If you could only set up one practice stage what would it include?

[Jay6]

I was thinking about this lately. If you could set up one small stage for a practice session what would it include to cover most of your skills? What targets? No shoots? Hard cover? Steel? Movement? How would it be arranged?

[VegasOPM]

Shooting on the move, some tight shots and a swinger.

[BritinUSA]

Tight shots on the move, if you can do those then a full-size target will look like the proverbial barn-door. I'd also put a forced reload in, perhaps shoot a popper that activates a clam-shell and mandate a reload between popper and clam-shell. It makes you reload under pressure. When you can nail the clam-shell each time, start reducing the slack in the cable on the popper so it activates quicker.

[pjb45]

Where are you in your skill level? This would seem to dictate what you need to do. Think of the area you want to improve the most-that which will give you the biggest return on your investment (practice session). If you are an upper level GM, you may practice groups at 40 yards or extremely hard shots.

But if you are a C class shooter you may want to set up 4 targets about two yards apart. Practice watching your sights lifts and return, moving your eyes before the gun, draws, weak and strong hand stuff, and shooting on the move--all at different distances.

So I go back to What is your skill level? You can not do a GM practice if you are a D shooter. Additionally, what are your goals--do you want to be a classifier shooter, then practice draws and reloads. Are your matches filled with short and medium COFs and you want to do better at a match, then tailor your practice to that.

Mike Seeklander talks about training scars--make sure your training focuses on doing it right, so you will not have to unlearn bad habits and acquire good ones.

[shooterbenedetto]

fast swingers, turners, tight shots,clam shell, long distance, shooting on the move 25yard partial targets and plates,

head shots at 35yrds with my heart rate at 170bpm?

[HSMITH]

El Pres with 2 mini poppers set on the outside of the three targets, one on each side. You can do just about anything you want to do with this set up. Visual patience is what most of us lack or completely don't understand, if it is movement add a box or two, or shoot on the move. You don't need a lot of room, you don't need a lot of money in props, it sets up fast and tears down easy. Tape the targets often to keep you honest, when you can do all the drills in a reasonable time with all A's then worry about fancy.....

[Front Man]

Search "Roger's House of Pain".

Set it up anyway you want to get to what you are weak at.

FM

Edited May 21, 2009 by Front Man

[Micah]

Two barricades 30 feet apart with plenty of steel and targets at ranges from 6ft to 70ft.

[badchad]

Search "Roger's House of Pain".

Set it up anyway you want to get to what you are weak at.

FM

I think I've searched for this before, but no description comes up. How's it go?

[RobMoore]

A stage that starts with moving to a box for stationary shooting, some tight, some long, then moving to a plate rack in the middle with enough distance on either side to encourage moving and shooting, and a final section with some close-up hose worthy targets. I'd set it up so I can run it in both directions.

Edited May 21, 2009 by RobMoore

[uscbigdawg]

Ronin's are a good drill.

One stage though....I'd say Hammer Time with 4 steel in the place of targets 2, 4, 5 & 7.

Rich

[RobMoore]

...because it took me a few minutes to find out what a "Ronin" drill was, here is the link for all the other non-informed.

http://www.krtraining.com/IPSC/Information..._Standards.html

[Jay6]

Where are you in your skill level? This would seem to dictate what you need to do. Think of the area you want to improve the most-that which will give you the biggest return on your investment (practice session). If you are an upper level GM, you may practice groups at 40 yards or extremely hard shots.

But if you are a C class shooter you may want to set up 4 targets about two yards apart. Practice watching your sights lifts and return, moving your eyes before the gun, draws, weak and strong hand stuff, and shooting on the move--all at different distances.

So I go back to What is your skill level? You can not do a GM practice if you are a D shooter. Additionally, what are your goals--do you want to be a classifier shooter, then practice draws and reloads. Are your matches filled with short and medium COFs and you want to do better at a match, then tailor your practice to that.

Mike Seeklander talks about training scars--make sure your training focuses on doing it right, so you will not have to unlearn bad habits and acquire good ones.

I am an A open shooter but I was more interested in what others did and not neccesarily what would be best for me.

This is good stuff though.

[38supPat]

...A draw....

[Dragon]

Tight shots on the move, if you can do those then a full-size target will look like the proverbial barn-door. I'd also put a forced reload in, perhaps shoot a popper that activates a clam-shell and mandate a reload between popper and clam-shell. It makes you reload under pressure. When you can nail the clam-shell each time, start reducing the slack in the cable on the popper so it activates quicker.

Sounds like a good one to try. Thanks

[pjb45]

One of the drills I really like involves five paper targets pretty much in a row. For open I would vary the distance somewhat. Have at least two and probably three boxes. In front of two the the boxes, put a target with a hole to simulate a port. This stage will focus on moving into and out ports and shooting on the move. You can add the appropriate no shoots as you see fit. Start in one box shoot three or four targets, move to the next box (shooting on the move at three targets) get into the next box ready to shoot through a port. Start from the ending box and go in the reverse direction.

What I have noticed from the last few Nationals, a lot of emphasis has been placed on movement to a shooting port/window/door. My gripe from last year's was they had these huge berms and set up these little postage stamp size stages; but then I always enjoyed the demented minds of the A2 Classic. I am not sure how it will be in LV this year.

[JasonC]

I am fortunate to have access to a lot of targetry. I have built very complex and very simple practice stages over the past couple of years. Lately, I find that I bring out three paper and two steel. Once in a while, a swinger. As stated earlier, you can cover a lot of shooting scenarios with this simple combination.

[kevin c]

+1 to simple.

I'd always bee told that most stages beyond the simple single positions speed shoots are a series of little problems one after another - each new shooting position being a new challenge.

Just three targets and perhaps some steel will get you >80% of what you need to do. Work on movers and position transitions for the rest.

[zhunter]

I would set up the same one that Manny Bragg had me run for 1800 rounds in a one day 1 on 1 lesson a couple of years ago.

Nothing fancy, but it involved accuracy, speed, and accuracy. 3 targets, 10 yards.

It is not for me to give Manny's stuff away, sorry, but I don't feel comfortable giving more details.

[John2A]

I set up three targets and three boxes

Box 1 at 25

Box 2 at 15

Box 3 at 7-10

targets are set 2-2.5 feet apart I have started adding hard cover and angleing the targets.

two rounds each target then reload in between the last array. yes a stationary reload

Start engaging the targets in different orders and only A's count.

Usually start slow then start pushing myself.

I can make this fun for about 45-60 minutes then off the the plate rack for 30-45 minutes.

Then home for cleaning and dry firing.

I try and do this once a week live fire and dry every night, following one of Steve Anderson's processes.

Hope this helps some one else.

[warpspeed]

There are a number of classifiers that have partial and full targets that I think work well. Add a couple of pieces of steel for some variety.

One advantage to using a classifier is you can track your progress against a known goal.

[zhunter]

There are a number of classifiers that have partial and full targets that I think work well. Add a couple of pieces of steel for some variety.

One advantage to using a classifier is you can track your progress against a known goal.

Good point, how about Fluffy 1?

[Resjudicata]

If I only had one stage/drill to run it would be such that it requires changing focus back and forth from target focus to sight focus and back again. So, I would want a long mini popper then short open paper, then long mini then short open paper, etc. This would give my eyes a workout more than anything.

Chris