Tangram Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 How long did it take you to get good at competitive shooting? How many rounds? Good? Say going from just pointing downrange to shooting at master level IDPA. (Or however you would like to define good) Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 At competitive shooting? I was able to start fairly "good." I attended about 20 reasonably high-level training classes, most dealing with the handgun, before I ever shot my first "real" competition match: IDPA, actually. I'd shot little local indoor pistol league stuff before. I was able to shoot Expert in IDPA at that first match. Now, the fact I'm STILL an Expert years later is less than impressive.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriggerT Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Like you said, "Good" is a relative term. I just made "A" class in L-10 USPSA, and that is good by some people's definition, but it seems like eveytime I move up a step "Good" moves a step as well. You will find that there are people here who have improoved VERY fast, and those who are slugging it out. If you want to improove quickly my first and most improtant piece of advise would be to dry fire practice. Try for 30 minutes or more everday, but as often as you can for sure. When I can get in dry fire time at least 5 times a week, I can notice my shooting getting better. Now, to answere you question. It has taken me 4 years to make it to "A" class. I would say the biggest things that have helped me move up are: #1 -This web site, and the people and information on it! #2 -Regular, and organized dry fire practice. #3 The will to make myself a better shooter. You had better want it. Good luck. Remember, the gun doesn't always have to go BANG for you to be practicing, CLICK sometimes works better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRD Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Prior to shooting my first match, I had screwed around by myself shooting at IPSC targets...but no formal instruction (other than being an NRA instructor). I've been shooting in matches now (and being 'serious') for just over a year (my first match was exactly a year ago May 7th) and shot Expert at our IDPA classifier two weeks ago (my first classifier was Marksman). When I first started I saw some pretty dramatic improvement fairly quickly - thanks almost entirely to lurking here on these boards, absorbing Brian's book and watching Matt B's first 4 volumes on DVD. After the initial spurt of improvement I started to level off a bit in progress. Then I started to listen to Steve Anderson, got his book and made expert shortly thereafter. The best part is: I can see master, I can actually see how to do it. With dryfire and Steve's example and guidance it's just a matter of putting the time in and staying on the path. - Gabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasag93 Posted June 5, 2004 Share Posted June 5, 2004 "Good" to me is A class or better in IPSC in any division. When I get there I will let you know. Working on 4 years now. Middle C class now. TXAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 If you're shooting Expert in IDPA, I'd say you are already very good. I have friends that have made Master in two years with a lot of hard work. It took me much longer than that, but I'm a slow learner. Shoot with better shooters and you will get better. Don't concern yourself with classifications, that can lead to burn out. Work on skills instead. People fall into the trap of practicing what they already do well, so they feel good after practice, but they don't improve much. The important things are always simple. But the simple things are often hard. If you train yourself to do the hard things, nothing will be beyond your ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorba Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 simple answer for me 30000 rounds and three years two guns dry firing every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted June 6, 2004 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Like you said, "Good" is a relative term. I just made "A" class in L-10 USPSA, and that is good by some people's definition, but it seems like eveytime I move up a step "Good" moves a step as well. Oh YES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewalker Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 15000 rounds a year min. and lots of dry fire...We are very fortunate to have a 4 gun master spend his time teaching us his crafts..(IDPA) the learning curve is much shorter when u have a good teacher.. now if i can learn to listen to him maybe i to will become good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangram Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 simple answer for me 30000 rounds and three years two guns dry firing every day. So my plan is: Continue shooting 1000 rounds + a month. Do more regular intensive dry firing. Continue the Enos, Burkett, Anderson stuff (observe, think about, and execute). Get some more live instruction. Then see how long it takes me to get to good. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 It's the quality of each round expended, not the quantity that really counts. Firing 500 rounds a month, each round shot with a purpose, will take you down the road of improvement a lot faster than 1000 rounds fired with reckless abandon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Too many. Dry fire is huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangram Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 I am coming to appreciate dry fire as a very important aspect of my learning to shoot better. I realize basic errors I am making that I don't always notice with live fire. Also I enjoy shooting and five sessions a month @ 200 rounds a session. This makes it worth an hours ride from my home to the range. So I'll keep that pace up and continue shooting two or three local matches a month. I'm curious about 1000 rounds a month being too many. What's the thinking or did I miss the point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 Too many is relative to your budget, I would shoot 100K a year if I could afford it. Last year I shot 60K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangram Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 Too many is relative to your budget, I would shoot 100K a year if I could afford it. Last year I shot 60K. Oh yes. ... been looking for more work to support my habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 About 7-8 years of local matches once or twice a month, not a lot of dry-fire or practice to go from brand-newbie to M-Open in USPSA. I took the slow road for a long time, but I'm starting to believe that the actual total-work involved is roughly similar for the average person that isn't naturally gifted. You can either do a little work over a long time or a lot of work over a short time. Natural gifts will help, but sooner or later you have to work at it. Alternatively, the Dave Dawson instant-GM plan he once told me goes like this: "Shoot 500000 rounds. By then you can't help it" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 Still struggling with stupid mistakes after <gulp> 9 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedshooter Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 I started out as C class, spent a few years there just shooting the occasional local match and not taking it too seriously. When I decided I wanted to improve I started regular dry fire (at least 15 min. a day, at least 5 days a week) as well as semi-regular live fire practice. I improved to A class in about a year and master another year after that. Looking back I believe, although both live and dry fire are important, dry fire makes a bigger difference when improving from C to A class and live fire practice makes a bigger difference from A to master. The important thing is to practice with a purpose, have a plan and work on whatever your weaknesses are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 The important thing is to practice with a purpose, have a plan and work on whatever your weaknesses are. Very true. When I first started I threw mikes around like I was laying down cover fire and wondering if the 58 rounds I took the line was enough. So I started working on accuracy. Two matches ago I shot it clean. No mikes. Last match I tanked one stage that had strong / weak hand stuff at 15 to 20 yd. Threw four mikes. Guess what I'm going to be working on at next practice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 I'm going to disagree. When you are starting out in the early stages of shooting. Both are important but I believe live fire is paramount for the reason that it teaches you how to shoot. Dry fire refines motions. As you progress higher in class is when dry fire becomes more important and live fire less important, although you still do need both. I'd say the ratio when starting is 75% live fire and 25% dry fire, and high A, M, and GM, it becomes probably about 80% dry fire and 20% live fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 IMHO the important thing is to learn from each shot, live or dry. New shooters benefit from live fire in that they gain experience with all that stuff that goes on in a heck of a hurry. Like learning to drive, the basics eventually become subconscious. Get them right up front and everything else is easier. Dry fire lets them practice more, and learn in a simpler environment where there isn't as much happening, but eventually you've gotta get the live reps in. Higher-level shooters can use live-fire to verify they really are doing and seeing what they think they are in dry-fire. By this time they have internalized the basics of what happens when it goes bang. Think about how often you hear good shooters say something like "I used to shoot until I was knee-deep in brass, but now I don't anymore". This is because they no longer need to, not that they never needed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 I'm going to disagree.When you are starting out in the early stages of shooting. Both are important but I believe live fire is paramount for the reason that it teaches you how to shoot. I agree with Jake. You gotta shoot, especially early on when you're working on your platform. Live fire shows you what works - then you can refine it and pound it into your subconscious with dry fire repetitions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedshooter Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 When you are starting out in the early stages of shooting. Both are important but I believe live fire is paramount for the reason that it teaches you how to shoot. Dry fire refines motions. I agree someone just starting out needs to concentrate on shooting, but once they reach C class I believe the refinement and consistency gained from dry fire is key to taking the next step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 How long did it take you to get good at competitive shooting? Rick I'll post a round count if I ever do get to be any good. For now, I just modulate between different levels of sucking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dv8 Posted September 24, 2004 Share Posted September 24, 2004 IMHO the important thing is to learn from each shot, live or dry.... I agree. At least it was the key for me. I did not ever have a handgun in my hands until the end of 2002, I shot my first USPSA match on Nov 1, 2003, and I"ve got my B class a couple days ago. It may be not that huge achivement for many members of this forum, but it sure is for me. I spent lots of ammo during the first year of shooting (about 35K) , but now I spend a lot more time planning my practice, analizing my mistakes, and dry firing. (Thanks to this forum, BE's Book, and SA Dry Firing book) There is no point in burning ammo, if you don't know what you're doing. Since I've learned to call my shots, dry firing seems to be more effective learning technique. When I do go to a range, I am only verifying what I learned while dry firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now