Eye "warm up" / Pre Match dryfire

[nick779]

This is a stupid question, but before the match officially starts, during sign up, can I take a sight picture with an unloaded gun on a target in one of the match pits?

 

My first 1-2 stages I usually just get wrecked because my eyes are still "warming up" to fast sight acquisition and im not sure of how to improve on that.

 

Would dryfiring a bit at home before travelling to the match help?

[Mcfoto]

Only if you wanted to go home right away:

 

"Examples of unsafe gun handling include, but are not limited to:

1. 10.5.1  Handling a firearm at any time except when in a designated safety area or when under the supervision of, and in response to a direct command issued by, a Range Officer."

I do my "eye warm up" at the safety table.

[Mcfoto]

35 minutes ago, nick779 said:

Would dryfiring a bit at home before travelling to the match help?

 

and yes. Dryfiring always helps. You can dryfire at the safety area as well. Just take care not to hog the area if there is a line of folks waiting to unbag and holster.

[DKorn]

57 minutes ago, nick779 said:

This is a stupid question, but before the match officially starts, during sign up, can I take a sight picture with an unloaded gun on a target in one of the match pits?

 

My first 1-2 stages I usually just get wrecked because my eyes are still "warming up" to fast sight acquisition and im not sure of how to improve on that.

 

Would dryfiring a bit at home before travelling to the match help?

 

Dryfiring at home either that morning or the night before could help, just don’t push the speed or try to improve anything that close before a match. 

 

At the match, assuming this is USPSA, you can dry fire in the safe area as long as you don’t handle any ammunition, including dummy rounds. I usually do a couple of practice draws to loosen up and make sure my belt is placed in a way that feels normal, then work a few transitions between random objects in the background.

 

You can also dry fire during “make ready”, as long as you don’t take forever.  I typically do a slow motion draw, dry fire the first array and the first step of any movement, and, if there will be a reload in my plan immediately following the first array, do the reload. Then I put the mag I reloaded back in my pouch and load from my pocket for my first actual mag. I specifically don’t do any full speed dryfire at make ready because I would hate to botch my grip or fumble a reload and have that be the last thing in my mind right before the stage. 

[jstagn]

Is there any time limit once make ready command is given to go thru your pre stage routine?

[MemphisMechanic]

17 minutes ago, jstagn said:

Is there any time limit once make ready command is given to go thru your pre stage routine?

 

Only those imposed by a desire to be courteous to the rest of your squad. Nothing in the rule book.

 

For the first stage, I may dryfire 3 or 4 extra draws while pulling the trigger on a couple of visible targets, and then perform a fullspeed reload - which also results in my starting mag winding up in the gun. Chamber a round and get set into position. Doesn’t take long.

 

IMO the biggest help is not attacking the first stage; shoot it a little bit conservatively. It’s more important to not die on stage 1 than it is to push for a stage win.

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by MemphisMechanic

[jstagn]

Thanks 

[nick779]

19 hours ago, DKorn said:

 

Dryfiring at home either that morning or the night before could help, just don’t push the speed or try to improve anything that close before a match. 

 

At the match, assuming this is USPSA, you can dry fire in the safe area as long as you don’t handle any ammunition, including dummy rounds. I usually do a couple of practice draws to loosen up and make sure my belt is placed in a way that feels normal, then work a few transitions between random objects in the background.

 

You can also dry fire during “make ready”, as long as you don’t take forever.  I typically do a slow motion draw, dry fire the first array and the first step of any movement, and, if there will be a reload in my plan immediately following the first array, do the reload. Then I put the mag I reloaded back in my pouch and load from my pocket for my first actual mag. I specifically don’t do any full speed dryfire at make ready because I would hate to botch my grip or fumble a reload and have that be the last thing in my mind right before the stage. 

 

Ill definitely have to start utilizing this time a bit more effectively. 15-20 seconds before my run should definitely help.

 

20 hours ago, Mcfoto said:

Only if you wanted to go home right away:

 

"Examples of unsafe gun handling include, but are not limited to:

1. 10.5.1  Handling a firearm at any time except when in a designated safety area or when under the supervision of, and in response to a direct command issued by, a Range Officer."

I do my "eye warm up" at the safety table.

 

Yeah, the more I thought about it the more it seemed like I was really pressing my luck. Maybe its just the ranges ive been to so far, but the safety tables at my local places have been right up against a berm so there is nothing really to aim at. 

 

9 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

 

Only those imposed by a desire to be courteous to the rest of your squad. Nothing in the rule book.

 

For the first stage, I may dryfire 3 or 4 extra draws while pulling the trigger on a couple of visible targets, and then perform a fullspeed reload - which also results in my starting mag winding up in the gun. Chamber a round and get set into position. Doesn’t take long.

 

IMO the biggest help is not attacking the first stage; shoot it a little bit conservatively. It’s more important to not die on stage 1 than it is to push for a stage win.

 

 

Hopefully ill get stuck on something other than a classifier for my first stage.... that is definitely getting annoying.

[Paulie]

OP- be sure to read the rule book cover to cover....at least once. Three times would be recommended. 

 

Need to be safe and there are lots of ways to DQ, some of which aren’t super obvious.

 

 

 

 

[nick779]

21 minutes ago, Paulie said:

OP- be sure to read the rule book cover to cover....at least once. Three times would be recommended. 

 

Need to be safe and there are lots of ways to DQ, some of which aren’t super obvious.

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly ive done it a few times at this point. Id hate to waste my time and match fee doing something extra stupid or by trying to get around the rules.

[MemphisMechanic]

3 hours ago, nick779 said:

Ill definitely have to start utilizing this time a bit more effectively. 15-20 seconds before my run should definitely help.

 

Hopefully ill get stuck on something other than a classifier for my first stage.... that is definitely getting annoying.

 

Everyone does make ready differently. For myself, on classifier stages:

 

I’m in the box the moment the previous shooter steps out, running through the stage in my mind at least 3 times while targets are taped.

 

At “make ready” I’ll treat it like a beep, execute the draw and dryfire across all the targets just as intensely as if I were shooting it for score, airgun a reload, and re-engage.

 

(Or whatever that string involves, maybe you switch to weak hand, etc)

 

Repeat it with an airgun where I seat the actual magazine so that one rep of a fullspeed reload is performed, continuing to dryfire the stage with an empty chamber. When finished? Rack it, presscheck it, holster the gun, confirm your reload magazine is fully loaded in the front pouch, and assume the start position.

 

If you’re doing all of this fullspeed you should be able to be ready to go in 30 seconds quite comfortably. That’s entirely reasonable for a cold start on a classifier - especially if you’re the first shooter to the line.

 

The number one mistake I see with classifiers among D through B class is guys not diligently memorizing the stage, because they feel it’s too simple to require that. Then you watch them shoot and they push the gun back out after the reload before remembering to switch it to their weakhand. Or they forget they’re moving to a new box and performthe reload flat-footed. Or they make up a Charlie on a virginia count stage. Etc.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by MemphisMechanic

[BillGarlandJr]

5 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

The number one mistake I see with classifiers among D through B class is guys not diligently memorizing the stage, because they feel it’s too simple to require that. Then you watch them shoot and they push the gun back out after the reload before remembering to switch it to their weakhand. Or they forget they’re moving to a new box and performthe reload flat-footed. Or they make up a Charlie on a virginia count stage. Etc.

 

This is so important. In a class I took from JJ Racaza a couple years ago he preached the importance/advantage of doing a detailed walkthrough, and detailed visualization for each and every stage. Looking at my notes from that class, here is what he had to say (paraphrased with a couple notes I added for myself): Keep it simple by adding a lot of details to your walk through....entries, exits, sight pictures, trigger manipulation. Details give you answers, and answers allow you to shoot with a calm, focused mind because you've accounted for all the variables and have a detailed plan to deal with them. With a detailed walkthrough / visualization you'll have been able to shoot a stage perfectly 25 times before you've even shot it.

Edited April 3, 2019 by BillGarlandJr
misspelling

[RaylanGivens]

8 hours ago, nick779 said:

Hopefully ill get stuck on something other than a classifier for my first stage.... that is definitely getting annoying.

 

 

The group I shoot with at one range always starts on the classifier for their monthly match...  It is usually near a safety table, so I make a few practice runs of the classifier before the match starts...  Obviously you can't run around, but you can simulate most classifier stages...  and you can get a few reloads with an empty magazine...  Make sure you don't have any loaded magazines.

 

[elguapo]

On 4/2/2019 at 9:56 AM, nick779 said:

My first 1-2 stages I usually just get wrecked because my eyes are still "warming up" to fast sight acquisition and im not sure of how to improve on that.

 

I think your issue is one of mindset, more than anything.

[nick779]

14 hours ago, elguapo said:

 

I think your issue is one of mindset, more than anything.

 

Possibly? It happens even at the range when im by myself. 

[daytona955i]

I usually get in a draw or two at the safe area when I gun up.

 

Two reasons.

 

1) make sure my holster is where I want it.

 

2) get some front sight focus in or check the dot. I often warm up for practice by firing a few rounds with no target. It helps reinforce front sight focus. A few dry fires does the trick.

 

Keep in mind that there's no practicing that is going to help you on match day. It's like cramming for a test in the bathroom. The match tests your training, skills and focus. You aren't going to build any of those up at the safe area, but you can bring your focus up a bit to get started.

[Blackstone45]

That's an interesting difference between USPSA and IPSC, that you're allowed to take a sight picture and dry fire before the start signal.

[Kema]

If we leave the gun on the holster for a while and just try to focus on eyes, I usually try to focus objects in long distance, like treetops, then focus back to closer range and do this for a while. Blink your eyes, clean your glasses and stay hydrated. 

 

Dryfiring is beneficial, but when you arrive to the range on training day, check your first couple of draws and first shot times. That is usually the best you can do on the match.