Back to Basics - Making the Most of Limited Range Time
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With ranges re-opening across the country we’re all keen to get back out and put some rounds down while getting in some much needed ‘group therapy’. In this article we’re looking at ways to optimise the limited time we have back on the range, as well as what we can do to practice at home. With COVID-19 restrictions in place across all sporting events, social distancing on the range is just as important as anywhere else. To minimise risk, many clubs have reduced range time, meaning many of us may be feeling tempted to practice ‘accuracy through volume’. Given that our ability to practice is limited, we should not be thinking about high round counts, but rather we should try to make every round count. Shooting is a perishable skill and four months with no range attendance means our abilities will have deteriorated. To combat this, we should all be doing as much dry firing as possible at home and saving the drills that can’t be practiced at home for development on the range. |
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As well as abiding by social distancing guidelines, a number of clubs are changing up some of their events and making compensations for severely limited range time. Stu’s club for example has developed a policy that all events should include a skill development component in order to satisfy one skill from a list with the Range Officer. While this did severely limit the type and construction of stages, they were able to put together four medium stages in an hour and half that each satisfied one of the criteria, and run about twenty competitors through in that time. This month, Stu (our very own Aussie pistol shooting champion) was kind enough to outline a few drills for us, that can be used to train for whatever events your club is able to run.
This is an easy one to do at home. Simply place a 50 cent coin flat on the front sight, (on a confirmed empty firearm) aim up to a point on a wall and squeeze the trigger whilst maintaining the sight picture to the aiming point. If you’ve done things correctly then the coin should stay on the sight through the pull while the sights stay on aim. As you get better at this drill, change the coin to something lighter (20c, 10c then 5c) and see if you can keep the coin on top of the sight. This is a good drill up to a point as you know the firearm is unloaded and therefore is no subconscious anticipation of firing the shot. This is a drill that should also be practised on the range with a magazine that is loaded with a mix of dummy and loaded ammunition; loaded by someone else and handed to you as the shooter for drills practice. You’d be surprised how the front sight will dip on a dummy round during live fire. This will demonstrate the ‘anticipation’ reflex which will need to be worked through.
Unfortunately this is a skill that cannot easily be replicated at home and should be a focus when on the range. Using the drill above, fire the shot and if the round hits the target exactly where you wanted it, then allow the firearm to go through its cycle and the sights to come back on. Choose the same aiming point then reset the trigger and squeeze through again. If you’ve done everything right the projectile should hit on or very close to where the first round hit. Ideally the round should just elongate the first hole. Repeat the process. This is called chasing. Be consistent in your actions. Remember that it’s been some months since we’ve been able to practice so expect some deterioration. Don’t get frustrated. Work the drill until you become consistent.
At home (again with a confirmed unloaded firearm) aiming points can be practiced with an unloaded firearm to a point. Revolvers are easier to train with as they cycle the same every time regardless, but a pistol is different as you’ll need to reset the pistol for every shot. Transitions should not just include left to right, but also height to height (for us IPSC competitors) along with different body positions. This is also a key drill to practice on the range in conjunction with the drills above.
Again this drill is somewhat limited in its ability to be practiced at home and should therefore be a priority at the range in conjunction with the previous drills. Movement between target arrays can sometimes be the time between a win and second place. For example: when moving from left side of a barrier after firing your final shot, then making your way right to the other side, consideration should be paid to the first target engaged once visible. Play to your strengths. Some consider the farthest target to be the first engaged while others (like myself) consider the closest target the best - as I can live with a less than acceptable sight picture at 3-5 metres but not much beyond that. But engaging the closest target with an average sight picture enables me to stabilise for follow up targets.
By working on these drills at home and at the range, you can maximise your practice time and keep your skills sharp for any comps your club is running during this time. Make time to train regularly and you’ll really notice the difference. Don’t forget to do the right thing and keep your distance, and hopefully our clubs will be operating at full capacity again soon! |
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