Following Thru in Rapid Fire

[navybowhunter]

Hey all,

Shot the Atlantic Fleet and US Navy Fleet Rifle matches this past weekend up at Quantico.  It was a great time, and was really nice to get behind the service rifle, as it had been about a year for me. 

These were across the course matches, and my injured leg hung in there.

I improved in all my positions, Standing was a lot better....I am probably 5-9 points away from being competitive in standing for EIC points.  Seated needs some help, my injury makes that a bit awkward.  Slow Prone is all experience (wind calls) and that is coming together as well.

RAPID Prone Follow Thru....

First match I put up like a high 80 or low 90 in rapid prone.  RAPIDS are akin to free throws in basketball, ya gotta make em!  98's or better is what is required to place for EIC points.

I was lucky to be squadded with a High Master that has been shooting for a long time.  He noticed a few things I was doing wrong/or could be doing better. One being follow thru. 

Rapids can get into ones "mental game", as we are under the clock.  But there is really PLENTY of time.  What has been happening with me in the rapids, is I was conscious of the clock....and neglecting some of the fundamentals...namely FOLLOW thru.

Sunday's EIC match...I decided I would follow thru for each shot, make a conscious effort to follow thru.

I did, and guess what?  I got my first CLEAN target at the 300 yard line.  3 X's 7 10's, 100-3X.

For me it was follow thru all along.  I must say it was a pretty awesome feeling to get down to the pits and see the # board that JMDavis wrote "Good Job" on, and also the target center that he cut out for me.

So..., for anyone struggling with the rapids, get a solid position (NPOA), and take each shot as if it was slow fire, follow thru!  Good things will surely happen for you, if everything prior to "follow thru" was done correctly.

R/
Chris

[Charles McKinley]

That is great.  Congratulations on the clean target.

I have SgtRock to thank for making me "follow through " on every shot.  It is amazing the difference it makes.

Glad to hear you are on the mend.  May you have a great season.

Chuck

[d2331]

Nicely done!  I've not shot HP but I akin the time monkey being like an AQT.  There is far more time then is really needed.  It's all mental, you just have to stop worrying about the time factor and do your own thing at your normal pace.  It's easier said then done.  My AQT scores were crap until I got past the mental part of being on the clock.

[maxwell]

Nicely done! I have yet to clean any stage in highpower, even on the 100-yard course. I came close with a 98-3x in sitting in March, and a 98-1x in prone rapid. Two saved rounds in sitting at this month's match kind of wiped out my PR in slow prone, and I'm still not sure what I did wrong. Follow-through and calling shots in rapid stages is not happening for me, yet, so this post gives me something to think about.

[M1bzrk]

Good Job ++

[Nashville Stage]

Congrats, and thanks for the reminder to follow-through!

What does EIC stand for?

[maxwell]

What does EIC stand for?

Excellence In Competition. EIC matches (aka "leg matches") allow top competitors to gain points towards a Distinguished Rifleman Badge.

http://thecmp.org/competitions/service-rifle/

http://www.beingofservicerifle.com/leg-match-practice/

[navybowhunter]

OK a few more points on this.

On the Appleseed AQT (25M) it is pretty much imperative to shoot that in a Rifleman's Cadence.

In rapid prone on that target, you have to place 3, 3, 4 shots on three different targets.  It requires a shift of the NPOA, and that can eat some time.  Hence, the cadence works very well for that course of fire.

I was speaking with my shooting partner from last weekend, Gary does not shoot in a cadence....by cadence I am meaning, inhale, exhale, resp pause....squeeze, bang, follow thru....repeat.

In his rapids, he will take as few as 2 or as many as 3 shots on the same breath.  It if is there, why wait.

Breathing also moves the point of aim, so if one can hold it in the X ring, and squeeze 2, or 3 well placed shots off....why not.  I actually shot this clean target that way.  Never did I take 3 shots, but a few times I did take 2 shots.

EIC was explained with links.  But....just like the Rifleman patch in Appleseed is a measure of success, the Excellence in Competition matches are the means to achieve the highest level of success in High Power rifle.  It takes a lot of leg points to achieve the title/badge of distinguished rifleman.  That is my goal.  When you hear a shooter is distinguished with the rifle, you can rest assured that they can shoot 1 - 1.5MOA on a consistent basis across the high power course (200/300 and 600 yards).

Big difference between a standard NRA High Power match and a CMP EIC match is that there are NO sighting shots allowed.  You MUST have good data/dope on your rifle and the range you are shooting at, and the conditions.  The course of fire is as follows:

10 shots standing slow fire at 200 yards
10 shots rapid seated at 200 yards
10 shots rapid prone at 300 yards
20 shots slow fire prone at 600 yards

50 shot match, and the current score cutoffs for earning a bronze leg towards distinguished status are hovering now at around 471.

The top 10% of non-distinguished competitors may earn leg points towards distinguished depending on the # of non distinguished competitors in a match. 

EIC matches are often called LEG matches.  You may hear a term called "leg meat", those are the competitors that are not yet capable of placing in the top 10%, but bring the # of legs awarded up due to their participation.  I am leg meat at this point....however slowly moving across that line towards a score to earn legs.

Oh yeah..lastly, one can only shoot a maximum of 5 leg matches (EIC matches) a year.  So they are a pretty big deal.  It is what all the practice matches (NRA matches) are leading up to.

This match I got the clean in was a leg match, too bad I dropped 20 in standing right off the bat.

The ultimate goal for the NRA HP competitor in service rifle is to earn enough leg points to earn the distinguished badge.  They are numbered, the records go back further than 1917.  Then the icing on the cake is to walk across the stage at Camp Perry and have it awarded formally.

How does one get started in EIC competition?  Easy enough, go to the CMP and create a FREE CMP competition # then register via the CMP for matches.  Suggest shooting some NRA HP matches first, to get a feel for the flow of the match. 

R/
Chris

[navybowhunter]

Managed to put it all together this weekend at 300 and 600.

Way cool match, FOLLOW thru is paramount....I am learning this.

If I don't take a few seconds, continue to hold my breath, hold trigger back, keep eyes open and focus on the reticle or front sight....,  it is at best a wide 8.

197-4X slow prone at 600 at Quantico and 196-6X at 300 I am pretty stoked about.

All started with a 10/22, an ego and tech sights at my first Appleseed!

[Nashville Stage]

Congrats on 1st & 2nd place!

[Ricochet Rabbit]

Dang, nice shootin'    Congratulations yo

[navybowhunter]

There were some very high scores in this match.  Remember The Brave match is a great match!

So, for those unaware, I should put this in perspective.  This was an NRA match, in NRA matches, it is pretty much like an Appleseed/CMP match but you do not transition in the rapids.  You remain in position.

Course of fire for an 800 aggregate is:
(2 sighting shots each stage)
In rapids..., they are shot in series of 10, two series of 10 each

Standing:  22 minutes for 22 shots
Rapid Seated:  60 seconds for 2/8 twice with two sighters at beginning
Rapid Prone: 70 seconds for 2/8 twice with two sighters at beginning
Slow Prone:  22 minutes for 22 shots

Classifications for NRA HP are:
Marksman
Sharpshooter
Expert
Master
High Master

So, the award was for my classification, which is Sharpshooter, but I am likely gonna get my Expert card in a few weeks as I have sent 240 shots for record and averaged an Expert score.

So...overall in the match I did not place that high, standing was not that good.  89/91 respectively from memory.

But the score at 600 was a High Master score. 

Several put up 199-MANY X's

Colonel Denise Loring CLEANED the 600 yard target with a buttload of X's!

So that is how the awards are determined.....

I've said it before, Appleseed Rifleman/Women are READY now for NRA HP/CMP competition.  Standing will be your Achilles heel as it is for ALL of us starting out.  But you can do it, and can improve.

That 600 yard score was likely 1.5MOA shooting in windy conditions.  It was a LOT of fun.

At the EIC match (for leg points towards the Distinguished Badge) on Sunday in Cumberland, MD I had a serious brain malfunction.

No sighters in an EIC match, and it is a 50 round match.  10 standing, 10 each for rapids and 20 for 600 slow prone.

In standing I was nailing it, 10, 9, X, 8, 9, MISS, 10, 9, 8, 6!!!!
Mental mistake...I forced the miss and got lucky on the 6!

Rapid seated was like a 95 a personal best.

Rapid prone, I was working on cleaning it again, and BONEHEAD me neglected to load 8 rounds in my magazine, there were only 7!
SO I was also not counting my shots, had a saved round...MISS!

600:  Put up like a 195 or something, strong at 600.

It ain't EASY, but in a weird way it is EASY.  All mental for me now, I am capable of 10's and X's in offhand, when I get out of my head and perform.

Gotta train to not take a BAD shot is all.

FWIW

R/
Chris

[Cadence]

Good Job Chris! 

[PHenry]

Shot stage 1 in a KD at Ramseur once with Fred watching me. He had me so ruffled, I actually had saved rounds - first time ever, including dozens of NRA HP comps in addition to many AQTs - 25M and FD. I was very annoyed with myself, which is good as I invariably shoot better when angry for some reason.  I shot stage 3 in maybe 40 seconds. Fred, in his own inimitable manner, quietly mentioned that he didn't think I had followed through properly. I know from experience that Fred has an eagle eye for such things, so I told him he was likely right.

We went to the target line and I had a group a bit over 3" in diameter and a bit high and left of the V (unusually small for me). I told Fred - "You were right sir - I am high and left". He said "PHenry, ahh, that's nothing to be ashamed of."

The preceding has nothing to do with me. I offer it as a tale of some time spent with the founder of the program and also to illustrate that the six steps, including follow through will initially be cumbersome and take time. After a lot of perfect practice, it happens in a fraction of a moment - barely even detectable to the sharpest of human eyes.

I also concur with navybowhunter. It is very easy to get ruffled by the time monkey and fail to make best use of your time, especially in stages 2 & 3. So long  as you trans smoothly and quickly, acquire NPOA end employ Rifleman's cadence, combined with smooth mag changes - you have plenty of time. The key to getting smooth is of course perfect dry fire practice.

[navybowhunter]

Right on Phenry!

I shot my first KD at Ramseur as well with Fred and KardiakKid (Toy).

Was pretty cool when Fred in his sarcastic voice said:  "Dang, City Boy can shoot"!

Yeah, honestly that was my first time saving a round, I even had a panic mag, but...like I said was not counting my shots.  Still it was an 87 or something.

I was mad at first, but....had already put a miss and a 6 up at 200 standing.  I shook it off, and pressed on.  What else can one do?  There is no point in temper tantrums, and I have witnessed that albeit not that often.

The competitive spirit is what I am alluding to here.  We are ALL gonna miss, and make mistakes.  As Jim Owens said "Crossfires, there are those that have, and those that will".

Attitude is a big part of this.

Shooting when angry, I have not done it.  One of my coaches said same as you Phenry, that when he gets MAD he shoots better.  But he also said he hates shooting when mad.

Hmmmmm

Anyways, to the mental thing.  The only shot that really matters is the one you're taking.  Not the last one, not the last stage, not the next stage.  The one in the chamber is all that matters.

R/
Chris

[navybowhunter]

A finer point on Follow Thru:

So....in rapids or slow prone, the shot process is the same.  BUT a HUGE mistake I was making was shooting rapids RAPIDLY, as stated above, there is plenty of time.

Once I realized this like a week or 2 ago (truly) my scores (other than offhand) have been skyrocketing.

Here is what it was for me...and possibly it will help some of you.

1.  Get the RAPID thing out of your head
2.  Keep the eye open and call the shots
3.  This was my biggest issue:

What I was doing:

On the BANG, I held trigger back, kept eyes opened and focused on reticle and called the shots.  Calling X's/10's but getting 7's and 8's or 9's sometime.  Cause on the BANG I breathed!

When we are following thru...DO NOT BREATH AT ALL!  I was breathing on my follow thru.  Like this....focus on reticle....focus on reticle, exhale, cut breath off, take up first stage, breath again while holding first stage *only in slow fire prone or standing* (this takes practice so you don't pull thru and hit the berm or number board)......come back to X ring, cut breath off.....focus on reticle....squeeze, squeeze, squeeze (while focused on reticle)  BANG!  DO NOT BREATH, continue to focus on reticle thru recoil, reticle centers from recoil to my NPOA, call shot, relax trigger finger, and then breath!

I hope the above makes sense, and I am sure several are breathing thru follow thru.  At worst that will move you from 7/8 ring to 7/8 ring if everything else is solid.  When you DON'T breathe, magically...Xs and 10's!

FWIW

R/
Chris

[cwcdl79]

Hmmmm. thanks for the tip. I usually start to inhale and let off the trigger at the same time. I do try and hold back, but maybe concentrating on keeping an empty lung until reset will help.

[navybowhunter]

cwcdl79,

I'm willing to bet that it will help.  Especially if you have been doing what I was doing.

Please post an update, if it helps, or if it doesn't.

This is all about STEP 6 of firing the shot, so the assumption is that steps 1-5 are also perfect.

Building blocks, and we cannot neglect anything if we want X's and 10's!

R/
Chris

[cwcdl79]

forgot the update. CONSCIOUSLY held the trigger back during rapid. to the point of hearing the audible "click" of it resetting. would've shot a touch better had I counted my rounds though...heard a nice load "ping" thought I was empty and pulling on an empty chamber...that was a wide 7. followed by another.