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Gaining Faster Sight Picture


Fergus

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Took up IPSC this year and been gleaning all the information I can trying to increase my speed [i'm accurate enough not just fast enough]. My second shot takes about 0.5 - 0.7seconds and that seems like a very long time for production and my speed didn't change when I bought my new standard gun this summer.

After reading "Practical Shooting' I did the following exercise.

I closed my eyes and shot my gun a number of times and based on feel I would squeeze off the second shot. What I was feeling was the gun recoiled and was back "into position" really fast. In fact, so fast, that it surprised my how fast it actually was and I found it took me time to realize that it was there ready to go waiting on me.

Based on feel my second shot was released in 0.27 - 0.35seconds and I know the gun is still there faster than that; its me taking extra time to "realize" its there to squeeze the trigger again.

So my question is: Is there an exercise that people do that help them to increase their awareness of sight picture and increase their speed?

Interestingly that <=10meters, me driving the gun the groups were very good [4inches across] so I don't see much of a loss in accuracy.

I've seen people in different video's and they seem blazing fast - is this something they practiced.

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When you first start shooting, it's difficult to believe that anyone above a B-level is actually aiming their follow-up shots on a target.

Don't worry. Shoot for a year, practice all you can, and you'll learn. You're missing so much of what's happening right in front of your face right now, because you don't know how to SEE it.

Edited by MemphisMechanic
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When you first start shooting, it's difficult to believe that anyone above a B-level is actually aiming their follow-up shots on a target.

Don't worry. Shoot for a year, practice all you can, and you'll learn. You're missing so much of what's happening right in front of your face right now, because you don't know how to SEE it.

Well you certainly read my mind with respect to aiming their follow-up shots, and I can admit to not seeing or realizing I'm seeing it - the experiment proved that. I'm still not convinced that people are actually aiming when you see splits of 0.15 - 0.2seconds, but then again its tough to argue with 2-alpha's on multiple targets people have shot on a stage. "But the feeling the gun" was kind of an epiphany of sorts on speed / mindset.

Still with all the basics to practice I do not want to "lose the moment" or said differently need to practice the right kind of things.

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Fergus, when you say "based on feel, I shot in .27-.35. Are you using a timer to get these times? A timer will tell you everything. Sometimes things "feel" one way, but when you put it on the clock, you will see that sometimes what you feel, is not what is fastest or best. I took several lessons from a GM and learned very quickly that sometimes what I felt was no where near what I was trying to get, and sometimes something that did not feel so good was actually way better. The difference was having a timer to look at and see the actual difference. If you don't have one I would recommend one for training. It will really let you know what is going on. Good luck with your shooting!

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I'm still not convinced that people are actually aiming when you see splits of 0.15 - 0.2seconds, but then again its tough to argue with 2-alpha's on multiple targets people have shot on a stage.

They are. I promise you.

Max Michel shot 100% on this stage, with 160/160 points. In other words, every target has a pair of Alpha's in it. And this is much faster that you've ever seen anyone shoot in person:

Edited by MemphisMechanic
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Shooting is all about seeing. Seeing what you need to see to make the shot(this is different for everybody). For example the bigger the target area the less clear the sights will be the smaller the target area the more clarity of the sights are needed. Or the closer the targets are the target maybe more clear than my sights. the farther away the target is the sights need to become more clear.

It all depends on the difficulty of the shot how clear my sights will be. You have to find out for yourself what you can get away with as far as clarity of the sights. You don't always need a perfect sight picture to make the shot you just need to know how to read your sights. Miss align the sights on purpose and see where the shot goes this is how to read your sights they will tell you everything you need to know. Then there is shot calling which is reading your sights and KNOWING where the shot went 100% of the time.

You just need know how to see faster the more you practice the faster you will see.

Hope that helps a little.

BK

Edited by bkeeler
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Shooter Steve - yep; I have a timer and I use it to monitor what I'm doing. Although, and maybe this is a good thing, I find it brings some tension to my practice, so it helps simulate competition. But you can imagine if I am shooting a 32 round comstock then, based on 16 2nd shots, saving >=.25seconds per shot that's 4 seconds.

Interesting comments about what you think might be fast, may not and vice versa. My last weekend shoot [2 events] I shot a 72%overall which I was really happy with on Saturday. So on Sunday, I thought what the heck, my 2008 shooting % overall goal is made I'm just going to have some fun. I ended up with an 80% overall the second day. I was much more relaxed, fluid and everything seemed to be working. And that's with the slow second shots still. Not my usual I admit but it sure was nice to see just the same - kind of gives one hope.

The video is impressive and is what I was eluding to earlier with respect to aiming on the 2nd shot. On the real close stuff, I can just "run and gun". Being 6'3" with my reach I can practically touch targets that are up close. I should mention that my daughter took a video of me. I thought I was very smooth in the video - boy when I saw what I was doing, felt like a moron - it was anything but smooth.

I really have been spending alot of time in trying to watch sight picture and calling the shots. Sometimes your eye can actually see the shell casing being ejected - pretty cool. But that's only on a good day for me.

I continue to work very hard on this [in a good way]. If some folks have favorite drills that they use specifically for improving shooting visual awareness would like to hear them. I know there are lots of different drills but just like anything else some work better than others depending on the individual.

Certainly appreciate the comments from folks.

Edited by Fergus
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Fergus,

Also think about your goals (that you may or may not be aware of).

I distinctly remember the day I realized that the most important thing was to learn to see "more." I didn't care about shooting "good" any more. If I learned to see everything - then I would be shooting as good as I could.

be

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I'm still not convinced that people are actually aiming when you see splits of 0.15 - 0.2seconds, but then again its tough to argue with 2-alpha's on multiple targets people have shot on a stage.

They are. I promise you.

Max Michel shot 100% on this stage, with 160/160 points. In other words, every target has a pair of Alpha's in it. And this is much faster that you've ever seen anyone shoot in person:

No front sight involved there. Open gun

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No front sight involved there. Open gun

Makes little difference.

A red dot will allow the visual focus to be at the target...and still give you the red dot.

With iron sights, the visual focus needs to move...back and forth between locating the target and to the front sight.

Open guns aren't magic. Just different. Vision still rules the roost.

Iron sights are tougher though. For sure. The shooter has to learn when to look at them and when to look at something else.

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I learned to shoot fast by filling the magazine and pulling the trigger as fast as it was safe till the mag was empty. Put the target at 7-10 yards and let 'em fly. Now here's the trick, don't worry about the hits just yet, just pay attention. Pay attention to everything. Start with watching the front sight, just watch it. After you learn to watch the front sight, try paying attention to your trigger finger. More to the point add attention to your trigger finger while still maintaining attention to the front sight. Then start paying attention to everything else you can while still going fast. Then do Bill drills, this brings the control back into the mix.

People learn to shoot in a reactionary fashion, ie when the sights line up, start to squeeze and hold if the sights move off, then add a little more tension as you line the sights back up. With the advent of the speed shooting disciplines, people learned to control where the front sights were going, and have already squeezed(prepped) the trigger in preparation to break the shot when they get on target.

Peace out

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