Missing first plate A LOT!

[walsh]

I live 10 minutes from our 24/7 indoor range and started a drill I've done 4 times now. I have 7" plates cut from larger plates (wife makes me lunch and each day I get a heavy paper plate) that I am using at 10 yds away. Here have been the results using my new CZ Shadow (great gun!)

1st plate = 20% hits. This is from DA

2-6 plates varies 80-90% hits

I'm trying to do this all in 6 sec or under but can't figure my damn CED7000 out. I don't test as an idiot; I let life show me the areas where I am, along with some wifely input

I'm thinking my problem is getting a sight picture from the holster as well as the DA. While I have Steve Andersen's book I haven't really practiced dry-firing that much. While I understand the merits of dry firing, I am remiss to start it yet when I'm not reliably hitting that shot from the draw as I considered that I might be ingraining bad habits and become outstanding at missing!

I have a Marvel 22 conversion for my Kimber .45. And while the trigger is different on that first shot, I'm thinking I need to do a lot of work (inexpensively) on that first shot and since I'm missing, I can't tell with a dry fire if I hit "unless" my goal of dry firing is to be very, very slow as well as doing it very, very slow with real rounds from my CZ on the range until I get that number real close to 100% from 10 yds. I would save the 5 rds from the other plates by just working that first shot drill.

Any thoughts on the best routine to work on to achieve this aside from what I was thinking?

Thanks in advance,

Walsh

Edited September 11, 2011 by walsh

[Biloxi23]

Slow down on your first shot until yu can hit the plate every time. When you figure out your times, use to record your time for a draw and fire with 100 percent hits. Just work on being smooth, front sight and hitting the first plate every time. I think you will find tht you time for the first shot hit will get better and better until you reach your max. when you figure out your par time, you can set the par time feature of your timer to that time and sue that to dry fire at home. Just make sure that you focus on hitting the plate and not the time. It has been posted at about a thousand places on this forum, but you can't miss fast enough.

[Flexmoney]

I'm thinking my problem is getting a sight picture from the holster as well as the DA. While I have Steve Andersen's book I haven't really practiced dry-firing that much. While I understand the merits of dry firing, I am remiss to start it yet when I'm not reliably hitting that shot from the draw as I considered that I might be ingraining bad habits and become outstanding at missing!

You don't have to worry about that.

Just do drill #1 (no more)

And, understand why you are doing it.

(If I recall correctly, drill #1 is a draw to a sight picture, no trigger press.)

[Steve Anderson]

"I don't test as an idiot"

"While I have Steve Andersen's book I haven't really practiced dry-firing that much"

These two sentences don't belong together.

Sorry Walsh, I couldn't resist. That was not intended to be rude or disrespectful, and your post makes it clear you have a sense of humor, so I hope you'll forgive me.

Flex is right. Drill 1 is specifically designed to solve your exact problem.

Your trouble lies in one or both of two areas:

1. You are rushing the first shot and firing without an acceptable sight picture.

2. Something about the DA pull is causing the round to go off target.

So that's two things to work on, and here's how:

1. Drill 1: Draw and achieve an acceptable sight picture. DO NOT pull the trigger. The book explains whay.

2. With the gun already on a small target, practice pulling the trigger without losing your acceptable sight picture. At first this will mean slow and smooth, then it will just mean smooth, then it will just happen.

Alternatively, you could lay the gun on the book and see if it happens through osmosis.

I don't see a lot of value in correcting the CZ problem by shooting the .22

Also, you don't mention whether your CZ's trigger is stock or not... I don't know much about CZ DA triggers, but most stock DA triggers are not conducive to good first shots.

I used to shoot Berettas in production and never thought much about a DA first shot. I would actually prep the trigger during the draw and time the release with the acquisition of an acceptable sight picture. This technique is not for newbs and actually happened automatically over time, as opoosed to something I set out to do. My Berettas had a 5lb DA with a long, smooth pull. I'm thinking CZs have a shorter pull, but not sure about that.

But good luck, and please report back.

[mlmiller1]

All of the above posts have great suggestions but let me add one more thought. Take it for what it costs, nothing. Let's talk about your draw, ok? When you start your draw, keep your body balanced. Move both arms in a similar manner almost as if you are drawing two guns. As the gun clears the holster, begin to rotate the gun so the barrel is nearly level with the ground. Keep the gun in close to your body, bringing your offhand in towards the center of your body just like your gun & gunhand & begin to get your grip. The hands are meeting, grip is beginning, gun is coming up from waist, level with ground. Gun & hands reach a point where the gun is starting to be in front of your eyes, grip is completed but gun is still very near your body. Start your extension with the gun up between you & the plate. Your eyes should be guiding the gun sights now as you extend. The sights need to be on the center of your target before your gun is fully extended. As you are extending the gun, drop safety & start prepping trigger. When the gun reaches full extension(whatever that is for you, arm extension is a whole other discussion) you should have the gun centered on the plate, safety off, trigger prepped & now you can fire the round.

If you are bringing the gun up in a big arc, away from your body with unequal movements--e.g. you draw with your right hand but your left is flopping around trying to do something, it will take you forever to stabilize the gun & you are likely to still be moving when you break the shot.

Try to be sure your body is in the position you want it to be in when you fire, before you start your draw. If you are a "head down" shooter, put your head down before the draw. If you are a "squatter" that normally squats or bends your knees when you fire, squat before you draw. Try to isolate the movements of your body to just your arms during the actual draw.

Give this a try, along with all the other suggestions & see if you are not smoother/faster/more accurate after a few dozen draws than you were before with your present draw method. Basically, throwing a fully loaded gun(weight) up at the end of your arms is gonna be near impossible to control & stabilize. Stabilizing it near your body & pressing it out is much smoother/faster/more accurate.

MLM

[walsh]

Thanks for the tips, guys. And yes, I always laugh at myself before my wife gets the chance. No offfense taken.

I'm glad Steve dropped by as my wife said this room is a mess. It is still a mess, but where I moved the gun books a week ago remain a mystery.

I'll report back in a week.

Walsh

P.S. I'm trying to be real stable in my platform, but at 11 PM I have the range to myself and I can easily tape myself with my camera. And my CZ is from the custom shop. I guess I can be careful and see what happens with the first shot being SA as I'll learn quickly if it's me and the trigger that are not dancing together properly. I'll be sure that my right leg isn't directly under it if possible. Telling my wife I have a flesh would is not good. I saw a YouTube of a guy shooting himself in the leg saying, "I can't believe I f**k**g shot myself". I'll do it empty numerous time prior to using ammo.

[walsh]

UPDATE:

I spent about 2 hrs alone at the range late last night and came across something. I have been trying to be smooth with my squeeze. But in doing so, I think I have not been taking advantage of the CZ trigger, even though I'm told what is sent from the Custom Shop can be made even shorter and better.

I had been shooting a long pull, HKP2000. I think that habit of trying to be smooth slowed down my DA squeeze. I sped-up the trigger squeeze and found that I'm at 50-60% on a 7" plate from the draw. I'm trying to be a bit stronger with both my hands to have a stronger platform out in front of me and it seems like the wobble has reduced while I squeeze that first DA shot.

What I need to do is get a night out with my pistol instructor so he can take a look at the finer points of what I am doing. I'm pretty pleased with going to plates 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but it's been that first shot that was clearly better last night by making this change.

Walsh

[benos]

Figure out what you have to see and do to hit the first plate in the middle, every time.

Always hitting the first shot is KEY.

be

[walsh]

Figure out what you have to see and do to hit the first plate in the middle, every time.

Always hitting the first shot is KEY.

be

Almost as critical as not hitting two balls out of bounds on the first tee!

Thanks Brian

[HOA]

Your wife makes you lunch everyday? Does she have a sister?

[walsh]

Your wife makes you lunch everyday? Does she have a sister?

Unless you are deaf from shooting you don't want that....wait....this isn't "blind golf", it's using guns so you can see...man, you DEFINITELY don't want that.

I heard that one should pick Philippine Mail-Order Brides as the Russian Mail-Order Brides steal your money and shave more than you...

[t0066jh]

I'm thinking my problem is getting a sight picture from the holster as well as the DA. While I have Steve Andersen's book I haven't really practiced dry-firing that much. While I understand the merits of dry firing, I am remiss to start it yet when I'm not reliably hitting that shot from the draw as I considered that I might be ingraining bad habits and become outstanding at missing!

You don't have to worry about that.

Just do drill #1 (no more)

And, understand why you are doing it.

(If I recall correctly, drill #1 is a draw to a sight picture, no trigger press.)

+1 on this. I'm right handed, left eye dominant. This drill solved my problem. After repeating this drill multiple times I can now focus on a target, draw the gun and it magically appears with a sight picture in front of my left eye, on the target I'm looking at. This allows me to prep the trigger as the gun comes up and break the shot when the sight picture appears.

The repetitive draw to the sight picture allowed my body/mind to teach me what to do. Try it, it works!!