Who uses a Shot Timer?

[nortac]

Who uses as shot timer and which one? Waaay back in the day I had a PACT chrono that had a built in shot timer. Too bulky and rarely got used. Even though I'm not doing any serious competition, I'm considering getting a shot timer. There are a lot of options these days. The PACT Club iii seems fairly popular and we use one for our informal Range Officer weekly matches. Also under consideration are Competition Electronics Pro II, CED 7000 and the "Pie" timer. Any feedback on the pros and cons of these or other selections?

 

[jar_]

Only in the Bar.

 

[Wogus]

Who uses as shot timer and which one? Waaay back in the day I had a PACT chrono that had a built in shot timer. Too bulky and rarely got used. Even though I'm not doing any serious competition, I'm considering getting a shot timer. There are a lot of options these days. The PACT Club iii seems fairly popular and we use one for our informal Range Officer weekly matches. Also under consideration are Competition Electronics Pro II, CED 7000 and the "Pie" timer. Any feedback on the pros and cons of these or other selections?

I have a CED 7000. It gets the job done. Don't use anymore because I'm out of competitive shooting. My only complaint is that the button labels can be difficult to read.

 

[nortac]

Only in the Bar.

Time flies...

 

[nortac]

I have a CED 7000. It gets the job done. Don't use anymore because I'm out of competitive shooting. My only complaint is that the button labels can be difficult to read.

I'm leaning heavily towards the CED 7000.

 

[nortac]

As usual when I start a thread to ask advice, I don't wait long enough to get the requested feedback! CED 7000 ordered.

 

[jar_]

Time flies...

...like an arrow
Bar flies like a Daiquiri.

 

[nortac]

So my main interest in using a timer is for various timed shooting drills. I really need to up my game, training wise.

 

[OkieStubble]

So my main interest in using a timer is for various timed shooting drills. I really need to up my game, training wise.

Tell me about it. I need to blow the dust and cobwebs off my firearms skillset. But I also try to be responsible with my monetary budget for my personal ammunition needs and with the tax payers monetary budget for my professional ammunition needs. Lots of unloaded going thru the motion drills at home with dummy rounds, presentations, reloads, malfunction clearings and general weapons manipulation and what not.

I work all night Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I will find some time in one of the days before and go to the range and put a few precious rounds downrange from the duty guns, but nothing more.

I think timers are an excellent training tool. Especially when using them in conjunction with the auditory and visual feedback of steel plates. Paper targets are ok, just not that instant feedback of exactly what is happening in the moment. Know what I mean?

 

[nikonNUT]

I think timers are an excellent training tool. Especially when using them in conjunction with the auditory and visual feedback of steel plates. Paper targets are ok, just not that instant feedback of exactly what is happening in the moment. Know what I mean?

Timers are great tools! With paper versus steel I think they both have their place... To quote one of Tu Lam's training videos "Steel will make you fast, paper will make you accurate." Pair that with Frank Gaill's statement "You can't miss fast enough to win!" and I think a mix is always a good idea. Sadly, my range frowns on a steel in a big way so I need a timer to train in steel speed on paper targets.

 

[nortac]

@OkieStubble, As a matter of fact, I do. But the myriad of paper target drills can incorporate a variety of skills/ decision making scenarios. Although immediate feed back is lacking , there is opportunity for analysis after the fact. Of course with regards to paper targets, I'm not talking about just silhouette types, but more complex analytical drills.

 

[nortac]

Additionally, using a timer and properly structured drills will conserve ammo, as opposed to just burning rounds every time I go to the range.

 

[SV650Squid]

I suggest Ben Stoeger's training books for ideas on training drills.

 

[dojpros]

I am a huge proponent of timers. Tom Givens (and others I am sure) teaches shooters to do all non shooting tasks as quickly as possible to have the time to see the sight picture they need to see to make the shot that needs to be made given the distance, accuracy and timing window(s). Timers are critical in that process IMHO.

The CED 7000 is popular and will serve you well.

The Timer does not lie. It has not feelings. It tells you what you can do today, right now. Cold.

The Timer helps the shooter identify what part of a drill/sequence/process can be made faster and more efficient consistent with that training goal. i.e. 3 yrds/3 shots/8 inch plate/3 second par from a duty holster. RH Shooter is taking 2.5 to break the first shot, then pulling low left on the next two barely making time. We know they need to work on getting the gun out of the holster. If we can shave just .25 off of the presentation, we have freed up the shooter to have .375 splits on shots 2 and 3 making time and hopefully centering up the "group." If we can get that presentation down to 1.99, our splits can now be .5. That is a lot of time to land 2 centered hits at 3 yrds on an 8 inch plate.

What I often tell new shooters to buy, in order:

Gun/ammo/quality holster/quality mag pouch/quality belt/electronic hearing protection/timer/more mags/identical gun to the first.

A timer and a written 50/100 rd training plan is THE way to go in these ammo times when going to the range.

 

[nortac]

I'm a big Tom Givens fan. His training is my main impetus for using a timer.

 

[OkieStubble]

I am a huge proponent of timers. Tom Givens (and others I am sure) teaches shooters to do all non shooting tasks as quickly as possible to have the time to see the sight picture they need to see to make the shot that needs to be made given the distance, accuracy and timing window(s). Timers are critical in that process IMHO.

The CED 7000 is popular and will serve you well.

The Timer does not lie. It has not feelings. It tells you what you can do today, right now. Cold.

The Timer helps the shooter identify what part of a drill/sequence/process can be made faster and more efficient consistent with that training goal. i.e. 3 yrds/3 shots/8 inch plate/3 second par from a duty holster. RH Shooter is taking 2.5 to break the first shot, then pulling low left on the next two barely making time. We know they need to work on getting the gun out of the holster. If we can shave just .25 off of the presentation, we have freed up the shooter to have .375 splits on shots 2 and 3 making time and hopefully centering up the "group." If we can get that presentation down to 1.99, our splits can now be .5. That is a lot of time to land 2 centered hits at 3 yrds on an 8 inch plate.

What I often tell new shooters to buy, in order:

Gun/ammo/quality holster/quality mag pouch/quality belt/electronic hearing protection/timer/more mags/identical gun to the first.

A timer and a written 50/100 rd training plan is THE way to go in these ammo times when going to the range.

Great post!

 

[OkieStubble]

I'm a big Tom Givens fan. His training is my main impetus for using a timer.

Tom Givens is definitely the man. The timer is a great tool with it's ability to divide the time into splits, which allows to actually dissect the total time from the motion of the draw to the shots on target. Combat accuracy is the marriage of speed and accuracy. A quality shot timer can/will help with both.

 

[nortac]

I suggest Ben Stoeger's training books for ideas on training drills.

I picked up Ben Stoeger's "Skills and Drills Reloaded" and look forward to putting the drills to use.

 

[nortac]

I started reading Ben Stoeger's book and shot one of the drills yesterday after the match. Boy do I have work to do. Interestingly enough, @OkieStubble , Ben warns that relying on the feedback of steel can actually slow you down when trying to shoot fast (you should be moving on to the next plate before seeing/hearing the last one falling). I also ordered his book on dry fire drills. While dry firing seems a very basic activity to some, serious competitors, who are not beginners, swear by these structured dry fire drills. Another way to conserve ammo, but increase one's skills.

 

[OkieStubble]

I started reading Ben Stoeger's book and shot one of the drills yesterday after the match. Boy do I have work to do. Interestingly enough, @OkieStubble , Ben warns that relying on the feedback of steel can actually slow you down when trying to shoot fast (you should be moving on to the next plate before seeing/hearing the last one falling). I also ordered his book on dry fire drills. While dry firing seems a very basic activity to some, serious competitors, who are not beginners, swear by these structured dry fire drills. Another way to conserve ammo, but increase one's skills.

I can remember a conversation in a thread a ways back where, a video was shown of Tom Givens saying, to get from being a beginner in our training to more advanced training, one must learn “to not” wait for “the response” or “the feedback” on what their pistol is doing, before shooting the next shot.

In other words, many beginners will wait for the recoil of the weapon being fired and the slide to finish cycling before moving on, lining up and preparing to fire the next shot.

They tend to do this as beginners, on steel or paper. In advanced combat pistol training, one doesn’t “have to rely” on “hearing the ding” of the steel to wait before their next move.

I’m pretty sure I have “never suggested this” and just as positive this is what Ben Stoeger is suggesting in his book, which I agree with whole heartedly.

However, I will stand by what I did say. One can still use steel as a positive form of feedback and communication in their advanced training of “not waiting” on their pistol to “finish what it is doing”. In order for them to “advance forward” in their next shot.

While I “don’t rely” or depend on hearing the steel, @nortac, I do personally, like to hear the ding of the “last steel target” while I am already firing at the “next steel target.” I believe, one doesn’t have “to rely” on something, to find it useful for training.

If we go back and re-read that post of mine. We might find, all I simply said was, “I like the feedback I get from steel.” I don’t think I said anything about “relying” on that feedback “before” making your next shot?

I like the communication and mental reinforcement steel gives when working on speed. But that’s just me. Everyone else’s miles may vary and that’s ok.