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Practice---how often, how long and how?


Bart Solo

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Hey Bart,

 

Evil Roy's DVD's are very good in my opinion.

 

A) Eat right & take vitamins that keep the central nervous system healthy

B Exercise some... 2/3 times a week

C) Practice 5 sometimes 6 days a week - 30 minutes... longer if it's going really well. (Don't stop when you're getting it right... and don't continue when it's not going well)

D) I dry fire 95 percent of the time... although I do have a range on my property. Live fire is just too expensive for me.

E) I practice shotgun first most sessions... dummy rounds. Practice the load technique over and over from different starting positions. Port arms/ hands on table (or bed or whatever)/hands overhead, etc. The goal = smooth and efficient delivery of perfect form. 5 or 10 minutes of this is good. Don't get so tired that you start dropping shells or your fingers won't work right. (remember I'm old... so adjust as necessary!) Then pistol drills - any of Evil Roys drills are good. Again - 5 10 minutes. Then work on transitions by shooting through a stage scenario. I work on one stage per practice session but I try to do very complicated stages. But... the goal is smooth, efficient delivery of perfect form. No unnecessary movements/ good posture/ efficiency of moves. After a while hitting of the target becomes the outcome of your actions/not a goal if that makes any sense.

F)Focus... no distractions. That's the hardest part for me. My mind wanders.

 

Hope some of this helps. Don't take it all too seriously... fun is the goal. I'm one of those people who enjoys it more when I do it good though so I work on getting it right. Good luck to you.

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I limit my practice to 1X per week. I practice and run drills with cowboy guns one week and the other I change to semi auto guns. I rarely exceed 100 rnds per week. Cowboy drills I set up with both steel and paper. Paper keeps you accurate. I also practice with match loads and the auto loads are FMJ and shoot to paper only. I place emphasis on technique and not speed. I also am not a stranger to using a .22 Single Six or Mark III to keep the basics in tune, and its a whole lot cheaper.

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I never used to practice or even take the pistols or log guns out of the safe until match time. I just was happy to go shoot. That was then. Now that I am into the 'gunfighter' thing something has spurred me to start practicing getting the guns out of the holster and aquire targets a little faster. I also am working more with the shotgun after Deuce gave me some 'dummy' rounds. I guess I am getting the 'competitive' feeling. This has only happened starting a couple months ago - and it shows too. I am feeling better and getting more efficient with my moves....we'll see :D

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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If your lacking in Technique.....practice techniques.

 

If your lacking in speed.....practice speed drills.

 

What I'm about to say don't work for everyone and quite honestly, it goes against some of the teaching of some good shooters. BUT, its working for me.

 

Anyhow, I don't practice my weakness. I spend more time practicing and enhancing my strengths.

 

For example, I use a 97 Shotgun. I grab two from the belt with the right hand and single load with my right hand. I don't practice loading 'over the top' with my left hand because I'm clumsy that way.

 

Anyhow, I figured I was about 75% proficient with my right hand loading so I practiced alot and probably gained about a 12-18% improvement. This gave me a proficiency rating of 84-89%.(My own guidelines)

 

I was only about 50% efficient with my 'Over the top' technique using my left hand to load. Even if I were to gain a 50% improvement, my proficiency would be at 75%.....which is where I started from with the right hand loading technique.

 

Sooooooo, I basically practice my strength when it comes to the SG.

 

DVD's can be a good learning device but in the end, you'll have to practice those techniques to see what will work for you and what doesn't work very well for you.

 

A GOOD, almost indispensable, practicing device is a Timer. Use the Par-Time option on it.

 

Set you some goals and go for it.

 

Dry fire is good practice for speed and techniques. Just make sure your practice is correct and try not to pick up bad habits.

 

Best regards,

 

 

..........Widder

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Not married, are ya!

 

Married with five children, 3 boys and two girls, two grandchildren as well, one of each. My middle son has started shooting his cap guns at my targets and using old toilet paper tubes tucked into his waistband as holsters. I guess I need to break down and buy him some cowboy gear.

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