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If only I could go back in time 15 years to redo to the tens of thousands of rounds I wasted on shooting entry level style stuff. Like most people I did 7 yard, small group, slow firing "get yer hits sonny" type shooting because that's what I thought was good. I improved so much in just the last year by shooting tons of matches and practical drills, that I kick myself thinking of where I could be if I had always trained this way.
I think back at all the mag dump into trash shooting and almost regret it, but at the same time its important to remember it was fun and we do this as a hobby
Yeah, man. That is all you are allowed to do at most supervised ranges. Stand at the bench and slow fire groups. I drive 2 hours every weekend just to be alone on an outdoor range where I can run around and shoot fast.
@@LightofRyga That's the thing, it wasn't training after a little while. Shooting slow groups at 7 yards is a pretty low bar. Spending years shooting that way is almost a complete waste of time and money after a certain point.
It’s true in all sports, golf is a great example. Tons of golfers play once a week and never improve their handicap, they are ok just enjoying themselves out there, knowing they are never gonna do anything with it. Others take it very seriously to their own detriment and improve but don’t have fun… Probably best to find the sweet spot in between.
I dry fire practice transitions and the first time I went live my friends didn’t believe it was my first time live. I was very crisp from target to target I give all the credit to my intense dry fire practice.
Respect to all of us that have to explain why our houses look like armories to mixed company. I swear, it started out as 1 sterilite tub and a home depot bucket...then the madness took over.
The most handgun ammo I’ve shot in a year was 25,000 rounds including three matches a month and four training classes. I made more progress shooting that year than any in my life. In addition, I shot 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo. I honestly think I got almost as much value doing daily dry fire training during the same time period.
I can't afford going to the range even 1% of what I would like (in terms of both money and time), so I have to maximize my dry fire training when I can. Recently picked up the Ace VR and it has been a fantastic supplement to my dry fire training. Much like a new pistol causes somebody to train more by making it fun, the VR thing is a great new toy to practice things like picking a spot and getting the dot to go there, confirmation, etc. But really I have to thank Ben. Using all of the amazingly helpful videos/tips, I have really come a lot further in my USPSA shooting than I thought possible for just a casual shooter like myself.
There is a saying in sports, that debunks the saying, "practice makes perfect." It's "Perfect practice makes perfect." I think that encompasses everything, what you are practicing, how efficient, your focus... not just putting in the reps.
Interesting Ben mentioned the evolution of swapping platforms requiring little to "zero" transition effort/time... in my experience this is absolutely a skill that can be developed. I may shoot fifty plus different guns a year, and after fourty plus years of doing so, there is seldom more than one cylinder or magazine to be skilfully plinking again. With my favorite ten or so handgus, there is zero transition required... muscle memory response to gripping the gun. I couldn't begin to suggest exercises to train for this effect, but maybe Ben could. Like Ben said... a long time.
Ben, are you a better shooter now than you ever have been? Would you ever consider seriously competing again? Thanks for all the vids, very entertaining and informative
Reloading is completely F*ked in the UK. We have limits on how much ammo we can store or buy at one time but not on components. Regardless of price this was a much easier way of having access to ammo when needed as we can't have ammo delivered. Now we can't get any good powders and all CCI products have been out of stock for 4 years. Its now cheaper to buy factory ammunition than it is to reload it. The price of non budget bullets are as much as factory ammo. Powder you can get another brand, but primers are now as rare as rocking horse turds.
Well having a mortgage and a family I only spend 5% of my take home pay on ammo & matches. In another life, I’d shoot at least 25,000 rounds of pistol.
in regards to reloading; I have to agree with Ben. I cannot justify the cost of primers + powder + bullets even after cleaning brass when I save at best around a nickel a round (and nothing if I get a case on sale). It's just not worth the time investment when I can spend that time doing dry fire practice.
My FIL liked to reload, and I like to shoot. He never cared much about pulling triggers, but loved to work loads up and load new types of ammo. Seems like there's not much practical overlap. I'd work more so I didn't have to be a slave to that bench for hours just to shoot.
Ben, At 35- 40ish, how old do you think is the max age you can improve or maintain your highest level of shooting? How old is the oldest you think someone could be and win a nationals in carry optic or limited optic class in USPSA?
I agree as a new reloader I know that the cost savings arent immediate especially with the cost of supplies but I enjoy the tinkering aspect in a very very limited aspect. Once I find a load I pretty much stick there but it keeps my live fire sessions intentional. Im not finna burn 2-3 hours of work to make 2-300 rounds of 9mm on my little old single stage just to be sending rounds into a berm. There wil be a lesson learned and concepts practiced that I can't fully replicate in drive fire.
100 rounds an hour? I mean rifle, okay. But get a different press for pistol but keep the attitude. If you shoot the berm but focus on the recoil, pistol behaviour it isn't wasted.
@@onpsxmember That's a give a or take. I'm not 100% sure of the overall time it takes for me to load 100, but I do drag it out a little bit since I like the steps. Touché for the pistol behavior!
I dont think round count is anywhere near as important as how often you shoot. I try to shoot everyday, as we have a long range and a pistol range on our 40 acre property. Its a lot of .22 for cost reasons, but if you get just a few reps every single day then you improve very quickly. Im getting good, fast.
23:41 One thing that is cheaper than a new gun is try a new accessory. Maybe you have a couple Glocks for training. Throw an Apex trigger in one. Or get a new set of irons to make shooting with them more fun.
Another issue with reloading is the time spent reloading could be spent on practicing. You could be slowing your growth as a shooter by putting hours into reloading.
Really likening this content , can you do a explanation on grip a bit more in depth on your previous video …. Looking for information on pressure and how much is too much
Jeez…good point: I haven’t thought of reloading in a while. I don’t reload but would always get asked (15 years ago)…” bro…you shoot a lot…do you reload?” Those comments have died out completely. I didn’t realize it until you brought it up. It always got somewhat irritated when people asked me. I would explain the value of reloading for long-range rifle work….but 9mm high volume training?? The comment came from people who don’t shoot much anyway. They probably all have the MantisX now…lol.
I shoot a little everyday...does cap and ball count ? It does help my flinch and two eyes open. I shoot center fire every couple of weeks but also dry fire and draw with an autoloader pretty regularly. I'm a dork...
If you were reinstated to USPSA… 1) would you want to return to being a Nationals/World Shoot death stalker? 2) would you teach as much as you do now? 3) considering the prior questions, would your round increase, decrease or stay the same?
It's like everything, including fitness. You tain at a certain level and you adapt and progress to that level, and then that is your new homeostasis. And homeostasis can be maintained with less than it took to get there.
Dude is on tour doing classes Basically it’s a job to shoot…any he’s working constantly so yea he’s burns through Ammo. Guys are just jelly he can shoot that much, but do they stop and think does Ben really want to shoot that much?
Hey Ben, can you please give us an example of what you are working on in your own training? I’m assuming it’s the major components of shooting, just at a much higher-level.
You said "pushed your shooting skill to a high level" What does "high level" mean? Obviously somewhat impossible to quantify, but ballpark it for me. A class? GM? Something more drill related?
I love reloading. I get that it's barely worth it/arguably worth it at all. My girlfriend got hooked on it though (how lucky am I?!) so we reload and then shoot together, get all autistic with data and chronographs
I've got a question about lead poisoning. Do you ever get your blood work checked and/or what precautions if any do you take (obviously washing your hands and shooting in a well ventilated environment)? I figure since you shoot most of the time outside the risk is minimal but 100k rounds annually is nothing to scoff at. (I'm jealous by the way)
With as much as you shoot, how often do you encounter overpressure ammo? Whether it be factory new or someone's pissin' hot reloads? And how do the guns typically handle it? I just know that's going to be the go-to from the 320 crowd when it eventually explodes.
I shoot a decent amount, and I’m an alright shooter. I hate dry fire, but force myself to do it. Why do you feel dry fire is so valuable compared to just shooting with the same intensity?
You mention you seek out training opportunities with others, who are some of the instructors or classes you have taken recently that you thought provided a lot of value?
Staccatos need 100,000 rounds a year because they're soooo good Ben. So good. Or was it 100,000 extractors a year? Either way, you're buying performance.
Have you ever dealt with Glock slide bite on your dominant hand? I'm getting cut up with my high grip. I've just been letting it get cut and dealing with it, but do you recommend changing up my grip for Glocks? I don't have this issue on other handguns
How is this any different then say professional race car drivers. Imagine telling a pro F1 driver that wasting $20,000 on gas and car parts every year to stay in top form stupid.
What’s the most blown away you’ve been in a good way, and a bad way, of a student in a class? Obviously you’ve seen the pinnacle of what shooting athletes can do, but I’m curious what terrible depths you’ve seen 😂
Ben didnt seem to understand my comment. Ill break it down: "Imagine if your life required that many resources, and you dont keep them, they just go up in smoke." This is called a setup. "Ben's very much like a chronic pothead, a cloud of smoke following him wherever he goes." This is called a punchline. When you put the two together you get what's called a joke. Are we allowed to have fun here or is shooting serious business? Asking for a friend.
