Par time for dry-fire reloads

[Kevin B.]

While I may have a goal in mind, I use my average time to perform the task as the basis for my par time. I begin with 10 repetitions with the timer as a start signal but no par and move to a par time set for .2 slower than my average time. I then reduce the par time by .1 every 10 repetitions until it is .1 faster than my average time for the task.

For example, if I had a reload that averaged 2.0, I would do:
10 reps with no par (focus on clean technique)
10 reps with a 2.2 par
10 reps with a 2.1 par
10 reps with a 2.0 par
10 reps with a 1.9 par

Fifty reps total. As my average time moves down, I adjust the base par time accordingly. So, if I started hitting my reloads consistently at 1.9, I would start setting my par at 2.1 and finish at 1.8.

[jar]

One thing I picked up from Steve Anderson's book is to do a lot of my dry reload practice with just drawing the mag and aligning it with the magwell. You can do a lot more reps in the same amount of time.

[Mr_White]

One thing I picked up from Steve Anderson's book is to do a lot of my dry reload practice with just drawing the mag and aligning it with the magwell. You can do a lot more reps in the same amount of time.

I read that in his book too, and it's one thing I haven't really tried out yet. It certainly would lead to more reps, but I have thus far thought I got lots of benefit from practicing actually inserting the magazine and closing the slide with the slide stop lever and reforming the two hand grip and pressing out again. That's an awful lot left out if I stop at the point of aligning the new mag with the mag well. But I haven't tried it Steve's way, so maybe I don't know what I am missing with those extra reps.

[DonovanM]

I read that in his book too, and it's one thing I haven't really tried out yet. It certainly would lead to more reps, but I have thus far thought I got lots of benefit from practicing actually inserting the magazine and closing the slide with the slide stop lever and reforming the two hand grip and pressing out again. That's an awful lot left out if I stop at the point of aligning the new mag with the mag well. But I haven't tried it Steve's way, so maybe I don't know what I am missing with those extra reps.

I think the reason behind doing that is out of the entire set of motions involved with performing a reload, getting the tip of the mag into the well is the most critical of all to practice. Reloading quickly is more like shooting a free throw than anything else. Reestablishing the grip and pressing the gun out doesn't involve nearly the level of intuitive hand-eye coordination that getting the mag in does.

After thousands of reloads, I can probably count on both hands how many times I've fudged my grip on the press-out. But I can't count how many times I've fudged getting the mag into the well. So I spend more time practicing just getting the mag into the gun to be as efficient as possible.

[gringop]

I do the Burkett reload from the Anderson book and time myself on the mag just getting to the magwell. I pause, but DO finish the reload and get back up on target for a trigger press on each rep. Since I have a chair to catch mags, I don't think it takes much time to set up for the next rep. Since I just broke the 2 sec mark for a concealed shot to shot speed reload last month, I think it's working for me. (old man goals) My baseline for Burkett reloads is 1.4 sec.

In my experience, the pause in dry fire does not translate to a pause in live fire. It does cement my looking the mag into the magwell then getting a sight picture for the next shot.

Gringop

[KeeFus]

The biggest problem I have doing dry fire reloads is having properly weighted mags. In my experience, when I'm doing dry fire reloads with an empty mag, it seems to feel differently...and the lip of the mag sometimes catches the mag well. When I'm doing reloads with live ammo (on the range) it seems to flow better and the extra weight and the first round seem to assist with the proper alignment and it doesn't get hung up on the lip.

Any suggestions to remedy that? I've thought about getting some blue-gun mags...anyone have any experience with them?

[DonovanM]

The biggest problem I have doing dry fire reloads is having properly weighted mags. In my experience, when I'm doing dry fire reloads with an empty mag, it seems to feel differently...and the lip of the mag sometimes catches the mag well. When I'm doing reloads with live ammo (on the range) it seems to flow better and the extra weight and the first round seem to assist with the proper alignment and it doesn't get hung up on the lip.

Any suggestions to remedy that? I've thought about getting some blue-gun mags...anyone have any experience with them?

I have a box of dummy rounds that are both the wrong caliber for either of my guns and are missing primer/powder. As if that wasn't enough, the top round in my dry-fire mags is a snap cap. Works great.

The blue mags might work but I didn't see anything about them being weighted... and I'd order from somewhere else than Botach.

[guymontag]

I would not set the par time for the complete reload.
Since you have no bullet impact feedback its easy to get sloppy on your grip, press out, sight alignment and trigger press after the reload.
Instead I set my par time approx. 0.5 seconds faster than my shot to shot reload time.
Begin with the slide locked open on an empty magazine, finger holding the trigger back, aimed in on a target.
At the beep perform your reload. The goal is to have the magazine inserted and the slide dropped before the par time buzzer.
Finish with a solid press out, sight alignment and a good trigger press.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

I've noticed I sacrifice grip and a proper trigger press in practice in an attempt to gain speed, especially when the reload itself isn't as smooth as it could be. I appreciate your post, I never thought not to set a complete reload par time.

One thing I picked up from Steve Anderson's book is to do a lot of my dry reload practice with just drawing the mag and aligning it with the magwell. You can do a lot more reps in the same amount of time.

Just the tip?

After reading about this method on the Enos forum (from the Anderson book), I've incorporated it into my reload practice. Now that I'm working on consistency, time will tell.