Front Sight has a very good methodology - there is nothing like the oblong hole.

When I took the 4 day class - some time ago - it was obvious that skills were improving rapidly - everyone in the class was shooting better and better by the hour.

Near the end of the 4 days it was like synchronized swimming - everyone was in time - shooting at a reasonable pace - and at a reasonable level of proficinecy.

I like the handspan theory - I think that it is a good rule of thumb - pretty reasonable expectation of speed and accuracy - I still use that formula to judge my shooting - I shoot a lot - and never feel that I am shooting fast enough - when in reality the shots are coming a lot faster than I likely think.

A cloverleaf with a snubbie? Wow - thats good shooting - luck or not.

I like the steel challenge on the 3rd day of the 4 day class out there - that is a rush.... Fun to see someone shoot that well with a shotgun - now the trick is beating the shotgunner .... That is an ven bigger rush.

I like an IDPA target, I shoot for the 0 zone and when I am getting a couple -1 hits I know I am on the edge of how fast I can shoot at a given distance. In match shooting,I find that if I get all 0 hits,I probably need to speed up slightly,I am happy if I am getting a few fast -1's.This is also how I practice,I save the teeny,tiny groups for rifles.

P.S. If you are serious about shooting and carrying a gun,you should try IDPA,a lot can be learned both from watching and from shooting.

I feel satisfied if I can empty my G29 magazine into a GITS target and keep all my rounds in the white circle at 21 feet; I'll give myself a passing grade even if there's a couple of flyers outside the white.

I feel real good on those days I can keep 10 rounds of 10mm out of my Kimber inside of 4" at 50 feet, but that's target shooting, not self-defense shooting (but still only iron sights, and I'm not doing yoga in between shots). I guess it might be "zombie head shot" self-defense shooting, since I doubt I'll be making people head shots at 50 feet in any legally defensable shooting.

If I can make that work I'll make a run at one of the bullseye targets all the way back at 75 feet. I can sometimes keep them all in the black (on the one with the larger black area..), and usually if I do that I know it's time to go home while I still feel good.

I finally got my S&W model 29 back from S&W. My initial attempts at .44 Special loads for it were just fits and starts, but that gun was making mythical "one ragged hole" groups before I sent it back. It'll be interesting to see what it does when I find a bullet/powder combo I like.