[jostein jensen]

The last few practices I've been focusing a little on shooting on the move.

Today we had a Level 1 club match with some targets that were best shot on the move.

After my run I noticed that most of the moveshots were made with index shooting and not front sight focus. I just struggle with keeping my eyes on the sight instead of where my feet are going.

Am I just going too fast?

[Joe4d]

did you hit the targets ?

[jostein jensen]

yes. ranges was 5 to 10 meters.

[LadyinBlue]

http://www.shootingu...MU1/usamu1.html


The Shooting USA show on the Outdoor channel had the Army Marksman Max Michel demonstrate shooting on the move. Although you can't see the video, you can read the text. That URL gets you to the right page.

[Joe4d]

looks like you answered your own question, if you got all hits and didnt over run and come close to 180 or have to back up then you werent running to fast. 5 to ten yards is point shoot range anyway.

[JThompson]

Joe4d, on May 20 2007, 01:32 AM, said:

l5 to ten yards is point shoot range anyway.

Maybe for you. 10yds if I want two As every time I need to get some sight picture.

This post has been edited by JThompson: 20 May 2007 - 01:39 AM

[jostein jensen]

me hitting A's at that range, point shooting, first time shooting on the move ever has waaaay more to do with luck than anything else.

Will more plain focus drills cure my problem or do I just need to start walking really slow keeping the eyes on the sights and gradually increasing speed be the way?

[Sam]

I think one of the most important things to discover about shooting on the move is the effect that inertia has on your stage time. Specifically what I'm talking about is the necessity to keep oneself moving. It takes me .75 seconds to "launch" at the beep, or to restart after stopping along the way. I believe you will make good progress if you work on shooting with out ever coming to a complete stop. Yes, this probably means working at a slower ground speed at first. The trouble with moving too fast is that you still have to be properly oriented to your targets to stay safe and get the hits. For example, lets say you are pretty quick and it takes you 2.3 seconds to run the first half of an El Prez. The average person, if already in motion, can cover 7 yards or so quite easily in 2.3 seconds. Let your vision regulate your shots. And let your shots regulate your ground speed.

As far as your hits are concerned, if you are "seeing what you need to see to make the shot", what else is there?

Adjust your sight focus to address each target just like you should if you are standing still. Seven yard open targets "on the scoot" are a piece of cake. Work on shooting a 12 yard plate rack or some tight no-shoots to see what you need to see there. And it's all fun!

[Joe4d]

It's also about footwork technique, I was tought how to walk forward and backwards,, actually backwards is easier, ever see Michael Jackson moonwalk ? You notice his upper body doesnt move, now think of that in maintaining a sight picture or index, the forward walk is similar your feet go out to the front to the sides a little heel down first roll to toe lift other foot kinda like a Groucho Marks walk,, film yourself from the side and minimize upper body movement. as stated run stop run stop run stop isnt best.

[jostein jensen]

thanks for tips. will be working on the never stop shooting for a while now.

[Mistral404]

Front Sight had an article about shooting on the move. Don Golembieski was the GM. He pretty much says the quality of your sight picture is the final judge of how fast you should be moving and shooting shooting. So you have to practice all those movement techniques to ensure a quality sight picture.

[Steve Anderson]

In my opinion, shooting on the move needs to be subconscious before it yields good results.

If you consciously change gears when shooting on the move, you're going to be less than ideal.

When done properly, you won't really be aware you're shooting while moving.

How do you get there?

Staple 6 paper plates to a 2x4 and place them as far away as possible in you bullet-proof safe dry area.

Start standing still and dry fire them until you KNOW every "shot" would take a plate.

Now, get as low as possible and walk toward a plate while holding an acceptable sight picture. Don't pull the trigger

You'll learn very quickly how you need to move to maintain an acceptable sight picture.

Once you can maintian the ASP while walking, "shoot" the same plate while walking toward it. When you can do that 100%, start transitioning between them.

You could use paper targets, but they allow a lot more slop and you'll get a false sense of accuracy.

Good luck,
steve

[Rumpy]

Wow Steve,

I really like the idea of that technique.... I'm gonna give it a go!!!

[XRe]

There are easier ways, though, that require even less equipment.... At least, to get you started on technique. Burkett's water bottle drill is perfect - take a bottle of water, roughly half empty. Remove the label so you can see through it easily. Hold it in your shooting grip (I find that holding it upside down helps it feel more natural - depending on the shape of the bottle). Now, move. Watch the water. If you're moving smoothly and not jarring your upper torso, the water will gently slosh back and forth a little bit, but no more than that. Huge splashes, hard sloshes, etc, all indicate hard steps and bad technique....

[Sam]

Last weekend I noticed something very cool during pistol practice. I would shoot a 12 shot target array at top speed while standing still at 10 yards. Then I would shoot the very same array, as fast as my sight picture allowed, while walking in various directions. My time was consistently .5 second slower but my hits were consistently 10 to 15% better. There was also less dispersion of shots in the groups. On average, I would cover about 5 yards per six rounds fired.

OK, I'll be the first to admit that my brain doesn't work like normal brains do. But, here's what I think is happening. While standing still, it is much easier to get speed focused and not allow the sights to settle shot-to-shot. While walking, I have to accept the sight picture and take the shot as it comes. My shooting is imbued with a new attention to detail as it relates to sight picture and trigger control. I don't know why I never noticed this before. But right now, I have a new found enjoyment of shooting on the move. When SOTM over the last 20 years or so, I always felt rushed. The urgency is gone now, replaced by intense interest in the activity. It makes me wonder what else I've been missing....

[Flexmoney]

Sam, on May 31 2007, 07:52 PM, said:

The urgency is ...replaced by intense interest in the activity. It makes me wonder what else I've been missing....

That seems important.

[benos]

Sam, on May 20 2007, 02:01 PM, said:

Let your vision regulate your shots. And let your shots regulate your ground speed.

Nice!

[JThompson]

Steve Anderson, on May 25 2007, 09:13 AM, said:

In my opinion, shooting on the move needs to be subconscious before it yields good results.

If you consciously change gears when shooting on the move, you're going to be less than ideal.

When done properly, you won't really be aware you're shooting while moving.

How do you get there?

Staple 6 paper plates to a 2x4 and place them as far away as possible in you bullet-proof safe dry area.

Start standing still and dry fire them until you KNOW every "shot" would take a plate.

Now, get as low as possible and walk toward a plate while holding an acceptable sight picture. Don't pull the trigger

You'll learn very quickly how you need to move to maintain an acceptable sight picture.

Once you can maintian the ASP while walking, "shoot" the same plate while walking toward it. When you can do that 100%, start transitioning between them.

You could use paper targets, but they allow a lot more slop and you'll get a false sense of accuracy.

Good luck,
steve

I didn't learn exactly like that, but close. I used steel plates and just walked around the range forward backward and side to side keeping the dot on the target. When I got so I could hold it there walking I started picking up the pace.

JT

[jostein jensen]

This weekend I went on my first L3.

I had a lot of good hits shooting on the move, although some of it was slow move, it was moving non the less

Its amazing how much a little dry-fire does to the live fire/match results. I really did well on transit shooting and just by being ready to shoot when I stopped running sprints too. A friend filmed my shooting and I think its the best learning exp. I've ever had. I now know how to set up my training and what to train on.

And the sights really did control my ground speed!

IPSC is just awesome!

[Rojo]

The only stage i've truly won, was shooting on the move. I'm a neewbie. I'll say it. But 3 or 4 matches into my shooting "experience" i won my first stage, over "A" , "B", and "C" class shooters. I was slow and steady, my bottom half moved, but my top was on target. I won on points, not on speed. I guess that says my top was on target.

[11.43mm]

W/o a gun, I've been standing on an exercise ball on one leg...after two months on hte sofa cushion...hahah

[North]

Check out what the AMU has to say.

http://www.myoutdoor...DVLBbK9niogx9fz