Dry Practice Observations 2018

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  • Coach

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    I am halfway through the dry practice routine today. Going to try and post observations here from time to time from what I am seeing and how it is going. My current plan is this. 10-15 concealed carry draws with a gun of the same model as my carry gun. I don't want to unload and reload the carry gun everyday and go through so many rounds that get chambered repeatedly. I may even use my blue gun at times.

    I want to practice with both my Single stack gun and my Limited gun. I am going to do four different drills with the SS gun. Two of those drills requiring reloads, and two that do not. The two that do not require reloads will be 8 rounds per drill. One shooting left to right and the other shooting right to left. In an effort to be balanced on the direction of the shooting. Sometimes in USPSA the targets can appear from both directions and I want that to be a non factor. It should give me more options on stage break down. These drills should carry over to EDC as well since I will not have control over the direction that the threats appear.

    I plan to do some dry practice on steel challenge stages as well. I plan to do this with my Limited gun. These guns will come from the same holster for the time being. I have the grips on the SS and Limited guns set up to be very similar in size and thickness. So that switching back and forth the feel will be close. The Single stack gun has a very think grip. SS is recently converted to .40 and I have it running well. Hopes are high.

    I have the SS work already done for the day. The reloads were a struggle. The time off was evident. I had trouble gripping the magazine in the pouch and that was frustrating. When not fumbling magazines and the insert there were a number of good reps achieved to make me think this will smooth up in a couple of days and then perhaps some real improvement can be achieved. On 6 reload 6 I was able to use my Limited Gun times from last year with the skinny mags and make 75% of the par times.

    On 2 reload 2 the times from last years were not achievable. So I just worked the slowest part time for all sets. I made about 33% of those times total. Work to be done there. But if I can get SS reloads down to those times that will make things tough on the competition. 2 reload 2 was a speed focus and I did not handle that very well. Caught myself dropping the gun too much on some of them and that reload usually did not go well.

    The visual information today was fine. I was seeing the sights well at speed. There were some things that I did not like seeing but I at least saw it and can work on correcting it. After the reload I was not pushing back out with the sight aligned. They were high. WTF? Tomorrow it will be a point of focus. Should not happen and is costing me time. Calling it rust at this point.

    Need to do a little research and make a decision about shooting roundabout and then get the steel stages down.
     

    Coach

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    Everyone is welcome to make their own posts and observations here for what they are doing. Perhaps it will do some good.
     

    Twangbanger

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    I was always one of those people who thought Glocks pointed "just fine" for me. When people said, "Glocks point high for me," I thought they were smoking dope.

    I put a dot sight on one of my Glocks and have been dry firing daily with it for a few weeks. Guess what?

    Yup. Those suckers do indeed point high. Unnaturally so. Even after many weeks, it requires constant downward adjustment to center the dot. Dry fire SHO and WHO seems like a deliberate exercise in manually cranking an anti-aircraft gun downward to shoot a land based target.

    Go back to my open-sighted Glock, that I shot into B Production...bingo. Back to normal. OR, what I "thought" was normal.

    Not ready to go on a shopping trip yet. But it is food for thought.
     
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    cedartop

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    Spent over an hour in the basement doing dry work last night. I thought the wife or daughter would come check on me but I guess they care even less than I thought. All my work was done with plate rack drills. At 10 yards your index mistakes really come to light with small plates. (6 inches).
     

    BehindBlueI's

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    I was always one of those people who thought Glocks pointed "just fine" for me. When people said, "Glocks point high for me," I thought they were smoking dope.

    I put a dot sight on one of my Glocks and have been dry firing daily with it for a few weeks. Guess what?

    Yup. Those suckers do indeed point high. Unnaturally so. Even after many weeks, it requires constant downward adjustment to center the dot. Dry fire SHO and WHO seems like a deliberate exercise in manually cranking an anti-aircraft gun downward to shoot a land based target.

    Go back to my open-sighted Glock, that I shot into B Production...bingo. Back to normal. OR, what I "thought" was normal.

    Not ready to go on a shopping trip yet. But it is food for thought.

    Glock points high for me, especially if I've been shooting Sigs. However it's quick to overcome with some dry fire. Remember that a slight muzzle rise at the beginning of the press out can be a good thing. It helps you acquire the front sight faster and lets you settle into the notch gradually during the press out. A completely level gun at the beginning of the press out can, at least for some, be slower because your eyes initially pick up the rear of the gun and you have to transition your focus. I've certainly found that to be true for me with 3 dot set ups especially.

    Before shopping, I'd verify that you have a good press out. Once you get a consistent index and a proper press out, you should be able to do a good presentation with any grip angle. Also note that the grip angle that feels natural for presentation may not be the same as feels natural for recoil control, and IMO presentation is easier to adjust to, primarily because recoil control requires live fire whereas presentation can be worked on in dry fire, with airsoft, etc.
     

    Twangbanger

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    ...Also note that the grip angle that feels natural for presentation may not be the same as feels natural for recoil control...

    Hmm...yeah, I wondered about that. From duct-taping a dot sight on top of my 226, it sure does line up nice. But I wouldn't want to either machine up that slide, or buy another $1200 optic-ready gun, until I'm sure this result "sticks." I instantly shoot better when I rent a Sig 320 RX with optic; my follow up shots have more of a central tendency. That's disturbing.

    I have more work to do.
     

    cedartop

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    35 minutes

    Plate reload weak. 10 yards 16 reps 5.6 par Most inconsistent part is first shot weak hand after reload.
    Plate shoot off. 10 yards 16 reps 4.5 second par.
    Front sight forward. 7 yards 20 reps 2.1 second par. When pushing hard for speed on here, I have to stay very focused on moving my hands as fast as possible from start position to gun and off hand index point.
    2 reload 2. 7 yards 20 reps 2.5 second par. Reload is the make or break here. Consistent index is critical.
    Bill reload bill. 7 yards 20 reps 4.8 second par.
    Head shot sight picture. 10 yards 20 reps 1 second par. Remember to move hands to same pre draw index regardless of start position. Surrender, relaxed, or fence.
     

    riverman67

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    I think this thread is a great idea. I might help keep me honest.

    I worked through drills 1-12 in refinement and repetition. I also did 50 reps of 2 reload 2 from concealment with the carry gear. I started out with 20 but it was so damn frustrating I couldn't stop.
     

    bwframe

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    I think this thread is a great idea. It might help keep me honest...

    I grabbed one of my nearby BUGS to not have to unload/reload. It was in the factory case, in a holster that I forgot I had. :rolleyes:

    I gotta load some dummy rounds and dedicate 3 mags to dry-fire. I don't carry extra mags at home, so I need some sort of mag carrier that doesn't need my belt threaded through it.
     
    Last edited:

    whtsti2005

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    Dry Fire Practice Routine:

    Day 1
    o 10x – Draw, focusing on each count (access, withdraw, drive)
    o – Single trigger press to 4 inch target, cycle for reset, perform scan and access, then work back to the holster
    o 10x – Draw and double trigger press to 4 inch target
    o 10x – From ready position ¡V double action press to 4 inch target
    o 10x – From ready position ¡V single action press to 4 inch target
    o 10x – Draw, strong hand only single shot to 4 inch target
    o 10x – From ready position ¡V support hand only, single shot to 4 inch target
    Day 2
    o 10x – Draw, double trigger press to 8 inch target
    o 15x – Primary malfunction clearance ¡V two handed
    o – Draw, single trigger press : tap, rack, access, one single trigger press
    o 15x – Tactical Reloads:
    o – Draw, single trigger press, tactical reload (retain magazine), access
    o 15x – Emergency Reloads ¡V start with empty magazine, slide locked open
    o – Attempt one trigger press, conduct emergency reload, one trigger press
    Day 3
    o 10x – Pivot 90 degrees in each direction ¡V double trigger press
    o 10x – Turn 180 degrees in each direction ¡V double trigger press
    o 10x – Sidestep each direction, double trigger press ¡V 8 inch target
    o 10x – Each direction ¡V moving forward and reverse ¡V multiple shots on 8 inch target
    Day 4
    o 10x – Transitions between two targets ¡V single shot on each ¡V 4 inch target
    o 10x – Transitions between two targets ¡V double trigger press on each ¡V 8 inch target
    o 10x – Transitions between two target ¡V three trigger presses on each, combination between 4 inch and 8 inch targets
    o 10x – Transitions between two targets ¡V three to six trigger presses on each target
    Day 5
    o 10x – Draws focusing on each count of the draw (access, withdraw, drive)
    o – Single trigger press to 8 inch target.
    o 10x – Timed draws ¡V start with a comfortable time and reduce by tenth of a second as you improve.
    o – Single trigger press to 8 inch target
    o 10x – Repeat draws focusing on each count of the draw (access, withdraw, drive)
    o – Single trigger press to 8 inch target
     

    Coach

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    Half done for the day 2 reload 2 was a rough go. I figured out to not drop the gun as much and look the magazine in and things went better on the last two sets.
     

    cedartop

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    Worked only with carry gun today.

    Dot Torture at 5 yards. The dot makes it easier to call your shots on something like this. Had one WHO shot that would have been close.

    50 concealed draws. Used a mixture of starting positions mostly from the fence. Practiced both two and one handed clearing techniques.

    50 concealed reloads. Worked with in battery and out of battery reloads. Worked half with movement on the reload.
     

    Coach

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    Worked only with carry gun today.

    Dot Torture at 5 yards. The dot makes it easier to call your shots on something like this. Had one WHO shot that would have been close.

    50 concealed draws. Used a mixture of starting positions mostly from the fence. Practiced both two and one handed clearing techniques.

    50 concealed reloads. Worked with in battery and out of battery reloads. Worked half with movement on the reload.

    You make me feel like I am not doing enough.
     

    Coach

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    Draw stroke seemed very smooth today for all of the drills. 2 reload 2 was the best day so far. Made the time on 19 of 24 reps. Did 28 reps to get the reload completed on the 24 reps that I allowed to count. Worked on keeping the gun up and looking it in. Made all the difference. I think making the time so many reps was looking it in first and a really good draw stroke today. I was picking up the front sight well today and getting on the trigger right away.

    My left to right array is different from the right to left array and I am making the par time with time to spare on the earlier rounds of right to left. I may need to adjust the times. The transition between first and second target are drastically different, which is by design.

    Moved the par time down by a tenth on Pendelum. Could probably stand to go another one. Five to Go and Speed Option are close to moving as well. I may start doing a set of draws on each of these Steel stages.

    Hope to get a dry session in tomorrow. But Tuesday I am teching GH 101 and Wednesday night is match night. So the routine is in trouble those two nights.
     

    cedartop

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    Live fire today. Not sure if I will get dry fire in. Will report back if I do. I will say though that I think my dry fire is paying off. I worked my 200 round speed drills at the range today and had some pretty good for me times on them. 2 to a 3X3 at 7 was averaging 1.75 seconds and had some failure drills in under 2, in spite of the 15 degree temps.
     
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    Twangbanger

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    1. My up-under-the-armpit concealment holster really does slow down draws, compared to a drop comp type. It's not much and it wouldn't matter in a field course, but for classifiers it might.

    2. Really need to see the inside of the magwell on reloads. I can get lucky and get a superfast one now and then without it, but over time the standard deviation is large, and the downside of that bell-curve is a killer. Better to take the time than take the chance. Just have to work this up to a learned response level. Not there.

    3. It's very hard to shave time in the pure movement portion, but what you do while entering the position can shave buckets of time.
     

    Coach

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    Dry practice complete for the day. Let the beer drinking begin.

    Dropped the par time for the Right to left array .2 of a second and still made them all and 4 out of 5 of the under par time.
    Reloads were a little better today. The rust is coming off. Focused on a stronger left hand grip with both guns today. New par times on Pendelum was achieved on day 2 with a hitch.
     

    GIJEW

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    Disability had me step down from my 1911 to a P320 and I've been doing slow-mo reps drawing/extending/firing to adjust to the new grip angle and trigger.

    I've also been using the timed targets on Rangemaster's website (suggested drills) to push myself and I'm struggling with lateral movement from janked up balance during extension (like the lookout in the mast saying "thar she blows").
     

    cedartop

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    Sight Picture Confirmation. (draw) 5 yards 50 reps. .6 of a second is as low as my timer will go. I am finishing slightly before end of beep.
    10 yard index. 30 reps.
    10 yard surrender index. 30 reps
    Strong hand index. 30 reps
    Weak hand index. 40 reps. I pay a lot of attention at keeping my finger out of the trigger guard during the transfer.
    6 reload 6. 20 reps
    Surrender 6 reload 6. 16 reps.
    6 reload Strong. 16 reps.
    6 reload weak. 16 reps.
    Front Sight Forward. 20 reps.
    2 reload 2. 20 reps.

    I had to break this up into two sessions as my wife wanted to go shopping during the day. Still struggling a bit with scanning after each rep. Holstering without doing so is not a habit I want to get into.
     
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