Searching for the Mount Marcy Monster

At a recent competition I was shooting a 22 that did not have a 50 yard zero. I spent a while chasing the sights around and finally got a group that was circular but falling mostly into the seven and eight rings. In frustration I decided I was going to shoot an X. Concentrate, breathe, firm grip, shot process, smooth trigger, bam, follow through, called real good, scope it. Shot the X in the crotch.

Is it that simple and difficult? It seemed outside of circular error probability to make that shot on demand. Is the spirit of the pistol messing with me?

The subconscious knows a lot more about the evolution of a shot then we can consciously control.  It knows all the details and if we can effectively let it know that we want an X, etc., and then turn loose the activity, it will help us achieve our desire(s).  That's why many of us have often had double shots where we don't want them:

conscious: Damn it! a six!
subconscious: He's excited about that six.  Do it again.
conscious: Damn it!

What you focus on expands.  Readers might enjoy a slightly similar story I wrote some time ago:

A Smiley, or Not?

Good story.

I did shoot that shot with an empty mind and none of my usual "the-sights-are-lined-up-over-the-center-of-the-target-yank-the-trigger" thoughts. Just sight alignment and smooth moving trigger and no worrying about where in the wobble I was. I just wanted to shoot an X.

Sa-tevp wrote:Good story.

I did shoot that shot with an empty mind and none of my usual "the-sights-are-lined-up-over-the-center-of-the-target-yank-the-trigger" thoughts. Just sight alignment and smooth moving trigger and no worrying about where in the wobble I was. I just wanted to shoot an X.

And you did.  So, the results of the lesson is?   

Empty your conscious and let the subconscious guide you.