Meaningful Indoor Pistol Practice

[MarkCh]

Quick question. When I go the outdoor range (USSA), I take a bunch of target stands of mine and a couple of pieces of steel, set up 10 or 12 targets in different stage type settings and shoot them with rife, pistol or both. It's interesting, a lot of fun and, I think, productive. I do a lot of drawing, shooting on the move, transitioning from rifle to pistol, shoot/reload/shoot, etc. But when the weather really sucks and I have to go to the indoor range, it's a real let down. At the range where I shoot, it is pistol only, except for .22 rifle, and don't have an AR .22. Also, we are not allowed to draw and shoot, or shoot on the move. I find myself reluctantly shooting a couple of mags haphazardly at overly large targets, then getting bored, then burning a few more rounds and leaving feeling like I didn't accomplish anything. What should I be doing to improve my pistol shooting when going to the indoor range? I'd love to hear any suggestions for drills, different targets, techniques to practice, etc. for these types of outings. I really want to get better with my pistol. But the pratice I am doing at the indoor range isn't getting me anywhere. Perhaps it's an attitude problem, even? Thanks.

 

[Wild Bill1]

Tagged.....

 

[SpaceFlunky]

Are you wanting just marksmanship practice at the indoor range?

While indoors I like to practice shooting groups and controlled pairs. Loaded/unloaded table starts. One handed shooting.....that is all I can think of right now.

 

[Squid]

I like to try and shoot tiny groups at 7 to 10 yds. Staying hyper focused on trigger control and burning a hole in the front sight for 50 to 100 rounds. After that I like to shoot 6 to 8 inch targets at varying ranges to try and make a mental connection between a particular range and the appropriate cadence of fire. Then finish out with another 50 rounds of shooting for groups just as before. I should note that I'm a middle of the road shooter but feel that stuff like this has helped me tremendously in the past just as it does now. I think sometimes we get to wrapped around blasting and kung-fu mag changes. It may not be as fun but every time I go back to the very basics I see the benefit. It's work to become a better shooter not just fun. Have a plan when you go to the range. Ammo is to expensive to shoot "haphazardly".

 

[luke.reninger]

I like doing bill drills as well as what is mentioned. Some (Most) frown on that but I don't think H&H cares.

 

[MarkCh]

Good ideas. Precision pistol shooting is something I definitely need to work on. The matches I shoot are 3 gun matches at Tulsa with a very big target and a priority on speed. So I end up throwing a couple of quick shots at a big target, not caring whether I hit the A or right on the edge. Thanks for the suggestions. More appreciated also.

 

[mike cyrwus]

You live in Tulsa, not in Saskatchewan. Man up, and shoot outdoors. Use the 10 day forecast to plan them.
also, unless you have you plan for the day figured out to almost the exact round count, if not THE exact, then youre doing both indoor and outdoor training wrong non optimally.

 

[mikey80]

Everything you want to do indoors you can do in dry fire.

Do you have a dry fire routine?

 

[MarkCh]

You live in Tulsa, not in Saskatchewan. Man up, and shoot outdoors. Use the 10 day forecast to plan them.
also, unless you have you plan for the day figured out to almost the exact round count, if not THE exact, then youre doing both indoor and outdoor training wrong non optimally.

I am doing both non optimally, then. I'm basically just winging it, mostly just shooting by myself, but I'm sure I could benefit more if I had a plan before starting. What resources do you suggest for making such a plan?

Everything you want to do indoors you can do in dry fire.

Do you have a dry fire routine?

I do not. Any suggestions for how best to get started? I've pulled out the gun and dry fired a few times, but with no real purpose.

Thanks to both of you.

 

[mikey80]

I am doing both non optimally, then. I'm basically just winging it, mostly just shooting by myself, but I'm sure I could benefit more if I had a plan before starting. What resources do you suggest for making such a plan?

I do not. Any suggestions for how best to get started? I've pulled out the gun and dry fired a few times, but with no real purpose.

Thanks to both of you.

When I have questions about Dry Fire and Training, this is where I go...

http://www.boomershooter.com/forums/index.php/topic/7144-eric-gambill-aka-airic/?p=202297

 

[mike cyrwus]

You said you wanted meaningful practice. You first need to know what to do, and how to do it.
other wise you are practicing incorrect technique.
I had a ton of problems starting out because I didnt understand or comprehend this very thing.
Unless youre Luke skywalker and use the force, youll never luck into shooting well, consistently

Have you had formal training? a class or even a 1hr lesson every so often would do wonders..

 

[MarkCh]

You said you wanted meaningful practice. You first need to know what to do, and how to do it.
other wise you are practicing incorrect technique.
I had a ton of problems starting out because I didnt understand or comprehend this very thing.
Unless youre Luke skywalker and use the force, youll never luck into shooting well, consistently

Have you had formal training? a class or even a 1hr lesson every so often would do wonders..

I've shot with some serious shooters and pro shooters and received tips from them, which helped me improve some. And I have taken a couple of pistol classes with the Training Group guys at USSA, but that was mainly defensive pistol stuff. I haven't really done any serious training with an instructor or taken a competitive shooting course. I guess I was hoping to get better from just shooting a lot (I shot about 4,000 rounds of 9mm last year). But your point that shooting a lot incorrectly isn't going to make me better is a very good one. I'll look into getting some formal training. Maybe that will give me a better opportunity to progress. The cost of some of the courses seems high, but its also not cheap to shoot a bunch of ammo without making any improvement. Thanks.

 

[Matt1911]

TDSA is in your neck of the woods.

 

[mikey80]

You said you wanted meaningful practice. You first need to know what to do, and how to do it.
other wise you are practicing incorrect technique.
I had a ton of problems starting out because I didnt understand or comprehend this very thing.
Unless youre Luke skywalker and use the force, youll never luck into shooting well, consistently

Have you had formal training? a class or even a 1hr lesson every so often would do wonders..

Do you mean everyone DOESNT us the force??!!

#mindblown

 

[Chris Rhines]

I train at the indoor range a lot - I live like ten minutes from one of the nicest indoor ranges in the country.

You need to have a realistic understanding of what the indoor range can offer you. You're not going to be able to set up target arrays, shoot on the move, or practice setups. But you can practice the stuff that dryfire is less effective for, and that you don't want to spend time on at the outdoor range. My indoor range sessions focus mainly on high-accuracy shooting, recoil management on single targets, and sight tracking. I do a little work on presentations and reloads, a little multiple-target practice, usually on 2" dots, and some very limited movement work (setups while moving from one side of the booth to the other. It's what I have.)

I'm a little more chaotic in my approach to practice than, for example, Mike Cyrus. I don't plot my practices out down to the number of reps, but I do go to the range with a plan for what to work on. I develop the plan by looking at my training logs, seeing what areas I'm week on, and thinking about what skills will do me the most good in 3Gun matches. It's important to log your training and match results, so you have good data on what to practice.

Some of the indoor-friendly drills I use:
Frank Garcia's Dot Drill - I shoot this drill every time I hit the range. It's excellent for perfecting your grip and trigger control. Start by shooting it from the ready, with no time limit. Once you can clean three dots in a row, start working the time down.
Bill Drill - The traditional Bill Drill is shot at 7 yards from a surrender start. I shoot it at 7, 15, and 25 yards and keep track of my times. Shot accountability is critical with the Bill Drill - if you're just spraying shots everywhere, you're not getting anything out of it. Only clean runs count for record.
X-Drill - You can set this one up indoors with a couple of 3x5 cards and 8" paper plates. It's a good basic transition drill.
iHack - Another transition drill. Lots of work on 2" dots, translates to better results on small pistol plates.
Four Aces - No link for this one - present and fire 2 rounds, reload, and fire 2 more rounds. You can start from the holster, from ready, or from a table start. I shoot this at 7 and 15 yards. It's a pure gun handling drill, the draw and the reload are the important parts. Like on the Bill Drill, only clean runs count.

 

[MarkCh]

I train at the indoor range a lot - I live like ten minutes from one of the nicest indoor ranges in the country.

You need to have a realistic understanding of what the indoor range can offer you. You're not going to be able to set up target arrays, shoot on the move, or practice setups. But you can practice the stuff that dryfire is less effective for, and that you don't want to spend time on at the outdoor range. My indoor range sessions focus mainly on high-accuracy shooting, recoil management on single targets, and sight tracking. I do a little work on presentations and reloads, a little multiple-target practice, usually on 2" dots, and some very limited movement work (setups while moving from one side of the booth to the other. It's what I have.)

I'm a little more chaotic in my approach to practice than, for example, Mike Cyrus. I don't plot my practices out down to the number of reps, but I do go to the range with a plan for what to work on. I develop the plan by looking at my training logs, seeing what areas I'm week on, and thinking about what skills will do me the most good in 3Gun matches. It's important to log your training and match results, so you have good data on what to practice.

Some of the indoor-friendly drills I use:
Frank Garcia's Dot Drill - I shoot this drill every time I hit the range. It's excellent for perfecting your grip and trigger control. Start by shooting it from the ready, with no time limit. Once you can clean three dots in a row, start working the time down.
Bill Drill - The traditional Bill Drill is shot at 7 yards from a surrender start. I shoot it at 7, 15, and 25 yards and keep track of my times. Shot accountability is critical with the Bill Drill - if you're just spraying shots everywhere, you're not getting anything out of it. Only clean runs count for record.
X-Drill - You can set this one up indoors with a couple of 3x5 cards and 8" paper plates. It's a good basic transition drill.
iHack - Another transition drill. Lots of work on 2" dots, translates to better results on small pistol plates.
Four Aces - No link for this one - present and fire 2 rounds, reload, and fire 2 more rounds. You can start from the holster, from ready, or from a table start. I shoot this at 7 and 15 yards. It's a pure gun handling drill, the draw and the reload are the important parts. Like on the Bill Drill, only clean runs count.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try.

 

[dennishoddy]

I train at the indoor range a lot - I live like ten minutes from one of the nicest indoor ranges in the country.

You need to have a realistic understanding of what the indoor range can offer you. You're not going to be able to set up target arrays, shoot on the move, or practice setups. But you can practice the stuff that dryfire is less effective for, and that you don't want to spend time on at the outdoor range. My indoor range sessions focus mainly on high-accuracy shooting, recoil management on single targets, and sight tracking. I do a little work on presentations and reloads, a little multiple-target practice, usually on 2" dots, and some very limited movement work (setups while moving from one side of the booth to the other. It's what I have.)

I'm a little more chaotic in my approach to practice than, for example, Mike Cyrus. I don't plot my practices out down to the number of reps, but I do go to the range with a plan for what to work on. I develop the plan by looking at my training logs, seeing what areas I'm week on, and thinking about what skills will do me the most good in 3Gun matches. It's important to log your training and match results, so you have good data on what to practice.

Some of the indoor-friendly drills I use:
Frank Garcia's Dot Drill - I shoot this drill every time I hit the range. It's excellent for perfecting your grip and trigger control. Start by shooting it from the ready, with no time limit. Once you can clean three dots in a row, start working the time down.
Bill Drill - The traditional Bill Drill is shot at 7 yards from a surrender start. I shoot it at 7, 15, and 25 yards and keep track of my times. Shot accountability is critical with the Bill Drill - if you're just spraying shots everywhere, you're not getting anything out of it. Only clean runs count for record.
X-Drill - You can set this one up indoors with a couple of 3x5 cards and 8" paper plates. It's a good basic transition drill.
iHack - Another transition drill. Lots of work on 2" dots, translates to better results on small pistol plates.
Four Aces - No link for this one - present and fire 2 rounds, reload, and fire 2 more rounds. You can start from the holster, from ready, or from a table start. I shoot this at 7 and 15 yards. It's a pure gun handling drill, the draw and the reload are the important parts. Like on the Bill Drill, only clean runs count.

Very good post!

 

[mikey80]

Quick question. When I go the outdoor range (USSA), I take a bunch of target stands of mine and a couple of pieces of steel, set up 10 or 12 targets in different stage type settings and shoot them with rife, pistol or both. It's interesting, a lot of fun and, I think, productive. I do a lot of drawing, shooting on the move, transitioning from rifle to pistol, shoot/reload/shoot, etc. But when the weather really sucks and I have to go to the indoor range, it's a real let down. At the range where I shoot, it is pistol only, except for .22 rifle, and don't have an AR .22. Also, we are not allowed to draw and shoot, or shoot on the move. I find myself reluctantly shooting a couple of mags haphazardly at overly large targets, then getting bored, then burning a few more rounds and leaving feeling like I didn't accomplish anything. What should I be doing to improve my pistol shooting when going to the indoor range? I'd love to hear any suggestions for drills, different targets, techniques to practice, etc. for these types of outings. I really want to get better with my pistol. But the pratice I am doing at the indoor range isn't getting me anywhere. Perhaps it's an attitude problem, even? Thanks.

I'd like to expose the elephant in the room.

What are you training for? Competitive shooting? SHTF/Prepper scenarios? (No sarcasm) Bragging rights/Forum Commando Stats? Fun and recreation?

 

[MarkCh]

I'd like to expose the elephant in the room.

What are you training for? Competitive shooting? SHTF/Prepper scenarios? (No sarcasm) Bragging rights/Forum Commando Stats? Fun and recreation?

Mostly for 3 gun (I've shot 5 matches so far), although I shoot an occasional pistol match and would like to shoot some shotgun matches. And I hope that whatever training I do would be helpful in the event that I needed to use a gun for self-defense.

 

[MarkCh]

I might also mention that I'm 52 years old and have only been shooting pistol and AR what I would call seriously for about a year and a half. I've hunted quail since I was big enough to carry a shotgun, and have been an avid deer hunter for the past 15 years, so have done plenty of shooting. But the whole target shooting and competitive shooting thing is pretty new to me.