Trigger Training with the Rika

[Ed Hall]

I've designed a method for reviewing the purity of the trigger operation using the Rika Trainer. Basically, I suggest that the trace shown by the Rika can be used to evaluate the trigger operation, by working toward making all the trace portions concentric. I then suggest evaluating the operation via the Rika with no target bull available for distraction.

I have the complete description and details for setting up the Rika at:

http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/rik ... rwork.html

I would appreciate any reviews and feedback to be made, placed here in this message thread. Thanks.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
http://www.airforceshooting.org/
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/
http://www.geocities.com/ed_ka2fwj/

[Spencer C]

Brilliant!!!

What a great 'tool'; trying to convince many (most?) shooters that the shot release is THE thing, (not the shot value, or any one of the many things shooters think is their particular thing) is next to impossible - this removes the other items in one fell step, letting the coach concentrate on the shot release problems

Congrats

Spencer
(how do I do this with the other trainers available?)

[Steve Swartz]

Thanks Ed- Great Work!

I will be out of pocket for a week or so but will get with you email direct on my return. Initial quick look appears good though . . .

Steve

[Ed Hall]

Thanks for the feedback, guys,

I'm disappointed no one has answered Spencer's request of a similar setup for other trainers. I'm not familiar with the other systems' software, but it would seem there should be a method for creating a blank target; or perhaps a center bull that is only a dot. Then one could simply use a blank card instead of a target with bull for an aiming area. If someone could supply me the details for such a setup for each of the other systems, I'd appreciate it.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
http://www.airforceshooting.org/
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/
http://www.geocities.com/ed_ka2fwj/

[Ned]

You can have the same approach with Scatt Training program. You cannot create a blank target or a target with a big black spot.

There is a way to evaluate the "concentric" amount of the trace directly from given Scatt result of "Steadiness in 10.0". In the shot table the column is "10a0".

The percantage value is showing how much the shot was inside the circle of the size of the 10 ring regardless of the center the target for given control time (usually the last second).

The center of the "circle" is marked with a cross.

For the purpose of the excercise you are suggesting, the shooter need to use blank target. He doesn't have to bother where the shot falls. He just need to look at the vallue of "10a0".

To ilustrate, I prepared an image.

The yellow trace represents the period between 1 to 0.2 second before the shot release an and the blue part is from 0.2 second to the shot release. The red line is giving the trace after the shot release.

The right Scatt trace is the perfect one. 100% steadiness, 2.7 mm distance.

For the left one, the aim is slightly on the left and trace is 86% in the circle.

The distance between the center of the 10a0 circle and shot impact is given in the table in the last column. For the left shot it is 13.7 mm.

BTW 86% is an excellent steadiness, but 13.7 mm distance is not so good. It is a quite lucky shot, if the move was on the left, the score won't be more then 7.

The speed and distance charts can be taken for further analysis.

In the image bellow, the portion of the speed chart is bellow left and distance chart (showing relative distance from the center of the target) bellow right.

The bottom line is that allmost the whole difference between the quality of the two shots held in last 0.1 second. Subconsious is playing again <smile>.

- Ned

[Ed Hall]

Thanks for the help with Scatt, Ned,

The purpose in getting rid of the bull is both to remove a reference for score and to help focus on the pattern of the trace above the result of the shot. In your examples the traces can be seen, as they can on the Rika against a black center, but there is a tendency to compare the hit to a position (center ten), which I'm trying to remove.

The 10.9 sounds like the trigger was operated pretty purely, but the yellow and blue portions are actually high right of the hit. This trace movement is the focus for my suggested work. In your second example, although being very close to the hit, I would be working toward the hit being centered within the center of the yellow and blue traces. Granted, there is not much difference between the 10.9 and a probably 10.6 if the hit was centered, but removing the score factor all together, I would see the second example as still needing some work to bring all the color sections into coincidence.

Thanks again for the examples provided.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
http://www.airforceshooting.org/
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/
http://www.geocities.com/ed_ka2fwj/

[Spencer C]

You can have the same approach with Scatt Training program.
- Ned

Thanks for this. Now to try it out...

Spencer

[Fred Mannis]

Ed,
I have set up my RIKA for trigger training as you suggest. I would like to save some of the traces by printing them; how do you do that? I tried the RIKA print function, but the prints look nothing like the nice large clear ones you put into your description on your web site.

Fred

[Ed Hall]

Hi Fred,

I used the Window's "Print Screen" function to save a copy of the current window to the clipboard. Then I opened Paint, pasted and cropped the image down to what I wanted and then saved it. Here are the steps:

With your Rika image on screen,
-press ALT+Print Screen
-Bring up Paint from the Start>Programs>Accessories menu
-Choose Edit>Paste from the menu at the top
--You will probably get a message asking if you want to enlarge the bitmap. Choose Yes.
-If you want the entire shot, simply choose File>Save As from the menu
-If you want to crop it, slide the image sideways slightly and click in the open space outside the active line
--Make sure the rectangle in the top right of the tools is chosen and surround the area you'd like to save with a dashed line box by holding down the left mouse button as you size the rectangle
--Choose Edit>Copy from the top menu
--Choose File>New
---You may need to answer a prompt
--Choose Edit>Paste
---Again, a possible prompt.
--Choose File>Save As

This should get you some images. When you save your images, there are different formats available*. The default will be .bmp which will retain a good quality, but is rather large in file size. Although .jpg is common and quite a bit smaller in file size, there is a marked quality reduction depending on amount of compression. You may want to take a look at how your images turn out between these two formats. Actually close Paint and bring the image back up to see how it saved.

*Note depending on your versin of Paint, you may not have .jpg as an option. You can save as .bmp and open in another type of image viewer and then save as .jpg.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
http://www.airforceshooting.org/
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/
http://www.geocities.com/ed_ka2fwj/

[Fred Mannis]

Thanks Ed. Worked exactly as you described

Fred