Where do you practice?

[Eager]

I've been shooting USPSA for a year now and I practice at a indoor range that's part of a gunshop near my home. It's very conveinient since it's close. They allow drawing from holster there (which is good), but since you shoot from partitioned "stalls", and I don't believe you're supposed to shoot across lanes, you cant move much or shoot more than one target. It's OK, I'm glad to have this place so close and that I can draw. But I've never seen any other IPSC type shooter there practicing.

I'll have to ask the guys at the match this weekend where they practice. I assume the most people do practice?

Where do you practice and what can you do there, i.e. move, shoot multiple targets, practice in groups, etc.?

 

[OH25shooter]

They allow drawing from holster...

Wow, you are lucky. My range halted that practice real quick. Insurance rates was the reason. My guess is someone screwed up. Anyway, you have a step up on me because to practice all I do is stand in the booth. B-o-r-i-n-g. No competition skill development doing that day after day.

 

[HSMITH]

The only live fire practice I do is at club matches. All of my other practice is dry fire in my house. Dry fire can cover nearly all of what you need to work on to shoot USPSA once you have the fundamentals of aiming and breaking an accurate shot covered. Live fire practice is good to verify what you see in dry fire or to work on advanced timing drills and things like that, I just don't have the time to do it.

The guys around here that DO get out and live fire practice do it at the clubs we shoot matches at. Membership is required, but that is about it.

 

[frankt]

I belong to a shooting club and that is also where a lot of the IDPA,IPSC,Bullseye and cowboy action matches take place. They also have rifle ranges,trap,skeet sporting clays and all that kind of stuff too.

We have nine shooting pits, which are just high banked on three sides. You can pretty much do anything you want in the pit other than firing out the open end of the pit. I just go,sign in, pick an empty pit,set up targets and go to shooting. We have barrels and barricades we can use also.

We have unlimited use of the pits as long as they are not being use for a scheduled match.

All this for $300 a year. It is a great deal and I am so lucky to have a place like that to practice in.

If this picture works, this is an example of the pits. This is an IDPA match and the scenario is I am in my sleeping bag when three bears attack and I go to shooting.

 

[Eager]

I'm in a club too. Although dues are only $30/year for the family. We also have pistol bays (pits, I think about 9 as well) where we compete USPSA. However, as far as I know, access is not open to the public for practice, I think you have to be a USPSA RO. I'm a RO at the general (bench shooting) range but not for the pistol bays (pits).

That's the kind of thing I'm looking for though.

Here's a pic of one of the bays:

 

[quiknot]

wax bullets

not sure on all state laws, but...using a 45Colt....drilled out primer and countersunk to take a shotgun primer and melted wax to about 1/2" thick...i push brass into wax once harden, and add primer, then can shoot in basement or garage and practice my fast draw.....accurate to about 10 - 15 feet....can go through 4 layers of cardboard

 

[OH25shooter]

Eager,

I get more depressed (upset) when I see photos of where other guys are able to practice outdoors. In the hills, mountains and valley's. Seems the south and west coast have the ideal locations. We city slickers can only go to an indoor range, stand in a booth and put holes in a piece of paper. If I were able to go to your scenic outdoor range, I'd pack a lunch, carry a cell phone and spend hours there. Think of all the different stages you could set up in that pit. Any homes for sale in your area?

 

[3 gun]

If you really want to know the truth, 90% of your practice can be done at home, without a shot being fired. That is after you have the basic skills down, and 90% of those can be learned with good dry firing drills. Don't let the excuse that you can't get to the range keep you from getting better.

 

[scotty]

I agree with HSMITH and 3 gun. Dryfire is excellent practice. Draws, mag changes, trigger control especially with double action, the list goes on. Just be honest with yourself as far as what you are seeing through the sights. Having a timer really helps.

That being said, I have a club about a mile from work. $48 a year, 4 pistol bays one of which is lighted. One night a week is trapshooting night which makes two bays unusable. If I go after work, I usually have the place to myself. Every now and then, I'll meet some fellow IPSC shooters and we'll set up a stage or two. Sometimes I'll even shoot a round or two of trap. Life is good.

 

[Jim_M]

I've been a member here since the 70's
...click the image. You can 'expand' it then by clicking the little box that appears with the arrows and get a close look.




..if the image worked you can see the public range on the left. Our four practical pistol bays, then small bore, pistol silhouette, high power rifle and last but definitely not least our new sporting clays layout. I have always felt privileged having a facility like this so close to home.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Believe it or not, right here in the SF Bay area there are two ranges within about 35 miles of my house that have practice time at their action pistol bays.

The Richmond range run by the Richmond Hotshots (http://www.richmondhotshots.com/) allow public practice on two bays each Saturday. One bay is draw, present and fire at IPSC silhouettes at 10 yards, the second a full blown practice stage.

The USI range run by Diablo Action Pistol club has a spotty schedule on Saturdays and Thursday evenings (lighted), is open only to club members.

Chabot may also have this available through clubs that rent range time, but I've not checked into it.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Don't despair if you're stuck with an indoor range. Dryfire practice at home should really constitute most of your practice - you use live fire at the range to lock in the skills you practice at home.

Living in MD, there aren't too many IPSC ranges about. I use my indoor range mostly to practice my trigger control and splits. Hang a paper plate at 3 yards, and practice putting six rounds into it in under 2.0 seconds (you'll need a shot timer.) Every shot has to hit the plate, or it doesn't count. Once you can do that consistantly, do it strong-hand only. Then weak-hand only. The move the plate back a little bit, and start over. This series of drills will really tune your high-speed vision and help you practice staying relaxed and focused while shooting.

Steve Anderson is a USPSA Grand Master who wrote the book, literally, on dry-fire practice. Check it out.

- Chris

 

[ZXD9]

My local indoor range lets you draw from holster and shoot as fast as you want. You can only shoot at the one target in your lane but better than nothing. I agree it would be great to test movement between targets.

There is an outdoor club here that has some steel targets setup. I need to get there and check it out. Only $75/yr for that place.

I shot at the club FRANKT mentions in Georgia a week ago. Very nice setup for IPSC shooting. I wish it was closer to me.

 

[spencerhut]

Wow, you guys have to go through a lot of trouble to practice. I walk out about 200ft from my reloading bench to the firing line I built at my house. I've got 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 yard targets setup. I could go out to ~250 yards but I thought 100 was far enough for what I need. Must be tough to work up a load when you have to drive out to a range just test it out. My biggest problem is my neighbors. They hear me shooting and want to come over and shoot with me. Really eats into my paractice time.

 

[nvshooter]

OH25shooter...

I shoot in the Nevada desert. There are no rules, save one: You must be at least one mile from the town limits and, of course, you don't shoot toward town. Bring your lunch and your 50BMG. Leave the cellphone at home. The range is always w-i-d-e open.

 

[sigstroker]

The USI range run by Diablo Action Pistol club has a spotty schedule on Saturdays and Thursday evenings (lighted), is open only to club members.

Where is that? I've never heard of it.

 

[Gary G23]

In my backyard.