Questions

[reh1966]

I have been watching the pistol shooting and scores that folks have been posting and am thinking of giving it a try. I have a 1377 with red dot and the gun is much more accuarate than I am. Can't seem to hold the thing steady but am just getting started. Now for the questions.

How much do you practice on average?

When you shoot for your score, do you say this is the target and let the score be what it may or do you shoot several and take the best?

I think that at this time I could take two or three targets and add them all up and still not give anyone here anything to worry about. Thanks.

Rex

[ronbeaux]

Come on down!!! Welcome!

I TRY to shoot about 15 shots per day but can't always fit them in. There is NO pressure here. NO money either, or fame and fortune. Just so you beat Truman you will be alright, He He. (FAT CHANCE!!)

What I do is practice for a little while then I go for it. OK, this is the one. I shoot my shots per the rules and let the pieces fall where they fall. Post them up and call it good. Oh well, maybe next week.

The point is that we get to grow together as a family of weekend shooters and have FUN! I have noticed that in the last few weeks with work and vacation I have fallen off. NO problem, I still post what I shot that day. So unless someone wants to PAY me to practice all the time and WIN, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and call it good.

This is a place to have fun and rib each other and PRACTICE so we get better. Don't let them hunting boys stear you wrong, I KNOW they punched holes in paper before they went to the field.

Ronbeaux....

[JQR]

Welcome and please join in a couple of the matches. More is better.

Your questions:
How much do you practice on average?

    - Me - way more than my wife thinks is reasonable. But - I HATE my job and still put in my 10 hours a day with a smile on my face becuase I can't afford to lose it. When I get home I either yell at everything that moves.... or go calmly to the basement and SHOOT STUFF. She puts up with it.
 
When you shoot for your score, do you say this is the target and let the score be what it may or do you shoot several and take the best?

     - I have been guilty. I shot a match on another board that got me in bad habits. Philosophy was - "shoot as much as you want, but once you post your done". Afterall, the whole point is the practice and to have fun. After the first two weeks shooting here I changed, I will practice on days I don't intend to shoot the match, on match days I'll warm up until I hit the right 'zone', then call match (yes I actually say it out loud - I'm a little odd) and shoot my match.  It's a more honest reflection of skill level than taking the best of 20 targets shot, but you know what - I don't care if you do. Again, it's for fun and practice.

I think that at this time I could take two or three targets and add them all up and still not give anyone here anything to worry about.

    - Don't be ashamed of your score. Post it, use it as a benchmark to beat the following week. The problem with consisitent high scores is that getting any better is even harder. Seeing improvement is what keeps most people interested in whatever they are doing.  


Jeff

[Big_Bill]

Hey Rex, Welcome to the wonderful world of pistol shooting !! When I first started into pistol competition shooting I practiced holding and aiming the pistol as often as I could, holding the pistol as long and as steady as I could, until I could keep the sights on the target. Practicing shooting pellets is up to you, and is also an important part, controlling the trigger. As for HOW you select which target becomes the one you post on an Internet match ? Well, since you will be firing 3 pellets at each of 5 targets on one sheets, I know that you will most likely do worse after each target, so using the best target, usually means that you use the first target. In a regulation match, you set up your equipment, mount your target, wait for the command to fire, and do your best that one time ! So here we keep it FUN, so do your best, and have FUN !!! So set up your target, and enjoy !! WELCOME TO THE TARGET ZONE !  >>>>>Bill

[gamo2hammerli]

I shoot my rifles more than my handguns....I try to put in about 30 shots off-hand with them every 2nd day.  The air pistols I practice with them once a week (Yeah, I know....I should shoot more with them)....2 Hand grip and off-hand.  All my practice sessions are done in the basement....about 8 meters distance.  I would like to do them outdoors in my backyard but I don't want a neigbour to call the police on me.  For my matches I do them outdoors...quickly and time it so it's in the quiet time of the day (Less people walking on the street and nobody in the neigbours' yards).  A few shots to make sure the airguns are still zeroed for the distance of the match (Usually 10 meters or 10 yards)....and then I shoot the match...I don't do multiple target sheets for one match.....what score I get is what I submit.  I do shoot up to 3 different matches in a row sometimes....with a 5 minute break in-between them.

That said.....if you wish you can shoot multiple target sheets and post the one with the best scores.....we're not uptight about that  heh heh.  But as Big Bill said....the more you shoot in one session....usually the scores tend to get abit worse due to fatique or loss of concentration.  It's all for fun....gets you to shoot more and to improve oneself.

Btw....I just built a silent pellet trap today...using duct seal in a plastic container....hopefully the "smack" sound that I got when a pellet hits my phone-book-target have been eliminated.

[Truman]

Truman Here! Check out the 'Shooter Progress Chart' at the top of the gate, you will notice that my scores are consistant, always near the bull and everybody has a hard time keeping up with my excellent markmanship! Don't worry if you shoot a bad target, don't worry if you miss, it's all about being part of something and that something is the GTA community! Enjoy yourself, your score will improve over time, mine has!!!LOL

[reh1966]

Thanks for the feedback and welcome. Looks like I will have to practice a little this week and get in on the fun.

[ac12basis]

Rex
A few hints

- take a few deep breaths before you shoot, this oxegenates your blood
- when you raise your pistol to shoot, aim and fire within about 8 seconds.  After a certain amount of time, the fatigue of holding the pistol up will increase your wobble.  It is all to easy to say "just a few seconds more I almost got it..."  Well that usually results in a BAD shot.
- if the position or sight picture does not feel right, abort and start over
* the HARDEST thing to learn is when to abort the shot and put the pistol down.  But this is VERY important, it is usually the shot that you did NOT abort that will be the BAD shot.
- dry fire, dry fire, dry fire.  If your pistol can dry fire, do it.  When you dry fire, CONCENTRATE on your trigger finger.  
- when you pull the trigger, pull STRAIGHT BACK.  Pivot your trigger finger on the 2nd joint.  If you pivot on the 3rd joint, you will be pushing the trigger and pistol to the side.
- in a regulation match, I think you have 1hr 45 min to shoot 60 record shots.  So you have PLENTY of time to sit down and rest your arm.

gud luk

[JQR]

gamo2hammerli - 5/5/2009  2:39 AM
Btw....I just built a silent pellet trap today...using duct seal in a plastic container....hopefully the "smack" sound that I got when a pellet hits my phone-book-target have been eliminated.

I've put several duct seal traps together... the' thwack' will definitely be better than a phone book but don't expect complete silence. My wife has techbically forbidden me to shoot outside until I find a way to tone it down. She say's it's the target thwack that echos through the neighborhood, not the rifle. I shoot from inside the basement so only the target is outside.  I'm building a insulated/slienced box to put the trap in. Hopefully it solves the problem. If not I will have spent too much money and time on something that really has no other use :-).

[Magnum]

Jeff, Not sure if this will help but I saw a very cool shooting tunnel on the AOA site (home page scroll down to bottom) Not sure it stops sound travel maybe they could tell you?  I was thinking I could attach that thing to side of the house ...BTW my wife said no, so i dont have one:)  You may be able to shoot into the end of a short pipe to contain sound?Tony.

[ac12basis]

JQR
It sounds like what she is hearing is the pellet hitting the paper.
Have you tried different target papers; commercial targets vs 20# copy paper for DiY targets.  I would think the paper used by the commercial target will punch easier w/o making the "thwack" sound.
Try a cardboard backer behind the target.
Put the target directly on the duct seal.  This means leveling out the duct seal whenever you change the target.

[Brutuz]

reh1966 - 5/4/2009  2:33 AM  I have been watching the pistol shooting and scores that folks have been posting and am thinking of giving it a try. I have a 1377 with red dot and the gun is much more accuarate than I am. Can't seem to hold the thing steady but am just getting started. Now for the questions.  How much do you practice on average?  When you shoot for your score, do you say this is the target and let the score be what it may or do you shoot several and take the best?  I think that at this time I could take two or three targets and add them all up and still not give anyone here anything to worry about. Thanks.  Rex

Tex practice a lot with iron sights, if you've got the $$ I recommend a Williams notched blade sight.

I started paper punching again end of last year. My results then have improved by practice and techniques like others wrote.

One more tip

grip pistol

close both eyes

raise arms pointing at target

open eyes and see if you're on the bull

move feet untill on the bull

edit:

I practice almost every day, mostly half an hour each evening. It's total relaxation for me after a hard day's work. If I use a new target for any competition I first use a draft quality print to check it by shooting at it a couple of times just to get to know it. After that it's one-print-one-entry.

For personal practice I use this one, saves a lot of paper and your don't have to change it a lot:

right click / save as -- print best fit to page (aspect ratio)

[reh1966]

Well it looks like I have one more practice day and boy will I need it. I plan to shoot Sunday for the actual score. I don't know exactly what my 1377 weighs but with the steel breech, red dot and wood grips I am guessing 3-3.5 lbs. It sure feels a lot heavier. I really hate to say this but with my practicing this week I can definately feel it in my right arm and side muscles. I don't know how much I have shot but between that and the pumping I realize just how weak I am. Sooner or later those muscles will get built up or else I just may take up knitting. That has to be easier.

[Marisol]

I love my 1377 but pumping gets old for me.  So I got a 2300 from the custom shop that I'm very happy with.  I also just got a Williams notch sight and it was definitely worth the money.  I shoot nearly every day in my little apartment into a duct seal trap that I rigged (often in the middle of the night) and I haven't had any complaints from my neighbors.  The most distance I can get from muzzle to target is about 7.5m so I try to participate in the 5m open pistol match.  Thank you all very much for all the advice and encouragement you offer so freely and welcome Rex.