How much do you Practice? Is it organized or sporadic?

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Mittenk

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I am finding my practice to be too sporadic lately and not as organized as it used to be. I can only get to the range about once between matches when I'm lucky.
 
My practice has been pretty sporadic but now that I've joined a club I expect it to become much more effective

I have always heard that 100 aimed rounds per month is the minimum required to maintain the skill set.
 
Once a week, drills are based on what I had issues with the match before, but I always start and finish with accuracy.

90% of my practice is with a .22 and I usually work on transitions and movement
 
Even if you can't get to the range to shoot, visualization and dry fire does help, it isn't a replacement but anything is better than nothing
 
Supermoto said:
Once a week, drills are based on what I had issues with the match before, but I always start and finish with accuracy.

90% of my practice is with a .22 and I usually work on transitions and movement
Click to expand...

That's interesting. Elaborate more on why you roll with the .22 so much? And what .22 are you using, is it your match gun with a conversion kit?
 
DrRansom said:
That's interesting. Elaborate more on why you roll with the .22 so much? And what .22 are you using, is it your match gun with a conversion kit?
Click to expand...

The gun is a replica of my match, just in .22. Its a little lighter and balances a little further back, because of the light slide and no comp. But it has the same grip, trigger, c-more etc

I don't need to practice recoil control or flinching. So once you remove those factors, shooting center fire adds nothing to my practice. Accuracy, transitions, movement are all independent of recoil, so why add the cost.
I did a bunch of drills with my super vs the .22, in almost all of them I was faster and as accurate with the super, it wasn't until I tried bill drills at 25 yards (2.27s [grin]) did the .22 become faster.

I also have found my practices are more focused with a .22 as I'm not stopping to pick up brass.

If I have a match coming up before I can practice again, I put a few round thru the super to get used to the blast and slap to the hand and then check accuracy
 
Supermoto said:
The gun is a replica of my match, just in .22. Its a little lighter and balances a little further back, because of the light slide and no comp. But it has the same grip, trigger, c-more etc
...

I also have found my practices are more focused with a .22 as I'm not stopping to pick up brass.
Click to expand...

I wish I could do that at my club's action pits [sad]
 
eisenhow said:
I do. The "other" club doesn't have any action pits. If I am there alone I can use the pistol range as a pit. If others are there I need to use a common firing line.
Click to expand...

That is common at probably the majority of local clubs. Look for a club that's not to far, that does offer action pits?
 
Due to time constraints, 90% of my practice time now is dryfire. My base routine is from Ben Stoeger's website, and I add my own drills to keep it interesting and address the many weaknesses I discover in competition. Doing a daily dry fire practice for 20-30 minutes led to immediate improvement after only a few weeks.

When I started in USPSA two years ago, I spent most of my practice time at the range blasting at brown because I didn't know any better. I think that's largely a waste of time. When I get range time now (once a week or every other week), I usually set up drills on partial A-zone targets at 10-15 yards.
 
I like the idea of a .22 practice gun. I have a single stack set up with a Marvel top end with comp that I use for steel challenge. I use it to practice too. However, I do like using the blaster more. And.... Now that I just got my new Predator Tactical Banshee Blaster top end I have to get used to it. Anyone on the Cape that wants to do a regular practice can contact me.
 
I practice at least once a week. Every day I do dry fire exercises.

I practice for self-defense shooting so I mostly shoot relaxed, with both hands, alternating one handed with both left and right. As I start doing better, I start increasing my distance or increase my speed.

I find that I practice more often when I keep more supplies (ammo, cleaning supplies etc) on stock. When I have a full ammo can, I go all the time. When I'm down to a box of 50? Not going any time soon. So I refill my 1k ammo can when I get to about 300 rounds.
 
I am lucky enough that Harvard hosts practice every week. I try to make that mandatory for me every week. I then try to hit the range once or twice a week on top of that. I still don't practice enough transitions, reloads, draws, etc but eventually I will get better and I am not in rush to prove anything.
 
Supermoto said:
I don't need to practice recoil control or flinching. So once you remove those factors, shooting center fire adds nothing to my practice. Accuracy, transitions, movement are all independent of recoil, so why add the cost.
I did a bunch of drills with my super vs the .22, in almost all of them I was faster and as accurate with the super, it wasn't until I tried bill drills at 25 yards (2.27s [grin]) did the .22 become faster.

I also have found my practices are more focused with a .22 as I'm not stopping to pick up brass.

If I have a match coming up before I can practice again, I put a few round thru the super to get used to the blast and slap to the hand and then check accuracy
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's helpful. I don't really have any issues handling recoil either, but I had read several articles saying that even if you do handle recoil well, you'll still slowly introduce flinch/heel by always practicing with centerfire, which is what I was wondering what you were getting at. But, point definitely stands that accuracy, transitions, etc. do not hinge on the caliber of the cartridge at all.

Come to think of it, it would be nice to not have to worry about picking up the brass. ;)
 
When I was serious about doing well in USPSA competitions I would dry fire at least 1 1/2 hours a night. It would include my stance, draw, sight aquisition, sight picture, trigger squeeze and then the next target aquisition and finally my reload (mag change).

I used both my 1911 and my single action TZ75. No snap caps. Empty firearm.

I would set up at least 3 pie plate size paper plates in the room. At different hieghts and seperations. I would cock the firearm and holster. From my starting position (usually surrender) I would draw, aquire the front sight, place that front sight on the first plate and squeeze the trigger. I would then simulate the second shot by pressing the trigger again. Transition to the next target and simulate that double, then move to the next and so on. After all targets were aquired, I would perform a "reload" (mag change) and run the targets again. When that run was finished, I'd recock the firearm and reholster and start all over. I would use a "key word" and wait to hear it on the television and then draw.

very important to remember, do not squeeze the trigger unless that front sight is on the target. Go slow enough that you see the front sight on target every time you squeeze the trigger. Speed up as you get better. You are building muscle memory in your eyes, brain, hands and soforth. I found this and shooting alot of purposefull live fire (1000 rounds minimum a week) very helpfull. It made a huge difference in my shooting skills.

Remember, focus on that front sight. you want it nice and crisp.

Movement between shooting boxes and having the gun up and ready to fire when you reach a shooting box is important. Practice getting into the box ready to fire.
 
I have my favorites that i tend to always bring to the range then I like to try to rotate the stuff that doesn't see much light. Depending on what i have for ammo I will bring 1 or 2 guns that don't get out as much
 
Well I'd love to get 3 live fire practices a week and dry fire on the off days... but sometimes (lately most of the time) life just gets in the way. Kids are growing up fast and will be out in a few years... but by then I'll be too old to keep up with the young guys.... NOT!!! [smile]

FWIW 22 practice can be great but I LOVE shooting real loads, that's part of the fun... Now if they made a CZ 22....
 
Lugnut said:
Well I'd love to get 3 live fire practices a week and dry fire on the off days... but sometimes (lately most of the time) life just gets in the way. Kids are growing up fast and will be out in a few years... but by then I'll be too old to keep up with the young guys.... NOT!!! [smile]

FWIW 22 practice can be great but I LOVE shooting real loads, that's part of the fun... Now if they made a CZ 22....
Click to expand...

Here it is! http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-75-kadet-adapter/
 

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