TargetTalk

I have a problem...
My precision shooting, whether it's 50 yd NRA Conventional Pistol slow fire or the precision phase of Standard Pistol or International Center Fire, really stinks.
I have moments of success but no consistency.
I have reasonable results in sustained fire.
My slow fire shot goes something like this:
I raise the pistol and begin to settle.
I have a reasonable minimum arc of movement which I usually admire as I pass thru it.
The front sight begins to get fuzzy like it is growing hair.
The front sight begins to drop in the rear sight as I over hold.
I am probably mistaking the tensing of my trigger finger for increased pressure on the trigger.
As my eyelids begin to flutter and my eyes begin to roll back in their sockets I force the shot off just as I am about to lose consciousness from lack of breath.
At that instant I gasp for air...
OK...OK...that might be exagerating but it's close to how it feels sometimes.
I can't overcome this overly slow process I have of delivering the shot.
How can I break this habit?
Thanks!
JLK

I have recently found stopping the shot much easier if I simply look for my being in "control" of the shot. I try to not look for perfection, because I am not going to find it in my hold. What I do want to feel the most control over is seeing the sight, the trigger, and the shot in general. Much easier said than done. Right or wrong, my confidence is better these days. There is plenty of control you can gain before even raising your pistol by standing, gripping, and overall preparing better. jack h

JohnK wrote:I have a problem...
My precision shooting, whether it's 50 yd NRA Conventional Pistol slow fire or the precision phase of Standard Pistol or International Center Fire, really stinks.
I have moments of success but no consistency.
I have reasonable results in sustained fire.
My slow fire shot goes something like this:
I raise the pistol and begin to settle.
I have a reasonable minimum arc of movement which I usually admire as I pass thru it.
The front sight begins to get fuzzy like it is growing hair.
The front sight begins to drop in the rear sight as I over hold.
I am probably mistaking the tensing of my trigger finger for increased pressure on the trigger.
As my eyelids begin to flutter and my eyes begin to roll back in their sockets I force the shot off just as I am about to lose consciousness from lack of breath.
At that instant I gasp for air...
OK...OK...that might be exagerating but it's close to how it feels sometimes.
I can't overcome this overly slow process I have of delivering the shot.
How can I break this habit?
Thanks!
JLK

I try to keep my focus on the front sight. I verify my focus by looking for a sharp edge on the top of the front sight. If the edge is fuzzy, then it is time to abort the shot.

I wish I could give you more help, but I am also looking for answers in slow fire. I lose 2/3 or more of my points in slow.

SteveT

For quite a few years I shot FITA style archery(what's shot at the Olympics). Most good archers shoot what they call "blank bale" during training. It's simply shooting with your eyes closed. just "feeling" the execution of the shot .
I've transferred that into my pistol shooting. Before I even put up a target I fire at least ten rounds into the bank, squeezing the shot off as soon as the sight are in alignment, not trying to "hold" on a non-existant target. I then carry that over into my slowfire stage if I shoot one. My first loive is RF so sometimes I shoot my "blank bale" shots duel style just practicing raising the gun, aligning the sights, and squeezing quickly and smoothly so as not to upset sight picture.

Hold center,
Alex F

Yup. Me too. But the more times you put the gun down, the more you realise that you need to press the trigger more deliberately. for me it seems to take forced confidence, of which I am lacking in slow fire.
I think timed fire gives really good clues as to how to shoot because when I'm shooting timed and rapid it feels like the sights wait for me to press the trigger.

Abort the shot!
If you are holding long enough to be consciously "thinking" & refining - you're holding way too long. Abort it. Once you start thinking, you're done.
Just as you practice timed or rapid with a timer, do so with your precision. Start it as you start your raise, & if the shot isn't gone by 10 seconds, bring it down & start again. It's all in training your "body memory" to do it right, & to quickly recognize when you've gone past that.
Also, if you can hold the sights clearly & crisply for about 3 seconds, then your eyes/glasses are good. If you're losing that crispness in about 1 second, it's time for new glasses.
By the way, that long hold, trying to perfect things beyond reason - that's generally a guy thing. :-)

Your description of the shot is interesting in that trigger is one of the last things you mention. If you wait until you've settled into your minimum arc of movement to start thinking about trigger control, you've waited too long. At least that has been my personal experience. Trigger control is your number one asset as a pistol shooter. Begin trigger control (however you define it) as soon as possible, and bring your sights into a state of continued refinement until the shot goes off. This is what you are already doing in TF and RF, and it is why you are more successful in these stages. Just my friendly 2 cents. :-)

Years back I had to switch from right hand to left hand because of some physical problem with my right arm. I saw a local "2650" shooter offered tutoring for a fee and thought I'd give it a try. We started from square one with the basics and slowly moved on. It helped get a get started and would recomend tutoring to anyone at any level. It's generally just reinforcing the basics and fine tuning a Shot Plan. You must have a Shot Plan before you start the Prep Time. Phrases like "my slow fire stinks" are not allowed on the firing line. Nygords Notes are helpfull and explain all the fundamentals needed in shooting. I wish you the best and hope your shooting improves. Obove all we do this for fun, not frustration.

Hey John, as soon as the front sight gets fuzzy, you've got to start over. When ever I get fuzziness, I always get an unpleasant surprise. Even in service rifle, as soon as the front post goes, so goes the shot. I think NRA pistol is taking me a while to get the hang of because the dot does'nt give me the same clue as the front sight does. I have a harder time knowing when to put it down. See you at the next match.

John,

There might be a few problems other than trigger, even though the trigger is probably the one thing that is giving you the most trouble.

If you are holding too long then things are going to go wrong. I will try to recal this from memory; for a good shot, we can only hold for about 12 seconds, relax/hold breath for about 8 seconds and concentrate for up to 5 seconds. This is approximately what most of us can do and with training and finding out what works for ourselves, it can be different.

To me, it sounds like you are not taking in enough oxygen, holding to long because of poor trigger control and the shot doesn't go off due to not having enough confidence or not enough training on the fundamentals.

And finally, trying too hard to make it happen and it is backfiring on you :) instead of letting it happen.