Stu Love Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 I've had trouble with getting consistently smooth and quick reloads with my single-stack 1911, mainly when initiating movement along with the reload or during movement between target arrays. I'm sure the answer involves the right visual cues, and 'looking the mag into the magwell' is the typically sound advice. A static reload is not so much of a problem, but it really breaks the flow and eats time to blow a reload so often where movement is involved. I spent a good deal of time over the last month or so doing dry static reloads prior to a recent match, emphasizing getting the mag into the gun as soon as possible, and hoped it would carry over to actual match performance when movement was required. Yeah, I fumbled every one horribly. I won't try to delude myself anymore into thinking I can improve any aspect of my shooting without realistic training, so some serious effort on the range is going to be a priority. That being said, reloading on the move has been frustratingly inconsistent. Anybody been there and had a breakthrough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Honestly, it sounds to me like you're overthinking the process, inserting your conscious mind in there because, "Oh no, now I have to do a reload." Just let it happen. You'll be amazed. You'll barely even notice it happens - but it did, fast and smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Hit the mag button as soon as you see the sight lift. This helps me get it started (thus finished) faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 I can kinda relate... I've never really tired to perform Tomasie reloads in matches, but when I do them in practice, I often fumble the mag when I'm initiating movement like you describe. I can stand in the box and reload fast, but when I turn my torso just a bit (getting out of the box), it seems to screw up the path to the mag well. I've compensated for this by just slowing down, being deliberate. I might need to learn that lightning quick reloads are for STATIC mode only and that when movement is involved I should slow it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 [Moral Quandary Mode ON] Geez Tom, now you've got me thinking dammit! That's a really good point. Should one really learn what amounts to two different reloads or focus on doing one smokin' reload no matter what you're doing? I can see points for both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 I recently had a horrible day of practice where I couldn't hit a standing reload. For some reason, I wasn't getting my index finger down the front of the mag pouch, so it was like holding the mag by the base pad only. So there's one simple thing you can try. Speaking of Tomasie-brand reloads reminds me of the last Golden Gate Championship where I got to R.O. and watch Travis and the super squad. Their field course reloads were more or less static reloads because they did them immediately upon leaving the position. It seemed they actually took their time in leaving to seat the mag. (They dropped the empty so fast it was like part of the last shot.) Once they got that mag seated, they were outta there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Another little tidbit from Todd's class: Do one thing at a time ---- i.e. the reload should be done by the first (ideally) or second step..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 It seemed they actually took their time in leaving to seat the mag. (They dropped the empty so fast it was like part of the last shot.) Once they got that mag seated, they were outta there. That is what makes a really fast reload from my experiments, get the reload done then go do the next thing. Without having to do the follow-up shot, you can seat a new mag in .6 or less. You make up that time in getting to the next spot quicker, (at least that is what my timer tells me.) But I am not part of the super squad (yet) so their reasons for doing the same thing might be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Love Posted September 12, 2003 Author Share Posted September 12, 2003 Excellent points.. I believe I probably am overthinking the process. The trap seems to be the expectation that you should be able to control such "simple motions" with conscious guidance of vision and hand motion. If I do manage to make some reloads in practice with that mindset, my ego wants to tell me 'yeah, that's how this is done' and it feels good to believe it's a resolved issue. Thus, if you have made such deposits in your "training account" you expect to be rewarded at match time by making "withdrawals plus interest" in the form of flawless reloads... then the ATM card comes spitting back at you with the message "account balance $0.00 ". The confusing thing is that when I have made good, quick reloads in match performance, I am not aware that I placed much attention at all on the reload mechanics or even looked at the magwell.. the mag just jumped perfectly in somehow while my attention and intent was directed at getting to the next target. Later my mind says "that was lucky, like the last time(s), but you know occasionally there is a little glitch or slight bobble, so you're going to have identify whatever the flaw is and train it out so you can count on 100% reliability in performance, and only then will the performance be legitimate". Then I go off my to train my reloads with this logic: "If I know I can confidently make any shot required, quickly and accurately, as long as I have the visual patience to see what I need to see, then the same reliability should be possible with any other aspect of my shooting". I still look for whatever the key is for that kind of reliability with the reload. Admittedly, maybe I simply haven't done enough "live" training with reloads on the move. But it bothers me for some reason when the quick, smooth, effortless reloads do occur and I can't identify what fouls up another. Letting go is hard to do, if you think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 Reloading on the move...and reloading while you are doing a large swing (transition) means that you are reloading to a moving target (the gun). Not super-easy. Probably some chasing the gun going on. Keeping the gun in tight, until the reload is completed, would likely help. Just like shooting on the move...I find it is best not to be tryig to hit the magwell as a foot is hitting the ground (bouncey-bouncey). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 Talking with MattB.. He suggested a kind of a programmed pause..that the mag gets to the opening, you pause the 10th to verify then reload..he said that you may give a 1/10th or so..but you add in consistency.... A class with TGO, he suggested the same thing...He was saying we can;t be all Todd and when Todd misses he is already down grabbing another mag, not fumbling with the one in the hand.. anyway..something else to think about.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted September 12, 2003 Share Posted September 12, 2003 I shoot production, had this problem. MattB got on my case when I spoke/emailed him. So I started doing the reload practice as outlined on his tapes. Was doing around 200 or so every few days (not quite fanatical enough to do 500 a day). Improvment was dramatic. Well worth the effort. One less thing to stress about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Love Posted September 13, 2003 Author Share Posted September 13, 2003 Thanks for the pointers. I'll start incorporating the 1/10 "pause" into the reload training. I recently saw that on the MattB disk, and looking back I thought I was sort of doing that, but the top of the mag would already be at the bottom of the magwell at the moment of the "pause". So it was already either on its way in or getting hung up on the edge of the well. Maybe I need to make the "pause" sooner (just before the mag tip gets to the mouth of the well). When the top shooters make consistently fast & smooth reloads, it doesn't look like much of a literal pause at the magwell... it must be a 'relative' thing and is now a subconsciously guided action, but I suppose they must have routinely focused some conscious effort on the "pause" during the development of their reloading speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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