TargetTalk

I'm not precisely new to shooting 10m air rifle, but I am new to doing it seriously with serious goals in mind. Over the last 6 weeks, since having some spine surgery that alleviated a nerve problem in my arms, my shooting has gotten significantly better. As that has happened I've noticed something else.

Usually I go to my basement "range" and shoot either right after getting home from work, or after dinner. But now it seems to me that it takes me a minimum of 5 shots to settle down and reach my usual performance -- 8's and 9's with the occasional 10. Those first 5 rounds can go almost anywhere! I suppose the phenomenon was there before surgery, but my accuracy had deteriorated to where I don't think I could have detected it.

Is this normal? I'm hoping it is. And if there are good techniques for warming up and settling down more rapidly and predictably, I would appreciate hearing those too. Thanks.

-pete zimmerman
Great Falls, VA

Oh, I'm almost 69, and I've been very interested in the talk about appropriate spectacles. For now a pair of drugstore reading glasses of the right diopter brings the front sight nicely into focus.

What you are experiencing is nothing bad. I have the same thing. Sighters are not just for getting your sights right, they're for confirming your NPA, settling your position, and finding a rhythm.

It drives me nuts when I see people take 6 sighters and then bomb their first 7 shots.

Pete

All credit to you for your ambitions. You need to do a few gentle exercises by limbering up with a few stretches. This will warm the muscles up before you start shooting.
As the previous posts said, establish your zero point and then shoot a few sighting shots. The number of sighting shots differs greatly from one shooter to another, but after many practice sessions, you will begin to notice when its time to shoot your first scoring shot.

It takes me about 8 - 10 sighting shots before I have that inner feeling that i'm ready. Other shooters in my club just shoot a couple of shots and off they go into the match. We are all different and all at different levels of skill and training, so it will be your own inner feelings and sighting scores that dictate when to start.
Just be aware of the time factor, as one comment in the book Ways of the Rifle said, "A shooter on his 20th sighting shot has lost it".
JSB

Try "dry holding" for a few minutes before shooting sighters. This should help your body accommodate the position. The national rifle coach requires 15 minutes of dry holding before matches, and calls it the single most important training technique available.

Dry holding (no target) allows your body to stabilize and your mind un(sub)conscious to understand how well you really can hold, and what to look for while live firing.

Thanks, one and all. Good info and better advice.

-pete

Do any of you have a list of stretches you reccomend for warming up? do these differ for each of the 3 positions?

There are lots of good sites for stretching on the net. I generally do the prone stuff while in position during and before the pre period (neck, extend legs to stretch the back); do trunk, neck and arm shoulders prior to standing; low back and legs (quad, hamstring, calves) before kneeling.

This is in addition to daily morning stretching to see if I'll be able to move that day:)

Anonymous wrote:Do any of you have a list of stretches you reccomend for warming up? do these differ for each of the 3 positions?

Don't forget you need to warm up before stretching your muscles. A 3 or 4 minute walk is fine to get things moving, you can then strecth those muscles with a reduced risk of injury.

Rob.

Irrespective of the spine work you have had done, for anyone i'd advise they speak to a qualified expert about warming up exercises (and especially you)... it's all very well looking things up on the net, but if you prang something it will set you back, or worse, especially if you are working in the neck/back area.

Cripes, my other half spent 2 days in bed after just waking up and turning over funny... and she's 1/2 your age... you want someone that knows what they're doing with you and your condition in mind.

Explain what you are doing, what you want to achieve (ie warm ups without sending your pulse through the roof). Anyone worth their salt should know what to advise.

Explain what you are doing, what you want to achieve (ie warm ups without sending your pulse through the roof). Anyone worth their salt should know what to advise.

You're right, of course, and thanks for the good thoughts. But, I'm in physical therapy 2-3 times a week. My life is one long stretch, it seems. The therapists know where I want to go, and my surgeon is very supportive. The warmup I had in mind wasn't so much physical as psychological to settle down and shoot w/in the first few pellets.

Turning over wrong: yes, it is very easy to do some damage to our spinal structure. We aren't really very well adapted to this stand-only-on-the-hind-legs business!

"Mental preparation" is often accomplished by use of visualization and a good pre-shot routine. Learn to visualize your entire shot process, you must first know what that is, then visualize a few shots during the prep period after you have established your NPA and settled into position.

If you lose your rhythm or focus during the match you can use this same process to get back into it (after taking a mental break in your "special place").