Slow Fire Rule Question - Single Loading?

Maybe this is a strange question.

Every time I shoot a match, the instructions for the slow fire portion include "with a magazine of 5 rounds, load" ...

Is there any rule that says you can't singly load every round? It's my understanding that there's nothing stopping you from unloading at any point and doing some dry fire.

I ask because I have a bad habit, over the course of the slow fire portion, to develop a flinch and anticipate the recoil. I find if I dry fire a shot or two periodically it keeps me closer to the middle. Sometimes in a match I'll do more dry fire than live fire.

Obviously in the long run the solution is to fix my flinch, but is there some rule that prohibits me from doing my slow fire like BANG click click BANG click BANG click BANG click click click etc? Or must I feed every round from a magazine of 5 rounds, like the guy calling the line says?

10 shots in 10 minutes . Do as you please.  Its listed as 1 stage.

For slow fire, the proper command is "load" not "with five rounds, load'' -- You may load as many rounds as you desire (up to ten) in slow fire.

I’ll unload and take a couple dry fire shots if my process is going bad.
Kurt

kjanracing wrote:I’ll unload and take a couple dry fire shots if my process is going bad.
Kurt

+1 to infinity 
Jon

Jon Eulette wrote:

kjanracing wrote:I’ll unload and take a couple dry fire shots if my process is going bad.
Kurt

+1 to infinity 
Jon

and beyond!

Depends on if you are at a NRA match or CMP match as far as the commands go.   

The CMP uses "WITH FIVE ROUNDS LOAD. AFTER FIRING FIVE SHOTS,RELOAD YOUR PISTOLS WITH A MAGAZINE AND FIVE SHOTS {they probably should say "rounds", but they said all their commands are correct} AND CONTINUE FIRING." for slow fire stages.  

NRA is just "LOAD" for slow fire match or stage if scoring is after 10 shots.  "NOTE: In slow fire events, which are scored after 10 shots, the command should be “10 SHOTS SLOW FIRE, 10 SHOTS IN 10 MINUTES, LOAD.” (The number of rounds to be loaded by the competitor in slow fire stages will be determined by the competitor." 

In any event, nothing appears to keep you from clearing your gun and performing dryfire if you should choose to do so.  

CR

CR10X wrote:Depends on if you are at a NRA match or CMP match as far as the commands go.   

The CMP uses "WITH FIVE ROUNDS LOAD. AFTER FIRING FIVE SHOTS,RELOAD YOUR PISTOLS WITH A MAGAZINE AND FIVE SHOTS {they probably should say "rounds", but they said all their commands are correct} AND CONTINUE FIRING." for slow fire stages.  

NRA is just "LOAD" for slow fire match or stage if scoring is after 10 shots.  "NOTE: In slow fire events, which are scored after 10 shots, the command should be “10 SHOTS SLOW FIRE, 10 SHOTS IN 10 MINUTES, LOAD.” (The number of rounds to be loaded by the competitor in slow fire stages will be determined by the competitor." 

In any event, nothing appears to keep you from clearing your gun and performing dryfire if you should choose to do so.  

CR

Absolutely correct.  You can unload and dry fire during the slow fire stages; a very common practice during International Free Pistol matches.  On a personal note, I load five rounds in each magazine for all the slow fires, because that was the way I was taught, just to get ready for the timed and rapid stages, but there is nothing that says you can't load all ten rounds for the .22 slow fires.  And again, that pertains to NRA matches.  As CR10X noted, the CMP requires you to load five rounds in each mag for the slow fire stage.

I heard some match directors saying "WITH THE MAGAZINE OF UP TO 10 ROUNDS LOAD".

I see folks using revolvers load them singly to use the best cylinder in the gun for slow fire. I always just use the command 'Load' for slow fire.

Thank you all. I'll carry on with dryfiring to my heart's content.

Greetings,

In the words of our new Secretary of Defense...

"It's only illegal if you get caught."

Cheers,

Dave