Making it Interesting
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 2:53 pm
____If you shoot 510, or 540, or 560 (fill in the blanks) and are happy with that number, read no further because it will bore/antagonize you___
If you shoot 575+ consistently, you are not reading this forum.
Can we agree a prime goal of precision pistol shooting, Olympic or not, is to put projectiles where you want them to go, consistently? I think getting to that goal can be broken into two parts; 1) producing ever tighter shot groups and 2) putting those groups where you intend, usually the center of a target. Naturally, most advice is directed to the details of each of these two processes, but each process affects the other to some degree and improving results in one may affect the other for better or worse. Understanding the deeper causes of shooting problems including the interdependence makes us choose more effective solutions to problems.
Take a hypothetical problem: Say you shoot a group producing a 8.5 (510) consistently. Maybe not up to your expectations, so you commit to improving. How, you say? "Practice"? Adjust some parameter or other you think may be adversely affecting the expectation? Change equipment? Practice comes to mind as the easiest to accept solution. Practice what? At best, practice without analysis will make you do whatever you are doing more consistently, the good with the bad.
At some point it fails to produce results. So analyze using resources at hand - this forum, the literature, the internet, friends/fellow shooters. Analysis may show something like 'centered group, within expected bounds, but with an occasional 7.0 flyer to the right.' So tighten the group by reducing the flyers. Bubba might suggest moving the rear sight - not a good suggestion given the acceptably centered group. Another more subtle solution might involve ill fitting grips. Say you have average palm size but short fingers. With a high trigger weight too large gripped revolver used single action getting sufficient trigger motion will pull the muzzle right (or push to the left, depending on trigger finger position). You may have compensated for this in the past with sight adjustment, but it is impossible to get a consistent compensation this way, hence the occasional muzzle pull. But you knew that, and by the way, you have a highly adjustable 10 meter pistol so you have adjusted the trigger position back to get a straight pull...But, you may not have addressed too large grip otherwise. You choose to wrap your hand around the grip to get a solid hold, but now, with the twisted pistol position, you must employ a mix of an unnaturally cocked wrist or adjusted stance to attain the desired sight picture. If you could consistently hold that picture through all the shots, good, but sometimes the muscle tension relaxes as the trigger releases, and the shot is pulled as the body moves to its more natural position. In any case, the group size may suffer with the additional muscle involvement. So, the need for a fine-tuned grip size and shape, is underscored. If you cannot achieve an acceptable grip with your pistol within the bounds of built-in adjustability, frame size, your capability to modify, confidence in making semi-permanent modifications, etc. and you are sure the sizing is a major contributing factor, you may have to dramatically change stance and/or the way you grip and struggle with consistency, or maybe trade or buy a different pistol with a different geometry or more adjustable grip. Or you may need to settle for this a defined factor in achieving minimum group size.
These are not inclusive solutions to the hypothetical problem and are not meant to be. The above is presented to show a possible thought process involving different elements to get a desired result, not a address a specific problem.
Another simple example is from my own experience. SSP pistols enjoyed a relatively short primacy in the '90's; they shoot just as straight as any PSP now in production, and some are exquisitively engineered. I have a FWB 102 acquired new and shot for about 2 years in club competition. So why are the top end designs now available (as a comparable bargain to many shooters) only on the resale market? Convenience is obviously the biggest reason. Also, the effort to charge before each shot is consequential. It affects respiration and muscle tension, and so affects hold consistency. I believe another cause for concern, rarely discussed, is more subtle, but equally relevant: To charge between shots it was almost compulsory to rotate your body relative to the shooting line, to keep the muzzle pointing where it belongs downrange. This often involved moving the foot position, unless you very consciously addressed that detail. So, you had to reset your feet between each shot, making it very hard to duplicate position for any series of shots. Hence, the body displacement to get the sight picture, and the occasional inconsistent and unexpected shot placement as associated with body 'unwind' noted above. With a PSP you may set you feet once or twice between many shots, ensuring consistency in that detail.
I better finish up or suffer justifiable accusation of terminal overshoot. In these times of more solitary existence, maybe at home, keep it interesting by self-examination, research and experimentation, as well as shooting at targets. I have ideas for those wanting to make 5 meter ranges and targets more useful and fun, but they'll have to wait.
JE
PS I can't hold it in...lots of comments in past posts about what to use to build up a grip, all good and serviceable in their own ways. I discovered using a mix of 30 minute epoxy and walnut 'dust' (created with a rasp), mixed about 1:5 by volume. It files and Dremel grinds like original walnut and stands up to close scrutiny. It looks good and makes a modified grip look like the original, if that is important to you. Walnut can be obtained from a better lumber store for about $6.00/bd ft.(?) 30 minute epoxy gives you time to spread the peanutbutter-like product and is harder than the softer, quicker set-up epoxies. It also has more time to penetrate the textures and grain of the substrate walnut before setting up.
JE
If you shoot 575+ consistently, you are not reading this forum.
Can we agree a prime goal of precision pistol shooting, Olympic or not, is to put projectiles where you want them to go, consistently? I think getting to that goal can be broken into two parts; 1) producing ever tighter shot groups and 2) putting those groups where you intend, usually the center of a target. Naturally, most advice is directed to the details of each of these two processes, but each process affects the other to some degree and improving results in one may affect the other for better or worse. Understanding the deeper causes of shooting problems including the interdependence makes us choose more effective solutions to problems.
Take a hypothetical problem: Say you shoot a group producing a 8.5 (510) consistently. Maybe not up to your expectations, so you commit to improving. How, you say? "Practice"? Adjust some parameter or other you think may be adversely affecting the expectation? Change equipment? Practice comes to mind as the easiest to accept solution. Practice what? At best, practice without analysis will make you do whatever you are doing more consistently, the good with the bad.
At some point it fails to produce results. So analyze using resources at hand - this forum, the literature, the internet, friends/fellow shooters. Analysis may show something like 'centered group, within expected bounds, but with an occasional 7.0 flyer to the right.' So tighten the group by reducing the flyers. Bubba might suggest moving the rear sight - not a good suggestion given the acceptably centered group. Another more subtle solution might involve ill fitting grips. Say you have average palm size but short fingers. With a high trigger weight too large gripped revolver used single action getting sufficient trigger motion will pull the muzzle right (or push to the left, depending on trigger finger position). You may have compensated for this in the past with sight adjustment, but it is impossible to get a consistent compensation this way, hence the occasional muzzle pull. But you knew that, and by the way, you have a highly adjustable 10 meter pistol so you have adjusted the trigger position back to get a straight pull...But, you may not have addressed too large grip otherwise. You choose to wrap your hand around the grip to get a solid hold, but now, with the twisted pistol position, you must employ a mix of an unnaturally cocked wrist or adjusted stance to attain the desired sight picture. If you could consistently hold that picture through all the shots, good, but sometimes the muscle tension relaxes as the trigger releases, and the shot is pulled as the body moves to its more natural position. In any case, the group size may suffer with the additional muscle involvement. So, the need for a fine-tuned grip size and shape, is underscored. If you cannot achieve an acceptable grip with your pistol within the bounds of built-in adjustability, frame size, your capability to modify, confidence in making semi-permanent modifications, etc. and you are sure the sizing is a major contributing factor, you may have to dramatically change stance and/or the way you grip and struggle with consistency, or maybe trade or buy a different pistol with a different geometry or more adjustable grip. Or you may need to settle for this a defined factor in achieving minimum group size.
These are not inclusive solutions to the hypothetical problem and are not meant to be. The above is presented to show a possible thought process involving different elements to get a desired result, not a address a specific problem.
Another simple example is from my own experience. SSP pistols enjoyed a relatively short primacy in the '90's; they shoot just as straight as any PSP now in production, and some are exquisitively engineered. I have a FWB 102 acquired new and shot for about 2 years in club competition. So why are the top end designs now available (as a comparable bargain to many shooters) only on the resale market? Convenience is obviously the biggest reason. Also, the effort to charge before each shot is consequential. It affects respiration and muscle tension, and so affects hold consistency. I believe another cause for concern, rarely discussed, is more subtle, but equally relevant: To charge between shots it was almost compulsory to rotate your body relative to the shooting line, to keep the muzzle pointing where it belongs downrange. This often involved moving the foot position, unless you very consciously addressed that detail. So, you had to reset your feet between each shot, making it very hard to duplicate position for any series of shots. Hence, the body displacement to get the sight picture, and the occasional inconsistent and unexpected shot placement as associated with body 'unwind' noted above. With a PSP you may set you feet once or twice between many shots, ensuring consistency in that detail.
I better finish up or suffer justifiable accusation of terminal overshoot. In these times of more solitary existence, maybe at home, keep it interesting by self-examination, research and experimentation, as well as shooting at targets. I have ideas for those wanting to make 5 meter ranges and targets more useful and fun, but they'll have to wait.
JE
PS I can't hold it in...lots of comments in past posts about what to use to build up a grip, all good and serviceable in their own ways. I discovered using a mix of 30 minute epoxy and walnut 'dust' (created with a rasp), mixed about 1:5 by volume. It files and Dremel grinds like original walnut and stands up to close scrutiny. It looks good and makes a modified grip look like the original, if that is important to you. Walnut can be obtained from a better lumber store for about $6.00/bd ft.(?) 30 minute epoxy gives you time to spread the peanutbutter-like product and is harder than the softer, quicker set-up epoxies. It also has more time to penetrate the textures and grain of the substrate walnut before setting up.
JE