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Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

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Sir Henry
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by Sir Henry » Tue Jun 14, 2022 9:37 am

North Country Gal wrote:
Mon Jun 13, 2022 12:38 pm
Shooting is one of the best examples of a "just do it" sport.

The only "thinking" I do when taking a shot is 110% focus on the sight/target. Clear the mind of everything else and just concentrate on the sight picture. That concentration continues as the gun fires; it continues through the recoil and doesn't stop till the pellet/bullet hits the target. Nothing interrupts this, not even a conscious thought to pull the trigger. Breaking your concentration with a mental command to pull the trigger is not good trigger control. In fact, thinking "trigger" when you need to be focused on the sight/target is a good way to develop a flinch or other bad shooting habits.

This trigger control is hard to believe/explain but it comes with practice. With all my concentration on the sight picture, just before the shot, I then give my brain permission to pull the trigger when the time comes. I then go right back to 110% focus on the sight/reticle. With practice, I can focus entirely on the sight/target and and the actual trigger pull takes care of itself when needed. I have faith that this will happen because I've practiced it enough and done it enough. Nothing breaks my concentration, not the trigger pull, not the recoil, not the noise of the shot, not the bullet hitting the target. Nothing. I'm holding that focus through it all. (The shot is NOT over when the gun fires. Recoil and bullet impact on target are part of the shot, not aftereffects.)

This sounds like some kind of magic to a beginner, but it's learnable. When taking a shot, If you are thinking about pulling the trigger or your grip or your placement of the stock on your shoulder or your breathing or any other aspect of shooting technique or outside thoughts about your grocery shopping or even how the shot will go, you've broken your concentration on the sight/target. That concentration IS the shot. Everything else is just technique.

Just do it. Easy, right?
I’ve found when I don’t shoot everyday I have to relearn trigger control. At first I need to make a thoughtful effect and then when I get the timing back I don’t have to think about it because it just happens. Kind of like a batter that goes into a slump and has to start from stretch again. You can’t overthink it or underthink it.
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North Country Gal
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by North Country Gal » Tue Jun 14, 2022 2:35 pm

Very true. For me, it does vary with the type of gun as far as how hard it is to get back into my best after a long layoff. For whatever reason, I lose very little if anything getting back to shooting my single action revolvers after a long layoff. Same for lever guns. Guess I was a cowgirl in a past lifer, after all. :)
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by Sir Henry » Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:19 pm

North Country Gal wrote:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 2:35 pm
Very true. For me, it does vary with the type of gun as far as how hard it is to get back into my best after a long layoff. For whatever reason, I lose very little if anything getting back to shooting my single action revolvers after a long layoff. Same for lever guns. Guess I was a cowgirl in a past lifer, after all. :)
I’ve found I loose more accuracy offfhand compared to bench. Maybe because I’ve done far more bench shooting.
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North Country Gal
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by North Country Gal » Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:13 pm

Same for me. That bench does a lot of work for you.
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Sir Henry
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by Sir Henry » Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:33 pm

North Country Gal wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:13 pm
Same for me. That bench does a lot of work for you.
Then again it can present new challenges. If I’m shooting a scoped rifle bench with high magnification at 109 yards my heartbeat comes into play and I have to get the shot off between beats.
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North Country Gal
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by North Country Gal » Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:26 pm

I don't let my heartbeat become a factor when I'm shooting. If you're trying to time a shot between heartbeats, you absolutely cannot maintain the kind of concentration needed for your sight/target picture. When it comes time for the shot, exhale slightly, as needed, relax and proceed with the shot. If your vision starts to ebb from taking too long, back off the shot, breathe and try again. Concentrate on your shot, not your heartbeat. If you're thinking heartbeat (or trigger pull or stock hold or any other single part of your technique), you are not concentrating on your sight/target where you concentration should be.

If that scope crosshair is picking up the beat of your heart and bouncing around, simply back off the the amount of pressure on your cheek resting on the stock. This will greatly lessen the crosshair movement. On a rimfire, there is no need for a lot of pressure with your cheek resting on the stock. Your cheek rest only needs to insure that you are setting your face in the same spot behind the scope for every shot.

On hard kicking guns, depending on the stock design and how you rest the gun, you will need to keep enough pressure on the comb with your face as the gun recoils so your face can stay on the stock as the gun recoils. Doesn't need to be a ton of pressure, just enough to keep your face from bouncing off the stock and letting the stock bounce back and bite you. Stock design is HUGE with hard kickers.

Remember, either changing the location of pressure points with your hold (changing your hold) or changing the amount of pressure you apply on those pressure points has the potential of changing the POI and hence group size. Less is more here, because it is easier to repeat a hold with fewer pressure points and is easier to maintain the same pressure, shot shot, with light pressure rather than heavy pressure. (Shooting spring piston air guns and/or handguns is a great way to learn this.)
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Sir Henry
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by Sir Henry » Thu Jun 16, 2022 9:22 pm

North Country Gal wrote:
Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:26 pm
I don't let my heartbeat become a factor when I'm shooting. If you're trying to time a shot between heartbeats, you absolutely cannot maintain the kind of concentration needed for your sight/target picture. When it comes time for the shot, exhale slightly, as needed, relax and proceed with the shot. If your vision starts to ebb from taking too long, back off the shot, breathe and try again. Concentrate on your shot, not your heartbeat. If you're thinking heartbeat (or trigger pull or stock hold or any other single part of your technique), you are not concentrating on your sight/target where you concentration should be.

If that scope crosshair is picking up the beat of your heart and bouncing around, simply back off the the amount of pressure on your cheek resting on the stock. This will greatly lessen the crosshair movement. On a rimfire, there is no need for a lot of pressure with your cheek resting on the stock. Your cheek rest only needs to insure that you are setting your face in the same spot behind the scope for every shot.

On hard kicking guns, depending on the stock design and how you rest the gun, you will need to keep enough pressure on the comb with your face as the gun recoils so your face can stay on the stock as the gun recoils. Doesn't need to be a ton of pressure, just enough to keep your face from bouncing off the stock and letting the stock bounce back and bite you. Stock design is HUGE with hard kickers.

Remember, either changing the location of pressure points with your hold (changing your hold) or changing the amount of pressure you apply on those pressure points has the potential of changing the POI and hence group size. Less is more here, because it is easier to repeat a hold with fewer pressure points and is easier to maintain the same pressure, shot shot, with light pressure rather than heavy pressure. (Shooting spring piston air guns and/or handguns is a great way to learn this.)
I’ll try holding with less pressure next time.
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by markiver54 » Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:22 pm

We are very fortunate to have the knowledge and firearm wisdom of NCG. I encourage all to learn from her words!
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North Country Gal
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by North Country Gal » Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:31 am

Thanks, Mark. Always glad to share. Lots pf other great shooters here who have shared, too.
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Re: Range Report: bloomin’ and boomin’

Post by daytime dave » Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:32 am

I'm glad you share what you do here and I appreciate how you share it. It's a pleasure to read your positive posts.
I also agree that we have many great shooters here that also share.
We certainly are fortunate here.
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