kirbinster Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 I'm a fairly new shooter and have lots of room for improvement. I recently qualified at the Marksman level for IDPA and have a USPSA qualifier coming up. I think the best I am going to do is go from U to D, but hoping to make it a high D My biggest issue is that I don't have access to an outdoor range where I can practice anything at all similar to multiple targets. I'm a member of an indoor range, but I can only practice shooting at one stationary target at one distance at a time. I've been doing a bunch of dry firing practicing my draw and mag changes, but that only gets me so far. Since there is no means to cycle the slide all my trigger pulls are double action (CZ-75 and 92FS) so that does not let me practice trigger reset and single action trigger pulls. What really sucks is the only time I can practice things like a Texas star or polish plate rack is in competition What advice can you guys offer me on how to best practice with the limitations I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuildSF4 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Have you tried Airsoft? There are examples of Airsoft plate racks on here, and you can get or make a Airsoft texas star. As for the trigger reset, practice dryfire by cycling double action, hold the trigger back, cycle the slide and reset the trigger slowly. (The double action trigger is really good thing for dryfire also.) (Link to Airsoft rack - http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=88325) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBolt Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Dot drill targets. Multiple targets on a single sheet. Will your range allow you to draw from a holster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbinster Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Yes I can draw from a holster at my range as I have taken a course and also have my qualification from IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 What about practicing at the range where your matches are held? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbinster Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 What about practicing at the range where your matches are held? I would love to do it, but they are all private clubs and you have to be a member. I put in to join one, but the waiting list is something like two years. The others have waiting lists too, but they are also too far away to go to on a routine basis. Suck to be in NJ. I'm thinking about maybe getting a blowback Airsoft pistol to practice in my backyard - would that be a good idea if I get a good one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm300 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 would that be a good idea if I get a good one? Yes, when I spend time setting up stages and shooting airsoft durring the week I shoot much better on the weekends. It will not help you on recoil control but it will help on most everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Dry fire is your friend. Most don't do enough so get ahead of your competition and do it every day. It's free and it will improve your shooting, although without live fire not as well or fast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic_jon Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Steve Andersons books are pretty much exactly the "organized drills" you are looking for. Our host Brian Enos sells them too, so they must be good ;-) http://www.brianenos.com/pages/reviews.html#stevehttp://www.andersonshooting.com/reviews/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I left NJ when I was 18 and never went back. Just one more good reason for leaving .... Hopefully you put yourself on the clubs' wait list, you'd be surprised how fast the time goes. Also, try contacting the MD and volunteer your services for matches. You might be surprised what happens after you get in with the "cool kids" in the club ...., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussellM Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 If you really want to get better you will do whatever it takes. I drive an hour each way to my practice range at 5 am twice a week for live fire. I hated it at first but I realized that it was what I had to do. Dryfire your ass off to, just make sure your doing it right. Trust me, its all worth it when that GM card shows up in the mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjb45 Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I heard a story of a female national champion who would set targets throughout her apartment to practice movement and multiple target acquisitions. I use to travel a lot. I had my SS with me. I was able to practice reloads, draws, and acquiring multiple targets by hanging post it on the walls. It improved my skills set immensely. The real trick with acquiring multiple targets was NOT how fast the gun moved but Eyes First then Gun. Do it correctly and when you get into a match the movement with be automatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 I think once you have the basics down - grip , trigger control , sight picture --- I think the most time is made up or lost in target acquisition and transitions -- getting on target , next target , next target, transition --- I put multiple targets up all over the room and practice movement and target acquisition. I also cut a white piece of paper smaller than the A zone for dry fire and live fire when I can - then when I do shoot for real the A zone seems much bigger LOL. And what everyone else says - practice your draws with a Shot Timer app with buzzer set for random and practice your reloads high and right in front of your face Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Oh - and for IDPA -- just cut out a 5" or 6" white circle for your down 0 and practice your tactical reloads and strong hand only and weak hand only dry fire practice. And of course practice drawing with your concealment garment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtychemist Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I wouldn't worry about polish plate racks or Texas stars. Yes they exist but that's such a small part of shooting. Just take your time on those. Practice draws, reloads, multiple targets, distance, and the steel will come. I saw improvement with dry fire that carried over to steel and never did live fire. Buy some drill books or look drills up for dry fire. I need to get back I to Ben's dry fire book but practice a lot and you will make B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbinster Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 Thanks for all the good advice. I have been doing more practice drawing and prepping the trigger. Also have put up some small targets and have been using pictures that are on the walls to work on transitions and it has helped. My biggest problem (of my many) seems to be freezing and taking too long to get a perfect sight picture on every target. My times just suck, even though I get almost all alphas. I know I should work to be faster even if I get more charlies, but my head just does not let me do this. Any fix for this??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I should work to be faster even if I get more charlies Don't do that. Think about moving faster and shooting on the move, the Charlies will come on their own The speed of actual shooting will increase on its own as you become more confident; do everything else faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbinster Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share Posted November 6, 2013 I should work to be faster even if I get more charlies Don't do that. Think about moving faster and shooting on the move, the Charlies will come on their own The speed of actual shooting will increase on its own as you become more confident; do everything else faster. I understand that, I just don't seem to be able to go faster as my subconscious makes me focus too long for that perfect shot. I guess what I am saying is that I need to force myself to be willing to go faster even if there is some loss of accuracy - but once I start shooting I just can't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I'm telling you that if you focus on going everything else faster, it will have a subconscious effect on your shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durtarg Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I'm telling you that if you focus on going everything else faster, it will have a subconscious effect on your shooting. Agreed..You need to find the balance between speed and accuracy. Focus on being accurate and your increase in speed will come. Learn to call your shots. Here is a great post about that very thing. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5353 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain037 Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Work on sight alignment and trigger squeeze at the indoor range. A fast miss is a miss. Shoot from as far as the range will allow and work on hitting the A zone. Move to closer distances then and work on drawing and firing two controlled A zone hits only as fast as you can do it every time. Speed will come with time. If you shoot at the longer distances some it makes the target gigantic at normal match distances. This leads to more confidence and more speed. As previously said, dry fire, dry fire , dry fire and practice those reloads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoosier Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Ben Stoeger has a couple books out that I have found extremely helpful. One for dry fire and one for live fire. Each full of drills and advice. The books are geared toward USPSA, but I've found the skills help a bunch in IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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