Have you excercised your myelin today?

This may be a little to cerebral for the casual plinker.  I mined this nugget by wading through the many posts on TargetTalk.org.  This website/forum is dedicated to competitive, Olympic style shooting disciplines.  I find it a bit more analytical than Steelchickens.  Folks really get into the system of shooting.  Let's face it, the sport is 95% human and 5% equipment.  That is what makes it so darn exasperating and fun at the same time.

There are some people who just have talent.  I am not fortunate in this area and my only way to improve is practice.  After reading Lanny Basham's With Winning in Mind some 8 years ago,  I truly felt I had an epiphany.  When other veteran shooters took on the roll of Match Director, I used to have the luxury of just practicing and showing up at a match.  Part of my practice was shooting 33 feet in my garage in Texas.  I used my TX200 and my Weaver KT15.  I would spend hours working on hitting those little animals.  Then, one day at a match, I had a bit of an out of body experience and my mind said "just put the reticle on the animal just like home" and I managed 10 rams with my 10m airgun.  Yup, that's 45 yards with a target airgun.  You could watch the pellet travel the last 10 yards and see the impact.  It was as if I was reliving a dream. In fact, I was reliving my many practice shots, and for a moment, I just let my trained body take over.

Lanny calls this the subconscious state.  I fully agree with what he puts forth and encourage others to read the material and develop their own understanding of what he is telling us.  Recently, found an article which is a bit more physiological than Lanny's psychological explanation.  This new to me article talks about the role of myelin and importance of training, quality training to teach the "nervous system" how to behave.  All of this was in response to the question of whether "wobble boards" were helpful or not.  This is akin to shooting with a heavy trigger and then hoping a light trigger will yield better results come match day. Or shooting a really heavy rifle and then shedding the weight for the match.  The point was, practice with something that is as similar to if not identical to your competition equipment.  The argument is that this reinforces, "strengthens" the neurosystem (myelin) system.  In short, it indirectly is telling us to not train by introducing "extremes" into our regimign.  Thus my effort to reduce weight in my gun.

This article is not intended for the casual "equipment centric" shooter.  This is intended for the shooter who maybe has hit a plateau and is looking to better understand what techniques are out there to aid them in climbing to the next level.

Here is the 2007 NYT article.

Here is the post which introduced this old NYT article.

Now if I could just find the Larisa Preobrazhenskaya of off hand shooting to tell me what I need to focus on to improve, I think it would all click.  But then I would have to learn Russian! 

10 meter air rifle match #5

Change is the only constant.  Time to minimize or at least manage change better!

I arrived to the match somewhat unenthusiastic.  Or, perhaps less intense.  Slice it either way you want to.  Heck, I am still trying to figure it out.  Get my gear, targets, spotting scope set up.  Pellets...hum, 50 H&N left in tin.  Then start on my supply of JSB.  Not perfect but tests (I thought) suggested JSBs were the best.

Put the gun up and crud!  I forgot I still had my 3.2mm insert in from my 10m silhouette challenge.  Damn!  My box of inserts were at home so here I am going smaller when my plan was to go larger.  Guess that underscores the fact I don't write down my match plan.  Too late now.  Trudge on with the small insert and learn from the experience.

To make a long story short, the small insert did not cause as much difficulty as I had expected.  I actually shot my best match of the season. Change seems to bring odd discoveries.  Now I have to process them.  Here are my key discoveries.

• Relax, don't try so hard.  Just shoot well with focus on position and correct what is wrong and do more of what feels right.
• Chicken finger goes away when I just shoot without high expectations.  
• At home practice works.  Working on white paper helps focus on position, NPA issues.
• I was "unfed" and just beginning to have the hunger feeling. Impact?
• After two bad shots, put gun down and walk away for a break.  Stop! 
• If the hold does not feel/look steady, rebuild position.  Again, STOP! 
• Don't switch pellets in the middle of a match.  Duh!
• At home practice works.....likely helped with chicken finger.

So, I think the results points to a general "unorganized" effort.  I think I am serious yet I am not.  If a smaller insert brings counter-intuitive results, pellet chaos, just think what a more organized, analytical, deliberate approach will yield?  Things to ponder.  Things to ponder.

Pellets.  Although I am the first to admit, remind myself, and then do both again, my 5th and 6th string of 20 shots with the JSB SCHaK was very different than my vintage H&Ns.  For the first 40 shots with the H&Ns my call and POI was scary accurate.  As I switched to the JSB, I found the exact opposite.  So much so I started to adjust my sights.  I became unsettled and now I need to re-test my pellet supply.  Sigh.  Poor organization?  Poor position and I was unable to correct?  Started to get tired?  Things to sort out.


2012-13 Season score log

#1 501 (81 81 84 85 82 88)
#2 515 (87 88 89 83 85 83) 11 7s or lower, 15 10x.  previous practice 1x
#3 485 (82 82 80 77 86 78) 19 7s or lower,  7 10x. Daisy pellets, reduced barrel weight.
#4 494 (88 74 87 88 76 81) 14 7s or lower, 11 10x. JSB SCHaK pellets. First Tuesday night. 12/11
#5 522 (89 88 90 88 82 88)  7 7s nothing lower, 11 10x. Many high value 9s! H&N + SCHaK

2011-12 Season score log

#1  515 (87 83 87 88 90 80)
#2  510  (85 89 85 86 82 83)
#3  532  (94 87 83 91 89 88)  (season high, 94/100 tied best ever 10 shots)
#4  530  (87 90 90 93 89 81)
#5  524  (86 84 88 91 85 90)  
#6  517  (88 85 88 87 90 79)
#7  524  (82 91 88 91 84 88)  

Personal Top three 600 scores.  Goal, 540.

539  (93 90 90 85 87 94).  11x 7 or lower, 22 10x.  11/??/08
532  (94 87 83 91 89 88)   3/??/12
530  (87 90 90 93 89 81)   3/??/12

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10 meter air match #4 and the dreaded "chicken finger"

Disgraceful.  More odd experiences at the range. 

Thoughts.  The first change was that due to a large turn out for Air Pistol on Monday nights, I said I would move Air Rifle (me) to Tuesday nights and see if we can grow the program.  So, new format, just me and one other shooter.  Not quite the intensity or focus of Monday nights. 

Next, I have been practicing at home.  I felt as though I have developed the mechanics to get into the right postion, NPA, etc to create a high value shot consistantly.  I was excited to put it to the test and felt 540 was a distinct possibility. Maybe too high an expectation.  As one advisor suggested, "don't be so worried about the score, focus on good execution."

To my delight and fear, the first three shots were 9s and 10s.  "WOW!  This realy does work I'm telling myself".  Then, out of no where, I put a snowbird on paper.  I little "quiver" as I made the shot and the night was over from a score perspective and my intensity drained out of my body.  56 shots to go!  I knuckeled down telling myself it is just one shot.  My first 10 was an 88, impressive since one shot gave up 6 points. Five more 88s would have been a 528. 

But, it would seem there were more birds in the flock and I landed two more in the white.  Bizzare.

My evaluation is "trigger tremor".  With a 3.7oz trigger and a 3.6mm insert, I think it is too much to put together for the "perfect" shot and nerves or trying to execute that 'perfect shot' which is more than I can manage.  I found THIS article useful and perhaps my effort to get the "perfect shot" creates more negative results than positive.  Yup, I am "Cheeken" to squeeze the trigger and I end up with a huge "ah crap".

So.  My shooting partner gave me some old steel Anschutz inserts and I am going to try 4.3mm and shoot one or two matches and then re-evaluate.  I don't want to change too many things too quickly.  But that 3.7 oz trigger may also be on the the "to do" list.


DATA

2012-13 Season score log

#1 501 (81 81 84 85 82 88)
#2 515 (87 88 89 83 85 83) 11 7 or lower, 15 10x.  previous practice 1x
#3 485 (82 82 80 77 86 78) 19 7 or lower,  7 10x. Daisy pellets, reduced barrel weight.
#4 494 (88 74 87 88 76 81) 14 7 or lower, 11 10x. JSB ScHAC pellets. First Tuesday night. 12/11
#5

2011-12 Season score log

Match #1  515 (87 83 87 88 90 80)
Match #2  510  (85 89 85 86 82 83)
Match #3  532  (94 87 83 91 89 88)  (season high, 94/100 tied best ever 10 shots)
Match #4  530  (87 90 90 93 89 81)
Match #5  524  (86 84 88 91 85 90)  
Match #6  517  (88 85 88 87 90 79)
Match #7  524  (82 91 88 91 84 88)  

Personal Top three 600 scores.  Goal, 540.

539  (93 90 90 85 87 94).  11x 7 or lower, 22 10x.  11/??/08
532  (94 87 83 91 89 88)   3/??/12
530  (87 90 90 93 89 81)   3/??/12

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TPM Dec 9th match #2 results

Ok, it has been 60 hours since the results were due in, more than my 24 hour stated objective.  I had a few distractions and I am only now getting to the results.  Niklas cut me a break and did not submit his results this week.  I know I can do better but keeping it together for 40 shots I find is a challenge.  Something to work on! 

Click on photo for quality image

We have two new members join in this prestigious event.  I am excited to have Emmett join us from Texas.  I have challenged him to drag some of my old Texas shooting buddies into the fray.  They after all are the guys I blame for getting me hooked on this silly sport in the first place.  And Tom has now put his new to him 603 to the test.  I got to see it last night and it is a beautiful gun.

Niklas submitted a picture of his 603RT for our consideration.  I find his range of the greatest curiosity since I can't get another airgun!  Getting air going here in the States is akin to getting Americans to ride a bike to work.  Some do and are passionate about it, yet the vast majority twist the ignition key daily.  Hopefully Niklas might post a comment with some additional info about his range.

I or John B. would be interested in how Emmett is affixing a scope to his LG55.  One big disadvantage we have up here in NH is there is no place to go see airguns set up.  So, send in pictures, we can learn VIRTUALLY!  Emmett, do you use your LG55 for 45 yard rams in Air Rifle Silhouette?  The left is a picture to what we envision is the best solution for putting scopes on older 10m guns.

Interesting to note we have 11 guns that "could" post scores in just two matches.  Just 6 submitted this week and I am an owner of two of the silent guns.

Next match, #3, due end of day, Jan 1st, 2013 to bring in the New Year.  Start early and get some good practice in!  Original match rules HERE. 

Old .177 pellet guns rule!

Creative scope solution on 10m gun

Not only is this a rare glimpse of a LH Anschutz 2002SSP, it also demontrates an ingenious marriage of old and new technology.  Where there is a will, there is a way!  Close up picture here.

So go ahead and get those 10m Silhouette postal scores in!

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10m air rifle training notes

First, the Board of Directors approved the dedicated use of the indoor 50 foot range for air rifle Tuesday nights.  This may not make the powder burners happy.  Hopefully we can all survive.  We will have a 10m air rifle club match every Tuesday night at 6 pm.  I would love to see some other folks join in so we can have some shoulder to shoulder friendly competition.  I believe there are two of us.  We have room for 6 more shooters!

Second, training session learnings.  More specically, three observations:

1. For the first time I shot at a blank target to "soak up" what my body was doing when I executed the shot and the impact on follow through.  I have read about this drill but never actually tried it.  I am sure there are many reasons to do this drill but here is what I learned.  I sometimes just barely grip the gun with my trigger (right) hand.  Almost akin to benchrest shooters who just touch the trigger.  I felt like I was having less "input" into the rifle when my trigger finger moved.  The negative is I have a weaker hold on the gun as a whole.  I then tried a full grip, light but full.  Based on my "blank target" it seemed to me the follow through and execution was much more stable with a full grip than a non grip.  This seems to be the result of "pulling the gun down" into my body vs. just having it balanced between shouder and forearm.
2. I also focused on complete body and head position with eyes closed.  Only after I find that comfy stable settled in position do I open my eyes.  (just like the book tells you to in order to fing NPA).  If I am off the target, I use the varioius techniques to adjust my POA by moving my entire body, not moving the gun with muscles.  This effort, although time consuming, really seems to settle things down and I have had some very long looks at a perfect sight picture (3.6 mm discussed later) and I could then work on a solid release.  9s and 10s when I did this right.  Something to remember. For more in depth reading about the benefit of NPA and follow through go HERE.
3. My front insert may be too small.  After shooting at a blank target, I began to create my own small "black hole" which I could see and aim for.  To my eye, the pellets were going in right on top of each other without much effort.  I mused that they were all 8s or better.  I then put up a target and promptly shot a 6.  My assesment, I try to hard for the perfect sight picture with my 3.6mm apperature and that contributes to "snatching" at the trigger when a rare "perfect" look presents itself.

These three observations are in order of confidence.  Meaning, I truly believe in #1 and found I was able to repeat the result from the different approach to the target.  The last observation I have less confidence in my evaluation of what I saw during the practice session.

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Part 3, so what MOA is a 10 value in a 10m Air Rifle bullseye?

This question I have asked myself a few times.

The size of the center dot is .5mm.  But, your pellet is 4.5mm in diameter.  To avoid splitting hairs or millimeters as is the case here, assume one must hold and execute a shot in a 4mm area using a "center to center" method of measurement.

Let's try the non calculator, non 2(Pi)r reasoning approach first.  Quick math tells you if you have to hold 4mm at 10 meters for a 10x, you have to hold 40mm at 100 meters as it is 10 times the distance.  40mm is 4cm or just a tad over 1.5".  Translation?  If you can score a 10 routinely in 10m Air Rifle, than your hold is equal to 1.5" at 100 meters which is more than adequate to take a smallbore ram.  But what does that mean at 40, 60 or 77 meters?  Here is where MOA brings value to the analytic shooter and lets you compare and contrast your ability at different distances, even 10m air rifle.

The worksheet above gives you the values of the various scoring rings from an MOA hold perspective.  If you are able to shoot an 8 or better each shot, your hold then is a 5 MOA hold.  But, is that good enough for a smallbore turkey?  Until now we have been working in friendly geometric shapes.  Silhouette animals are hardly equivalent to a bullseye. Using the link for PDF targets on my blog, you can look at a turkey with an MOA grid overlay.  Decide for yourself if a 5 MOA hold will work for you all of the time or some of the time.  Would a 3.3 MOA hold work?

In closing, you really have to have a fairly steady 9 hold or better for Turkeys.  Yet an 8 hold for Pig will work.  It is also interesting to see how accurate my quick math was were I estimated a 10 dot hold at 10 meters was worth a 1.5" at 100 meters.  Hopefully this will begin to come together for you so you can use it as a training tool to better understand your results. I think this will be the end of the MOA series.  If anyone thinks of a way to improve the utility of the material put forth, I am all ears.  I have no formal marksmanship training and all of this is from my own personal quest to understand what I need to do to improve.

PRACTICE not MATH I suspect is the answer!  I am hardly holding the 8 ring and I need to improve that!!

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Part 2, What's in a click?

While things are getting colder outside, things have been heating up on the email side of the blog.  Folks are exploring ways to get an indoor shooting rig set up for the 10m Silhouette challenge so they can be warm while they practice.  But, like anything that is worth doing, there are a few obstacles along the way.  Let's look at them as great learning opportunities and not a reason to skip it.

First on the list is focus.  Not all scopes are capable of focusing down to 33 feet.  But, there are a number that do.  The KT-15 does.  The Sightron 6-24x42 does even at full 24 power.  Even my Bushness Elite 4200 8-32x40 will focus at 20x.  Non EFR 6.5-20x40 Leupolds won't.  Before you tear apart your summer gun, make sure it works at 33 feet.  Some scopes will at their lowest power but not at a higher power.  See what you have.  Of course with an aperture you don't have this problem.

The next challenge is the scope's range of reticle adjustment.  The reason I wrote the MOA post was to create a better understanding of how a scope works and what the specifications truly mean.  Optics are far more complex an instrument than most users give them credit. Understanding what a click is on your scope and what that equates to in MOA and change of your POI on the paper or steel target is important.  I have presented the math, now let's understand what it means in the real world.

Hopefully my "top of barrel" and "imaginary circle at the 100 yard range" comparison made sense.  Bottom line, the "length" or "distance" of a MOA unit changes as you move out on the "radius" which is the distance between you and the object on which your scope is focused.  Obviously at 10 meters, a few clicks on your scope won't do much.  At 10m, 1 moa (four clicks) adjustment is only worth .11".  Or, 2.9mm at 10 meters for the civilized world!  My point, one click on a typical 1/4 moa scope is only going to move that pellet 3 mm!  Not much.

Scope specs.  When you are shooting at 100 yards, both the focus and the mechanical range of a basic scope is not that demanding. No surprise that marketeers make scopes that perform well in this common use but not so well in other less common uses.  Why add extra cost when you don't have to?  Read your scope's specs.  It might have a total "theoretical" range of 60 moa or less.  Old Leupold 6.5-20 have 90 and a Nightforce has 100 moa range.  The new Leupold 25x made for silhouette, only 40 moa.  Yuck.  I'm not suggesting you need these scopes to play the game.  I am just trying to illustrate there is a difference other than price.

You never want to be at the outer range of adjustment so it may only be 50 MOA or less that is usable.  If your scope is not "windage centered", this 50 MOA may be just 30 MOA.  People never experiment with their scope in this manner when it fact it can be quite educational at close range.  I recently put my Sightron through the test and was reminded how not all scopes are equal.  Max elevation range was just 6" at at 33".  Not much!  Specs tell me I have just 40 moa range in elevation. 

So, what is in a click?  At 10m, about .7mm.  Not much!  Now, how many clicks will your scope allow?  And, on the last 8 clicks, was the reticle even moving?  All these things can be explored and better appreciated by shooting at close range.  What is the effective operating range of your favorite scope?

For the 1/5th game you need to understand these things.  If you see your shot is under the rail at chickens, putting in 1 click is useless.  I might argue 1 click at chickens is useless period.  Is your gun and ammo really that accurate that a .11" adjustment will have any relevance?  Heck, 4 clicks, a full 1 MOA is still just 1/2 inch.  Get to rams, and a full MOA it is worth 1.15".  That is the point I wanted to make in this post.  What is a click really worth at the four distances we shoot!  Something important to understand when you feel like you broke on the animal but the bullet went elsewhere.

Good shooting!

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