Triangle Tactical Podcast - Competitive Shooting, Mostly

The turn and draw is a pretty standard start position for competitive shooting matches. Generally in a turn and draw, you'll start facing up range, wrists above shoulders, and then on the buzzer you'll turn then draw your pistol once it's inside the 180*, and start engaging targets. 

The conventional wisdom about the turn and draw is that you should always turn towards the gun, because the gun then has less movement to make to get on the target. I seemingly makes sense on the surface, but I'm skeptical that the movement of the gun is the important metric. 

So, here's what I did: I went to the range, and setup my MGM 10" Steel Challenge plate at about 13 yards. I wanted to be able to score the shooting hit/no hit, and I wanted to make sure that I actually had to use my sights a bit so I didn't just get into the habit of draw-fire-ding without seeing my sights, and about 13 yards seemed to be the right distance for that. 

Before I get into the data, here's some of the things I heard about the turn and draw:

• The gun get's inside the 180* faster by turning one way over the other.
• You're less likely to break the 180* by turning towards the gun.
• Less gun movement is better

So, if the gun is facing directly up range in the holster, it's got to rotate more than 90* before it can come out of the holster, either direction. 

After doing this a bunch, I'm not sure that the movement of the gun is the important metric to measure, because I can't shoot until my eyes are on the target, and they've got to rotate 180* regardless. 

So, here's the data:

So, after 212 turn and draws (because I'm bad at making spreadsheets) I concluded that I'm probably going to continue turning toward the gun, but that the direction that you turn doesn't really make as big of a difference as people act like it does.

Average (mean) time for turning away from the gun: 1.49 seconds

Average (mean) time for turning towards the gun: 1.46 seconds

Keep in mind, I've practiced literally thousands of toward-the-gun turn and draws over the years, and I've done slightly more than 100 away from the gun, so I think it's possible that that contributed to the 3% difference in the times between the two.

I've got two plugs for other podcasts this week that I think you should listen to:

• Ballistic Radio on "Big Boy Rules" and how some trainers go out of their way to make things more dangerous for their students because it somehow makes things better for learning? Yeah, it's dumb, and it's a mentality I see with competitors from time to time as well. 
• This episode of Down Range Radio with Michael Bane is excellent as well. He talks a lot about barriers to entry in the shooting sports, and why 3-gun seems to be stagnating, etc. Lots of good stuff here. (H/T Manuel)

[powerpress]

Long story short, I believe the biggest barrier that we face to advancing gun rights isn't politicians, but swaying the vast majority of the general public who are indifferent, or on the fence about guns. 

What I've found is, if you're just a normal person who likes to shoot, and talks about it in a normal way, most folks are pretty receptive. 

However, if you're rocking a "Hillary for Prison" shirt and whatnot (i.e. dressed in a way that automatically politicizes a conversation) the general public is going to be much less receptive to your message.

If you want to make something "normal" you've got to be normal. 

Check out this shirt I'm selling over on Teespring. I think it's pretty great, and I'm quite excited about it. 

Matt in Indiana sent in a great first match voicemail for this episode, and it made me want to remind everyone out there that I'm here to help. 

If you want to get started in competitive shooting, and have questions, hit me up. Shoot me an email at [email protected], read the How to Get Started in Competitive Shooting series here, and if that's not enough, sign up for my newsletter to get my .PDF with 9 more resources for getting started. You can get subscribed right here.

Check out this episode of The Art of Manliness with Mike Rowe. Mike is a guy that really resonates with me, in that he tells people that they don't have to go to college and get deeply in debt to be successful. I'm the guy that he warns you about. I went to college because I thought I had to, then I dropped out, and don't have a diploma, but I've still got all the debt. 

I'm also someone who used to work a desk job, and hated every minute of it. I quit, got a job where I'm up and moving, working with my hands, and getting dirty, and I couldn't be happier. Turns out, I like being challenged, and I like doing things that require me to think. 

Here's my best practices for using a tablet to score people at matches with Practiscore:

• Leave the tablets on the stages that they start on. (Don't take them from stage to stage) This way, if a tablet breaks or hiccups and loses the scores that have been entered into it, you only lose the one stage for everyone. If you take the same tablet from stage to stage, and it breaks, you lose all of the scores for every stage for that entire squad, and that sucks. 
• Alphabetize by first name to get your first stage shooting order. Then, on the next stage, drop down as many shooters as it takes to make it all the way around during the match (If you have 12 people on the squad, and 6 stages, drop by 2 shooters each stage.) This way, everyone gets a chance to shoot at the top of the order, and at the bottom of the order, and nobody has to go first on every stage. 
• The reason you go by first name, is because it's repeatable from tablet to tablet, and generally splits up family members who have the same last name that might want to film each other and but then not have enough time to prepare to go next if you were to sort by last name.

Being the 5th week of the month, and a holiday weekend, I'd usually take a week off from the podcast, but I had some things from this weeks practice session and Sunday's USPSA match that I wanted to talk about. So, on this weeks show, I move away from the usual podcast format, and just give you some top of mind things from this last week. 

If you haven't checked out the Triangle Tactical Patreon yet, you're missing out. The 4th episode of the Triangle Tactical News Blast podcast just released over there this week, and in my opinion, it's pretty good. Patreon is allowing me to do a lot more awesome stuff, so if you can contribute, I'd certainly appreciate it!

Patreon.com/triangletactical

Recently a well known tactical trainer dude posted something on Facebook about having an XD pistol malfunction in his classes, and went on to talk about how he's seen a lot of malfunctions from the XD pistols in his classes. (I don't doubt his experience, at all)

Of course, a bunch of folks came out of the woodwork defending the XD pistols, and other folks came into the comment thread bashing XDs, and even others came into the thread defending their pistol de jour while calling themselves a "Glock guy" or "Sig guy" or "1911 guy" or whatever. 

I'm less grumpy about someone taking a class and breaking a gun than I am about the folks who identify themselves as a "whatever guy" because they're pigeonholing themselves into one brand, when chances are at some point in time, you're going to want a feature that your gun de jour doesn't have. Especially if you practice a bunch. 

It's like screwdriver. I carry an expensive one every day at work, because I use a screwdriver A LOT. To most folks, a screwdriver is just a screwdriver, but once you use one all the time, you start to appreciate the little things in a quality piece of equipment that you overlook when you don't know what you don't know. 

The Triangle Tactical Patreon is up and running. Think of it like an online tip jar where you can pledge a few bucks a month my way if you think I'm doing a good job. If you come in at the $5 a month level or more, you'll get access to the all new Triangle Tactical News Blast podcast (Episode 3 just went up) in addition to this show. I've also been throwing some show bloopers over there when I come across something funny.

Check it out at Patreon.com/triangletactical

MGM Targets sells Shuretape for way cheaper than Amazon. Get some here. I don't have any relationship with them, it's just a good deal.

One of the more common things I hear from people who want to get started in competitive shooting is that they don't have the money. 

Before I get going on this topic, I want to make one thing very clear: If you're trying to scratch together the money to eat, now is not the time to get started in competitive shooting. 

With that said, I don't think being a regular competitive shooter has to cost a whole lot more than most other hobbies. If you're into hiking, you're going to have gas costs to get you to the trailheads, boots wear out, stoves, fuel for stoves, tent, backpack, etc. 

The same thing with cycling. Chains have to be replaced somewhat frequently, chainrings wear out, tires, tubes, suspension work, etc. It all adds up. 

So, here's some things I do to save money so I can shoot more:

Reloading:

When I got started with this stuff, I had more time than money. I bought a cheap, used, Lee Turret press, and all the peripherals I need to get started reloading for about $300 Once that investment was made, I was able to start cranking out $0.10 9mm ammo, which was half the cost of the factory ammo I was buying.

Consolidate guns:

Don't have a suitable gun for competition? I bet you've got a blaster (or 5) in the safe that you could sell, and use the proceeds to buy a suitable shooter. If that's not an option, check the used market. There's usually some decent deals on police trade-in glocks, and other gats like that.

Shoot a less expensive division:

Let's be honest, Open division probably isn't for the guys looking to save every penny. Optics break, guns break etc. It happens, and don't any of you open shooters try to debate me, I see your Facebook posts about sending your guns back to manufacturers to get fixed. Even Carry Optics is becoming a more expensive division, because slide ride optics break. A lot. Saw a guy a few months ago break the Vortex optics on both his regular, and his backup gun in the same match.

Work for a free match:

I used to volunteer to setup, RO, and tear down at a local match in addition to being able to shoot for free. It was great when I had more time than money. Not every match offers this sort of thing, but it's definitely a thing that exists.

Carpool to matches:

Especially if you don't have a little gas sipper car like I do. I'm pretty lucky here in the Raleigh area to have TONS of matches, however, sometimes that still involves an hour and a half drive to matches if I want to head out to Carolina Guns and Gear's USPSA match, etc. Back in the day, I used to drive over to Cohost Ben's house, which was like 35mins from my place, and then jump in with him for the rest of the ride.  Added bonus is that you can talk shop the whole way there and back, which is great, and makes the drive seem shorter.

If you're considering the Triangle Tactical Patreon but you're not sure what you'll get on the new News Blast podcast, here's a little taste for you:

If you want more, there's two News Blast episodes up on Patreon RIGHT NOW, with more coming. Patreon.com/triangletactical

There's been a bunch of really good competitive shooting podcasts over the last week, so I'm plugging them all:

• Shannon Smith Shooting - Episode 17 - Really interesting to hear a high level shooter talk about DQing at a big match. Most folks don't talk about this stuff, so I'd recommend you check it out.
• 3GunShow Book Club - Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals 
• PARAcast Podcast - Episode 99 - Good discussion about what an IDPA shooter should expect at a USPSA match. 

Have you ever been given unsolicited advice at the range?

Or, have you ever given it?

Podcast listener Michael sent me a message on Facebook with the following message:

Hey Lucas, I've got an idea for a topic on the podcast that I would like to hear your take on. The topic is unsolicited advice at matches. . For instance the guy that tries to pick apart random shooters match performance and tell them what they screwed up on and what they need to do or BUY to improve their performance. It seems like it's usually the crappy shooters or old guys doing it to so it's usually not even good advice. It is my personal opinion that unless someone asks you for advice at a match you don't give them any. What are your thoughts, see any of this at matches you go to?

I do think that most people who give out advice at matches have good intentions, but, I don't think that most people should probably be giving others advice, especially when it's about actual shooting, and not just things like "don't handle your blaster outside the safe area, etc."

The Q&A Podcast is back! It's going to be once a week, and it's going to be live on Facebook. It'll also be released as an audio only podcast just like it used to be. However to make it work, I need you to send me your questions. Whatever you've got, email it to [email protected]

If you're interested in the new Triangle Tactical News Blast podcast, or if you just want to help me do more awesome Junk Science episodes and stuff like that, head over to my Patreon page at Patreon.com/triangletactical

The Sig P320x5 is USPSA Production legal. This is blowing peoples minds, and actually making some folks angry, which is dumb. It's awesome, and even if you're probably not going to buy one (like me) you should at least appreciate that manufacturers are seeing a market share among competition guns. 

[powerpress]

There are some things in the shooting sports that just suck. Today, I talk about those things. What sucks for you? Let me know in the comments below this post!

Anyways, here's my list:

• Sub-machine gun matches
  • It sounds so awesome, but at the one I observed, people were just spraying and praying, and as someone who embraces the DVC (Speed/Power/Accuracy) thing, it just didn't do anything for me.
• Carnival stages
  • I like hard shots. If you're a stage designer, make some shots challenging, but don't take every target out of the target shed and use them all on one stage. Just don't.
• People who say "But it's just a club match?!"
  • Play the game, or don't play the game. If you're going to be there though, play by the rules.
• Range Officers who are afraid to DQ people who are unsafe.
  • You're not doing the shooter a favor by letting them keep shooting. If safety is really #1, that means it takes precedent above the shooters feelings. If someone does something that's DQable, DQ them. 

As I've mentioned many times, this podcast keeps running because of my affiliate links with Amazon.com. All you've got to do is hit an Amazon link here on Triangle Tactical, then make your purchase on Amazon, and I'll get a kick back from Amazon for referring you. 

I spent a big part of last weekend re-doing the Gear that Doesn't Suck page that's got all of the Gear that Doesn't Suck items on it from the last year or so of podcast episodes. Check it out at triangletactical.net/doesntsuck.

Brandon on Facebook just bought an XD 2 weeks ago, and wants to start dryfire.

Rick in Michigan is browsing new guns, and wants to know what he should look at for a competition gun.

Sean on Facebook asks about where to buy USPSA targets for practice. 

If you've got a question, shoot me an email (and you can get to the front of the line if you attach a voicemail) at [email protected]

If you look at any sport, other than practical shooting you'll notice that people work with a single coach for a long period of time. In practical shooting though, folks tend to work their way up the rankings alone, with just dryfire and live fire practice, and the occasional training class from someone who's a national champion or something.

The trouble here is that when you're going to learn from someone who doesn't know you, and might not ever see you again, you're only getting the day or two of instruction, and then it's all back on you.

When I was a kid I played a little bit of little league, and I remember our coaches being immensely helpful in making us better players.

Our dryfire was playing catch, or practicing pitches, or even the pickup baseball game in the grassy lot behind the local church.

Then we got actual coaching from our coaches where they'd help us learn how to practice better, make corrections, etc.

Then, the best kids on the team (not me...) would go off to clinics in the summer time where they learned more in depth how to pitch, swing a bat, etc, and these classes WERE taught by people who were like D1 college coaches, or former MLB players, etc. To me, this is the equivalent of taking a shooting class from a big name instructor.

But notice, there's no equivalent to the coaching model in the practical shooting sports, and in my opinion, is one of the most important parts. Why?

Go check out the Finding Mastery podcast. I just came across it the other day, listened to a handful of episodes, then subscribed and downloaded a bunch of his back catalog. If you're interested in mastering the shooting sports, I think learning about the mindset of other people who are masters in their fields is important. 

Here's his episode with Anders Ericsson, that I'd highly recommend you listen to.

Don't ever, under any circumstance, ever, EVER, finish shooting a stage, pick up your magazines, and put them back on your belt before you stuff them back full. You will forget, and you will not remember until you're halfway through a stage and you realize you don't have any more ammo. Resist the urge!

If you've been shooting USPSA for any length of time, you've probably heard someone say "Don't draw to steel!" while walking through a stage before it's shot. It's something that's become conventional wisdom in practical shooting, and I think it's complete hogwash.

If you approach an array of targets like the ones below, and draw to the steel target first, your time to first shot might be slightly longer, but at the same time, your time to shoot the plate if it's the last target will probably take just as long, so I think it's a wash.

So, Here's what I did:

Draw to steel on far left then shoot to the right. Mean HitFactor = 8.9833

Draw to paper on far left then shoot to steel on the right. Mean HitFactor = 8.9952

Draw to steel on far right then shoot to paper on the right. Mean HitFactor = 8.5273

Draw to paper on the far right then shoot to steel on the far right. Mean HitFactor = 7.9567

Basically, it doesn't matter. Personally, I think the slight fall off on the last one I shot down to a 7.5 hitfactor was more to do with the fact that I was tired, had shot a bunch, and was trying to beat the rain, more than it was the target placement messing with my shooting.

So, by the powers of junk science, I declare this myth busted. Draw to whatever target most benefits your stage plan, and stop listening to the other folks on your squad who are spewing out things they don't know about.

So, The episode "What Should You Practice" has already become the #5 most downloaded episode of the Triangle Tactical Podcast, ever. This tells me that a great number of listeners are interested in knowing more about what to practice.

Well, I think today's podcast is a good exercise in what you should practice. So, take the diagram above, and shoot it in live fire, or dryfire with a timer, and see what gets you the best results. Should you "not draw to steel"? or will you find that it doesn't really matter?

Let me know, hit up the comments, or shoot me an email at [email protected].  

I hear a lot of excuses from people about why competitive shooting is bad, or why they won't/don't shoot it, etc. (Actually, I think I hear them less and less because people don't want me to talk about them on the podcast) but anyways...

A lot of the excuses I hear are just silly, and a while back I received a bunch of them from the same person:

• "You have to keep your guns unloaded until you're the shooter."
• "You have to show clear and hammer down when you're done."
• 180* rule
• "If the muzzle is up or down, there's no reason you can't turn around."
• "Some competitions you can't reload or shoot while moving."

When criticizing practical shooting, I think you need to ask yourself what is lost when these things are implemented? What's lost by having people walk around with unloaded guns? What's lost by verifying the guns are unloaded? What's lost by implementing the 180* rule?

Nothing.