The Bill Drill………

Depending on which luminary of modern shooting you speak to, the Bill Drill either came from Bill Wilson, or Bill Rogers.

It was a simple drill, shot on a timer.  Six shots from the holster into an eight inch circle from seven yards.  All shots must remain in the eight inch circle.  It is also shot on the IPSC target and considered clean if all shots remain in the “A” box.

Today it is still a mainstay in my personal training, and a drill I use a lot in teaching.  The reason I like the Bill Drill so well is because it tests many things at speed.  It tests the draw, driving the gun on target efficiently, and breaking six smooth shots at speed.  A shooter can cheat their way through the draw, and muscle the gun, slapping the trigger through a couple of shots but not through six with any kind of reliability.  That is why I love this drill so. Continue reading

AAR: Robert Vogel 2-Day Pistol Class, 01 Nov 2012


Robert Vogel does not need much introduction—his bio http://www.vogeldynamics.com/bio/) and accomplishments (http://www.vogeldynamics.com/accomplishments/) speak for themselves. As with many other world class shooters, Bob is down to earth, humble, practical, and easily approachable. This class at Chabot Gun Range, in the hills above Oakland, CA, started with a 2 hour discussion on his approach to shooting based on his competition, LE, and hunting experiences.

He went over equipment first. At this time, Vogel shoots primarily Glocks for competition, LE duty, and CCW. At the class, he was shooting a G34 with Warren Sevigny competition sights using a wide notch rear aperture and a red fiberoptic front (he replaces the fiberoptic rod about every 3 mo). Interestingly, he uses fiberoptic front sights on all his pistols–competition, LE duty, and CCW. He feels they work just as well for him as tritium sights and reports never having any problems with breakage or fiber loss, but he does install them correctly.

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SPOTLIGHT: ATLANTA ARMS AND AMMUNITION

Atlanta Arms and 10-8 goodness.

Those who have been around the pistol competition circuit are already familiar with Atlanta Arms & Ammunition, but many who regularly practice on the range or in classes may not be familiar with this excellent company. Many of us at 10-8 regularly shoot this ammunition at matches and for practice and for good reason: the ammunition is clean, consistent, accurate, and reasonably priced.

Founded in 1976, Atlanta Arms and Ammunition has built its reputation on manufacturing first quality ammunition for competitors. Just a few shooters that use Atlanta Arms and Ammunition: the US Army Marksmanship Unit, Max Michel, Phil Strader, Rob Leatham, Jessie Duff, and the Glock Shooting Team.

Atlanta Arms offers a variety of loads appropriate for a variety of sports, matches, or training events. The ammunition is available as factory new, or factory remanufactured. We at 10-8 have shot quite a bit of the remanufactured ammunition and can attest to its quality and consistency. Take a look at their website and find the load that best suits your needs.

SOURCE: http://www.atlantaarmsandammo.com

REVIEW: Brass Monkey Performance Competition Belt

This year at the Pro Am Steel Match, Cliff Walsh from Top Shot Season 3 (and 10-8 Performance sponsored shooter) introduced me to the Brass Monkey Performance (BMP) Competition Belt. For years I have been using various “tactical” belts for training and competition, such as the excellent Instructor Belt from The Wilderness. But when a seasoned competitor like Cliff makes a suggestion, I tend to listen.

BMP’s competition belt uses the same concept as a duty belt system used by cops everywhere. An inner belt goes through the pant loops and then an outer belt with all the gear is secured to the inner belt. Traditional “Sam Brown” belts in law enforcement use small fasteners known as “keepers” to secure the outer belt to the inner one. BMP’s competition belt uses hook and loop velcro to secure the two belts together. BMP uses some sticky grade velcro as the belts will not come apart from each other until you absolutely want them to. Continue reading

Preparing for Combat through Competition

Above: My Tie-Breaker Stage at the 2012 Pro Am Match in Frostproof, FL

Recently, we have received comments from various readers expressing that competition is impractical or unrealistic training for combat. If you are expecting a gunfight to be the same as shooting an IDPA or IPSC match, we at MSW wholeheartedly agree. However, there are valuable lessons to be learned through competition. The first is the development of mechanical skill. While there are certainly other facets to prevailing in a gunfight, one cannot argue that quickly and efficiently manipulating the gun and putting rounds on target would not be beneficial in a deadly force encounter.

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Tool of the Trade: The Shot Timer

Various shot timers I have used over the years

It never ceases to amaze me when I meet a firearms instructor or self professed serious shooter who does not own a shot timer. Some have never even heard of one, let alone actually have one in their range kit. So first things first, what is a shot timer? An electronic shot timer is a device that gives off a start signal (usually a loud beep) and then listens for shots and records the time. Devices range from super fancy (like the PACT MK IV, that has more computing power than the mainframe that launched the first space shuttle) to simple like the PACT Club Timer III. There are even apps for the iPhone that will do the same thing.

Why a shot timer? As shooters, we are always trying to pursue that elusive balance: the perfect combination of speed and accuracy. Well, accuracy we can measure. We can look at holes in a paper target or listen for that satisfying ding on that steel plate.  Without a shot timer, we will never know what we are capable of in terms of speed. Feeling fast and actually being fast are two very different things. If you watch a top level competitor draw and fire, it does not look all that fast. But the timer doesn’t lie. The reason for this is because that USPSA Grand Master is not fast because of sheer hand velocity, but rather, he has found the most efficient path in which to move. It is economy of motion. And there is no way to accurately measure this without a shot timer.

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