MQW

Everyone in this post seems to be spot on in one way or another, when you are first starting out, "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" is the mantra I was trained with, that goes back to my Navy AT/FP and VBSS team days. But that same mantra is still taught at most military shooting & CQB schools, so trust me, it works; as stated in other posts dry-firing is an awesome tool to make yourself a better shooter and competitor; when I was at the top of my game, and getting ready for the 2011 World Shoot in Greece, I dry-fired an hour a day minimum and I also incorporated visualization training, which really helped; Saul Kirsh does a good job on that subject in on of his books, and Dr. Jason Selk also covers it well in some of his works. You can check out the "Sharpening the Warriors Edge" by Bruce Siddle also; Hope this helps.

Some other good books are anything on competition by Saul Kirsh, and I would highly recommend the "Bulletproof Mind" series on CD by Dave Grossman, LTC (ret), he delves into what your mind-set needs to be when you are on the "two-way range", if you get my drift; that is when it really counts. The competition is great stuff but in the end we are all training for one thing, to make those hits count when it means life or death.

Saul Kirsch has some great books that explain things in a simple manner and are easy to comprehend; Brian's book is great but I would not recommend for a new shooter, too deep. Google Saul and his website should come up, his books are fairly inexpensive and on amazon, "Think Practical Shooting" and "Perfect Practice", can't go wrong with these if you apply what he shows you..

I would build this gun for CCP division in IDPA, not bug gun; the M&P compact is best suited for that division and you can still use it for Bug-Gun also if I remember correctly; I actually carry an M&P compact 9mm daily so I'm very familiar with them; APEX has a lot of good stuff to make the gun run properly, the APEX extractor is a very important item along with the correct trigger kit that meets the class rules. That along w/ a good set of sights and some grip tape or removable grip stippling or both and you are good to go.

Yes, I press the side of the grip with my support hand, but after many ,many years of shooting both tactically in the military and training LEOs, along with competitive shooting I have come to realize it depends on the actual gun you are shooting; when shooting my all-steel 2011 I noticed that I could run a less firm grip on fast short to mid-range targets but still had to have a solid grip for long shots; now when I shot IDPA with my M&P Pro in 9mm, I really have to bear down with my left/support hand for all mid to long shots and have a consistently strong but even grip for short range targets also; here is the reason why- you can talk about all these different grip techniques until you are blue in the face, but reality is, depending on what your side your strong hand is (mine if my right hand) when shooting a gun with a plastic frame, (unless you have meat hooks for hands) you must bear down with your support hand, because.... you are naturally going to grip stronger with your strong hand, its the way we are as human beings, are strong hands are called just that for a reason!!! So under stress you will naturally grip stronger with the strong hand, and you have to compensate that by gripping what I call 85/15 grip; I put as much pressure with my support hand as I can which is about 85%, and as little pressure as I can without losing control with my strong hand, that tends to allow my hits to be center mass a majority of the time and trust me, I have tested his numerous times, when I grip evenly with my M&P, my long shots are ALWAYS to the left side of the target, when I use my 85/15 method, the shots are almost always (97%, sometimes you just pull a shot now and then, which I can usually call, but that's another conversation) center mass in the zero down circle or A zone, depending on which targets I'm using. Now, the key here is I have to consciously tell myself during my walk-thru were I will be gripping STRONG and were I will be gripping more evenly, THIS IS KEY. You can program yourself to do this, its done all the time at high levels of shooting. Off-hand or support hand shooting is a different game entirely, so you will have to practice your grip for that differently, I can tell you I grip my guns in single hand shooting as solid as I can without pushing the gun off target and I use a good index set-up on the targets. You will also need to practice transitioning because its different when shooting off-hand, I always transition toward the center of my body (if possible based on stage design) because that is stronger then transitioning away from center, i.e. if shooting with right hand, my transition from target to target is right to left, and its opposite if shooting with my left hand. Hope this helps, let me know how it works our for you, and you will need to practice it! and don't let the people who say this has already been answered bother you; if that was true, then we wouldn't need all of the instructors out there teaching this stuff over and over again. BTW, here are my creds: plank holder with the Small Arms Readiness Group, the USAR version of the US Army AMU; former US-ARNG State Combat Rifle Champion; former USAR Service Rifle Developmental Team member; classified Expert in NRA Service Rifle; Classified Master in IDPA and classified A class in USPSA/IPSC. Member of the US National IPSC Team/Senior Std. Team for 2011 World Shoot; Once I shoot for my steel classification, I'll probably make Master there but my time has been slim this year as I am also still serving in the USAR as a Command Sergeant Major, 38 years and counting, and I have two grandsons that take up a lot of my time. see you on the range!!

It isn't the scope thats going to make you a good long-gunner; I would highly recommend you check out " The Ballistic Edge" website, and get a hold of Dan Flowers, the owner of the company; that guy is the foremost SME on ballistics and overall long range precision rifle training on the planet right now, ask Matt Burkett about him if you get a chance; a lot of his students come from the military SOF community and they love his stuff. he has done work for my company in the past as a sniper SME and it made a hugh difference in our ability to assist our SOF customers with their requirements. I am looking to buy a NIGHTFORCE, most likely a 5.5x22-56 NXS with zero stop and a mil-dot reticle with mil turrets. Here is my setup, I have a ARMALITE SUPER SASS AR10 in .308 that I want to put the scope on. I am wanting to learn how to range targets and shoot accurately 6-800 yards. I am new to the game and I am looking for some good advice on any scope or any help with your opinions.

If its a 5R twist, probably or at least its based on a mil spec gun, thats the twist developed for the original M24, good rifle, carried one for a while..... Looking for opinions on the 5R 300wm product code 85508. It has a 24" threaded barrel for a brake/suppressor. Anyone have any experience with one? Is it one of their mil spec guns?

Ditto, Very well put. Guys, it always intrigues me that when a discussion arises about hammer springs the only two concerns mentioned is whether it affects trigger pull and ignition reliability. No one ever mentions that the hammer spring and recoil spring work in conjunction to control slide velocity, timing and lock up pressure. The hammer spring applies much more pressure when the slide is closed than the recoil spring does. To prove this just rack your slide once with the hammer cocked and once with the hammer down. I point this out to make sure that everyone understands that the recoil spring and the hammer spring work as a system that we must consider when making changes. I am not saying that things will automatically self destroy if you make a change, but these type of changes can cause reliability issues, increased wear and tear and in general changes to the system that has been developed for optimum performance of that system.

Where and how much? have been looking for one ever since I saw Jesse Harrision shooting one with some mods a few years back. SW Model 41 with CCI Standard Velocity ammo + 1 gotta the model 41

Ditto, just got one for my grandson and we put over 1000 rds thru it in a week with no issues, great little steel gun. After I put a VQ extractor in my MKIII 22/45 I can't remember the last time I had a jam. My gun loves CCI SV ammo. Super fun to shoot.

Darren, its Mark Q, call me, I have a possible solution for you.

That sounds like a good approach, I have been playing with how to contain all of the bbs when training and this could be good. Chills, I was JUST there...have a relative in IL just outside of St Louis. I just came up with a simple solution. I hung a Tension curtain rod in an open closet doorway. Hang a sheet/blanket/beach towel from it. The fabric hangs down into a plastic storage bin to catch the BB's. Can run string or another rod across to hang targets. Should work well. Cost me zero dollars as I had some extra curtain rods laying around. If I get really crazy.... I thought about drawing or taping the shapes of targets onto Fabric. For times I want to do tons of reps and I don't need to see holes in the target

Thanks for that info, will check it out, as I need to set something up this winter or I will not be able to train like I need to. I have a bunch of different targets setups but not much in the way of traps. If you set up a box behind your targets with any kind of an angled deflector made up of about anything that will direct the bbs to the bottom and anything that will deaden the bounce will retain most of the BBS. Unless you're the worlds worst shot continued bb strikes in a concentrated area will wear it out quickly. Take a look at my site as I have photographs of my many target setups. http://games.groups....m/group/MesaACC / Hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy shooting are airsoft as much as I do. jk

where are you planning to get the "sticky" target trap from, I am real interested. I just ordered a WE 1911 Gas Blowback, extra mag, gas and BB's I have a 'man cave' space that I can use but can't leave it set up. I also would like to minimize BBs rolling around all over the floor as much as possible. Will probably pickup a sticky target trap for my home office. Thinking already about building PVC Target stands but looking for some good tips on backstops/traps. A Packing blanket seems like a good option to protect a large wall and stop ricochet. Guessing cardboard boxes will trap if filled with newspaper. I'm also going to look for some large Foam or insulation panels that would be just soft enough to trap BBs I think that compressed Insulation panels might work and you could just pin targets to that. Could face it with cardboard to keep the insulation from getting chewed up too quickly. Ideas?

GUys, please ref. the comments on "134a" gas on the 134a adapter question in this forum, that stuff can really mess you up, should reconsider using it. Anyone here uses Duster Gas (as opposed to Propane or Green Gas) successfully? I purchased a six pack duster gas from COSTCO to try it on 3 different pistols and it didn't work. I could only take 2 shots before the air leaks. I'm using Airsoft Innovations' Duster Gas adapter for this. I tried it on these pistols (all with metal slide): - WE Hi Capa - KSC Glock 19 - KWA Glock 18C All pistols work perfectly with Propane. I just want to try Duster Gas as an alternative. I thought that Duster Gas was used in the Japanese air guns that require "less" powerful 134a gas. That may explain it. I use 134a freon from Walmart on my Japanese made Western Arms SVI knock-off with no problems. If I try to use freon in my WE Hi-Capa, it don't work. Bill

You did a heck of a job here, how much did it end up costing you? Plates are 3.75" dia 16-gauge steel, tack-welded to cheap Home Depot hinges. I used drywall screws for the sensitivity adjustment. The shop rags are there to dampen vibrations, so that one plate falling wouldn't cause it's neighbor to drop with it. Turns out it wasn't needed. Unlike a real plate rack, the plates are far too light in relation to the rack, and it works fine when they drop directly onto the 2x4. It's fun. Trust me.

TMs are good guns but a metal slide ia not a bad idea if you are planning to use it a lot for training. Some folks offer modified magazines that allow you to use propane. What brand is your TM G17? Bill Bill its a Tokyo Marui. And Im all ears on ideas here. When I purchased the gun and started looking for everything else I would need to run it, I had no idea I would run into so many issues! Im very much a newby at this airsoft thing, and I just want to try to get things right so I dont have to learn the hard way! Thanks, Chris

Agreed, just picked up a certificate at Area 2 from them, awesome stuff although, the guns should be well researched; there is guy from Japan, that now lives in the Phoeniz, AZ. area, Manueki is his name, former Japanese airsoft champion, he has the most knowledge on this subject that I have ever encountered; you should be able to find him thru the Rio Salada Club. Go to BAM Airsoft. Everything you could want without all the junk.

Please, Please, Please reference my recent post on the "Cross-Fit" Enos Forum and then re-think P90X; everyone needs good supervision when doing anything new when it comes to functional fitness training. Who's done it? How did it work out for you? Worth the cost of the program itself and the equipment?

The sport you refer to is "Biathalon", involves cross country skiing combined with very accurate short, medium and semi-long distance shooting. I understand that in the Olympics propranalol is a banned med for shooters as it blocks the adrenaline response (stage fright) and helps "the shakes" as above. Does USPSA have a list of banned medications? Eric It's also useful to slow heart rate, I think that was the original reason for the Olympic ban, it was the cross country skiers that also shoot targets (don't know that sports name). Once they stop skiing, while on that drug, their heart rate slowed very quickly, and they could make those shots easier. Drug trivia, I am a pharmacist.

Howdy, First, a big resounding 'NO' on the plyometrics, at least not until you have had a proper fitness evaluation by a trained and educated fitness pro and are working with them to "get you ready" to do plyometrics; just like Cross-Fit you MUST be at a solid level of fitness & flexibility before you attempt to do Plyometircs; I am 51, just recently was a member of the US National Team- Senior STD Div. and shot the World Shoot XVI in Greece; I spent over 18 months "getting Ready" for the match, with both fitness and flexibility training & coaching and also lots of shooting skill sets work and lots of matches over a much longer period of time. I would suggest you reference my recent post on the forum concerning Cross-Fit Training and my background; I can tell you that solid power yoga, any good "functional" flexibility and "functional" strength training will help you tremendously, along with any aerobic exercise done in interval style, with bursts of speed combined with cruising or for me, spinning on my mtn. bike; It took me a solid year (and I am not a slouch) to be "ready" to do any type of training remotely close to plyometrics or Cross-Fit, I have since, under direct supervision of a correctly certified & educated Professional Trainer/Physical Therapist been able to incorporate certain exercises from plyometrics but only certain ones because all of them are no always good for some individuals, thats why you need a good fitness eval beforehand and MUST work with a fitness pro as mentioned earlier; a good pro will keep you from doing things that get you laid up from injury and not being able to shoot, which should be our ultimate goal, to shoot the stage better, because we can move better. There are of course, lots of other factors involved in shooting better but for guys our age- moving clean, smooth and ultimately faster is a big deal. Check out "Safe Fitness Solutions" website, they are located in St. Louis, MO. I'm sure if you call and ask for James Harris (he is my trainer) and ask him for a referral, he can help you find someone close to you by telling you the right questions to ask when you talk to a pro about functional fitness training. This is definitely my weakest skill. For the most I try I cannot get that necessary "explosion" to move fast from one shooting position to the next. I'm tall and a little overweight (1,84 meter, 100 Kg), which may have some influence in my "slow" moving, but I think I can move faster than I do today. Just see how slow I move today: What exercises for a 52 old man do you recommend to get more "explosion" when moving from box to box? Thanks for any ideas, Demetrio.

Guys, Lets talk about Cross-Fit, there are major issues/concerns with the program, it has been banned at numerous military bases due to injuries sustained attempting to utilize it; I am not saying its an inherently bad program, what I am saying you MUST consult a correctly Certified & Educated Trainer with solid background in sports training, i.e. a Physical Therapist, a degreed Sports Medicine professional, etc.; going with just any "certified" Cross Fit Trainer can get you into real trouble, I know this because I have had direct involvement with soldiers injured from training with Cross Fit without having a proper fitness evaluation done beforehand & no professional oversight while they were conducting the training, then being injured due to that, which put them "out of the fight" for a number of weeks; as their 1SG, I cannot allow that to happen to my troops. In order to train in the Cross Fit methodology, you MUST already be at an exceptional level of fitness and you MUST be coached by a trainer with the appropriate level of education & certification or you could be permanently injured. Guys, I have a tremendous understanding of correct fitness training, thru years of ferreting through incorrect training and some of that provided by the military; for the past 2 years I have been training with a group here is St. Louis, MO- Safe Fitness Solutions, they specialize in training athletes, Military, LEOs and firefighters at all levels. They educated me & assisted me in getting my unit ready for deployment to Central Asia and then worked with me for 18 mths to get me ready for the World Shoot XVI in Greece this past OCT; I was a member of the US National Team- Senior STD Div. and I can tell you that after training with them- I am almost injury free now, the reason I say "almost" is because I came to them with some substantial over-use injuries due to improper training & injuries sustained while in Iraq, within the US military; those injuries- compressed shoulder syndrome- Rt shoulder and scar tissue in various parts of my feet and calves, is almost completely gone after working with them; I am stronger, faster and way more flexible then ever before (except for maybe when I was in my teens and very early 20's minus the strength, I am way stronger than ever before), and I did not utilize any of the Cross Fit methods to get there, Safe Fitness Solutions does not advocate this type of training because of the risk/benefit equation, too much risk without truly significant benefit; in other words, there are better ways to train. Look, if this is the way you feel you must train to accomplish your goals, go for it, just be prepared for the possible long-term consequences when you get to be my age (51) & please, please consult a trainer with the appropriate level of certification & education that can oversee your training, thereby substantially reducing the possibility of injury; doing this by yourself can have some very dire results, as I stated before- permanment injury. Just please consider that I am telling you this because I have seen the injuries firsthand and understand the potential risk involved; I would not feel right if I heard a fellow shooter was injured training like this. Good luck, think it through and drive on. The idea is to have a place to post you accomplishments in training and to talk about Crossfit in general. So far since starting Crossfit it have been a life changing experience for me. Todays workout really put the smack on me. I have another guy at work that just started and we were able to help spot each other during the bench set. I really push it hard today. I'm already feeling it. I'll be sore as hell in the morning. I'll try and make myself a good shake in the morning for breakfast. I'm always up for a good shake recipe if anyone has one. Chris C.

Thanks for posting this, most, if not all of the shooters on this site, support and respect the military and the guys & gals who serve, I'm sure they love to see this kind of stuff and there is not that much of this posted here as far as I have seen. Stay safe, MSG Q