Air Gun Pellet and Target Usage

[Dreadstar]

I'd like people to share their habits and views on these two questions. I would also like to hear comments on why people complain about the cost of pellets when their air pistol setup is probably worth over $1500 USD (new).
1) How many pellets do you use each month?
2) How many targets to you use each month?

[Steve Swartz]

Training 20-30 hrs per week:

1) Pellets ~105 per week
2) Targets ~13 per week

Steve Swartz

(I have a Rika)

[Nano]

dreadstar:

I use 1200 pellets a month, and 200 targets.

In my country (Bolivia), is very dificult to buy quality pellets, good pellets are not cheap, but targets are very, very cheap (15$us per 1000). Many post in these forum says ..." pellets are cheap..". Here dont have pellets to buy, I have to make my own importation, waiting months to have the pellets in my hands.
In the shooting shop, I can buy Coperhead pellets like the best, I use coperhead to shoot every day, but I use H&N or RWS one week after the competition and during the competition.

Nano

[Nano]

Sorry, in my last post I want to say I use good pellets, one week before the competition and during the competition.
My english is poor.

Nano

[streamdreams]

I have a steyer lp 10 and use top grade pellets all thim training and competition. I guess on average i use about 120 per training session so that about 1 tin of 500 a week. but the price is one fith of Eley Standard 22lr and ane even less when compared to top grade pistol amunition (lupa / tenex)

SD

[Mark Briggs]

Nano - please do not apologize for your english. It's far better than my Spanish, or Portuguese, or Italian, or German, or... ;-)

When training hard I will use between 1000 and 1250 pellets per month. I use very few targets as I have a roll of black paper in my target changing machine and just feed a new black centre into the target. In the days when I used full targets I would use 100 to 150 targets per month.

Nowadays I train so little for AP that I'm lucky to use 250 pellets per month. Of course I shot a lot more .22, which as another poster pointed out, is a much more expensive alternative... LoL

[Richard H]

I use approx.

180-200 pellets per week and 20 or so targets.

[John Ariani]

Steve
Having read most (all) of your previous posts with great interest (and much gain) can I draw the conclusion that you use your Rika often (very)?
105 pellets is just over two and a half hours at your pace. Then there's dry firing of course.
Maybe your 20 - 30 hours a week also includes your aerobic and mental sessions?
Very intersting for me (us?) to see a shooter of your caliber using so little pellets.
Plus somewhere I know I read that you shoot a "match"
Whilst we should all design a training program to suit ourselves, I always find it more than advantageous to see what the elite guys are doing and draw ideas and conclusions for myself from that.
I'd appreciate some sort of breakdown on your Rika, live fire, dry fire training time. I have a feeling I'm putting way too many pellets down the range. (500 a week)
Thanks

[John Ariani]

One of those sentences should have read...
Somewhere I think I read that your shoot a "match" every Sunday morning - so there's 60 - 80 pellets I guess.

[Guest]

read that approximately 1/4 should be live. the rest should be dry. would be pretty hard to keep to this though.

[Steve Swartz]

John:

FWIW on a weekly basis

M-F daily
- 30-45 mins drills (holding, aligning, pumping trigger, snapping trigger, grip, stance, etc. fundamentals).
- 30-45 mins dry fire Rika with diagnostics/analytics
- 30-45 mins weightlifting/aerobics/physical therapy
- 15-20 mins focus/intensity mental training

Sat/Sun daily
- 40 shot string "endurance match" (45-60 mins)
- 30-45 mins weightlifting/aerobics/physical therapy


This is baseline for "post competition cycle" timing. balance between physical training vs. skill development drills vs. live fire or dry fire with analytics will change depending on where in competition cycle I am. Add time during recovery phase for physical training. In preparation phase add time for skill development; and add time for live/dry fire leading up to competition cycle.

Steve Swartz

[Richard H]

John:

FWIW on a weekly basis

M-F daily
- 30-45 mins drills (holding, aligning, pumping trigger, snapping trigger, grip, stance, etc. fundamentals).
- 30-45 mins dry fire Rika with diagnostics/analytics
- 30-45 mins weightlifting/aerobics/physical therapy
- 15-20 mins focus/intensity mental training

Sat/Sun daily
- 40 shot string "endurance match" (45-60 mins)
- 30-45 mins weightlifting/aerobics/physical therapy


This is baseline for "post competition cycle" timing. balance between physical training vs. skill development drills vs. live fire or dry fire with analytics will change depending on where in competition cycle I am. Add time during recovery phase for physical training. In preparation phase add time for skill development; and add time for live/dry fire leading up to competition cycle.

Steve Swartz

Steve what are the Pumping trigger and snapping trigger drills?

[Steve Swartz]

Blank Surface: focus on alignment
Bull Surface: focus on alignment, add target for hold
Pump: trigger manipulation against spring force (no snap)
Snap: trigger manipulation with dry-fire

2x2 matrix of blank pump, bull pump, blank snap, bull snap. During all, work on smooth, rapid, positive, consistent trigger pressure in conjunction with stable grip forces.

Purpose is to make "perfect trigger control" absolutely automatic and predictable.

The "Pump" exercise allows for overpressure training- the finger smoothly pulls through with a pressure curve that goes beyond what is needed for the release of the shot. This drill reduces the conditions that set up that old "chicken finger" phenomenon. Training to "pull though" rapidly and with confidence.

Add the "Bull" distraction to burn-in the trigger pressure activation even when trying to settle and hold.

Steve Swartz

[Richard H]

Blank Surface: focus on alignment
Bull Surface: focus on alignment, add target for hold
Pump: trigger manipulation against spring force (no snap)
Snap: trigger manipulation with dry-fire

2x2 matrix of blank pump, bull pump, blank snap, bull snap. During all, work on smooth, rapid, positive, consistent trigger pressure in conjunction with stable grip forces.

Purpose is to make "perfect trigger control" absolutely automatic and predictable.

The "Pump" exercise allows for overpressure training- the finger smoothly pulls through with a pressure curve that goes beyond what is needed for the release of the shot. This drill reduces the conditions that set up that old "chicken finger" phenomenon. Training to "pull though" rapidly and with confidence.

Add the "Bull" distraction to burn-in the trigger pressure activation even when trying to settle and hold.

Steve Swartz

Interestring I'll have to give the "Pump" thing a try, as for the rest they are already in my training regime (at least suppose to be). So basically you just go through your shot process without cocking the trigger, never though of it.

[John Ariani]

Steve
Yes, thanks.
I'm "throwing" far too many pellets down range and not spending enough "quality" time doing what is necessary. Time to rectify.
Pumps and snaps look like very beneficial exercises - time to slot them into my plan too.
Last thing. I often hear said, that some part of training should involve "games". Something that still requires all the basics and does not deflect from the solid training already done, but takes some of the stress/pressure away but yet further enhances the learning process.
Any "game" suggestions from you or some of our other experienced forum members?
Thank You.

[Tori]

I am far from being an experienced member of TT, I am only a college shooter, but here are some fun practice ideas.

http://www.pilkguns.com/rpi.shtml

I have also done: Shooting a target and not moving on from a bull until you have shot a ten, See how many tens you can shoot in a row, and how many shots to get five (or ten or twenty) tens.