Practice at the range

[bkeeler]

When going to the range do you practice the draw,reloads, transitions,splits,movement... all in 1 session? Or do you practice on just a couple like reloads and transitions in one session and then the next practice session do draw and splits?

Thanks

bkeeler

[Steve Anderson]

I warm up on bianchi plates with all possible combos.

freestyle

strong only

weak only

3, reload 3

3 strong reload, 3 weak

etc.

Lately I have been focusing hard on el prez, as I feel it combines all of the elements we encounter in most classifiers. So I do 20-30 of those, then I set up a stage with steel and targets and run it several ways til I can't improve it. Then I change the stage and start over.

I don't (right now) stress splits or the time of individual skills (except reloads, I do watch those closely) I look for overall improvement in the exercise, which usually comes from:

1. relaxation

2. visual awareness

My range time is about to become more structured, I'm just having so much fun shooting...

SA

Finish off with 500 rds of .22

[Steve Moneypenny]

it depends on the range time i have, if its all day, i do a lot, if its an hour, i focus on one or 2 things. if its 10 min, i will sometimes do an el prez, or another grouping of drills just to make sure things are in check.

Steve

[Rich Bagoly]

Read a newspaper article that reported on a memory/learning study.

If you learn something, then learn something else, the second thing will degrade your ability to recall the first thing.  It takes about 6 hours between learnings before you will get maximum retention.

They theorized that it takes 6 hours to convert short term memory to long term, and that this was being interfered with.

If I want to really learn something, I only work on that one thing.  If I want to maintian, or groove what I already know, I can work on a lot of different things.

[Jake Di Vita]

Usually I like to go to the range with a couple things I want to work on. However, if I'm not satisfied with the first thing I'm trying to work on, I may just shoot all my rounds focusing on that.

[davecutts]

Generally I get to the range early enough that I warm up with ten to fifteen minutes of dry fire.  I then start with accuracy, maybe 25 rounds, maybe 100.  I'm with Steve on the El Prez's, and it’s all about the reload, although I don't do that many.  With the same three targets I'll do a couple strong/weak practice.  Then I work on what I think I need to practice.  In the last two weeks I've spent time on:

-The turn and draw.

-Drawing to steel (10 to 25 yards)

-Shooting on the move

-Bill drills (cause there fun, and usually I'll finish up with a bill drill or three)

I used to finish up with a 22, but I've gotten away from it.  I didn't feel it was helping even though it is enjoyable.

(Edited by davecutts at 7:34 am on Oct. 13, 2002)

[dirtypool40]

different stuff on different days, an all speed day on close steel to get the draw and reload tuned up, an accuracy at speed day (partials, barricades, distance).

But if I only have a little while, the short workout is three things, STEEL, TIGHT SHOTS, and SHOOTING ON THE MOVE.

[mcoliver]

It just occured to me that if I focus on draws to first shot or 1 shot, reload, 1 shot drills I suck.  I just can't seem to speed things up with minimal accuracy loss.  However, if I combine, say, a draw, 2 shots, reload then 2 shots, my time improves on both draw and reload (with minimual accuracy loss)...go figure.  So these are what I'm trying to work on now and then trying to increase the distance to targets.

Another thing is my transition time suck big time.  I'm trying to find out if I can first improve it without the draw or reload.  So far so good, I managed to cut it down in half yesterday.  Thanks to Flex's and BE's mind conditioning routine.

(nowforthethreaddrift)

When shooting, I'm starting to see things better now.  I see the A-zones of the next targets without actually looking at them. I see my brass being ejected from my gun. I see the fireball my muzzle produces. And most of the time I see my sights jump out of the notch when it's not in the A-zone.

(sorryforthedrift...it'sbeenaveryexciting2weekawakening)

Be safe.

[Steve Anderson]

mcoliver...me too.

SA

[Flexmoney]

mcoliver,

How's your index?

[mcoliver]

---

Quote: from Flexmoney on 9:16 am on Oct. 14, 2002

mcoliver,

How's your index?

---

Now that you've asked, last Sunday's practice was really freakin' me out. After 1 shot transitions from target to target I played around a bit.  At 10 yards, set up 2 8" plates about 5 yards apart. Draw and fire 1 shot on left plate and hit it 5 out of 5, 1.4 secs...EYES CLOSED!  I wanted to transition to the right plate with my eyes closed but figured I'd stop while I was ahead.  Besides I was sweating cold and my hair at the back of my neck was already standing.

Really amazing!  You're practicing the same routine and all of a sudden something sort of just opens up and everything looks different in a familiar kind of way. Hard to explain but I guess for those of you who's gone past this phase you know what I mean.