How does everybody practice steel challenge during the winter (indoor)

[Gunsbygiz]

This is my first year shooting in Steel Challenge, and I notice when I don’t practice for even a couple of weeks it can really affect my times. I don’t want to start from the beginning again next year, so I’m wondering what everyone else does so they don’t slow down.

[racerba]

dry fire a lot...
getting to the indoor range, I would print out 6" circles on the printer and tape 2, 3, or 4 to the backer and shoot different sequences 

 

[JoeMKY]

Dry Fire using the Laser Ammo Steel Challenge Simulator. 

[MuayThaiJJ]

Covered benches

[Artemas]

At the range.. we have shot matches in single digits and driving snow storms. Set up practice in the same conditions too.

 

Other than that, either dry fire at home with target layouts and scales that resemble what you want to work on. If you are only able to use an indoor bay, use a large backer and multiple smaller targets placed around it to work transitions on

 

 

[Gunsbygiz]

On 10/20/2022 at 10:12 AM, racerba said:

dry fire a lot...
getting to the indoor range, I would print out 6" circles on the printer and tape 2, 3, or 4 to the backer and shoot different sequences 

 

I thought about this… but I have to go on a day that nobody is at my club to do that

[Gunsbygiz]

On 10/20/2022 at 2:03 PM, JoeMKY said:

Dry Fire using the Laser Ammo Steel Challenge Simulator. 

Do you personally have this/use it?

[Gunsbygiz]

On 10/20/2022 at 5:46 PM, Artemas said:

At the range.. we have shot matches in single digits and driving snow storms. Set up practice in the same conditions too.

 

Other than that, either dry fire at home with target layouts and scales that resemble what you want to work on. If you are only able to use an indoor bay, use a large backer and multiple smaller targets placed around it to work transitions on

 

 

Man that’s hard core!!! I don’t know if my fingers will work well in the cold like that much less my gun

[JoeMKY]

3 hours ago, Gunsbygiz said:

Do you personally have this/use it?

Yes I and a number of other simulators for practice in uspsa, steel , general drills and some game. It does help out a lot when I had the ky state sc match, practice with it 4 days a week For 30 minutes a month before the match and I placed well and bumped. Up a class. 

[Gunsbygiz]

1 hour ago, JoeMKY said:

Yes I and a number of other simulators for practice in uspsa, steel , general drills and some game. It does help out a lot when I had the ky state sc match, practice with it 4 days a week For 30 minutes a month before the match and I placed well and bumped. Up a class. 

Do you just use a laser or does it actually cycle the gun?

 

thanks for all the info… huge help

[Sinister4]

We shoot through the winter and have a match each month as well, no biggie dress warm, outline plates blue when snowing and keep ammo warm when its under 20* F

[JoeMKY]

10 hours ago, Gunsbygiz said:

Do you just use a laser or does it actually cycle the gun?

 

thanks for all the info… huge help

I use a few things that's I've collected over the last 15 years.  For. recoil, I have a cool fire trainer( https://coolfiretrainer.com) barrel insert for my Sig P320, Which I have a Sig  Sig P320 for production, co, and open, so one barrel 3 guns to practice with drawing from holster and engaging steel.  I Also Have a NextLevel SIRT pistol that I will use to emulate RFPI.  Also the SIRT AR bolt replacement for my AR to practice for PCCO/RFRO. And if I feel like torturing myself, I will put in a LaserLyte in a Beretta M9 do all the stage in double action.

 

here's a video about it.

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by JoeMKY

[JoeMKY]

 

2 minutes ago, Sinister4 said:

We shoot through the winter and have a match each month as well, no biggie dress warm, outline plates blue when snowing and keep ammo warm when its under 20* F

 

That's pretty hardcore, Do you have fires by each stage?

[Sinister4]

1 hour ago, JoeMKY said:

 

 

That's pretty hardcore, Do you have fires by each stage?

no we usually wear our snowmobile jackets and bibs  pretty much just for weekend fun as the scores tend to be a tad low lol

[racerba]

17 hours ago, Gunsbygiz said:

I thought about this… but I have to go on a day that nobody is at my club to do that

why?  you could still be in one lane and still do this...

[JoeMKY]

43 minutes ago, Sinister4 said:

no we usually wear our snowmobile jackets and bibs  pretty much just for weekend fun as the scores tend to be a tad low lol

 

Yeah at the Ky state match, the morning was in the 30's and the afternoon was in the 60's. But that morning string with rimfire was a bit slower than normal.  Steel around here takes a break during the height of winter.

[Gunsbygiz]

1 hour ago, racerba said:

why?  you could still be in one lane and still do this...

You are correct… But at my range I can literally measure out and have everything pretty close, just different size targets to kind of give the depth perception needed.

[Gunsbygiz]

4 hours ago, JoeMKY said:

I use a few things that's I've collected over the last 15 years.  For. recoil, I have a cool fire trainer( https://coolfiretrainer.com) barrel insert for my Sig P320, Which I have a Sig  Sig P320 for production, co, and open, so one barrel 3 guns to practice with drawing from holster and engaging steel.  I Also Have a NextLevel SIRT pistol that I will use to emulate RFPI.  Also the SIRT AR bolt replacement for my AR to practice for PCCO/RFRO. And if I feel like torturing myself, I will put in a LaserLyte in a Beretta M9 do all the stage in double action.

 

here's a video about it.

 

Thank you so much… and did you say open 320? 
I Have only done CO and Limited .40 with a p320… can we see some pics?

[JoeMKY]

2 hours ago, Gunsbygiz said:

Thank you so much… and did you say open 320? 
I Have only done CO and Limited .40 with a p320… can we see some pics?

Yeah open minor in USPSA, SC it doesn't really matter on Major or Minor.  Since I started that Open 320 in 2020 (1st version) 2021 ( 2nd version using fcu ) it's running 9mm and since now it's hard to find any 320 in 40 otherwise I would make a 320 in that caliber to hit major.  But I like it, and I like the way it runs.  and yeah I have a 320 for prod, co  , and the first version of the open gun it the backup/practice gun.  Limited I'm using a Rock Island Pro in 40.

[GigG]

7 hours ago, JoeMKY said:

I use a few things that's I've collected over the last 15 years.  For. recoil, I have a cool fire trainer( https://coolfiretrainer.com) barrel insert for my Sig P320, Which I have a Sig  Sig P320 for production, co, and open, so one barrel 3 guns to practice with drawing from holster and engaging steel.  I Also Have a NextLevel SIRT pistol that I will use to emulate RFPI.  Also the SIRT AR bolt replacement for my AR to practice for PCCO/RFRO. And if I feel like torturing myself, I will put in a LaserLyte in a Beretta M9 do all the stage in double action.

 

here's a video about it.

 

Curious.  What do you think accounts for the 1 sec faster time on the live match over the sim?  I'm thinking it's the slide is moving slower.

[Gunsbygiz]

1 hour ago, JoeMKY said:

Yeah open minor in USPSA, SC it doesn't really matter on Major or Minor.  Since I started that Open 320 in 2020 (1st version) 2021 ( 2nd version using fcu ) it's running 9mm and since now it's hard to find any 320 in 40 otherwise I would make a 320 in that caliber to hit major.  But I like it, and I like the way it runs.  and yeah I have a 320 for prod, co  , and the first version of the open gun it the backup/practice gun.  Limited I'm using a Rock Island Pro in 40.

Do you shoot major out of that?

[JoeMKY]

2 hours ago, GigG said:

 

Curious.  What do you think accounts for the 1 sec faster time on the live match over the sim?  I'm thinking it's the slide is moving slower.

Target seem smaller on the simulator is my guess, which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing where if you can get a faster time on the sim in real life it should be quicker.

[JoeMKY]

2 hours ago, Gunsbygiz said:

Do you shoot major out of that?

Minor.  I asked sig if it can support it, they said it can shoot major or +p for a while but In something like a match round count it would wear a lot of things down quicker and void that warranty.

Edited October 25, 2022 by JoeMKY
Spelling

[JM_]

If you have the space, specifically a garage, you can set up targets and shoot to your hearts desire with an airsoft gun. 

[X5SigChris]

I have a set of the GFDS steel challenge targets. It comes labeled as to which stage they go to and there’s a card to get the measurements for a “realistic” stages. Obviously a smaller target doesn’t translate to a deeper target 100% but it’s close. I like them. 
 

however, don’t put them on a wall with flat paint. I did my GFDS USPSA targets at our new house and either left them up to long or our paint sucks. Peeled the wall. I’m going with the second option as other things have messed our walls up. They worked great on our old house with semigloss paint.