10/10 alphas, 50 yards. Can you do it?

[benos]

Accuracy should always be part of your practice session. The ability to call your shots, and take tougher shots in a match with confidence is a very important tool

Agreed. For MANY years, I ended every pratice with a slow-fire 25 yard group shooting session. 5 shots - no time limit - the goal being to shoot the smallest group possible. Shoot 5 - 10 groups, and keep your best one, and try to improve it the next time.

[Ron Ankeny]

I still end every practice session with a group. The two guys I practice with are also shooting groups at the end of the day. I have never encountered a shot at a USPSA match that I didn't feel was pretty darned easy to make slow fire. A plate rack at 50 yards really doesn't intimidate me much if it is off the clock. However, I do have problems on the clock so that is where I have placed the emphasis for the past dozen years. I shoot enough precision shots to maintain proficiency, but I am no longer spending a whole lot of time developing that skill. Maybe I am just backwards from most USPSA shooters.

Edited May 11, 2013 by Ron Ankeny

[BenGunn]

I find that there is a point, where you have to admit to youself, that if you want to take it further you will have to do some things that you may not have been prepared to do so far.

Speaking for myself, I have been having great fun so far shooting fairly well in IPSC, but have not been willing to do a whole lot of practice, have not found it necessary to practice movement, shooting positions, and all the other stuff that only shaves fractions of a second off the time here and there.

But having reached this level, I have been forced to realise, that if I want to take it further, I will have to do those things, including getting my precision a lot better.

Because the guys I will be competing against, all have been doing those things meticulously, and I have no chance at all beating them if I'm not able to do the same things, and better.

Being able to do precision at long distances, reflects at how you are able to do at shorter distances too, and eventually what you can do when shooting fast as well.

So, you don't need it, if you are happy where you are, but if you want to compete better, you will have to.

[cas]

I love to shoot the plate rack at 50-60 yards and always finish up that way. To me that's shooting, anything closer should be a chip shot.

Farther with a revolver. I do it to remember how to shoot, skills that have grown rusty the last six years blasting away at close paper targets.

[johnhhuber]

I have done an exercise like this in a class before. The whole class lined up at the ten yard line and everyone got one shot on a steel body target. If you hit you moved back 10 yards. If you missed you were out. Only one shot to advance with the entire class watching. I was the classmate to make it the furthest. 100 yards. One of the instructors hit one at 100 yards as well. Unfortunately the range was only 100 yards long so we could not advance further. Both of us were using iron sights. I was shooting a 1911 and the instructor was shooting a Glock. I am a firm believer that almost all stock factory guns are capable of this type shooting but it is an overlooked skill most shooters do not take time to master. I find this kind of shooting really helps me empty my mind and find a relaxed awareness and focus.

[Panic Flinch]

I find that practicing my long-distance shots helps me keep my hands steady, which lately for me has been a perishable skill. It also helps me stop flinching. I also don't use as much ammo during slow fire and it is cost-effective. So a little boring… Yes ....but in the long run it's good practice.

[Ron Ankeny]

Because the guys I will be competing against, all have been doing those things meticulously, and I have no chance at all beating them if I'm not able to do the same things, and better.

Yup, I agree. The point I was trying to make is when your precision shooting is better than that of the rest of the crowd, it's time to work on other elements of the sport. I practice shooting groups enough to maintain decent precision, but I have zero interest in devoting the resources required to shoot better groups slow fire. Enter the dot drills, etc.

[pjb45]

I like practicing with a 4 inch .22 plate rack.

.22 ammo is not the most accurate but when you get to 25 yards, trigger control or lack there of can be brutal.

I do this free style, weak and strong hand---Kyle's Standards at the WSSSC are not fearsome any more.