The shootings of John Tyler

[GreenDragon64]

I didn't become an avid pistol shooter until I was almost 21, most of my trigger time was spent behind an 870 in the woods up until then. I dabbled in old Soviet Mosin-Nagants and an SKS as another out due to low ammo costs. In college, I routinely went to a shooting range and shot mostly my Eastern Bloc rifles, a few times would shoot his Glock which I didn't much care for one way or another. As I turned 21, I decided that I wanted to get my CCW and needed a pistol, I picked one out and my father found a local instructor to take a few classes with. The former marine was an accomplished scout sniper and taught me well, I wasn't concerned with competition until he introduced me to IDPA. I was hooked and attended 4-5 matches per month, which evolved to shooting some 3 gun. This lasted 2 years, I probably put close to 20k rounds down range in those first two years with that pistol. Since then I've had a 2 year hiatus on competitions save the one yearly IDPA match I blow the lint out of my pistol.

Life took over as I entered my 300 and 400 level classes, had a job, and was putting in up to 60 hours per week into an internship. Grad school, working at a very busy gun shop on the weekends, and the Great Ammo Panic of 2012-2013 haven't lent themselves to being good for my trigger control nor my wallet, haha.

In the past year, I have probably put five hundred rounds down range with my pistols, another hundred or so with an AK and AR. Pistol and rifle groups aren't near as tight as what they used to be. I'm barely getting the same size groupings at 10 yards as I was getting at 25 yards before my shooting tapered off to being nonexistent. Currently I'm reloading more and am about to take a few courses with one of Nighthawk Customs' sponsored shooters, Matt Sims.

Range report from 3-24:

Took my Beretta Storm and my H&K USP Expert to the range. First magazine from my Storm was hitting high and left about 1-4" from 10 yards out. 2nd mag was low and left with the same size grouping. Each of the 6 following mags were retreating closer to the zero. Best I can say is that I'm patterning with my pistol instead of drawing a group.

USP Expert's first mag down range went much, much better than my Storm's run. Groups were tight, in a sense. I could see more daylight in the center of the splatter target than in the outer rings. Same for the next 4. Seems that a high dollar pistol with a competition trigger might be the different. Might not be simple as that, might be that I was getting warmed up with the first 8 mags and had knocked some rust off of my trigger control. Regardless, I'm not where I need to be.

Reflection:

Take the classifiers as soon as possible. This will act as my "before" motivation.

I know where I want to go, get back into IDPA and 3 gun and try out USPSA/IPSC. Its rather difficult to shoot in matches due to working every Saturday.

I need to be putting in dry-fire practice with my XDM 9mm 5.25" as well as getting some range time. Shooting bad guys on tv doesn't translate well to cardboard.

Order BE's book along with Anderson's Refinement and Repetition.

Edited March 26, 2013 by GreenDragon64

[GreenDragon64]

Haven't been able to shoot this week due to working long hours at the gun shop. Won't be able to until Tuesday. Highlights of the past few days - ordered a PRP Ultimate Match trigger for the XDM, ordered BE's Practical Shooting, Anderson's Refinement and Repetition, a 1/2 oz tube of Slide Glide standard, and 500rds of 147gr FP from falconbullets.com

Continuing to dry-fire with my XDM, shooting Biff Tannen and other misc villians. Need to work WHO and SHO, along with draws, reloads, and transitions. Hopefully I'll get Anderson's book in this coming week.

[GreenDragon64]

Trigger for the XDM came in from Powder River Precision. Amazing difference between the stock trigger and the aftermarket. I've yet to put in some range time, will head out tomorrow.

As of this post, I haven't received the shipping notification from Enos on that order, same goes for the bullet order.

[GreenDragon64]

Enos order arrived at the house, unfortunately I won't be back until later this week to relish in the booty.

PRP Ultimate Match trigger made a world of difference, too bad I was enamored with it and burned through my 100rds as fast as I could load up the mags.

Helped accuracy since it was such a quick little trigger, but I didn't much more give the front FO time to settle back on target before I let another round loose.

Clicked on the Word of the Moment and read this message, paraphrased, practice makes certainty. Taking it to heart as I read through Enos and Anderson's books over the next days/weeks/months/years.

[GreenDragon64]

Took my 3gun 870 out this morning. Seems I'm better at shooting the shotgun than I am pistol. After reading the first two dozen or so pages of BE's book, I started noticing I was focusing on the front sight post during recoil and the pump. Transitions were fine before my butt stock loosened up on me. Going to be borrowing a buddy's semi it looks like to shoot the next 3gun since I can't get a stock in before then.

IDPA match coming up this Sunday, turning my focus to reloads and transitions this week with the XDM. Will be leaning heavily on Anderson's book for the week.

[GreenDragon64]

Not much dry fire or range work this week. I'll be glad when the semester is over so I can devote more time after work to shooting.

Will be practicing draws in the a.m. before the IDPA match. Plan on using the XDM with the new PRP trigger kit, I'll be shooting ESP, unclassified. I am only unclassified due to shooting one or two IDPA matches per year.

[GreenDragon64]

MD called off today's match, I was all set to go but a little rain got in the way. Didn't get any range time at all this past week, due to time constraints I will only be able to sight my AR in this week before a 3 gun match on Saturday.

Will be practicing dry-firing this week, along with shotgun reloads this week with my Uncle Mike 1x4 caddies. Last time I practiced, loading all 4 was rather cumbersome, so I timed it out and loading 2 then loading 2 more was quicker. Will try to push the 4, if it doesn't progress or I don't feel confident I will be the load two and load two.

Loading, reloading, becoming like water, not being a total spaz when the buzzer goes off.

[GreenDragon64]

Sighted in the AR, but plan on running a different rifle tomorrow morning. Also, running a different pistol and shotty than I have shot recently. Reloading the shotgun with the shotshell caddy on my strong side helped me manipulate the shells easier during practice, but I've had to take the shotgun off target. Pistol and rifle reloads are not a problem.

I've noticed that I'm using the back of the magwell to guide in the magazines. Why not try using the lateral side of the magazine well to guide the mags into place? More surface area for the mag to come in to contact with...

[GreenDragon64]

Ran well today, ended up 5th out of 15 overall, 1st in my division. Fumbled around with shotshells and having a few mikes made me be right at 30 seconds behind 4th place. Very correctable with a little bit of live fire practice I could have been 4th overall.

[GreenDragon64]

Haven't been able to sneak to the range recently. I have been dry firing and have gotten my hands at the side and surrender position draws with concealment (IDPA is my game) at around 1.25 for each. I haven't been able to squeak out any sub 1s just yet. Seems like my strong hand is hesitating at the holster while securing a grip.

My weak hand is wildly inconsistent with its placement. I have to consciously focus on correct placement or else I'd end up with my weak index finger placement on the trigger guard. It will come out in the rinse with practice.

Sights do consistently end up in a makeshift O down as I've yet to get an IDPA target. Sticky notes work great.

[GreenDragon64]

Another dry-fire session. Different gun and without cover since I'm planning on attending my first USPSA match the first Saturday in June. Drill #1 from Anderson's book without cover is right at 1 second without cover.

Also worked on Burkett reloads - worked down to about 1 second as well.

Hand placement is better for both strong hand and weak hand during the draws. Weakhand finger placement is fine for mag changes.

[GreenDragon64]

I was able to go out and shoot about 300 rounds of ammo at a range session this week with my XDM 5.25. I was only able to wrangle up 3 target stands, so I worked on target transitions through the Vtac drill, the V drill that Jerry M showed in a video, and several drills out of Mr. Anderson's first dry fire book. Cell phone is a crappy shot timer, so I can't report in on times of said drills.

Not able to attend my first USPSA match this weekend, but I will be able to make a 3 gun next Saturday and a small IDPA next Sunday.

I just need to start working my single stage RCBS to death until then to have my batches of .223 and 9mm loaded, tested, and ready to go.

[GreenDragon64]

2 IDPA matches this weekend and a 3 gun next weekend. Will be going in cold without any range time for the IDPA matches, hopefully I can get some range time in with the long guns this coming week. Need to work on target transitions and watching sights for the practice.

[GreenDragon64]

Saturday's IDPA match went very well for me during the first 4 stages. Ended up finishing 24 out of about 75ish shooters. I was shooting ESP UNC and kept up with the ESP EX, just 3 seconds behind the last ESP EX shooter. I think that the heat and humidity was weighing on me more for the last two stages, that's when things fell apart. I think combine that with a bit of dehydration and my focus just went downhill.

Today's IDPA was pretty lackluster when compared to yesterday. First few stages and I was still within a handful of seconds of CDP MA and SSP EX. After that, just went downhill again. Hot, steamy humid, sunburnt, dehydrated, and nutrition was off stemming from Saturday.

I have some things to work on: we had the Bill drill as the last stage, first shot was 1.10, time was 2.08, but only 4 hits on paper from 10 yards. Also, the 9mm is rather tiny when compared to the perforations delineating a -0 headshot to a miss with a hit on paper.

[GreenDragon64]

So, last 4 stages last Saturday, a few of the last stages on Sunday, and the first 2 stages today were really frustrating me during the match. Was able to sit down and just breathe a few minutes before shooting the last 4 stages of today's "outlaw" IDPA match (run what ya brung, concealment optional).

I can attribute today's first 2 stages' performance almost solely on shooting a pistol I haven't shot in about 5 months. Different grip angle, grip design, different sight picture, switching from striker fired no safety to external hammer with a safety, etc...

I'm not spazzing out on the buzzer as much as I used to, I feel more comfortable the more matches I'm shooting.

Wear sunscreen.

[GreenDragon64]

Spazzed out pretty bad on a stage yesterday at a soggy IDPA match. Added about 15sec in mikes, FTN, and another 5 seconds for a PE. Had 4 good stages, one ok stage, and that one terrible stage.

Still managed to be in top ten after that mini meltdown. I feel like I'm plagued by the disease of inconsistency.

[GreenDragon64]

3GN sanctioned club level 3 gun match yesterday.

Shot 2 of the 3 classifier stages like shit. Managed 2 or 3 FTN on pistol targets. Fumbled a shotgun load. Had a rifle FTN.

3rd classifier stage I had probably my best stage of the day, no fumbles unless you count the 2 seconds it took to not load my AR mag into a pistol.

After classifier scores were posted, I cracked top 100 (#96) in Tac Optics. After selling a few guns, strong possibility of switching over and running open. We'll see.

[GreenDragon64]

I've managed to finally get some video of a stage here and there. I had to take a few extra seconds to dump the shotty due to an overeager fore end wanting to close the action earlier and almost earning me a ticket home. I also had a few problems with the port with my front sight wanting to keep hitting it.

2nd video is of an IDPA match ran without cover for the day. I was not planning on taking a make up shot on a target to the left, so I could tac reload along the wall to P3. I was a little surprised when I had to do a slide lock reload.

Edited August 6, 2013 by GreenDragon64

[GreenDragon64]

I was a little all over the place at this past weekend's IDPA match. Didn't pick up the XDM all week; didn't practice draws, reloads, or dry-firing. Should definitely start going through Anderson's book again on a daily basis. Wildly inconsistent this match, had a good stage, two ok stages, and 3 catastrophies.

This was the good stage.