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Initial Diary entry I decided to make a diary to document my path. A little about me. I love to shoot. I just started shooting again after a year vacation. I'm totally screwed up in my shooting. I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot pistols left handed and rifles right handed. I always had issues aligning the sights correctly on pistols...then I built a PCC with a C-more railway. Now I have the PCC bug. I'm also thinking about dabbling in Carry Optics. I recently installed a Vortex Venom on my M&P Pro. I'm currently classed C in USPSA at 54% I only have 4 classifiers in though. My goal is to make A class in PCC. My Commitment to dry fire a minimum of 5 days a week for 10-15 minutes a day. I try to live fire once a week, but work and life interferes. Working rotating weekends, I try to shoot 2-4 matches a month. Any and all help, tips, suggestions, encouragement and comments are greatly appreciated.

I didn't know whether to put this in the training techniques or the resources or here, so if it needs to be moved mods go ahead. So the question is- What training classes do yall recommend taking? As a competitor? For selfdefense or tactics? What classes do you not recommend taking (no bashing just say if it wasn't helpful or if dangerous)? I'll try and update this post with the recommended ones so that people don't have to hunt through the whole thread to find them. I want to try and make this a sticky thread if we can get enough input. As I stated in my introduction thread I am new to the competition would but not to shooting and am looking to broaden my horizons on selfdefense (primarily) and with competition. My whole reason to get into competition shooting is to just be a better shooter all around. Thanks guys Competition- Selfdefense/Tactics- Not recommended-

I have been lurking around this section for a while so figured I'd start a diary myself. First about me. I am a 61 year old shooter that started competing in USPSA a little over 2 years ago. Prior to that I had shot bullseye a couple of decades prior but my experience had been basically rifles and hunting. In college I was part of the 3 position50 meter rimfire rifle team. Currently I am a C shooter about to make B once couple of low classifiers from early last year fall off. After last year's Nationals in Limited (53%) I figured I needed more of a regimented dry fire and private instruction to shoot sooner. At Nationals I shot 95% of points, but was woefully slow. So, I knew I needed to work on transitions and movement at the very least. Video below more or less shows my current skill level warts and all. Compared to a month ago my movement and transitions are better, but still has a lot of room for improvement. I noticed I bring the gun down while running and I need to fix that. And run faster :).

JJ Racaza Two Day Pistol Course Location Richmond Rod & Gun Club near San Francicso on May 21 & 22, tuition is $660 Class Size: maximum of 10 students + 1 complimentary host spot (so 11 students total) How to Register: email bogienugget@gmail.com for class reservations and a Reg form Course Topic: In this two day course you will learn: 1. trigger control 2. visual patience 3. transitions 4. body positioning 5. movement 6. mindset 7. stimulus vs. response 8. speed 9. accuracy 10. drills to target specific skills Prerequisites: Basic shooting knowledge and range experience. Shooting experience of at least one year. Understanding of gun safety and range rules. You must supply your own handgun. Ammo requirements are approximately 500 rounds per day, for a total of 1,000 rounds. Please bring the following to the course: 1. Firearm 2. 1,000 rounds minimum of ammo 3. Proper clothing for the weather 4. Snacks and plenty of water 5. Eye and ear protection 6. Belt, weapon, magazine holster Please let me know if there are any additional questions that I did not address

I tried searching through the forums and couldn't find anything, so I'm hoping for some suggestions or for someone to point me to the right direction. What type of diary or training log do you keep, if any? I would like to start writing down and keeping track of my training sessions, but I'm at a loss as to what I should record. I tried keeping an excel spreadsheet with drill, time, and hits, but that soon became unwieldy and didn't provide the feedback I was looking for. This training is mostly for USPSA. Any guidance or assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Target Acquisition Speed - What is it and how can we train to improve our speed? Something I got today, from again listening to Enos' Audio book while reloading ammo, was his statement that what really differentiates the top shooters when all is said and done, with respect to speed, is Target Acquisition Speed. Wow! I have been dancing around this for two weeks or more (for years tangentially), trying to figure out what I needed to work on to shorten my performance times on the clock. All the usual, and appropriate areas were reviewed including gun handling, movement skills, keeping gun up and ready to shoot sooner when appropriate to do so, and I ended up settling on needing to speed up the SHOOTING parts of my game. Well, obviously, with my actual splits of between .14 and .21 on 90% of targets and match speed draws of between .95 and 1.25 on 90% of targets - these were not places I could gain a lot at this juncture, and certainly do not explain my time difference with the top shooters. So I KNEW it was going to be related to transitions, so I tried to muddle my way thru breaking transitions down into the many aspects of which transitions are composed. Here I mean, besides the all important time wasters and gains due to efficient body movement, being ready to shoot at the earliest possible time and recruiting the legs for swinging from target to target instead of the arms and upper body, trigger prepping, etc. BUT aside from all of those aspects of transitions, the 800 pound gorilla not yet mentioned here in this list, is VISUAL TARGET ACQUISITION speed. And this is what Brian made me think about today. It is clear to me that this is where much time is gained or lost in our performances. On the extreme dullard end, which I actually did on at least one transition in my last match, the Florida Open only two weeks ago, is keeping essentially a sight focus during transitioning the gun from array to array. You know, where you maintain your upper body triangle and rotate mechanically eyes/head and gun TOGETHER! Slow and hard to find or land on the next target. Well, the other end extreme is to move eyes to next target before or while still shooting the last one! We have all done that on close targets and hard ones alike, and then are "amazed" to discover we had mikes when scoring the stage! " I had a perfect sight picture"!, Yes, but NOT when we released the shot! So between these extremes, there is a large continuum and spectrum of varying capabilities and speeds among shooters. And this, I believe, as Brian said, is what differentiates the top shooters most in their performance times. Obviously, we all, at least intellectually, understand that we should move our eyes to the next target AFTER completing the last shot on the last target having given whatever follow thru that particular target/shot required. And THEN the gun follows slightly BEHIND the eyes moving towards the next target. On any given transition and array, different shooters will have different capabilities and speeds associated with this target acquisition. And it is all complicated further by each shooter's ability and judgment and skill in instantly determining when they see what they need to for the transition shot. A top shooter can do this much quicker than a beginner or even an intermediate shooter. Not just the optical part of the process, but the MENTAL part especially. Many of us often WASTE time over-refining our "sight picture" beyond what was actually necessary to shoot an A. An A is an A, both are 5 points, right? NOPE! Not if one A took 1.2 seconds and another shooter got the same A hit on the same target in .70 seconds. Right? HF? Assuming the faster shooter won the stage, then the slower shooter only gets 58.33% of the winner's stage points or 2.91 stage points for their slower A. Man, target math is important. This is empirical evidence that the speed of that transition matters HUGELY in scores and match performance. So we want to be able to speed up transitions, the target acquisition aspect specifically as we are discussing here. Well, this is what I want to figure out, specific to my own individual capabilities and limitations (age, eyesight, etc) - How can we TRAIN ourselves to SEE FASTER? And this presumes, as I truly believe, that we CAN in fact do so. I will research this and report back what I find and learn and figure out. I am anxious to hear from anyone with thoughts on this subject!

Shoulder strength and endurance is vital to the sport of shooting. If you have ever spent some significant time at the range or at a match you can definitely notice the fatigue and possibly soreness the next day. Generally a 30min shooting session with constant re-holstering and un-holstering can put a lot of torque on the deltoids as your elbow draws out to the side to grip your weapon. Now imagine this scenario. There is a local match on Saturday. To prepare for this match you dry fire practice Monday-Friday for 15-30min. Hit the range on Friday for a hour to test out your loads and sights. Then run 6-8 stages at your local match lasting 3-4 hours. Sunday you practice what you did wrong for 30min-1hr....you get the point. If you want your body to keep on running you need to make sure you build up the right areas. Your shoulders (deltoids) are activated during every motion in shooting. It is imperative to have good shoulder endurance to maintain and progress to the next level of training. Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home in combination with your dry-fire practice or next time you make it out to the gym. Start with a 2.5lb-5lb weight in one hand and extend your arm out in front of your body with your palm facing towards the opposite side of your body. This is your "neurtal point". "Imagine that you are in the center of a clock" Keeping your arm extended, lift your arm straight up 90 degrees from the starting point(12 oclock), and then return it back to the neutral point. Then move your arm "up" and "out" 45 degrees down from first point (10:30) and return to the neutral point. You do the same thing to 9 oclock, 7:30, 6:00, 5:30, 3:00 and 1:30 for a total of 8 movements. Keep your palm facing the opposite side of your body with each movement. Go all the way around, hitting each point and returning to the middle 3 full times and then switch hands. Start light with the weight and work your way up. Here are some pictures for reference, sorry for the dumb look on my face. Just got done with a kettlebell circuit and i was starving!

Hi all, I have an interesting question (I think...) I normally shoot GLOCK, but I have a romantic attraction to the 1911 that I'm sure many of us have felt at some point. Recently I acquired a Springfield Armory TRP Operator with a Bull Barrel and full-length guide rod. My problem is that although I am a GLOCK Certified Armorer (that's not saying much) I have never known anything but the striker-fired, plastic anti-1911. I plan on getting another 1911 (not yet determined) to shoot USPSA Single Stack with, and I will also be using the Operator in L-10 occasionally at a local match. But like I said, Ive never dealt with a gun that had a hammer before. I'm not completely in the dark but need to learn about the 1911 platform in general. I'd like to have a healthy education from years of experience but I'd also like to get as much of a head start by reading first. Can anyone recommend a good book(s), DVD(s), or YouTube video(s)? I have looked around myself and found some of the "1911 Build" videos to be a little useful but not too much. Thanks guys.

I've seen this comment made a few times in non-related threads, but I wanted to ask - to train yourself for 'target focus,' do you ever put a piece of tape over the lens of your optic? Seems to work in dry-fire. I'll try it live fire next time I'm at the range.

Introduction After a long time off I feel like I am officially back and competing again. My hope is that my range diary can not only help me to document progress and shortcomings along this next segment of my shooting career but that it can also be of some use for others who are also playing the game and looking to improve. Since this is out on a public forum I would welcome any feedback, or questions and will do my best to help others where possible. My introduction into USPSA happened early in 2002, back when Production was still a novelty of sorts. I bought my first gun, a Glock 19, enrolled in a concealed carry class and learned through the instructor that the local range hosted an action pistol competition each month. I figured that since I then had a gun and a CCW license I might as well learn how to use it well. In April 2002, I arrived at my first USPSA match armed with my trusty Glock 19 in a thumb break leather Bianchi pancake holster and two Fobus double mag pouches. I honestly can't remember a lot about my first year's worth of shooting except that I was fortunate enough to meet several other dedicated new shooters that helped me out immensely as we all tried our best to master the game. The local clubs also had a few very knowledgeable and helpful shooters who had been there and tried that at all levels of competition and who were more than happy to help out new shooters along the way. Within a few months I picked up a Glock 34 and retired the 19 to EDC duty. I made "C" class by the end of 2002 and was close to "B" class when I got an opportunity to shoot Production Nationals. I had no problem winning "C" class in Production which is not big achievement. What made the trip really worthwhile is that I traveled and shot with a shooting mentor of mine who was an "A" class at the time and I got to learn about how he approached a major match and how to really stage plan. By 2004 I was a high "A" I attended and won Area 1, beating out a well known "M" class shooter by the slimmest of margins (i.e. dumb luck). I was shooting well enough at club matches that even though the matches were small and dominated by Open and Limited shooters I would generally finish in the top 5 of all shooters combined, generally averaging between 80% and 95% of our local Limited GM's scores. I made "M" in early 2005 and made a conscious decision at the time to not push for "GM" because I didn't feel I had the extra time or capacity to devote to the additional practice and focus that I would need to go those last few percentage points. I got married in 2004 and in 2005 I moved to another city to start grad school. This was the beginning of the end of the first phase of my shooting life. That was somewhat solidified as well when I finished school and took a job in Northern Virginia in 2007. Around 2007 I tried shooting a match or two and I can say I walked away fairly embarrassed. Previously I shot almost every weekend and sometimes a couple of times during the week but after two years of doing very little I was making a lot of errors that I considered embarrassing and on top of that my once trusty Glock 34 started giving me problems. I really didn't have time or energy to even troubleshoot what was going on so I set it aside knowing that shooting would always be there waiting for me when I decided to pick it up again. Since that time my wife and I were fortunate enough to have two sons who have further cut into shooting time and I have tried to always manage my priorities such that my family comes first. I will relay some more details later about gear selection, making the change from Glocks to CZs, and my first few matches back in 2012 and how I feel more humble but more confident as a shooter now than I ever have before but for now I will say that I shot a few matches to get my toes in the water again in 2012 and 2013 but thankfully this year I have been able to attend at least one match a month which doesn't sounds like much but is a huge improvement on where I have been over the last 7 years. Part of the reason for this is that my boys are not quite as difficult as they once were so I don't have as much guilt when I sneak out to shoot a match. The second is that I saw one of my old shooting buddies running and gunning on the 3GN Pro series and decided that this year would be the year that I get serious again starting with 3 Gun competition. I will try to fill in more holes and background as I go with these posts but for now let's get into figuring out what the heck I am doing wrong...

To all USPSA shooters in MI, OH, IN - the MI Section organizing some RO and CRO training classes this Spring. Potential locations / dates for training will be: Livingston Gun Club - March 2014 Oak Hill Gun Club - May 2014 At this point, we are taking quick count of how many people would be interested. If you think you would like to attend one of these courses, please send a quick email or message to Mike Barrera as soon as you can - and indicate: 1. Preferred Location of training 2. desire for RO or CRO training This is not an official registration for the class - but just a poll to see how many people are interested. Thanks for your help! Mike Barrera USPSA MI Section Coordinator michael_barrera@hotmail.com

I recently bought a SIRT training pistol and after changing the battery it no longer works...I have tried multiple batteries (different brands, etc...) Just wondering if this is a common problem or a simple solution that I just happen to overlook. HELP!! I need my dry fire training tool back!

Can anyone tell me if Steve Anderson's book "Refinement & Repetition, Dry Fire Drills for Dramatic Improvement" contains text in addition to the training diagrams, or is the book just a compilation of the dry fire drill diagrams? After reading Brian's book, which book would you buy/recommend next, this one or Saul Kirsch's "Perfect Practice"? I am relatively new to practical shooting and am looking for the best tutorials to help me improve my skills. Thanks

Here is a video of Larry shooting the 2013 Open Nationals http://youtu.be/RfO2Mt79T20

Jamie and I along with my brother Bill shooting an Action Steel Match. This is a great match for winter time since it is easy to set up and no need to reset targets after each shooter. Enjoy Larry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrRkaxJzpNM

Here is a video of Jaime, Omar, and Larry shooting. http://youtu.be/Xj4OEV6DTcc

Jamie, Omar & Larry shooting airsoft stages Here is a video from our new man on man shoot off area

~Mag Change Dryfire Drill Variation~ I use Predator Tactical's Timer for this drill. The link is below. http://www.predatortactical.com/uploads/media/Flashfiles/drawbeepSlider082504.swf 1) On "Shooter Ready" - Be Ready: UN-loaded and holstered 2) On "Stnady By" - Draw and continuously engage targets repeatedly. I like to use three or more. 3) on "BEEP" - Perform mag change and engage a new target. I find that this is a more realistic drill when it comes to mag changes. Try it out, let us know how it works for you.

Omar and Larry shooting. http://youtu.be/GRN8PqDfTkU

Here is a video of Jamie, Omar, and Larry shooting http://youtu.be/CSlIKAk8je0

I went to the range today for a short training session. I ran into a couple of members shooting what was left over from yesterday's USPSA match. Melanie let me shoot her 38 special at 6 steel targets. The trigger pull was very long but smooth. I had to really to concentrate on the front sight and the trigger pull. That's when I had my A ha moment! I saw the sights lift. I switched back to my G34 and again I saw the sights lift. I'm considering getting a revolver for dry fire. Where do I go from here? How do I expand on my breakthrough from today?

I bought my very first bolt rifle. A Remington 700 chambered in .308 WIN; 5-R MilSpec barrel. I know nothing about precision rifle but thought I'd learn. I'm not a big hunter but a little curious about the fascination of distance accuracy shooting. I went out on a limb. Literally hosting Sig Sauer Academy to instruct a Precision Scoped Rifle course in Arizona this September. Anyway, if this is posted in the wrong area of the forum, forgive me, move me, tell me. But I'll need some interest so that I can fill the course. I've got detailed info if you want to PM me. Tucson, AZ, 3-days / 24 hours and a challenging course where the wind blows in 3 directions. LE/civilian/Military.

Cascadia Tactical and the City of Auburn are proud to be co-sponsoring the SIG SAUER Multi-Pistol Armorer Certification course. Registration is open to All law enforcement officers, military, FFL holders and civilians with a valid CPL. This is a 3 year certification to perform warranty work on SIG pistols. This class is limited to 20 people. LOCATION: Auburn City Hall DATE: May 29-30, 2013 COST: $395.00 Registration is now open at the SIG SAUER Academy website: http://www.sigsaueracademy.com/cours...px?CourseID=33 Here is a course description from the SIG SAUER website: This comprehensive multi-gun armorer certification course will prepare students to fully service the complete line of classic SIG SAUER pistols (P220, P226, P228, P229 and P239) while maintaining the factory warranty. This hands-on program focuses on the mechanical functioning, complete disassembly/reassembly, maintenance. troubleshooting, and field repair of these pistols. Instructors will guide students through each step while encouraging active participation to ensure maximum retention of the material covered. Law enforcement armorers will also gain the knowledge necessary to develop a maintenance and inspection program for their department. A three-year certification is awarded upon successful completion of written and practical exams. For registration information, please contact Dave@CascadiaTactical.com

Course Location: Auburn Police Department Suite 201 340 East Main Street Auburn, WA 98002-5548 Registration Contact: David Aykens 206.612.6689 Dave@CascadiaTactical.com Maximum of 15 Students Open to Military, LE, FFL dealers and civilian CPL holders ONLY. $250.00 per student REGISTER HERE: http://www.berettausa.com/lawenforcement/default.aspx Class begins promptly at 8AM and is scheduled to conclude at 5PM. In order for the law enforcement armorer to maintain the model "M1" & "M2" autoloading shotguns in excellent serviceable condition, ready for trouble free field performance, and extend it's service life at a minimum cost without the need to exchange servicable parts, he/she must have an in-depth knowledge on the subject of appropriate maintenance. The Benelli Armorer Training Course is designed for the professional armorer, firearm instructor and techincal service personnel. This course provides complete and detailed answers to specific questions concerning the weapons mechanical functioning, operational procedure, stripping, inspection, trouble shooting and maintenance. Students successfully completing this course will receive a 3-year Benelli factory armorer's certification. Cascadia Tactical and the City of Auburn are proud to be co-sponsoring the BENELLI M1/M2 Shotgun Armorer Certification course. Registration is open to all law enforcement officers, military, FFL holders and civilians with a valid CPL. This is a 3-year certification to perform warranty work on the Benelli M1/M2 Shotgun.

I am looking for better ideas on my training. I am Police Officer and I shoot IDPA and USPSA on the side to make myself more proficient in my career. I practice the following everyday that I suit up: 1. Draw stroke with my shot timer set to par times between 1.3 seconds down to 0.6 seconds. I start at a 1.3 to make sure my form and grip is perfect, then increase my speed till .6. I can beat .7 and still fighting for the .6. 2. Dry fire on 1/3 scale IDPA targets (3) at between 15 and 30 feet. 3. Transitions between targets will perfect sight picture. 4. Reloads with retention and tactical reloads using snap caps. (every other time) This usually takes me about 15-20 minutes, about 25 when I do reloads. Any ideas on what I am missing or could do better?