Shooting tip, whats your process, secrets?

[BrokenolMarine]

For Revolver shooters

One other trick I learned, and it saved me several times. I put a belt slide with six rounds of 38 on the belt. If a speedload was blown and I dropped a round or two, I didn't dump the load, I just pulled the extra rounds from the belt slide and loaded them and then shot the second six rounds as quickly and accurately as I could. I found it was much faster than a full speed load with a speed loader and practiced this technique. Saved my bacon a couple times.

[Travlin]

Speaking of the spent case on the front site, before I bought my pre-war Colt National Match 45, the man that owned it said "balance a dime on the front site and pull the trigger" . Remember the pistol has the standard military "minimal" sites. I was much younger and steadier then and the dime was still horizontal when the hammer dropped. I paid him the $125 he was asking and still have the 1937 pistol.

[fortyshooter]

I don't really have a by the book shooting process. When I really got into shooting late in life like back in 2010 I just settled in to what was working for me for plinking and target shooting. Next I worked on point shooting for close in shooting work. For me getting good hits came down to making the sights work for my eyes and getting a good trigger pull. My RIA 1911 BBR 3.1 take a special hold to shoot right that being a push forward with left hand the strong hand and a pull back grip with the right hand. It really worksks well on this little 1911 with short fat grip to stablelize it and stay on target.

[GunnyGene]

A couple more tips and a touch of humor...

As stated in another post:

Break your focus between shots or sets.

When I was shooting PPC, we shot strings of fire. You were given time between strings to prepare to shoot and then stand ready on the line. Once I was in my proper shooting position and ready to shoot, I looked at the ground in front of me or closed my eyes. I waited for the Match Commands to start before raising my eyes to the targets. "Ready on the Right, Ready on the left..." This rested my eyes and reduced the eye strain. The main match was 150 rounds. The side matches were usually 60 rounds and there were several. It would be a long day. Eye strain can lead to reduced visual acuity and headaches. Every little bit helps.

Match Focus

Prior to being called to the line I certainly visited with other shooters as the social aspect of the PPC circuit was a large part of the reason I shot. I networked with the officers and agents from a wide variety of other departments and agencies. Once we were called for our relays for the various matches, most of us would focus on the task at hand and limited conversation to the match. Scoring of targets and questions related to the match. I didn't look around, I didn't try and figure out my score and where I might be placed so far. I didn't scan the other's targets to see how they were shooting. I focused on the task at hand. My clipboard had notes for each yard line, such as sight settings and aiming points and they do no good if you don't review them EVERY time. You have to have your mind IN the match.

Humor

I had a very nice set of electronic ear muffs I used when teaching, I wore a set and the single student on the shooting line wore a set. That way we could both hear, but the electronic muffs would dampen loud noise like gunshots. The students could hear commands while shooting if it became necessary.

I started to wear these muffs at matches, so I could hear the commands from the line better when I became senior enough in our PPC league to shoot on either end of the line. I usually shot on target 1, which I preferred as then I had no one to my left, meaning no ejected brass down my neck. We were shooting a state level match, and moving back to the 50 yard line, and I had my muffs on, standing at the barricade, waiting for the command to stand to.... I hear this:

"Dude, let's go, we are out of the running and it's HOT out here."
"Yeah, yeah, I just want to watch this next relay."
"Man, HOT, it's freaking Hot."
"Alright, I Just want to watch the Fat guy on target 1 shoot, he's good."


Wait... Target 1, the Fat Guy on Target 1?


vpra cav 14.jpg


About that time the tower says,
"Shooters, With Six Rounds, Load. Your next stage of fire will be....."

I never wore the electronic muffs again.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think about "MCRP 3-01B Pistol Marksmanship" ? A little dated (2003), but these things don't get updated very often.

What would you change (other than updating the pistol to the Sig), if you had the opportunity?

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publi ... anship.pdf

[BrokenolMarine]

A couple more tips and a touch of humor...

As stated in another post:

Break your focus between shots or sets.

When I was shooting PPC, we shot strings of fire. You were given time between strings to prepare to shoot and then stand ready on the line. Once I was in my proper shooting position and ready to shoot, I looked at the ground in front of me or closed my eyes. I waited for the Match Commands to start before raising my eyes to the targets. "Ready on the Right, Ready on the left..." This rested my eyes and reduced the eye strain. The main match was 150 rounds. The side matches were usually 60 rounds and there were several. It would be a long day. Eye strain can lead to reduced visual acuity and headaches. Every little bit helps.

Match Focus

Prior to being called to the line I certainly visited with other shooters as the social aspect of the PPC circuit was a large part of the reason I shot. I networked with the officers and agents from a wide variety of other departments and agencies. Once we were called for our relays for the various matches, most of us would focus on the task at hand and limited conversation to the match. Scoring of targets and questions related to the match. I didn't look around, I didn't try and figure out my score and where I might be placed so far. I didn't scan the other's targets to see how they were shooting. I focused on the task at hand. My clipboard had notes for each yard line, such as sight settings and aiming points and they do no good if you don't review them EVERY time. You have to have your mind IN the match.

Humor

I had a very nice set of electronic ear muffs I used when teaching, I wore a set and the single student on the shooting line wore a set. That way we could both hear, but the electronic muffs would dampen loud noise like gunshots. The students could hear commands while shooting if it became necessary.

I started to wear these muffs at matches, so I could hear the commands from the line better when I became senior enough in our PPC league to shoot on either end of the line. I usually shot on target 1, which I preferred as then I had no one to my left, meaning no ejected brass down my neck. We were shooting a state level match, and moving back to the 50 yard line, and I had my muffs on, standing at the barricade, waiting for the command to stand to.... I hear this:

"Dude, let's go, we are out of the running and it's HOT out here."
"Yeah, yeah, I just want to watch this next relay."
"Man, HOT, it's freaking Hot."
"Alright, I Just want to watch the Fat guy on target 1 shoot, he's good."


Wait... Target 1, the Fat Guy on Target 1?


vpra cav 14.jpg


About that time the tower says,
"Shooters, With Six Rounds, Load. Your next stage of fire will be....."

I never wore the electronic muffs again.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think about "MCRP 3-01B Pistol Marksmanship" ? A little dated (2003), but these things don't get updated very often.

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publi ... anship.pdf

I left the Corps in 1990 and hadn't seen this and I read (Scanned, lets be honest) thru it. Like most military manuals, after reading it, this was my impression. I'd bet it was written by shooters, then the first review was done by supervisory shooters. Then it went up the chain. Folks in HQMC with Master's and Doctoral Degrees reviewed the written material and decided the writing wasn't military enough and edited it. So you ended up with a Military manual that teaches shooting in that stilted military speak. There is a lot of info that is straightforward, then paragraphs that are military speak. They can't write in a narrative tone. I loved the Corps and the environment, but this was one area that grated. There is great information in the manual, you just have to work harder than you should to absorb it. There are a number of civilian writers guilty of the same thing though.

I'd bet when you attend a class, the shooting instructor reads a paragraph word for word, then looks at the class and says: "What they are trying to say here is..."

When I graduated from the academy in 1995 or so, my memory is a bit foggy... the Chief took a couple actions. He appointed me to the Firearms Training Staff and he pointed to the SOPs. "When you aren't with your "Field Training Officer" or studying, I want you reviewing those. Take Notes." He shook his head. "I don't know who wrote the original SOPs, but they didn't have a clue. WE are going to rewrite them. When someone reads a paragraph, I want them to know what it's supposed to mean."

It took a year, but we went thru them all, and we brought them into the 90s. You could read the SOPs and understand what the Procedures were.

[North Country Gal]

Have really enjoyed your posts, Marine. Wealth of good info, there.

[BrokenolMarine]

Have really enjoyed your posts, Marine. Wealth of good info, there.

Then we are even Ma'am. I have always enjoyed yours.

[BrokenolMarine]

Someone PM'd and asked if I had any more, so here goes...

Grip and Stance are the other keys.

Grip -

The grip should be firm, like a good handshake, but not too firm.  The gun is already dead, they don't have to choke it.  Over gripping can cause many problems. Fatigue in the hands, shake in the gun, and movement when pulling the trigger.  I always tell them that the hand grips the gun and the trigger finger pulls the trigger.  THESE are separate movements.  If they squeeze their grip when they pull the trigger (called milking the grip) they will pull the sights off target as they fire.   Low to the left with right hand shooters, and low to the right with lefties.  I could write a chapter on grip. 

If you draw a line down the shooting arm, thru the VEE of the thumb and forefinger and down the hammer and barrel, it should be a straight line.  If not, the grip should be adjusted.  You should not have to turn the hand left or right to adjust the sights. 

For new shooters I have gone as far as to take a sharpie and make a mark on the skin in the V and a mark on the frame of the gun so they see when they sight in that their grip is proper.  (Sharpie comes off with Hoppe's #9) Eventually the grip becomes natural and it feels off if it is not in the proper position.

Stance - 

The shooter should stand comfortably, and if they naturally slouch a bit, then they should slouch. One thing new shooters, especially females, tend to do is to lean BACK from the waist as they assume a shooting position. This gives recoil a head start on pushing them off balance. If anything, especially when shooting any handgun with heavy recoil, is lean slightly forward to control the recoil. It is surprisingly easy to control recoil when you have learned the techniques.

The gun should be brought UP to the eye line to sight in. Shooters should not be bending the head down, Tilting the head or rolling the shoulders into the sights in an exaggerated motion to obtain a sight picture.  (This will cause cramping and pain during a long match.) Comfortable and relaxed is a key here.

Regardless of the shooting position, Weaver, modified weaver, or isosceles, the body position should allow the shooter to bring the gun straight up into the center of the target. 

When you step to the line/bench: Bring the gun up and sight in on the target, get your sight picture. 
Close your eyes and lower the gun, keeping your eyes closed, lower the gun. 
Eyes still closed, bring the gun up to the Target as if to sight in.
Open your eyes.
Are you still centered on the target? 
No,  move your feet to bring the gun centered on the target.
Close your eyes and repeat the test until you bring the gun up and open your eyes and see the front sight centered in the target.
NOW your shooting position is correct.

This is of course for static target type shooting.  Shooting on the move is an entirely different matter. 

[North Country Gal]

Couldn't agree more. Static shooting of a handgun - formal target shooting, recreational shooting, distance/hunting - is hugely different than action/self-defense shooting with a handgun. I've been a static handgun short from the very beginning. I make no claims of being an action/self-defense shooter.

[BrokenolMarine]

Couldn't agree more. Static shooting of a handgun - formal target shooting, recreational shooting, distance/hunting - is hugely different than action/self-defense shooting with a handgun. I've been a static handgun short from the very beginning. I make no claims of being an action/self-defense shooter.

I was certified as both a Law Enforcement Basic Firearms Instructor (Handgun / Shotgun) and Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting Instructor. But the original question was aimed at Competition or Target shooting... My Concealed Weapons Classes started in the first few hours focusing on basic shooting and them moved toward VERY basic Self Defensive Tactics.

Of course the Academy Classes I taught had a LOT of tactics.