My limited 10 fun

[Nickb45]

I started shooting competitively almost a year ago, right away I knew I was going to get hooked. When I started I had always just shot paper, standing in one spot... and I wasn't that great at that. I've been shooting a bobtailed commander length 1911 (my everyday carry pistol). My first match was a steel challenge match This was my first time transitioning targets and shooting with a timer. My first USPSA match was a few weeks after.

All last summer I didn't have any guided training, I wasn't on this forum, I didn't know about dry fire and never ran repeatable drills to work on skills and keep track of where I am.

My initial classification in Lim10 was a C.

After that a few shooters recommended Ben Stoeger's 15 minute dry fire drills, I worked on those when I could find time, it seemed I would get a couple of nights of dry fire then a couple of weeks off.

Around Christmas time I got all three of Bens books, since then I have read through Practical Pistol a few times and have been working out the dry fire book. One goal I set was to get at least 10 hours a month of good dry fire practice. I fell into the same routine of a few nights on then a week or so off.

I have only had a chance to get live fire practice a few times since getting his books, so I haven't ran too many drills. Lately my live fire consists of a Steel Challenge match and a USPSA match each month.

Over the last couple of weeks I have had a lot of free time for dry fire, I have been doing about an hour (or until I get bored) of drills, then setting up different mini stages throughout my house.

Today was the first time I really felt efficient at a match, all of my skills felt natural, I wasn't thinking about "doing it right". I got the stage programmed in and stuck to the program.

A few things from today's match that really stood out to me was my stage break down/programming. One stage in particular had an array of paper with a group of poppers, the first two poppers were very slow forward falling with mini poppers behind them. I was able to shoot the two forward falling poppers transition to a paper target that I intentionally skipped due to reload positions then back to the mini poppers just in time for the first two forward falling poppers to be almost all the way down. My position entry/exit also felt really good throughout the day. The last accomplishment from today's match was the classifier. We shot 99-16, I had a hit factor 5.75 which should be right at 60%, my highest % on a classifier to date.

With performances that feel this good. It's a lot of motivation for me to stick to dry fire.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Nickb45

[Glock26Toter]

Nice work dude. I love to see performance reviews that talk about the positive. Read Lanny Basshams book, "With winning in mind" although, based on what I just read maybe you have.

Forget about the negative, concentrate on the positive and keep practicing. You'll be moving up in classification in no time.

I'm glad you are having fun and welcome to the forum!

[Nickb45]

Thank you. Yes, I have read "With winning in mind" It was worth the read!

Today I did an hour of dry fire, mostly working on marksmanship and core USPSA skills. I didn't set up any practice stages. My next match will be a steel challenge then an all classifier match.

After May I will have a new pistol, I'm really curious to see if a 5" barrel helps at all, I know having a magwell will speed up reloads.

[Nickb45]

Did 30 minutes of dry fire this morning.

I have never dry fired a classifier before but 03-11 had everything I wanted to work on. I used a 5.5 second par time for strong hand, 6.5 seconds for weak hand.

I got in about 10minutes of the Hopkins drill with reloads after dinner (this is probably one of my favorite dry fire drills), I got my wife to dry fire the same drill (without reloads, she only shoots steel challenge for now) for about 15 minutes.

[Nickb45]

I shot at a local indoor range tonight, they set up 3 "stages" usually 4-5 open targets per stage with a little bit of moving.

I shot good, my draw felt really good, transitions were good.

I always shoot a 9mm 1911 there since they don't do power factor (it's all just for fun and to get people introduced into "action shooting"). The only problem is I have a difficult time tracking the sights on that pistol indoors (it just has a painted front post, no fiber or tritium insert) and I tend to go into spray and pray mode at the close ranges that they have set up (7-10 yards). I think I also need to go in thinking of it more as a real match, take my time and be patient with the sights.

Next week I will shoot the 1911 I usually shoot and see if I can get some more points.

I also talked to the guy who sets up the stages and he said he would like my input on what to set up next week. Sounds like we will be shooting el pres and Ben Stoeger's Accelerator drill.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Nickb45

[Nickb45]

I got out to the range later than I wanted to today. By the time I was out there it was time to set up stages for our steel match tomorrow.

After the stages were set up I ran 2 strings on each stage. I was very patient with the sights, and very relaxed. It felt slow, until I looked down at the timer. I just need to keep that in mind tomorrow under match pressure.

Another thing I will be looking at tomorrow, is a few of my buddies I normally squad with won't be at the match. I think I let them pressure me into rushing my shots.

[Nickb45]

Staying relaxed and being patient with the sights sure does feel slow, until I heard the times for my strings. I came away with the win in CF Lim. at the steel match today, 2nd place was almost 10 seconds away.

I feel like I am getting really big gains from dry fire. I got my grip every time on the draw, and just about all of 1st shots were hits (something that use to give me problems).

Back at dry fire real hard for the next two weeks getting ready for the classifier match.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Nickb45

[Glock26Toter]

Visualization and repetition are powerful tools. Keep it up bro!

[Nickb45]

More dry fire the last couple of days. Monday I did 2 drills from each section of the Stoeger book.

Today I did some gun/ammo pick up (someone told me the classifier match will have a lot of starts with gun/ammo coming from a table and I don't practice it all that much). I then set up 3 "stages" all with tight shots (pepper poppers and no shoots covering paper) they were also all around a barricade.

Tomorrow is the indoor shooting, I need to be in the same mindset that I was in at the steel match last weekend and worry more about good hits rather than just squirting bullets towards the targets.

[Nickb45]

Indoor went good tonight, I think I shot 21 A's and only 4 C's. Waiting for the sights maybe added a second for all 3 runs combined instead of shooting D's and M's.

Going to head out tomorrow and set up some steel, I will try to remember my GoPro.

[Nickb45]

Our steel match director had some stages set up looking for opinions on them today. Shot 3 stages, everything felt good. After I gave him my opinion on them I stayed after and shot a little.

Did some draws on a 10" plate at 10 yards, I was consistent between 1.15-1.25 from surrender.

On the same plate I did some reloads, I was between 1.5-1.6 without getting too sloppy.

Then went onto 2 at 25 yards on a steel target that's only the A,B and C zone. First shot was in the 1.30 range, second shot was 1.75-1.8.

Finished on the same target, doing 2 at 10 yards, .95 first shot, usually finished at 1.15.

I need to be practicing reloads and splits a my splits a little.

I also don't care for running drills on steel, but I was short on time before the range closed so it was quick and easy.

[Nickb45]

Shot a steel match today, it was out of town at a range I have only shot at twice before. I wasn't as focused on shooting good like I was last weekend, I was more worried about where I was going to finish. It ended up costing me a few spots.

I was not as consistent as I should have been, threw 2 misses (this range added 5 seconds instead of 3). I finished about 14 seconds away from 1st.

Now for some good from the match, I had some of the fasted strings on 4 of the stages I believe, my draws were .99-1.1.

At the end of the match I shot a friends 6" STI. I was worried that a 6" gun would be too nose heavy, his barrel was fluted and the slide was lightened... This winter I think I will be building a 6" STI in .40.

My plan for this week is to dry fire at least 6 hours, I have 400 rounds set aside for a range session. Also I need to read "With Winning in Mind" and a few sections of "Practical Pistol".

[Nickb45]

Headed out to the range today to run some drills. I had a few gun issues, swapped recoil springs and everything ran great after that. The only problem was I only had a 20 pound spring instead of an 18 which is what I normally run.

Did some group shooting at 25. Set up 6 mini poppers at 10 yards and ran those down between 4 and 4.5 seconds.

Ran El Pres at 10 yards, 1.5-1.6 draws and 1.6-1.8 reloads (not having a magwell sucks).

Best times were:

6.57 53 points 8.06 HF

7.1 53 points 7.46 HF

Picked up the speed to 5.64, dropped a lot of points to 44 but a HF of 7.8.

Did a few bill drills at 10 yards:

2.5 29 points 11.6hf

2.41 25 points 10.3hf

2.45 26 points 10.6hf

2.13 26 points 12.2hf

Last drill I ran was the Blake Drill:

2.53 22 points 8.69hf

2.55 26 points 10.19hf

This was the first time I've ever set up drills, recorded my times and points. I feel like it was a very well spent 300 rounds.

[Nickb45]

This week I decided to plan out each day of the week for my dry fire. This way I have a set plan to follow, instead of waking up and wasting half hour deciding what drills I want to do each day. I have two drills from each section of the Bens dry fire book.

[Nickb45]

Last minute trip out to the range today, set up "Accelerator" I was running it at 6.5-7.0. I started it shooting my 9mm 1911, after about 100 rounds I switched to my commander length .45. My times were very close between the two pistols. The big difference was I shot my shorter barreled .45 a lot more accurately than the 9mm. I noticed when I shoot the 9mm I don't hold onto it as tight as I do the .45. I'm not sure if it's due to the thin grips on the .45 compared to standard grips on the 9mm, or if I just feel like I don't need to have a good hold on it because such a lack of recoil.

Anyways I found I was a lot more accurate going far to near, my draw was around 1.3 on the 25 yard target and 1.0 on the 7 yard. It was easier to keep my accuracy when I went far to near. It was hard to slow down and still shoot As and Cs going near to far.

I need to upload some videos.

[Nickb45]

Some videos from this week. I hate how YouTube doesn't keep the videos in HD.

El Prez

Accelerator with the 9mm

Accelerator with the .45

Plate rack @ 10 yards with 6" plates.

[Nickb45]

Shot an all classifier match today. Coming into the match I was sitting at 48%. I had 1 60% classifier on that average.

Today I shot:

60% on 13-06

49% on 99-42

77% on 99-56

62% on 03-05

65% on 99-33

70% on 99-11

After today I should be around 65%. I'm very happy with the way I shot today.

The end of this month will mark 1 year since I shot my first USPSA match. Today was also the last USPSA match I will shoot with my 4.25" barrel 1911.

I'm one step closer to my goal of earning an A classification by the end of the year.

[Nickb45]

Videos.

CM 99-56

CM 13-06

CM 03-05 with an edge hit

CM 03-05

CM 99-33

CM 99-11

[Nickb45]

Shot a steel challenge match today. I shot good, got a 2nd in c/f limited.

It felt good to get out and shoot. I got a new job so I haven't been doing much dry fire lately.

[Nickb45]

I have been slacking lately, no range sessions and not much dry fire. I got after it again tonight and did half hour of dry fire, then got my wife to dry fire for 15 minutes with me.

Although it looks like I'm done shooting Lim10. I will finish off the year shooting SS and hopefully build a limited pistol this winter.

Here is my new SS pistol.

[Nickb45]

I'm back to a somewhat "normal" schedule, I have been so busy I have barely kept up with loading for matches, with that said I haven't been doing much of anything for training.

My first USPSA match with the new pistol didn't go too great. My head was not where it needed to be for a match. I only had a couple hundred rounds out of the pistol, they were shooting groups checking sights and loads.

The weekend after that I shot my clubs annual 8 stage steel match, came out with a 4th in limited (my head was not there either, I was too busy thinking about the vacation I was leaving for the next day).

After vacation I had a few dry fire session then I shot the Washington Stage Championship steel match. My head was were it should have been, I shot very consistent and accurate, came out with an 8th in limited. The day after I shot a USPSA match. I had finally settled down, was a little more comfortable with the new pistol.

Shooting single stack I'm A LOT more patient with the sights, I shot everything as planned and came out with a win in SS (only 2 other shooters in that division).

Watching the videos, I noticed my reloads need work, (speed is fine) my muzzle goes a little far left for my liking. I also need to work on position exit. My accuracy is there and my position entry felt (and looked) good.

This week I have dry fired an hour and a half over three nights. I will ease into it a little more next week and try to get out for some actual live fire sessions.

[Nickb45]

It feels good to get back to dry firing. I started setting the par timer for the first couple of reps each drill to give me a little pressure, if everything goes as planned then I stay with the par timer on. If I have trouble during the first couple of reps then I will turn the timer off, slow down and slowly pick up speed until I feel very comfortable and turn the timer back on.

Sunday I worked "learning drills", my reloads now feels very smooth and consistent, transitions also feel like they picked up.

Monday I did accuracy drills, and some core skills.

Today I did el-prez, SHO/WHO and quick step drills. El-prez went smooth, I worked on getting my leading foot turn farther (I was struggling with throwing it down too early and have it pointed to the left, making me a little "off balance")

SHO/WHO went good, I really payed attention to transferring the pistol to my weak hand.

I did quick step for about 20 minutes, moving in all directions, really focusing on my position exit. About half way through I started throwing in a reload as I stepped over the box, I still made the same par time.