Practing my draw...

[Boostedxt]

I was shooting a while back and spent about 2 full hours practicing how I presented the firearm. I was really focusing on being methodical so its not that fast, but I put all 8 shots on target in 10 seconds which I think is OK. The target is a 12X12 steel plate 23 yards/69ft away. Any input? thoughts on ways I could improve? All ideas are welcome...:)

Gun: XD9SC
Holster: MTAC

SNC11374.mp4 video by Boostedxt - Photobucket (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v325/Boostedxt/?action=view&current=SNC11374.mp4)

i am also making another steel target so I will have 3 individual targets to shoot at.

Thanks!
Joe

[Bawanna]

Looks to me like your doing it, just practicing is gonna make things smoother, exercise the muscle memory and become the norm when all reason flies out the window.
The only thing I would do is change things like don't always shoot the whole mag. Maybe 2 shots this time, 4 next, 1, mix it up some. When you get your 3 target setup pick one or two, or put a number on em and have somebody else pick a number and shoot that one.
This also allows you to work on reholstering a loaded gun, more draw practice with less ammo consumption and you don't get into a fixed habit which is amazingly easy to do. I'd also cut your practice distance in half, 7-10 yards is plenty, a little of the longer distance don't hurt but I'd focus up closer.
I still remember the ole revolver days when officers would be too lazy to pick up brass so they would dump the empty's into their hand and put them in their pocket. Saw reports later following shootings where the officers were doing the same thing in a gun fight. Had empties in their pockets. Didn't help their emergency reload times one bit. It was a habit.

[jeep45238]

Keep your support hand up at your chest, don't go from high, to low, back to high.

[OldLincoln]

I suggest adding a timing from GO to the first shot. That's the most critical one of the bunch and you will most likely be reacting to the BG so he has a head start. But please start slow and safely build up speed. You have to survive your own gun handling to stop the BG.

[Boostedxt]

awesome points and thanks for posting them. The last few weekends I started to focus more on the 2 shots, move and survey surroundings and then shoot again if need be. My friend and I would walk towards or around the target and then yell "THREAT!" and the person would have to draw and put 2 rounds on target.

Jeep: could you explain a bit more for me? I was taught to have your support hand lift your shirt way up out of the way to make accessing the gun more easily. Is that what you are talking about or am I thinking the wrong thing? Thanks!

Thanks for the in put everyone...
joe

[Bawanna]

Jeep knows more on this than I but watching your video you raise your shirt correctly in my view but then you use your support hand to lower it back down rather than keep the hand up at chest or gun level. I think what he suggest is bring the gun to your support hand don't bring support hand to gun or meet half way.
This keeps the support hand out of harms way until it's behind the gun. Save a few movements and consequently time.
Am I reading you correct Jeep?

[jeep45238]

Jeep: could you explain a bit more for me? I was taught to have your support hand lift your shirt way up out of the way to make accessing the gun more easily. Is that what you are talking about or am I thinking the wrong thing? Thanks!



That's what I'm refering to.

You pull your shirt up, then drop your support hand down, and then pull it up and make contact with the pistol.

Just keep it up and thrust the pistol forward with both hands.

Also, you're also excessively lifting the shirt, which while I understand why some folks do it (better to be slower and 100% concept), it's foolish. Your shirt isn't long as hell. Clear it, get a firing grip, and let go of the shirt (and consider switching to button down shirts, leaving the last button unbuttoned). This is incredibly fast and easy to clear a holster, and is why I wear nearly 100% button down shirts, with the last button not fastened

.

You reduce the movements, and thus the time, to get the shot off. It also keeps your support hand free to utilize in a method of defense or attack while you're working on getting the pistol presented. It also keeps the support hand free of the muzzle. With your draw method right now, you'll get caught up if you need to do a "oh ****" block on a fist or knife while drawing the gun.


Bawanna has it right. Less movement = faster shots = greater possibility of thriving = less injuries to you

Survival is for wimps. Survival means living with holes in you that you didn't have at the beginning of the day. Thriving means going home in the same condition you left it.

[Boostedxt]

Thanks for the ideas and clarification! I took some screen shots of the draw step by step to be able to see it a bit better. Anything else you can see?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/Boostedxt/Untitled55copy.jpg

Thanks again!
Joe

[JodyH]

Bring the pistol up higher before you "punch" it out towards the target.
During practice draws I exaggerate this by bringing the pistol up to where the rear of the slide almost touches my nose.
This allow you to track the front sight longer.

Here's me doing Todd Green's FAST drill (http://pistol-training.com/drills/fast-fundamentals-accuracy-speed-test), which is 2 shots on a 3"x5" card at 7 yards, reload and fire 4 shots into a 8" circle at 7 yards. This particular run was 4.84 seconds, but I missed one head shot by 1/4".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFSCkXIK4A&feature=player_profilepage

Notice how far up I bring the pistol before I punch it out.
This gives me more time on the front sight.
This also allows me to make an "aimed shot" sooner if the target is larger or closer.
I have the front sight in my line of sight and can make an "aimed" shot from almost right in front of my face.
Also notice that I do a reverse draw when re-holstering.
I bring the pistol straight back to my face and then re-holster.
This helps ingrain the draw pathway.
Don't get lazy on your re-holstering.
Your re-holster should be close to a mirror image of your draw but at a much slower pace.
On 5 yard IDPA body shots I can usually get off 2-3 shots between my face and full extension. That usually equates to around 3-4 IDPA body hits in under 2 seconds.
Another benefit of this is if you're fighting someone, it's easier to retain your pistol or muzzle strike someone from the high pectoral region.
By "bowling" the pistol out like you are doing in the pictures above, you aren't getting on the sights as quickly as you could be and you are setting yourself up for a block or takeaway if your opponent is close enough to close on you.