Joel Park "Match Mentality" is a great resource of giving that view to someone who's just dipping their toe into the sport and needs to see what it will mentally take to get better at practical shooting. Their follow up book "Practical Shooting Training" is a really good book for the person who will be serious and understands the stepped approach to getting better. Red's Road to Nationals and additional playlist Red's Opinion are a great view into a person who plays this game seriously, but also balances it out with his day-to-day 9-5 job. He's also on here as @Reds_Dot.https://www.youtube.com/c/redsdot/featured His range diary: https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/289977-skill-like-a-gm-confidence-like-a-b-class/ If you want to get good in a very quick timeframe with observant brute force I encourage you to check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG1JM_coeqE&t=320s You can also check his now retired range diary here: https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/285432-the-gun-doesnt-matter/

XMG 7/17/2021 3rd CO, 5th Overall and Raw Time Champ by 8.5 seconds Video starts on Stage 4 ending on 3. https://practiscore.com/results/new/3d1abe08-c9b8-4d19-b7e2-7488d4f0c8ce?q_individual=mmShooter_3689317 Had to rethink of how to attach the rest of the match. First stage had 2 NS (Less that 3-5 yards, so I need to be more aware of grip) and so I needed to drop thoughts about speed again and how to attack for points. Also changed thinking after realizing I hit a hard cover at the end of a stage WHILE STATIONARY. Need to stop thinking that it's the end of the stage. Overall the remaining points and stage executions were pretty good. Stages I didn't have a penalty were 97%-98% of stage winner, or won with sheer speed. Best thing about the entire match was that I stayed aggressive throughout the entire day. Didn't care about the classifier because it's the most inconsistently setup and worst diagram of any classifier: 13-02 Down the Middle. It even needed to be changed after hammer down, but before the first shots were fired on it after other shooters realized it was setup "wrong". Personal notes: need to work on cardio if I want to survive shooting 3 days at nationals. I learned things again today.

XMG 7/17/2021 HOA and Raw Time Champ Video starts on Stage 5 ending on 4. https://practiscore.com/results/new/a52580b7-1724-4a52-90ce-86615b780146?q_individual=mmShooter_3706067&q_result=0 Ignored thinking about speed and just decided to track the A zone. Ended up making 80% As for a 146 round match (117A, 36C, 3D). Overall really good mentality going in just thinking about how each stage will effect the overall percentages (I also ate breakfast, and it was also my grandmother's 91st birthday so I had to bring the bacon home to her). Classifier ended up being an 85%. Because of this and last weekend's 86% classifier, destroying my chance of GM for a while, my only goal now for the remainder of the year will be major match performance at A4, NTXO, and Carry Optics Nationals. *I need to watch the boundaries of my feet, there was a "balance beam" of sorts on my first stage of the day and I broke some shots off with my feet just barely hanging above the ground I am shooting a double header this weekend as part of a multi-day match simulation. So expect another video soon for CTASA. Enjoy the tasteful video intro... and maybe the rest of the match.

In my test S&B primers are decently harder than most primers. They will run with the stock firing pin spring, unsure of any reduced power springs. That said, I don't feel confident in the reliability of a Glock swapping out springs that aren't the recoil spring or connector.

Supporting what @rowdyb is saying, you're gonna have to find out what will work better for you and that's gonna take a decent amount of experimentation and some ammo doing some recoil control drill whether that's doubles, Bill drills, or whatever else you can think of. Here are some examples of people who don't park their thumb on an frame index point or lock lever. I'm not saying you have to do these grip styles, but you need to change what you're doing with your thumb to prevent inducing a failure with the gun. My point being that you can do a lot more recoil control and reduction of muzzle flip by changing what you do with your palms and fingers than pushing down on the takedown lever. Bob Vogel Tony Wong - now retired CO GM on a G26

XMG 7/10/2021 4th CO, 5th Overall Video starts on the classifier Can You Count, Stage 6 in order of start, ending on 5. https://practiscore.com/results/new/ce150a17-d52c-4312-8089-0082897fa34f?q_result=0&q_individual=mmShooter_3672517&q_division=0 Overall I'm making good on speed considering I made raw time champ. I have some cleaning up to do on vision and I need to be more aware of the "layers of difficulty" that I put into my stage plan as well as current skillset + things I have been working in dryfire and live practice.

Glad to see that you still want to chase after it, even if it means putting it off for later.

Had fun shooting production this past weekend. Suddenly shooting something significantly different makes you appreciate what division you were previously shooting. Good - stayed to stage plans and made up shots if needed for the most part. Kept confidence through the entire day. Needs work - confirmation of sights for the difficulty of target and moving before exit shots break. 2nd prod but low-cap raw time champ by ~6 seconds. Stage order starts from stage 6 https://practiscore.com/results/new/3ae42ba2-a704-4b4b-8d7f-85a133e88094?q_division=6&q_individual=mmShooter_3635368

I agree that on lightweight poly guns that adding weight significantly will decrease muzzle flip. As a side note, I decided on a 17# recoil spring to keep slide speed as close to stock as possible. I did have a perceivable muzzle dip on either the stock RSA+LOK light and also the combo of GS PTGR+LOK light. If I wanted to give the combo a better chance of less muzzle dip a 14-15# spring on a stainless guide rod most likely would have been the ticket. I probably would prefer to use either a Toni Systems or SJC frame weight for longevity compared to brass, but this is also serving more as an experimental piece when I'm not feeling Carry Optics for a weekend. Balancing is a bit trickier for me because the only manufacturer of Glock magwells that accommodates a medium or large backstrap is Dawson and those are made of aluminum and a brass plug. Otherwise someone would have to be willing to custom cut a brass magwell of with a reasonable price comparison to an SJC brass magwell (~12 oz.) that isn't outrageously priced. I don't plan on adding a frame weight anytime soon to this limited gun. My production holster fits it just fine and I'm happy with the current balance of the setup. If I wanted, I also wouldn't have to modify a race holster.

Most case gauges are designed for SAAMI spec cartridges. The COAL of a spec'd 40 is 1.135". He's loading longer so the "throat" of the chamber holes in his gauges also needs to be cut long. Shockbottle makes a gauge specifically made for long 40. https://benstoegerproshop.com/100-hole-40-s-w-extra-large-long-hundo-chamber-checker-cartridge-case-gauge-by-shockbottle/ This gauge is designed for shooters loading over 1.20" OAL and/or lead and coated lead bullets up to .401" and larger in diameter. Check your firearm has sufficient barrel leade as excessively seated-out bullets will not be caught and can cause excessive pressure and out-of-battery ignition.

It would probably be a lot better for @CHA-LEE to help answer this since it's a .40 and 1911 design. Couple of questions: What is your COAL? What is the size of your crimp? Have you tested your rounds in a case gauge like a Shockbottle Hundo? Did you do a garage fit of the barrel, or hire a professional gunsmith? Was the chamber cut to accommodate YOUR ammo?

I strongly prefer paper over steel because it keeps you honest of where each shot is. If you're worried about using a lot of tape just tape any C or D hit every other run as long as you keep yourself honest where your sights are the moment before each shot breaks. The C and D zones also help to indicate what you might be doing as each shot occurs. That being said, any targets beyond 20 yards can be steel to not have to walk as far for reset and just paint every 5 runs or so, taking note of how close to center or edge you are hitting

My view of dryfire and transitioning to live fire is that dry "should" be faster than live practice given the correct context. If you are seeking to improve - dry times will be faster as you have the ability to focus on vision and ignore the distraction of the shot. You also have to understand your current capability of recoil management as I think most people have a large disassociation between the imagination and reality of what they can do. Always push vision in dryfire when seeking improvement. On the other hand if skill maintenance is what you're looking for, the live times should be close to dry. You're not looking to induce issues that cause bare C or wild D hits that can be diagnosed and fixed, but to consistently create points through As and close Cs fast as you can visually process with minimal mental but maximum physical effort.

What single case guage are you using? I've noticed on my Dillon singles that those chambers are more loose than a hundo.

Gaming the classifier for GM. I'm close

Double header weekend for multi-day match simulation. Overall I did alright. I have good pace, mostly decent stage plans, split times, and mostly good hits. But I can afford to focus a bit more on the center. I do need to focus on not trying to leave too early, shooting on a footstep, and stabilizing hand tension.