Practice style and schedule?

[Big Hext Finnigan]

I know.. it's a dirty word, but if you practice.. how and how often?

Adios,

[Klondike]

BHF, I do not get to practice near as much as I would like. We are on the road most of the time going to shoots. When I practice, I do 1 and 2 shot drills with a timer. Before finishing for the day I will run a couple of stages with all guns.
If you go to the range and just shoot up ammo, 5 round dumps, or what ever, you are just burning up ammo. Work on out of holster first shot on steel and check your times. Same for rifle and shotgun, buzzer, first shot, hit, check time. Long guns should be picked up from various staging positions.

[Big Hext Finnigan]

Howdy,

Let me ask you this.. if I don't own a timer, does it help to still do one shot draw and shoot drills? 

Adios,

[Klondike]

Not really, you are not seeing if you are improving. Timers can be borrowed from a Pard or the club in most cases.

[Doc Shapiro]

I disagree with Klondike.  One shot draw drills help with and without a timer.  All a timer does is give you a way to gauge improvement. 

Targeted practice is always good!  That is, practice that's geared toward improving something.  So, if you are practicing one shot draw drills from a variety of starting positions in order to get more consistent on draw and grip, and to get faster, you don't necessarily need a timer. 

I practice a couple days a week, typically 4-600 rounds each session and another 50 shotshells or so.  I work on draws from a variety of positions, transitions, accuracy, and speed.  I generally practice on 10 to 12 inch targets at distances from 10 to 20 yards. 

Often I will set up a Steel Challenge stage and use those target arrays.  That gets me some practice for that game too.

The specific drills I do are in my book.  Quick Cal's 50 shot drill is a favorite.  Set up 5 targets at varying heights.  Start at 8 yards.  Choose a starting position and target order.  At the buzzer, shoot it.  Back up 2 yards, pick another starting position and target order.  Shoot it again.  Do this for a total of 5 positions, 2 yards back each time.  The goal is to shoot the 50 shots clean at match pace.  It really gets you into your sights!

I also dry fire practice a couple of 5 minutes sessions a day.  Just about every day.  Those are targeted strictly on transitions and speed of working the action of the gun.

Doc

[Klondike]

Repetition, correct repetition, will build correct muscle memory. If you use poor practice techniques, they will carry over to the range. Hand and eye co-ordination included. Practice, practice and more practice. Dry firing is excellent practice, but you must do it correctly, I also use a timer doing this too. Doc you are right a timer is not needed, but I find it helps me, not only in giving me a comparitive number, but by hearing the beep and reacting to it.
I don't try to do like Spence and run 17 second par times ( to dang old) for all four guns, but I do like to know if I am improving or at least holding my own.
The drills you describe in your book and Quick Cal's are excellent practice drills. The other thing that is often over looked by shooters trying to improve, is they will practice their strong suit instead of concentrating on their weakness. If you are good with pistols, practice the rifle and transitions, or  vice versa.

[Foothills Drifter]

Howdy......
I have a very complex practice schedual......
I dry fire a few times after I clean my guns to work the lube in. The timer I use is at the monthly matches I go to....when the time goes off, I practice for 6 to 10 stages   Why should I bother with anything more, I aint gonna win cause I do this for fun 

Good shootin......
Vern...

[Doc Shapiro]

Drifter "I aint gonna win cause I do this for fun  "

Hey, a lot of us like to win and we do it for fun too!  None of us would shoot if it weren't fun.  Winning just happens to be fun too, as does working hard to do your best.  I practice a lot, I shoot hard, and I expect to win.  I do it for fun  .

I'm not lighting into you, I just hate that phrase.  Whether it's meant to or not it conjures of thoughts of "I'm better than you cause I don't practice and just do it for fun."  That phrase really gets me goin! 

Doc (what really hates that phrase)

[Brazos Bucky Smith]

Doc, you are just "intence"!   that too is not an accusation that is a complement!   Your posts indicate your intencity, I get a lot out of them, one can tell you enjoy the shooting, and preparation.  As you say these preparations, both gun prep and personal prep, drive your intencity and fun!

keep it comin'  I and others (I'm sure) are soaking it up.  It will increase our enjoyment I am positive.  I like to know as much as I can about what I am doing, even before I get heavily involved in something.

Thanks

BB

[Foothills Drifter]

Howdy Doc......
I'm sorry you don't like 'that phrase' I said it and I meant it.
You shoot your game and I'll shoot mine!

Good shootin......
Vern...

[Gen Lew Wallace]

<The General sits quietly and sips his whiskey, and watches the spirited debate>

[L.G.]

Hmmm, my practice style and my schedule is this months match getting ready to shoot next months match.  I'm happy that my employer hasn't decided we need to work 7 days a week for more that 2 weeks a month, most months.  Otherwise, my shooting would be even more sporatic.

[innocent bystander]

Howdy BH and all!

  Well, this is my first post here on CCFH. And a good one to respond to.

  I fall in between Doc Shapiro and Drifter. I don't have the time, money or interest in doing 1200 rounds per week. If that means I won't win matches, so be it. On the other hand, I do like to practice, once a week if possible (on weeks that I'm not shooting a match).

  I think one of the biggest problems most SASS shooters face is that they don't do enough (or any) practicing. Timers are nice, but you can draw and fire without one. Steel is nice, but you can use paper and, in fact, paper is better if you are trying to figure out where your guns shoot. A range is nice, but heck, you can shoot (dryfire) the tv if you can't make it to the range!

  Although speed is the name of the game, I will never be a fast shooter, so I concentrate of being an accurate shooter. To me, the fun is hitting the target everytime, preferably in the same place on the steel. So, I practice trying to put all my shots in one spot when I practice. When I get that right, I know that during a match, I can speed up some and still get on the target. Although I never win a match, sometimes I can take second or third place in Classic Cowboy and most of the time, the difference in seconds can be counted on how many misses the person behind me has and how many less I've got. That's what practice does for me.

Bystander

[Gen Lew Wallace]

I can relate to that. 

[Micheal Fortune]

I like to get to my local range (5miles) ever week and shoot about 100 rounds.
My match range is 40 miles away and don't get there but maybe once a month between shoots.

In reality I usually get only a couple of ranges days in before shoots

I too practice several one and two shot draws on paper plates fixed at various heights from 10 to 25 yards.

A couple of 5 round single target speed rounds.

I need more help in the rifle and shotgun department so I put a few extra round through them.

Just haven't gotten getting that side by side to sing right yet, but Doc, your clips are helping!

Also saw those End of the Trail '04 clips, I'm about half way there, ok maybe a little less, but heck, if I was the best what would it give me to work for?

[Irish Red O'Toole]

I practice about once a week.  My range is 40-50 minutes away, so I plan to stay out there for at least 3-4 hours.  I usually practice whatever I had to most trouble with at the last match.  This Saturday, I'll be working on rifle drills and lots of shotgun.   After I'm done with drills, I usually shoot several different mock stages.  Just to put all the motions I've been practicing into play.  It's good to have someone to practice with, too.  I've been fortunate enough to meet up my last few times with Frederick Jackson Turner.  Can't do much better than pointers from a World Champ.

This Saturday, though, I'm bringing my wife up to help her practice basic stage mechanics.....loading table, walk to the line...shoot...go to the unloading table....and finsih.  It's all she needs to get her confident to shoot a regular match.

[Doc Shapiro]

Red, you might also shoot a stage the very first thing.  Go through all the prep as if you were at a match.  Learn to shoot well cold!

Doc

[Irish Red O'Toole]

Doc,
That's a great idea.  I'll give it a go on Saturday!

[Lou Graham]

I practice (or play) in the back yard (it's acres) a couple of times a week with .22 Bearcat and Marlin Mountie.  Good for remembering the front sight and finding the target and getting good at from the hip with the rifle.  Another couple of times a week in the rec room with shotgun (my weakest) doing loading and hammer-cocking dry fire drills.  Sometimes a little with the pistol transitions (second weakest).  I don't get the timer out every time, I'd rather wait a bit to compare since I don't seem to get better in a day -- it takes days or weeks to see a difference.  I try to get to the range once a week, but don't always make it.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I like to practice a couple times a month, but lately we've been so busy there hasn't been the time to practice enough. Still fun, but I can see the difference in my shooting when we go to matches.