Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Chase's Practice log


chaserracer

Recommended Posts

So i want to start a range/practice/match log to try and track my progress (or lack therof) so here it goes...Any advise, crittique, tips, etc are all very welcome - thank you in advance!

So just recently i had a realization that my practice sessions were becoming very counter-productive...Once i had moved on from begining to learn the basics of accuracy (started shooting at the berm, then bench rest shooting groups @ 5, 10, 15, and 25yds respectively) after that i figured id just be "seeing" the sights, calling shots, and just putting rounds wherever i wanted to - W R O N G !! I still need constant practice on those key fundamentals and the biggest thing for me was actually realizing that fact - BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF!- it was my previous understanding that as long as i was getting "acceptable' groups from the bench rest at those distances, i was ready to move on to freestyle and it would just go off without a hitch - W R O N G again!. It is a totally different beast shooting groups without the bag rest/bench - and i needed to learn the hard way.

Yesterday - 4/10/13- was my first REAL breakthrough during practice, and boy was that a great feeling! I was actually able to slow down, relax my body and mind, lighten up on my grip AND JUST SHOOT! i was seeing my sight all the way through the shot, watching it lift and return - and -BANG! (repeat :) ) i definitley had a few "blinks" that i caught, some incorrect "calls", as well as a couple flinch/jerks with the .45 but no where near what it recently has been. I feel that my groups improved dramatically due to this minor breakthrough and that is mostly what i have been searching for - some progression! here is my match/practice log so far - i have only been at this since January 2013 so try not to beat me up too bad :)

First Match (club match) - 3/2/2013 - Steel match. 5 stages, 18 rounds per stage with mandatory 3 mag changes, approx 18-25 yards per stage, targets are between 8" plates with some 12" plates mixed in at various stages.

Stage 1: 8" plates - 18 rounds, 8 misses

Stage 2: 12" plate and 8" plates - 18 rounds, 7 misses

Stage 3: 8" plates - 18 rounds, 10 misses

Stage 4: 8" plates and 12" plates - 18 rounds, 2 misses

Stage 5: 12" plates (6 shots free, 6 shots strong hand, 6 shot weak hand) - 18 rounds, 10 misses.

*this was my first match EVER and was very intimidated and nervous. I shot this match before i had studied and applied any of BE's concepts or techniques and it showed. I have since read his book through (almost twice) and have begun the process of learning to shoot accurately through his ideas, and concepts oulined in the book. Sorry for the LONG post - i am going to back track and list the results of my practice sessions since my fist match and leading up to the most recent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my practice log since shooting my forst match on March 2nd.

Practice 3/16/2013 - This was a crap session. Of course being totally defeated in the match had me second guessing everything i was doing so i was doomed from the start. my thought going into this practice was going to be "replicating the course of fire" that was at the match. So i made all these paper targets that i drew 8", 10" and 12" target squares on to try and duplicate the match stages. I should note forst of all i am practicing at an indoor range that doesnt allow drawing from holster, mag changes, or any kind of "rapid fire" as they call it - so my idea really made no sense from the start and like i said, this was a crap session with no improvement or direction. moving on...

Practice 3/23/13 - This session was a bit better as at this point i was almost all the way through Brians book and had begun to impliment some of his ideas and concepts at the range. I think i burned through about 200 rounds - nearly all of them just shooting at the berm - no aiming - just watching everything as it happened. This was a small insight for me as to what i had previously never done or been open to before - but i wont call it a breakthrough just yet.

Practice 3/30/13 - Agghh...This session was just a step in the wrong direction. I should mention, in between practices i am doing at least 30-45 mins of dry-fire practice throughout the night - but back to the session. For whatever stupid reason i decided it would be a good idea to AGAIN try and replicate the COF from that match while mixing in some basic accuracy drills - Bad idea. I hurried through the process of shooting at the berm, not doing what i should be, then rushed through some bench rest shooting at close distances (5-10Yds) and just couldnt wait to try and shoot that COF - and guess what I TANKED IT! i wasnt seeing my sights, couldnt call ANY shots, looking for holes, etc. just all in all a bad practice and felt like i wasted the 200+ rounds i shot.

Practice 4/5/13 - Okay this was a strange one...I went to the range with 150 rounds - only to shoot groups from the bag rest/bench and put in some REAL practice. So i was about 8-10 rounds into practice when the front sight on my XDM 5.25 came flying off my slide and onto the ground :angry2::sick::( i was soo bummed...But i got over it, grabbed my trusty XD9 and got back to work. I stayed on the bag rest/bench for the majority of the time but then i wanted to see where i was at with my freestyle standing shooting - I shot 3- 5 shot groups at 7, 15 and 25 yards and here were my best out of the results with my XD9:

7 Yards - Best 5 shot group - 2"

15 Yards - best 5 shot group - 2.75"

25 yards - best 5 shot group - 6.5"

Nothing stellar - but i was begining to understand what i was and wasnt doing, how it felt, what i was seeing/Not seeing/needing to see - Etc.

Practice 4/10/2013 - BREAKTHROUGH #1 !! i brought 150 rounds with the plan of ONLY SHOOTING GROUPS. i split the 150 up between my XDM 5.25 and my XD9 to try and get an idea of consistency, etc. I shot 5 - 5shot groups at each distance(7, 15, and 25 yards) and wrote down my best results for each distance. This was a great session - this was truly the first session i was able to open myself up to what was happening -as it was happening. I was seeng my front sight all the way through the shot, watching it lift and return, seeing the flash, relaxing my grip, adjusting my stance, breathing - everything just seemed to really slow down for me and that was what i had been searching for - Its funny, but when i over-exaggerate keeping my eyes WIDE OPEN through the shot it actually relaxes me - more so than any other method i found. Not to mention all that it SHOWS you - it will show you a flinch, trigger jerk, good or bad sight picture, shot calling - all of that, and that is exactly what i NEEDED to see. Here are my reuslts form that day:

XD9:

7 yards - best 5 shot group - 1.25"

15 yards - best 5 shot group - 2.5"

25 yards - best 5 shot group - 5.5"

XDM 5.25:

7 yards - best 5 shot group - 1.25"

15 yards - best 5 shot group - 2.25"

25 yards - best 5 shot group - 4.5-5" with one flyer :(

*All of these practice sessions have been with the "range re-loads" they sell at my local indoor range. 9mm 115g FMJ reloads - no factory ammo*

I will keep updating this log (mainly as a way to track any and all progress) and who knows, maybe someone out there is going through exactly what i have been going through and if this helps in any way its worth it to me a 100 times over - thanks!

Edited by chaserracer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...