First ever try at indoor bullseye!

[Big-bore-bob]

Hi all,
Today I had my first experience at indoor bullseye competition. There's a league at my local indoor range with several old timers who are excellent shooters. I was given a lot of great advice ranging from stance to wobble zone to trigger control and I'm overwhelmed and excited to train in a new shooting discipline. Tonight I just shot center fire, revolver and semi auto. I shot my SW 686 4in 357 with some 38 special reloads, 4gr hp38 under a 158gr rimrock lswc, and my sig p210 with a 124gr rmr matchwinner over 5.2gr power pistol. My goal for tonight was to figure out which gun I shot best (the p210). Just looking for any advice ya'll think would benefit a newbie bullseye shooter. I'll be bringing my ruger mkiv for the next match for the rimfire strings, and I think I'll stick with the p210 for the center fire strings i shot much better with the p210. BTW I did horribly lol i shake a lot! Not used to 1 handed shooting. First target 38 special, second 9mm p210. Any advice for a noob greatly appreciated!!!!!!

 

[bummer7]

Good for you! Bullsrye pistol is a fun game. Just don't forget to have fun and enjoy yourself.

 

[mm93]

I shot Bullseye .22 and also 3 gun 2400 matches for a long time, but not in the last 25 years.
I still recall how terrible I shot my first time out at our club's Wednesday night practice match! I thought of myself as a good pistol shooter, but that one handed offhand shooting was a whole new game! But slowly I got better, and at the end of my first year I got awarded "Most Improved Shooter" for the club.
I think you'll find any revolver will be a big handicap for your timed and rapid fire stages. For slow fire a shooter can so well with any style action, but in timed and rapid fire stages having to shoot a revolver double action will likely not allow very tight groups.
I used a High Standard Supermatic for the .22 stage. A S&W 52 .38 Special Wadcutter semiauto for the "any centerfire" stage. And a S&W 745 IPSC for the .45ACP stage. S&W helped me tune the 745 and also sent me 4 different recoil springs to try so I could load my cartridges down to around 650 fps, and still cycle the slide reliably.

 

[bummer7]

Hi all,
Today I had my first experience at indoor bullseye competition. There's a league at my local indoor range with several old timers who are excellent shooters. I was given a lot of great advice ranging from stance to wobble zone to trigger control and I'm overwhelmed and excited to train in a new shooting discipline. Tonight I just shot center fire, revolver and semi auto. I shot my SW 686 4in 357 with some 38 special reloads, 4gr hp38 under a 158gr rimrock lswc, and my sig p210 with a 124gr rmr matchwinner over 5.2gr power pistol. My goal for tonight was to figure out which gun I shot best (the p210). Just looking for any advice ya'll think would benefit a newbie bullseye shooter. I'll be bringing my ruger mkiv for the next match for the rimfire strings, and I think I'll stick with the p210 for the center fire strings i shot much better with the p210. BTW I did horribly lol i shake a lot! Not used to 1 handed shooting. First target 38 special, second 9mm p210. Any advice for a noob greatly appreciated!!!!!!

As you are new to Bullseye pistol, you may want to ask the match director if you can shoot the entire match or course using your Ruger MKV instead of a centerfire pistol. This will help you get your timing down and become acclimated to the sport.

I wouldn't worry to much about your shaking or your score. After all, you are competing against yourself. Don't worry about how you are doing as you will improve once you settle down to a routine and get used to the match enivornment.

 

[Big-bore-bob]

I wouldn't worry to much about your shaking or your score. After all, you are competing against yourself. Don't worry about how you are doing as you will improve once you settle down to a routine and get used to the match enivornment

Thanks for the advice! I'm not to worried about my score, just improving my skill and technique. everyone in the club is very helpful and kind, I bet they would have no problem with me shooting just my mkiv. I've started a dry fire regimen and arm workouts to try and mitigate my arm shaking ( I swing a hammer for a living and my muscles must be used to downward movements and not upward and steady movements and holds). I'll keep practicing dry fire and my workout ( which is mostly holding a 2.5lb dumbbell out in shooting position as long as I can). Anymore advice is greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[Laphroaig]

Thanks for the advice! I'm not to worried about my score, just improving my skill and technique. everyone in the club is very helpful and kind, I bet they would have no problem with me shooting just my mkiv. I've started a dry fire regimen and arm workouts to try and mitigate my arm shaking ( I swing a hammer for a living and my muscles must be used to downward movements and not upward and steady movements and holds). I'll keep practicing dry fire and my workout ( which is mostly holding a 2.5lb dumbbell out in shooting position as long as I can). Anymore advice is greatly appreciated!!!!

I used to train in a similar fashion. I found out earlier this week that I have a torn rotator cuff in my shooting (left) shoulder. I can't say for sure, but I think that bullseye pistol played a part in that injury along with old age. So I'm on IR for the indoor season. I'm not getting surgery, so my one handed days are probably over.

I started shooting lefty because I can't lock my right elbow due to arthritis. I hate to quit because I love to shoot and its been a fun journey, but the writing might be on the wall. It's time to start shooting two handed I guess.

 

[bummer7]

Thanks for the advice! I'm not to worried about my score, just improving my skill and technique. everyone in the club is very helpful and kind, I bet they would have no problem with me shooting just my mkiv. I've started a dry fire regimen and arm workouts to try and mitigate my arm shaking ( I swing a hammer for a living and my muscles must be used to downward movements and not upward and steady movements and holds). I'll keep practicing dry fire and my workout ( which is mostly holding a 2.5lb dumbbell out in shooting position as long as I can). Anymore advice is greatly appreciated!!!!

You are on the right track in dry-firing and your workouts.
I'm a big suppporter of dry-firing even though it is as much fun as watching paint dry or grass grow. Be sure to practice good habits when dry-firing and focus on the front sight at all times. You don't want to dry-fire and reinforce bad habits.

 

[bummer7]

I used to train in a similar fashion. I found out earlier this week that I have a torn rotator cuff in my shooting (left) shoulder. I can't say for sure, but I think that bullseye pistol played a part in that injury along with old age. So I'm on IR for the indoor season. I'm not getting surgery, so my one handed days are probably over.

I started shooting lefty because I can't lock my right elbow due to arthritis. I hate to quit because I love to shoot and its been a fun journey, but the writing might be on the wall. It's time to start shooting two handed I guess.

I m sorry to hear you have a torn rotator cuff and arthritis in the right elbow. I can sympathize as getting old is not easy.
These days, I don't shoot bullseye as much as I used too. However, I will shoot local and fun matches when possible. No more serious competition for me and nothing more serious than a NRA 900 or USAS air pistol match.

 

[patmccoy]

I found out earlier this week that I have a torn rotator cuff in my shooting (left) shoulder. I can't say for sure, but I think that bullseye pistol played a part in that injury along with old age. So I'm on IR for the indoor season. I'm not getting surgery, so my one handed days are probably over.

If it is not a complete tear, you can recover over tine with just PT. There should be lots of PT info for this on YouTube.
I tore my right one about 20 years ago playing racketball (couldn't pick up a full cup of coffee), and it took 6 months to get back to playing, and a couple years for one hand pistol shooting). No special equipment needed, just a wall, a towel, several different size cans to life as you improve) and an exercise regimen to follow (eg You Tube or hire a PT for one visit and get a list).

Good luck. (def. luck: when preparation meets opportunity)

 

[Shodan]

As a younger man in the early 90's, the worst part of bullseye shooting was having to drink Stoney's beer afterwards.

 

[Reeferman]

I used to train in a similar fashion. I found out earlier this week that I have a torn rotator cuff in my shooting (left) shoulder. I can't say for sure, but I think that bullseye pistol played a part in that injury along with old age. So I'm on IR for the indoor season. I'm not getting surgery, so my one handed days are probably over.

I started shooting lefty because I can't lock my right elbow due to arthritis. I hate to quit because I love to shoot and its been a fun journey, but the writing might be on the wall. It's time to start shooting two handed I guess.

I’ve had both shoulders done as they were both ripped badly especially the right one. Even though they are both so much better than when they were ripped my days of shooting a pistol one handed are long over. Course being 67 doesn’t help either.

 

[Laphroaig]

As a younger man in the early 90's, the worst part of bullseye shooting was having to drink Stoney's beer afterwards.

The original sugar free Stoney's is one of my all time favorite beers. In fact it was one of two brands served at my wedding. I haven't tried any of the new version which now is brewed in the former Rolling Rock brewery in Latrobe, PA.

I appreciate everyone's concern. I think that this is the first shooting sport that I had to quit because of old age/injury. It's better to bow out gracefully than struggle and get frustrated.

ETA: my blood lead level has dropped from 13 to 8.

 

[bummer7]

ETA: my blood lead level has dropped from 13 to 8.

Excellent! Did you discover what caused your BLL to rise?

 

[Laphroaig]

There is a pretty direct correlation between shooting in our indoor range and my blood level. I've been checking it for quite a few years.

 

[bummer7]

There is a pretty direct correlation between shooting in our indoor range and my blood level. I've been checking it for quite a few years.

That makes sense why your lead level rose over time. The good news is your BLL is going down and will probably be normal in another 6 months time.

 

[barnfrog]

Take a look here for some training materials. I use some of the dry firing drills daily, although not for bullseye competition. Be forewarned, some of the articles are by different authors and therefore sometimes contradict each other. Hopefully you find some useful stuff.

Marvin Stuart Precision Pistol Training Materials

Edit: When I tested the link to make sure I had copied it correctly, I got some security warnings. Not sure why; I've visited that site numerous times without any ill effects I'm aware of. However, I will not be offended at all if you don't trust my assurances, since I'm just some stranger on the internet.

 

[PapaG]

About fifty years back I shot in a three position small bore league at the Peoria armory. It is now a roofless empty shell. I used either an original 52 Winchester with a 6X scope (horrible scope for indoor) or a friend's Remington 37 with a Super Targetspot 20X.
Eley Club ammo was $22/brick. I did quite well prone, a little worse sitting/kneeling, and lots worse offhand.
Still have the 52.

 

[DMW1116]

Practicing Bullseye is as close as I get to organized competitive shooting for now. I do just good enough about half the time to try again. I haven't tried the indoor targets. The local range is outside, and I can use all of the 25-yard pistol range. Just changing my grip will take my score up or down a lot. I have to get my grip down on my Blackhawk (not permitted in formal competition, but it's what I have). On a good day it will outshoot my 22 Victory. On a bad day, well we won't talk about that.