Help with "HOW" to shoot

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mageepeak
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Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by mageepeak »

Hello shooters,

I've lurked here for some time. I've taken up .22 silhouette last year and quit from frustration. I'm back at it this year and still no "ting" often. I've searched for instruction on stance, hold, aiming and trigger-nada. Can anyone help or point me in a good direction for help?

I'm a shooter and win .22 pistol and .22 bench rest matches. No understand the fundamental of hitting these little #$%^. Interesting, I shot a 10 last week with 4 turkeys-go figure. Any help is appreciated.

Brad
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SteveD
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by SteveD »

Rifle Silhouette is the hardest shooting sport there is. In shooting a 10 you are a better shot than 99.99% of all the shooters in the world.

If you are in the Phoenix area let me know and I will take you to Ben Avery. If not, talk to some of the more experienced shooters in your area.

Silhouette is like Yogi Berra described baseball, it is 90% mental, the other half is physical. LOL
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twidpa
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by twidpa »

While waiting on your answer, safely insert spent brass case in your chamber and dry fire 10 times at a safe spot or target. Replace with another spent case for another 10 dry fire shots. Each shot watch your front sight or cross hairs and try to limit their movement before, during and after your shot. Sounds simple but that will help till you get more personal attention. Do this each night between matches till you get better scores.
Try it.
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acorneau
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by acorneau »

When I was starting out I received a lot of good advice from other shooters at my club. I also got some good info from this ISSF website: http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/acad ... rifle.ashx

The biggest thing is practice, practice, practice. Dry-fire and holding exercises to get your mechanics figured out. Shoot paper targets to keep track of your shots. Shoot in club matches to get practice "under pressure".

Lastly, make sure you're having fun!
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mageepeak
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by mageepeak »

Thank you and I read some of the reference material. I'll study the rest and practice position and dry firing. Time to go shoot with the fellas. I'm the only one young (60) enough to set targets. I walk the mile ( 8 x 200 meters).
mageepeak
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by mageepeak »

OK, I re-read the Olympic position stuff and I have a lot of work to do to get it to be habit. I shot a whopping 6 last night and 2 turkeys. I think my concentration is more on the hardest target and teaching me early on to concentrate. So, work to be done. Thank you. (Personal best next week).
thauglor
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by thauglor »

I was told by an experienced shooter to focus practicing on the chickens and javalinas, no worry (not as much at least) about the wind moving the bullet and are bigger, so all the basics can be practiced. I have bought a set of smallbore chickens and javalinas as a result.

That is a lot of walking, get yourself a bike or a quad to do it with :)
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by Doodaddy »

As a benchrest shooter myself I can tell you from experience that you trade one frustration for another shooting silhouette. (By the way, let me know how Marty/Earnest's tuner works for you.) You go from chasing ammo to chasing yourself. Pick your poison.

In benchrest, it's primarily about equipment preparation/maintenance and then doing your part with the wind which is an IF THIS then THIS type situation regarding your flags. Some are better than others, but everyone is physically capable of holding properly on the bench; it's just a matter of understanding what your flags are doing. The biggest headache and the most endless headache is ammo with benchrest. You'll chase it the rest of your life and you'll never have enough of it. That's hardly in your control. It involves a tremendous amount of time, money, and luck. The luck part plays the biggest role. The money and time are just enablers for you to gamble finding the lot that shoots outstanding in your rifle.

With silhouette, it's less about the minutiae of fractional accuracy gains as it is shooter performance. Obviously the more accurate the rifle is, the more preferable, but there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to increased accuracy in this particular game.

You can test ammo unceasingly for benchrest or you can practice your hold and trigger pull unceasingly for silhouette. I don't mean to sound negative, just trying to be as to the point as I can be. Silhouette is very similar to golf. It's about consistent repetition. It took me a while to accept that. I always expected over time and gained experience that my hold would eventually minimize to virtually nothing and thought that's how the high scores were shot: it's not. Sure your hold will stabilize, but it's more about timing your trigger break and your follow through during that process. That's the key to increasing scores. You get that from dry firing over and over.

I've recently decided I had more control over my performance in silhouette than benchrest (not to mention a local silhouette community) and have started selling my way out of benchrest. I have been shooting too many disciplines and was mediocre at best in all of them. Tired of being stretched thin.
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by teetertotter »

When shouldering for Silhouette, I TRY and make sure the butt is Firmly planted against the shoulder, which gave me the follow through that I needed. The past 2 years, I attend the weekly matches, when I feel up to it, with some health issues. I am not giving up on SB Silhouette, as would miss the interaction/comradery and fun of seeing some animals topple. I can walk out and set the chickens, call the match, set the clock, sweep up the casings, and shoot. As any sport, you have to enjoy it and have FUN!
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DavidABQ
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by DavidABQ »

I have had the good fortune to attend the shooting clinic following this year's SB Silhouette Nationals. It was an eye opening experience.
If you have the opportunity to attend next year's Nationals take the time the following day to attend the clinic.
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by Jerry G »

It was put on by 3 of the top shooters in the USA.
teetertotter
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by teetertotter »

Was Greg[Not Connor, lol] one of them? Who were they?
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DavidABQ
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by DavidABQ »

teetertotter wrote:Was Greg[Not Connor, lol] one of them? Who were they?
Lets see, in alphabetical order:

Dave Bonner
Mark Pharr
Bill Motl
Cathy Winstead-Severin

Of course Mr. Chris Winstead conducted the clinic.
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kd5zmg
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by kd5zmg »

Don't forget John Neihouse.
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DavidABQ
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Re: Help with "HOW" to shoot

Post by DavidABQ »

kd5zmg wrote:Don't forget John Neihouse.
~x(

Thanks Mark.

My apologies to Mr. Jailhouse for not mentioning him.
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