Duane Thomas

[Duane Thomas]

I haven't been keeping notes in my range diary lately like I should have. In part to rectify that, and also to get input and new ideas from the Enosverse Group Mind, I'm going to begin transcribing my latest range diary from the first entry onward. Also I'm going to start writing in the (paper) diary again after every range session. Eventually the one will catch up with the other.

These were my thoughts at the time. There are a fair number of false starts in here, things I thought were useful to me back when that eventually turned out not to be. But that's the nature of experimentation. No, I'm not going to transcribe every thought and drill I have in the written log (my fingers ache at the very thought), or even transcribe every practice session, only the stuff that seems worthwhile now.

I notice, reading through this journal as I'm transcribing it, that a lot of the answers to questions I'm struggling with right now are things that I figured out years ago. I just forget that I'd figured them out! Also it strikes me how the early parts of this book are very technical, lists of shooting drills, times, etc. (which I will NOT be transcribing. Shudder.) But as the book progress it becomes much more huge blocks of verbiage, meditations, my thoughts on the act and art of shooting.

[Duane Thomas]

28 July 2006

Chrono work, Glock 34:

Rainier Ballistics 121-gr. RN/4.2-gr. N320/Win-2/OAL 1.120" (20 rounds)

AV 1131 HI 1183 LO 1115 ES 68 SD 14 PF 136.8

Rainier Ballistics 147-gr. TRN/3.2-gr. N320/Win-2/OAL 1.130" (20 rounds)

AV 899 HI 918 LO 879 ES 38 SD 10 PF 132.1

Watched the sights while chronoing. Much less subsidiary muzzle bounce with the 121-grainers. Experimented with two-hand grip, keeping the support hand thumb both off the side of the gun and resting against the frame. Didn't seem to make a difference in how the gun tracked, and thumb touching felt better and more consistent, easier to acquire because of the felt index.

LHO/RHO, experimented with curling thumb down.

On transitions, move from the knees instead of the hips, and you can shoot and move so much more easily and smoothly.

It makes shooting accurately so much easier when you feel the trigger reset and prep during recoil, not after.

[Duane Thomas]

10 June 2006

Goals for this session:

Get G34 sighted-in with the Rainier Ballistics 121s, and then shoot the entire IDPA classifier from my subconscious mind.

Started with accuracy work from the bench. Got gun sighted-in fast and easy. Gotta love that MGW sight pusher.

Did a bit more experimentation RHO and LHO. Flagging the thumb high and riding it on the Glock frame, like riding the thumb safety on a 1911, seems to work well.

Hard to stay in the subconscious mind. Want to THINK about everything!

[Duane Thomas]

15 June 2006

Experimented with holding G34 very lightly. Best results seemed to come with a light but firm grip on the gun and the support hand thumb lightly touching the side of the gun.

Seeing the front sight, getting on it early and staying on it, is just as fast and much more accurate.

Need to be dry firing every day.

Also need to speed up transitions. The key is to prep the trigger as the gun moves between targets, then stop the gun hard and break accurate shots.

[Duane Thomas]

24 June 2006

At 10 yards, found that canting the gun LHO and RHO does not significantly affect POI but gives much less muzzle rise and better sight tracking.

Big breakthrough in this session, found that if I curl the thumb on my support hand down LHO and RHO instead of keeping it straight, I get much better sight tracking, the gun comes up on target with a better index. Everything.

I don't think it's the thumb position per se, as much as the fact that with this technique (1) my support hand thumb doesn't push on the gun, and (2) this hand position allows me to hold my support hand very, for lack of a better term, still. I feel like I"m setting the gun in a C-clamp, but applying no side-to-side pressure. The gun tracks phenomenally well.

[Duane Thomas]

1 July 2006

While dry firing, came up with the idea of putting much less of my trigger finger on the trigger, moving contact point much further out toward the tip. I think this is going to give me much finer trigger control.

[Duane Thomas]

28 July 2006

Chrono work, Glock 34:

Rainier Ballistics 121-gr. RN/3.8-gr. N320/Win-2/Miscellaneous brass/Fed SP/OAL 1.120" (20 rounds)

AV 1060 HI 1077 LO 1048 ES 29 SD 7 PF 128.3

Rainier Ballistics 121-gr. RN/3.8-gr. N320/Win-2/Miscellaneous brass/Fed SP/OAL 1.120" (20 rounds)

AV 1055 HI 1074 LO 1037 ES 37 SD 8 PF 127.6

On the IDPA classifier at 15 and 20 yards, prepping the trigger is key.

[Duane Thomas]

11-13 August 2006

Bruce Gray class at Renton Fish & Game Club. Learned an immense amount.

(1) The importance of a hard trigger prep, between shots and between targets. Prep the trigger hard on transitions.

(2) On transitions, move your head to look at the next target; where the head goes, the body wants to follow.

(3) Sight alignment is more important than where on the target you aim - an especially important point for shooting while moving, and shooting at distance. Make an error of aiming on-target, your shot will only be off as much as your aim is off. Misalign the sights and the error increases exponentially as distance increases.

(4) On a drop turner, the target drops about 18 inches before it turns. While waiting for the target to turn, be aiming at where the A/-0 zone will be, not where it is before it turns.

(5) Bend the knees and stick out your butt to get your body leaned forward, the gun won't push you around.

(6) Less finger on the trigger equals more precise trigger control.

(7) It's not how fast you shoot that allows you to shoot fast. It's what you do during the "dead time" in-between shots.

(8) I actually shoot better with the 144 pf Blacks Hills ball than my 130 pf handloads. The gun feels much more lively and cycles more crisply.

(9) In practice, focus on a hard trigger prep. In a match, let that go and watch the sights. The subconscious mind will take care of the trigger.

(10) In RHO/LHO shooting, a hard trigger prep is the key.

[Duane Thomas]

14 August 2006

Another lesson from the Bruce Gray class: negative targets work great, stretch target life, save tape, save an immense amount of time taping during practice, and just generally make practice sessions more fun, efficient, and rewarding.

Practiced draw and shoot 3 negative targets 2x at 7 yards. Focused on hitting the trigger reset, hard prep between targets, leading with the eyes to the next target. By the time I was done, started to actually feel the trigger click through my trigger finger as it reset. Good stuff. The hard prep between targets, combined with running the eyes ahead, make a major difference.

[Duane Thomas]

8 December 2006

Test fired Glock 17 with Arredondo +4 and +6 extensions, as well as a Glock 33-round extension mag, loaded to capacity plus one in the chamber with both Black Hills ball and Winchester Silvertips. Gun worked perfectly.

G17 with 13-pound ISMI spring cycles a lot faster than G34 with same spring. I like it; gun tracks much better with no SMB. Shots on DTs at five yards stayed together nicely.

Worked more on not only hitting the trigger reset put prepping the trigger hard whiel the gun's in recoil. Beginning to realize this is the key to keeping shots together on DTs.

Worked more on not trying to see sights in a continuous arc in recoil, but as a series of still images which seems to be how my vision wants to work at speed. Helps if the ammo has significant muzzle flash like Black Hills 124-gr. FMJ (Blue Box). Muzzle flash helps silhouette the sights.

[Duane Thomas]

6 January 2007

Experimenting with my grip on the Glock 17. Moved my grip up one finger so that my left index finger is curled around the underside of the trigger guard, then curled down left thumb to lay it on top of my master hand and close up any air gaps; worked really well. Gun tracks well, amazingly little muzzle flip. Have to curl down left thumb; if I leave it up along the side of the gun, the heel of my suport hand will press up on the slide stop lever and the action will lock open with rounds still in the magazine. Gun tracks better with thumb locked down anyway.

In rapid fire, have a tendency to pull shots slightly low/left, especially the second shot. Need to work on trigger control, to make the press a smooth, continuous movement instead of a two-step prep then pull. When I do the latter, I think I have a tendency to apply too much energy and jerk the trigger. Needs to be smooth back-and-forth. Think: revolver.

One last thought: when dry firing the new grip, tried loosening both hands into "relaxed" mode. Second shot of DT went way high. A firm grip by contrast keeps both shots together. Next live fire session, experiment with keeping the support hand grip firm and various degrees of firmness with the master hand, see how that affects sight tracking and trigger manipulation speed.

[Duane Thomas]

7 March 2007

Experimenting with arm position. Right arm just short of locked out, left arm more radically bent gives excellent sight tracking with Glock 34.

Keys to a fast, accurate first shot on the draw:

Draw high, then press out.

See the front sight as the gun is driving forward, before it gets to the target. Prep the trigger as the gun moves forward, fire the shot as it settles.

On lateral transitions, slow down just before the gun reaches the target. This may seem slower but it's not, because you don't overtravel the target center, and accuracy is much better.

[Duane Thomas]

15 January 2007

Never rush a shot in an attempt to be fast. At the advanced level of skill, there is always to to see the front sight. In fact, you will be much faster if you "take the time" to see the front sight. Occupying the conscious mind witih seeing the front sight frees the subconscious mind to control the shooting, and the subconscious mind is much faster and surer than the conscious mind.

Equally important is prepping the trigger. Be ready to shoot before you get to the target, and you can do it much faster and more accurately. There is no need to trade accuracy for speed.

While moving, take your time, see the sights, prep the trigger.

Moving into position at a barricade, two steps before I get there, point the gun at the target through the barricade, arms extended, see the front sight. Saves immense time.

On an out-to-in wide pieing trainsition, step out one small step. Keeps me much better balanced for speed and accuracy on the new target.

Always acquire the new target before you shoot it. Do this while reloading, saves an entire transition's worth of time.

Support hand grip; four fingers seriously curl in; thumb touches side of gun; feel pressure of the index finger hard under the trigger guard.

See the sights for every shot, know where the bullets went. Makes for a much easier, more satisfying shooting experience.

[Duane Thomas]

23 January 2007

On Reload With Retention while moving behind a barricade, look at the mag well.

Doing head head shots around both sides of barricade LHO/RHO, it's absolutely critical to hit the trigger reset, let the gun move naturally in recoil.

Radical concept: divorce trigger control from sight picture. Begin pulling the trigger smoothly but as fast as possible. Pay attention to sight alignment, see sights for every shot, but don't wait for sights to begin trigger pulls. Something I noticed during my practice session with Travis Tomasie: move the gun aggressively and precisely between targets while pulling the trigger. When you know there's another shot coming in .20 second whether the gun is on-target or not, you tend to get off your ass about getting the gun on-target. When you're used to moving at that speed, there is still plenty of time to see the sights. The only way to get used to seeing the sights when moving the gun at that speed is to practice moving the gun and shooting at that speed.

[Duane Thomas]

6 August 2007

When laying on side shooting under low cover, it works best to keep knees bent, both feet flat on the ground. If possible, lay on left side, tristed at the waist, left arm bent and elbow braced on the ground like a monopod. Start shooting right-to-left.

[Duane Thomas]

29 August 2007

Tested Wilson Defensive Combat Pistol .45 with various recoil springs.

14 pound variable: fairly hard recoil, a bit of SMB.

15 pound variable: lighter recoil, less SMB.

16 pounds straight rate: heavier recoil, much more SMB.

18.5 pounds variable: not bad; heavier recoil than 15 pounder but good sight tracking, little SMB.

18.5 pound straight rate: hard recoil, at a bit of SMB.

Best choice: 15 pound variable.

[Duane Thomas]

31 August 2007

On lateral transitions, run eyes ahead of sights, look right at the spot on the target you want to hit, then bring gun to that spot, shot will hit center. If by contrast you ride the sights into the target, there is a tendency to look over the gun at the target, leading to shots pulled high.

[Duane Thomas]

3 September 2007

Becoming a great shooter is a process of constant experimentation, of false starts and blind alleys. Of changes to your grip, arm position, trigger control, equipment, etc. At times it's incredibly frustrating. The only good thing that can be said about it is that it's absolutely necessary, and ultimately rewarding. There is no easily adopted, preexisting body of "best" techniques, nice as that would be if it was true. There is no substitute for doing the work yourself.

[Duane Thomas]

24 May 2008

After a long time away from this journal, I'm back. I've been extremely frustrated by the failure of my shooting skills to go where I want them. I've been dry firing my ass off, practice, practice, practice.

I think my problem has been, as Tim Bacus put it, "A lot of people will not change their basic technique, they think, 'I just need to keep doing what I'm doing; I just need to do it better.'" So they'll keep pounding their head against a brick wall, practicing the same techniques that just don't work very well, over and over again.

As I used to tell Gina, "If you just keep shooting the same way....you're just going to keep shooting the same way."

I think one problem is that, after years of trying it, I have to accept that the "changing my focus from sights to target and back again" thing is just not something my eyesight will allow me to do. Okay fine.

I think back on the fastest, most accurate shooting I've ever done, that one match with the Nowlin Action Elite 9mm, and I realize that, as with my best performances on plates, my eyesight was very relaxed, I did not have a strong front sight focus, I could see the front sight, rear sight, and the target all at once.

I am firmly convinced that most people - including me - who have been shooting, or whatever their sport may be, for a significant amount of time, actually have a much higher skill level than they realize or can regularly manifest. The key, I think, is to relax, get my ego out of the way, and turn the shooting over to the subconscious mind.

Thought After Practice Session

I think I've been making a basic mistake with my training, only going as fast as I felt in control. I've noticed that if I push the speed, accuracy increases as well.

Need to move at a speed at which the conscious mind cannot function. Thus the subconscious mind must take over.

The only way to become a good, fast shooter is to spend a lot of time shooting fast.

**Do NOT "slow down and get the hits." Stay fast and become more accurate.**

Work on trigger control and gun manipulation in dry fire, so that in live fire I can forget it and shoot fast.

On long shots, prep the trigger. Especially important on transitions.

Commit to the shot, begin pulling the trigger before the gun gets to the target, spend the last few microseconds cleaning up the sight picture as the gun arrives.

If I just have trust in myself, and my technique, and watch the sights, the gun naturally comes back to the same spot with no effort on my part. Smooth trigger pulls let that happen.

In training, shoot fast, your mind becomes used to shooting at that speed, and it becomes easy. Shoot slow in training, you'll never be fast and accurate.

Robbie Leatham: "I can teach myself to be accurate, and when I do, you won't be fast enough to catch me."

Eyesight does not exist to control the gun but only to note how well your technique is working, and how well the gun in behaving. Trust yourself, let the speed flow. Like sand through your fingers, like water down a hill. Like quicksilver.

[Duane Thomas]

27 May 2007

I have been making a basic mistake in my dry fire descending par time drills. If I do most of my dry fire at slower speeds, and work up to "fast", then my max speed will always feel like something "speical", it will never feel normal, I'll never be comfortable at speed.

Solution: do all my par time drills at max speed. I'll bet that in sort order not only does my max speed improve immensely, but my ability to pick up the front sight as I bring the gun into perfect index no what I'm doing, at max speed, will come online as well.

On par time drills, forget par time? Use timer only for start beep in par time drills, measure time live fire?

[j1b]

Duane,

Excellent journal!

In many ways, we're in the same boat. In some ways trying to relearn or "emphasize" what we know. On the other, acknowledging that there are still many things to learn.

I've always believed that because of my experience, my body will remember before my mind ever will. Yeah, I recognize there comes a time when the two have to meet. But in the interim, and I can whole heartedly say I am IN the interim, you have to trust. Trust is the key.

We'll learn on our journies. We'll experience the frustration of not living up to our potential. And we'll experience those times where briefly we see those moments of brilliance we know we're capable of. I guess we just have to learn from all of it.

The best way I've found to re-learn thus far is to compete. Find people that should and do beat you, and pick them as the mark. Be pissed when they beat you, and rejoice when you beat them. But always compete. Push harder, and harder. They say all ships rise with the tide. Competition is the tide for me. If I choose to compete against the highest "tide" of competitor, then I have to believe my skills will rise as well.

Keep the good stuff coming.

Jack

[j1b]

24 May 2008

Like quicksilver.

I like that!

Jack

[Duane Thomas]

11 November 2008

If I draw the gun high, then drive it straight out toward the target, I can pick up on the front sight much faster, then be sure the gun is moving straight toward the target. The sooner I can get on the front sight, the sooner I can occupy the conscious mind with the front sight and turn the shooting over to the subconscious mind.

[Duane Thomas]

14 November 2008

Insights:

Draw:

Do not be in too much hurry to break the first shot. Take the time to stabilize the sights and feel the grip solidify first. As proficiency increases, the time this requires becomes less and less.

Speedload:

To get the mag out of the gun, turn the gun so the mag well points straight at the mag pouch behind my hip, then punch the mag release. The magazine will kind of dribble slowly (relatively) out of the gun. Look at the bottom of the floorplate, get my eyes where they need to be before the mag even begins to leave the gun. Watch the mag fall out of the gun, then when it's out of the magazine well my eyes are already focused where the orange dot is inside the well. Having that image fresh in my mind, of where the mag just was, what it looked like falling out of the gun, where exactly the mag well is, makes it very obvious where the new mag should go. Just put it right where the old mag was, an instant before, like running a piece of film in reverse.

[Duane Thomas]

Okay, at this point, though there's a lot more in the diary, and later entries as well, I've pretty much transcribed all I want to. Any feedback is welcome.

From now on, all new stuff as it occurs.