Training journal

[38supPat]

Shot my SS Kimber Custom II today at a local level II. It's a bone stock .45, so I figured it would be a fun way to shoot the last match of the year. Turns out it works pretty damn good! I used factory Rem. UMC 230 gr loads which factor around 190pf. Aside from a glitch on the first stage where the beavertail activated firing pin safety (yes, you can get the beavertail down enough to drop the hammer without depressing it enough to release the firing pin) I had a good run on most of the stages. Good points overall, quick draws out of a Blackhawk CQC holster, most under a second. The last stage, a field course, I was half a second off of a M shooter shooting an S_I Standard gun in .40 with all the race gear.So I fared better than I expected. I did order a magwell for the gun though, I'll fix the fp safety and perhaps even do a trigger job. But I sure had fun shooting it. I may have to do some SS matches in the US

[38supPat]

And placed third overall Standard class

[38supPat]

Had a pretty good match today. Couple of glitches on reloads, kept getting my index finger caught between the forward lip of the mag well and the top front of the base pad.

First stage a little slow getting gong on the first bank of targets and was a little shaky. Got sorted out and finished ok except for one bobbled reload, probably lost 1.5 sec. points weren't bad, but my only D for the day was on this stage.

Second stage was a straight up draw and shoot 4 targets at 10m. Again, a bit shaky and shot a slow pace with not good points. 4C out of 8 shots.

Third stage was probably the trickiest of the day. Start unloaded in the holster, on start, draw and load, shoot 4 targets through a slot, reload shot 4 more around the left edge of the port...it was intended to force right hand only shooting, but if you could bend far enough you could get them, I did. Reload again back up about 5m around a barricade, then run forward again and shoot 4 targets around the left of a wall...intended to force left hand shooting, but I anchored my right on the prop adn shot freestyle. Shot good time and good points on this one, got my finger caught once in the magwell.

Four was a straight up speed shoot. gun on table unloaded...pick up and load then shoot 4 over the table and one under. Good points good time.

Five was a small stage with 4 targets throught the middle slot and two each around the left and right edges of the shooting area...good points good time.

lastly a 32 rounder which required some backing up and lots of options on how to do it. I picked a safe plan so that there wouldn't be too much to get tied up in. lots of points on the table here with lots of partials and a couple US poppers. Managed a decent time with really good points given the difficulty, 7 down if I recall. Again caught my finger in magwell so I think I need to trim the lip to give some finger relief.

[38supPat]

Pics here:

http://s420.photobucket.com/albums/pp289/P...%20II/?start=20

[38supPat]

Score that one as a win...an ugly win, but what the hell! I'll take it....lol

[38supPat]

From my practice session today:

My primary focus for this practice was two items, working on the draw and not pulling off targets when leaving a box.

I started with a 10 shot group on a 15 yard target, except for a couple of flyers the group was around 2"

Next I tried to run a cold Double Draw Master, on this I had a couple of issues. On the first attemp I accidentally hit the regular Go button on the third string instead of the Comstock Go which erased my time, then on the next three attempts there was a guy in the bay next door who seemed to have the timing right so that his cannon (not sure what it was but it was loud) would go off at the same time as my beep so I missed a couple of draws. Then I noticed I was getting tense because I was trying to rush and get the drill done before he started his next string. I ended up waiting til I heard him go down range to patch and finally got a scoring run in. It wasn't great, 14 shots for a score of 63 (I dropped a D) which is not a good score for me, I should be around 67 normally. I have been playing with holster position lately though so this might have something to do with it as well as not dryfing enough lately.

Next I ran my drill that focused on pulling off targets. It went like this: two boxes 6' apart (or 3' off the centerline to the left and right), at 7 yds two full IPSC Classic targets 14' apart (7' from center), at 10yds a single target, with a no shoot 7.5" from the top of the target, on the centerline, and at 15yds two targets 8' apart (4' from the center). Scored left to right T1 (7 yds), T2 (15yds), T3 (10 yds), T4 (15yds), T5 (7yds). T1 and T2 had to be shot from the left box, T4 and T5 from the right box and T3 could be shot from either. Scoring was Enos Factor with a factor of 0.1. I shot it in three different ways, interstingly enough they all ended up running in about the same times. In order I shot: T1,2,3,move,5,4; T1,2,move,5,4,3 and T2,1,move,5,4,3. Raw times were from 5.24 to 5.89 with the the Enos factored scores being 5.58 to 6.29.

I started off running it 12354 and posted some good runs, This had me shooting the 10yd target with the N/S then leaving. My splits on target were .21 to .24 on the 7yd targets, .27 to .33 on the 15yds and .30 to .40 on the 10yd with the N/S, and that was pretty much the same for every run which ever way I did it. The one thing that was erratic and caused the biggest fluctuation in my times was my draw. On my first 4 draws I had a 1.24, a 1.16 a .99 and a 1.06 (always 2 A's). I was loading up my right foot to leave the box as quickly as possible and my movement between boxes was 1.5 to 1.6 on each run.

Next I tried 12543 which had me leaving on the 15 yd target. Everything went for a crap. I had run after run of either misses (I pulled off the 15 yd target leaving on the very first run) or tagging the N/S which was the last target engaged. I did 5 runs like this and only ran clean on one and was still down 6 point on that one. What I did notice was I was coming in a lot more tense to the second box than I had been the other way.

I went back and shot it 12354 a couple of more runs and again posted some good scores, the first run was a 5.79 down 1 point for a time of 5.89.

I tried 12543 again with the same results as earlier, first run tagged a n/s, and the next two, while clean, were slow with times in the 6.2 range including dropped points.

About this time I noticed that I was getting very tense right from the start, reflecting on it now, part of it may have been from rushing since on the runs where I went 12543 I was trying to nail the first two targets then move where if I shot it 12354 I would stay more settled to shoot the partial target and I was in the box longer so I wasn't rushing to get out. A similar way to see this is to set up 6 targets shoulder to shoulder and shoot 2 each with a mandatory reload somewhere in the string. Try it out, shoot it like an El Prez with the reload in the middle, then shoot it 12345reload6, then try it 1reload23456 and see which run causes more tension. I also noticed that I was coming out of the holster very tense on each run which led to slower splits on the 7yd target as well as erratic draw times. I felt this might be a result of the more aggressive lean I had been using to leave the box. So onm the next couple of runs I stood in a more neutral, even weight distribution stance, though I was in a more aggressive forward lean than normal as I'm working on this too.

My next runs were done this way and I ran 12354 and then 12543 which scored 5.4 and 5.2, with points down they were 5.7 and 5.3 respectively. Movement time box to box was the same as before.

Lastly I tried a couple of runs 21543 which meant I would draw to the 15yd then leave on the 7yd. I surmised that since my draws at 15 (Double Draw Master) were in the 1.15 range and my draws at 7 were running 1.06 (after relaxing the stance they were on par with my faster runs from earlier but much more consistant). My runs were 5.39 and 5.43 and with points 5.89 and 5.73. My split on the 7 yd targets was now running in the .18-.19 range and my movement time was actually a bit faster running in the low 1.4's but the overall times stayed the same.

In the end the things I noticed were that no matter which way I did it the scores were pretty much the same, the differences really came down to consistancy and that had everything to do with being relaxed. While the agressive movement and set up for it may have seemed faster it caused tension that actually hurt my scores and that while the relaxed position and resulting movement might have been a hair slower on average, my overall score benefitted.

[benos]

In the end the things I noticed were that no matter which way I did it the scores were pretty much the same, the differences really came down to consistancy and that had everything to do with being relaxed. While the agressive movement and set up for it may have seemed faster it caused tension that actually hurt my scores and that while the relaxed position and resulting movement might have been a hair slower on average, my overall score benefitted.

If you wouldn't have said that, that's what I would have said.

For most stages it's amazing how little target order matters. What matters most is if you're loose and not rushing.

be

[38supPat]

Thanks!

It's also interesting to see where the tension comes from or what causes it, sometimes it's something you wouldn't think would have an effect.

[benos]

Thanks!

It's also interesting to see where the tension comes from or what causes it, sometimes it's something you wouldn't think would have an effect.

What specifically where you thinking about there?

be

[38supPat]

Taken on their own, each target should not have an effect on tension, well I guess a close fast target might, but the order they are shot in can have an effect, or at least it did for me.

[Flexmoney]

Next I ran my drill that focused on pulling off targets.

I'd like it soooo much better if you focused on following through. (picture the positive, desired result)

That seems to lower tension for me.

[38supPat]

Yep, you're right, my bad

[38supPat]

So I set up a nice muddy practice on Friday. Since Cha-Lee pointed out my slow splits on partials I decided to practice this. I set up three targets at 15m T1 and T3 were partials with hardcover covering all but the top of the targets, from the top corners on each side of a Classic target (I'll post a pic of the drill when I get a chance) and T2 in the middle was a full target, this forced me to draw to a partial and compare my splits on partial vs full targets at that distance.

My first couple of runs were disastrous, poor hits and poor splits. I walked up to 7m and repeated the drill. From here I was running .19 on the partials and .16 on the full, I walked back one step at a time and repeated until I started to have problems, I pretty much kept the splits in the .19 zone on the partials until I hit 12m then I started having trouble. So I worked at 12m for a few runs until I was seeing the sights lift and settle and I was getting splits in the .24 range. When I was comfortable I moved back to 15m and shot the partials from there. I ended up running much better than before, most splits on the partials were now in the .26 to .30 range with the hits close together and mosly A's.

A few things I noticed. Initially when working at 12m and 15m I would get good hits on the partials but not on the full target in the middle, I was just slinging shots at it on the way by. Once I realized that and gave it proper attention, the shots were landing side by side in the A zone and the splits were .02 or .03 faster than the partial, but no effort was needed to speed up, it just happens that way. On the first partial, the one I was drawing to the first shot was about .2 slower than my normal draw. I have worked quite a bit this winter and shaved a tenth off my draw time at 15m and now pretty much draw in the 1.0 - 1.05 range. Most of my draws on the partial were in the 1.22 - 1.25 range. What was happening, or at least what I was seeing, was I would draw the gun and at the end of the draw stroke, when the gun was fully mounted, it would be around the center of the target, I would then track it up the target until it crossed the hardcover line and the shot would break. I was staying pretty focused on the spot I wanted the shot to land on the target and almost everytime the dot would appear low and come up to the scoring area. Now as I type this I wonder if more than likely when the dot appeared in view maybe I came off the spot I was looking at and I looked to the dot then dragged it up the target while looking at it? The shots on the first target were always a little more ragged and the splits a bit slower than on the other partial.

The one thing I really saw though was how much over aiming I had been doing on these types of targets (thanks Cha-Lee) the gun could lift and return to the same spot and the shot released so much faster than I had been shooting. I'd love to take a high speed camera and see exactly how long it takes for the sight return to point of aim after a shot fires. Certainly it is under .2 of a second at that distance because when I shot splits in the .25 to .30 zone on thses targets it felt like I was taking all the time in the world!

Here's what the targets looked like at 15m:

And for CHA-LEE, here's what the targets presented at that match looked like (but were stacked like this three high) and they were at about 10m:

[benos]

As I was reading your post with all the details on distances, target sizes, and split times, about halfway through my brain stopped, then a thought appeared - forget all that and just shoot what you see for each shot. Find the center of each target and see the sights lift for each shot.

I trained to shoot any target at any distance with that approach, and therefore never cared about target sizes, distances, or spit times.

The goal is to break each called shot at the earliest opportunity.

be

[jkatz44]

"The goal is to break each called shot at the earliest opportunity."

This is simple but very true. Thanks BE!

[38supPat]

I see what you are saying, I'm finding I am going through a discovery phase. In the match video's I posted I honestly thought I was shooting them as fast as I could, breaking the shot as soon as I could...in reality I was not. I'm trying to set up some harder drills to find out what my limits really are. I found it interesting that from 7 back to 12 there was very little difference in how fast I could see the sights return and fire the next shot.

[38supPat]

I am really going to have to stop trying to do posts from my iPhone, I had a long detailed post typed out, got a phone cal and when it ended and I returned to finish the iPhone automatically reloaded the page and wiped it clean.

The short version is I am currently caught between what I "knew" from when I was shooting before to feeling like I am starting all over again and know nothing. I am stuck between having to think of all the things I need to work on to improve while being able to execute at a match.

[Flexmoney]

I wonder if you might be bringing your focus back to the dot?

My mind went to my "target spot" thread. Especially at the point when you said you hosed on the center (open) target. Like you are seeing just the outline of the target and calling that whole thing the "target" ?

As for the draw and it going to the center of the target...same as the above...plus... Is you gun traveling in more of a line from the holster to extension (along a 45d angle of so)...or, is it coming up, then pressing out along your cone of vision. (the latter, I think, might allow your vision to make corrections when driving the gun to a "spot")

[38supPat]

I wondered the same thing, I recall seeing the dot travel up the target until it crossed the hard cover line. I don't recall if I was seeing it with my peripheral vision or if I was shifting my focus to it, I'll have to do some more drills and see.

I was definitely just looking at the whole target at first and saw the results of just flinging two shots at it, once I started looking to the point I wanted to hit, the pairs were dropping side by side in the A zone.

45 degrees

[Flexmoney]

45 degrees

That means you can't make an adjustment until fully extended then, right?

[38supPat]

Yup

[38supPat]

Dryfiring today to sort this out

[benos]

Your index position (avatar) looks rock solid.

be

[CHA-LEE]

Lets see some video of your live fire drills with the partial targets.

[38supPat]

Achh...I usually practice alone...one of my problems...I'll try to get some video done, maybe next week if I can set it up.

I shot this again this past Wednesday. I actually added a full target in the middle so it was partial, two full and one partial. The partials were at 15m and the full targets at 17m.

I actuallu had a large practice session, for me, I shot 500 rounds. Usually I do no more than 300 in a single practice but I needed to turn some brand new brass into once fired so I thought I'd see what happens. I started by benching both guns and zeroing them. I warmed up with some Double Draw Master runs and shot pretty muchy on Par for me shooting around 66 points. I then moved on to doing the above 8 round drill, I added the extra target as I found a bit of a tendancy to fling shots at the easy target in the middle and I wanted to have to bear down a bit and shoot solid. My draws were a lot better than the previous attempt , running around the 1.05 to 1.10 range. The big difference was in the points and the feeling I had when running this drill. I definitely felt no need to rush or force the shots most broke exactly when they needed to. I started at full distance and just shot the drill and watched the sights. Similar to what I see when I shoot the dot drill, the second shot broke as the sights returned as if by itself. I had no conscious thought or memory of pulling the trigger and I definitely had very good dot tracking, I saw it left and return on every pair, though not so much target to target. I kind of thought I might see this as the targets were fairly close together, I did see it a bit on the two full as they were almost touching. I'll post what it looked like as soon as I can figure out how I did it last time...

I then moved out to 25m and shot some Bill Drills, wqhich went fairly well I had a couple of ragged ones but settled down and just shot what I needed to to get all A's

I tried shooting the drill above but with singles on each target. I tried a couple of versions. I tried drawing to the left partial and shooting left to right but my draw was pretty slow, then I tried drawing to the left full target and shooting Left then right full, right partial, then back to the right partial....so T2, T3, T4, T1...The draw was much better and I was shooting almost all A's.

Next I moved forward and did some 10m and 7m draws, mostly just too see where I was at. Then some 10m and 7M Bill Drills which also went fairly well though I could sense some tension getting into my shoulders. My draws were not as smooth as before. I also shot my Twenty drill and started a bit ragged but got down to a run that was right on a 20 HF, all A's and 1.5 seconds for 6 shots on 3-5m targets, and had a few runs in this area once I relaxed a bit.

I then went back to the first drill since I still had some rounds left. Now I started to have trouble. I don't know if it was some tension that crept in or I was getting tired or just not able to focus as hard as I had been earlier. I was running ragged draws, freezing on the trigger and not tracking the sights as well as I had been, I ended up with a miss on every run at this point and even after I realized it might be tension or lack of focus I still could not pull it together for a clean run...and at this point I was out of ammo. I suspect that I might just have been getting tired at this point. I have been doing lots of dryfire...to the point where I'm getting callouses on the back of my strong hand from my support hand...which showed up in better draws initially, and I had been drawing and firing for about 3 hours steady. I'm not sure how many live draws I did but it must have been about a hundred. Hopefully the last few bad runs won't manifest themselves when I shoot a match this weekend, I'm tring to stay focused on the good runs I did and the big improvements I saw initially.