If only I could go back in time 15 years to redo to the tens of thousands of rounds I wasted on shooting entry level style stuff. Like most people I did 7 yard, small group, slow firing "get yer hits sonny" type shooting because that's what I thought was good. I improved so much in just the last year by shooting tons of matches and practical drills, that I kick myself thinking of where I could be if I had always trained this way.
I think back at all the mag dump into trash shooting and almost regret it, but at the same time its important to remember it was fun and we do this as a hobby
Yeah, man. That is all you are allowed to do at most supervised ranges. Stand at the bench and slow fire groups. I drive 2 hours every weekend just to be alone on an outdoor range where I can run around and shoot fast.
@@LightofRyga That's the thing, it wasn't training after a little while. Shooting slow groups at 7 yards is a pretty low bar. Spending years shooting that way is almost a complete waste of time and money after a certain point.
I dry fire practice transitions and the first time I went live my friends didn’t believe it was my first time live. I was very crisp from target to target I give all the credit to my intense dry fire practice.
It’s true in all sports, golf is a great example. Tons of golfers play once a week and never improve their handicap, they are ok just enjoying themselves out there, knowing they are never gonna do anything with it. Others take it very seriously to their own detriment and improve but don’t have fun… Probably best to find the sweet spot in between.
Respect to all of us that have to explain why our houses look like armories to mixed company. I swear, it started out as 1 sterilite tub and a home depot bucket...then the madness took over.
The most handgun ammo I’ve shot in a year was 25,000 rounds including three matches a month and four training classes. I made more progress shooting that year than any in my life. In addition, I shot 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo. I honestly think I got almost as much value doing daily dry fire training during the same time period.
There is a saying in sports, that debunks the saying, "practice makes perfect." It's "Perfect practice makes perfect." I think that encompasses everything, what you are practicing, how efficient, your focus... not just putting in the reps.
Reloading is completely F*ked in the UK. We have limits on how much ammo we can store or buy at one time but not on components. Regardless of price this was a much easier way of having access to ammo when needed as we can't have ammo delivered. Now we can't get any good powders and all CCI products have been out of stock for 4 years. Its now cheaper to buy factory ammunition than it is to reload it. The price of non budget bullets are as much as factory ammo. Powder you can get another brand, but primers are now as rare as rocking horse turds.
Interesting Ben mentioned the evolution of swapping platforms requiring little to "zero" transition effort/time... in my experience this is absolutely a skill that can be developed. I may shoot fifty plus different guns a year, and after fourty plus years of doing so, there is seldom more than one cylinder or magazine to be skilfully plinking again. With my favorite ten or so handgus, there is zero transition required... muscle memory response to gripping the gun. I couldn't begin to suggest exercises to train for this effect, but maybe Ben could. Like Ben said... a long time.
My FIL liked to reload, and I like to shoot. He never cared much about pulling triggers, but loved to work loads up and load new types of ammo. Seems like there's not much practical overlap. I'd work more so I didn't have to be a slave to that bench for hours just to shoot.
Ben, At 35- 40ish, how old do you think is the max age you can improve or maintain your highest level of shooting? How old is the oldest you think someone could be and win a nationals in carry optic or limited optic class in USPSA?
in regards to reloading; I have to agree with Ben. I cannot justify the cost of primers + powder + bullets even after cleaning brass when I save at best around a nickel a round (and nothing if I get a case on sale). It's just not worth the time investment when I can spend that time doing dry fire practice.
I can't afford going to the range even 1% of what I would like (in terms of both money and time), so I have to maximize my dry fire training when I can. Recently picked up the Ace VR and it has been a fantastic supplement to my dry fire training. Much like a new pistol causes somebody to train more by making it fun, the VR thing is a great new toy to practice things like picking a spot and getting the dot to go there, confirmation, etc. But really I have to thank Ben. Using all of the amazingly helpful videos/tips, I have really come a lot further in my USPSA shooting than I thought possible for just a casual shooter like myself.
Well having a mortgage and a family I only spend 5% of my take home pay on ammo & matches. In another life, I’d shoot at least 25,000 rounds of pistol.
Ben, are you a better shooter now than you ever have been? Would you ever consider seriously competing again? Thanks for all the vids, very entertaining and informative
23:41 One thing that is cheaper than a new gun is try a new accessory. Maybe you have a couple Glocks for training. Throw an Apex trigger in one. Or get a new set of irons to make shooting with them more fun.
I shoot a little everyday...does cap and ball count ? It does help my flinch and two eyes open. I shoot center fire every couple of weeks but also dry fire and draw with an autoloader pretty regularly. I'm a dork...
I agree as a new reloader I know that the cost savings arent immediate especially with the cost of supplies but I enjoy the tinkering aspect in a very very limited aspect. Once I find a load I pretty much stick there but it keeps my live fire sessions intentional. Im not finna burn 2-3 hours of work to make 2-300 rounds of 9mm on my little old single stage just to be sending rounds into a berm. There wil be a lesson learned and concepts practiced that I can't fully replicate in drive fire.
100 rounds an hour? I mean rifle, okay. But get a different press for pistol but keep the attitude. If you shoot the berm but focus on the recoil, pistol behaviour it isn't wasted.
@@onpsxmember That's a give a or take. I'm not 100% sure of the overall time it takes for me to load 100, but I do drag it out a little bit since I like the steps. Touché for the pistol behavior!
I dont think round count is anywhere near as important as how often you shoot. I try to shoot everyday, as we have a long range and a pistol range on our 40 acre property. Its a lot of .22 for cost reasons, but if you get just a few reps every single day then you improve very quickly. Im getting good, fast.
Jeez…good point: I haven’t thought of reloading in a while. I don’t reload but would always get asked (15 years ago)…” bro…you shoot a lot…do you reload?” Those comments have died out completely. I didn’t realize it until you brought it up. It always got somewhat irritated when people asked me. I would explain the value of reloading for long-range rifle work….but 9mm high volume training?? The comment came from people who don’t shoot much anyway. They probably all have the MantisX now…lol.
With as much as you shoot, how often do you encounter overpressure ammo? Whether it be factory new or someone's pissin' hot reloads? And how do the guns typically handle it? I just know that's going to be the go-to from the 320 crowd when it eventually explodes.
Another issue with reloading is the time spent reloading could be spent on practicing. You could be slowing your growth as a shooter by putting hours into reloading.
Really likening this content , can you do a explanation on grip a bit more in depth on your previous video …. Looking for information on pressure and how much is too much
If you were reinstated to USPSA… 1) would you want to return to being a Nationals/World Shoot death stalker? 2) would you teach as much as you do now? 3) considering the prior questions, would your round increase, decrease or stay the same?
Hey Ben, can you please give us an example of what you are working on in your own training? I’m assuming it’s the major components of shooting, just at a much higher-level.
Dude is on tour doing classes Basically it’s a job to shoot…any he’s working constantly so yea he’s burns through Ammo. Guys are just jelly he can shoot that much, but do they stop and think does Ben really want to shoot that much?
It's like everything, including fitness. You tain at a certain level and you adapt and progress to that level, and then that is your new homeostasis. And homeostasis can be maintained with less than it took to get there.
Have you ever dealt with Glock slide bite on your dominant hand? I'm getting cut up with my high grip. I've just been letting it get cut and dealing with it, but do you recommend changing up my grip for Glocks? I don't have this issue on other handguns
I've got a question about lead poisoning. Do you ever get your blood work checked and/or what precautions if any do you take (obviously washing your hands and shooting in a well ventilated environment)? I figure since you shoot most of the time outside the risk is minimal but 100k rounds annually is nothing to scoff at. (I'm jealous by the way)
I shoot a decent amount, and I’m an alright shooter. I hate dry fire, but force myself to do it. Why do you feel dry fire is so valuable compared to just shooting with the same intensity?
I love reloading. I get that it's barely worth it/arguably worth it at all. My girlfriend got hooked on it though (how lucky am I?!) so we reload and then shoot together, get all autistic with data and chronographs
You mention you seek out training opportunities with others, who are some of the instructors or classes you have taken recently that you thought provided a lot of value?
You said "pushed your shooting skill to a high level" What does "high level" mean? Obviously somewhat impossible to quantify, but ballpark it for me. A class? GM? Something more drill related?
Staccatos need 100,000 rounds a year because they're soooo good Ben. So good. Or was it 100,000 extractors a year? Either way, you're buying performance.
What’s the most blown away you’ve been in a good way, and a bad way, of a student in a class? Obviously you’ve seen the pinnacle of what shooting athletes can do, but I’m curious what terrible depths you’ve seen 😂
How is this any different then say professional race car drivers. Imagine telling a pro F1 driver that wasting $20,000 on gas and car parts every year to stay in top form stupid.
Ben didnt seem to understand my comment. Ill break it down: "Imagine if your life required that many resources, and you dont keep them, they just go up in smoke." This is called a setup. "Ben's very much like a chronic pothead, a cloud of smoke following him wherever he goes." This is called a punchline. When you put the two together you get what's called a joke. Are we allowed to have fun here or is shooting serious business? Asking for a friend.
If only I could go back in time 15 years to redo to the tens of thousands of rounds I wasted on shooting entry level style stuff. Like most people I did 7 yard, small group, slow firing "get yer hits sonny" type shooting because that's what I thought was good. I improved so much in just the last year by shooting tons of matches and practical drills, that I kick myself thinking of where I could be if I had always trained this way.
I think back at all the mag dump into trash shooting and almost regret it, but at the same time its important to remember it was fun and we do this as a hobby
Yeah, man. That is all you are allowed to do at most supervised ranges. Stand at the bench and slow fire groups. I drive 2 hours every weekend just to be alone on an outdoor range where I can run around and shoot fast.
Same here, I’ll drive 1 to 2 hours for a match
Without that training you wouldn't be where you are now. Don't try to be Ben. Be you.
@@LightofRyga That's the thing, it wasn't training after a little while. Shooting slow groups at 7 yards is a pretty low bar. Spending years shooting that way is almost a complete waste of time and money after a certain point.
I'd love to see a Ben armory tour video.
Benflation: he’s making the supply and demand skyrocket so our blazer ammo is up the butt…
@@madisonberg627 bro for real. I had to switch to magtech steel.
@@adamriehl8166 I get it man. I’m a brokie too 😔
Saw some Fiocchi for 23 CPR just days ago
Fresh out the shower Ben always tells us how bad we suck.
Ben bringing back that 80’s slicked back look
I dry fire practice transitions and the first time I went live my friends didn’t believe it was my first time live. I was very crisp from target to target I give all the credit to my intense dry fire practice.
It’s true in all sports, golf is a great example. Tons of golfers play once a week and never improve their handicap, they are ok just enjoying themselves out there, knowing they are never gonna do anything with it. Others take it very seriously to their own detriment and improve but don’t have fun…
Probably best to find the sweet spot in between.
Respect to all of us that have to explain why our houses look like armories to mixed company. I swear, it started out as 1 sterilite tub and a home depot bucket...then the madness took over.
The most handgun ammo I’ve shot in a year was 25,000 rounds including three matches a month and four training classes. I made more progress shooting that year than any in my life. In addition, I shot 5,000 rounds of rifle ammo.
I honestly think I got almost as much value doing daily dry fire training during the same time period.
Really like this format for a video. Thanks Ben.
Gyat dayum 30 min video? while 2 videos already this morning? Shiiiiiiii ben's ripping vids rn
Ben’s making sure we’re eating good. He’s a hero.
I dig it!
Thanks for all the behind the scenes and real life candid info it's fun!
There is a saying in sports, that debunks the saying, "practice makes perfect." It's "Perfect practice makes perfect." I think that encompasses everything, what you are practicing, how efficient, your focus... not just putting in the reps.
Reloading is completely F*ked in the UK. We have limits on how much ammo we can store or buy at one time but not on components. Regardless of price this was a much easier way of having access to ammo when needed as we can't have ammo delivered. Now we can't get any good powders and all CCI products have been out of stock for 4 years. Its now cheaper to buy factory ammunition than it is to reload it. The price of non budget bullets are as much as factory ammo. Powder you can get another brand, but primers are now as rare as rocking horse turds.
Rocking horse turds...I'll write that down.
Interesting Ben mentioned the evolution of swapping platforms requiring little to "zero" transition effort/time... in my experience this is absolutely a skill that can be developed. I may shoot fifty plus different guns a year, and after fourty plus years of doing so, there is seldom more than one cylinder or magazine to be skilfully plinking again. With my favorite ten or so handgus, there is zero transition required... muscle memory response to gripping the gun. I couldn't begin to suggest exercises to train for this effect, but maybe Ben could. Like Ben said... a long time.
My FIL liked to reload, and I like to shoot. He never cared much about pulling triggers, but loved to work loads up and load new types of ammo. Seems like there's not much practical overlap. I'd work more so I didn't have to be a slave to that bench for hours just to shoot.
Oh. How it hurts folks feelings when you do something they can only dream of.
Ben,
At 35- 40ish, how old do you think is the max age you can improve or maintain your highest level of shooting? How old is the oldest you think someone could be and win a nationals in carry optic or limited optic class in USPSA?
in regards to reloading; I have to agree with Ben. I cannot justify the cost of primers + powder + bullets even after cleaning brass when I save at best around a nickel a round (and nothing if I get a case on sale). It's just not worth the time investment when I can spend that time doing dry fire practice.
I’m with ya Ben keep living the dream.
I can't afford going to the range even 1% of what I would like (in terms of both money and time), so I have to maximize my dry fire training when I can. Recently picked up the Ace VR and it has been a fantastic supplement to my dry fire training. Much like a new pistol causes somebody to train more by making it fun, the VR thing is a great new toy to practice things like picking a spot and getting the dot to go there, confirmation, etc. But really I have to thank Ben. Using all of the amazingly helpful videos/tips, I have really come a lot further in my USPSA shooting than I thought possible for just a casual shooter like myself.
ACEXR is amazing. I compete too and have been able to cut back substantially on live fire thanks to ACEXR.
Love these longer videos cheers mate!
Well having a mortgage and a family I only spend 5% of my take home pay on ammo & matches. In another life, I’d shoot at least 25,000 rounds of pistol.
Ben, are you a better shooter now than you ever have been? Would you ever consider seriously competing again? Thanks for all the vids, very entertaining and informative
23:41 One thing that is cheaper than a new gun is try a new accessory. Maybe you have a couple Glocks for training. Throw an Apex trigger in one. Or get a new set of irons to make shooting with them more fun.
Literally buying tax deductible ammo while you're talking about it LOL (It still hurts)
I shoot a little everyday...does cap and ball count ? It does help my flinch and two eyes open. I shoot center fire every couple of weeks but also dry fire and draw with an autoloader pretty regularly. I'm a dork...
I agree as a new reloader I know that the cost savings arent immediate especially with the cost of supplies but I enjoy the tinkering aspect in a very very limited aspect. Once I find a load I pretty much stick there but it keeps my live fire sessions intentional. Im not finna burn 2-3 hours of work to make 2-300 rounds of 9mm on my little old single stage just to be sending rounds into a berm. There wil be a lesson learned and concepts practiced that I can't fully replicate in drive fire.
100 rounds an hour? I mean rifle, okay. But get a different press for pistol but keep the attitude. If you shoot the berm but focus on the recoil, pistol behaviour it isn't wasted.
@@onpsxmember That's a give a or take. I'm not 100% sure of the overall time it takes for me to load 100, but I do drag it out a little bit since I like the steps. Touché for the pistol behavior!
Do you think you’re better now than you were when you got the axe from uspsa?
Do you conceal carry when not teaching or on the range? If so, what pistol?
He has said a G17
@@PH-xz4yz right on. Makes sense.
I dont think round count is anywhere near as important as how often you shoot. I try to shoot everyday, as we have a long range and a pistol range on our 40 acre property. Its a lot of .22 for cost reasons, but if you get just a few reps every single day then you improve very quickly. Im getting good, fast.
Bro, you got my couch from our '93 dorm room, can I buy it back? Lotsa memories on that baby!?!?!?
Jeez…good point: I haven’t thought of reloading in a while. I don’t reload but would always get asked (15 years ago)…” bro…you shoot a lot…do you reload?” Those comments have died out completely. I didn’t realize it until you brought it up. It always got somewhat irritated when people asked me. I would explain the value of reloading for long-range rifle work….but 9mm high volume training?? The comment came from people who don’t shoot much anyway. They probably all have the MantisX now…lol.
Ben, are you doing any classes southern MO??
With as much as you shoot, how often do you encounter overpressure ammo? Whether it be factory new or someone's pissin' hot reloads? And how do the guns typically handle it? I just know that's going to be the go-to from the 320 crowd when it eventually explodes.
28:01
So if the old books need the overhaul, will the new one come out this year?
Ben, what do you do in your down time? Game, fishing, hiking, family?
Another issue with reloading is the time spent reloading could be spent on practicing. You could be slowing your growth as a shooter by putting hours into reloading.
Tinkering and reading is a pursuit in itself.
@nickolasthefrog some folks love it. Others are looking at as a cost cutting measure to shoot more to get better at comps .
@@MrZola1234 Yeah. You probably don’t get ahead loading 115gr or 124gr round nose.
@@nickolasthefrog
Depends on the amount and quality goal. The setup decides the time it takes.
Really likening this content , can you do a explanation on grip a bit more in depth on your previous video …. Looking for information on pressure and how much is too much
Maybe I’m wrong but did you say you are planning to release an updated book?
So the fact that I'm monetized and post videos of myself shooting at times means I need to go to the range and get them to print out my list of shame.
Fuckin Legend
When you have to buy ammo, what do you end up paying per round?
If you were reinstated to USPSA…
1) would you want to return to being a Nationals/World Shoot death stalker?
2) would you teach as much as you do now?
3) considering the prior questions, would your round increase, decrease or stay the same?
Hey Ben, can you please give us an example of what you are working on in your own training? I’m assuming it’s the major components of shooting, just at a much higher-level.
If each round makes you happy then it's worth it
Dude is on tour doing classes
Basically it’s a job to shoot…any he’s working constantly so yea he’s burns through Ammo. Guys are just jelly he can shoot that much, but do they stop and think does Ben really want to shoot that much?
With being banned from uspsa and now being into rifle why not do some 2 gun matches?
Ben have you ever had an ND? and/or have you ever seen one happen in your classes?
It's like everything, including fitness. You tain at a certain level and you adapt and progress to that level, and then that is your new homeostasis. And homeostasis can be maintained with less than it took to get there.
Have you ever dealt with Glock slide bite on your dominant hand? I'm getting cut up with my high grip. I've just been letting it get cut and dealing with it, but do you recommend changing up my grip for Glocks? I don't have this issue on other handguns
stop
I've got a question about lead poisoning. Do you ever get your blood work checked and/or what precautions if any do you take (obviously washing your hands and shooting in a well ventilated environment)? I figure since you shoot most of the time outside the risk is minimal but 100k rounds annually is nothing to scoff at. (I'm jealous by the way)
He addressed this in a vid a week or 2 ago
How messed up are you?
🇺🇸
I shoot a decent amount, and I’m an alright shooter. I hate dry fire, but force myself to do it. Why do you feel dry fire is so valuable compared to just shooting with the same intensity?
Hair care routine video?
Ben do you reload at all?
I think it’d be helpful to ask how much ammo is class demo’s.
Edit:
I’d guess that’s like 30-45%
I love reloading. I get that it's barely worth it/arguably worth it at all.
My girlfriend got hooked on it though (how lucky am I?!) so we reload and then shoot together, get all autistic with data and chronographs
Remoil boyz assemble!
Perfect practice makes perfect. You can train but are you training correctly and how much effort are you putting in? You get out what you put in.
Ben youre the fucking man
You mention you seek out training opportunities with others, who are some of the instructors or classes you have taken recently that you thought provided a lot of value?
You said "pushed your shooting skill to a high level"
What does "high level" mean? Obviously somewhat impossible to quantify, but ballpark it for me.
A class? GM? Something more drill related?
Ben sleeps on a bed of bullets and his pillow is stuffed with spent brass.
Staccatos need 100,000 rounds a year because they're soooo good Ben. So good. Or was it 100,000 extractors a year? Either way, you're buying performance.
Does shooting all these different guns make you appreciate Glock more?
Hey, im stuck in a Fking high A class rut and cant get out, help me out of it or convince me to quit. I train.
Sorry just got back from the range and I'm not happy with the lack of gains. I'm .5 pts from my M and I can't do it. PAPER A man!
yeah outdoor dry fire is 10x better.
If I could afford it, I'd be doing the same thing. And I thought 400 rds/week was a lot.
I wish I could shoot that many rounds a year. I wish I could afford to shoot that many rounds a year.
I’m burning about 15-18k a year. I wish I was burning more.
Best drills to do if you only have 1000 rounds a month
Same drills as always, just reduced frequency.
Get a Ruger next
What’s the most blown away you’ve been in a good way, and a bad way, of a student in a class? Obviously you’ve seen the pinnacle of what shooting athletes can do, but I’m curious what terrible depths you’ve seen 😂
Come for the shooting advice, stay for the dating advice.... if your goal is to stay single 🤣
Have you ever shot a gun to the point the barrel lost a significant amount of accuracy
100k rounds a year is cool. 0 hog reveals a year is not cool though.
Do you ever fuck around with long range shooting? Like 1000yds
He did the long range course with Joe not that long ago out to 1000
3:32 let me work for you I'll carry your ammo boxes
Jesus. Even if you're shooting outdoors, I gotta wonder what your lead levels are like. 100k rounds a year seems insane.
29:53
How is this any different then say professional race car drivers. Imagine telling a pro F1 driver that wasting $20,000 on gas and car parts every year to stay in top form stupid.
home tour video necessary
Sent you an email
Ben didnt seem to understand my comment. Ill break it down: "Imagine if your life required that many resources, and you dont keep them, they just go up in smoke."
This is called a setup.
"Ben's very much like a chronic pothead, a cloud of smoke following him wherever he goes."
This is called a punchline. When you put the two together you get what's called a joke. Are we allowed to have fun here or is shooting serious business? Asking for a friend.
Work less on shooting and much MUCH more on your communication skills. Sheesh!
@@overbuiltlimited Did you not understand thr joke either?
i would love to spend on ammo what i spend on my mortgage
Ben’s humble bragging is fuckin annoying
I mean its kinda entertaining but I dont know if hes that good? Maybe he'll improve