TargetTalk

Got some triggertime with my new free pistol, and it was a pleasure to shoot! A nice 550 and a "final" @ 96 points (two nines and an eight). Series 4 and 5 were spectacular. two sevens, one eight, three nines... and 14 tens. =) Can't wait until I get to Hannover and Plzen this spring, this will be so much fun!

Anyone else going to Plzen or Hannover?

Outstanding shooting, Mellberg. What kind of free pistol are you shooting? How do you have the trigger set?

Best Regards,
Slo cat

I have a Morini CM84E with something like 8-10g triggerweight. I will try some more weight too. When I started shooting FP last year I had an old Hämmerli with ~20-25g triggerweight. I didn't like that, it was too light to be "active" (having the finger on the trigger and squezing) and it was too heavy to have that nice feeling that you almost don't touch the trigger. An extremely light trigger gives me just that feeling. I know that when I touch the trigger it will fire. I will also try a heavier weight (~100g) and see what I feel about having the finger on the trigger from the start, like the standard pistol, and squezing of the shots.
If I just stop shooting 7's I think 560 will be clearly doable. That will definately be a goal for this year. This pistol is so much easier to shoot than the old Hämmerli, even though I shot a 557 with it. I think this will be a very nice shootingyear. =)

imho, you tries to propose your result... this brings nothing, except pain & disappointment in case of possible (hoping not) defeat.

imho, in fp, much more better to concentrate on 9 in each separate shoot,... 9 or 10: good shoot,... next... 9 or 10:... good shoot... and so on...

We have referees to count your (our) total sum... :)

good luck

Why couldnt the Hämmerli be adjusted to suit Mellberg? Would u still recomend the Hämmerli for poorer shooters like I?

ruig, The result (goal) is +560, the method is be doing exactly what you say: Nines and tens. I have no problem with that.. =)

_Axel_ Yes the Hämmerli most surely can be adjusted in every way. But it was not my gun, I borrowed it. The grip didn't even fit, it was so big that I didn't have very much use of the lower adjustable part. I put some pieces of cloth and wrapped it around with a couple of layers with duct-tape and it helped a little. Since I knew I was going to buy a gun for myself and I didn't own the Hämmerli I didn't want to start modifying it.
This new Morini will be modified to fit my hand and so on. Actually it fits rather good as it is right now, but it can get much better in time.

Ah, there... those nines and tens.. =)

561 today (ok, it was practice, but still...)
One seven and some eights, but I think some 52 or 53 shots were inside the nine. It's funny how sometimes even those shots that feels really bad are nines. I just enjoyed the sunny (but cold) day and had some fun. To bad I wasn't at Ft. Benning... :)

Congratulations to your 565p FP in Uppsala 2007-06-16!

Now, Sweden has 2 shooter at 565 this year! (Niklas Krabb is the other)This is a development that Skanaker was struggling for a long time.


Best of luck!

Kent

Thanks! =)

Now let's just hope I can perform like that on the european championships later this summer. That would probably mean a quota for the olympics which is obviously the goal. =)

A little sidenote: 24h after the 565 in free pistol I raised the record at the range in Upplands Vasby in precision shooting to 296 with the .32 pistol. The old record was 293. 49 49 50 49 50 49. That last shot was a real bitch to release 'cause I was pretty nervous since the first 4 shots in that serie was four tens. I didn't even need the scope to call that. The shot was good but unfortunately I was a couple of millimeters to the right and the shot was a 9,9.

Needless to say, things are looking good for this summer. Oh... Did I forgot to mention the gold in centerfire from Bern in the european cup 25m last wednesday? ;)

Cheers
/Tommy

Great Shooting! 565 FP! And all the rest.

Did you decide to go with lighter or heavier trigger in FP?

Is your subconscious finding all those 9's and 10's or are are you consciously deciding when to release the shot?

Dennis

I have something in between. The heavy trigger weight (~100g) caused a lot of really bad shots due to violent releases. I think the weight now is somewhere around 40-45g and it feels pretty much perfect for me.

I'm shooting "active", I decide when I want to release the shot. I have the finger on the trigger all the time and when I feel that i'm getting closer to holding still and the sights are aligned I start pressing the trigger until it goes pop. All in all that action takes 2-3 seconds. In that time all my senses are something I would call "hyperactive". The whole body is on the edge of something. It's a strange feeling and I only get it during FP shooting. It feels fantastic and it's very easy to call the shots correctly if the shot is released during this time.

I think that subconsious release of trigger is one of the biggest myths in pistol shooting. Like it would be some sort of higher force taking over the trigger finger. I dont understand that and never will.

I'd say it's all about timing. You want it to go bang within the steady hold window/period, nothing more nothing less. To do that you have to be very active on the trigger. This is a very consious process in my opinion. Being active is not snatching, far from it. Careful release but still very active.

Btw, I have never heard any of my shooting friends, including Mellberg, talk about subconsious release of trigger in a serious manner. It should go bang when you want it to! :-)

Go Sweden!!!

take care,
Tobias

Mellberg wrote: I'm shooting "active", I decide when I want to release the shot. I have the finger on the trigger all the time and when I feel that i'm getting closer to holding still and the sights are aligned I start pressing the trigger until it goes pop. All in all that action takes 2-3 seconds. In that time all my senses are something I would call "hyperactive". The whole body is on the edge of something. It's a strange feeling and I only get it during FP shooting. It feels fantastic and it's very easy to call the shots correctly if the shot is released during this time.

This sounds (to me) much like the process Bill Horton has described and advocated. While you are pressing the trigger and your senses are 'hyperactive', do you continue to concentrate on and maintain front sight alignment?

Best wishes for your summer shooting
Fred

The main focus is on the release of the shot and a smooth triggerwork. The sights won't move out of the alignment and my hold is very rigid (ask tobiasl here for reference, hehe). The only thing moving at this moment is my body and sometimes the arm from the shoulder. Those movements are seldom enough to go outside the 9 ring and most nines are actually pretty close to the 10.
However sometimes I do shoot eights and sevens. Things aren't perfect. =)

When I asked the question, I had bet that you would have said that it was a conscious shot release. I also appreciate the comments from Tobias and agree. I am trying to learn FP and have found that the discussions about "subconscious" shooting to be counter-productive to my learning. I also find it better to be aggressive on the trigger rather than tentative. Aggressive doesn't have to be mean jerky or snatching.

Dennis

dblinden wrote: I am trying to learn FP and have found that the discussions about "subconscious" shooting to be counter-productive to my learning.

I think that 'subconscious' means 'automatic'. And I also think that good shooters implement some personal deep 'automatism' during each shot.