Bianchi Dry fire program design

[Mr Unnatural]

Hi, I'm preparing for the world action pistol championship in September. There are 5 Bianchi matches within 600 km before September, I'll be attending at least three. Two will be on the smae range as the championship.

I have experience in timed events with a similar target like the combat target B-18, shooting above 95% of the points in competition regularly in the past. IPSC is my main focus, still shooting 95 of the available points though.

I've got good experience with dry fire training and the benefits for IPSC, so I'm designing a dry fire program for Bianchi. I'm using the tips I got from the keys to success on this forum and from some video tapes I got from a friend. Hope to get some more here on the forum.

First challenge is finding a printable bianchi target. Planning to reduce the "reduced target' further for the longer distances.

I'll be focusing on the main events:

• Barricade
• Plates
• Practical
• Mover

My main goals are getting a feel for the time (want to use most of it, 90%). Propper trigger technique (follow through). Training the different shooting positions (prone barricade), to get a fast and reliable draw time to the first target.

I will compete in the metallic division, don't know what gun I'll be using. It will be my svi sighttracker in .40 or my 6" double stack in 9mm with target sights.

I've made some notes for the different events I'll be using in the training.

Barricade

Starting on the left side (I'm right handed), looking at the target as soon as possible. , learning to place the gun on the correct height/position. I'll be using a glove for my weakhand, and be experimenting with different ways to use the barricade for support in live fire and use the same for dry fire. I'm not sure what will be the best option for me but I'll not change in the 3 months before the championship. Not sure if I'll build my own barricade or use a door in my home.

Practical

There will be no special things except for the training the times for the different strings. I train the necessary techniques like weakhand and transferring the gun for IPSC already.

Mover

Since I have no possibility to set up a mover in my back garden, I've decided to make this a visualization/sensory training mainly. I plan to draw a line on the wall that I'll be following. The line will represent the moving target and I'll be focusing on my body movement and moving the gun in correct sight alignment through my motions and firing while I keep moving the gun.

I don't know if this explenation makes sense to anyone but it's the best I can do now.

Does anybody have some suggestions to make a mover indoors with reduced targets since indoor ranges are mostly six positions wide?

Plates

I'll be using the dry fore program by Steve Anderson for this, I'll be adding the prone part.

regards

[Alan550]

You seem to be on the right track. The first thing I noticed in your list of things to try that's missing is foot position on the mover. Adjust your body to a "natural point of aim" (npa) so you're set up for the last 2/3 of the run in each direction. Do a sight picture with or without the gun as permitted, and adjust your feet so there's no tension in your shoulders or waist when aiming at about that 2/3 mark for each direction. Do this before each run of the target at all distances. It's less critical at the longer distances, but extremely important at the 10 & 15 yard lines.

You won't get a good aimed shot off much before the half-way point, and you don't want to be torqued out of shape for your last shots on the target before it goes behind the barrier. If you set your npa for the center on each run, you'll be in a tensioned position for your last shots both ways. Not good for accuracy!

On the barricades, be looking at the target as the commands are given. Don't wait for the "beep" to look if a timer is used, and if there are turning targets, you'll be looking at them anyway. Also, be sure that your hands are on the barricade with your palms against it, not finger tips! That's a procedural penalty. In practice, you'll probably find that you'll tend to pull your shots to different areas on the targets (barricade) at the different distances. Make notes on a small card that you can look at and take in your pocket to the firing line that tells you where to aim at each distance to compensate for the different impact points. I know this sounds counter to what you may have dealt with in IPSC, but it's pretty normal in Bianchi style shooting, especially if you tend to tilt the gun a bit as most people do with Metallic guns.

You'll get more input from others, I'm sure so that's all I have for now.

Shoot 'em in the middle!

Alan~^~

[Resjudicata]

All of the above is of course awesome advice.

I will add that you live fire regularly along with your dry fire practice. Don't let a bad habit creep in that hasn't been checked and gotten rid of by live fire.

Be careful about allowing yourself to shoot based on rythm or time. You fire a shot based on sight alignment only. That's why you need to live fire regularly as above.

You might want to see if you can get one of the airsoft guns that matches your Cup gun. The kind that cycles the slide. Use this gun with gas but no pellets (unless you really want to) during dry fire to also practice watching the sights move and settle. Here again, you need to live fire regularly because the airsoft gun won't cycle exactly like the real thing. But, it's better than no movement at all. The whole point is the make you wait for the sight alignment after the sights move before firing the next shot as above.

Chris

[kimmbeckwith]

Great advice from Alan and Chris!

All I can say is if you shoot open; learn to get on the ground fast. The more trigger time you have the better. I'll be 58 this year and I bet I get on the ground as fast as the young bucks! (gravity helps!! haha)Quantity practice is not the key, quality is. If you have a stage that you can't seem to get down (three and three left handed) use a practice session only for that. I don't shoot all four events together very often, other than local matches. I keep a log of my practice sessions and that way when I go to a big match and I’m disappointed in my finish, I look at my practice scores. If I can duplicate my practice scores at a big match I am happy. I know my chances of shooting 180+ X's is slim, but boy I am still working on it. But you have to shoot 10's first, the X's will come.

Good luck!!

Kim

[Mr Unnatural]

You seem to be on the right track. The first thing I noticed in your list of things to try that's missing is foot position on the mover. Adjust your body to a "natural point of aim" (npa) so you're set up for the last 2/3 of the run in each direction. Do a sight picture with or without the gun as permitted, and adjust your feet so there's no tension in your shoulders or waist when aiming at about that 2/3 mark for each direction. Do this before each run of the target at all distances. It's less critical at the longer distances, but extremely important at the 10 & 15 yard lines.

You won't get a good aimed shot off much before the half-way point, and you don't want to be torqued out of shape for your last shots on the target before it goes behind the barrier. If you set your npa for the center on each run, you'll be in a tensioned position for your last shots both ways. Not good for accuracy!

On the barricades, be looking at the target as the commands are given. Don't wait for the "beep" to look if a timer is used, and if there are turning targets, you'll be looking at them anyway. Also, be sure that your hands are on the barricade with your palms against it, not finger tips! That's a procedural penalty. In practice, you'll probably find that you'll tend to pull your shots to different areas on the targets (barricade) at the different distances. Make notes on a small card that you can look at and take in your pocket to the firing line that tells you where to aim at each distance to compensate for the different impact points. I know this sounds counter to what you may have dealt with in IPSC, but it's pretty normal in Bianchi style shooting, especially if you tend to tilt the gun a bit as most people do with Metallic guns.

You'll get more input from others, I'm sure so that's all I have for now.

Shoot 'em in the middle!

Alan~^~

Hi Alan

thanks for your comments and input, I'll incorporate them in my program. I'll post an updated version soon.

[Mr Unnatural]

All of the above is of course awesome advice.

I will add that you live fire regularly along with your dry fire practice. Don't let a bad habit creep in that hasn't been checked and gotten rid of by live fire.

Be careful about allowing yourself to shoot based on rythm or time. You fire a shot based on sight alignment only. That's why you need to live fire regularly as above.

You might want to see if you can get one of the airsoft guns that matches your Cup gun. The kind that cycles the slide. Use this gun with gas but no pellets (unless you really want to) during dry fire to also practice watching the sights move and settle. Here again, you need to live fire regularly because the airsoft gun won't cycle exactly like the real thing. But, it's better than no movement at all. The whole point is the make you wait for the sight alignment after the sights move before firing the next shot as above.

Chris

Hi Chris

I'll be doing live fire training, except for the mover. On the ranges I can practice they have no mover installation but we do have a 50m indoor range.

You make an excellent point about being careful not to develop a rhythm and not paying attention to sight alignment. Without live fire practice I could develop this, thanks for pointing it out.

Airsoft is still illegal in my country.

Regards,

Rick

Airsoft is ilegal in our country.

[Mr Unnatural]

Great advice from Alan and Chris!

All I can say is if you shoot open; learn to get on the ground fast. The more trigger time you have the better. I'll be 58 this year and I bet I get on the ground as fast as the young bucks! (gravity helps!! haha)Quantity practice is not the key, quality is. If you have a stage that you can't seem to get down (three and three left handed) use a practice session only for that. I don't shoot all four events together very often, other than local matches. I keep a log of my practice sessions and that way when I go to a big match and I'm disappointed in my finish, I look at my practice scores. If I can duplicate my practice scores at a big match I am happy. I know my chances of shooting 180+ X's is slim, but boy I am still working on it. But you have to shoot 10's first, the X's will come.

Good luck!!

Kim

Hi Kim

I agree deliberate perfect practice is key to being succesfull in any shooting discipline. I'm used to planning and reviewing my practice and logging my results for future comparison. Personally in timed events I would be very happy if I can repeat my practice scores. I'll focus on the 10's first they're not important untill I shoot the maximum score (or did I mis something).

regards,

Rick

[kimmbeckwith]

No you didn't miss anything, it just once you start shooting 480's you want as many X's as you can get. You milk the time and end up shooting an 8 or worse. So shoot for the 10's first.

[Allgoodhits]

Strive for the "center area" of the target, period. Your personal hold (wobble) ability, equipment and ammo quaility minus errors will dictate whether your clusters or groups are 8's, 10's or X's. As your groups get smaller, minus errors, the score will rise.

Work on the best sight picture and trigger control you can get in tha mount of time you have to get it. "Let" the gun shoot and you will have all shots within your wobble ability. Try to "make" the gun shoot, and you may have an X or you may have a 5 or a miss. Working the trigger patiently, increases your odds for a round shot group. An erradic shot group likely indicates you are trying too hard. A 1918-145X will beat a 1905-191X everytime. Eliminate errors (real bad shots) and the rest will take care of itself as your ability, equipment and experience build.

We all have a tendency to wrongly shoot for a score, better than the last one we fired. Instead, shoot for the best round group you can do centered on the targets scoring areas. You can't do better than that. The score then is secondary to your thoughts, yet the result will be the best you can do, since you can not possibly do better than you can do.

MJ

[Resjudicata]

We all have a tendency to wrongly shoot for a score, better than the last one we fired. Instead, shoot for the best round group you can do centered on the targets scoring areas. You can't do better than that. The score then is secondary to your thoughts, yet the result will be the best you can do, since you can not possibly do better than you can do.

MJ

Damn. That's good stuff right there.

Chris