Ever "Gotten Better" All of a Sudden?

[Oh Shoot]

So, while shooting various handguns over the last 3 weeks or so, yesterday, just sort of noticed: I seem to have rather suddenly just gotten better past 10 yards.

Was shooting mostly at 45 feet, standing with no support, and just chewing up pie plates and/or even smaller splatter targets, with at least half toward the center, really more of one of my 7 yard looking performances on most of the targets.

Variety of guns and calibers too, so not due to mucho practice with just one. Talking couple of different XD 9mm, Beretta 92, Ruger .357 revolver, couple different .22 Neos, even an antique H&R .22 revo. No new techniques or tips or whatever, just shooting for personal enjoyment as always. Admittedly, have shot a little more frequently than my average perhaps, but not much more so, and never had a "breakthrough" during periods where I shot even more frequently.

I know I shouldn't even mention this, kiss of death and all. But I'm generally less than average pistol shot, so I've been quite elated; it's probably short lived, like those rare occasions of stringing together a few golf rounds in the 70's along with that feeling of "aha, I've got it now"! Which of course, always vaporizes, as it, like pistol shooting, has always seemed more art than science to me.

Anyway, any of y'all ever feel like you make a mysterious quantum leap with yer handheld heaters? Comes and goes, or what?

- OS

Edited July 12, 2012 by OhShoot

[tnhawk]

My only "gotten better" moments have been the result of classes I've taken.

[Oh Shoot]

oops

Edited July 12, 2012 by OhShoot

[Jonnin]

there are good days and bad days... and there is actual improvement. Its sometimes hard to tell which is which. I have not had a lot of sudden drastic improvement since I got past the new shooter stage, but I have seen others do so when suddenly something clicked for them. Enjoy it, because the more you improve, the longer and harder fought the next improvement will be...

[Guest bkelm18]

Nope. But I've gotten worse all of the sudden many times.

[TrickyNicky]

Nope. But I've gotten worse all of the sudden many times.

This. Many, many times.

I have noticed certain improvments from time to time. In my early twenties a few buddy's and I would go out to the desert about every to every other weekend. I feel that's where I really cut my teeth so to speak. I believe it had alot more to do with feeling comfortable shooting the way I shoot good or bad than having any kind of "scientific breakthrough".

I ended up taking a few year break where I rarely if ever went shooting, for me at least it wasn't like riding a bike when you hop back on and a few minutes later your racing away.

The big bit again last January when I was here for a holiday visit, my brother decided he wanted a handgun so off we went to the gun show and later the range. Being out shooting again reenforced everything I love about it, the people, the sights and smells, the atta'boy feeling you get when make a good shot/group.

I ended up moving back to Tn a few months after that and have been shooting probably a dozen or so times in the past few months and just recently started feeling like I am back up to my old standards.

It still comes and goes, a month ago I put 7-8 rounds of 22 into a group the size of a quarter using open sights with my favorite rifle, last week the group opened up to one the size of my fist. I just take the good with the bad.

Also for what it's worth, I have never thought I was anything other than a hack when it comes to shooting anything.

I do get a fair amount of "lucky days" in though. ; )

[RED333]

I have "good" days and "bad" days. Dont know how or why, only class I have ever had was my

HPC class. I enjoy shooting, but never know when it will be good or bad.

I have started a day good and went bad, and bad to good.

[AMSting]

My dad got a Ruger Security Six .357 with a 2" barrel. The first time he took it out, he set up a can about 25 yards away. My first shot hit the can. That was one of the times you are talking about for me.

I am self-taught, learning on rifles and a revolver. I am a pretty good shot when target shooting. I started IDPA over a year ago and really made some improvements in shooting while moving. Then, at one match several months ago, I started jerking the trigger. Completely out of the blue, with no changes from the previous matches in terms of equipment or ammo. It has taken me several months to work that out, and I still don't feel completely sure I won't jerk every time I pull the trigger. It has caused me to go back over a lot of basics, so as frustrating as it is, I think it will make me an even better shot once I work through it.

[Steelharp]

As all, I have good and bad days. But, to answer your direct question... yes. When my Marine came home and taught me their trigger technique. It was an instant, and lasting, improvement.

[gnmwilliams]

As all, I have good and bad days. But, to answer your direct question... yes. When my Marine came home and taught me their trigger technique. It was an instant, and lasting, improvement.

Inquiring minds, at least mine, would like to know this technique.

[Garufa]

As all, I have good and bad days. But, to answer your direct question... yes. When my Marine came home and taught me their trigger technique. It was an instant, and lasting, improvement.

Inquiring minds, at least mine, would like to know this technique.

This. Teach us.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Garufa

[Spots]

Follow through baby. Slow steady squeeze to the rear, when the shot bteaks keep the trigger pulled and sights on the target, then just as slowly release the trigger till you get the chunk of it resetting. I was a range coach for the USMC in Okinawa, and spent a lot of time working on my trigger control. Once you can do it perfect 100% of the time slow as molasses, start bumping up the speed.

[zapfbroad]

excellent topic os!

My first time to the range (also 1st time firing a handgun) was like a master class, killed that paper silhouette like a damn jedi boss. I told them it was my 1st time so they rented me a gun & sent a fellow down to show me some basics for 10 min to make sure I didn't kill anyone or myself. After the intro tutorial which I had theoretical reading knowledge of in advance he turned it over to me with a single bullet in the chamber. Ok, 1in north of bullseye center mass. He was like wow. Loaded up the mag & let me at it. Had 15+ red center mass shots & nearly a dozen wthin 1/4 inch back to back. If memory serves this was at roughly 10yds. He asked me 3 times "so this is your first time shooting?". Took my target sheet & went back out to get a few backslaps & handshakes from the ol timers & realized I was hooked. They proclaimed me a natural shooter & I went on my way after getting some suggestions of which gun they'd sell me etc.

Now for the humility...

Fast forward 9 years, I've come to understand that in that 'very' controlled setting my shooting meant nothing. I shot with ample rest between shots & probably one the greatest rushes of adrenaline I had ever experience. I was scared to death as I shot that first round it became crystalline clear that this projectile can end human life & what that means consequentially. I had the most vice like kung fu grip o death ever & think it a wonder I didn't get permanent grip checkering on my palm. I was so mentally & visually focused on the endgame of the hole appearing 'here' on the paper.

Sadly to say my initial outing didn't determine the path of my arc of skill. I've experimented and tried multple different things but I am merely an Average shooter that needs a new eyeglass prescription again. It's like that 11yr old kid that makes the half court shot at halftime but gets cut from the team for dribbling lol. I think some of the most crucial aspects of good shooting are just like any other sport. Muscle memory, visual concentration, breathing, mental concentration X 100. These are all developed with practice but the mental focus seems to be the greatest variable that I would attribute to the variances of bad, good & great days. Some days I am an amazing billiards player others I'm just a novice in appearance. I believe that's why we keep going to shoot all the time, objectively speaking, shooting ought to seem as boring as teeing off 500 times but you continue to observe yourself and learn. But any olympic athlete of note will always ascribe the greatest variable of performance to mental performance so don't take my word for it. Just keep shooting.

P.S. technique will be the tipping point from mediocrity to greatness

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

[Steelharp]

What they told my son at Boot was basically this (besides the follow through advice): If you have anyone at home that knows anything about shooting, they have likely told you to use the first pad of your finger on the trigger. Forget that. That is not the part of your finger that goes straight back. Use the second pad, the one after the first knuckle. THAT is the part of the finger that travels straight.

I thought that was nuts, until I tried it. It made the biggest improvement in my shooting.

[TrickyNicky]

What they told my son at Boot was basically this (besides the follow through advice): If you have anyone at home that knows anything about shooting, they have likely told you to use the first pad of your finger on the trigger. Forget that. That is not the part of your finger that goes straight back. Use the second pad, the one after the first knuckle. THAT is the part of the finger that travels straight.

I thought that was nuts, until I tried it. It made the biggest improvement in my shooting.

Thanks for the tip. I wonder if hand size comes into play at all with this? I have a small/medium sized hand and just can't help thinking that part of the finger would either push or pull the trigger out of wack.

I'll give it a shot though, any thing that can make an improvements gotta be worth a try.

[Spots]

I forgot the second pad thing. I use the second pad naturally all the time now, and yes it does help. I have smaller sized hands.

[RED333]

Wow, thanks for the 2nd pad finger tip!

[Dolomite_supafly]

It is because of the extra shooting. Any amount of practice helps but when you practice more your skills improve more.

If I haven't shot in a week or two I can see a difference in how I shoot. That is why I try to pull the trigger on something every single day. Most days it is my 22/45 but I also shoot my carry gun from time to time. I will shoot at least 100 rounds on days I do shoot which is at least 5 days a week. If I don't then I loose all my abilities.

Shooting is a perishable skill for most of us, especailly me. Now there are some that are just natural born shooter but 90% of those are women.

I am trying to get out to the moose lodge with you but have been tied up with a bunch of distractions lately. I am really looking forward to it, maybe next week.

Dolomite