Shooting for USPSA and IDPA

[TyGuy]

I hope this doesn't step on anyone's toes, but is there anything to this "instinctive shooting?". Sometimes when shooting USPSA I find myself not really aiming. Perhaps I am just doing it wrong. I am not trying to start a controversial topic, so please keep it civil. Or, you can just PM me.

 

Mods, if this is a taboo sibject feel free to remove it.

[Vaden]

I was just thinking about this today. I've been told that when your new to IDPA/USPSA, that when the buzzer goes off, your mind goes blank and you forget everything that you thought you knee. I experienced that this weekend. There was no front sight focus, no faxing the trigger gently, no controlled breathing. It was point and shoot and get the next target. I had outstanding accuracy too. All I could think about after the match was how pure instinct kicked in and took over and the sights lined up and the finger snapped perfect shots of

[Vaden]

Sorry, stupid phone glitched and I can't edit my posts anymore but yeah, I believe in instinctive shooting because I've experienced it first hand.

[chip]

Instinctive shooting usually occurs at close distances with simple (as in open targets, without hostage or no-shoot simulations).

True, shooting USPSA or IDPA...you don't prep the trigger, get a fine sight picture, control your breathing and break the shot as a surprise...but you do consciously

and subconsciously plan your shots. There are different sight pictures, different target holds, and different split times based on distance and difficulty.

Actual instinctive shooting in a course of fire would mean almost no planning at all, and virtually the same picture, hold, and split for every shot.

 

One of my favorite USPSA classifiers 06-03 "Can You Count" is instinctive shooting at it's best. 2 close targets that get 5 rounds each with a mandatory reload between targets. 99-53 "Cash and Carry" offers a lot more variety and would be a complete failure with the same technique.

 

In short, there's a place in IDPA and USPSA for instinctive shooting, but to be fast and accurate you'll be using a lot of mental preparation throughout most courses of fire.

Here's where I plug the Iain Harrison, Iggy Keyes Top Shot Academy Intro to Competitive Shooting Class. http://www.TopShotAcademy.com

[TyGuy]

I found myself using a mixture of both. Further targets had me slowing down, lining up the sights, and taking good shots. The close in ones were more reactive. My favorite was kicking open a door to reveal 4 shoot targets less than 3 feet from me. I took them all out VERY quickly. That was the most fun. I won't say I hit all As though, but it was my first time.

[Kenny]

This is with my limited gun

[Kenny]

The first time shooting my Open Gun.

[TyGuy]

I saw you there when I was at Pine Tree on the 10th Kenny. I recognized you from ASC's zombie shoot. I'll be there again on the 31st of May. I plan on going every 2nd or 3rd week. I can't do every week right now even though I would like to.

[TyGuy]

Any actual constructive feedback would be great.

[Xwing]

Wow. After watching Kenny's videos That is fast! I like that the double-taps were so close, there was really only one report.

[sleepercaprice1]

Instinctive or "point" shooting is nothing new. It used to be taught to law enforcement officers. It is a very useful skill to develop. In high stress situations where training is forgotten and instinct takes over, it would be a handy skill to have.

 

The technique I use is one that I was taught by a former CPD instructor who taught shooting over the top of the slide..in other words, bring the gun up almost to where the sights can be used and you look over the top of slide at the target. I guess it's kinda similar to shooting a shotgun in that you are looking at the target rather than at the sights. I can usually engage an IDPA target and get -0 hits out to 10 yards or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[anonymous too]

A tip from Doug Koenig

 

The rest of the series.