More Free Pistol Questions

[Matt VDW]

I just picked up a free pistol for the first time this week and have started to learn how to shoot it. Naturally, I have a few questions:

1) Does anyone use a center hold for FP? That's what I use for standard pistol, but the black of the FP target is so much smaller that it tends to disappear with a center hold.

2) How many shots should you fire between "re-grips"? On the one hand, prolonged gripping has to be bad for the circulation in the shooting hand, but on the other hand, getting one's self fitted and unfitted to the anatomical grip is rather time consuming and awkward.

3) How can a shooter who rarely gets to practice for more than forty minutes at a time prepare for a full sixty-shot match? Does fatigue become a factor?

4) Is there a reduced target for practice use at 25 yards?

[Chris]

1-Center hold. Yes people use it. Some of the top shooters in the US use it. Try using a front site that is the same width as the target.

2-grip. This is going to depend on you and your grip. I can shoot an entire match with out taking my had out of the grip. I normlly shoot for 50-70 mins. 50mins if I am shooting good and having a good match. I have seen one top shooter that takes a lot more time than I do and never take a break. I tend to take breaks when ever I feel I need to to rest my eyes and take my focus away for a few minutes. Your grip should fit you so that it becomes second nature to you when you put your hand into it. It took me a few years to get my grip to fit like it does today.

3- Fatigue. Because of my time constraints I rarely shoot more than 40 shots in practice. The way I shoot I could almost shoot a full match with sighters in 40 mins. My PR in air took me 44 mins in a match on the 4 bull target that I had to break my position and crank back and then send a new one down range. It was a 583 I train 5-6 days a week in air (live fire) and 1 day/week in free on Rika and I have been consistantly shooting around 540 in free. You need to find some other methods to keep you in physical shape other than trying to stand and hold you arm out for 1-2 hours. What ever it takes and what ever works for you. I cycle a lot with my Wife and work on other construction type projects around the house to keep active.

Hope this helps.

[deleted1]

While I know there are some excellent FP shooters lurking out there. I do use a centre hold on all events including FP. As for practice I usually shoot 2 half matches/ week but at least 2 full matches/week with FP. My reasoning is based on the fact I have never felt tired nor have had my scores drop off because of fatigue, since I have used this approach. It works for me, I will only pick up the AP at home on the weekends. All that FP does seem to help with the AP as well. IMHO---Doc

[PaulB]

B-35 = NRA 25yd international slow fire target

[PaulB]

B-35 = NRA 25yd international slow fire target

[Tony]

Matt,

I have a 25 yard free pistol target in microsoft word. Let me know where to send it.

Tony
n9911c@sbcglobal.net