Bill Schwab Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 I've been dry firing in slow motion the past week with a focus on what I feel and when I feel it, and I've noticed that my weak hand kinda fumbles when it reaches a mag on my belt (when performing a reload). My weak hand has to search for the mag. I've NEVER noticed this when performing a reload at speed. So what is it that you feel first with your weak hand that is your signal that you've reached the mag? Do you feel the base pad hit your palm, or do you feel your index finger touch the mag or pouch? And do these feelings change going from an IPSC rig to an IDPA rig? Thanks, Bill P.S. I've learned more in the past week dry firing slow and focusing on what I feel than I have in the past 2 monthes doing all my dry firing at speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 With an IDPA rig my index finger hits the front of the mag tube first. With a Limited rig, my palm hits the baseplate/front of mag body junction first, on the second mag pouch on my belt. I always miss the first pouch. At an IDPA match yesterday, I had to do a seated slide-lock reload and fumbled the mag into the magwell badly. I was planning on practicing a bunch of reloads in other than standing position over the next couple of weeks. Your post however is making me think that while I broke down the steps of the draw when I learned how to present the pistol, I think I learned how to reload in one continuous motion. Might be worthwile to practice the reloads broken down. Anyone else got advice on what to look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted July 21, 2002 Share Posted July 21, 2002 my only reload tip is to get a pause at the mag well. Get the mag FAST, bring it up FAST, but pause for a micro-millisecond at the well before insertion. When I focus on the pause, I never miss one. When I focus on speed, I fumble one now and then. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Zee Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 This might sound a bit odd, but I dry fire my mag changes in the dark. It has seemed to work quite significantly when not concentrating on looking for the mag. This has cut my times down when moving/running to the next box and completing a mag change. I know this is not the response you were looking for, but maybe there is another solution in there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 Very recently I learned (actually, informed) that I could not position my mag pouches starting from the front when in IPSC Standard Div. So I relocated them in the prescribed position with the last mag already near my rear centerline. While simulating multiple mag changes I seem to always forget the last pouch that I got the mag from (probably more so in competition, should have gotten a high cap ). I always catch myself going for the first pouch then my hand 'kinda slides towards the rear until a base pad hits my palm. I didn't notice this before because I could peripherally see the mag positions when they're in front. Do you guys remember the last pouch you grabbed the last mag from? Or do you have certain techniques that make you "remember" which is the first occupied pouch? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted July 22, 2002 Share Posted July 22, 2002 I have thought about that, as production has the same position rule. However, I have never missed a mag in a match, so I will not do any further worrying, and just le it be. it just seems to happen, and that's enough for me. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ace007 Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I'll typicially always take my first mag from my last pouch towards my rear centerline and in some cases where I think I might need more rounds (Production) I'll have a fifth mag in my pocket which will be the first one in the gun. This was so when I'm doing my reloads I can start with the closest mag and move my way back. The only bad thing I've done was after I'd cleaned my mags with CLP. After it dries the sand just falls right of them. Unfortunately it made them so slick that twice during a match I managed to snag an additional mag while pulling one and sent it flying. Luckily I did not need it. I've since then tighened up the retaining screws a little. :> Rob (Edited by ace007 at 9:56 pm on July 22, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I concur with Steve, the very small pause always gives me the perfect mag change. Early in my IPSC (read formative) years, I was consumed with speed mag changes, and John Dixon showed me the pause, and I have never had a problem since. At the '80 IPSC Nationals I asked Ross about it and he said basically the same thing...nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 I'm still in my USPSA formative years and all I know is that at the end of a typical stage shooting L-10 I end up with 3 empty pouches. I have no idea in what order the pouches are used, but my hand seems to have the situation under control. To me, overthinking the process would just lead to problems. The only thing I've done along these lines was to see that I had to angle my wrist to grab mags from my IDPA pouches. I made new pouches with that angle built in so I could drop a wasted motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 USPSA production and IDPA, so my set-ups are similar. I always start from the rear and work forward, that way I don't miss them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 Bill, With a USPSA Limited rig and my first mag...my hand goes to the spot. Kinda like I am slapping my belt. I want to say that my palm contacts the extension of my mag first...but, my index finger and thumb are touching at pretty much the same time. For the next mags on the belt...I don't go to the same spot when slapping the belt. I don't go think I go directly to the next mag either. It seems my hand takes a palm down, and flat, angle...with the base of my thumb indexing and then sliding along my body until my hand reaches the next mag/pouch. I would say that my palm touches the mag first, but the rest of my hand is kinda spread out...searching for a feel (sorta like cat whiskers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmiller45 Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 I find all of my magazines with the palm of my hand, grasping it with my index finger down the length of the mag. Fortunately for me, my strong/smart hand (left) is the one doing the reload. My weak hand only provides a trigger finger, and positions the gun under my master eye (right). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted July 30, 2002 Author Share Posted July 30, 2002 Thanks guys, I think I need to reevaluate my strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Bill, Don't go by my experience. I am really happy with 1.5 second reloads (with A hit at 10y) right now. I am pretty sure we have a few here that can beat that and give a better perspective (Bryant? Sam? GM's?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonedaddy Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Bill, just like drawing the gun from the holster, the first thing I do is to "locate". My index finger finds the smooth front edge of the mag in the slot of my 771 pouch. With that done, my other three fingers and thumb are free to confidently close around the mag body quickly. "Go west young man!" - Horace Greeley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonedaddy Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Kyle, koowell! You were postin' as I was postin'........... OMG, I must have read your mind!.......................... That's scary, I'm pretty sure some of the stuff you're thinkin' would get me in major trouble with BoneMamma! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 Bill: I just changed my reload strategy a couple of weeks ago at the suggestion of a fellow competitor. My primary magzine is now tilted more to be in line with my forearm, wrist straight. In fact, I postion them exactly as shown in Matt's new tapes. The magazine is betwee 15 and 30 degrees off of horizontal. This removes all rotation from the wrist. I was also reloading kind of off to my right side instead of "on center". I now reload "on center" right in front of my face while looking into the magwell. For what it's worth, my par time on reloads has gone from 1.40 (A zone at 10 yards) down to 1.2 seconds. Sometimes I even hit one second or a bit less. When I grab the magazine I feel my index finger going along the side of the magazine at the same time the palm of my hand contacts the base pad. I can't seem to pause as the mag goes in to save my butt. Thank goodness I have a huge well and a tapered magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve223 Posted July 31, 2002 Share Posted July 31, 2002 If im shooting fairley well the only thing i see is my mag falling out of the gun then my weak hand going back to my shooting postion, I dont seem to have any memory of the reload at all. The only time i can rember a reload is when i screw one up. I dont know if this is a good thing or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted July 31, 2002 Author Share Posted July 31, 2002 I was also reloading kind of off to my right side instead of "on center". I now reload "on center" right in front of my face while looking into the magwell. Ron, That's what I do..I reload slightly right of center, I don't know why. I'm assuming that's not the preferred technique???? Bonedaddy, That's exactly what I was looking for...some sort of index for my weak hand so it knows it's on the mag. Right now my weak hand gets to the pouch and kinda searches for the mag. Flex, Sounds like we're at the same level.... Bill (Edited by Bill Schwab at 1:05 pm on July 31, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted August 1, 2002 Share Posted August 1, 2002 Bill: Most guys (and gals) load off to the right of center, but I was off center further than most. The guy who offered this tip is really smooth (and quick) on the reload and he just suggested that I try it. Reloading very near the center line works pretty good for me, but you mileage may vary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted August 1, 2002 Author Share Posted August 1, 2002 Cool, thanks Ron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now