ahtsay Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 My wife and I are planning to go on a 3 weeks vacation. Since I can't take my FA with me, what can I do to keep sharp? I dry fire everyday and shoot twice a week (clubshoots and level 1s mostly). Any ideas on what I can do to keep me sharp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 why cant you take your equipment with you ? If you really cant I would plan a different vacation. Preferably one that includes a match or two. Three week vacation seems like plenty of time to find a new local club and shoot one of thier matches. I am sure outa three weeks the wife will find at least one activity she wants to do without you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) I thought that was what vacations were for - shooting- A good tool is to train just your eyes. you can train them to look at small parts of bigger things = like a light switch. Look at and see each screw on the switch plate - see if you can tell what direction the slot is going...move you eye on that screw to the each side of that slot on the screw. ( you will feel) your eyes moving for even that small amount of change. A big drill for out side is to find letters in signs ( Like the letter -O- ) how fast can you get your eyes to find them and (SEE ) all the Os on that sign. OR finding the -bolts or screws that hold a street sign up . you may be surprised at how many have a bolt coming through the sign and have a nut on the face of the sign, I do that one when driving, and cut my eye over to the sign as I get near just before my car goes past- so that you only have 1/2 a second to look. I like finding ( A ) s = the inside triangle of the A all three point , Top, right, left . But be honest about how good you see it. You can challenge your self with something you can walk to. ( look at it for less than 1 second) - like the light switch. look away and move closer. = did you know what way both screws slots were turned? You can do some of this and your wife will not know you are practicing shooting on your HER vacation Teach your self to see MORE and see it faster. A few years back I saw a Horned Toed on the side of a dirt road in Colorado, we were only going 25 MPH. ! I had not seen ! a Horny Toed in 35 years, and I knew they were not supposed to be at 8000 feet in Central Colorado. I trusted my eyes stopped the truck walked back and found a genuine Texas Horny Toed in Colorado. That was something worth not missing. Edited February 19, 2008 by AlamoShooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahtsay Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 I thought that was what vacations were for - shooting- I wish! Thanks guys, looks like I would just have to forget about shooting for a month....could be a good thing...at least for my wife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I thought that was what vacations were for - shooting- I wish! Thanks guys, looks like I would just have to forget about shooting for a month....could be a good thing...at least for my wife Get some quality time with your wife... the gun will be there when you get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I thought that was what vacations were for - shooting- I wish! Thanks guys, looks like I would just have to forget about shooting for a month....could be a good thing...at least for my wife Get some quality time with your wife... the gun will be there when you get back. +1 But bring one of those grip training thinigies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 When I got hitched almost two years ago, the wife and I went to Jamica. Beautiful country, all expenses paid, and right in the middle of my daily dryfire routine. I basically journaled and reflected on my shooting, goals, and created a skills matrix like the one found in Saul Kirsch's book Thinking Practical Shooting. I ran on the beach and worked out in the fitness room daily to keep up with my cardiovascular fitness. Most of all, I read on the beach. Thinking Practical Shooting, Practical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals, With Winning In Mind, and Shooting From Within. When I got home, my post-vacation blues were shadowed by my rejuvenated zeal for shooting excellence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 That doesnt sound like much of a vacation Miacah. Gosh I have never been to another country, much less a tropical island, and you spent the whole time reading about shooting ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Hey Mon, Just relax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 That doesnt sound like much of a vacation Miacah. Gosh I have never been to another country, much less a tropical island, and you spent the whole time reading about shooting ? Three things: 1) My name is not Miacah 2) I had my share of booze, grub, and other activities as well 3) You do what you gotta do to win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Even Chuck Norris takes time to relax between round-house kicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Pack some god reading material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herky Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Really! Never knew it was a religious experience, maybe that's my problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
get2now Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 My wife and I are planning to go on a 3 weeks vacation. Since I can't take my FA with me, what can I do to keep sharp? I dry fire everyday and shoot twice a week (clubshoots and level 1s mostly). Any ideas on what I can do to keep me sharp? Where ever you're going, look for a club and contacts. That's what I do. As you know we shooters are very generous and more than willing to loan you all the stuff you need to shoot with. I've met some great guys on Oahu. Been shooting there and borrowing equipment for that last 6 years when we're vacationing on that island. In April I'll be in Maui but I'm taking my stuff with me. There's a match the day after we arrive so that'll hold me until the next match. That's another whole week away!!! My wife tells me she thinks I'm probably the only person ever to go on vacation that looks for a place to go shooting too. I tell her yep, I am... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint U66 Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 I know of a jackass that took his whole rig along for the family beach trip and made three trips to the indoor shooting range during the afternoons. Don't be that guy!!! Enjoy the time with family and avoid the confrontations with the wife. You may actually benefit from a little down time. Clint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odie Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Eye exercises. SNAP your eyes to the bikini. And don't just glance at it. FOCUS on the bikini. Then SNAP to the next bikini. SNAP your eyes back before the wife catches you. DODGE the incoming slap. Repeat. Try and snap to as many as five or ten bikinis at a time. Check your splits. Also, check your split lips from the wife smacking you. It's a boring, crappy drill. But you do what you have to to win. Also, you can simulate unloaded table starts with a bucket of ice, some Coronas, and a bottle opener. PM me with your times on the bikini drill and I'll give you the second half of the drill with the Coronas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Pack some god reading material. The Bible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I don't know if this will help anyone other than me, but occasionally I practice my hand/arm movements without gear. I know where my mags and holster are located and will occasionally just go to a surrender position and snap my hands down for the draw. Same with reloads. Does not do much for "grabbing" the gear training, but it does help keep the muscle memory sharp. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 What I have done: Get some road work in (or at least some good hikes) - most of us could stand to lose a few pounds and get the legs/heart/lungs in better shape. You'll be faster on your feet in competition. When walking, practice gliding instead of stepping so you bounce up and down. You don't have to do the full blown Groucho thing, unless you don't mind drawing stares. Just keep the knees bent, and the head level. Think of the turret of an Abrams tank. Keep the upper body foward. Air gun with empty hands as you go. Nobody except another action shooter will think anything except that you're crazy. Bring some reduced target silhouettes mounted on cardboard (stuffed in a manila folder, it's entirely innocous on inspection). You can set them up in your hotel room to practice eye mvt on transitions. Try marking a barely visible aiming point in the middle of the A zone to snap your eyes to, reinforcing what you are truly aiming to hit. Bring some reading on the sport - Enos, Bassham, Kirsch. What I am planning to do next vacation: All of the above, plus a replica gun for in room use only (no rig or mags) for those movement/transition drills I want to reinforce with the proper gun presentation and sight picture. Visualization sessions to reinforce my technique and positive imagery ala Bassham. NO shooting, and DEFINITELY some time completely away from anything shooting wise. I plan on coming back hungry, with just enough time to get some live fire practice and a couple club matches before the Nationals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Leave the wife and kids with the inlaws and you go to the range alone...always worked for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 You guys crack me up. It's nice to read how the *real* women live. Me, I go on vacation to go to a match! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VARifleman Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Running full tilt on a particular game hasn't done me well. I'm usually better and ready to go if I take the occasional month long vacation from shooting. I had to shoot the annual fun match for the team and the air rifle score I shot was quite a bit higher than I had done all season. I hadn't shot in about a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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