Field Target is an arms race.

[Motorhead]

Practice "CAN" also decrease ones ability to shoot well in a competitive format

Can only speak for myself here .. in that exhaustive / intense practice can create a neurotic mental state where one is so fixated on precision and expectation of how a shot is going to happen and the results there after.
When things Don't go as anticipated a lot of such practiced shooters start freaking out loosing there focus on the bigger picture of ONE SHOT AT A TIME !!! Dwelling on misses, worried about more misses self diagnosing in the moment can F you up mentally !!!

If you are a skilled shooter, you know what to do and how to best apply the skills you have learned .... Just sit down and do that !! For myself practice is shooting club matches once a month and very little if any practice outside that.
Morning sight in, confirm your numbers close / mid / far for POI to POA .... DONE !! Now go chill out and get your head into the right place, being relaxed & mind spin calm. When match starts take it One Shot At A Time applying what you know.
Don't fret the misses, don't think about whats coming or what those around you might be saying or acting out etc ...

This is not a smoke show statement either ... I've been there & done this for quite a few years now. 2 National Championships, 2 National GP titles & over a Dozen State championships in Rifle & Pistol to my credit taking this approach.

It is a BIGGER mental game being the operator of any said gun than the gun itself in most cases. A Good to Great gun is required without a doubt, But he/she who wields it is the one doing the work to extract it's best potential

 

[PowderBurnt]

I don't feel so bad about not being able to practice much now. Zen.

 

[Tpatner412]

Practice "CAN" also decrease ones ability to shoot well in a competitive format

Can only speak for myself here .. in that exhaustive / intense practice can create a neurotic mental state where one is so fixated on precision and expectation of how a shot is going to happen and the results there after.
When things Don't go as anticipated a lot of such practiced shooters start freaking out loosing there focus on the bigger picture of ONE SHOT AT A TIME !!! Dwelling on misses, worried about more misses self diagnosing in the moment can F you up mentally !!!

If you are a skilled shooter, you know what to do and how to best apply the skills you have learned .... Just sit down and do that !! For myself practice is shooting club matches once a month and very little if any practice outside that.
Morning sight in, confirm your numbers close / mid / far for POI to POA .... DONE !! Now go chill out and get your head into the right place, being relaxed & mind spin calm. When match starts take it One Shot At A Time applying what you know.
Don't fret the misses, don't think about whats coming or what those around you might be saying or acting out etc ...

This is not a smoke show statement either ... I've been there & done this for quite a few years now. 2 National Championships, 2 National GP titles & over a Dozen State championships in Rifle & Pistol to my credit taking this approach.

It is a BIGGER mental game being the operator of any said gun than the gun itself in most cases. A Good to Great gun is required without a doubt, But he/she who wields it is the one doing the work to extract it's best potential

Agree with the general sentiment Scott. I think developing your own routinues and figuring out what works for you is extremely important. The mental game is far more important than the physical requirements FT places on an individual, no doubt. Building confidence in your shooting abilities and your equipment is just one piece of that puzzle. Back when I was just starting out, shooting one match per month wasn't enough. I spent hours on the range shooting and building mechanics and a shot routine. But it's different for everyone, and you do need to spend enough time trying these things to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Here in Ohio, we are very fortunate to have matches every weekend (nearly anyway) from late April through October. You can get a ton of match experience in a fairly short time frame, which has helped build some very successful shooters. I find shooting those matches is much better practice for me than sitting on a range and shooting now...unless it's super windy out, then being on the range is useful. So practice for me, now, looks a lot different than it did a few years back. But it's different for everyone, and that's okay. Putting the time in, in whatever way is most effective for you is very important.

 

[JW.]

I spoke with someone from the UK at the Worlds and he said they can typically hit two matches a day for Saturday and Sunday if desired. Lots of courses to be found there apparently and nearby at that. Pretty cool.

Locally where I am there are two a month, one is almost a four hour round trip and the other is about six hour round trip. Too bad driving doesn;t count as FT practice...

You don't have to shoot to practice, I lived in a spot where I could range and hold my point of aim out the window from 10 to 55 yards plus on apple trees when sitting on a bum bag. This was a tremendous help for me when I had it, it felt like practice when I was doing it, when I no longer had it I could see how important it was.

The current springer World Champion has a course in his back yard with lots of wind... I would imagine the pcp World Champion hits multiple matches a day over the weekend if he doesn't have his own course.

Winning a Nationals is tough, the Worlds is next level.

 

[Airgunoregon]

There is something else to consider if one participates in the "Arms Race" and that's the risk and time loss when one switches to the next best thing they think they can afford. Even just upgrading your scope can set you back months and months of valued lessons learned with the prior equipment just to get back to where you were before the switch.
Upgrading your equipment doesn't always up your scores, and if it does, it doesn't happen overnight. keep that in mind, if upgrading, do it at the end of the season, so you have plenty of time to get back on track.

 

[steve123]

There is something else to consider if one participates in the "Arms Race" and that's the risk and time loss when one switches to the next best thing they think they can afford. Even just upgrading your scope can set you back months and months of valued lessons learned with the prior equipment just to get back to where you were before the switch.
Upgrading your equipment doesn't always up your scores, and if it does, it doesn't happen overnight. keep that in mind, if upgrading, do it at the end of the season, so you have plenty of time to get back on track.

When I sold my USFT and bought my Thomas FT it took a while to acclimate to the different feel in ways. It was months until I got "in sink" with it.

Scopes for whatever reason I can get used to quickly, probably because I've had so many.

The mental part - The hardest thing for me is taking the pressure off myself before and during a match! It's just a pellet gun match self, simmer down some, take a deep breath, relax man.

Wherever I end up in score I feel best when I've avoided the mental mistakes, guessed the wind well, and hit most of the positionals. Oddly getting 2-3 misses feels better than 1 miss because I almost got a perfect score. A "if only", and seems this has happened way too many times. The worst is when I miss a very doable shot.

 

[cavedweller]

There is something else to consider if one participates in the "Arms Race" and that's the risk and time loss when one switches to the next best thing they think they can afford. Even just upgrading your scope can set you back months and months of valued lessons learned with the prior equipment just to get back to where you were before the switch.
Upgrading your equipment doesn't always up your scores, and if it does, it doesn't happen overnight. keep that in mind, if upgrading, do it at the end of the season, so you have plenty of time to get back on track.

absolutely true and I can attest to this 20x over with both scope and gun Changes… The real improvement started when I stuck with one platform with the same scope, only then did the KZ scores go up.
Another important thing was mentioned and that’s FT range and match access. Many Airgun deserts where 6 plus hours or more is required just to attend even a friendly match. The only way to fix this is for people to investing their time, hard earned treasure to create what can’t be found close by. Not cheap and not easy but very rewarding. Growing field target as a sport in the U.S. will require numerous passionate people to be involved in acquiring land and equipment and attracting mo PEOPLE to participate at all levels

 

[SoCalAirrifles]

Yes it is an expensive hobby. That being said the only person I want to beat is myself. If I can do that I will usually be happy with the results that follow. Nice equipment is NICE equipment but it will always have more to do with factors like training, practice, experience and a mind set that will allow you to shoot well. Not to say a red ryder will be as good as a thomas or whatever; just to embrace what you have and learn it to the best of your abilities.

 

[Iowa Airgunner]

absolutely true and I can attest to this 20x over with both scope and gun Changes… The real improvement started when I stuck with one platform with the same scope, only then did the KZ scores go up.
Another important thing was mentioned and that’s FT range and match access. Many Airgun deserts where 6 plus hours or more is required just to attend even a friendly match. The only way to fix this is for people to investing their time, hard earned treasure to create what can’t be found close by. Not cheap and not easy but very rewarding. Growing field target as a sport in the U.S. will require numerous passionate people to be involved in acquiring land and equipment and attracting mo PEOPLE to participate at all levels

We have to make this happen. It is kinda happening in Iowa. I have 26 people in a Facebook group. Most don’t even have air guns. But are interested. That took a couple months once I started. I am hopeful in a year we will at least have a fun shoot . It’s a build it they will come thing. And local gun clubs need people and dues and participation. But it takes a spark to get it going.

 

[.SevenSeven]

As I stated before, the 2024 WFTC is the most clear and well-documented evidence we have as to the fallacy that many of us fall into when it comes to equipment. Yes, especially me!

Most of the WFTC participants took on the event with what we all perceive to be the latest and greatest from the top brands; Thomas, Air Arms, Styer, March, Kahles, and Sightron. Most of us dressed in just as expensive custom-made shooting jackets, expensive footwear, and let's admit it, designer eyewear - only to find out the terrain, the environment, and the targets didn't quite care..

Personally, I've become a fan of those same brands I just mentioned, and am the principal culprit I've described. In the span of less than a year, I now own quite a few of the top PCPs and have procured the services of some of the world's top tuners in an attempt to erase or at least ease from my memory, my pitiful performance at the 2024 Sonoran GP.

At that event (my first ever competitive match) I showed up with my HW97K that I had "tuned" myself, adorned by a Jim Macarri stock Cam was kind enough to sell me and a brand new Sightron SIII. I had been encouraged to participate by my performance at my local club, and without any pretentiousness I was almost sure I'd do well. For those that care to know, or that simply weren't there... I came in almost dead last, not just in my class but overall, yes even dudes shooting out-of-the-box break barrels did better.

Though I had shot some great scores at home, and had great evidence my rifle was shooting well, the wheels fell off when literally, my expensive and well-constructed custom turret came right off in my hand... In my haste to address the lane and reset my setup, I overconfidently twisted my turret right off my "illuminated x-mas tree Field Target SIII", but not before imparting god knows how many clicks onto the scope. The truth of my situation came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks and my bravado to go shoot with the big dogs became a sorrowful whimper that those around me were subjected to and could now reluctantly witness the proverbial tail tucked firmly between my legs. All the advantages of the oversize knob and the "data" I had carefully inscribed on it in the span of many days and hours, were now useless to me. Not because there was anything wrong with any of those elements, but because I was woefully unprepared and inexperienced to deal with the situation. An Allen Wrench, 2 minutes, and a bit of common sense would have bought me far more points than the expensive wood and scope on my rifle, not to mention the fancy butthook that gave the impression I knew what I was doing. Later that day during lunch Cam and I joked how at least I was looking "good" in all the pictures that were now being projected on the overhead screens.

What I failed to identify then and even now, and as many of the seasoned shooters have mentioned; is the fact that there is no replacement for commitment. Either you commit to one gun and practice until you know its faults and its merits, and you practice to optimize or overcome both you and the rig, or you fall into the camp of chasing glory and having to spend even more time and sometimes money than you otherwise need to. As Wayne mentioned, I've spent many days working up the DOPE on my scope only to insist on changing it because it is too high or too low, or that I'd like the one sitting atop some other multi-thousand dollar gun in some other dusty gun case that I also insisted on putting away because it shoots and feels completely different, but whose scope and reticle might just give me a slight edge on my newest distraction.

Again as witnessed at the WFTC, The majority of the very best in their class shot with their old and trusted rigs with scopes they intimately know and that in some cases are no longer in production. I also witnessed our very best opt out of a very expensive scope in favor of a "lesser" scope because he has the experience/knowledge to ascertain and capitalize on the features and merits of such scope. In the same vane, our American Piston Rifle team brought home the wood with their TRUSTED boingers. I'd give my left you know what, to be able to do with my PCPs what Cam, Leo, Hughes, Brad, and some others can do with their rigs. All of the top shooters remained the top shooters and I do believe there were few to no surprises there.

Some of us spend more money than time, while some, know how to spend time with the things their money bought them. We'd all do well to learn the obvious lesson; spend as much as our wallet can bare acquiring the things that draw us, but understand the targets in our chosen discipline don't care how much we've spent, they'll taunt us until we have acquired the necessary skill..

 

[cavedweller]

As I stated before, the 2024 WFTC is the most clear and well-documented evidence we have as to the fallacy that many of us fall into when it comes to equipment. Yes, especially me!

Most of the WFTC participants took on the event with what we all perceive to be the latest and greatest from the top brands; Thomas, Air Arms, Styer, March, Kahles, and Sightron. Most of us dressed in just as expensive custom-made shooting jackets, expensive footwear, and let's admit it, designer eyewear - only to find out the terrain, the environment, and the targets didn't quite care..

Personally, I've become a fan of those same brands I just mentioned, and am the principal culprit I've described. In the span of less than a year, I now own quite a few of the top PCPs and have procured the services of some of the world's top tuners in an attempt to erase or at least ease from my memory, my pitiful performance at the 2024 Sonoran GP.

At that event (my first ever competitive match) I showed up with my HW97K that I had "tuned" myself, adorned by a Jim Macarri stock Cam was kind enough to sell me and a brand new Sightron SIII. I had been encouraged to participate by my performance at my local club, and without any pretentiousness I was almost sure I'd do well. For those that care to know, or that simply weren't there... I came in almost dead last, not just in my class but overall, yes even dudes shooting out-of-the-box break barrels did better.

Though I had shot some great scores at home, and had great evidence my rifle was shooting well, the wheels fell off when literally, my expensive and well-constructed custom turret came right off in my hand... In my haste to address the lane and reset my setup, I overconfidently twisted my turret right off my "illuminated x-mas tree Field Target SIII", but not before imparting god knows how many clicks onto the scope. The truth of my situation came crashing down on me like a ton of bricks and my bravado to go shoot with the big dogs became a sorrowful whimper that those around me were subjected to and could now reluctantly witness the proverbial tail tucked firmly between my legs. All the advantages of the oversize knob and the "data" I had carefully inscribed on it in the span of many days and hours, were now useless to me. Not because there was anything wrong with any of those elements, but because I was woefully unprepared and inexperienced to deal with the situation. An Allen Wrench, 2 minutes, and a bit of common sense would have bought me far more points than the expensive wood and scope on my rifle, not to mention the fancy butthook that gave the impression I knew what I was doing. Later that day during lunch Cam and I joked how at least I was looking "good" in all the pictures that were now being projected on the overhead screens.

What I failed to identify then and even now, and as many of the seasoned shooters have mentioned; is the fact that there is no replacement for commitment. Either you commit to one gun and practice until you know its faults and its merits, and you practice to optimize or overcome both you and the rig, or you fall into the camp of chasing glory and having to spend even more time and sometimes money than you otherwise need to. As Wayne mentioned, I've spent many days working up the DOPE on my scope only to insist on changing it because it is too high or too low, or that I'd like the one sitting atop some other multi-thousand dollar gun in some other dusty gun case that I also insisted on putting away because it shoots and feels completely different, but whose scope and reticle might just give me a slight edge on my newest distraction.

Again as witnessed at the WFTC, The majority of the very best in their class shot with their old and trusted rigs with scopes they intimately know and that in some cases are no longer in production. I also witnessed our very best opt out of a very expensive scope in favor of a "lesser" scope because he has the experience/knowledge to ascertain and capitalize on the features and merits of such scope. In the same vane, our American Piston Rifle team brought home the wood with their TRUSTED boingers. I'd give my left you know what, to be able to do with my PCPs what Cam, Leo, Hughes, Brad, and some others can do with their rigs. All of the top shooters remained the top shooters and I do believe there were few to no surprises there.

Some of us spend more money than time, while some, know how to spend time with the things their money bought them. We'd all do well to learn the obvious lesson; spend as much as our wallet can bare acquiring the things that draw us, but understand the targets in our chosen discipline don't care how much we've spent, they'll taunt us until we have acquired the necessary skill..

yep…All true... And so much for the arms race.
@Franklink - as your thread / OP if this entire thread was condensed down to its nuts and bolts how would it read?

 

[Franklink]

yep…All true... And so much for the arms race.
@Franklink - as your thread / OP if this entire thread was condensed down to its nuts and bolts how would it read?

Best ($$$$$$) equipment + practice = wins
Best ($$$$$$) equipment - practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment + practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment - practice = no wins

"Best equipment" to me is scopes that range by focus well, guns that produce consistent shot strings and hold zero FOREVER, and barrels that don't throw flyers.

"Sub par" equipment is scopes that DONT range by focus well, guns that DONT produce consistent shot strings NOR hold zero, and barrels that DO throw flyers.

And the reality is that the relationship between spending money and the "best equipment" factor is mostly linear. Some of us find success with rigs that are a happy medium between performance and price, but even those are usually going to fall into what 95% of people in "the shooting sports" are going to deem the "expensive" category. $1500-2000 was floated as a winnable budget rig a couple times in here. Yep, 2k is lower than 10k, but tell your firearm buddies that you spent 2k on an airgun/scope and most of them are not going to share your enthusiasm about it being so "cheap." And a 2k field target rig is going to shoot the pants off of a $500 field target rig most of the time (unless somebody who really knows what they're doing silk pursed that sows ear and then spent a bunch of time practicing with it).

It's obviously very insulting for some to be hear someone point out that their equipment plays a huge role in their field target success. To them I would say, buy a scope/gun that costs 25%, 50%, 75% less than what you're currently using, and see if your scores don't go down.

 

[cavedweller]

Best ($$$$$$) equipment + practice = wins
Best ($$$$$$) equipment - practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment + practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment - practice = no wins

"Best equipment" to me is scopes that range by focus well, guns that produce consistent shot strings and hold zero FOREVER, and barrels that don't throw flyers.

"Sub par" equipment is scopes that DONT range by focus well, guns that DONT produce consistent shot strings NOR hold zero, and barrels that DO throw flyers.

And the reality is that the relationship between spending money and the "best equipment" factor is mostly linear. Some of us find success with rigs that are a happy medium between performance and price, but even those are usually going to fall into what 95% of people in "the shooting sports" are going to deem the "expensive" category. $1500-2000 was floated as a winnable budget rig a couple times in here. Yep, 2k is lower than 10k, but tell your firearm buddies that you spent 2k on an airgun/scope and most of them are not going to share your enthusiasm about it being so "cheap." And a 2k field target rig is going to shoot the pants off of a $500 field target rig most of the time (unless somebody who really knows what they're doing silk pursed that sows ear and then spent a bunch of time practicing with it).

It's obviously very insulting for some to be hear someone point out that their equipment plays a huge role in their field target success. To them I would say, buy a scope/gun that costs 25%, 50%, 75% less than what you're currently using, and see if your scores don't go down.

You left out age and health as these bring significant performance curves
and of course access to matches with a variety of environmental conditions

 

[Franklink]

You left out age and health as these bring significant performance curves

Mostly can't buy your way out of those deficits. I'd prefer vision even a little closer to 20/20, but can't even buy that option, for any amount of money.

Age, nope, we get what we have. No changing that.

I'm bout 10lbs overweight right now, I COULD do something about that, and it would help on the positional shots and not feeling all squeezed up when I've got elbows on my knees.

 

[PowderBurnt]

Airgunning is expensive. I couldn't have done it just a few years ago. It was painful to buy a carbon fiber tank this week, but it'll make shooting easier in the long run.

 

[Motorhead]

My greatest pleasure now is working with others in the SVFTC club putting on monthly "Fun" FT matches.
When going to away matches the focus is on having fun with far less self created stress to place well, as in if you are in the right head space generally you will have a good match too

 

[Bramezy]

Best ($$$$$$) equipment + practice = wins
Best ($$$$$$) equipment - practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment + practice = no wins
Sub par ($) equipment - practice = no wins

"Best equipment" to me is scopes that range by focus well, guns that produce consistent shot strings and hold zero FOREVER, and barrels that don't throw flyers.

"Sub par" equipment is scopes that DONT range by focus well, guns that DONT produce consistent shot strings NOR hold zero, and barrels that DO throw flyers.

And the reality is that the relationship between spending money and the "best equipment" factor is mostly linear. Some of us find success with rigs that are a happy medium between performance and price, but even those are usually going to fall into what 95% of people in "the shooting sports" are going to deem the "expensive" category. $1500-2000 was floated as a winnable budget rig a couple times in here. Yep, 2k is lower than 10k, but tell your firearm buddies that you spent 2k on an airgun/scope and most of them are not going to share your enthusiasm about it being so "cheap." And a 2k field target rig is going to shoot the pants off of a $500 field target rig most of the time (unless somebody who really knows what they're doing silk pursed that sows ear and then spent a bunch of time practicing with it).

It's obviously very insulting for some to be hear someone point out that their equipment plays a huge role in their field target success. To them I would say, buy a scope/gun that costs 25%, 50%, 75% less than what you're currently using, and see if your scores don't go down.

I have to say, in my own personal experience its not even the equipment that trumps all but good equipment with ACCURATE DOPE AND RANGING trumps all. I have to ask this...how much better can you be sitting on a bucket and sticks today vs doing it 1,000 times? I don't believe that just because you sat and shot 1,000 times your going to hit that 3/8" KZ 100 more times than if your ranging was off or dope was off and you corrected it.

I have experienced this myself as well as heard it at every single match I have attended. Yes you need an accurate gun but the gun that holds MOA vs the gun that holds sub MOA are still equal on an 1.5" paddle. Its the guy that ranges it at 48yds vs the guy that ranges it at 54yds that makes the difference every time.
Again, my own personal experience. I practice shooting tiny stuff, 1/4" and such to test my data! I move and I'm shaky a bit. But I have missed more shots from bad data over it being a $3,000 gun vs a $600 gun. Yes wind and environmental factors are always there. Remove them and your left with data! Some spend more time acquiring gear rather than perfecting it (GUILTY!!!!). I don't care what gun you use as long as its X accurate at whatever distance. If your data is off, you aren't hitting everything!
Ill say this, I have different setups like some of you. I have a Marauder with Hawke scope. The gun is not the holding back factor, I am with my lack of perfecting my data at close and long range and ranging. I also have a Wolverine with Sightron S3. Its more accurate than the Marauder but ive missed more shots with the Wolverine because my data was off.

There's something to the whole beware of a guy with 1 guy vs a guy with 100 guns. That comes into play here. Those that spend the time with good enough equipment perfecting their data and ranging will win hands down. Hand anyone a setup thats dialed and they will do amazing! Sub 12fpe is a different story in the sense of wind and body positional. Same deal, if your data is off, no hit targets!

Not tooting my own horn, I haven't done anything special or that hasn't already been done but to prove my point, the gear is only part of it, but I feel the data is the highest ranked piece of the puzzle here. The guys that "practice" are perfecting data or practicing off hand. I get the offhand practice, nothing can substitute that.

Yes, thats me shooting the Marauder in which I tied for 2nd at the Burning River GP 2024 and was in a shoot off against a Red Wolf and Thomas. I suck at positional and pressure so naturally I lost it but it wasn't the guns fault. That was nerves mainly. I suck at all shoot offs!

Ask Tyler P, his courses are long typically and he does this as the long shots seem to be the toughest. Good data is key here.

Rambled enough here, hope it makes sense. Practice off hand and perfect your data and you will place in the top every time. Learn wind and you will win every time lol.

 

[Motorhead]

I have to say, in my own personal experience its not even the equipment that trumps all but good equipment with ACCURATE DOPE AND RANGING trumps all. I have to ask this...how much better can you be sitting on a bucket and sticks today vs doing it 1,000 times? I don't believe that just because you sat and shot 1,000 times your going to hit that 3/8" KZ 100 more times than if your ranging was off or dope was off and you corrected it.

I have experienced this myself as well as heard it at every single match I have attended. Yes you need an accurate gun but the gun that holds MOA vs the gun that holds sub MOA are still equal on an 1.5" paddle. Its the guy that ranges it at 48yds vs the guy that ranges it at 54yds that makes the difference every time.
Again, my own personal experience. I practice shooting tiny stuff, 1/4" and such to test my data! I move and I'm shaky a bit. But I have missed more shots from bad data over it being a $3,000 gun vs a $600 gun. Yes wind and environmental factors are always there. Remove them and your left with data! Some spend more time acquiring gear rather than perfecting it (GUILTY!!!!). I don't care what gun you use as long as its X accurate at whatever distance. If your data is off, you aren't hitting everything!
Ill say this, I have different setups like some of you. I have a Marauder with Hawke scope. The gun is not the holding back factor, I am with my lack of perfecting my data at close and long range and ranging. I also have a Wolverine with Sightron S3. Its more accurate than the Marauder but ive missed more shots with the Wolverine because my data was off.

There's something to the whole beware of a guy with 1 guy vs a guy with 100 guns. That comes into play here. Those that spend the time with good enough equipment perfecting their data and ranging will win hands down. Hand anyone a setup thats dialed and they will do amazing! Sub 12fpe is a different story in the sense of wind and body positional. Same deal, if your data is off, no hit targets!

Not tooting my own horn, I haven't done anything special or that hasn't already been done but to prove my point, the gear is only part of it, but I feel the data is the highest ranked piece of the puzzle here. The guys that "practice" are perfecting data or practicing off hand. I get the offhand practice, nothing can substitute that.

Yes, thats me shooting the Marauder in which I tied for 2nd at the Burning River GP 2024 and was in a shoot off against a Red Wolf and Thomas. I suck at positional and pressure so naturally I lost it but it wasn't the guns fault. That was nerves mainly. I suck at all shoot offs!

Ask Tyler P, his courses are long typically and he does this as the long shots seem to be the toughest. Good data is key here.

Rambled enough here, hope it makes sense. Practice off hand and perfect your data and you will place in the top every time. Learn wind and you will win every time lol.



View attachment 536265

ACCURATE D.O.P.E. and not just Close dope
Learning to shoot outside the center of KZ hole is another learned skill that pays huge dividends
Side to side for winds and up or down for fudging ranging errors to your advantage.

 

[JW.]

I hate shoot-offs too, you gotta win that thing on the field!!! LOL



If you shoot at the same target 100 times you won't get any better, but if you take 100 in match shots you will get better.

What is 'practice'?

Just "shooting" isn't practice, practice is building and going through the entire routine from approaching the box to leaving the box. It is also shooting on/at targets/lanes you are not overly familiar with. True practice is match simulation without a match environment. I know for myself if I take four shots at a target at distance in wind I can continue to hit it more than I might miss. After the first three shots i'm not actually learning anything about the wind that I didn't already know after the second shot. You get one or two shots per target in a match, so practicing with more shots than match shots isn't going to help (all this assumes the shooter is relatively proficient and not learning wind or figuring dope).

I think Scott S hinted at this but didn't take it to the conclusion. Over practicing can be harmful, possibly detrimental in the moment, but after a rest you can see that it elevated your abilities in at least one way if you self review (usually more than one). But in that moment when you hit the wall it definitely felt like it was hurting more than helping. After you workout you are exhausted, weak, sore, it is only after you fully recover do you see/feel the benefits.

Being efficient when you are practicing is important, having things to work on is key, and knowing what to work on is critical.

I've been at this since 2011 and every once in a while I will make some fairly drastic changes to see if it helps or hurts. Practice time can be helpful for evaluating the effects of these changes so the trial and error period isn't happening during a match. But I can't just shoot at the same target from the same position, I need to simulate a match to know if it's helping or hurting.

When I was getting my clicks for the Worlds I shot in the typical knees up position as well as the deadman position to see if one worked better than the other. I was more stable in the deadman position but it took longer to find the target, in the knees up position I was pretty much on target and in my natural point of aim before I even looked into the scope. I decided to go knees up for the Worlds so I could have some additional time to read the wind and I needed that time since it was my first WFTF match and there was lots of wind. Sometimes a seemingly better thing may not be better.

The above only works if you have a good foundation. If you rifle can't shoot around/under 3/4" benched at 55 yards indoors (30-50 shots at the same target) you are going to have a tough time doing well. No amount of practice, dope, ranging or even natural talent is going to correct the issue, you'll just get incredibly and increasingly frustrated and angry. A good rifle will naturally focus your practice, a bad one will derail practice, you will be chasing the pellet all over the target without resolution.

We haven't covered the mental game yet. If you want to go hardcore "With Wining In Mind" by Lanny Bassham is excellent, and good for life in general. Positive reenforcement is key, negative reenforcement is bad. If anyone has other books or talks that they found helpful please post. I watch/listen to a lot of PRS stuff, Miles to Matches is a great podcast about the mental/physical game of shooting and much of the mental/self-analysis stuff can be applied to FT.

 

[IcySwan1]

PowderBurnt mentioned a class built around a particular rifle, like 10m. It is a pretty good analogy but there is mission creep there, too. I started with a recoil less rifle ( FWB 300s), then came SSP and a FWB 602. And finally, at least for now, PCP (FWB 700). There are an infinite amount of bits and bobs to add to your rifle but the rifle itself is within fairly narrow parameters. I have spent as much on diopters and front sights as a good scope. Where there is a wallet somebody will have the next best gadget for you no matter what the competition.

Mike