Byron's log

[h4444]

OK,,,,we'll see where this goes. I'm a fat guy with a bum wheel and a house full of kids. We'll see how far dry fire, very little practice, and shooting a small club match every other week can take someone.

I've got about 10 years of practical shooting experience, when I left the game about 5 years ago I was having my best year in terms of performance improvement. It was that last year to year and a half that I had finally gotten serious about performance improvement. In Limited I had won by B card, L10 I was one good classifier away from A, and in only my second match ever with a real open gun I shot a special classifier match that put me at something like 74.79% in Open. After checking my classification data, I see that was five years and a month before I started my "comeback". LOL....

Since I'm going to have to rely a lot on dry fire, I won't bore you with entries after every dry fire session. I will add updates after matches,,,discuss changes/improvements, and post some video.

I appreciate any constructive feedback.

Well, I'll make the first shooting related entry here, it is brief and there is no video evidence - thankfully. I shot my first match in 5 years two weeks ago. It was a small club level match. I shot production with a pistol I had only shot 100 rounds through previously and that was literally standing at a firing line plinking. My speed was better than I hoped for in that match, no mikes on paper, but my accuracy BLEW, too many Charlies, too many Delta's, and too many make up shots on steel.

What was my lesson learned in production in my comeback??? I learned, gear up my old single stack for SS, L10, and yes,,,,,,Limited (at least till I can score a Limited gun) and forget Production for now.

Goals for this week's match:

1. 2 or fewer D's for the entire match
   
2. Shoot no hostages or get any other penalties
   
3. Shoot 93%+ of points for the match
   
4. No blown mag changes
   
5. Come up with the most efficient plan for solving each problem and execute cleanly/smoothly
   
6. Get faster/smoother
   
7. Remember to get someone to video my runs....
   

I think if I can do those things based on what I know I'm capable of even with the layoff, I think the results will take care of themselves.

[h4444]

Full update coming tomorrow.

These are from my second match back,,,,I'll provide at update with my own critique's tomorrow. Once the scores are posted I'll review them and compare them against my goals for the match. I "think" I made all my goals.

Not trying to set the world on fire - yet. Just trying to figure out how much rust there is to knock off, where the rust is, and get to work on it. Overall, I was happy with how I shot tonight.

Edited June 15, 2012 by h4444

[h4444]

OK, here's the full run down.

First of all let's cover the goals for the match.

1. 2 or fewer D's for the entire match
   Check - Threw one Delta for the match and it was on the left side swinger on stage 2.
   
2. Shoot no hostages or get any other penalties
   Check - No hostages, no penalties.
   
3. Shoot 93%+ of points for the match
   Check Check - 93.78%
   
4. No blown mag changes
   Check - Didn't set the world on fire, but all my mag changes we clean.
   
5. Come up with the most efficient plan for solving each problem and execute cleanly/smoothly
   Check - I think I shot all 3 stages as efficiently as I am capable of.
   
6. Get faster/smoother
   Check - kinda. I was much faster than I was last time out when I shot production. BUT, while my draws seemed fairly smooth, I was having trouble finding my front sight off the draw, so my first shots were WAY too slow. Then my transitions on steel were much slower than I would like, I'm calling the shots, but doing it too slowly. The transition speed will come back, so I'm not worried about it.
   
7. Remember to get someone to video my runs....
   Check - Thanks guys for running the camera for me, most appreciated.
   

Lessons Learned:

[*] Work on draws - pick up the pace, find the front sight.

[*] Transitions on steel - focus on consistently getting the correct sight picture for my fixed sighted 1911 (high on the steel plate) and push the transitions after calling the shots.

[*] Work more on shooting on the move, I need to work more on shooting on the move rather than stopping at shooting positions. Since I don't run well, if I want to be competitive, this will be a requirement for me, I must master shooting on the move laterally, I can't afford the stop and go.

[/]

[Carmoney]

Great to see you back in the game, Big Hoss!

[h4444]

Great to see you back in the game, Big Hoss!

Thanks much. Big Hoss,,,,Nice, I do feel like a Clydsdale lining up at the gate with Thoroughbreds.

Was good to get behind the trigger again with my old single stack shootin' L10,,,,like its 1999 all over again.

[h4444]

OK, not directly shooting related but something that will aid in my performance, now that I had wrapped up one project today (building a gazebo), next up is replacing the space in my garage that the materials were taking up with a new loading bench. I was looking at building a 48inch Simpson strontie plan, but I think I will want more room, so why not build two. Lol

Actually I am thinking I will build one pretty close to what the plans call for, I have a few tweaks that I am going to add, then the second one will just be the lower table and I will fit the two together to form an "L" shape.

after shooting y last match with factory 45 acp, I am guessing I can still cook up something myself that makes major, but drives the pistol more to my liking.

[h4444]

OK, got the materials for the bench, but I think I will wait till tomorrow or some other time to start working on it, it rained here and is horribly humid. After my 13 year exile to Iowa, I have grown soft with regard to my ability to tolerate humidity.

I am looking forward to getting this bench ready. Dillon has had my press a couple days, I was told it takes about two weeks for it to get through their refurb process, so the race is on!!! Can I build my bench before Dillon gets my press back, we will see.

[h4444]

OK,,,I didn't get to shoot Thursday as work got in the way, I had to go to NYC.

Now, I've reviewed the tape of the last match and two things really hurt me.

1st - The steel stage, I have to shoot steel like I shoot paper, meaning call my shot and immediately transition,,,,I had reverted into the old newbie Byron habit of waiting to hear the steel go down but that's even worse here as you can't really do that on this range as any shot pulled low hits still so you have to visually confirm and that costs even more time. So, I need to do this right, call the shot transition quickly.

2nd - My draws were bad by my standards. I was smooth, got the gun out of the holster OK, but just stunk at finding the sight which isn't like me (me.....from 5 years ago). So, I have some work to do there and will focus on finding the sight.

Everything else went fairly well, I could use a little work on shooting on the move, but I'm not too worried about it yet. I was able to do it, just not moving as fast as I would like while engaging targets. It'll come, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Speaking of building,,,,,I'm hoping it cools off so I can work on putting my press back together and getting those new benches ready to rock.

HMMMM,,,,,better get my wallet, I need to order some components.

[h4444]

Egads,,,,,last match all the gun handling, transitions, and everything took a big leap forward. HOWEVER,,,,,my old nemesis of low hits/low misses has come back with a vengeance. Reviewing the video, the pistol is still as a stone before the shot breaks. I've even used the Microsoft Movie maker to go frame by frame to make sure I wasn't jerking and the gun simply is not moving. So it has to be a sight picture problem.

Goal for next match - Don't shoot every bad guy in the nuts....

If I can do that, I should do well, I'm seeing the sights lift and fall, so something isn't quite right with my sight picture. I have a session next week with Tony at Velocity Training Group, we'll see if we can get this straightened out.

Hostage Bus

- Problem fixed

Byron

Edited July 14, 2012 by h4444

[h4444]

OK, I had a training session with Tony at Velocity Training Group.

It was an excellent session. I now have the tools to prevent the .45 ACP castration of USPSA targets.

My problem is (still consider it a problem till I get more reps in) a poor grip with my weak hand and incomplete extension when presenting the pistol,,,it has been letting me pull my shots low.

In working through some drills doing 5 shot strings, once I started getting things more consistent in grip and presentation, we started cranking up the speed and I would focus more on seeing the sight lift and settle. The faster I went, in many cases the better hits I got and the cool thing was by the end of the session,,,,,I was starting to be able to feel/tell when I was lapsing into my old habits.

As soon as I would notice that,,,,,instantly, my shots drifted back down the target.

We did 5, 10, and 15 yard 5 shot strings as well as some two shot drills at the same distance, the difference in my first runs through the drills till later was significant. I'm still lapsing with the grip and presentation issue, that's going to take a lot of dry fire, I've got 10's of thousands of reps on the odometer doing it the wrong way, so this is going to be a little demon for me to battle for a while.

But now I'm confident if I can make these changes become habit, then I'll finally get this problem under control and have more confidence in getting my hits when I crank up the speed again.

Byron

[h4444]

OK, not much shooting going on the last couple weeks here due to work, some vacation time and such.

Have a club match coming up next week I'll attend unless I get called out of town on work.

The big news this week is.....I'm baaacccckkkk... shooting Limited. Acquired a STI 5.0 Tactical today. All the remaining race related goodies I need are on order, so by the time the next match is here I'll be geared up and ready for Limited, with the exception of good match ammo.

For the time being I'll have to run factory till I can get my press converted an get my hands on some components.

So, till then, a little dry fire time to work on the skills I picked up in my session at Velocity Training Group and getting gear ready.

Thanks,

Byron

[h4444]

So, in the previous post I acquired my new Limited gun and got it setup/ready to rock.

Well last night I shot it in my first match with it. I had to run factory ammo, but that gun ran great and I had my best match yet since coming back.

Below are some videos...

This stage was my first one of the match and the first one shot with the new Limited gun. There was some no-shoots on the stage so I went a little slow, probably too slow. In the combined results my score was 80.4% against a GM.....the GM was shooting SS, I was shooting Limited. I need to pickup the pace.

My slow start

Funky little stage with a really high wall/shooting port. As the title says, lovely Amoeba targets with only A zones available. I have a bum knee and with the step up I used my good leg but knew I was close to the edge, so I shot the last two targets on one leg basically.....Hmmm,,,probably should have planned a little better. Was at 88.8% in the overal,,,,same GM beat me.

Hardcover A's only Amoeba's on a single leg....

I kind of dreaded this stage with the sitting start due to my knee, but I had capacity on my side. I won this stage overall, but I'm sure my GM friend would point out, he had to throw a reload in there,,,,and I'll point out, I'm a fat guy with a bum wheel, that had to shoot on the move and hose like mad on the last array to only nip him by about .4 of a second. :-)

Hoser time...

I would post a video of stage one,,,,but alas it doesn't exist, cameraman had a FTF (failure to film). That's OK, would have been hard to film the stage due to wall layout and such. But I shot stage 1 fairly well. Came in second and was at something like 91% against the stage winner.

Overall on the match I was second at 90.436% against an outstanding shooter that won shooting SS. All things considered, I'm happy with how I shot, it was probably better than I should have realistically expected. BUT, I need to pickup the pace/push myself and trust that I can make those shots quicker.

[h4444]

My regular Thursday match was cancelled, so I spent the night working on steel. Was a good session, I was able to pick up the transitions dramatically over the last time I shot steel, however, my old trigger control issue is still rearing its ugly head. 15 yards and in, I could burn down the plates pretty consistently.

I swear that 25 yard plate has an impact avoidance system.

[h4444]

I got my first ever club match HOA. I shot a whopping 81% of available points for the win.....and I'm happy about it.

Why am I happy with 81%, it was an indoor low light match. There was exactly 1 shot in the entire match that I could truly get any kind of sight picture with my Limited gun. Otherwise, I shot the match clean,,,,no mikes, no no-shoots, just some bad hits, 5 D's on the match and a boat load of C's. But considering I didn't have night sights on that gun, I think the results were pretty good.

There was one particularly evil stage that had two targets that all you had exposed was the head and just a smidge of the shoulders for D's and you had a fault line/shooting area so you couldn't get very close....I was VERY pleased to have gotten my hits there. that was all natural POA. The other shots on the stage were pretty open so my plan was to burn down the open shots, get off the gas for the head shots and hope the hits were there.

Funny, my one close call was on the easiest target on that stage, I pulled on shot low, to nick a perf to get a D hit on a horizontally mounted target. We're it a real bad guy, I'm sure he MIGHT have needed a band-aid for that wound,,,,maybe.

I've been accused of never using my sights,,,,,so that match may have confirmed that.

[h4444]

Another good match for me. Was consistent only pulled one shot low into Delta territory.

However, last nights lesson was a simple one. I need to get this big tractor trailor sized body moving more like a ferrari..... Which will likely involved shedding a few more tons of weight.

I'm down 38 lbs from my all time high, but that isn't enough. I need to drop at least 50 to 70 more in the long term and get my agility back.

I came in second last night and the difference was sheer foot speed and agility. A couple of the stages required a lot of agility and it should have been where I pulled out to a commanding lead, but instead it is where I squeaked by and left an opening, all because I couldn't move my feet fast enough and change directions quickly enough.

On the other-hand the Limited gun ran great. I made some changes before the match and really liked the results. I dropped in a 17 lbs mainspring and an extended firing pin. I really liked how the pistol shoots now. I also changed the setup on a couple mags to give a little extra capacity as I had been runing stock STI mags. So, I have two now that gets me better capacity which came in handy.

Goals -> Keep the weight loss going and improve agility.

Byron

[h4444]

Two goals for my next match....

1. Don't forget the camera.

2. Focus on improving my approach/transition to my first shot in new shooting positions.

On goal number 2, looking as some of my recent video, I'm taking forever to break the first shot when I transition into a new shooting position.

I watched one video with a quasi memory stage that required some minute adjustments to body position between engaging targets, it was dismal and it wasn't like the gun was moving from my line of sight, I was JUST SO SLOW.

I MUST be allowing my focus to waver/be distracted by no-shoots, hard cover, and such. I'm really going to focus on that in my next match,,,,ignore everything but the targets and getting that front sight on the A zone as efficiently as possible.

[h4444]

Had to miss last Thursday's match,,,,,but I'm already chomping at the bit for tomorrow's match. I'll have my camera and I'm going to shoot SS for the first time ever. I cut my teeth in USPSA on a Single stack running 10 round mags and a race holster in L10. So, skinny sticks aren't new, However, 8 rounders will be. :-)

When I left the game SS was provisional and nobody was shooting it much. Since coming back, it seems to be VERY popular. So, I'm going to give it a go.

Since my old Kimber has been giving me some grief and it really isn't setup very well for SS and I don't want to change anything on it as it is an OLD, pre-series II gun, I'm going to run a new Hard Chromed STI Trojan that is setup well for SS.

I took it out to the range over lunch, in a half hour I ran a mixed batch of 250 rounds through it, it never hiccup'd once and the accuracy was good.

However, I shot every last round of .45 I had. Hmmmm.....

I guess that means I'll be converting the press back to .45 and loading up some ammo tonight. :-)

[h4444]

OK, I shot the Thursday night match at Bud's.

Let's recap the most recent goals....

1. Don't forget the camera.

I get the rare "check/fail" here. I remembered the camera, but the batteries were dead. Alas, my buddy Ricky Flynn baled me out and got video of my last two stages, which leads to my second goal.

2. 2. Focus on improving my approach/transition to my first shot in new shooting positions.

Fail....I still sucked. I'm not getting setup into a good shooting position when I transition to a new location on the stage, so I'm having to re-adjust and it just burns time. That, and I move like a pregnant yak. Still working on both of those,,,,I'm down nearly 40 lbs over the last year, so my mobility is getting somewhat better, but it still STINKS.

However, I did compete in the single stack division for the first time ever, and with a new gun. I'm diggin' the Hard Chromed Trojan. It is running great. About 300 round through it so far, no hiccups.

Here's the video.....And yes, that is a suppressed, MP5 I start stage 3 with, however, I kept it on semi-auto, but cost myself precious seconds screwing with the selector switch and such.

Byron

[h4444]

Just made a discovery, it isn't so much my approaches/entrances to new shooting positions that was the problem Thursday, it is the visual distractions at the shooting positions. If you watch the video above, you'll see on the first stage I had to shoot through a port and was able to blaze away....those were big ports....

Now, the pause on the second port is NOT trigger freeze. When I took the first shot my left foot was on the edge of the shooting box and was sliding,,,,,I had to re-position my foot before I could god back to shooting.

If you watch the second stage,,,,it is the same shooting problem, shooting through a port at relatively open targets. I let the visual distraction created by the smaller port slow me down. You'll see a HUGE difference in the splits on those two stages and there is virtually NOTHING different about the shooting problem.

Lesson learned....forget the ports, walls hardcover,,,,,who cares, the targets are all that matter.

[h4444]

OK, I shot Single Stack division last night for the second time ever. It was a learning experience. I learned a lot about the challenges of shooting uspsa with 8 round mags.

GOTTA make every shot count. I went to slide lock on every stage last night. I had one standing reload due to slide lock and I had another standing reload due to a mag that wouldn't drop.

I did pull one round into a NS on the last array of targets on the second stage in the video below, but I know why I did that, It wasn't an issue with sight picture, I just transitioned right into the NS... Opps....

Edited October 5, 2012 by h4444

[h4444]

OK, here's the video from the last match.

Stages 1 and 3 were about as good as this fat guy on a bum wheel can do. I won both of them. However, a local GM was about .9 fast on the 3rd stage, but he threw a mike.

I tried to focus on being efficient/fast and not out running the trigger due to the tightness of some of the shots due to visual barriers. That worked great on 1 and 3.

Stage two was a trainwreck. It is an unloaded start, I got a bad grip from the start and never really fully recovered, the gun bounced all over the place, my hits were horrible, I was slow, I had to make up 2 shots and still threw a mike. I'm not worried about that, in all my years of shooting, that's the first time that has ever happened. The grip was so bad, you can't tell as I'm approaching my first shooting position, I nearly dropped the gun. So, that got in my head a bit.

Anyway, enjoy.

Let me know if there is anything you see that could be done better on 1 and 3. I was pretty happy with those runs, but am always looking to learn.

[h4444]

I need to get back in the habit of posting. Sorry.

I've shot like crap the last few weeks, but if I'm going to be intellectually honest with myself and with you, I need to post the crap along with the good stuff, so I'll do better.

I've been pushing to hard,,,,,my trigger control is back to sucking. So, next match (whenever that is) I'll be focusing more on accuracy. Later......

[h4444]

It has been a while, here's my most recent match.....I think I have the gun issues squared away now.

[h4444]

We have a little suppressed MP5 action today. So, I opted for the full engagement of the giggle switch on the happy maker,,,,,,it made me smile.

Gotta thank the guys at Bud's Gun Warehouse and Range for supplying the cool prop gun.

The new 6 inch Limited gun ran well.

Second overall, still much room to improve. I cost myself a good 8 second + due to how I choose to deal with the steel plate on the field course. Shooting that steel from the platform was a MUCH tighter shot than I thought it would be. I SUCKED on steel, but part of that is on me. I need to spend more time with the new limited gun. It's POI is different from my old fixed sighted Kimber, so I need to get some time on a range that isn't part of a match and get it dialed in more how I like it. I just didn't have the hours to burn before the match.

Oh, I forgot,,,,Enjoy the "steel range two step" as Tony calls it....

Edited June 28, 2013 by h4444

[h4444]

Here's my damage from the Indiana sectional in the order I shot the match.

Overall, stoked about the results. I shot 71% of the winner in Limited, so I shot my class heads up against Bob Vogel, so I'm pleased.

I still have a number of areas for improvement, but my mobility is just killing my performance and about half way through this day, I was "feelin'" it.

The conditions in the afternoon SUCKED and played a minor role, but nothing that would dramatically impact where I finished, it isn't like I'm a sprinter,,,I believe I've got the build to be a good mudder, though.

Highlights. ZERO Mike's for the match.

Only 2 D's for the match.

Only down 61 points for the match

Only one dinky mental error with a procedural that really cost me. There were a couple other mental errors, but they weren't as costly as that one.