Welcome back to part two of Team CGS' Shooting Tip number two. In part one, I described some areas of the draw that are time killers. In the upcoming posts I will use video to demonstrate these principals and show you time differences.
In this part of the two-part segment, I will be describing techniques that will help you shave times off of your scores with reloading and getting into position.
The Reload:
The essential key to reloading is to do it while you are moving to your next shooting area. If you are standing and having to do a reload, you are killing your time. The most important part of this is your pre-stage routine. As you are doing your walk through you should be counting your shots as you are looking at the course of fire. Remember, per USPSA rules there are no more than 8 shots per area of shooting. So for you Limited 10, Production, and single stack shooters, there will always be an area to reload at plus one-two-three shots extra (one or three if you top off). Remember DO NOT STAND AND RELOAD.
Always be aware of your muzzle while doing this. Get comfortable reloading to your weak side. What I mean by this is, if you are right handed and you have to move left be aware of where the muzzle is pointing. YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET DQ'ed due to a 180 degree violation. If you have the option of moving right through out the course, do so (if you are right handed, left if you are left handed.). This will make reloading faster with a completely balanced feel. If your reloading while moving to your weak side you will naturally slow down because it is awkward to reload and think about muzzle direction at the same time. Just remember to practice moving both directions and reload while doing so.
The second thing I always see with newer shooters is low reloads. I see so many newer shooters who are reloading the gun near their belt. You are costing yourself time by moving the gun down to your belt. How you ask? First by moving your gun down to the belt level you have to take your eyes off of the target and move your head into a crouched position. This doesn't allow for a smooth transition to your next shooting area. You are able to move faster and quicker with your arms and head at a more comfortable position. Move the magazine to your gun and not the other way around. In stages where one would have to stay in a shooting area and do a mandatory reload, keeping your head up and eyes near the same level as the target will result in faster reloads.
What should you see and feel when you are reloading? Once that shot is fired and you know that you need to reload, you should automatically do two things: Your support hand should go to the next available magazine while your strong hand is activating the magazine release. As the magazine is dropping out you should bring the gun closer to your face and angle the magwell towards the new magazine at a 30-45 degree angle. Magazine is inserted and your support hand will then couple back up with the strong hand and push out to the target to acquire aim. You may ask, where should my eyes be looking? You should transition your focus from the target to the magwell and then to the target. If you do not transition your eyes you will be asking for a fumbled reload. You might be able to practice enough to the point where you see this out of your peripheral vision, but I highly recommend that you transition your eyes.
Transitions to Shooting Areas:
A big time killer I see is shooters moving with two hands on the gun in a low-ready position as if they were in a tactical situation. First and foremost you will be able to move much faster when you separate your support hand from the grip of the gun. This will allow you to achieve an athletic stance and position to RUN to the next position. The faster you can get to the next shooting area the faster your time will be. Remember to do this safely as you do not want to slip and fall.
Once you are in the next shooting area you should be firing the gun. There should be no wasted time on raising the gun up to the next target from the previously described low-ready position. Just as you are ready to enter the shooting area, your eyes should be seeing the target that you want to engage. Once your eyes have focused on the target, you should be stepping into the shooting area and pushing the gun out towards the target and firing the shots needed.
In your walk through of the course of fire, you should practice and feel where you will be able to engage the target from, while entering the box or shooting area. Remember to gain target acquisition, then push the gun out and acquire your aim. Just as with the reload, eyes acquire first then the gun.
You will loose time if you enter the shooting area and then try to figure out how you are shooting it.
So in conclusion, the smoother your motions and the least amount of movement you make will allow you to lower your times while shooting. Always lead with your eyes whether is it is doing a reload or stepping into a shooting area. Always be aware of your muzzle during a reload and don't forget to practice reloading while going to your weak side.
Until next time, stay safe, shoot straight and have fun!
Ryan M.
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