Noob questions

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Hairy78
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Post by Hairy78 » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:20 pm

One more thing, if you feel that your trigger is detrimental to your game, see Gary Stevens. He knows a gunsmith that can work wonders with XD's.
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robertm
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Post by robertm » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:41 pm

There are some nice trigger kits out there as well. Most look easy to installed based on you skill level. I am thinking about getting a kit for mine. I don't mind the pull weight but I would like to have less take-up and over travel. If I can reduce the over travel some I think it would help me to improve my followup shots. If you havent already been there check out xdtalk.com. There is some nice infomation there.

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hesedmedia
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Post by hesedmedia » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:27 am

thanks guys.

Could someone introduce me to Gary at the next match, or is he on these boards? I've been seriously considering sending my gun off to springer precision, but if there's someone more local, I'd prefer to use them. And that xd trigger really does feel like hell. Like there's a warning marshmallow stuck in there to tell you when the full inch of travel has begun before a trigger break.

And I'm definitely keeping both eyes open, although because of the aforementioned left-eye-dominant, right-hand-shooter issue it took me forever to get a decent sight picture with both open. It took a lot of work, so I'm really aware of where my eyes are just because of how deliberately I had to work to get them to function correctly. Drat these genes!

But if someone could point out to me one of the gents you mentioned or if I could just get squad-ed up with someone next time, perhaps I could get some advice on mistakes in stance or recoil control that I'm making. So far it's been "watch Todd Jarrett, attempt to emulate at the range" :o

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Hairy78
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Post by Hairy78 » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:33 am

Will do, just start wondering around at the next match saying you must talk to Gary Stevens. I guarantee you will be pointed in the right direction. If you are afraid to look like a freak, then find me, driving the Navy Blue Mercury Marquis, with the Larue decal on the back window, I will gladly point you in the right direction.
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....................,/¯../
.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸ F__ - Obama/Biden
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯\
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
.........\.................

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robertm
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Post by robertm » Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:39 am

Not sure if you know this method or not as you might already,

Many Autos will reset the trigger before you reach full trigger extension. You can hear the click as the trigger resets. This will help with take up as you are only taking up the slack once. This has helped me a good bit. Now If I could just do some of what I say I could shot better :)

If the XD is going to be you carry weapon you may not want to have a full trigger job. As they tend to reduce pull weight and that's not always a good thing when it comes to carry weapons.

Also I have seen my XD40 trigger smooth out a great deal. I have about 600 rounds on the trigger now and minus the over travel and take up the trigger is much smoother.

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hesedmedia
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Post by hesedmedia » Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:50 pm

Thanks, Jason, I'll look for you.

Or I'll skip and sing "I've come to see the Gary, the wonderful Gary of Oz", which should serve to draw further supplemental attention, ensuring an even more quickly achieved objective :p

And that's encouraging about the trigger smoothing out, Robert. I know you're limited on a carry gun to like 4.5 lbs-minimum trigger weight, but I'm mainly looking for reset and travel. And yeah, I've been working on that too, not letting the trigger travel past the reset point, and that does help a lot. Any idea why they recommend not having a real light trigger on a carry gun? Is it just to make sure that you really want to shoot what you're pointing at?
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest." - Mohandas Ghandi, famous gun nut

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robertm
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Post by robertm » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:11 pm

Some of the reading I have done says it can cause you problems in court if you get involed in a self defense shooting. Also Under stress of a real gun battle a very light trigger pull could cause a dischange that you do not intend. If you have never fried a gun with a very light trigger its hard to explain. I have a Buck Mark 22 thats a great gun and has a very light trigger pull. If I shoot it after my XD I have broken off the shot before I had intended and missed my target. I can only imagin under stress how easy it could be to have a unintended shot. Something to think about anyway.

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Gary Stevens
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Post by Gary Stevens » Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:52 pm

Observe rule number 2, keep your finger off of the trigger until your sight cover the target, and you are ready to shoot.

I'll be easy to find at the next match. I'll be the one crying about how I can't read the numbers and names on the score sheets.

As to the front sight issue, Jason has hit the nail on the head. Let your front sight determine how fast you shoot. We refer to double taps, but normally these are two individual controlled shots, not two shots as fast as you can pull the trigger. With that being said though, in IPSC/USPSA you have to be able to change gears so to speak. What I mean by that is you have to be able to understand what focus you need depending on what situation you are presented with.

Col. Cooper said that if you can't see every striation, mark, scratch, etc. on your front sight in clear sharp focus then you are not looking at it. While that is certainly true, I more subscribe to what Brian Enos talks about with a varying focus.

At 5 yards on an unobstructed target you do not need perfect focus. You need to "identify" the front sight, know where it is generally, and pull the trigger. As the distance or the difficulty increases your focus needs to sharpen. All shots should not be shot with the same amount of focus in most instances.

I always tell shooters that our club has the most valuable practice tool you can have, the plate rack. The plate rack is limited only by your imagination. Rather than shooting it as a normal plate rack, six consecutive plates, you can vary your practice. You can shoot a series of one shot draws on single plates. You can draw shoot two plates, reload, shoot two more plates, reload and shoot the last two plates. You can shoot one plate off the left end and then one plate off of the right end. You can shoot them strong hand only. You can shoot them weak hand only. And best of all you get instant feedback on your shot placement. When you feel comfortable then move back 5 yards and start over again.

If you can shoot an 8 inch plate, on demand, from up close (safety being observed) and from far away you can do anything.

Shooting is about 95 percent mental and about 5 percent physical. Mastering the physical is relatively easy. Mastering the mental is the really hard part. Unfortunately most of us never totally master that aspect, including me.
Resistance is mandatory.

To be loved and resptected is desireable. To be feared will work also.

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robertm
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Post by robertm » Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:00 pm

I have been working on rule number two for some time. Only time I have a problem is when am target shooting at a distance. I keep putting my finger on the trigger once I have my front sight on the target before I have the sight picture I want. So if I have been shooting my long take up XD right before I pick up my 22 well I try to take up slack that's not there. I will keep working on it. I guess its like golf its all in two inches the ones between your ears.

I know a lot of these guys have more experience than me so please take anything I say with a bucket of salt. It my option and we all know what options are like.

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hesedmedia
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Post by hesedmedia » Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:28 pm

I think I've discovered something while trying to keep focus on the front sight, after reading your post, Gary. I'm focusing on the target, not the front sight... Maybe I haven't retrained my eyes after all, because when I have perfect focus on the front sight, the rear sight disappears for some reason when I shoot right-handed with both eyes open. If, however I squint my left, my mind can make out which image is the correct one... this is weird. Should I learn to shoot left handed? With an eye patch?

If I join the club, may I shoot the plate rack?
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest." - Mohandas Ghandi, famous gun nut

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