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Test for fundamental marksmanship skills


Nimitz

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I'm looking for a good test for determining fundamental accuracy skill as it relates to action shooting. Is the Dot Turture Drill the answer or are there other skill tests which would be good to test accuracy? I'm not interetsed in testing draw speed, split or transition times, movement, etc as without the requisite marksmanship skills for our sport I don't believe those other skills matter. If you can't hit the target when & where you want on demand, what difference does it make how fast you are ...particularily in production Div which is where I live ....

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Dot torture is great - don't have to set up target at 25 or 40 yards - you

can shoot it at 7 yards - lot's less walking :closedeyes:

It is a good idea, though, to do some practice at further distances in

case you find yourself in a 40 yard match (it does happen).

Really nothing wrong with combining the accuracy test you've asked

about without adding transitions and draws as well (the Dot Torture

adds them). Simply adding to the mix, all for the good. :cheers:

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I think that plain 'ol group shooting off of a bench and shooting freestyle at varying distances will help. The fundamentals of accuracy start with learning how to hit what you want to hit regardless of how long it takes you to do it. It seems the more group shooting I do, the more accurate I get. ;)

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at this point I'm just looking for the 'test'. What drills to do to improve your accuracy is the next piece of course. I didn't include plain old group shooting because I want the accuracy test to have the important elements of our sport included in the test to be revelant to what we do. Not a perfect analogy but testing how fast you can run a 1/4 mile may not be an appropriater test of your running skill if your sport is long distance running While they are both running, different elements are important to each ...

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at this point I'm just looking for the 'test'. What drills to do to improve your accuracy is the next piece of course. I didn't include plain old group shooting because I want the accuracy test to have the important elements of our sport included in the test to be revelant to what we do. Not a perfect analogy but testing how fast you can run a 1/4 mile may not be an appropriater test of your running skill if your sport is long distance running While they are both running, different elements are important to each ...

I think what old506 said was about all you can do to test just accuracy. All the drills are going to involve the draw, moving, par times ect. I like to shoot prone to determine first how accurate my load is then use that group to compare my accuracy in other positions.

Edited by toothguy
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Sorry, for some reason I can't edit on the computer at work. I am guessing your looking for a practical accuracy test that involves shooting from different positions like sitting, behind a barricade, prone, kneeling and standing. There is such a test of pure fundamental shooting skill with generous time limits so you can concentrate on accuracy it's PPC. :)

Personally when working on accuracy I don't combine it with anything else. I try to make an accuracy default setting that is programmed so no matter what the circumstance it's just there.

Edited by toothguy
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I guess that's the real question: should the test be one of accuracy that includes certain elements od practical shooting like the standing draw, draws to alternate positions, draw & move to a position, transition bewteen multipe targets/multiple distances, etc, etc or ... should it just be a pure group shooting or bullseye shooting test with no other elements included?

Accuracy while executing pure bulleye or group shooting is going to be different than accuracy which includes elements of practical shooting but without a time limit ...

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I guess that's the real question: should the test be one of accuracy that includes certain elements od practical shooting like the standing draw, draws to alternate positions, draw & move to a position, transition bewteen multipe targets/multiple distances, etc, etc or ... should it just be a pure group shooting or bullseye shooting test with no other elements included?

Accuracy while executing pure bulleye or group shooting is going to be different than accuracy which includes elements of practical shooting but without a time limit ...

I seem to only be able to effectively work on one thing at a time. Even the draw I have to break down and practice each part then put it together.

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that's the real question: should the test be one of accuracy that includes certain elements of practical shooting or ... should it just be a pure group shooting

I practiced "pure group shooting" for years - never improved my USPSA ability.

Since I've been combing accuracy with "other elements of practical shooting",

I've finally seen some improvement in my USPSA ability (scores).

:cheers:

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that's the real question: should the test be one of accuracy that includes certain elements of practical shooting or ... should it just be a pure group shooting

I practiced "pure group shooting" for years - never improved my USPSA ability.

Since I've been combing accuracy with "other elements of practical shooting",

I've finally seen some improvement in my USPSA ability (scores).

:cheers:

If you can shoot good groups it will make you a more accurate shooter no matter what game you play. I think it's good to combine something like PPC with IPSC but the PPC will not help in any way with the movement skills required for IPSC. It will help with the shooting part when you get in position. I have seen some IPSC shooters that score well but can't shoot a group at 15 yards. The top shooters can shoot a tight group and do it with efficiency in movement and stage planing.

Edited by toothguy
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An accurate shot is an accurate shot. It doesn't matter if you have to run a mile to get to your gun or are wrapped up like a pretzel when you do it. What is most important is that you know what an accurate shot looks and feels like.

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True but what happens before you get set to pull the trigger matters ... I assume you are not trying to argue that the skill set needed to be a great bullseye shooter is the same skill set needed to be a great IPSC style shooter? Adding the fundamentals of our sport to drills working on accuracy only seems to make sense since you're going to have to execute thesse well eventually no mater how accurate you are.

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True but what happens before you get set to pull the trigger matters ... I assume you are not trying to argue that the skill set needed to be a great bullseye shooter is the same skill set needed to be a great IPSC style shooter? Adding the fundamentals of our sport to drills working on accuracy only seems to make sense since you're going to have to execute thesse well eventually no mater how accurate you are.

The most important part of the skill set to be a great shooter is sight alignment and trigger control. Those are the fundamentals of your sport. The drills working on accuracy are needed for retention of the fundamentals. The other stuff are things that you need to do efficiently to get to the part where you execute the fundamentals, sight alignment through good trigger control.

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1500 PPC Course of fire

  • Match I
    • Standing – Twelve (12) shots in twenty (20) seconds at ten (10) yards.
    • Standing – Twelve (12) shots in twenty (20) seconds at fifteen (15) yards.

    [*]Match II

    • All at twenty-five (25) yards.
    • Total time ninety (90) seconds.
    • Kneeling – Six (6) shots.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, left hand, behind barricade.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, right hand, behind barricade.

    [*]Match III

    • All at fifty (50) yards.
    • Total time one hundred and sixty-five (165) seconds.
    • Sitting – Six (6) shots.
    • Kneeling – Six (6) shots.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, left hand, behind barricade.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, right hand, behind barricade.

    [*]Match IV

    • All at twenty-five (25) yards.
    • Standing – Twelve (12) shots in thirty-five (35) seconds.
    • Standing – Twelve (12) shots in thirty-five (35) seconds.

    [*]Match V – Stage 1

    • Standing – Twelve (12) shots in twenty (20) seconds, at ten (10) yards.

    [*]Match V – Stage 2

    • All at twenty-five (25) yards.
    • Total time ninety (90) seconds.
    • Kneeling – Six (6) shots.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, left hand, behind barricade.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, right hand, behind barricade.

    [*]Match V – Stage 3

    • All at fifty (50) yards.
    • Total time one hundred and sixty-five (165) seconds.
    • Sitting – Six (6) shots.
    • Kneeling – Six (6) shots.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, left hand, behind barricade.
    • Standing – Six (6) shots, right hand, behind barricade.

    [*]Match V – Stage 4

    • Standing – Six (6) shots in twelve (12) seconds at twenty-five (25) yards.

Target is a standard B-27 silhouette. The goal is to keep all shots in a 4x6" 10-ring with a 2x3" X-ring.

Edited by toothguy
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Shooting accurate is important, but shooting an accurate shot on demand is where its at. Keep that in mind for the future. If you are a new shooter, or not sure, I suggest you learn what an acceptable sight picture is, learn what the correct trigger pull is, and dry fire a lot. You can fire an accurate shot with a marginal sight pic, but you’re not going to shoot an accurate shot with a marginal trigger pull. Trigger pull is the key. A lot of the skills needed to shoot accurately can be learned while dry firing. The best thing you can do otherwise is shoot groups off a rest. Take as much human error out of it as possible and really put yourself to the test. Set up a rest and shoot groups at 25 yards at a bulls eye. Depending on your skill level, you can use an 8, 6, or 3 inch circle. When you start grouping shots in clusters your there, given your gun has that accuracy capability.

At some point you will need to introduce speed and movement into the equation.

.

Edited by Sac Law Man
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