[SuperP]

Hi Everyone,

I posted about a month ago after some of my first experiences shooting an open gun. I have been going to a few competitions and have been having a lot of fun. I want to improve my skills and hope you can help with some critique. This is the first time I've practiced shooting on the move. Let me know what you think.

PS. I think my load and make ready needs work

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=vU84bsxsR2g

This post has been edited by SuperP: 01 July 2008 - 06:38 PM

[SA Friday]

The biggest thing is there is a different way to move shoot and move-transition and shoot. When shooting target's arrayed together, keeping the gun fully extended makes the shooting smooth. When making a large transition bring the gun in to your body more, snap your eyes/head to the target, and then re-extend the gun to the seen target.

[SuperP]

SA Friday, on Jul 1 2008, 09:46 PM, said:

The biggest thing is there is a different way to move shoot and move-transition and shoot. When shooting target's arrayed together, keeping the gun fully extended makes the shooting smooth. When making a large transition bring the gun in to your body more, snap your eyes/head to the target, and then re-extend the gun to the seen target.

Thanks for that comment. I didn't realize until I looked back at the video that I am still following the dot. I'll practice that when I am dry firing.

[JThompson]

Ah, the old mag drop... know it well. I used to do that bringing my weak hand back to the gun. It appears as though you still had pressure on the mag release there. And yes, you can pickup a mag as long as you keep that thing pointed in a safe direction... also a good time to keep your finger where the RO can see it.

Hang in there and keep working at it.


JT

[SA Friday]

SuperP, on Jul 2 2008, 08:34 AM, said:

SA Friday, on Jul 1 2008, 09:46 PM, said:

The biggest thing is there is a different way to move shoot and move-transition and shoot. When shooting target's arrayed together, keeping the gun fully extended makes the shooting smooth. When making a large transition bring the gun in to your body more, snap your eyes/head to the target, and then re-extend the gun to the seen target.

Thanks for that comment. I didn't realize until I looked back at the video that I am still following the dot. I'll practice that when I am dry firing.

EZ Bagger and I practiced a drill on large transitions last week that will help with this a lot. Put a box out in the middle of the berm. Set a target out to your left and right about 5 to 8 degrees in from the 180 out about 10 yard on each side. At the beep, draw and engage either target with 2 rounds and then transition to the second target and engage with 2 rounds. It's a simple drill, but these are the drills that seem to really solidify good habits. Try different things. First try the wide transition with your arms extended. Then try the transition by pulling the gun into your body, snap your head/eyes to the second target and follow with the gun. Also try different stances and different foot movements. Find what works for you and saves you any amount of time. I found a more narrow stance and then dropping my center of balance while spinning on the heal of one foot and the toes of the other during the transition (along with pulling in and then pushing back out on the second target) drastically dropped the amount of time it took me to accurately engage the second target.

Just remember, EVERYTHING follows what you are looking at. Drive your eyes/head and the gun will follow. Snap your eyes to the next target after completing your follow-through on the last shot on the target.

[Ron Ankeny]

How were your hits? FWIW, one of the habits I see new shooters develop while shooting on the move is the tendancy to gravitate toward the targets instead of moving directly to the next position. They end up traveling on an arc and that can make it more difficult to set up when you arrive.

[SuperP]

Ron Ankeny, on Jul 2 2008, 01:12 PM, said:

How were your hits? FWIW, one of the habits I see new shooters develop while shooting on the move is the tendancy to gravitate toward the targets instead of moving directly to the next position. They end up traveling on an arc and that can make it more difficult to set up when you arrive.

My hits were A/C but I was having some trouble with the NS. My first shot was usually right on, but my second shot was always low.

[stockton]

SA Friday, on Jul 1 2008, 08:46 PM, said:

The biggest thing is there is a different way to move shoot and move-transition and shoot. When shooting target's arrayed together, keeping the gun fully extended makes the shooting smooth. When making a large transition bring the gun in to your body more, snap your eyes/head to the target, and then re-extend the gun to the seen target.

+1 on that technique (for you...I'm a muscular(ish) 260 lbs). Looks like you are about 115 lbs...tops. At full extension, your mass moment of inertia would have you swinging past targets if you try to swing too quick. By pulling the gun in, you are able to swing over faster even though you also have to re-extend. But, start transitioning AS you are bringing the gun in. That action is what kills the mass moment of inertia and reduces the torque required to make the transition. Also, this technique starts losing it's advantage for transitions less than about 90°.

Another idea for you would be to bend you elbows a bit more. Straight elbows means recoil moves up though your arms, to your shoulders, to your torso, thus potentially destabilizing your "shooting platform." Let your elbows be recoil "shock absorbers." A properly comped open gun will stay plenty flat to still be able to dot track.

My only other comment is to take advantage of the comp! On targets inside of about 10 yards , DON'T go "BANG...watch dot go up...watch dot go down...watch dot settle...BANG." Go, "I see the dot fuzzing in the A zone, BANG BANG." You should see the dot the entire "BANG BANG" time, but don't wait for "sight perfection." If the dot is there, PULL THE TRIGGER TWICE AND MOVE ON! If you start dropping too many points, you aren't seeing what you need, so watch a little more carefully and slightly reduce your "fuzz tolerance." Doing this will save you about .10 secs per target. Suppose you have a 10 hit factor stage with 5 such targets. This would drop your timeby. 5 secs, yielding about 5 extra points on that stage. Over a six stage local match, that could add up to 30 match points!

[PistolPete]

When you're shooting on the move try bending your elbows more to bring the gun in closer to your body. This will help eliminate the wobble in the gun. I shoot with Mike and he's been bragging about how great you've been doing and improving and it def. shows. Take any advice from him that he give you as he knows a lot. I can't wait for the day that you beat him in a match...

Keep it up.

Pete

[IPSCDave]

To add to what the others have said, on the first drill you could've started movement out of the box while shooting the first target. You can practice this in dry-fire by just drawing on a target and starting movement before pulling the trigger and still keeping your sight picture. When doing the load during the make ready, I would suggest loading the mag at eye level, that way you're practicing what you should be doing during the match.