Calling my shots

First topic message reminder :

Hi
I have been pretty steadily taking a shot , thinking about where it went and then looking through the scope.
After doing this a while I can usually get pretty close to where I thought it went, although sometimes it is still a surprise. 
I am doing this because that is what I read I'm supposed to be doing .
So now the question is why, how do I turn this into a training tool ?
How can this information make me better ?

Recently I have been calling say for example I think that went low right. I look through the scope an sure enough it's low right, then I say to myself,  so what ! Next time I'll try to do better. 
Maybe a little explanation would put me on the right track.
Thank you, Tom

CR10X wrote:Anyway, for me it goes back to calling the shot means I am seeing what the gun is doing.  And everything that determines where the bullet lands happens at the gun, so we need to be seeing what we are doing to the gun.  And that last instant sight picture (calling the shot) that we see of the sights / dot with respect to our area of aim is the last part of seeing what we did to the gun.

CR

This has taken me awhile to understand. Thanks for the great post and information.


Lately I've been dry firing on a blank wall while calling shots based on my sight alignment. I'm just calling low, high, left, and right. No rings. It's helped and I've made some changes due to it. 

Here's how I use calling shots on a blank wall to (hopefully) improve. Anyway, for example, I dry fire and call a low left. First I think about why I called a low left. What did I see as the shot broke and did I follow my process? If I did follow my process, I then dry fire a few more times. Did I call a low left a couple more times while following my process? If so, I think about what I am doing to the gun and try to change something. I then confirm the change and that I'm still following my process to verify the change. In this particular situation I realized I need to place my trigger finger slightly different and control my trigger squeeze. I do not make a change based upon one dry fire because I am not experienced enough to do that yet. 

During live fire this process is often complicated by recoil and trying too hard for a perfect shoot rather than accepting an area hold.

I used to place empty brass on a target in front of me after each shot where I thought it went.   Once you can call the shots, you will know more of what you did wrong and will know if your sights are off.  Its petty amazing to have to fine tune your sights while shooting.

Edit;  Some one said earlier.  You are shooting and say "That's a 10!"   Then you check in the scope and sure enough its a 10.  Its a good feeling.   Of course there are those times you look in the scope and "Oh good its a scratch 9"  


David

David R wrote:I used to place empty brass on a target in front of me after each shot where I thought it went.   Once you can call the shots, you will know more of what you did wrong and will know if your sights are off.  Its petty amazing to have to fine tune your sights while shooting.

Edit;  Some one said earlier.  You are shooting and say "That's a 10!"   Then you check in the scope and sure enough its a 10.  Its a good feeling.   Of course there are those times you look in the scope and "Oh good its a scratch 9"  


David

Only my opinion, but instead of looking for what you do wrong, try looking for what you do right.  Seek what you wish to find.

Ed Hall wrote:

David R wrote:I used to place empty brass on a target in front of me after each shot where I thought it went.   Once you can call the shots, you will know more of what you did wrong and will know if your sights are off.  Its petty amazing to have to fine tune your sights while shooting.

Edit;  Some one said earlier.  You are shooting and say "That's a 10!"   Then you check in the scope and sure enough its a 10.  Its a good feeling.   Of course there are those times you look in the scope and "Oh good its a scratch 9"  


David

Only my opinion, but instead of looking for what you do wrong, try looking for what you do right.  Seek what you wish to find.

Take this one step further and look for what is happening as the sights settle in.  If it ain't right, don't fight.  Stop. fix, adapt.