(re)Training

So - now that I am the owner/operator of a hopefully stable and operating right eye (it's a long story) I thought I'd try and get the remaining 2 distinguished badges (SP & SR) that I don't already have. Given that I effectively had about 16 months not shooting and I haven't seriously shot iron sights for a long time it became very clear very early that I needed to more or less start from scratch. The 2 matches I've done I barely managed a sharpshooter score.
I've got (and read) the Marine manual and the AMU one they hand out at Perry. I've also reviewed a lot of Ed Hall's and Cecil's posts herein.
This is what I've come up with as a program - I offer it up here for comment and feedback.

Assume dry firing every day with service pistol or revolver. Air pistol on the days I'm not live firing. Best case would be range every other day but in reality it will be 2-3 a week.

Start point - 22 conversion set up as near as possible like the service pistol.
1. Single shots until I put the whole magazine (i.e. 5 consecutive shots) in the black.
2. Pyramid.
3. 5 shot groups, reverting to 4 if I miss one, until I can put 6 groups all in the black. None of this is timed.
4. Use audio prompts (no turning targets) to do timed fire - until I can put 4 strings in the black
5. Repeat for rapid fire.
The untimed section to be repeated every session until it seems that I have the new muscle memory and my grip is stable through a whole group. Right now, unless I focus on it,  I'm gripping harder as I'm trying to force the sights back in line instead of it falling back. Then maybe reduce it and concentrate on the timed / rapid.

At some point in there I need to add the long line.

I should point out that I haven't got anywhere near completing this. I've got to 3 groups on stage 3.

On alternate sessions do the same for revolver. 

Once I can do the 22 to completion then repeat that with the 45.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Derek

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https://mentalmanagement.com/products/with-winning-in-mind

https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/bullseye-mind-book/Books-CDs-and-DVDs

My program loosely was;
-live fire when I could,
-dry fire when I couldn't
-exercise when I didn't feel focused enough for dry fire
-study training books or the rules when I didn't feel like exercise

Position relevant materials up so they are as easy to access as practical.  IE; a grip trainer in a box somewhere won't get used, but leave it on the desk and it will.

Bullseye pistol shooting is 90% mental. The rest is in your head! Seriously though, once the physical strength and stamina is achieved, the rest is trigger control and mental control. The destination is the same. The roads traveled can be different. I like the "keep it positive" theory.

Outthere, Thanks for book references, particularly Martindale's. One way to grow the sport is spreading knowledge so that everyone improves and success attracts new players.

Derek, be careful not to over train. Take 1-2 days a week off spread out evenly through the week. This means no dry firing, no live fire, no should/arm exercises. Good luck and see you on the line.

30calfun wrote:Derek, be careful not to over train. Take 1-2 days a week off spread out evenly through the week. This means no dry firing, no live fire, no should/arm exercises. Good luck and see you on the line.

Mild disagree on this one. Consistent strength training (weights) daily, provided you work up to it and don't overdo it, is extremely beneficial.

straybrit, the best thing that you can do is come back to NorCal and run with us again.

For all of our bullsh*t, we have a very strong pistol program, and some of the best conversations that I've ever had about pistol shooting have happened on the firing line in NorCal within the past couple of years. And that covers 36 years of shooting all over the world.

Some folks think about bullseye pistol shooting when they are not physically training. It seems to work for some. I remember Larry Carter saying that he didn't set aside time to dry fire, but every pistol he worked on, he dry fired like it was a shot in a match.

john bickar wrote:


straybrit, the best thing that you can do is come back to NorCal and run with us again.

Too hot, too expensive, too many stupid rules around our sport. Mind you, Colorado is doing it's best to catch up. 
Machined the rear sights out to .125 and that's making a big difference to the sustained fire. Despite the best efforts of the medical profession father time is also getting in with an opinion on how well my eyes function.