Left to right or right to left...

[John Kasaian]

...when shooting the rapid fire course? How did you decide which direction?
My right eye is dominant and I shoot with my right hand (although I am left handed) it seems that under thiese conditions I should shoot right to left so I'd have the target on "my" left in view, but some shooters wear blinders on the non aiming eye, so what would be the point then of right to left? Left to right "feels" more comfortable to me though.

I'm curious about how real rapid fire pistoleros determine which order.

[Spencer]

...I shoot with my right hand (although I am left handed) it seems that under thiese conditions I should shoot right to left ...Left to right "feels" more comfortable to me though...

this is an unusual though not unknown combination (i.e. usually Lefties shoot with the left hand, righties with the right).
Your 'Left to right "feels" more comfortable to me' is probably due to your left-handedness. Right handed shooters feel more natural shooting right to left, and left handed shooters feel more comfortable shooting left to right.

Have you tried shooting left-handed?

Re 'shoot right to left so I'd have the target on "my" left in view' - it does not make any difference (!!!).
Despite a great deal of myth, the pistol and hand do NOT obscure the subsequent target/s:
- a pistol with sights that big would not fit in the 25m box, and
- the shooter's hand is well below the view of the targets.

Spencer

[John Kasaian]

Thank you! Since I lean towards the left to right direction I'll stick with that for now.
I'm very new to this course of fire and I find it both challenging and a lot of fun!

[Mike Taylor]

Another reason for shooting from right to left is that, with turning targets, the last target is turning towards you. Consequently, you get a fractionally longer exposure. A 'late' shot that cuts an elongated hole (skidder) might count (ie length not greater than 7 mm) on a target turning towards you, but would be too long (ie greater than 7 mm) on a target turning away from you. Marginal, yes, but it can mean the difference between a '10' or a 'miss'.
Not applicable, of course, to targets that do not turn - for example, electronically-scored targets.

[PaulT]

Irrespective of other considerations, Olympic Rapid Fire is now shot, of course, with .22LR and the majority of manufacturers (well just about the lot!) have the case ejection and therefore impulse resulting from firing on the right hand side of the pistol; thus assisting the “travel” between diagrams and accordingly giving slight advantage to the right handed athlete. If the left eye is used, in fact this is a lesser disadvantage as some elite ORF athletes cant the pistol again, to optimise the impulse as a result of firing. I examined a lot of video to very this latter element and is by no means the norm, something worth investigating.

As I have the great pleasure of typing this in Australia, I guess I best go and join the new years eve calibrations in the late evening sun and bid my shooting friends a healthy and happy New Year!

[2650 Plus]

I am right handed and shoot right to left. I began [ with help fron John McNallys' father ] by aligning my natural point of aim with the middle target but later changed to the next to last target, This was because I was tightening up as I moved across the targets and having the most difficulty with the far left target. In effect I was unwinding as I accessed each target in the string, rather than winding up. I had to make a slight twist to the right to get a proper centering on the first target but after that things usually went well. I started my trigger finger moving about half way between each target in the sequence and the pistol fired just after I stopped at the next and began perfecting my sight allignment. Good Shooting Bill Horton

[Mike M.]

Right to left is standard for right-handed shooters.

[John Kasaian]

I am right handed and shoot right to left. I began [ with help fron John McNallys' father ] by aligning my natural point of aim with the middle target but later changed to the next to last target, This was because I was tightening up as I moved across the targets and having the most difficulty with the far left target. In effect I was unwinding as I accessed each target in the string, rather than winding up. I had to make a slight twist to the right to get a proper centering on the first target but after that things usually went well. I started my trigger finger moving about half way between each target in the sequence and the pistol fired just after I stopped at the next and began perfecting my sight allignment. Good Shooting Bill Horton

Which target do you stand in front of when shooting from right to left??

[Patrick Haynes]

Irrespective of other considerations, Olympic Rapid Fire is now shot, of course, with .22LR and the majority of manufacturers (well just about the lot!) have the case ejection and therefore impulse resulting from firing on the right hand side of the pistol; thus assisting the “travel” between diagrams and accordingly giving slight advantage to the right handed athlete.

Agreed Paul.

I also think that the pistol jumps from recoil to the weakest area of the grip: away from the palm. For a right handed shooter, the guns jumps left. For a left handed shooter, the gun jumps right. Taking advantage of that assists in the transition from target to target.

I've watched Schumann up close a few times and often on video. He cants his pistol ever-so-slightly to the left, riding the recoil to the next target. Its a pretty thing to watch.

Hey: did you take the B Course? I thought that you were going to rest on your laurels after your C?

Happy New Year.
Patrick

[PaulT]

p.s. As this event matures, I think we shall see a lot more refinement and adaptation to the conditions of the recoil. The fight hand for right to left operation is definitely favoured and the observation by Patrick only reinforces this dynamic unless case ejection can be changed for a left hand athlete.

Hi Patrick, Yes, I did “B” Course, it was in Finland again, just a bit darker as no snow until later in week. Hope to do the A in a few oyea. Good to hear from you hope to meet you on the ranges in 2009!

Paul

[Patrick Haynes]

Hi Patrick, Yes, I did “B” Course, it was in Finland again, just a bit darker as no snow until later in week. Hope to do the A in a few oyea. Good to hear from you hope to meet you on the ranges in 2009!

Paul

Very good. I'm not sure if I'll be travelling this year. I've a bunch of courses that I'm delivering and am thinking of delivering training camps over matches as well. More bang for the athletes' buck (literally). Also, since there are no ISSF quotas on the line, may as well use this as a building year. Who knows? Plans change.

Take care.
Patrick