6yd trgt shooting ,the challenge

[zooma]

'Muscular sensations are co-ordinated with the visual image'

That bit certainly put me in the Zone.

Cor blimey Robin - I think I prefer your current shooting technique - it's certainly very similar to mw own !

[learningcurve]

Couple of additions to shooting instructions I've found useful:
after "drop pistol to bench" is pick up scattered tin if pellets off the floor.
after "cock gun" if using a ssp - discharge pistol safely somehow as pistol is now attached to your jumper, then retry.

rest of instructions seem just about spot on

George

Very good

I shot my first round in January by standing in my driveway and shooting into the garage. I dont think the outside temperature helped my accuracy, my hands were freezing, I couldnt stop shivering!

[zooma]

Very good

I shot my first round in January by standing in my driveway and shooting into the garage. I dont think the outside temperature helped my accuracy, my hands were freezing, I couldnt stop shivering!

When we first started the Exmouth Air Pistol and Rifle Club back in the early 1970's our postal league team shot all of our first seasons NARPA competition cards stood outside my garage with the illuminated NARPA target holder inside.

Not too bad in nice sunny Devon weather, but I can also remember shooting match cards in the rain and even once is a light snow flurry in the winter. Surprisingly it never bothered us much - it just added to the challenge and we always had a can of WD40 to spray over the pistols afterwards before giving them a good wipe over to dry them before we put them away.....but this was always done inside the garage

I have to admit when we found our first indoor premises it was a lot more comfortable but we also lost some of the challenge as well.

[red bob]

love how you mention that on a rainy day you had to wipe over the guns with wd after use ,something i find quite appealing in its enthusiasm for the sport;but when i was an avid club mem there was a "clich" of mems there who would have had kittens at the thought of their famous marques getting even a smidge of moisture near their guns! not to mention the latest hi-tech pellet scales.there used to be quite alot of good humoured barracking between the two partys that would occasionally meet there ;the hunters and the "out and out" trgt shooters.truth to tell i think we learned alot from each other.

[Rickenbacker]

I've had a pretty big birthday weekend and 'moi Mrs' gave me this:

http://www.celestron.com/sports_outd...aterproof.html

A spotting scope! It focuses very close (down to around 3 yards), so should be good for our 6 yard shooting, as many scopes apparently aren't able to focus close enough.

Anybody have any tips? Like do you just remember what shots are on there, or do you mark them on a card one at a time?

I'm a bit worried about messing up my fledgling technique with too much 'stuff' to do between shots... and TBH, as long as they're going in the black, I've been quite happy to just carry on shooting... but, I've been reading about the importance of 'calling the shots' as an important part of follow through (probably my weakest area). Therefore seeing where they've landed is obviously important!

Any thoughts? ATB - Phil

[zooma]

That looks smart Phil and Celestian do make some really good optical scopes.

I guess if you are practicing "calling the shots" then it will be nice to take a peek after each shot to see how accurately you have been with your call.

Once you have satisfied yourself that you are able to "call" the shot reasonably well you can then decide if checking every shot through the scope helps or hinders your concentration.

I have never been able to decide what works best for me. If I am building a really good score and then look through the scope and see the good shots I sometimes put myself off and make a mess of that last important shot

That probably just illustrates a lack of concentration on my part but I always take my scope to the club and never shoot without it as it is a very handy piece of kit for use at 10 meters as we do not have target changers in our range.

[Rickenbacker]

Thank you Bob, that makes a lot of sense... I think I'll start by using it just for practice & sight adjustments etc. As it's annoying to have to wander off towards the target to see the shots, then finding my feet postiton over again...

Is it true that in the modern game (with target changers), shooters retain the same stance and grip throughout a whole match?

Phil