New Guy USPSA Training, With Pictures And Questions!

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Attempting to enter the world of sport shooting, Ill be attending my first match on Sunday and wanted to try my hand at one of the courses before I make a fool of myself on a live range.

I setup course “CM 23-02” (This could be the Greatest Night of Our Lives) using flags as barriers, and some amazon cardboard targets (they are less expensive.)

These are my groups by the end of the day. About 1.5 hours of setup and shooting before I realized I was getting diminishing returns.

This video was my best run.



My question is, is it more beneficial to force myself to shoot faster to improve my speed? Or should i slow down to guarantee hits? Im just not sure if going SLOWER will make me any FASTER later.

Thank you for reading,
IndianaSoloMcfly

 

[BR8818]

I've never shot a competition like uspsa and I'm not really answering your question, but I've noticed my fastest times feel like I am going slow.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

I've never shot a competition like uspsa and I'm not really answering your question, but I've noticed my fastest times feel like I am going slow.

It feels like I need to push myself faster, to become faster, but, it also feels like I'm waisting ammo because I cant track my front sight much faster so it feels more and more like guess work

 

[Twangbanger]

You are doing what you need to be doing. Make sure you look at one of the targets carefully on the first stage before you shoot it, and note where the A-zone is relative to the center of the target. Your practice targets are shaped considerably differently from the USPSA metric target. Rather than "slowing down," it's usually more productive for your accuracy to note where the A-zone actually is, and make sure you're "snapping" your eyes (and gun) to that area. It is slightly higher than the center of the cardboard, and under the pressure of the match, it's easy to get lazy and lose points by putting the gun dead-center on the target. Putting the gun dead-center on the USPSA target places half the A-zone above your point of impact, making half the A-zone virtually un-hittable.

(If there are "white cover" targets, most beginners do find they need to slow down a bit on those, to avoid the -10 penalty for no shoots).

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

You are doing what you need to be doing. Make sure you look at one of the targets carefully on the first stage before you shoot it, and note where the A-zone is relative to the center of the target. Your practice targets are shaped considerably differently from the USPSA metric target. Rather than "slowing down," it's usually more productive for your accuracy to note where the A-zone actually is, and make sure you're "snapping" your eyes (and gun) to that area. It is slightly higher than the center of the cardboard, and under the pressure of the match, it's easy to get lazy and lose points by putting the gun dead-center on the target. Putting the gun dead-center on the USPSA target places half the A-zone above your point of impact, making half the A-zone virtually un-hittable.

(If there are "white cover" targets, most beginners do find they need to slow down a bit on those, to avoid the -10 penalty for no shoots).

Thats actually very helpful. The pictures where my groups are high are to simulate the white cover targets on the course. The “snapping”. I think this is sort of what im missing. I think im spending to much time by moving my head, THEN my gun, THEN attempting a perfect sight picture. I should practice making all of those one movement, a snap.

Ive never worked with movement and shooting really. Excited to participate

 

[Twangbanger]

Thats actually very helpful. The pictures where my groups are high are to simulate the white cover targets on the course. The “snapping”. I think this is sort of what im missing. I think im spending to much time by moving my head, THEN my gun, THEN attempting a perfect sight picture. I should practice making all of those one movement, a snap.

Ive never worked with movement and shooting really. Excited to participate

Eyes go first, then gun. If the eyes get there the same time as the gun, that's actually part of what slows you down, makes you "overshoot" the target, place your gun inaccurately and lose points, etc. You can practice this when dry firing, and see how much quicker and more accurate you get in gun placement, when your eyes get there just a bit faster.

"Perfect sight picture" also costs a lot of time. In your practice, you have to figure out what distances you can still get A-hits with a less-than-perfect sight picture, and "how much" less. Because that opens up some speed. It all just comes with time, and practice. On the up-close targets (7 yards and less), beginners tend to lose a lot of time over-perfecting sight pictures. On those, you actually focus on the target, if they're unobstructed (a difference from slow fire "precision" shooting where you focus on the sights). Set up some close targets, and practice "letting it rip," correcting your sight pictures on the fly. There is a level of focus in practical shooting where you're "aware" where the sights are, but not necessarily crisp-focusing on them. As long as you're not pushing the gun "down" in recoil, then you can begin to let things rip and gain a comfort factor with it. Once you have a good trigger press that isn't moving the gun around, you'll find a lot of USPSA targets don't require "laser like" crisp focus on the sights, just an awareness of where they are, and the ability to correct on the fly.

I think a lot of people would agree, the only shots where you need to really get a conventional "sight focus" are where it's a long distance popper, or the scoring area of the target is significantly obstructed with cover. On most wide-open targets at moderate distances (say 12 yards or less), you can actually get away with just being "aware" of where the front sight is, if you placed the gun accurately on the target to begin with (ie, "good index"), and are not pushing the gun down when you pull the trigger.

Good luck and keep it up. Practicing before your first match is a leg up on many beginners!

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Thank you for the advice. Ill certainly consider it when i go back out to train again tomorrow. For now? To the guest bed room i go to make clicking noises. (Dry fire practice)

Again. Thank you!!

 

[Good on paper]

It sounds like you’ve done some research so I’m assuming that you understand USPSA scoring, its points per second. The game is to find the sweet spot where you can place acceptable hits in the shortest time possible. We have all asked the question which is better speed or accuracy and the answer is yes.
There are two basic types of shooters, turtles and hosers. Turtles snake eye every target and seldom drop a Charlie, hosers squirt bullets in the general direction of the A zone and C-D-M scores are common. I tend to be in the hoser category and am always trying to reel in the accuracy. Once you shoot a couple matches you’ll be able to compare yourself to the competition and get an idea on the time vs hits of the other guys.
Twangbanger is right you can only shoot as fast as you can see and you will learn to ‘round the corners’ on what you can get away with to cut the time while maintaining acceptable accuracy.
Ben Stoger has been putting out a ton of videos on his YT channel I’d recommend subscribing and checking them out. Predictive vs reactive shooting is relevant to what you are asking about I think.

 

[ECS686]

I shoot more IDPA than USPSA these days but from shooting both you need to have a bay. There is time you can speed up like (in my case I run irons) the close targets i just do a soft focus’s looking more at the target but confirming the front is lined up. (I’m always looking at the sight it’s just I don’t worry about B1 home groups at 5 yards just an A zone or -0) Then focus’s on the irons and slow down to make the hits at say a pepper or reduced pepper popper at distance (they move on yoh you know LOL)

If you run Red Dots It will
Obviously be a little different

 

[Twangbanger]

I will second that the Ben Stoeger YouTube videos are probably the best information available. You can pretty much obtain anything you need to learn to shoot USPSA well from watching them. He allowed participants in his paid clinics to record and post the instruction given there, which is rare among elite instructors.

You just have to put it to practice... . Most really good shooters are not too stingy with their information. They have no fear of giving up their "secrets," because they probably realize most people won't put it to practice, anyway.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, today I am slightly frustrated because my belt and mag pouches are stuck in the mail and wont be here until monday

I had given myself time today to go out and shoot one more time and to affiliate myself with the new gear. Unfortunately, Ill be using the walmart special tomorrow for mag pouches. Oh well. We’ll get em next time.

Going to binge these Ben Stoeger vids tonight before sleep.

 

[Twangbanger]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, today I am slightly frustrated because my belt and mag pouches are stuck in the mail and wont be here until monday

I had given myself time today to go out and shoot one more time and to affiliate myself with the new gear. Unfortunately, Ill be using the walmart special tomorrow for mag pouches. Oh well. We’ll get em next time.

Going to binge these Ben Stoeger vids tonight before sleep.

Just make sure you don't shortcut on the sleep! You would be surprised how easy it is to have brain farts in a match.

 

[dlister70]

It's your first match. Don't worry about speed or accuracy. Just worry about knowing/following the RO commands. Speed will come with time. Even if you walk your first match and shoot each target slowly like you're in a bullseye match, no one is going to yell at you to hurry up. If you run as fast as you can, and trip and break the 180, then you're going to hear some yelling.

I know that you're excited, and you seem to know your way around a gun, but seriously, don't show up at the match hoping to show off your skills. Learn the rules, be safe, and have fun. You'll be double tapping A zone hits while sprinting by them soon enough, just don't try to do it at your first match.

I'll be at Riley on Sunday too. Just let your RO know that you're new, and they will help you out with the commands.

Riley puts on some good matches, I think you'll have a fun time. Welcome to the sport!

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

I have a little bit of nerves, but, only in the way anyone does when they do something new. Not so worried about looking foolish or something. I really just want to go and have an experience outside of my day to day. Hopefully i fall in love with the sport and choose to dive deeper. I told some friends and fiancee about it and they wanted to come, but I said nah, just let me go alone so I can have a full, undistracted day. The worry has turned to excitement and intrigue.

I do wish my belt and mag pouched came in..

 

[dlister70]

I have a little bit of nerves, but, only in the way anyone does when they do something new. Not so worried about looking foolish or something. I really just want to go and have an experience outside of my day to day. Hopefully i fall in love with the sport and choose to dive deeper. I told some friends and fiancee about it and they wanted to come, but I said nah, just let me go alone so I can have a full, undistracted day. The worry has turned to excitement and intrigue.

I do wish my belt and mag pouched came in..

Sounds like you've got the right spirit! I remember that I couldn't sleep before my first match. As long as you have some kind of holster, I've seen plenty of guys pull mags from their pants pockets. As long as you're safe about it, no one will care.

I started with an M&P 9mm in one of those Uncle Mike's holsters on my regular leather belt, and some of the crappiest mag pouches known to man. Once I realized that I loved it, I got one of the fancier velcro competition belts and pouches, and a race holster and a fancy CZ gun.

It can be as expensive or as cheap of a hobby as you want. Haha.

I came from bullseye shooting static targets. USPSA was a heck of a change for me, and I love the movement and sometimes shooting moving targets like a Texas star, or disappearing targets. It's a lot of fun, even when I miss!

I've only met one guy who hated it. Said he preferred IDPA, and couldn't deal with USPSA. Otherwise, every new guy who I've seen try it, has liked it.

Hope you have a fun match!

 

[armalitesheepdog]

I'm dont know about that but

Slow makes smooth
Smooth makes fast........Paul Harrel

I'm no competitive shooter but when I practice I use this theory and I have gotten faster with repetitive smooth drills only upping the speed when it seems to have become smooth at the current speed.
If that even makes sense.

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

Welp. I might as well let you all know, its time to hang it up, after my first match I realized all of my flaws, and by this time next year I will be shooting for free, sponsored by S&W and in a plane on my way to vegas

No.

But really, it was fun, and I did recognize many areas to improve on. And will be back to shoot again. I think I need to work on speed, and reloads. Really, I just need more trigger time. Everyone was kind, and it felt like a safe environment. Good stuff