TargetTalk

A little about myself. I began shooting 3p sporter class air rifle, then moved on to 3p smallbore and precision air as well as air pistol. At last years AP JO qualification match I broke two state records, and shot my personal best. Somewhere around 460.

I got invited to the National JO at age 13 on second round invites. I didn't know my way around and it was awkward especially since I was one of the few j3's there. I ended up shooting my personal best-but placed second, second to last! I didn't even think the trip was worth it at the time. Very disappointed with how I did.

So the next year I set another state record in air pistol and got invited back, determined to do much better.
I ended up borrowing a Steyr LP10 for the match which ended up being a happy accident. I shot the first day with a score of 548 12x. Not bad for me, but that 550 mark was so close I could taste it.
The next day- determined to shoot a 550 I did just that. A 550 5x.

Then I heard the news I dreaded, I made it to the final.
I was a nervous wreck, body was shaking and my hands were sweating. It also didn't help that I was the youngest there. I composed myself and made it to my firing point. After brief introductions about the shooters we started shooting sighters, I was shooting my normal scores and my arm was more steady than in the competition, a huge sigh of relief.

On to the first series, solid 9, solid 9, mid 10! Then the announcer said the scores. I was in first! Leading by a lot.
Next series...still in first, I knew I was doing good. Now it was onto single shot eliminations. My arm still steady I stay in the game for 3 eliminations. Now in second I believe, I raise my pistol for the next shot. I knew it broke clean, sight picture was excellent and I was convinced it was a high 9 or 10. I look down at my megalink screen....6.8. Straight up. I was devastated. "The next shot will determine the 5th place position." The announcer stated. I raise my pistol for the last time and shoot a mid 9. I had taken the fifth place position.

I'm wondering if this was a bad pellet, or do things like that happen to you guys too? Be convinced you great shot but really shot really bad one, or is it just me?

Ever hear the story about an olympian in a medal match and shooting on someone elses target in rifle? Or shooters turning their sights the wrong way during the Olympics? I would think you should of known it was at least a bad shot even if you didn't call it that bad but when the pressure is on and your mind is thinking about everything but the shot process, things happen. Even a backwards pellet wouldn't mean the difference between a 10 and a 6. Sounds like you need to forget about that rifle and keep shooting pistol with those scores.

It really doesn't matter what caused it, it's in the past and the future is what matters.

That said it does happen to us all. I once shot something like a 2 or 3 in a free pistol final, at our national championships. The worst part is recovering from that for the next shot(s).

I think the way to look at these things is a learning experience. Practicing finals, being mentally prepared, correctly executing your shot plan for every shot, are all key factors. One 'error' that can happen in stressful situations is that you hold on too long, the sight picture gets imbedded in your mind and you think you see the perfect sight picture when in reality it's moved on and is now poor. All that said, if you shoot like you train with the right technique it wont crop up as a an issue.

Rob.

FWIW, in my first olympic finals (under the 1986 rules, ten shots) in FP, I was leading and I simply COULDN'T shoot a shot. I could not force my finger to press the trigger enough (with 50 grams) as to - at least - go for the black.

It's something to be dealt with, competing in real conditions and concentrating exclusively in the shot in the chamber, I believe.

But the time it happens to oneself, the world seems to open apart................