Tips on Pistol Shooting

[brihacharan]

hell guys
have been out of circuit initially due to heavy office commitments and then because my wife underwent a surgery. she is presently on bedrest and i am managing everything food, tiffins etc.
jitu

Hi Jitu,
> Here's wishing your wife a 'speedy recovery'....
> I was in a similar situation a few years ago & can well empathize with your predicament...
Best wishes,
Briha

[amarinder]

hows every body?? I am fine....but not happy with the progress in shooting as there is lack of momentum in training due to no proper range.Currently,I shoot in open terrace with regular gusts of winds from sides ..

I am facing an issue..when I raise the pistol and raise it above the target, my fore sight and either dipping or way left or right from the axis. I have to pause for 1-2 secs to align the sights and then lower it. Is that normal or I am wrong? How to correct it??

[tirpassion]

Lock your wrist amarinder and then sée where the front site is wrt the rear sight.
Locking the wrist = applying tension to your forearm muscles as if you are trying to flex your biceps with your arm extended in shooting position.

Tirpassion

[amarinder]

thanks boss for replying..I realized that while raising, i need to focus on sights and not on the target .That way its lot aligned..


btw, while practising, my arm musceles become fatigued and loose stability after firing 30 shots. I know stamina can ba increased by pushing limits week after week. But any dumbbells exercises that can speed up arm- stamina wouls be welcome...kindly advice

[tirpassion]

thanks boss for replying..I realized that while raising, i need to focus on sights and not on the target .That way its lot aligned..


btw, while practising, my arm musceles become fatigued and loose stability after firing 30 shots. I know stamina can ba increased by pushing limits week after week. But any dumbbells exercises that can speed up arm- stamina wouls be welcome...kindly advice

Figure 8 exercise, figure 8 exercise, figure 8 exercise and again figure 8 exercise and again and again until it becomes a habit until no reminder is needed.

I wonder how many of you really do the fig 8 exercise regularly. Would you please admit honestly?

Best regards

Tirpassion

[amarinder]

will do. I used to but doing the technique was too tempting but now I practice technique only in morning. In evenings from now on, its drills only.
Regards and bye bye.....

[jitu sati]

hey tir
after a long lay off i too have started with fig 8s. honestly spking i am finding even doing that difficult. need to get back into shape after the long layoff. any suggestions for getting back into shooting shape
jitu

[hvj1]

Folks, good to see this topic moving, so i'll just add my tuppence worth;
1. To begin with, i still haven't got hold of a FP, so decided to start AP shooting again. Ordered a new Morini grip, fitted it to my wife's AP . Next got a electrical target system from Vishwajeet; got that fitted. Then got hold of carpenters and other technicians and got my AP indoor shooting range ready, (well almost).

2. After a month's physical fitness, started off with dry practice.

3. Technical: I practise only 'Rhythm" shooting (what's that?) 45 shots in 18 minutes flat. Once I take the grip, I don't change it till i have fired off 15 to 20 shots (first dry and then live).

a. I practise only 'Follow through'. My shot breaks in 1-3 seconds.
b. Goal is to shoot 150 shots in a session, while on my way to do achieve this, I will learn how much physical fitness is required and so, will go on increasing my fitness regime as per requirement.
c. Two sessions are planned in a day. I am not sure when i will achieve this, nor have I bothered to set any goal (timewise), since I am shooting for fun and not for taking part in any competition.

[hvj1]

45 shots in 18 minutes!!!, I am sure this must be the question uppermost in your minds, the other questions which may also collide simultaneously may be as follows;
1. What about SA?
2. What about clear and sharp SP?
3. What about SOA?
4. What about blah, blah blah?
Awaiting your esteemed response gents.

[tirpassion]

That is great Sir!

Great to know that you are with the AP now. Those who shoot AP will get some first hand knowledge of what the Guru is actually doing.

I will try to answer your question briefly.
'When all the blah blah take care of themselves why bother about them?'

best regards
tirpassion

[hvj1]

'When all the blah blah take care of themselves why bother about them?'

tirpassion

For all of you out there, now you know why I hold Tirpassion in such high esteem. Please do think over what he has said, think deeply, above all understand the attitude and approach to shooting.
Now does that mean that we throw fig.8 exercises outta the window?
No! Fig 8 exercises are for the novices, once you know, precisely how much strength is required, you can transfer it into heavy sessions of shooting, by this I mean, 90, 120, 150 shots per session. if your wrists starts going wobbly dobbly, get back to specific wrist training exercises off which fig.8 is one off them.
Get it?

Now to expand further on Tirpassion's one liner.
As of now, this is the approximate percentage levels;
1. SA about 30%
2. SP about the same
3. Grip about 40 %
4. Stance and balance about 45%
5. First pull trigger timing 30%
5. Second pull trigger break 85% ( 1to 3 seconds shot breaks)
6. AA follow through 40%
7. Breathing synch with pistol lift and Ist and IInd trigger pull 60%
(Sorry, above is not in sequence)
But I KNOW all the above will click into place. Now that is confidence arising out of years of training and coaching. But then whats STOPPING YOU Pal from doing the same?
If you have been shooting for well nigh a year, then obviously you KNOW what all the above mentioned elements are. not only that, BUT you also know what works for YOU!
1. Do you know how to shoot a 10? ( Off Course you do, you've bloody done it a thousand times)
2. have you written down the SOA which helps you to shoot a 10?
3. Do you THINK that it is EASY to shoot a 10? And that you can easily repeat it again and again? No! Why Not?

So fellas, when I practise , I have an extremely EASY way to shoot a 10? AND that is what I practise and importantly have FUN doing it.

[brihacharan]

hvj1 wrote...
So fellas, when I practice , I have an extremely EASY way to shoot a 10? AND that is what I practice and importantly have FUN doing it.
OMG - You have said it all "In One Sentence"
Reminds me of "Vedic Sanskrit Couplets" - Just two lines - But they lead to a big thesis being written & debated
My salutations!
Briha

[hvj1]

Bihaji
Thank you Sir.
Now to expand on the above statement;
When I was shooting for a year or so, like everybody else, I had this burning desire to one day shoot at the Olympics and blaze my way to glory. BUT...
There was nobody to guide me at that crucial stage. AND...I was in a tearing hurry to get there...
I remember (now with a wry smile), that when I used to shoot 60-70 shots, I thought I had really worked hard for the day. Remember it is all a MENTAL thing.For starters I had no idea how much one must shoot in a practice session in order to reach the highest level. It was much later that I learnt, that at the very least 90 shots was ok. AND... much later, I learnt that the top notch shooters, practice 150 or more shots per session and shoot TWO sessions in a day.
Obviously there is a huge difference between 60 shots and 150 shots. The first thing is the MENTAL acceptance of the fact and thereafter, the physical fitness to achieve that many shots in a day. MIND you, without INJURY.
The next most important thing was to shoot almost ALL the 300 shots CORRECTLY.
Which means, you must know HOW TO SHOOT a 10. And you have to break your shot sequence in a clear SOA, WHICH must be practised again and again WITHOUT DEVIATION for the 300 odd shots.

[airgun_novice]

And just when the I thought the river had run dry - there it gushes, in full spate !!!

Guruji, Thank you for the explanation; it voided a personal trip to Brihji's 'charan'. I wondered how to get to the Vedant part when I hadn't even started on the Ved in the first place. Also, I must confess I was 50-50 with the "blah blah blah" riddle. And then I thought "Since I am not cracking it - WHY BOTHER ?" Well, at least I got that "Why Bother ?" part right ! But first things first.

Upacharyaji, I plead guilty to *not* doing the Fig 8 and now when I tried it, I am hopelessly out of sync; I had never achieved 100% earlier mind it, but think it must have fallen to 50% or thereabouts now. Now a bit of update - I scored my personal highest of 502* (the star is for "NOT OUT" as you can very well see ) - no, not out of 600 points but in mg/dl and then brought in under control in next two days. Haven't drunk a sugar soda since. Too much involved in "ghar-gruhasti" but practiced for a while at the range before the first MAWC this year. Had to play 60 shots match - all factors were OK but for personal as follow:

1. Biggest blunder was that I did not take the match too seriously and till the day was not very enthused about participating either. With "To Be or Not To Be", I would have made the Dan Hamlet proud.
2. Next was that I removed the foresight blade and practiced only with the ramp at the range and so decided to do the same at the match.
3. Practiced at the range in jeans and sneakers !!! At match it was the tracks and the other set of shoes.
4. Hogged on vast quantity of "sabudana khichadi" earlier in the morning. It always causes me gas and acidity and yet I always love it. It's the only thing with roasted peanuts that I can tuck and yet suffer. As the match was at 1715, thought it would be digested and done with - was I wrong !
5. I started off at 1500 and boy ! Was I scorched just driving to MRA from Thane.
6. Lots of thoughts came in mob every now and then and neither could I control them nor could I clear my mind and sink into the shunya for those few moments lie I usually can.

Resultant ? 510/600 with one in # 5 and two in #6. At the range prax I counted 533 two days earlier, so was hopeful of doing better. Alas ! Not so... Hope this does not sound as a rant fest - just updating. Ironically, my SOA was 70% but it did not translate into good or desired shots. Missed many #9 and #10 by mm here and there but most #10s that I hit were inner ones. That was the good take away.

Now that the things are heating up in Mumbai (pun intended), and the fact that the range is closed for renovation, am taking a break. Stepping up on the meditation and pranayam part in the interim. Feeling much better. Also have reduced the non-veg intake. Added a few grams of saw dust + fevicol to the grip and re-attached the foresight blade. Plan to go with family to UK - May 3-12; so will resume practice upon return. By "UK" I meant "Nainital/ Ranikhet/ Corbett -> Uttarakhand".

BTW, guruji - you serious about 300 pops/ day; everyday ??? I was contemplating 100 shots/ day for about 2-3 days/ week after return. Should they be on proper face of the target or the back blank side ?

Now, as Brihji advised, I shall try to shed off 3-5 kg till mid-May. srun. Off to

regs
A.

[brihacharan]

Remember it is all a MENTAL thing & the physical fitness to achieve that many shots in a day.
The next most important thing was to shoot almost ALL the 300 shots CORRECTLY.
Which means, you must know HOW TO SHOOT a 10. And you have to break your shot sequence in a clear SOA, WHICH must be practiced again and again WITHOUT DEVIATION for the 300 odd shots.

hvj1,
This above 'GEM" of yours reminded me of what the famous American Football Coach "Paul Bryant" said about winning:
"It's not the will to WIN that matters
Everyone knows that,
It's the will to prepare to WIN that matters"

AGN - are you all ears?
Briha