Wall Chart Dry Firing System.

Call me free at 1-205-294-7600 or e-mail me at jordan4842@rogers.com

There are 2193 charts in use. The Wall Charts come in 4 sizes, 10'-- 8'-- 6' and a smaller 53" model.

 

Just an example of how well the Wall Chart can works at times.

I never shot any winter leagues. The total targets I shot since the Michigan team shoot in September was about 250. I shot skeet once in Oct. and shot a few rounds of trap on two warm days in February. I worked on the my chart a lot as I was busy with orders in Jan. and Feb.

I got to Florida and shot the Bill Jacobsen Memorial Shoot. My singles and handicap scores were not good so far. Some good traps but always shooting a low round too. I hit a 97 in my first round of Doubles to win the Senior Vet title and a 100 straight in my second doubles event to win the Doubles Championship. The last pair of doubles I shot before that was in Michigan, I never even shot a practice round here. I did a lot of doubles work with my K-80 TS. on the chart and that really paid off. I usually hit a 100 in Florida after not shooting all winter but the 100 in doubles was a nice payback.

Terry.

 

This chart really helped my trap game

 

got mine a few weeks ago and have been shooting about 300 reps a day and i can already see an improvement in my swing

 

Great to see this guy on the forum.

 

I was skeptical that dry-firing at stationary targets on a piece of vinyl would be helpful.

Terry Jordan told me he was confident it would make me a more consistent shooter by teaching me to control my actions.

I was struggling and finally decided to purchase the Jordan wall chart.

It stopped me from shooting too fast which I had done for over 20 years and I felt in control of my shots. It absolutely was largely responsible for helping me finally achieve the AA27AA award.

I'm a believer and for several years I have highly recommended it to others.

Mine is hanging on the back porch wall and I'm heading out to do some moves shortly.

HistoryBuff

 

I have great respect for you HB.
I may have to rethink my natural disbelief and skepticism about this product.
I have also been thinking about using a shotcam in the mix.
Regards, Jake

 

Jakeraroo,

Thank you for your kind words especially regarding my opinions. I view my personal integrity as paramount and strive each and every day to be truthful and factual.

Your skepticism about the effectiveness of using a wall chart is certainly understandable, especially to me.

What helped me make the decision to try the idea of shooting at stationary targets was Mr. Jordan's discussion with me and from reading an article about how pistol shooters used "dry-firing" as a successful means of practice. I thought if it worked for that style of shooting, then why wouldn't it work for trap shooting. I placed much emphasis on my thought that at the very least, performing the 100 gun mount exercises would surely build my muscles and allow me to establish and know when I had a good mount.

The Terry Jordan wall chart did much more and shortly after using it I shot a handicap and for the first time in all my years of shooting I felt I had control. Within the first 5 shots I recall asking myself "what is this feeling" and telling myself "you can break anything coming out of that trap house today." True story.

History shows that dry-firing systems have been part of our sport for many decades.

Below is an article from 1955 on "dry firing."

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In 1961, Remington Arms Co. produced a pamphlet "Trapshooting Fundamentals" in wall chart form.
This 32” x 42” chart is suitable for mounting on the wall of gun clubs and contains a wealth of information for the beginning as well as the experienced trapshooter. The chart contained all the basic information given in the pamphlet, including diagrams of normal target flight from different shooting positions for singles and doubles, and charts giving the leads necessary for the various target and shooting positions.

I believe this chart was also placed in the back of the 1969 book "Trapshooting With the Remington Pros."

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And finally, an article by Don Zutz, entitled "Practicing Without Ammunition" appeared in the March 1982 issue of Trap and Field. It's a good read in my opinion.

OPTIONAL SHOTS
PRACTICING WITHOUT AMMUNITION
By Don Zutz​

It was quite a few years ago that I read a magazine article about the training program followed by Russia’s international rifle and pistol teams. As most people know, the Russians take international sports very seriously, and there is tremendous competition for places on the teams. Making the traveling squads and staying there, requires continuously high-level performances. What interested me was the way these shooters worked on their technique when the severe Russian winter denied them outdoor practice. Instead of setting their guns in the coroner to rust until spring came along, they practiced indoors without ammunition. In other words, they dry-fired their tournament guns. This sort of thing would generally turn off an American shooter, because most of us are interested mainly in hearing the thing go Bang! and in scoring the results. Yet, for a disciplined and dedicated shooter – especially one who is analytical and interested in improving or developing a sound technique – dry-firing is the way to go. Heck, a rifleman or a pistoleer can get in practice that is just as meaningful without ammo as he can with it! For the essence of both those contests is holding and squeezing, and one can do that all evening without the need for live cartridges.

I assume the United States rifle and pistol teams also work on technique in dry-firing situations, as do individuals who are serious about improving their scores.

When I first read about world class shooters practicing via dry-firing routines, I wasn’t at all surprised. It seemed natural to me. For when I was just a kid with my first .22 single-shot, I wasn’t always able to run out to the local gravel pit for practice and I frequently did some dry-firing. My checkpoint at the time was sight alignment after I’d pulled the trigger, if the sights were still aligned after the firing pin had fallen on the empty chamber, I figured I had made a good shot. When the sights weren’t still aligned on target after the firing pin fell, I tried to sort out my moves and determine what had gone wrong. Perhaps that’s what a budding gun nut does when he’s a kid. I didn’t think it strange at all, definitely no stranger than standing in my dad’s driveway shooting at the basket attached to the garage. If basketball players practice, why not shooters?

I later did a certain amount of dry-firing with my first shotgun. I had read some books and articles about the theory and practice of wing-shooting, and I wanted to make certain that could make a good follow-through. So I spent some of those cold Wisconsin evenings swinging the shotgun through pictures on the wall. When the little .410’s muzzle whipped through the picture, I would pull the trigger and keep moving. Pictures on the wall don’t need very much forward allowance, of course, but that wasn’t the point. My interest was to swing and follow-through. In effect I was practicing technique, although I doubt if I knew the word at that time.

When I got into skeet shooting after college, I let the low house target from station eight slip past me a few times, and I didn’t like it. Low eight, as most shooters know, comes almost direct at and over the shooter, who must break it before it passes him. I had had a couple of shots at ruffed grouse much like low eight by then, and I had missed those birds, too. Thus, I thought it time to learn correct movement. In those days I shot only with lowered gun, and I started working out the proper movement indoors with an empty field gun. I didn’t rush things. Most of my initial moves were very slow. What I was trying to do was learn exactly how my body had to move in order to hit that target. As I figured out the simplest actions, I speeded up the dry-firing movement – and thereafter had no trouble with low eight.

I did a bit of trapshooting before I ever stepped onto a skeet field, and the second time I ever shot trap I hit a 23x25 and a 24x25. I missed only the wide rights from station five. The following Saturday I was back on the trap line, heating up my M12’s barrel. I was the leadoff man, and I ran my first 20 clays. Then I got to station five and missed two wide rights! That bugged me, as I was beginning to take more and more pride in my shooting, and I again worked out my problems indoors by dry-firing. In my den, I backed away from the desk, pointed my M12 over the right corner of said desk, and proceeded to make the move I would make on sharp right-angle clays. After a certain amount of dry-firing, I suspected that I was moving the gun away from my cheek on those right-angle birds, which destroyed my alignment. The evening before I returned to the trapfield, I went back to the dry-firing routine and forced myself to keep my head down and to stick with the gun as I (a right-handed shooter) made increasingly faster moves to the right. The next day I was on those sharp rights and it wasn’t too long before I broke my first 25 straight. I seriously doubt that I would have improved as rapidly if I had worked on that problem only on the trapline. The quiet den, plus the absence of a target that had to be hit, let me think solely about the gun-handling and swinging technique.

I doubt that I would have written those exposes of my indoor dry-firing workout except for the coaching methods of one man – Konrad Wirnhier, the great West German shotgunner who won the 1972 Olympic gold medal in skeet. Wirnhier is a dedicated, believe-in-perfecting-one’s-technique shooter before he even begins to think of score in either skeet or trap. Unfortunately, most Americans take just to opposite approach; they shoot for months, even years, without thinking about anything but scores and averages. The fact that scores are the product of technique and application has always sunk in slowly among Americans, because they see their weekend sport as recreation and they don’t want to put much effort into it. Effort and technique, however, are the primary differences between those who win consistently and those who don’t.

Now, what is so different about Konrad Wirnhier’s coaching? Rather than have his beginners start right in with live ammunition, he has them work on gun-handling and swinging-technique with an empty gun. They click the hammers on empty chambers. This approach according to Wirnhier, has the shooter thinking correctly about his technique instead of overemphasizing hits and misses and total scores. In many ways Wirnhier’s methods parallel those of an athletic coach who must hone the finesse points of an outstanding athlete. I understand that Wirnhier has worked with some students for months before having them fire a live round at a clay target. But once his students do get around to shooting live ammo, they have a strong base; they aren’t inclined to make serious physical mistakes, and are not obsessed with score.

Americans would probably react strongly against such a training method, but Wirnhier’s system must work; it has produced European champions in an area where the toughest international shooters congregate. It’s tough arguing against success! But I simply can’t see the typical Yankee weekend shotgunner standing on the line, yelling “Pull!” and then snapping an empty gun at a spinning saucer. Not many weekend warriors have the discipline to go through such a program, effective though it may be. Most Americans would feel foolish paying a couple of bucks or so just to swing a gun without firing.

I have a hunch that shooters with a back ground in trap and field might enjoy Wirnhier’s coaching method. Such athletes have been exposed to a certain amount of finesse training. I was a sprinter in high school and college, and one of the things I never did in after-school practices was run the sprints. My workouts involved practicing starts and/or over-distance work, with a certain amount of attention given to such things as body lean, knee action, arm action and rhythm. Once a sprinter put all those things together, he could come up with a pretty good 100-yard dash or 220. But just rambling through 100-yard dashes every afternoon failed to improve one’s time; for a person has just so much natural speed, and after that has been reached, any improvements are made by finesse moves. Understanding that a sound technique could add birds to one’s trap or skeet scores is, therefore, understandable to such track and field performers, because they’ve lived through it and have experienced the results. For some people, improved technique could mean that extra bird or two, which elevates them to championship level. I think that my own high school track training brought me naturally to the point where I analyzed my shooting problems with an empty gun under dry-firing conditions. By swinging an empty gun, I concentrated on technique details rather than on the target.

I noted a couple other things while dry-firing in the den. One is that it is a good conditioner of the arm and shoulder muscles. For whatever reasons, a person tends to mount the gun at a faster pace than he does on the line, and that puts a stress on the related muscles; hence, it is a suggested pre-season conditioner. A person who elevates, mounts, swings and lowers his trap or skeet gun, say, a hundred time an evening, will find himself capable of handling that first 300-target day.

One word of caution, however, is that dry-firing too rapidly will frustrate the reason for practicing with an empty gun. For haste injects human error, and we’re trying to do the right thing, not the wrong. I suggest that people who start to employ dry-firing as a practice routine start with half speed or even less. Run through the sequence slowly and let every little move be exaggerated so that it stands out for critical analysis. Don’t rush the dry-firing routine. Don’t even build up to normal speed until the mistakes have been found and corrected. Then, and only then, work up to normal swing speed emphasizing the correct movement.

People who dry-fire should probably use snap caps in their gun’s chambers. These provide resistance to the falling firing pin, which is generally thought to be better practice than letting the pin fall on an empty chamber, for when the firing pin doesn’t strike resistance, the leading end of the firing pin can take on momentum and, upon being halted by the breech face, can begin to crystallize, which leads to eventual breakage. Snap caps are relatively inexpensive. So, too, are firing pins. But breaking a firing pin in the middle of a trapshoot is annoying.

In conclusion, then, I must point out that dry-firing isn’t kid stuff. One of the world’s best shotgun coaches utilizes it in extreme fashion. Being a Yank, you may not show up at your local trap club next weekend without ammo of course – but you can still learn something about yourself, your gun, and overall technique and finesse by doing some critical gun-handling and swinging in your den.

The shotgun coaching sessions of Olympic gold medalist Konrad Wirnhier pivot heavily on dry-firing as a way to teach proper technique to his students.
[ TRAP & FIELD, March 1982, page 40-41 ]

Hope these articles help others. I maintain that if you use a chart, it will help improve your shooting. At least it truly did for me.

HB

 

While conducting research the other day I pulled out an old book from my library. "SHOOTING ON THE WING" was the title and my first edition was published in 1873.

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I was surprised to read in a section entitled "How To Learn To Shoot" that dry-firing was considered as good practice for shooters years before the introduction of inanimate targets (clay pigeons).

The author explained how to conduct "dry-firing" practice and protecting the external hammers on old-time shotguns. Today we use snap-caps or as suggested by Terry Jordan, cut an empty hull in half, remove the spent primer and fill the primer cavity with silicone and when dry it will protect the firing pin during practice.

The author advised readers to:

"Procure a pair of those rubber caps that are used for the end of pencils; cut them so that the tube is just the length of the nipple, slit the tubular part up, and tie them on the nipples with small tough twine.

"Unless the rubber is slit it will be difficult to tie it on securely.

"Your nipple and hammer faces are now secured against injury, and you may now snap away as much as you please.

"Caps do little good. They are not much protection for the nipples, they soil the gun, and the sound does not tend to harden the nerves of the shooter; so we would never advise our readers to snap caps at any mark.

"With the gun prepared as we have described, the learner should now practice throwing up his gun, bringing it to bear on the object and drawing the trigger the instant the sight is fair.

"Never try to better your aim. By doing so you will acquire the habit of seeking after the object over the muzzle of the gun, and you will become nervous, undecided, and what is called a poking shot.

"If you find that the gun does not fully cover the target, never mind. Pull away.

"What you are now trying to do is to establish a sympathy of the eye, the hand, and the finger; and if you allow yourself to destroy this sympathy by overriding it, for even a few times, you will undo all that you have done.

"Therefore, draw the trigger at any rate; and, instead of trying to improve the aim, note your error in aiming, and endeavor to do better next time."

How about that! The system of "dry-fire" practice was advocated for nearly 150 years ago.

I can attest that using the Jordan Wall Chart, absolutely helped my shooting in 2012.

Full disclosure: I receive no reward for promoting the "Wall Chart" other than the joy of helping fellow shooters. I'm a believer and user.

HB

 

Thanks HB. I did read all of those articles and they were a big factor in my lifetime of dry firing to get ready for big shoots.

Terry.

 

I like the concept of the dry firing system, feel the only draw back might be it would cause me to become a spot shooter rather than follow through on the shots ... I tried one briefly that a friend had set up and felt as though I was stopping the gun at that point or going to that point not beyond it ... That no doubt would cost targets at some time or other ... I pick up bad habits easily and play hell breaking them once I have them ... What might be the cure for that before it happens ..? WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I fully understand your point wpt. I thought the same thing because I too was stopping the gun trying to insure I released the trigger on the "dot" for the proper lead. Friends who tried the dry-fire wall chart also had this same experience. I will say that my shooting style prior to my chart work always looked like I stopped my gun.

However, for me, it didn't make any difference it still helped me gain control that I had never had in over 25 years of shooting. Yes, it worried me too because most of the time I was not very precise when it was time to shoot those stationary targets. That worried me. I still recall those few days when I was right on the dot when I released. But most of the time I was not. But, it still helped me improve several of my deficiencies. One of the benefits overlooked by many is that Terry's dry-fire wall chart will keep you making gun lifts through the winter, keeping your muscles and back in shape for the next season. I used to always be stiff and get arm tired at the beginning of spring. And I always felt discomfort in the small of my back for several weeks of practice.

Terry advised me to keep trying to follow through a couple inches which I started doing.

The first thing I remember at the beginning was how I pulled my barrel down when I was ready to shoot. Yep, a slight arm flinch that I thought I had cured a couple years before. I used to pick up an empty and dry fire at the first "see me" target called by the squad leader. I knew I had a flinch and worked on it until it was gone. Well, at least I thought it was gone but the chart identified that I still had a minimal reluctance at the time to let the trigger go that I didn't know I had.

I also thought about the many shooters I've watched who seem to stop their gun when they shoot. Kay Ohye is the first to come to mind and he also has little barrel movement even on angle targets. Its almost like he knows where the target will be but he doesn't appear to change his hold points for the angles.

Yes, stopping the gun makes you question if the chart will be helpful, but for me, I quickly saw the benefits even when it appeared I was stopping my barrel.

I was as skeptical as anyone . . . . but I'm a believer now.

After years of not shooting, I unrolled and hung my chart up to practice for a special shoot this year (2018). I didn't get to use it much and again, worried that I wouldn't get much benefit. I wasn't real happy with my shooting overall, but I managed to bring home a couple trophies. I was really surprised at my doubles shooting. I was in the center of both targets, the first a smoke ball and the second just seemed to disappear. I broke 47-48 for a 95 and was awarded runner-up in the championship. I was also high Vet in the singles championship. I wondered what I could have done if I had worked more diligently with my chart.

​

If you use it . . . . . it should help your shooting like it did for me.
But you have to use it, not just glance at it like a picture each time you pass by.

Just my opinion,

HB

 

The key to using the chart, is to shoot the chart exactly how you should shoot a moving target. Once that routine is set, it will translate into the real world of the moving target without any thought of having to change anything. It will become automatic, and score will not be a thought. Hard to do when the score does not matter, or there is no feedback. You still have to force yourself to do it right, or you will do it just as wrong when you get out on the line. Those bad habits will still translate out in the real action.

I find that if I use the chart just prior to leaving for a shoot, I on average shoot better. It just restores that routine without thought, or recoil for that matter. Once on the line, it continues through the round.

 

call me toll free at -2o5 294 76oo put zero's where I put the o's just in case robots are picking up numbers.

If you have questions call me. Used charts sell for about $25 less than I get for one and I back buyers of used charts 100% there is no risk to buying one.

Terry.

 

Rec'd this last week.

 

I have been talking up your chart that’s for sure! I use it regularly!! Well I got the chart before the California state shoot. I was on the 23 1/2 yard line then, I was runner up in my yardage in one even, third in another and took 6th in the handicap championship event at state ( all yardage) I received a half yard then. I broke the 100 from the 24 yard to get a yard and a half, and won that event. Stayed in the 90’s and then in the last event I broke a 96 to win my yardage and get a half yard to be on the 26. A few weeks later I broke a 97 and won handicap and got my last punch to the fence! Ended that shoot with a 95 in handicap to win long yardage. I have also broke a few 99’s in singles. Before I got your chart I was at 23 1/2 yards and had been there for three years.. B doubles and B-A singles. In a roughly 6 months I have moved to 27 yards AA singles and AA doubles. I couldn’t be happier!! Your chart has made such a difference!!

Eddie Woods.

1

 

The wall chart business is on hold for a couple weeks I need a triple bypass. 2020 is a sh*tty year for all of us.

Terry.

 

Good Luck,
You will be in our prayers ... I had a quad and a Maize, pretty extreme according to my Surgeon ...Left my Doctors office at 4:30, was in surgery at 5:15 PM for 9 1/2 hours ... This was 10-05-2011, a day I will never forget ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

GOOD LUCK ....

 

Back to normal now, shot Saturday at a small club but hit a 96 and a 95 in handicap to get back on 26 yards. Hit three 25s and a 50 straight I felt good again but knees are gone now. Signed chart number 2985 tonight shooters are doing great wit them.

 

My wife bought one from you this past winter. I use it regularly and it definitely works. I haven't practiced any doubles with it to date but I will as soon as the doubles gun I bought arrives.

 

T Jordan,

I been thinking about hanging my chart and do a little practice dryfiring. I might just shoot some doubles at my State Shoot this year.

Thanks for convincing me to try your wall chart. I'll never forget my first shoot after just a few uses. I had control that I had never experienced before and thought to myself within the first 5 shots "you can break anything coming out of that traphouse."

I was skeptical at first but I think it was about the wisest shooting purchase I've ever made. Then I learn from research that dryfire practice has been suggested since the early days of trapshooting. Who would have thought.

HB

 

Ironically, my neighbor has one of the wall charts initially I felt it would cause (me) or shooters to start spot shooting until I talked to HB who explained in essence how he got past that feeling ... I played with it a few times (several) and could see the increase in Merit the more I used it and put forth some effort to let it work ... If I were going to get back into serious shooting I would have to have one of the wall charts so I could play with it at my leisure rather than bother him, even though he does not seem to mind ... He is a very casual trap shooter and his scores have increased dramatically since he practices with his more routinely ... This for me is another one of those day late things that have happened more times than I care to remember ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Hi Kenny.

I tried to call you one day the old number I have does not work, me toll free at one 205 294 7600

 

I just bought a "10' Terry Jordon Wall Chart" from a fellow on "Trap Shooters" forum member
I have a 10' wall to mount it on, but I only have approx 12' back away from it? Is that to close to set it up for effective practice? The fellow said the instructions are in the box, so I have not read it as it will arrive later this week, just kinda concerned as I have been reading up on it and now hoping I made the right choice in size?

 

You will be fine with the ten footer.
Lots only have that much room.

 

This is a 4 H coach who just ordered a larger 8 foot chart. He said they worked with kids a lot on this smaller 53 inch model and did get some good results. I used this size lots of years when I went to Florida for a month.

God Bless these coaches that take the time to coach the thousands of young kids, they are the lifeblood of our game.

 

So just wondering. In the pic above. Does this club have horses? Looks like bridles on the wall.