#bullseyetargetfail pics?

I was wondering about the bad days, where you snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.  Maybe you don't have a pic, but a quick story on a Bullseye lesson learned.

At a recent sight-in session I made a wonderfully bad shot as I was dialing in the red dot.  I have been looking at that target for a couple of days and thinking about what I learned from it.  It kind of got me thinking about some other sad targets I have shot.  Surely, there are a few pictures of "learning experiences" that you can share.

This was from a sandbag at 25 yards during sight-in. I present solid evidence that the bullet will go exactly where you are looking, even as your brain is asking "Are you really about to pull the trigger, you do see what your pistol is pointing at, don't you?"  But sadly, the message could not make it to my trigger finger in time. 

But viewed in another light the reality of this "bad" shot is that it is one of the best called shots I have ever made.  I knew exactly where it was going and where it would hit before I finished the trigger squeeze.  I almost saw the bullet hole in the target.  There is some serious breakthough Zen moment stuff going on here.  I have thought about this feeling I had in the quarter second before my mind starting telling me I was aiming in the wrong place over the past few days.

  I wonder if that the feeling that a High Master has during their entire shot process, except they aim at the center of the target.

Couple of quick thoughts/failures. 1. Given a choice if shooting a .22 EIC and a .45 EIC back to back then shoot the 22 match first. Taking up the slack on your 22 after just shooting a 4# trigger can lead to an $#%%# moment. 2. If you shoot a very weak load in a wheel gun and use it for the .45 match then use the same pistol for the Reeves match then don't crank it back up to 50yds (twice) I didn't put the tag back on because I was shooting it again right away. Another oops moment. 3. About that moment of clarity you were talking about. Calling your shot is very important. At a match a couple of months ago I fired two 10's first two shots. Both just barely missing the X ring. I grabbed the screw driver and cranked it up 4 clicks. Both of those shots should have been in the 8 ring at 12 O:clock. Trust your call.

Len

Congratulations. It's great that the shot was called correctly.  That means it was a good shot.  What about the others?  Even if its in the center, if it wasn't called there, then room for improvements exists. 

The best learning experience under this topic that I can share is this:

See and acknowledge all the shots on that target.  The one to study is the one in the center IF it was on call.  That's the type of shot we want to study and repeat. Spend the time reviewing and reinforcing what is right.  Even (especially) if it was from a bench, supported.  Its still there to reinforce what we should be seeing.

 Acknowledge the rest and move on. "These are not the shots you are looking for. Move along." 

Question:  
What's the difference between a Marksman and a High Master scoping a shot on the target?




Answer:  
The Marksman is probably looking to see where the shot went.  
The High Master to looking to confirm the shot is where he called it.

A local club put on a pair of leg matches back to back this past September. It was an awesome opportunity to shoot 4 leg matches in a single weekend. I was on the last 22 EIC relay two other guys, both were new shooters. One of the RO's mentioned that another competitor (who's a very good, very experienced shooter) had an off day and only shot a 272. A good score, but also a good opportunity. Things were going well, I shot a 93 slow then a 97 timed. Not very hard math and I was feeling good about the situation. I went over "the plan" on the way back from scoring the timed fire targets....just relax, squeeze the trigger and get all the shots somewhere near the black. It isn't hard, you've got 17 points you can cough up. I'm normally good for a 94 or better in the rapid and rarely shoot under a 90. So the targets turn, and I try to dress up the first two shots like I've gotta clean it to get points. After all the over-trying I knew I broke my wrist and jerked the trigger so who knows where those two shots went...and oh yea, I've pry got 4 seconds left for 3 more shots. The next 3 shots pry looked something like a guy holding a Sawzall having a seizure. Targets turn and I start putting the gun away. One of the RO's asked how I did and I told him "I made a mess in my pants". We both kind of laughed and I did the walk of shame to see how bad it was. I threw 2 out the top and scattered the rest. Ended up with a sixty-something.

So much for that leg, but it is a good lesson in not overthinking it or deviating from the normal routine.

When the gun went 'bang', I called it dead center ..... looks like I was right

willnewton, in seriousness, I would like to offer a different reason why the shot went into the white.  While shooting, there is what your eyes are looking at, what your conscious is thinking about and what your subconscious is doing. I have had several (numerous) occasions where I was visually focused on the X ring and I was consciously focused on aiming (I am one of those people who let the subconscious do the triggering) and from 'out of nowhere' my conscious shifted to thinking 'I hope I don't shoot the white' and then the gun went bang and I shot the 7 ring at 1:00....while I was still looking at the X ring.  I believe the subconscious does its best to accommodate what the conscious is focused on.  And since I shifted my conscious focus (but not my visual focus) to shooting in the white, that is where the shot went.  One might argue that I shifted my conscious focus to not shooting the white.  In reality, I let the fear(?) of shooting the white enter my conscious thoughts and that caused the subconscious to change course, resulting in the 7 ring shot.
 
Don't know if any of this makes sense, but this is my Zen interpretation.