Suddenly forgot how to shoot . . .

[JNG]

I typically practice a few hundred rounds a month with my sidearm, in addition to regular dry-fire. This level of practice has afforded me a certain level of consistency in my shooting that I've come to take for granted. I know how fast I can shoot and hit As, and I know what kind of accuracy I can expect slow fire.

But today . . . . I went out to practice some, and couldn't hit anything. So I go through the diagnostic routine, eliminate complicating factors like draw, movement, and time pressure, and just work on basic marksmanship at 7 yards--grip, front sight, trigger press.

And I still couldn't hit my point of aim, and the shots were scattered within a zone that can only hypothetically be called a "group".

It was a deeply disturbing incident. Any competitors on here have a similar experience? Or, even better, advice for how to train out of this sudden, severe, inexplicable rut?

 

[Coach]

Put the gun on a table and sand bags and rule out that it is not the gun.
Next question I would ask is it the ammo. Reloads? Cheap stuff? Really really old stuff?

Then if it is not the gun or the ammo it has to be you. Sometimes sights break and sometimes they more.

7 yards is pretty close for it to be just you is my initial thought.

However, sometimes we just have bad days in any venture. It could be a bad day.

What is your background? You talk of shooting A's and that sound like competition.

 

[JNG]

Coah, background PM'ed.

Per your advice, I sandbagged the gun at 15 yards--the 5 shot group was about 7" and fairly random--way, way, way too big for a Sig.

I'm going to have another shooter sandbag it to confirm that it's the gun and not me. I sure hope it's the gun . . . .

If another shooter sandbags it and shoots a 1.5" group, that would clearly indicate some serious problems on my part.

 

[Coach]

Does your grip look similar to this?

 

[Coach]

Coah, background PM'ed.

Per your advice, I sandbagged the gun at 15 yards--the 5 shot group was about 7" and fairly random--way, way, way too big for a Sig.

I'm going to have another shooter sandbag it to confirm that it's the gun and not me. I sure hope it's the gun . . . .

If another shooter sandbags it and shoots a 1.5" group, that would clearly indicate some serious problems on my part.

Sounds like gun trouble.

 

[JNG]

I'm about the same height on the gun, but I use the DTI "thumbs up" position instead of the "thumbs forward" in the picture.

 

[rvb]

But today . . . . I went out to practice some, and couldn't hit anything.... just work on basic marksmanship at 7 yards--grip, front sight, trigger press.
...
Or, even better, advice for how to train out of this sudden, severe, inexplicable rut?

One bad practice is not a rut. With that kind of negative talk in your head your destined for another bad practice.
Sometimes it is better to go home. Usually the fundamentals can get me back on track, but if frustration has set in, it's time to call it a day. and it sounds like you were frustrated

While it's typically the shooter, it's possible it's the gun or the ammo. Check your ammo and components closely and maybe pull a few or if factory try a new lot (or if reloading try some factory). Check your sights aren't moving around. Check nothing major wrong with gun/bore (and it would have to be MAJOR to open it up to 7" @ 15yd).

way, way, way too big for a Sig.

Have you sandbagged the gun before and what kind of accuracy did you get? Your statement implies you expect more because it's a sig, not because you have previous data points (and experience shooting off bags).

-rvb

ps the guy in the picture should be a hand model. haha

 

[JNG]

Have you sandbagged the gun before and what kind of accuracy did you get? Your statement implies you expect more because it's a sig, not because you have previous data points (and experience shooting off bags).

-rvb

ps the guy in the picture should be a hand model. haha

Previous sandbagging of this gun yielded 5-shot groups of around 2" at 20 yards. The barrel is locking up good and tight, the sights aren't moving, and the crown looks okay. I'm going to reinspect the gun when I get home, and also have another shooter sandbag it. That ought to help clarify whether man or machine is at fault here.

 

[JNG]

This just got weirder. I was at the range and figured I might as well try again with the gun I was having trouble with. Shot three different 5 shots groups with the "problem" gun of 2", 2", and 1.5" of the bag. Stood up, closed to 7 yards, and shot with the kind of accuracy I would expect.

Now I'm really bothered. A bad day is one thing, but a day so bad I can't even shoot accurately off sandbags is worrisome. I wish I had videotaped myself shoot--I can't think of what I was doing so poorly to cause yesterday's problems.

 

[ryanbr]

Sounds like maybe you got yourself frustrated and psyched yourself out. Took a little time and cleared your head, shot on sandbags and got your confidence back. Now keep up the good shootin!

 

[rvb]

Now I'm really bothered.

Shooting off bags is not magic. You still have to do your part. It's still possible to have a bad day off bags. And it takes some experience to get good at shooting off bags and not everyone knows how to do it right (which is why I asked if you had done it before).

When a gun suddenly "can't shoot" and groups become patterns, 90% of the time it's the shooter. The other 10% it's seriously bad ammo or sights about to fall off, or the very odd circumstance that the gun seriously busted. My first is assumption is always that it's me causing any problems.

Human nature is to blame something else. It's ok to admit to yourself you're having a bad day. If practicing the fundamentals doesn't get you back on the right tracks then it's ok to bag it. Bad practice is worse than no practice at all. I've bagged it after a couple mags when I could tell my head wasn't going to be in it. To do otherwise leads to frustration...

And NOW you are sounding frustrated after the fact because you're realizing you had a bad day.... with that in your head how do you expect your next practice to go? This is not the type of problem that a video will capture. Tonight I will post some reading material on sports pshychology and the mental game. Zen Golf is one. Can't recall the other I've read.

Finally, and most importantly, I'm inferring that you are not calling your shots properly if your groups are opening up 4x and you can't bring it under control. Until you have the ability to know where the bullet went before the bullet even gets there, just by watching the sights, you'll never obtain the consistency you are after.

It was a bad practice. Learn something about your mental game from it. Let it go. Don't talk yourself INTO a rut. Look at it as a sign you are improving. Odds are you've had those days before, only now you're performing to a level you could observe it in the results. The next level is to observe what caused it (and it's not always technical).

-rvb

 

[Calvin]

It still sounds like your skills are good enough to get the job done, even on your bad days!

 

[dice dealer]

sounds like a gun problem .

I am not a competitive shooter but i do practice alot .
One thing i have found if i am off my norm , i go to a different gun ,
like if i am shooting a .45 and i am getting way off i switch to a .22 for a few to settle myself down a bit , I also do the oppisite if i am shooting with a .22 and start getting off myt norm i switch to somthing with ALOT of punch .

As i said im not a competitive shooter just a backyard target shooter ,

But it seems to work for me .

 

[Bill of Rights]

Granted, you're discussing pistol, not rifle. With that understood, when teaching Appleseed, we teach that targets show group size and group location, and targets never lie. When we see a target with shots all over the paper, the first "diagnosis" is that the shooter was not focusing his/her eye on the front sight, but rather the rear sight or the target.

I don't know if this will be helpful, but I've been told the skills translate across.

Let me/us know, please?

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Coach]

If the gun was grouping good the second time out then it sounds like the shooter. If something seems grossly out of whack as was the case here. I prefer to eliminate gun and ammo problems first. Shooting off sand bags and checking the gun out should do that. If the gun is fine off the bags then I know it is me.

 

[300sx]

i bet just having a bad day....btw what does sandbags do for ya?

 

[Coach]

i bet just having a bad day....btw what does sandbags do for ya?

Sandbags remove some but not all of the human element to the shooting, and make it easier to decide if it is a gun problem or a shooter problem. If you bag or bench rest the gun and it is shooting a nice tight group guess what?

JNG seems to have ruled out a gun problem.

 

[JNG]

Thanks for the advice, fellas. Nothing for it but to shake it off and keep practicing.

 

[rvb]

Tonight I will post some reading material on sports pshychology and the mental game.

Just to follow up with some reading I've done:

in order of my favorites:

1) Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals, Enos. The Bible of practical shooting. You cannot have a "rut" if you treat every shot as it's own event, ignoring all others. Nothing else exists except the shot you are taking right now.

2) With Winning in Mind, Bassham. Mental Management techniques from an Olympic Gold-Medalist shooter.

3) Zen Golf, Parent. Quieting the mind, confidence, visualization.

4) The Mental Edge, Baum. Sports Psychologist. more visualization, preventing self-sabatage, training plans

-rvb

 

[glocktoys]

any eye problems? drink allot of caffeine that day? meds change?