Dry Fire practice exercise using a PowerPoint slide show

[Driver]

Here is an exercise I developed using PowerPoint and a projector. Below explains the exercise and here

of me doing the whole exercise. Looking for any input you may have on how to make it better.

I am planning to start shooting IDPA competition this fall at some of my local clubs. In preparation along with going to my local indoor range and shooting live ammo and I wanted to start doing some dry fire practicing. I have a projector in my den that we use to watch movies with, it projects on a white wall and is about 13’ wide. I developed a PowerPoint slide show with some animation and I wanted to make it as real as possible (I practice with my headphone and eye glasses on to add to the realism).

Each slide has a real range as the back ground to simulate that I am actually on a range. There are 10 targets that are animate for each slide. They appear at various times and are displayed for a set amount of time. As I get faster I will shorten the time for each target. The tasks that I am focusing on are draw and fire, tactical reload, draw and fire behind cover, dry fire strong hand, retention reload and dry fire weak hand. The entire exercise runs for 8:52 and I usually go through the exercise 2-3 times each practice session and I try and do the exercise at least once a day.

Note: I am using snap caps.

The first slide is draw and fire: I start with the gun in the holster, on safe and hammer back. When the buzzer sounds a target or multiple targets appears for 3 seconds. In that time period, I draw my gun, acquire the target with a good site picture, flip the safety off and fire. When the target disappears I have 6 - 10 seconds to cock the hammer and place the safety on and then holster the gun before the buzzer goes off with another target to engage.

The second slide is a tactical reload: A target appears and I take aim. When the target disappears I do a tactical reload (minus dropping the slide which is already forward). I try to have the reload finished before the next target appears in 3.5 seconds. I then acquire the target with a good site picture and fire. The target stays for 6 - 10 seconds allowing me time to recover my dropped magazine and replace the magazine in the magazine holder before the target again disappears and I execute another tactical reload.

The third slide is draw and fire behind cover: This slide is similar to the first slide except the targets are engaged behind cover.

The forth slide is dry fire strong hand: A target or multiple targets appear for 2 seconds. During this time I acquire the target with a good site picture and fire using only my strong hand. The target than disappears for 2 seconds giving me time to cock the hammer to the rear before another target appears in a different location.

The fifth slide is retention reload: This slide is similar to the second slide except it is a retention reload.

The sixth slide and dry fire weak hand: This slide is similar to the forth slide except conducted with my weak hand.

[Jake Di Vita]

Why not just use real targets?

[Underwhere]

Cool. Are you going to share the powerpoint?

[jacks2028]

Hey that's amazing. It's nice to show this video but I personally think it's effective or not. Because a power point slide show can not provides exact fire exercise to the person. It's very less effective than a real firing.

[Del]

Thats pretty creative

As for a way to make it better could you have the slide appear in a random fashion to break up the pattern. But it looks good

[drodriguez]

This seem like a great way to stay focused during practice.

[Jadeslade]

I think this is really cool. Lots of possibilities.

[latech15]

+1 for sharing the .ppt

[PINMAN44]

Cool man!

[CHA-LEE]

The only down side that I can see with this is the less than optimal lighting conditions. Since the lights are turned down for the projector it will make seeing the sights a lot more difficult.

[Jake Di Vita]

Innovative? Sure. But, how is it better than conventional dry fire?

[latech15]

I think it is a cool idea, if you like it, great, use it, copy it or whatever, for those of you who don't want to use it, just don't. You don't have to be Mr. Negative and tell everybody else why they shouldn't use it and what's wrong with it.

I recently bought an Ipad and had it at work with me. a lot of my co-workers sat around telling me why they wouldn't buy it and what it needs to be better, and the like. Guess what, I didn't buy it for them, and don't really care what they think. Much like the OP, he came up with an idea that was original if nothing else and decided to share it with us. I for one am glad he did, I am going to develop my own .ppt and use it myself.

THANKS AGAIN TO THE OP.

[Jake Di Vita]

I'm not being negative, I'm asking a legitimate question. If this is better, I am interested in learning about it. But if it is better I'd like to know the reasons why so I can evaluate it from all the angles possible. In my opinion that's a pretty important part of being a coach.

[dbxdm9]

Willing to share the slides?

[seeds76]

I'm not being negative, I'm asking a legitimate question. If this is better, I am interested in learning about it. But if it is better I'd like to know the reasons why so I can evaluate it from all the angles possible. In my opinion that's a pretty important part of being a coach.

I don't think the OP's intentions were to make something better than conventional dry firing with real physical targets.

When shooters started dry firing, I'm sure people thought; "How is dry fire better than just live firing?" Well it's not. It's just a tool that we use to aid in developing our skills because some don't have resources for live fire all the time.

How is this power point better than conventional dry fire with physical targets and movement space? It's not. It's just another tool... Kind of like Matt Burkett's online timer with targets. That was pretty innovative too for shooters that lacked resources.

Driver,

That is a pretty cool idea you got going there and could introduce a ton of possibilities. So far, I like it because you can...

1. don't have to mess with printing/cutting out/taping/setting up physical targets all over your room or garage.

2. pretty much can develop any combination of targets

3. can setup your own par times per slide/target configuration

4. don't need a real timer to reset and change par times manually when switching drills

5. developers/coaches/fellow shooters can package all the drills with instructions and send to anyone with power point or power point reader

4. scale the targets to any size on the fly if you don't have a projector and just want to use a monitor or large tv

5. quick reference drill instructions right in your face

6. add side note reminders for each drill based on what you need to focus on

7. add moving targets without having to rig up something physical

Cons?

This probably wouldn't be ideal for drills that require movement of more than several feet depending on how large you can get the image to display.

Also probably won't be good for the lighting on your front sight either. However, if you use a monitor or tv instead, you can turn on the lights in the room.

Edited June 10, 2010 by seeds76

[Team Amish 1]

I'm not being negative, I'm asking a legitimate question. If this is better, I am interested in learning about it. But if it is better I'd like to know the reasons why so I can evaluate it from all the angles possible. In my opinion that's a pretty important part of being a coach.

It's a very legitimate question. I think the advantage is in breaking the monotony from the regular target a little.

I usually have a full size target at 10 yards for my DF, recently I switched to a 1/3 size target to channel my focus a little more.

Now, you, from what I've gathered on this forum, take the DF very seriously and probably do your 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours of dryfire because it has to be done.

Same here.

If someone has a handful of different target constellations that he can work with, "spice up the DF a little", why not?

Personally, I'd rather focus on the same thing, control the variables. But I see where this .ppt show makes it more interesting. And it's pretty imaginative.

I really wish there were an IPSC/USPSA or Steel program for my wii fit. Probably not gonna happen...

[Corey]

...I really wish there were an IPSC/USPSA or Steel program for my wii fit. Probably not gonna happen...

I would kill for a "duckhunt" style game for the wii!

[chbrow10]

Dude, share the slides!!!

[Pezco]

Great idea!

[COF]

The only "error" I see in the routine is the "tactical reload" From the your description it sounds like you're trying to do a shortened slide-lock reload, not a tactical reload since the tactical and RWR reloads are interchangeable in IDPA. On the video it looks like a speed reload - OK for USPSA, not OK for IDPA. Why not just practice the whole sequence.

Load a single snap cap, or better yet, a dummy round in your reload mags and start with the slide locked back with an empty mag in the gun. That way you can duplicate the slidelock position, drop the mag, reload and drop the slide with a "round" chambering.

Other than that, I thought it was a very innovative way to practice, incorporating the buzzer, par times and target placement into the slide-show. Great job!

How do we get a copy?

Jerry

[g.willikers]

Very clever.

Congratulations on an original idea.

For those who would like something similar, but don't have this kind of equipment, look in the video stores for the Namco shooting games with light guns, for the PS1 and PS2 Playstations.

The best of their games are the Point Blank series and the Time Crisis series.

Very fast and the light guns are very accurate.

[madone]

Nice job Driver, Any chance you are going to share that PPT with us??

[AEuropa]

I'm just bumping this because I, too, would love to get ahold of the ppt. Seems the OP brought it up and then rolled out. Maybe he's going to try to market it and wanted some feedback?

- Alex

[skopovoli.com]

Hi, I have developed this

program for dry shooting and now have 4 stages. It is on sale for 15 € (the cost for a box of 9 mm in Greece). Those who have, also have updates for a year.

[clintreich]

I think one of the great things about it is that it is timed, helps your front sight aquisition and sight alignment speed. plus reloads. I agree with Del, getting it to do it randomly would be a positive upgrade. a suggestion, have the targets pop up and then have a reload command pop up directly afterwards, something like RETENSION, TACTICAL, JAM, COVER and give yourself a time limit to do it. start out with 3 seconds and then lower it as you get better. this is such a great idea, lots of posibilities. This makes me think of an At Home Rogers Range, similar to what the FBI uses.