Wrist Control

First topic message reminder :

OK guys, I need some help.  I shot with the USAR Service Rifle Team in the 1980s.  HM, Distinguished, 4xPresident’s Hundred.  I like to think I know something about marksmanship, but I’m stumped.  I’m a firm believer in Bill Pullum’s concept of “the integrated act of firing a shot” - focus on doing all the right things.  Focus on not doing something that’s wrong is counterproductive.

My problem is this, and it’s stupid.  I’ve taken the opportunity of the pandemic to avoid squadded practice to dry fire.  I have a 60 shot regimen I repeat at least five days a week with a 1911 service pistol (4lb trigger).  Part of the regimen is 20 slow fire shots at a bullseye; I’m satisfied that most of my shots break pretty well, sight alignment stays stable through the break and into follow through.  When I go to the range and rack a round into the chamber all bets are off.  I can lift the pistol, take up the slack, align the sights, and lower my aim through the bullseye and everything looks just like it does at home.  As my hold starts to settle and I begin my squeeze the front sight starts to oscillate left to right and too fast to count. As I continue to squeeze the  amplitude increases to the point that the front sight almost disappears from the rear sight notch.  Abort the shot and try again.

The casual observer might diagnose my affliction as performance anxiety.  I know what that feels like - butterflies, knee-high wind, adrenaline shakes that just don’t stop - like a new shooter in the NTT.  It’s not like that at all; I wish it were - I know how to channel that.  The more informed might observe that l’m gripping much too tightly during live fire, maybe tightening my grip as I squeeze.  I believe the latter to be true, but it doesn’t feel that way.  Or I don’t know how to tell the difference.

Someone out there knows exactly the right words to make it click for me.  Something I should feel in my wrist? Something to focus on during dry fire to achieve a dependably firm wrist?  Something to make grip tension consistent?  Something to cure a serious case of operator headspace?

All comments and insights welcome, except “stop doing that”.

Hello sir. Welcome to the forum. Bullseye pistol is a much different discipline than rifle. I shot AR15s for years and was trained on M16s and M4s. Then years later, I started shooting bullseye, and my scores were quite low. I used to get match jitters a lot. It took two years of training and competing before I won anything.

We live in the same area and I'm headed to a big match in New Jersey so let me know if you want to carpool. There are 100 people signed up so far.