Bullseye league update

[ljnowell]

So, I have been busy and havent updated much about this seasons shooting, but I had to share tonite. I have been in a slump the last month and just came out of it last week, shooting just a few points under my index. This week that all changed.

I set up on my slow fire target and my hands were a little shaky. I let the first one go and hit high on the target, in the white of the 6 ring. That made my heart start to flutter a bit, because I have had issues all year with slow fire. I stopped, sat the gun down, took several breaths with my eyes closed, then went back to it. I proceeded to put the next nine solidly in the black of the target. I have been trying a new strategy of not looking at my targets until the end of the match, when I check my scores, so I will give the scores at the end of the story.

On my timed fire target everything went well. The target turned, my dot was perfect on the bull and from the first shot the first round of five felt great. The second set of five, felt just as good, all in the black and I could see from the line the middle of the target took a lot of hits. Again, I didnt want to see the score.

On rapid fire I fired the first five and something great happened. It seemed like everything slowed down. When my dot recovered back to the target its like everything froze in place for me to make my shot. It felt like that for all 10 rounds. Like everything was slow motion and my shots couldnt miss.

At the end I when the scores were tallied I ended up with an 88 on slow fire, a 98 on timed fire, and a 95 on rapid fire. Yep, a 281, my highest score ever. I am on quite the shooting high right now, really enjoying the feeling.

This week it feels like all those weeks of 500 rounds a week or more in practice are finally paying off.

 

[Trent]

It's a great feeling when you accomplish a goal, congratulations! Bullseye is not an easy discipline, by any measure.

I nailed a Distinguished Expert level score in 2 of 3 rifle matches this weekend for the first time (usually shoot sharpshooter or expert level), so I'm still on a 'shooting high' too! I know what you are feeling - can't wait to get back out again, proud of what you've accomplished, but nervous that you might not repeat it again, all rolled in to one big, confused emotion.

 

[ljnowell]

It's a great feeling when you accomplish a goal, congratulations! Bullseye is not an easy discipline, by any measure.

I nailed a Distinguished Expert level score in 2 of 3 rifle matches this weekend for the first time (usually shoot sharpshooter or expert level), so I'm still on a 'shooting high' too! I know what you are feeling - can't wait to get back out again, proud of what you've accomplished, but nervous that you might not repeat it again, all rolled in to one big, confused emotion.

Wow, my congrats go out to you too, that's quite an accomplishment! Setting goals then achieving them feels great. At the onset of the season I said from day 1 that if I could break that 280 mark this season I would really feel like I accomplished something. This is, after all, only my second season and I am shooting a nearly stock 4" 686 with a 40 dollar tru-glo dot on top, lol. To make that really made me feel good.

Like you were saying though, now its that feeling of "oh boy, now I have to repeat it!" I told me wife(she went with me tonite for the first time in months, glad she was there to see it) tonite I shot good, but after tonite this week is over. Next week I have a zero right now. This week wont matter if I dont deliver next week. I can feel the butterflys in my stomach already, lol!

 

[Trent]

Wow, my congrats go out to you too, that's quite an accomplishment! Setting goals then achieving them feels great. At the onset of the season I said from day 1 that if I could break that 280 mark this season I would really feel like I accomplished something. This is, after all, only my second season and I am shooting a nearly stock 4" 686 with a 40 dollar tru-glo dot on top, lol. To make that really made me feel good.

Like you were saying though, now its that feeling of "oh boy, now I have to repeat it!" I told me wife(she went with me tonite for the first time in months, glad she was there to see it) tonite I shot good, but after tonite this week is over. Next week I have a zero right now. This week wont matter if I dont deliver next week. I can feel the butterflys in my stomach already, lol!

I'm trying not to get myself nervous over the next shoot. I've already got my excuses lined up. See, this month's match, we had absolutely perfect conditions. 75 and sunny, no wind whatsoever. You can't ask for better conditions for a rifle match.

So next month if I do bad I can blame it on the weather.

Also, another thing that probably contributed a great deal to my shooting that day, I stopped myself at one cup of coffee that morning (instead of my normal 2-3 cups). And I made sure I ate something for breakfast and lunch high in carbs to stem off the shakes from muscle fatigue.

Now, I've taken up jogging every other day to build up my cardio some, and get my base heart rate to drop a few points. I'm so out of shape (cardio wise) that I'm working my way in to it.. haven't ran in 20+ years so I can only make it about a half mile before I have to start walking.

That's to solve another issue - I noticed my pulse was pretty fast last time when I was doing the 300 yard shoot in F-Class. Need to slow that baby down some so I have more time to shoot between the heartbeats.

 

[243winxb]

281 Very good. Have an average? I had my ups and downs.

 

[ljnowell]

281 Very good. Have an average? I had my ups and downs

That 281 brought my index up to a 277. I'm proud of it, as its only my second season if this and I havent even stepped up to the high dollar equipment, though I may start shooting my 45 exclusively next season.

That 281 when put with my handicap got me high handicap this week too!

 

[Walkalong]

It's just like shooting Benchrest, or hitting a baseball, you have to relax and focus. Easier said than done. Those who have never shot under the pressure when every single shot counts with no mulligans don't really know.

But when you do well, there is no better feeling. It's like in the movie A League of Their Own where Tom Hanks said baseball is supposed to be hard, and that it was the hard that made it great.

Success at something easy is OK, but success at something very difficult is so very satisfying. The harder the task the more satisfying the success.

The first time I won an aggregate you couldn't knock the smile off my face with a 2X4.

 

[ljnowell]

It's just like shooting Benchrest, or hitting a baseball, you have to relax and focus. Easier said than done. Those who have never shot under the pressure when every single shot counts with no mulligans don't really know.

But when you do well, there is no better feeling. It's like in the movie A League of Their Own where Tom Hanks said baseball is supposed to be hard, and that it was the hard that made it great.

Success at something easy is OK, but success at something very difficult is so very satisfying. The harder the task the more satisfying the success.

The first time I won an aggregate you couldn't knock the smile off my face with a 2X4.

Yeah, getting the happy balance between relaxation and focus is difficult. Its like old saying goes Hurry up and slow down(how you shoot rapid fire).

I have shot IDPA and IPSC before, but Bullseye has really proven to be the most challenging for me. In fact, I have all but given up on shooting IDPA for the time being to focus on Bullseye. All my practice time at the range has been devoted to it. My uncle and I shoot in the league together on the same team and practice together three times a week, at least 200 rounds per practice. We setup and run the commands for each other and shoot over and over all three portions. Its worth all the work though, when you get to the point of making your goals.

My goal my first season was to make a 270, and I did. My goal at the start of this season was a 280, and I really felt it a stretch, but I made it. I sat in the clubhouse while all the other flights shot that night(about five more flights after ours) smiling and enjoying the congrats from everyone that looked at the scores. It really feels good and its better than anything else in the world. Now I am looking forward to that first 285!