I'm new to the Silhoutte game, not new to shooting competition SB events. I have the equipment to compete including a quality 6-18x scope with target turrets and suitable ammunition tested to 109 yards. I have access to a private range w/unlimitted distance and official NRA SB sized metallic silhouette swingers made by Champion.

What types of practice drills should I train on at the range and at home? When I competed previously for International Pistol events I trained probably 50% + dry firing.

I have never seen a match before and won't have a chance until this fall due to my schedule. I have been following this forum about a year for info. I'd like to enter my first match in the fall and hit the ground with my feet running.

50% and dry fire sounds good, i lke to make up some practice cards and shoot "matches" with in time, that way you develop a feel for your timimg. paper is always better for honesty, it is telling for NPA and stance as well as other things that will chnge zero between the bench and standing.

Read this...

http://www.zediker.com/articles/zcomlawt.pdf

Get a timer, set for 2 minutes 45 seconds....Do the 15 second ready and work on the five shots in 2m30s. Also practice the count of 4 to 8 seconds from the time you let your last breat h half way out to when you need to stop and reset for the shot if you have not broken it in that 4 to 8 seconds.

Mary

CZforlife wrote:Read this...

http://www.zediker.com/articles/zcomlawt.pdf

Definately practicing your hold is more important at first. The biggest handicap of the inexperienced shooters is the rifle floating around. The more you can steady it up, the easier it is to learn the other aspects of the sport.

Jerry

Anybody use weights (on their rifle or otherwise) for strength training to improve stability and stamina?

How about sports psychology? Anyone use it?

Anybody use visualization techniques? I used visualization in another sport, then a lot in shooting. I still use visualization and I find it is extremely effective.

What about cardiovascular health? Controlling your breathing and pulse?

Nobody?

CB...Lanny Basham, "With Winning in Mind".
Weights in the stock acceptable if it suits you, the free floating weights used in position (haven't seen them in years), will not pass the rules. Some prefer the barrel heavy, others like balance further back.
As for stamina, interesting question as most club matches do not have enough to have more than 2 or 3 realays and they shoot straight through. Bigger matches, tend to shoot one animal per relay then switch to next relay...so you are on the line for 5 to 8 minutes, off for 20-30 minutes, then back on....so stamina can be different, all day at the range but not all on the line, (unless you are spotting all the other relays, and this can be exhausting). Stamina for most matches is 80 or 120 for record shots, in a day, plus sighters tend to be 140 to 150. When you are on the line the pace is much faster than most other SB disciplines, (still remarkably slow if you really think about it) so stamina is different.
Spotting for others helps learn a lot about the sport in general, but as I mentioned it can be exhausting. Most of the better spotters have reached a point of limiting the number of relays they spot in a match, due to fatigue.
Visulation and breathing techniques are used, based on the level of the competitor. As a coach and spotter I tend to try to match the level of the shooter, you can introduce too many variables to think about for some inexperienced shooters. Small bits at a time.
Hope this answers most of your questions.

Innocent Mary

Excellent point by Innocent, as always. My 2 cents FWIW, coming from a person who has made a study of the sport and puts more into those I mentor than I do my own performance....

Weights...After assessing a shooters weaknesses (physically) I will introduce proper strength training to eliminate these weaknesses. No real advantage in bulking up...Have a qualified trainer assess your stength in the muscle groups that you use in shooting silhouettes. It doesn't take much, but you have to be faithful to your training routine.

Sports psychology...Your mind is the most powerful thing you have...it can help you, it can hurt you....Here is what you must affirm to yourself..."I can hit any target by applying the correct technique and executing properly"...that is assuming you can trust your equipment...We put a lot of effort into making sure that the bullet will go where the dot is...period. Knowing this and havinging that belief in your pocket is a tremendous confidence booster Developing a proper form and technique that you can believe in also puts a big asset in your pocket...having a spotter that you trust absolutely and who is worthy of that trust is the final element. This is vastly over simplified, but this is where you need to get to.

visualization techniques....Works for some, doesn't work for others....I try to replace visualation with confidence in our training technnique

Cardio....Innocent hit it on the head...a typical match will not test a reasonably healthy person...Don't run to the firing line if it's your relay, you should be fine

This is a very oversimplified set of answers to your questions, but it should get you pointed the right way...the rest is up to you....good luck, and good shootingn.

Kitty

I think that when you shoot live ammo you should do a lot of shooting at animal targets on paper. You can shoot reduced targets and shoot them all at 40 meters. There realy is no point in changing your scope during practice. Unless you have a GREAT follow through you don't know where your bullets are hitting. Holes in paper don't lie. That said, I think dry firing does help you the most.