I have been shooting 22 bullseye (Browning Buckmark target) for 2 seasons now and have brought my average up. The start of this season was great for me, 269, 268, 260 then the wheels fell off the cart. I've been down in the 240's since. Does anyone have any practice schedules to improve my scores? I'm getting a little frustrated these days.
.22 Bullseye training tips
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cdrt
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I guess the question to ask is, what are you doing for practice now? It sounds like you may be repeating a bad habit if your scores have dropped and aren't going anywhere.
Before we concentrate on slow fire technique, breathing, concentration, stance, grip, sight alignment (unless you're one of those red dot guys), etc, let us know how your practice sessions are set up.
Also, have you checked your pistol? I had a loose rib on my HS Victor that was costing me some points and creating just a little frustration when I couldn't get it to stay in one place during SF strings.
Before we concentrate on slow fire technique, breathing, concentration, stance, grip, sight alignment (unless you're one of those red dot guys), etc, let us know how your practice sessions are set up.
Also, have you checked your pistol? I had a loose rib on my HS Victor that was costing me some points and creating just a little frustration when I couldn't get it to stay in one place during SF strings.
I've benched my pistol and scope (yes, I'm a red dot guy all the cool kids have one 
). My practice sessions are as follows. 10-20 rounds of slow fire focusing on the dot/front sight as smooth a trigger pull as possible. 20 rounds of slow fire focusing on the dot, 20 rounds trigger pull + snap caps. 6 timed fire sessions and 6 rapid fire sessions. I focuss on shooting timed and rapid in the same elapsed time ~8secs. During the week I'll run spend about 10 mins each day dry firing with snap caps focusing on a steady hand as I pull the trigger.
). My practice sessions are as follows. 10-20 rounds of slow fire focusing on the dot/front sight as smooth a trigger pull as possible. 20 rounds of slow fire focusing on the dot, 20 rounds trigger pull + snap caps. 6 timed fire sessions and 6 rapid fire sessions. I focuss on shooting timed and rapid in the same elapsed time ~8secs. During the week I'll run spend about 10 mins each day dry firing with snap caps focusing on a steady hand as I pull the trigger.cdrt
Member
So far so good.
I guess the next question is, where are you seeing the drop in scores; Slow fire, timed fire or rapid fire or is it across the board?
What were your averages in each stage before the drop?
Are you seeing some kind of weird grouping on the TF/RF stage where you might be either anticipating the shot or pushing the gun with your trigger finger (out to 9 o'clock) or are you getting one erratic shot out of the five where most are in the 10 ring and you're getting one flyer out in the 7 or 8 ring?
You might want to try shooting TF in a 3/2 cadence, i.e. shoot the first three shots in your regular time, take a breath, let it out, realign and then shoot the last two shots.
And how are are groups in practice versus groups in the actual match? Are you practicing at the same range where you shoot the matches or is there a location change which would change overall conditions?
Are you holding too long in the SF stage which can result in a misplaced shot because of fatigue?
What kind of group size did you get when you sandbagged your pistol?
I guess the next question is, where are you seeing the drop in scores; Slow fire, timed fire or rapid fire or is it across the board?
What were your averages in each stage before the drop?
Are you seeing some kind of weird grouping on the TF/RF stage where you might be either anticipating the shot or pushing the gun with your trigger finger (out to 9 o'clock) or are you getting one erratic shot out of the five where most are in the 10 ring and you're getting one flyer out in the 7 or 8 ring?
You might want to try shooting TF in a 3/2 cadence, i.e. shoot the first three shots in your regular time, take a breath, let it out, realign and then shoot the last two shots.
And how are are groups in practice versus groups in the actual match? Are you practicing at the same range where you shoot the matches or is there a location change which would change overall conditions?
Are you holding too long in the SF stage which can result in a misplaced shot because of fatigue?
What kind of group size did you get when you sandbagged your pistol?
JohnBT
Member
Have you read www.bullseyepistol.com/amucover.htm
Chapter Seven has helped my shooting and I don't even shoot bullseye.
John
Chapter Seven has helped my shooting and I don't even shoot bullseye.
John
My average last year was 247. I'm getting a "winger" (outside the black) or two in timed and rapid. Slow can be all over the map. Practice seems to go fine with all shots in the black, not all in the 10 ring though. I don't practice on the same range as the matches are held. We travel over the county so each week can be @ a different range. I shoot slow fire 2 or 3 shots at a time with rest in between. Bench rest gives very tight groups in the 10 ring.
cdrt
Member
Sounds like you may need some coaching on your slow fire.
As JohnBT mentioned, you might want to check out the Army Marksmanship Unit's manual and get Gil Hebard's book on Bullseye shooting. Lots of good articles in there.
My SF hit a snag earlier this year and I started analyzing what I was doing wrong...mostly holding too long. And I started shooting a minimum of 50 shots SF when I practice, since my TF/RF scores are in the high 90s all the time. Scores went from the 80s to the 90s for SF since I started concentrating on it. Last outdoor match, I had a 284 NMC with the .22 and middle 270s with the .45.
As JohnBT mentioned, you might want to check out the Army Marksmanship Unit's manual and get Gil Hebard's book on Bullseye shooting. Lots of good articles in there.
My SF hit a snag earlier this year and I started analyzing what I was doing wrong...mostly holding too long. And I started shooting a minimum of 50 shots SF when I practice, since my TF/RF scores are in the high 90s all the time. Scores went from the 80s to the 90s for SF since I started concentrating on it. Last outdoor match, I had a 284 NMC with the .22 and middle 270s with the .45.
I run the web site nepistol.com (http://nepistol.com).
Go to the Download section and follow the link for the training workbook.
It is based on a combination of the USMC pistol training workbook and some stuff I got from the USAShooting website before they overhauled and all the links went bad.
Bottom line... it all comes down to sight alignment and trigger control. If you do those two things just right, you will shoot tens. Don't be fooled by the 6-8-10... whatever fundamentals that so many (good) shooters and trainers preach about. Stance, grip, etc... are important parts of preparing a shot but ultimately it all comes down to aiming (sight alignment) and pulling the trigger (trigger control).
Go to the Download section and follow the link for the training workbook.
It is based on a combination of the USMC pistol training workbook and some stuff I got from the USAShooting website before they overhauled and all the links went bad.
Bottom line... it all comes down to sight alignment and trigger control. If you do those two things just right, you will shoot tens. Don't be fooled by the 6-8-10... whatever fundamentals that so many (good) shooters and trainers preach about. Stance, grip, etc... are important parts of preparing a shot but ultimately it all comes down to aiming (sight alignment) and pulling the trigger (trigger control).
JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone
Member
And don't forget 'Follow Through'!
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
My scores are higher, and I don't practice near as much. I honestly think that if I practiced that much, my scores might drop. That said,.. Is there any rational behind that? If I shot 12 timed/rapid practice sessions with some slow-fire thrown in, and matches once a week, A), I'd go broke -Rimfire ammo isn't getting any cheaper. B), I think my arm would fall off. It is amazing how fatigued a shooting arm can get with long shooting sessions. And if you're like the rest of us, we don't only shoot rimfire. And if I throw in cutting firewood and swinging the hammer on the home projects a couple days a week, mixed with any carpel tunnel symptoms I may have from my lax desk job at computer keyboard, my hand gets tired.
Factor any of those possibilities with your current shooting.
Brian Zins may shoot a lot with a properly designed workout regimine, but I doubt he's remodeling his house or digging drainage ditches too.
For me.. (and take this with a grain of salt, but you might try some different things to get you out of your rut).
I've found that shooting my 1911 with a heavier trigger pull, lighter pistol, and more recoil, prior to shooting rimfire, gives me a bit better slow-fire rimfire score. I can't explain it, but I'm sure there are some natural/physical/technical reasons for this outcome.
Last season I fell into a short rut, fiddling with stance, how tight my belt was, (Yeah, don't laugh), where my off-hand rested, to the shoes I wore to a match, (cold feet on a concrete floor, I changed to boots), got me back on track.
Not to mention I brought a different approach to my breathing and concentration. I try to put myself in a zone. Nothing can distract me. And I police myself not to hold too long. I don't rush the shot, but if I'm taking too long, I rest the pistol on the bench and re-approach as a first shot. I got to the point where I could really call my shots. I didn't need to look through the scope to know that last shot was an, 8-breaking the 9 ring. And many times, I just knew that last shot was a 10 -it felt so good.
Remember to change only one thing at a time. Log your results. If the change didn't make a difference, unincorporate it. The links above are great. But be sure not to over engineer your shooting. Have a fellow shooter watch you. Maybe they'll see something you're not grasping. I agree that it might be good to work more on your slow-fire. Personally, my five shot strings are singles with rest between each. Many times, the hand is empty for 15 seconds. Remember, 10rds, 10 minutes. If your first shot is always a 9+, then make every one of the string be a first shot.
Caffein, Cigarettes, Alcohol, all have an effect on our shooting. Nerves, stress? Don't let your shooting frustrate you. Use it as a calming time when the wife, kids and work cannot get to you. Take a look at last season, compared to your current scores. Your shooting routine might be fine, but outside stresses may be impacting your concentration.
-Steve
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
My scores are higher, and I don't practice near as much. I honestly think that if I practiced that much, my scores might drop. That said,.. Is there any rational behind that? If I shot 12 timed/rapid practice sessions with some slow-fire thrown in, and matches once a week, A), I'd go broke -Rimfire ammo isn't getting any cheaper. B), I think my arm would fall off. It is amazing how fatigued a shooting arm can get with long shooting sessions. And if you're like the rest of us, we don't only shoot rimfire. And if I throw in cutting firewood and swinging the hammer on the home projects a couple days a week, mixed with any carpel tunnel symptoms I may have from my lax desk job at computer keyboard, my hand gets tired.
Factor any of those possibilities with your current shooting.
Brian Zins may shoot a lot with a properly designed workout regimine, but I doubt he's remodeling his house or digging drainage ditches too.
For me.. (and take this with a grain of salt, but you might try some different things to get you out of your rut).
I've found that shooting my 1911 with a heavier trigger pull, lighter pistol, and more recoil, prior to shooting rimfire, gives me a bit better slow-fire rimfire score. I can't explain it, but I'm sure there are some natural/physical/technical reasons for this outcome.
Last season I fell into a short rut, fiddling with stance, how tight my belt was, (Yeah, don't laugh), where my off-hand rested, to the shoes I wore to a match, (cold feet on a concrete floor, I changed to boots), got me back on track.
Not to mention I brought a different approach to my breathing and concentration. I try to put myself in a zone. Nothing can distract me. And I police myself not to hold too long. I don't rush the shot, but if I'm taking too long, I rest the pistol on the bench and re-approach as a first shot. I got to the point where I could really call my shots. I didn't need to look through the scope to know that last shot was an, 8-breaking the 9 ring. And many times, I just knew that last shot was a 10 -it felt so good.
Remember to change only one thing at a time. Log your results. If the change didn't make a difference, unincorporate it. The links above are great. But be sure not to over engineer your shooting. Have a fellow shooter watch you. Maybe they'll see something you're not grasping. I agree that it might be good to work more on your slow-fire. Personally, my five shot strings are singles with rest between each. Many times, the hand is empty for 15 seconds. Remember, 10rds, 10 minutes. If your first shot is always a 9+, then make every one of the string be a first shot.
Caffein, Cigarettes, Alcohol, all have an effect on our shooting. Nerves, stress? Don't let your shooting frustrate you. Use it as a calming time when the wife, kids and work cannot get to you. Take a look at last season, compared to your current scores. Your shooting routine might be fine, but outside stresses may be impacting your concentration.
-Steve
lil ski
Member
I found that shooting my 45 first than my 22 was not a good idea. The recoil and higher triger pull made my hand shake more than normal. As a rule shoot the lighter recoil first.
Pactice practice practice unless your shooting in the high 290s and if you are that high that means you have been practicing.
Doing stuff around the house will impact your scores if I have to run the snowblower before a match my scores go down. Now I tell my wife I can't clear the drive way the day of a match ( She never bought it )
Pactice practice practice unless your shooting in the high 290s and if you are that high that means you have been practicing.
Doing stuff around the house will impact your scores if I have to run the snowblower before a match my scores go down. Now I tell my wife I can't clear the drive way the day of a match ( She never bought it )
Sunray
Member
Several things can cause scores to drop. A change of ammo, low upper body tone, work and/or home related stress, a dirty pistol, etc. Mind you, you may be ready for a better pistol too. That'd be on the bottom of the list though.
Go back to the basics for your slow fire. Practice that at your home range. Concentrate on sight picture, trigger control and sight picture.
Have your eye sight checked too.
Go back to the basics for your slow fire. Practice that at your home range. Concentrate on sight picture, trigger control and sight picture.
Have your eye sight checked too.
earplug
Member
try rethinking the basics. Instead of pressing the trigger think work the trigger, instead of keeping you head errect, try thinking correct form,
I betting its A mental thing that is causing the drop in scores.
While I have plenty of work in getting decent scores, the mental thing is amazing to deal with.
Have fun and don't beat yourself. Have fun.
I betting its A mental thing that is causing the drop in scores.
While I have plenty of work in getting decent scores, the mental thing is amazing to deal with.
Have fun and don't beat yourself. Have fun.
SoCalShooter
Member
Perhaps to much practice. Every other practice my friend recommended that you shoot the 10 ring until you reach 10 shots that are outside of it and then go home. Sometimes over practicing can be part of the problem you may be getting into a bad routine.
Also if you have a buddy who shoots with you have him monitor your practice, just to see if you are doing anything out of the ordinary. I found out that I was not standing properly.
Also if you have a buddy who shoots with you have him monitor your practice, just to see if you are doing anything out of the ordinary. I found out that I was not standing properly.
Tigerseye
Member
Before you change anything, try a dry-fire regimen. 20 minutes a night for 3 nights a week is enough to get me re-focused on sight alignment and trigger management. For me, the trick is to (1) aim at a blank wall so that the ONLY thing I can focus on is the sights, and then (2) work to see to it that the gun DOES NOT MOVE when I press the trigger. You'll find out how long 20 minutes is if you really concentrate. This is not fun. This is not practice. This is training.
Isabel1130
Member
Clearing the driveway
lil Ski, my first suggestion..move somewhere that it doesn't snow.
However the effect you are experiencing is well known amount serious musicians. Sustained large muscle actiivty (such as snowblowing) will affect both your trigger control and your hand eye coordination. Be in good shape but for heavens sake don't do anything cardiovascular the day of a match before you shoot. Kate
lil Ski, my first suggestion..move somewhere that it doesn't snow.
However the effect you are experiencing is well known amount serious musicians. Sustained large muscle actiivty (such as snowblowing) will affect both your trigger control and your hand eye coordination. Be in good shape but for heavens sake don't do anything cardiovascular the day of a match before you shoot. Kate
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