Shaking things up, escaping ruts, quantity training — how to stay motivated?

[David M]

A couple of Russian coachs could not explain my hold or Scatt results in Free pistol until they saw me shoot our Australian 50m blackpowder match.
Then they understood.
Dam....Free pistol with a .44 patch and ball (Hege Siber).

[kqrxbn]

A couple of Russian coachs could not explain my hold or Scatt results in Free pistol until they saw me shoot our Australian 50m blackpowder match.
Then they understood.
Dam....Free pistol with a .44 patch and ball (Hege Siber).

So if I may interpret what you are saying somewhat freely here, you mean that shooting "something else"—in your case blackpowder—is good complimentary training? Feel free to elaborate. It is all anecdotes here, so please share yours!

[matorre]

Not as much feedback as I had imagined. Do my fellow shooters never find themselves stuck?

I started shooting straight lines, instead of circles, made me super aware of my wobble and helped a great deal. Great feeling to punch holes the length of a I inch black line.
hth
M.

[David M]

So if I may interpret what you are saying somewhat freely here, you mean that shooting "something else"—in your case blackpowder—is good complimentary training? Feel free to elaborate. It is all anecdotes here, so please share yours!

Here is a good example, I have a follow through training gun, the coach did not believe me until I let him shoot it, he missed the target.
It is a smooth bore flintlock and you need to have a very, very good follow through to shoot it well.

[Mike M.]

Flintlocks, especially the smoothbore pistols, are a post-graduate education in follow-through. Your technique has to be flawless.

[kqrxbn]

Here is a good example, I have a follow through training gun, the coach did not believe me until I let him shoot it, he missed the target.
It is a smooth bore flintlock and you need to have a very, very good follow through to shoot it well.

It is a good idea and rhymes with my philosophy. I know some shooters think that you should only ever shoot with your best competition equipment and not spend time on learning the "wrong things", but I'm in your camp. I have an LP 50, which does not have the best trigger. I've also adjusted it to the heaviest trigger weight (about one kg) and there is quite a bit of creep and grit in it. I use the air pistol a lot when training and when I shoot with my MG2E, the trigger is AMAZING in comparison and it is so much easier to do it right. It just takes a few shots to get used to it again, but what I've been forced to learn about trigger control when shooting the LP 50 is still there.

I started shooting straight lines, instead of circles, made me super aware of my wobble and helped a great deal. Great feeling to punch holes the length of a I inch black line.
hth
M.

Good idea. I've been shooting a bit against the back of targets, but it was a long time since I shot lines.

[David M]

Airpistol was and still is my basic training gun, great to go quietly on the range and shoot.
It could be blank target work, working on a particular component of shooting or putting it
all together with a trial match. If is also great when its cold, wet or windy outside.
But it can be boring........
Shaking things up and escaping the rut as well as adding interest could be , a day on the
range with a toolbox and chronograph working on pistols and ammo or shooting something
completely different. You need something to motivate you to go shooting, otherwise just give
up and go to the pub. Your shooting will never improve but you will enjoy life.
Motivation to reach the top or Olympics has to come from inside, you have to chase it.
You have to have the hunger to commit, big time.
If you don't have the fire, then its not going to happen, nobody can do it for you.

[porkchop]

"I started shooting straight lines, instead of circles, made me super aware of my wobble and helped a great deal. Great feeling to punch holes the length of a I inch black line."
I never shot on a straight line before, but did holding drills on both vertical and horizontal lines. Is the purpose to shoot on the line and stack them or try to make it in one spot on the line. Would it be good to shoot on a horizontal line also.
Stan

[matorre]

I never shot on a straight line before, but did holding drills on both vertical and horizontal lines. Is the purpose to shoot on the line and stack them or try to make it in one spot on the line. Would it be good to shoot on a horizontal line also.
Stan

Either
The point is control of point of impact. Make it fun!
The mental reward will further motivate.