TargetTalk

I've been thinking about this. How do you most people practice for the 25m rapid fire?? I mean it's not possible to rapid fire 5 different targets in an indoor range! lol you have to do it outside i assume. What type of target setup do most people use?

compscotty wrote:I've been thinking about this. How do you most people practice for the 25m rapid fire?? I mean it's not possible to rapid fire 5 different targets in an indoor range! lol you have to do it outside i assume. What type of target setup do most people use?

Why do you think it is impossible? You can practice on a turning target system or setup a system of red and green lights. The lights can be controlled by something as simple as a stop watch or you can buy or build your own control box. There are a few commercially available turning target systems, but they are on the expensive side. If your adventure's you can build your own, but I doubt you could save much money unless you find somebody who will donate the relays that will work fast enough to actuate the turning targets. The relay would be the most expensive part of the whole system. Lights are becoming the most dominant systems on the international circuit.

I have a set up for rapid fire which I do indoors in my back room.
I have 5 air Pistol Target Centres which I blacken, and put a white horizontal line on - like the proper targets.
They are glued onto black blades which form the group.
They are about 1½ inches apart (the gap between them).
I stand about 4 - 5 metres away from them when training.

The targets should be stationary, with a good light.

Try to get a kitchen timer which has a beep section, so when you set the time it will beep when the time runs out.
Keep the timer in your pocket so you can activate it.
This means - when you start the timer that is when the targets face you, and you will have 8, 6, or 4 seconds before the beep.

This will simulate exactly if you are shooting electronic targets - which don't move.

This exercise will get your timing co-ordination working, and will also get you used to raising your hand for the first shot.
At the 8 seconds series the first shot should break about 2 seconds.
At 6 seconds - about 1.6 - 1.7 seconds, and on the 4 second run, approx. 1.4 seconds.
Remember, you don't stop at the 5th target, you follow through to the 6th non-existant target.
You can advance further if you can organize some small lights which syncronise with your timer. If you can't do this, have someone with a stop watch to operate the lights for you.

I am presuming you can dry fire with your pistol.
I have an old Walther practice trigger which I use.

Let me know how you go. Alex L.

You certainly can pratice rapid fire in an indoor range, if your club don't have turning target setup, all you need is set up 5 targets, space them according to the offical distance and use a timer/buzzer for 8;6;4 sec. strings.

However, it'll be helpful if you have another shooter to score and patch after each string, when shoot alone you'll need a spoting scope so you don't have to go down range to score and patch after every string.

thomasB wrote:You certainly can pratice rapid fire in an indoor range, if your club don't have turning target setup, all you need is set up 5 targets, space them according to the offical distance and use a timer/buzzer for 8;6;4 sec. strings.

However, it'll be helpful if you have another shooter to score and patch after each string, when shoot alone you'll need a spoting scope so you don't have to go down range to score and patch after every string.

In training, you can get away with scoring after for example a full 30-shot series (if you want a 'score'). You can of course use a scope as well, and look at the group placings.

Don't also forget in training rapid fire, timing of the first shot release is an important drill. You can easily train that prior to moving on to 2, 3 or the full 5 targets.

Rob.