Using steel during practice

[Gdub]

Question for all you A class and above shooters. I was thinking about purchasing 3 steel targets for practice. I was thinking about the targets that are basically the A and C zone size. My thought was it would speed up practice. My other thought was it would make me slopy. Do you A shooters and above use something like this for practice? If so how do you use your steel in practice and how often?

Thanks,

[altabonita]

I am interested to read the responses to this.

[Nimitz]

depends ... do you know where you bullets are going all the time? If you don't hit the A/C do you know where you hits went? I like to train like I'm going to shoot in a match, which means good old fashioned paper targets. When I shoot steel I like to shoot the same steel targets I'll see in a match ...

[mach1soldier]

I like to mix them in but it's easy to get accepting of Charlie's or just hearing a ding.

So make sure you are still trying for alphas and don't use them exclusively

[RJH]

When I practice, which is seldom, I sometimes shoot with a bunch of guys and we use steel targets. We paint them occasionally so you can see your hits but, I do find myself shooting for dings instead of "a"s after a little while. I believe most of us do/will. So for that reason I personally would only buy steel plates/poppers that you would see in a match, and use paper metric and classic targets. YMMV but that is what I have found to be true. Hope this helps.

[P.E. Kelley]

In my opinion the plate rack is the best steel training tool. Between it and some "b/c zone steel I use little else.

[b1gcountry]

Steel works great at distance stuff. I was using some to practice my draws to 25yd targets. If you can ding a 12" steel plate consistently, you will hit mostly A's. Put a metric target behind the steel, and your punishment for missing is the 25yd walk.

The thing you want to avoid is waiting to hear the ding

Edited July 23, 2015 by b1gcountry

[toothandnail]

I'm not classified, but I practice with 4x4 steel plates at 10-25 yds. helped my pistol shooting tremendously.

[waktasz]

In the summer when we can shoot outside I like the use the b/c zones for sure. If you feel like you are getting sloppy and shooting too many C's just paint it every couple of runs.

[kimberacp]

I have four steel targets that I made up using auto rims for stands. The plates themselves are 8" round and the other three are 6x6 squares, the same size as the a head shot.

For me, I mix it up, some steel and paper, steel only, paper only but I always use a partial on the paper. It depends, one or two of the stands come from a truck rim and they're pretty darn heavy to lug around.

I think shooting full size steel is of no use for practice. I prefer to use a smaller aiming area both on steel and paper.

Another thought...shooting steel is beneficial in the sense that it will reinforce what you already know or don't know about shooting a precise shot!

In other words, I can you about what your first kiss but until you do it, you wont really know! Shooting steel is the same idea. I can you tell what to do or what to see but until you shoot and miss or hit it, you wont really have a sense of what it took to make that hit!

Shooting a precise shot whether on steel or paper is no different, the process is the same! But it so easy just to shoot the shot at the paper and not really "see" what was needed to "see".

Shooting steel is the same deal, when you hit the plate, ask yourself "what did I see" or when you miss and reengage and hit, ask yourself " what didn't I see and what did I see to hit it"?

You begin to realize what is really needed to shoot a accurate, every time, whether on steel or paper! And varying the distances of the steel, you will also see "what or how much do I need to see" to make the shot?

One last thought, when shooting steel, is calling your shots! What did I see while shooting the shot?

Shooting is this game is really a mental discipline for a desire to place the shot, where you want to and to have the visual patience/acceptance of what is acceptable to you as an accurate shot!

Shooting steel has help me with that!

just my humble opinion

[Gdub]

Thanks for all the input.

[Bigbadaboom]

This type of target is all I use anymore. 6" X 11" "A Zone" size steel plate. I have a bunch of them and I set them up as stages or as drill targets or for what ever training purpose I require. When I'm performing shot calling drills I place an IPSC target behind them so that I can see my "outside of A zone" hits but other than that all I want is A's.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Bigbadaboom