My first club match is coming up this Saturday. I’ve been able to put in some practice time and last night I did a 60 shot practice match at paper silhouettes. I shot a 16 of 60. I know I’m just barely into this game and after putting 700-800 rounds through my new CZ I’m just starting (barely) to understand things like trigger creep, anticipating the shot etc. One thing that has stood out in my practice, whether shooting at the 4 distances or shooting at 50 yards, my shots favor low and to the right. I’m having some difficulty figuring out why this is. I know if I approach the target from below I’m more likely to make a low shot. Approaching the target from above seems to help a little. Also turning my stance more the left has helped a little but I’m not sure where else I should be thinking about?

Try working on your trigger finger placement ( I am assuming you are shooitng right handed), SQUEEZE with the middle of the pad on your trigger finger , not the tip or into the first joint.
How tight are you gripping with your trigger hand? Too much pressure will also accent a jerk of the trigger.
Try placing a dime on the barrel and squeezing the trigger (on an empty case) and see if the dime falls off, try to get where the dime does not fall off. This is something you can do to practice trigger squeeze (even while watching tv etc with a pistol (unloaded of course). When doing it with a rifle it also forces some of the training with follow through, which is what I am alluding to on shot anticipation.

If you are shooting left handed and dropping low and right, then we will look into anticiaption of the shot, etc.
!6X 60 is nothing to be upset about on the first time out...quite good in fact.
Mary

Upset? No, I'm thrilled to have hit anything at all! LOL

I do shoot right handed. My natural grip is three fingers under and my thumb pointing up across the back of the stock. This puts the first third of the tip of my finger on the trigger. I don't really grip around the stock with my thumb, just enough to stablize the rotation of the rifle. I have tried my finger in the middle but I have to think about rotating my hand to do so. I can't say if it made a difference or not. I'll give the dime trick a try ,not loaded of course (me or the gun).

Another thing to watch for is consistency in hand placement, including thumb, I tend to use various points on the rifle (ex. center of the bolt aligned with the thumb)to verify that my hand placement is the same.

Good luck on you next match.

Mary

I shoot low and to the right whenever I jerk the trigger instead of pulling the trigger smoothly.
My trigger jerk is so consistent that I can get good groups low and to the right.

Finprof...I was trying to be politically correct with my words....no using the j term!!!! Besides if he shot left handed the low and right would be a different problem.

Innocent

low and to the right......mmmmm let me see..

Mary,

I tried the dime trick, short of a bomb going off the dime doesn't move. In the process I did discover that if I don't have all three fingers planted on the stock, when I squeeze the trigger my hand moves the riffle. May be on to something.....

J-

jbolt wrote:Mary,

I tried the dime trick, short of a bomb going off the dime doesn't move. In the process I did discover that if I don't have all three fingers planted on the stock, when I squeeze the trigger my hand moves the riffle. May be on to something.....

J-

Make sure the trigger finger is touching only the trigger and no other part of the trigger guard. In high power we call it dragging wood if your trigger finger is touching the stock or the trigger guard.
Regards, Ray

J, try to get into a position that the rifle is balanced in your hold, so that you do not need any pressure from the trigger hand. Smallbore will not push out of position with recoil....but also remember to relax the six pack (stomach muscles), so that you are not dropping the shot when it has broken.

Mary

Innocent wrote:J...but also remember to relax the six pack (stomach muscles), so that you are not dropping the shot when it has broken.

Mary

Gee, that part has never been a problem for me Mary...

PC Mary. Now that's funny.

my money is on canting.

Well I survived my first match. That was fun, what a hoot! I shot a 17, 5 chickens, 5 pigs, 4 turkeys and 3 rams. One of the experienced shooters spotted for me and most of my misses were left, right or high. I was a little dissapointed with my rams as I did better than that in practice. Anyhow with the first time jitters out of the way I hope to do better next time!

You don't get to manage the pace in a match like you do in practice, so fatigue and focus can become factors.