TargetTalk

I'm "hung up on scores". I finally got a pistol that I can dry fire (Anschutz LP@) but after a bit of dry firing, I can't resist shooting a "mini match" to see how I've improved.
Can someone recommend some drills/training exercises that will help improve technique, grouping etc, and help reduce my score focussed hole punching addiction.
Thanks, John

OK here's one. Cut the nine ring out of the taget center with scissors or a knife. Now shoot without touching the remaining target. You can modify this depending on your skill level. Greg Derr

The simple answer is just don't. You can shoot without looking at the cards until the end - ten on a card (or more) and then all you can tell is the group size - OK and score but not as exact and at the end rather than the score for each individual shot. Shoot blank cards to focus on the foresights without the black 'distraction'.

The 'trick' is to mentally train yourself to not count the score. If you do so it will negatively affect your scores. It's then up to you to make yourself not score or add up - until the end because you will do better because of it.

You also need to remember it's a long process. Dry firing may give you a quick sign that things are improving but it's unlikely. It is more likely that you will improve gradually over a period of months if you keep dry firing effectively. So seeing how much you've improved after say a weeks dry firing is probably pointless.

The bottom line is that most of this relates to what goes on between your ears, and only you can control that. Practice the mental elements and make yourself ignore the scores - it will get easier with practice and your shooting will improve because of it.

Good luck!

Rob.

You should find new items to hold your interest. Try dry firing against a blank wall seeing what the sights do with different manners of trigger operation. Work toward a trigger that has the same feel whether you are looking at the sights or looking at the gun from the side. Then study all the little details about what goes on at the gun when you do dry fire.

After that, print up some black circles on your printer, that are the size of the standard bull, but have no scoring rings. If you can use a picture editor, blur the black circle so the edge is lost and you won't be able to focus on it when you put it downrange. Use that in your training session, using the same trigger you studied in the dry fire work. After you fire twenty to thirty rounds, you should set this target aside. You can later satisfy your curious self by comparing targets for shape and size of the group.

Take Care,
Ed Hall
http://www.airforceshooting.org/
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/