training and shooting the texas star!

[DrLove]

Folks,

I'm new to USPSA and I love it.

Now I'm sure you've all been there but this texas star is making me crazy!! It kills my time in most stages that I just can't make up!!

So question is, how do you train for this? I know the rule, shoot the top one first but once you start shooting the other plates it will still move and take me forever to finish it. Last match I lost more than 40 seconds in two stages just shooting the texas star!

Any advice on shooting it and training for it (and obviously I don't have a texas start at home:), would be appreciated...

[djthemac]

Are you an ambusher or a chaser? Pick a system and train on it!

do you have access to 8" steel plates?

Without the actual star mechanism, it will be difficult to replicate the star but if you have 8" plates you can arrange them in a similar fashion to work on your transitions and figure out how much trigger control you need to hit them.

[DrLove]

Are you an ambusher or a chaser? Pick a system and train on it!

do you have access to 8" steel plates?

Without the actual star mechanism, it will be difficult to replicate the star but if you have 8" plates you can arrange them in a similar fashion to work on your transitions and figure out how much trigger control you need to hit them.

I have 8" plates but how can I use them to train if they don't move:)?

Also, which way is better, chasing them or ambushing them?

[JAFO]

I try to clear them before the star begins moving too much, but that usually doesn't go as well as I envisioned. I find ambushing works better for me. I don't always stay in one spot and wait for the plates to come there. That doesn't work well when you're waiting on the right and the plates start rotating left. I want to ambush them from below the plates' direction of travel so I can see them coming. That is, if the star is rotating clockwise, I'll hold at ~5 o'clock. When it starts going the other way, I may move over to ~7 o'clock so I can see the plates descend into my sights.

[GuildSF4]

In general ambush them. Chasing the plates is where most people add misses and seconds to their time. You can practice with a swinger using a paper plate as the target and get the ambushing down.

[djthemac]

Are you an ambusher or a chaser? Pick a system and train on it!

do you have access to 8" steel plates?

Without the actual star mechanism, it will be difficult to replicate the star but if you have 8" plates you can arrange them in a similar fashion to work on your transitions and figure out how much trigger control you need to hit them.

I have 8" plates but how can I use them to train if they don't move:)?

Also, which way is better, chasing them or ambushing them?

True, stationary 8" plates can not duplicate the action. However, getting used to shooting at an 8" round plate at various distances, will tell you what kind of sight picture and trigger control you will need to get hits. Also if you can arrange them in the star pattern, you will get the feel of moving your gun in a similar fashion. If you watch the GM's shoot the star, it looks like its standing still. I think I saw a youtube vid with a 2.3 second star. Its only when we really mess up do we get the fun swinging "o crap" moment.

In general ambush them. Chasing the plates is where most people add misses and seconds to their time. You can practice with a swinger using a paper plate as the target and get the ambushing down.

I agree. I think there is something to be said about being able to get your gun into "ambush position" quickly. If possible I will swing a fraction ahead of the swinging plate so it looks like chasing, but it actually is ambushing.

Another thing to think about OP, is steel requires more of your time. There are no points for missing a steel plate, whereas you can get some for hitting a C or D on a paper target. With that said, I had to give myself permission to slow down and hit the steel. Once I found out how much time I required to get the hits, then I started speeding up the process.

[MustangGreg66]

I don't know your skill level DrLove, but 40 seconds sounds like a lot. One thing I see from a lot of shooters who aren't used to moving targets, whether it's a texas star, polish rack, swinger or others... is they'll stop really aiming at some point and just start throwing rounds at it... or they'll get frustrated and start jerking the trigger really badly. Solid sight alignment and trigger work are key for these kinds of targets.

That said, for technique. I'll stay to one side or the other, usually the right side for me, and move the gun down and around, but let the plates come up to the gun. I've been lucky enough to have one to practice on... I'm not really sure how you would practice for one, but the biggest thing to remember on match day is to get a good sight picture and trigger press to keep from wasting a lot of time and ammo on them.

Good luck.

[loneranger04]

A lot of it depends on the star. I've seen some that turn easier than others and if they are fast then ambushing is the only way. If they are slower to move then you can sometimes shoot them all before the arms start moving much. Rob Ramero has a good youtube on this using the shotgun. Tried to put the link up but guess I don't know how.

[BanksBullets]

I prefer to ambush it seems easier to me, but I tend to start chasing if I get frustrated

[asontag]

Another thing to think about OP, is steel requires more of your time. There are no points for missing a steel plate, whereas you can get some for hitting a C or D on a paper target. With that said, I had to give myself permission to slow down and hit the steel. Once I found out how much time I required to get the hits, then I started speeding up the process.

Shooting steel challenge and getting to this realization really helped out my game over the last year or so. When I remember to stop worrying about time and just make sure I keep the sights on the target as the shot breaks, my times go down. This becomes amplified with moving steel. If you allow yourself the time to go one-for-one, you will beat your 'fast' runs that have misses every time.

[Dezman]

I started shooting USPSA a few months ago and really like the Texas star. I learned a technique that has helped me plan the shots better for a quicker time.

The top plate of the star usually leans to one side or the other. This is one of the things I pay close attention to before engaging the first shot.

Let say the top plate is leaning to the right at 1 o'clock. The Texas Star is telling you to shoot in a clockwise pattern by pointing in that direction. Always shoot the top plate first. After shooting the top plate, you will notice the star will rotate in a counter clockwise direction (clockwise if the top plate points to the left). Now plan on shooting the plates clockwise at the star rotates counter clockwise. Each plate will come up into your field of view and you won't have to move the gun very much assuming you hit a plate on each pull of the trigger. Take your shot when the star pauses motion just before it swings back in the other direction. I have seen a 4 - 5 plates stacked on the ground in a pile when using this technique. This technique can get you into single digit times.

Here's a video of me during practice that you can get a better idea of the technique.

[Niceash]

Just don't do what I watched a young shooter do last month, she started with the left side, then the bottom, she got the star moving like a pin wheel, and she struggled getting the other 3 plates, emptied one mag trying to knock them down.

[MoNsTeR]

If the star balances with a plate at the top, shoot that one first and move your sights down and to one side (either side, if the star is truly balanced it won't be moving yet).

Otherwise the star will be balanced with a plate at the bottom, so shoot one of the top plates and move your sights down and to that side (i.e. if you shot the right top plate move down and to the right).

Now stay there and shoot the plates as they come to you. Unless some evil stage designer has hidden part of the star, you should never need or want to chase back and forth across it, or allow it to pause and swing back.

With a little more practice you can move your sights around the circle in the opposite direction of the star's rotation to close the distance to the next plate faster.

Using this technique you can clear a star just as fast as 5 plates on a rack.

As for how to practice it... well, you kinda need to have access to one. If that's just not going to happen, you can build an Airsoft-sized one and practice at home.

[JAFO]

Unless some evil stage designer has hidden part of the star, you should never need or want to chase back and forth across it, or allow it to pause and swing back.

You mean like putting three full-size poppers in front of the lower three plates, two of which activate no-shoot swingers behind the star, all through a gap in two walls?

A view something like this:

Edited April 26, 2013 by JAFO

[PopPop]

I use the same technique as Dezman & MoNsTeR. Works really well with the quick spinning star we have at our club. I worked on stages with stars @ level ll's and am amazed at how many shooters are intimidated by it. Some folks will fire 5+ rnds, move on and take any mikes. Others will chase those plates with mag after mag. I find that if it starts to go south the shooters that survive the star will take a second, reset and clean up the plates they missed.

[MikeHarrell202]

This may sound a little silly, not that it has stopped any of us at trying to improve, but I lay under a ceiling fan and dry fire at it. You can turn it on for a second let it speed up a bit then lay down and practice either ambushing or leading the blades. Move to different point on the floor to simulate different angles. Even with it off I think it has helped build muscle memory for that 5 point patern.

[snlit3]

Interesting idea with the fan, I'm going to try it.

[MikeHarrell202]

You have to really call your shots or use a SIRT or other type of laser gun. Still not as good as the real thing because you don't get the timing for bullet travel time, which should be minimal at star distances.

[jbc98c]

the biggest trick on a star isnt just shooting the top one first. its always shooting the highest one. never chase. chasing causes misses. see if you can stay after the next match and shoot it a few times. it takes away the mistery.

[gearguywb]

It seems the key is simple in theory...don't miss. Start at the top, then pick a side and work from there. It really depends a lot on how fast you are, the distance to the star, etc.

[Todd7446]

Love the ceiling fan thought. I'm going to have to try that. I have the miniature targets printed and dry fire on them, but of course they don't move.

I shot a star for the first time last weekend at the Ohio match. I shot from a shaky bridge for the first time last weekend at the same match. Now put both of them together - I was pretty nervous about it. I cleared the star with 8 rounds, so in general, I was pretty pleased with that.

[HeinrichDerLowe]

It seems to me that the texas star is primarily a mental game. Once you take the top target, it's just another steel array, except for increased consequences. The best advice I ever got on the texas star was to just "relax" and shoot it carefully*.

*It also helps to have your gun zeroed .

[Golden Bear]

Practice. Practice getting your hits (on stationary plates). Then practice getting your hits quickly (on stationary plates).

See the plate, see the front sight (on the plate), press the trigger (and see the front sight, as the plate falls away behind the front sight). See the next plate; lather, rinse, repeat.

You want to shoot all the plates while they are stationary, or before the star starts to spin in the other direction.

1) Always start with the highest plate (ie the one at 12:15 at this clip [

).
2) Go the the high one on the same side, and hit it before it starts to spin (2:00 plate, spinning CCW).
3) The spin carries the third plate up, hit it in the pause between the CCW spin and the CW spin (at 3:00).
4a) If you can get the fourth plate before the star starts to spin, good.
5a) The fifth plate will spin, and pause near where the fourth plate was. Hit it while it is stopped.

4b) If the star starts moving before you can get the hit, track a plate until it starts to slow down. When it pauses (and gets ready to spin in the other direction), hit that stationary target (quickly).
5b) Track the next plate, and hit it when it is stationary.

[seanc]

Edited June 7, 2013 by seanc

[Neomet]

Part of the key/issue for iron sight shooters is if you normally use a front sight focus there is a strong tendency to pull your vision off at the last second to watch the plate. Quick way to a miss. If the plates are close enough that you can focus on them you are good to go but if you are running the front sight stay on the front sight all the way through your shot. It is harder than it sounds once the plates start moving.