I've been to the range a couple of times since my last post, and shot some interesting drills that have highlighted some of the areas I need to work on.
Last week I had a little longer range session than usual, since it had been over a week since I last shot. I shot three drills. The first was a simple bulls-eye shooting drill from 25 yards. Three strings of 10 shots each, two handed , strong hand only and weak hand only.
String 1: 90, 2x
String 2: 72, 3x
String 3: 69, 1x
Skill I need to work on: not sucking at one handed shooting. I don't know that I'll ever be great at one handed shooting, but I firmly believe that I have the ability to not suck.
Drill two was pistol-training.com's FASTest. The FAST is a great way to measure a lot of different skills in one drill as it measures Fundamentals, Accuracy and Speed. The drill is shot at 7 yards, and involves two shots from a concealed draw to a 3x5 card, a slide lock reload, followed by four shots to an 8 inch circle. This was my first time shooting this drill, and it showed on my first two runs. As usual I "tried" to go fast and it didn't work.
The first run was a 8.0 with a missed head shot for a 2 second penalty and total time of 10 seconds. The second was a 8.5, with a missed head shot and a missed body shot for a total of 11.5.
The third and final run I reined it in and put together a 6.5 second run with no misses. The press out was good, I broke the shot at full extension, and the reload was fast. Everything looked and felt right. Now if only I could do that three runs in a row on demand.
Then I ran a few two shot draws to a 3x5 on the timer, trying to get as close as possible to 3 seconds, while focusing on the press out.
I followed up these two drills with a run of dot torture from 3 yards, and shot my first 50/50. All in all a very satisfying day at the range, and 150 malfunction free rounds through the USP.
This week was much of the same. Pistol-Forum's drill of the week happened to be the FAST. Pretty much the same story as last week.
Run 1: 7.35 -1head 9.35
Run 2: 7.53 -1head 9.53
Run 3: 6.25 clean
I also ran some more 3x5 two shot drills, with a 3.2 second par time, and a few 1 reload 2s. I also shot dot torture since I happened to have a dot torture target in my range bag, this time from four yards and shot a 48/50.
My range time, and occasional dry fire has been focused on a proper press out lately. For the unfamiliar a press out is about the only way to shoot a DA/SA gun quickly, and essentially negates the speed advantage of single action and modern striker fired actions on the first shot.
To perform a proper press out the gun comes straight up out of the holster to a very high ready position. Then the shooter presses the gun toward the target while simultaneously pulling the trigger. The key is leveling out the gun and aligning the sights as early in the press out as possible. The speed of the press out is dictated by the size and distance of the target, and ideally the shot breaks as the shooter nears or reaches full extension.
This method helps with first shot speed as well as decreasing the chance of snatching the trigger or improperly prepping the trigger, a problem a lot of people have, me included, when shooting DA/SA pistols. I'll try and get some videos posted if I can.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
No Range Day
For the first time since I started this blog, I didn't make it to the range this past week. I had two perfectly good boxes of 9mm ammo ready and waiting, but just couldn't make it happen. I even considered throwing my GG&G rail adapter and Insight M3 on my USP and heading out after work one night, but it was a long week of late nights at work, and sleeping in the next morning. Oh well. I'll see if I can squeeze in two trips this week.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Range Day 12/9
Tried to grab a range session last week when I got off of work one evening. Unfortunately between being tired and the failing light, my performance was lackluster.
I was working on some three shot draws to a 3x5 card at 7 yards with a pretty ambitious par time (2.5s). The results weren't even worth recording. Several runs involved me missing all three shots. I know I was rushing to beat par, and was yanking shots, mostly low. I upped the par to 3 seconds and made a couple of clean runs, but that was mostly luck, as I know I was just staring at the target and slapping the trigger.
What needs work? My draw and pressout. As I make the shift from conventional strong side, to appendix I have re-learned the draw. Unfortunately my draw has too many steps. As it stands it breaks down as:
1. Clear cover garment
2. Attain right hand grip
3. Pull gun straight up
4. Begin orienting gun toward target
5. Form two handed grip
6. Begin pressout
7. Begin trigger press as gun levels out
8. Break shot
It should be condensed to:
1. Clear cover garment while moving right hand to attain grip
2. Pull gun straight up and orient toward target
3. Form two handed grip while beginning pressout
4. Press trigger as gun levels out
5. Break shot as arms reach full extension
On the range I essentially quit running drills and started doing slow, but correct draws to the 4 inch plates on a dueling tree. It was starting to get hard to see the front sight towards the end of the session.
This week I have vowed to start dry firing in order to improve my pressout and draw speed. My USP continues to perform flawlessly, and I like the blacked out rear sight, though the notch could be a little wider. One day I will own a pistol that I can walk into a store and buy replacement sights off the shelf.
Another good, if humbling day on the backyard range.
I was working on some three shot draws to a 3x5 card at 7 yards with a pretty ambitious par time (2.5s). The results weren't even worth recording. Several runs involved me missing all three shots. I know I was rushing to beat par, and was yanking shots, mostly low. I upped the par to 3 seconds and made a couple of clean runs, but that was mostly luck, as I know I was just staring at the target and slapping the trigger.
What needs work? My draw and pressout. As I make the shift from conventional strong side, to appendix I have re-learned the draw. Unfortunately my draw has too many steps. As it stands it breaks down as:
1. Clear cover garment
2. Attain right hand grip
3. Pull gun straight up
4. Begin orienting gun toward target
5. Form two handed grip
6. Begin pressout
7. Begin trigger press as gun levels out
8. Break shot
It should be condensed to:
1. Clear cover garment while moving right hand to attain grip
2. Pull gun straight up and orient toward target
3. Form two handed grip while beginning pressout
4. Press trigger as gun levels out
5. Break shot as arms reach full extension
On the range I essentially quit running drills and started doing slow, but correct draws to the 4 inch plates on a dueling tree. It was starting to get hard to see the front sight towards the end of the session.
This week I have vowed to start dry firing in order to improve my pressout and draw speed. My USP continues to perform flawlessly, and I like the blacked out rear sight, though the notch could be a little wider. One day I will own a pistol that I can walk into a store and buy replacement sights off the shelf.
Another good, if humbling day on the backyard range.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Range Time: 12/2
Great day at the backyard range today despite less than ideal weather. Got off work early, checked in at the local gun shop, ate a sandwich and sat on the porch smoking an Arturo Fuente Hemingway while I loaded my mags.
Ran the pistol-forum drill of the week twice, mostly because my first run was pitiful. Pitiful like one of those SPCA sad animal commercials. The drill this week was a 3x5 range push on the clock.
Range Push:
Starting distance: 5yds
Target: 3x5 card
Procedure: draw and fire 2 shots, record time, repeat 3 times. Take the middle time and set that as your par time. Step one yard back and try to beat your par. Repeat until you miss. Move a yard closer and attempt 3 runs under par. Keep moving closer until you can complete three consecutive runs under par.
Run 1:
Par: 3.1
Final distance: 5yds
Made it out to 8yds, fell apart at 9 and couldn't get it back together until I was right back where I started.
Run 2:
Par: 2.9
Final distance: 7yds
On the second run I made it out to 9yds tried to go too fast at 8, but got it under control at 7. On both runs I missed on the second shot because I was rushing and wasn't getting a clean enough sight picture. I went fast, since both times were well under par, but missed. Both misses would have been hits on a six inch circle, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and try as I might I can't get my USP to shoot either one.
I ran through the rest of my practice ammo working on some distance shooting and put in a pretty respectable group at 25 yards. I need to put this pistol on a rest as I suspect I may need to adjust the sights a little since I consistently hit left at distance. The previous owner had the sights all kinds of crooked when I got the gun and I never really checked the zero after I drifted them the first time.
I also ran a box of ammo through my 1988 manufacture Sig 226. Between the Defoor sights and the silky smooth DA pull this is hands down the easiest pistol to shoot I own. I even drew down on a half inch wide corner of a torn 3x5 and put a hole dead center in it at 7yds. Not too shabby. A few more mags and a decent holster and this thing might be vying for top spot as my carry gun.
Ran the pistol-forum drill of the week twice, mostly because my first run was pitiful. Pitiful like one of those SPCA sad animal commercials. The drill this week was a 3x5 range push on the clock.
Range Push:
Starting distance: 5yds
Target: 3x5 card
Procedure: draw and fire 2 shots, record time, repeat 3 times. Take the middle time and set that as your par time. Step one yard back and try to beat your par. Repeat until you miss. Move a yard closer and attempt 3 runs under par. Keep moving closer until you can complete three consecutive runs under par.
Run 1:
Par: 3.1
Final distance: 5yds
Made it out to 8yds, fell apart at 9 and couldn't get it back together until I was right back where I started.
Run 2:
Par: 2.9
Final distance: 7yds
On the second run I made it out to 9yds tried to go too fast at 8, but got it under control at 7. On both runs I missed on the second shot because I was rushing and wasn't getting a clean enough sight picture. I went fast, since both times were well under par, but missed. Both misses would have been hits on a six inch circle, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and try as I might I can't get my USP to shoot either one.
I ran through the rest of my practice ammo working on some distance shooting and put in a pretty respectable group at 25 yards. I need to put this pistol on a rest as I suspect I may need to adjust the sights a little since I consistently hit left at distance. The previous owner had the sights all kinds of crooked when I got the gun and I never really checked the zero after I drifted them the first time.
I also ran a box of ammo through my 1988 manufacture Sig 226. Between the Defoor sights and the silky smooth DA pull this is hands down the easiest pistol to shoot I own. I even drew down on a half inch wide corner of a torn 3x5 and put a hole dead center in it at 7yds. Not too shabby. A few more mags and a decent holster and this thing might be vying for top spot as my carry gun.
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