newbie in the club - help wanted

[-TT-]

Out of curiosity why don't they allow an air pistol? I have never heard of a club that had that restriction.

Lots of clubs do this for safety. Generally it's because the pellets or BBs bounce off the backstop material and the debris becomes a hazard. Also it tempts people to "shoot short", adding to the likelihood of stray shots.

[Gwhite]

Our club has a 50 foot indoor pistol range. The main backstop is faced with heavy rubber sheeting to prevent lead backspatter. Most air guns will bounce pellets off the rubber sheeting. Most of the time, they will hit you in the foot if they make it all the way back, but it worries people.

To shoot air guns, they have special target backers that you have to hang from the target carrier rail at 10 meters, which requires going downrange. They are about 2 feet square, with a sheet steel back covered with carpet. The carpet actually doesn't hold up very well if you are a good shot...

The collegiate range where I coach uses 1/2" thick "Homosote" (dense grey cardboard) to deal with backspatter. Many air pistols will penetrate the surface of the Homosote, but some that shoot below ~ 450 fps can bounce back. To shoot air pistol, we have target backers that hang behind the target clip block on the carrier down-rod. The backers use a canvas sheet, with a ~ 1.5 mm thick stainless steel plate the size of the target bolted in the middle. The pellets hit the plate and flatten, but the canvas allows it to swing back to absorb some of the energy.

With either system, at the end of practice, you have pellets all over the floor to deal with.

[UnGe]

Out of curiosity why don't they allow an air pistol? I have never heard of a club that had that restriction.

Lots of clubs do this for safety. Generally it's because the pellets or BBs bounce off the backstop material and the debris becomes a hazard. Also it tempts people to "shoot short", adding to the likelihood of stray shots.

No backstops at that range, hanging targets

[brent375hh]

Most of the ranges around here have 25 yard backstops and the targets hang on a carrier. When you hit the target carrier with .454 the results are a lot more spectacular than a .177.

I find the people shooting at 5 yards, and shooting 13" groups with their Glock provide more lead splatter when they hit the carrier, than any others. I am not putting down the newly minted combat pistol owners, they just certainly harder on equipment that anyone else.

I have been next to people that make up for their inaccurate shooting with more speed and put hits on my target.

[Rover]

I remember being at the Desert Midwinter while one of the hot shooters from the AMU was contesting at 50 yards.

A couple of guys wandered over to watch from the "spray and pray" crowd.

I swear I thought they were going to wet themselves! They were hugging each other and dancing around in gleeful
disbelief at his high 90s scores. They had never seen anything that even began to approach this level of shooting.

[nmondal]

Photo on 07-06-2021 at 10.41 #2.jpg

A 15 shot trial. Hope wont do worse in the club— probably will.

If this is the first time you are shooting a pistol, I would say, 2 years down the line you will shoot 95/100 in almost all the time.
You would.
And that is a darn heartfelt, honest opinion.

[emre-nur]

Photo on 07-06-2021 at 10.41 #2.jpg

A 15 shot trial. Hope wont do worse in the club— probably will.

If this is the first time you are shooting a pistol, I would say, 2 years down the line you will shoot 95/100 in almost all the time.
You would.
And that is a darn heartfelt, honest opinion.

Hi,

Started this year, had a primitive co2 pistol for 2-3 months, not much adjustment, no grip.

Then had an Izzy 46m during May but too heavy, it almost injured my arm and could not make progress.

Since june, have a LP500. Frankly, that target card is a quite good one.
Havent made much progress since then. I am not disciplined, I smoke and drink coffee during shooting, start live fire without any warm up. Waste quite some pellets and energy before starting to make a descent a shot. Still dont have a consistent grip or triggering— mostly experimenting. I am usually barefoot, in my under ware, listening to morning news. In addition, no engineering skills in terms of properly handling the pistol either. Though, I read a lot and enjoy shooting.

Hopefully, I will improve. Registered to a club and went for once. The first time in the club, I was warned repeatedly about the direction of the pistol when switching to dry fire or other Covid mask, distance etc. Though I can say, I enjoyed— probably will go again (if delta variant permits in autumn).

This is one from today. After trying to adjust the trigger in a more balanced way.
Yet, still havent touched the sights, maybe a larger front sight? Also havent touched the grip, changing angle etc.

[McMadCow]

I wouldn't change anything yet until you develop enough of a feel for the process that you can start to identify what needs to change.

[JonPersson]

Havent made much progress since then. I am not disciplined, I smoke and drink coffee during shooting, start live fire without any warm up. Waste quite some pellets and energy before starting to make a descent a shot. Still dont have a consistent grip or triggering— mostly experimenting. I am usually barefoot, in my under ware, listening to morning news. In addition, no engineering skills in terms of properly handling the pistol either. Though, I read a lot and enjoy shooting.

Cigarettes and coffee will most likely not help during shooting.

Discipline is needed, but fortunately it can be trained. Start with short periods of real discipline, maybe a little as five shots, then increase from there.

Shoot in proper shoes. If the day comes where you want to compete, shoes are mandatory. Suddenly start shooting in shoes might mess with balance and stance.

[emre-nur]

Havent made much progress since then. I am not disciplined, I smoke and drink coffee during shooting, start live fire without any warm up. Waste quite some pellets and energy before starting to make a descent a shot. Still dont have a consistent grip or triggering— mostly experimenting. I am usually barefoot, in my under ware, listening to morning news. In addition, no engineering skills in terms of properly handling the pistol either. Though, I read a lot and enjoy shooting.

Cigarettes and coffee will most likely not help during shooting.

Discipline is needed, but fortunately it can be trained. Start with short periods of real discipline, maybe a little as five shots, then increase from there.

Shoot in proper shoes. If the day comes where you want to compete, shoes are mandatory. Suddenly start shooting in shoes might mess with balance and stance.

thanks indeed,
I will start little by little.
These comments really motivate me.

[JonPersson]

thanks indeed,
I will start little by little.
These comments really motivate me.

I guess you know the real basics:
- focus on front sight (during whole shot)
- sight alignment is WAY more important than a steady hold

You could take a score card and cut away ring 8-10, leaving a black hole the size of the 8 ring. Then really focus on trigger control, let the gun move around and se how many shots you can fire without touching the 7-ring.

The idea is you will not be distracted by score only “hit or miss”. Fun way to compete with yourself.

Sometimes wish I could do that on an electronic target

[nmondal]

You could take a score card and cut away ring 8-10, leaving a black hole the size of the 8 ring. Then really focus on trigger control, let the gun move around and se how many shots you can fire without touching the 7-ring.

The idea is you will not be distracted by score only “hit or miss”. Fun way to compete with yourself.

Sometimes wish I could do that on an electronic target

This is GENIUS. I can do the same for 10s! Absolute GENIUS!
Going to do it tomorrow. In between, this is mine today.
Given I am sort of classified as noob too ...

===
May be bit to the left?

[nmondal]

Started this year, had a primitive co2 pistol for 2-3 months, not much adjustment, no grip.
Then had an Izzy 46m during May but too heavy, it almost injured my arm and could not make progress.
Since june, have a LP500. Frankly, that target card is a quite good one.

In a formal training - like when I was put through the SATS range, Telangana,
they told me:
====
they give folks air pistol after 6 weeks.
And Air Pistol gets adjusted to hands by 6 more weeks.
You start getting "great" shots when you are 6 months carrying the pistol.
====
That is the reason almost no athlete will try to do something new reasonably closer to any tournament.
Therefore, you are doing fantastic.
Lot of things can NOT be rushed, while finding love is one of them so is for the precision in shooting.

[emre-nur]

Started this year, had a primitive co2 pistol for 2-3 months, not much adjustment, no grip.
Then had an Izzy 46m during May but too heavy, it almost injured my arm and could not make progress.
Since june, have a LP500. Frankly, that target card is a quite good one.

In a formal training - like when I was put through the SATS range, Telangana,
they told me:
====
they give folks air pistol after 6 weeks.
And Air Pistol gets adjusted to hands by 6 more weeks.
You start getting "great" shots when you are 6 months carrying the pistol.
====
That is the reason almost no athlete will try to do something new reasonably closer to any tournament.
Therefore, you are doing fantastic.
Lot of things can NOT be rushed, while finding love is one of them so is for the precision in shooting.

Thanks,
But we, turks, usually start well and finish not so well :)
I slightly adjusted the trigger, doing more dry fire with the shoes on and concentrating on more consistent grip and triggering. Your comments are much appreciated.

Since you mentioned Saurabh, I have been following him and watching his competition videos for some time. What a great talent!
I was wondering, what is he doing, is he studying or working, is he fully sponsored by the Federation or else? I have red that he is coming from a family of moderate means. How is he supporting himself? I tried to find more information, but news in English about him is scarce.
And, more generally, what do you think is the reason for India's success in the recent years?

[nmondal]

Since you mentioned Saurabh, I have been following him and watching his competition videos for some time. What a great talent!
I was wondering, what is he doing, is he studying or working, is he fully sponsored by the Federation or else? I have red that he is coming from a family of moderate means. How is he supporting himself? I tried to find more information, but news in English about him is scarce.
And, more generally, what do you think is the reason for India's success in the recent years?

I also do not know. All I know - he still gets up at 4 AM and cleans the temporary make shift range he created in his house,
https://indianexpress.com/article/sport ... e-5599282/

his family is a family of poor farmers, not even middle class.
I am certain he is somewhat sponsored by Indian Gov and State Gov & the arms companies.
https://www.kreedon.com/saurabh-chaudha ... raphy/?amp
This is to watch out for.
https://thebridge.in/shooting/youth-oly ... g-oh-22540
Probably a contest of "the greatest of all time vs the next great that is".

[emre-nur]

Another 10 shots.
This time with shoes on, mostly adhering to olympic rules.

[william]

İyi akşamlar!
How many times did you dry fire between your last target and this one? How many times after you put your shoes on and before you looked at the target? How many times during the course of shooting this target?

[emre-nur]

İyi akşamlar!
How many times did you dry fire between your last target and this one? How many times after you put your shoes on and before you looked at the target? How many times during the course of shooting this target?

Hi (iyi geceler!)

Dry fire 20-30 times on the target with the shoes on.
During the shooting, maybe a couple of times when I aborted to restart or when made a worse shot.
I checked the score after 5 shots (usually take my time and check the score after each shot) .
Thanks for the comments and salute in Turkish.

[william]

If I may suggest: Before dry firing on the target, take your 20-30 trigger pulls against a blank wall. It seems crazy to those outside our small universe, but the target it really only a distraction. The sight picture and its movement as you press the trigger are what matters, so try eliminating everything else from your view while getting yourself "in the mood."

Perhaps some day we can have rakı together.
Hoşça kalın ve iyi şanslar!

[emre-nur]

If I may suggest: Before dry firing on the target, take your 20-30 trigger pulls against a blank wall. It seems crazy to those outside our small universe, but the target it really only a distraction. The sight picture and its movement as you press the trigger are what matters, so try eliminating everything else from your view while getting yourself "in the mood."

Perhaps some day we can have rakı together.
Hoşça kalın ve iyi şanslar!

Thanks (teşekkürler) . This all makes sense—blank wall.
I am in Brussels, always welcome. Whatever I could be of help.