Moving Mag Changes Towards My Weak Side

[ihatepickles]

It's cold and I've been spending my free time working on field stage skills. My last 4 sessions I've been working on my weak side mag changes and I don't feel I've improved. I'm hoping for some tips.

I'm a righty and I'm working with 2 boxes about 20 feet apart with IPSC metric targets 20 feet in front of each box. I start in the right box (A), draw to A zone, and move to the left box ( with a mag change and bring the gun to the A zone. I'm working with a timer using par times.

It's really tough to find a good smooth technique for mag changing across my body in a fast run. Going across my body makes it hard to keep safe (180 violations), see the magwell, and haul butt. Currently my best efforts seem to be slow movement while I'm mag changing and then once the new mag is seated I speed up my run. When I go towards my strong side I can hit my mag changes in a full run.

I'm guessing some of the lefty shooters out there can offer some good advice, since a lot of field courses seem to be build for left-to-right shooting.

[38supPat]

In either direction you want the mag change done before you've made more than a step. Your hand should be on the mag as your foot comes off the ground. If you're changing mags on the run, you're neither running as fast as you can, nor changing mags as quicky as you could. It may work out if you have a big enough run, but move the boxes 10' apart and see what happens.

[ihatepickles]

Thanks Pat, what you're describing is what I'm doing. On my strong side I have the new mag in the gun as my first foot leaves the box. Turning strong side sets the gun up for a mag change.

Weak side:

• Semi standing reload, this most closely matches my technique strong side
  
• Move slowly until reload is complete and then sprint
  
• Run full speed to destination and complete reload there
  

On the first item, semi standing reload, since I'm turning left I run into all my problems. I more or less do the reload while turning my lower body and getting ready for the run. My par times on the weak side are ~1.5 seconds slower.

I'm pretty sure I could move the boxes closer and the difference would still be ~1.5 seconds.

[ParaJoe]

In either direction you want the mag change done before you've made more than a step. Your hand should be on the mag as your foot comes off the ground. If you're changing mags on the run, you're neither running as fast as you can, nor changing mags as quicky as you could. It may work out if you have a big enough run, but move the boxes 10' apart and see what happens.

This is the way that I try to get it done. Going across the body is a pain and I'm always afraid of DQ'ing myself. Get it done and move.

Joe

[BritinUSA]

You could try this, fire the last shot , perform a standing reload (ie. don't move your feet at all) then move to the next box and check your time. It should still be 1.5 seconds slower than your strong side.

I think you are trying to improve something that can't really be improved that much, I doubt that a GM could do a weak side reload the same speed as a strong side reload. Safety is the biggest concern. I've seen a top shootersget DQed doing it, I've seen a top shooter who got away with a DQ at last Nationals doing it.

I think it's one of those items that you just have to accept it's going to be slower due to the safety thing.

[ChuckS]

Here are some examples:

Blake in the "Hoser Stage"

[Flexmoney]

I think you are trying to improve something that can't really be improved that much, I doubt that a GM could do a weak side reload the same speed as a strong side reload. Safety is the biggest concern. I've seen a top shootersget DQed doing it, I've seen a top shooter who got away with a DQ at last Nationals doing it.

I think it's one of those items that you just have to accept it's going to be slower due to the safety thing.

I'm a bit better going to the weak side. Go figure. (see Pat's post)

You can set yourself up for the reload by where you are (already) positioned in the location you are exiting. Also, your shooting direction (left > right vs right > left) can be a factor.

But, there are time when the reload...regardless of direction...is just awkward. Be mindful to avoid those situations.

[boo radley]

I've been thinking about reloads a lot, in general lately, and I've decided to practice almost all of my reloads while moving, in dry-fire.

Except for the occasional classifier and more often mistake, even in L10, I almost never do static reloads. Yet I often find myself running to a different position still cramming a mag in the well....

I'll see how it goes. Without moving, I can stand and have good form and slap mags in like a sonofagun, and this is how I do most of my reloading practice -- a lot of time and practice for 10% of the use pattern. Yet it's the 90% - reloading between positions -- that I need to worry about.

[Scout454]

Have you tried:

As you leave the right hand box move your left hand towards belt and keeping the muzzle down range drop the mag from the pistol, and while moving, grab the fresh mag and as you hit the left hand box and pivot towards the targets complete the change. If you've brought the gun to a firing position as you hit the box you should be on target as you insert the magazine. It's faster fo me and it keeps the muzzle down range.

[LPatterson]

Scout,

I think you are slowing yourself down that way. Coming into the box, the gun should be up and you should be focused on your 1st target so that you can break the shot as soon as the trail foot leaves the ground. If you have the gun in a firing position then it is not in an optimal reloading position as you should be looking the mag into the magwell.

But then I can't walk & chew gum at the same time so mag changes are done with as little movement as possible.

[Matt Cheely]

If I'm moving to the weak side and the distance is under 3 yards or so, my torso continues to point downrange and I complete the change like normal. If it's past 3 yards, the mag change takes longer as I keep the gun pointed downrange as my torso shifts to run. The change is still completed in a step or so but is much more deliberate.

Using this technique I can post the same times box to box in either direction. I've even been slightly faster going to the weak side but that mostly comes from shooting sooner as I come into the box in that direction.

[ihatepickles]

If I'm moving to the weak side and the distance is under 3 yards or so, my torso continues to point downrange and I complete the change like normal. If it's past 3 yards, the mag change takes longer as I keep the gun pointed downrange as my torso shifts to run. The change is still completed in a step or so but is much more deliberate.

Using this technique I can post the same times box to box in either direction. I've even been slightly faster going to the weak side but that mostly comes from shooting sooner as I come into the box in that direction.

Are you performing a reload?