Gates here are open for shooters today....hopefully they will be here for Verification of their 3 minute exercises.....
what you can do in 3 min of dryfire
- Thread starter Jayne
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Today was about 20 minutes airsoft time with the CZ shadow 2 clone. Used to baer solutions warm up target. I did one at two handed presentations from the low ready and then worked from the draw. Did some single weak hand work as well.
OP
Mine ran a little long today, ended up doing more weak hand stuff and then switched to the G34 to do some footwork/movement. I've got a dryfire mag for the G34 so I can click the trigger as many times as I want; makes movement + multiple targets more fun.
I'm doing this immediately after exercising so I have to deal with sweaty hands, tired muscles, and whatnot.
I exercise at home, so...keep that in mind guys.
OP
Not handgun dryfire, but I picked up one of the Mantis Blackbeard (dumb name) AR trigger reset + laser things:
mantisx.com
I don't live fire ARs much more these days beyond getting them zeroed so I'm going to up my dryfire game a bit in this area too.
So far the mantis widget is really fun, it lets you 'shoot' as much and as fast as you want with your actual trigger break/reset. I've learned a lot about my AR handling just in 30 minutes of trying to clear the house and shoot every light switch and outlet while pieing corners. Good thing the wife wasn't home, she wouldn't approve of this dryfire routine.
Blackbeard: the auto-resetting trigger system for AR-15
NEW: BLACKBEARD X, the original Blackbeard, but now with integrated Mantis X for real-time performance feedback analysis! See details here. You want to be able to do dry fire practice with your AR-15 without having to run the charging handle between shots. An auto-resetting trigger sounds like...
mantisx.com
I don't live fire ARs much more these days beyond getting them zeroed so I'm going to up my dryfire game a bit in this area too.
So far the mantis widget is really fun, it lets you 'shoot' as much and as fast as you want with your actual trigger break/reset. I've learned a lot about my AR handling just in 30 minutes of trying to clear the house and shoot every light switch and outlet while pieing corners. Good thing the wife wasn't home, she wouldn't approve of this dryfire routine.
I’ve been doing my 5-6 30 second sessions every day I can (usually 5-6 days a week). Today, I added trigger prep and transitions to my routine. Draw from holster, acquire first target, prep trigger, transition to 1-2 other targets and break the shot on the last transition.
Definitely considering the Blackbeard above to go with my Mantis X so I can add some AR practice on the days I can’t break out the airsofts
Definitely considering the Blackbeard above to go with my Mantis X so I can add some AR practice on the days I can’t break out the airsofts
There are pictures in Battery Oaks Weekend from yesterday that show what Daily presentation drills can do for you. I shot 3 rounds into a 1 1/2 inch group at 10 yards in about 5 seconds.......not too impressive until you see that it was done with a Seecamp .32....with NO sights what so ever......Presentation-Press........we had about a dozen shooters yesterday.....3 Wizard Killer shirt wearers......all practice 3 minutes......it works.
I shot RDO for the first time yesterday. I found that it did help me in the speed department because I was almost always point shooting my first shot. It was about the same whether I saw the dot or not. Still slow but the same. The same is true with iron sights. I draw present the gun to the target and press before I see the sights. Follow up shots and transition to a second target are helped by the presence of sights. YMMV
I am working on presenting the Beretta Centurion with the red/green dot on it consistently. It has shown me that when my presentation is off the muzzle is high. I am not sure I am sold on the RDO yet. Time will tell.
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OP
Going to try some live fire tomorrow for the first time since the routine started.
There will be Mucho Live Fire here tomorrow....I would venture to say this shooting will be done by less than 10 people and of that 10...No More than 10% have given 3 minutes a day to perfect their shooting skills.....
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Ok guys, so I've changed up the routine some. I have been doing the quick par time for draw/click on dry fire. Now, I'm going back to the slow basics. Set 3 seconds on timer, and make myself use ALL of it in the draw and sight alignment only, one and two handed, no squeeze/click the trigger. I set the timer on my phone for 2 minutes, and on the last minute, do the same but with the trigger press to click/dry fire. Why go so slow you ask?, to make sure I get a clean draw, good hand placement, and proper alignment of hand/hands and press out before pressing the trigger. I had been doing this slow drill weeks before I slayed the wizard at Billy's. The day I did it, I was in front of a very highly regarded trainer/friend of Billy's, so the pressure was there, lol. It went as smooth as could be, and honestly felt like I was moving in slow motion. On the last pair at 10 yards, I didn't think I made time, because it felt so slow, and it was 2.37. Close, but under time. So, back to basics I go.
OP
Life fire for the first time in 3 weeks or so... and a HUGE improvement with the G43x. Nothing crazy just the usual plate racks and such but my accuracy was 80%+ vs. the 40% (at best) last live session. That was worth the $0 investment for sure, so I'll continue with the daily workever.
OP
Doing a step with every draw and every reload now, and as of a few days ago doing everything with the flashlight as well in prep for the day/night match.
To simulate the reloads when the light is random (plan to just leave it on during the match stages) I'm doing them with my eyes closed. Actually works pretty well, I wonder if 'looking' while reloading has been slowing me down since I'm changing focus from targets to gun to targets and back to sights again vs. just targets to sights?
Also been throwing in some shotgun work, just reloads from the side saddle. Ending up with the rounds alternating brass up/down, the brass up is easier to side load into the ejection port when the gun is totally empty and the brass down is easier to load into the tube. I've been doing one side load and one tube load, 'fire' both and cycle them out then repeat and repeat again for the 6 snap caps on the saddle. Then do that 2 more times and call it done for the day.
To simulate the reloads when the light is random (plan to just leave it on during the match stages) I'm doing them with my eyes closed. Actually works pretty well, I wonder if 'looking' while reloading has been slowing me down since I'm changing focus from targets to gun to targets and back to sights again vs. just targets to sights?
Also been throwing in some shotgun work, just reloads from the side saddle. Ending up with the rounds alternating brass up/down, the brass up is easier to side load into the ejection port when the gun is totally empty and the brass down is easier to load into the tube. I've been doing one side load and one tube load, 'fire' both and cycle them out then repeat and repeat again for the 6 snap caps on the saddle. Then do that 2 more times and call it done for the day.
Today here on the range I saw first hand what dry fire and presentation practice can accomplish..we had a man here that is a good shooter anyway doing one shot draws from 3 yards repeated 5 times in an average of .7 of a sec...he has practiced for a month for our new "qualifier" and is formidable.
OP
Two months in, haven't missed a day yet.
I've noticed at the matches that my accuracy is way up, my speed is... down. Dryfire doesn't happen at full speed so while everything is smooth it's not as fast as it could be. I've tried moving around faster, coming into positions faster and trying to get the shots off faster like I'm actually in a match. Another thing that was leading to being slower was using tiny targets. I'm using IDPA sized targets that are 4" or so high, which makes them 1/6th scale so all of my shots are the illusion of being really long range. No flash sight pictures or sloppy trigger work allowed.
I've noticed at the matches that my accuracy is way up, my speed is... down. Dryfire doesn't happen at full speed so while everything is smooth it's not as fast as it could be. I've tried moving around faster, coming into positions faster and trying to get the shots off faster like I'm actually in a match. Another thing that was leading to being slower was using tiny targets. I'm using IDPA sized targets that are 4" or so high, which makes them 1/6th scale so all of my shots are the illusion of being really long range. No flash sight pictures or sloppy trigger work allowed.
OP
Anyone still doing their daily routine? I'm still at 100% participation with either live or dry fire every day.
Took a rifle/pistol class over the weekend and fired an AR 'at speed' for the first time in... 3 years or more? With my only live fire being optics zeroing and such from the bench, but with lots of dryfire a few weeks before class using the mantis reset widget my accuracy was surprisingly good. I was slow as crap, actually dealing with recoil made me unable to get nice split times, but I still made the time/accuracy benchmark with plenty to spare.
Took a rifle/pistol class over the weekend and fired an AR 'at speed' for the first time in... 3 years or more? With my only live fire being optics zeroing and such from the bench, but with lots of dryfire a few weeks before class using the mantis reset widget my accuracy was surprisingly good. I was slow as crap, actually dealing with recoil made me unable to get nice split times, but I still made the time/accuracy benchmark with plenty to spare.
Every day. In fact, just finished up today’s session about 20 min ago. Still need to get the Mantis piece for my AR (that or quit being lazy and use the airsoft AR)
Only the ones that truly Want to get better......This is sorta like "You don't Have to brush your teeth...just the ones you want to keep".
Y'all give this a try and let me know how it goes:
Target 10x12 Rectangle or 12" circle
1. 3 yards....1 shot.....1 second....repeat 5 times
2. 5 yards....2 shots..2 seconds...repeat 5 times
3. 7 yards...5 shots...4 seconds
4. 10 yards...5 shots...5 seconds
Any gun you would normally carry....1911 Govt Mdl...and smaller...carried Open Carried..start with thumbs in naval
Pass/Fail Only
Target 10x12 Rectangle or 12" circle
1. 3 yards....1 shot.....1 second....repeat 5 times
2. 5 yards....2 shots..2 seconds...repeat 5 times
3. 7 yards...5 shots...4 seconds
4. 10 yards...5 shots...5 seconds
Any gun you would normally carry....1911 Govt Mdl...and smaller...carried Open Carried..start with thumbs in naval
Pass/Fail Only
OP
I don't even have to try to know I can't pass that. My reaction time out of the holster is crock pot fast, no chance I'll get 5, sub-second draws. Everything else has been improving with practice but getting moving hasn't been one of them.
I have folks pull up their Blaster , aim at Nothing and shoot when the buzzer goes....best so far is .17.....blazing fast. Young folks doin' stuff!!!
The worst is .31 < he'll never be able to do the above drill....@Stick Man and @hp468 ...will be the next to complete.....others have work to do.
OP
Ah, I was thinking that was from the holster, not from... high/low ready or just pointing at the target already.
I've got a lot more practicing to do but we're working on it, I appreciate the confidence. I've got to stop rushing myself on the 5 shot strings. Shot timer is the devil. The 1 sec 3yrd shots are the easy part, IMO.
I've found the Mantis Laser Academy to be a huge help for practicing draw/aim/fire from both open and concealed carry. I don't have anywhere local to shoot on a whim (I refuse to go to "public" ranges) so the living room and hallway have become our range. While there's no recoil management or follow up shots (unless your using something double action), it does make a huge difference with muscle memory and speed. The first time I dry fired the above drill, my 3yrd times (starting with thumbs on belt buckle) were ~1.25-1.40 off the buzzer. Didn't take long to get them down to 0.75-0.80. Sig 365 and a Safariland ALS holster.
I've been working with @Barbie on training for The Wizard as well. Her draw/aim/fire times as well as first shot accuracy have improved dramatically. Appendix, draw/aim/fire from concealed with a 365, her times are consistently 1.5-1.7sec range and on target. This is coming from 2.5 sec+ with so-so accuracy. Its remarkable to see the improvement.
Last time we were down at Battery Oaks I brought the laser academy along for @BatteryOaksBilly to check out. It really is a neat system and well worth the money IMO.
Is this your hearing though?
Would be interesting if you could draw when a light flashes or something. And time it. Wonder if it would be faster?
Gotta get on the front of the beep!
OP
IPSC Shot Timer app and an ear bud is what I use. The beep annoys my housemate and cats. You can turn up the volume to your heart’s content.
Next time you can have somebody check your raw reaction time....could be enlightening.
OP
Doing the year end maintenance on my ammo tracking spreadsheet and noticed that in 2021 my total round count fired was down around 40% from my prior 3 year average (when I started to get serious about trying to get better at IDPA/USPSA).
2018 I started doing a lot of live fire. 2019 I did more live fire. 2020 I picked up a glock 44 as a trainer and you can see the dramatic up-tick in rimfire (which includes 17hmr but that's noise) as I switched to doing more training with that and the subsequent drop in 9mm. As my supply of cheap 22 dried up and I switched to more dryfire... my match performance has sorta stayed the same as far as where I place in the pack. So either everyone is getting worse right along side of me, or the dryfire is helping replace live fire for skill retention over the long haul.
Funny (or sad) how back in 2019 a 1k/month 9mm habit worked out to about $150 delivered (steel case). Ah, the good old days.
2018 I started doing a lot of live fire. 2019 I did more live fire. 2020 I picked up a glock 44 as a trainer and you can see the dramatic up-tick in rimfire (which includes 17hmr but that's noise) as I switched to doing more training with that and the subsequent drop in 9mm. As my supply of cheap 22 dried up and I switched to more dryfire... my match performance has sorta stayed the same as far as where I place in the pack. So either everyone is getting worse right along side of me, or the dryfire is helping replace live fire for skill retention over the long haul.
Funny (or sad) how back in 2019 a 1k/month 9mm habit worked out to about $150 delivered (steel case). Ah, the good old days.