TargetTalk

A very simple question that has given me a couple of different responses over the time, depending on who I talk to.
So I would like to know what would you say to this questions:

To witch target do you align yourself with in RF before a series? And why? (Assume a right handed shooter shooting right to left)

Thanks

There is a school of thought that you align, before the start of the series, on the middle aiming mark, thereby minimizing the amount of "off-centre" movement when compared to aligning up on the right hand aiming mark.
It really depends what works well for you.

There are two mixed schools of thought. Align on the first target or align on the middle and wind back. Both methods work equally well and both are used at all levels. Try them both and see what works for you. I tend to align middle and wind back, but I don't very often shoot rapid nowadays.

Rob.

So much will depend on your build, working conditions, shooting experience (i.e pre-conditioning your body responses), etc. that there will a range of position that will work for YOU.

Personally, I work on the premises that:
- a good shot on the first target is essential and the other four targets will follow: i.e. I align myself for the first target, and
- on 100mm 10-ring. a few mm that MIGHT be due to off alignment is not much of a problem.

The two positions mentioned will both 'work' - try each for 10000 repetitions (lots of dry fire saves ammo) and see which one suits you...

If you also shoot Centrefire, then it is easier to align with target 5 to make the lift and first shot easier ( same as duelling), then travel across using your hips.

Many years ago (in the old RF match), I developed a problem of canting the pistol (rolling it anticlockwise) as I moved from the first to the last target. At that time, I was aligning on the first target in my preparation. So I tried aligning on the last target then "winding back" onto the first target before assuming the "Ready" position. The theory was that during the series, my body was moving into an equilibrium position while managing sight alignment and trigger control under pressure of time.

It seemed to work at the time. It certainly corrected the "canting" - although that could have been me too!

Spencer is right though - if you believe in a solution and you practise that solution enough times, you will improve (initially, anyway, even if the technique is not from the textbook). Very few top tennis players, golfers, cyclists use textbook techniques but whatever they do, they believe in and practise it often.

If you take centre-aim canting is a non-issue.

If you tend to increasinly cant then probably you will tend to drop down the targets as you traverse also.

Try standing up straighter.

JamesH wrote:If you take centre-aim canting is a non-issue.

If you tend to increasinly cant then probably you will tend to drop down the targets as you traverse also.

Try standing up straighter.

Thanks for your advice. However, as I said, it was a long time ago - almost 30 years. Problem was fixed about 29 years ago!

Canting is an issue with centre hold because in the normal upright position, the projectile travels above the sight line and then falls (gravity) to hit the target at the point of aim (centre of X-ring). With an extreme cant, say 90 degrees the projectile will travel through the line of sight (to the left and, without gravity would hit the target maybe in the 7- or 8-ring at 9 o'clock. With gravity, the projectile starts falling when it leaves the barrel so, my guess is that it would score a 7 at about 7 o'clock. (These values are my guess. It doesn't really matter - just the concept).

I can't identify with any of the other effects you stated: I was using centre hold - always have done in RF (on the old RF targets a slight cant may have been a 9 at the worst - quite acceptable for the last shot in 4-seconds!). The sights didn't drop down the target (I used to make the shot break before the sights reached the 10-ring because I knew that a cant to the left made the shot go left and my logic told me that making the shot break earlier saved time in actually getting into the aiming area). Standing up straight??? Always did!

What was a worry was that I could shoot A-grade scores (570+) with this technique.

The solution was to gain confidence in the timing of the shots and not feel rushed or panicked in the 4-sec series. And how was this achieved? By intensive training of course - the solution to most problems. The training was in shot rhythm, trigger control, a roll-off trigger (a la Khaidurov) and controlling sight movement between targets. By the end, I could judge 3.8 seconds any time, anywhere, on demand. All gone now, of course!