TargetTalk

Hi all,
I have been shooting 4p smallbore for 2 years coming from a Highpower background. My scores have increased over the 2 years, but I have been stuck at a mediocre level for the last 8-10 matches and I need some professional guidance.

I am not proud to say that I have been shooting low 300's (out of 400) which has always put me at the bottom of the pack while the top shooters are in the 370's +.

Where would I look to find help with my kneeling and standing positions, I can't build a stable position for the life of me and squeezing the trigger while swinging through the target is not working.

I have very good equipment so I know it is just me and the fact that I am self taught.

Thanks fore looking,
Jim

I don't know of any coaches in your area, they probably exist I just don't know them but some one elso on here probably does. As for improving your positions without a coach is possible from were your scores are at. I suggest getting the Ways of The Rifle book if you don't already have it because it has a ton of information with detailed pictures and charts to help build a good position. If you could have a friend or someone take photos of your current positions and post them to this site I'm sure many people on here could help critique your positioning. Also if you are having troubles getting stability in the kneeling and standing positions it could have something to do with your core strenght and fitness or your balance. Both of those can be fixed with exercise that works the core muscles and balance/ wobble boards. I got custom fit insoles for in my shooting boots and that greatly helped my standing stability but they are a couple hundred dollars. Well thats just the short list of suggestions, hope it helps and hopefully you can find a knowledgeable coach in your area.

If you want to drive a little you can always come up to Green Bay, I would be more than willing to help. We need more active shooters in this state... Otherwise you might be able to go over to Blackearth or Medford and get some help from their clubs.

I know of no "professional" coaches in Wisconsin, but there are a lot of friendly, experienced shooters that would be glad to talk/exchange email messages with you. Happily, you will find many of them at the NRA Sectional matches in Oshkosh (the first two weekends of March - Make sure to say hello to Mr. B, the UW-Oshkosh rifle coach) or at the State Championship at Black Earth (March 16 - ask to talk to Wayne or Tom).

Good luck!

I know of no "professional" coaches in Wisconsin, but there are a lot of friendly, experienced shooters that would be glad to talk/exchange email messages with you. Happily, you will find many of them at the NRA Sectional matches in Oshkosh (the first two weekends of March - Make sure to say hello to Mr. B, the UW-Oshkosh rifle coach) or at the State Championship at Black Earth (March 16 - ask to talk to Wayne or Tom).

Good luck!

One tip would be to put together a YouTube video of yourself while shooting. While it would be a lot easier to help you in person, I might be able to give you some tips remotely (I'm in North Carolina).

The most important thing to do is to try to objectively write down (paper, electronically, whatever) what you are trying to do, what you think you aren't doing well, and then compare that to your video. You'll start to see some things you may not realize you are or are not doing. Likewise, if you post a video link, provide this observational data. The more info you provide, the more likely you are to find ways to improve.

And you're right - throwing money at equipment won't necessarily help with position, but if you have good, adjustable stuff, dialing in a consistent set up will help. Keeping a shooting diary?

You may PM me if you have more questions.