rapid and timed fire better than slow fire

[danielj]

I have a 5 shot repeater air pistol (Steyr LP50). Ihave the heavy trigger
installed and use it to practice bullseye. I use the standard 10m targets
for all shots. My rapid fire and timed fire scores are usually better than
my slow fire scores.I assume it should be just the other way around.
Can anyone give me some suggestions on why this should be the case.
I have talked with other bullseye shooters who have the same situation.
I have come to love shooting air pistol and plan to do some local matches. I would like to figure out how to fire single shots and maximize my score.

[Nicole Hamilton]

My rapid fire and timed fire scores are usually better than
my slow fire scores. ... I have talked with other bullseye shooters who have the same situation.

This is REALLY common. In timed and rapid, you're pulling the trigger smoothly, without any hesitation. In slow fire, you're experiencing "chicken finger." You're trying for the perfect shot, applying pressure when it looks like you might get it, then letting off again when your sight picture deteriorates. You end up jerking the trigger and the whole gun when you finally do pull.

[RobStubbs]

I tend to agree with Nicole. I have experienced the same problem in the past and in my case it was deffinately down to poor trigger control.

Rob.

[Citizen Carrier]

I experience the same thing when I'm shooting bullseye. Going slow simply doesn't do me any favors.

So I shoot the slow fire stage...fast. Like timed. If my first shot is good, great. I generally keep the pistol up and take two more shots before lowering the pistol. That way I get instant feedback on what I'm doing. First shot bad? Okay, don't do what you just did and squeeze the trigger one more time.

As I get better I expect I will start shooting the slow fire stage slowly, but not yet.

I just shot my personal best, a 548-14X, a couple of hours ago at the Ohio State University bullseye league with my Ruger. I didn't shoot the slow fire stage slowly.

[joe1347]

Same here. I HATE slow fire. Since I've picked up my single shot Air Pistol, I've intentionally avoided going to the range to shoot rapid fire .22. I'm trying to make a consious effort to slow down and take my time for each shot instead of my usual loading up five rounds and blasting away.

Hence, one thought - but then again I'm not an expert by any means - would be to shift to single shot with the LP50 to somewhat force yourself to slow down. Doesn't the LP50 have a single pellet (shot) cartridge instead of the five pellet cartridge for rapid fire?

A second observation that I've found that seems to help and is much more possible with a low recoil Air Pistol - and is not as easy with one of those guns that goes bang - is to work on your follow through and "see" exactly where the shot 'goes' after you pull the trigger.

[EdStevens]

Me, too. The faster I shoot the higher my score more often than not. I suppose it's a good problem to have, but frustrating. Too much time to think -- and specifically, to anticipate the shot in trying to make it just right.

I think I have Carly Simon's "Anticipation" as a theme song when shooting precision.

[alb]

I have a similar problem, except with me, there doesn't appear to be any difference between my slow-fire and rapid-fire scores. Slow-fire just takes longer. I suspect that part of my problem is lack of grip strength -- I just started shooting again last October after about a 15 year layoff, and I haven't worked enough on building up my grip. Gripping the pistol firmly seems to make up for a lot of imperfections in trigger technique, something else that only seems to get better with lots of practice.

When I'm shooting, it seems to me as though raising the pistol once and shooting 5 shots is easier and less work than putting the gun down between each shot. I also seem to get into a rhythm when shooting strings of shots rapidly. It's always harder to line up the first shot, but once I have, the sights just seem to fall right back into line for the rest of the shots, requiring very little effort to aim.

It also doesn't seem to matter whether I'm shooting slow-fire with my .22 and a dot sight or with my air pistol, open sights and shooting glasses.

I'd love to know how to overcome my problems with slow-fire so I can take it to the next level.

[Dave C.]

Shot each shot of slow fire like it is the first shot of rapid fire.
Be assertive with your trigger pull. Don't wait for perfect.

Dave C.

[tenex]

My strong suit has always been slow fire, and I realized that I was shooting somewhat better scores when I shot a little faster, as opposed to my usual method of hanging the pistol out there and begging the trigger to break for 15 or 20 seconds.

What seems to work a little better for me is to get the gun settled and concentrate on getting the shot off in 5 or 6 seconds, with the only decision being to put the gun down if it doesn't go off after 7 or 8 seconds. Even though I abort more shots, I spend less total time with the gun up and it seems a little less tiring.

For me, getting the shot to release in the steadiest part of my hold (5 - 7 seconds) seems to yield the best results, even when the sights look a little wobbly.

Steve.

[joe1347]

My strong suit has always been slow fire, and I realized that I was shooting somewhat better scores when I shot a little faster, as opposed to my usual method of hanging the pistol out there and begging the trigger to break for 15 or 20 seconds.

What seems to work a little better for me is to get the gun settled and concentrate on getting the shot off in 5 or 6 seconds, with the only decision being to put the gun down if it doesn't go off after 7 or 8 seconds. Even though I abort more shots, I spend less total time with the gun up and it seems a little less tiring.

For me, getting the shot to release in the steadiest part of my hold (5 - 7 seconds) seems to yield the best results, even when the sights look a little wobbly.

Steve.

Do you actually count the seconds until the shot goes off - or is the five second estimate more by 'feel'?

[tenex]

Do you actually count the seconds until the shot goes off - or is the five second estimate more by 'feel'?

No, I don't normally count, but sometimes I have a habit of waiting and waiting, and after 10 or 12 seconds my resolve to maintain sight picture evaporates before I remember to stop squeezing the trigger, and then bang I put one in orbit. I've gotten some good shots by waiting too, but I know the statistics are against me.

I get in the postion where the gun has been up there too long, and I'm praying for it to go off, so I know I need to put it down but it's still hard (what do they call this, investment in the shot?). I'm really just trying to eliminate the shots that go off after I've given up aiming (this happens more than I care to admit).

Steve.

[2650 Plus]

How long does it take you to settle into best stillness ? How lomg can your eyes remain focussed on the front sight ? What is thr rate of pressure increase by your trigger finger that gives you the best results ? And the final question ,How long can you maintain solid ,uninterrupted concentration on sight allignment? When you visualize your shot plan the visualization shoud take each of these issues into account and give each a command to start at their approprait time. Good shooting Bill Horton

[ColinC]

For a long while in standard pistol and centrefire I was able to get better groups in the timed fire sections than I could in the precision sections.
The difference was so obvious and the more I tried to take care in precision the worse my scores became. I think that Nicole is spot on - I was trying for the perfect shot and jerking the trigger when the sights were perfectly aligned.
One day when I was just having a few shots by myself at the range, I was amazed to see with a tight group. I was not in a match, not putting pressure on myself and therefore I was shooting naturally, just like I used to in the faster sections of the matches.
It was a defining moment. I no longer consciously pull the trigger - the pistol just goes off somehow while I try to maintain sight picture and align the gun. Slow fire scores are now better than faster sections.