Shot timer shell shock

[davef]

Hello,

well Im pretty good at shooting slow fire bullseye targets at 50 feet (the length of my local range) so I decided to get some IDPA targets and a shot timer and see what happens when I put a timer on and try to get 3 in the A zone in 10 seconds. Without the timer I can get all of em in there all day but the second the timer comes on I bubblegum my pants and Im lucky if I get 1 in there. It feels like im making good shots but when I look they are terrible. I figure I better figure out how to shoot with the timer before i go embarrass myself at an IDPA match. Any ideas on how to shoot better under pressure?

Thanks

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[Nwcid]

Like anything else start slow. Sure use the timer but shoot like you are use to. Each time speed up a little.

Remember the real competition guys shoot 50-100,000 rds each year......

 

[Pepe-lepew]

Hello,

well Im pretty good at shooting slow fire bullseye targets at 50 feet (the length of my local range) so I decided to get some IDPA targets and a shot timer and see what happens when I put a timer on and try to get 3 in the A zone in 10 seconds. Without the timer I can get all of em in there all day but the second the timer comes on I bubblegum my pants and Im lucky if I get 1 in there. It feels like im making good shots but when I look they are terrible. I figure I better figure out how to shoot with the timer before i go embarrass myself at an IDPA match. Any ideas on how to shoot better under pressure?

Thanks

If IDPA is anything like USPSA, nobody will care if you shoot slow. You will have your chance at the stage and you can slow fire bullseye it if you like. I found in my first few matches slowing down to use the sights made better match scores than racing the timer. Try timing how long to make the shots rather than having a set time goal.

Trigger manipulation for bullseye is different than practical shooting. Slowly squeezing the trigger while sights are on target verses seeing the sights near the A zone and pulling through fast. Dry fire practice can help if you try getting a sight picture then pull the trigger. When the hammer falls you'll see where your sights were. As you get better at live fire drills you will start to know where your sights were when the gun fired. It is called "calling the shot" and an important skill in competition.

 

[Ryo]

Don't worry about others. Just shoot as fast as you can with good hits. Go to the events because you get real practice at the event than what you get at a range. Talk with the people there.. Typically they are friendly and will give good advice.

As the saying goes..
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

 

[Kevatc]

Any ideas on how to shoot better under pressure?

Keep doing the shot timer. It all comes down to the balance of speed and acuracy.

As the saying goes.. "fast is slow, slow is quick."

Nope. Slow is slow.

 

[RicInOR]

IDPA -- Just show up and shoot.
There is a lot more to it than being "fast" and you need to get the experience.
Besides, it is fun.

 

[Kid@Heart]

IDPA and USPSA are both a lot of fun if you are willing to be humbled. Don't go expecting to win. The first couple of times I did it I was so nervous I couldn't shoot accurately at all. Just concentrate on shooting the course of fire correctly and SAFELY. Speed will come in time. Don't be shy about asking for advise and whatever you do, do not go out and buy a buttload of fancy equipment.

 

[Allfat]

As the saying goes..
"fast is slow, slow is quick."

I think that is supposed to be:

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

 

[The Duck]

If you want some cheap and good practice and to do so on your own or with a friend...

Local range which will allow you or in the woods:

1) Sprint 100 yards
2) Do as many push-ups as possible
3) Fire at different targets from different position through a simple course (Standing, Kneeling, Barricade, Concealed, Prone, etc..) where in which the target are balloons in the wind...

Sounds simple, but the best "practice" you can get on $.99...

If you want to train as you fight; Get your heart rate up and shoot moving targets which are not staged (i.e. standing still or controlled movements) I guarantee you that your heart rate and breathing will not be calm in real life, YOU WILL NOT BE A HINDU COW...

 

[Ryo]

I think that is supposed to be:

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

Thanks for the correction. Doh!

 

[PiratePast40]

Pepe-lepew is spot on with calling your shots. You must have the patience to wait for the correct front sight picture, squeeze the trigger correctly (a science in itself), and know exactly where the front sight is when the shot breaks. If you do that, you'll know where your shot will hit. For me, the first time was a bit of a Zen moment, and chasing that moment becomes a passion.

There are all sorts of axioms to describe how to shoot, and we all have our interpretations. When watching the pros, when they are accurate and fast, they are smooth.

For your first match, speed isn't important at all, safety is the key, followed by watching and learning. You'll soon see that you can't miss fast enough to win, so slow down. And about that thing of your brains dribbling out your big toe as soon as the buzzer goes off, ya - I know exactly how that feels so join the crowd!

Here's a good forum for competition shooters. Probably more information and advice than a person can absorb in several lifetimes. Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

 

[PiratePast40]

.....Don't be shy about asking for advise and whatever you do, do not go out and buy a buttload of fancy equipment....

Whoa there, that's like telling a guy not to go out and by more tools

But yes, for some of us, it'll be a long, long time before we have the skill to outshoot most of our equipment.

 

[cookie]

Been there done that and I don't want to discuss it!!! I learned this many years ago a $3,000.00 gun didn't make me a $3,000.00 shooter. Nice pistol though!:winkkiss:

 

[evltwn]

Find an organized Bullseye shooting group. They fire 22's slow, (10 shots in 10 minutes...that's right, minutes) 2-5 shot strings in 20 seconds and 2 -5 shot strings in 10 seconds, all with a timer, of course. I know it is nothing at all like IDPA, but my point is that it will get you used to the timer and realize how long 10 or 20 seconds really is.