Lost my touch

[WestKentucky]

It’s been few and far between for range trips recently. Today I got a chance to spend time on the trigger so I brought out some new stuff and 3 workhorses that I intend to hunt with. I could not hit squat.

336 new scope, 3” sticker target on cardboard box. Never cut sticker. But was all around it. I was shaky. I’m calling it good enough to hunt at 100 or so. Barely. I’m not happy with it but it will work.

6.8 ar15. Also new scope. Only had time to get it on paper. Got it centered but ran out of time to get elevation set. It needs to come up so I might just make a WAG adjustment and try it next time.

Contender 7-30 offhand I was hitting the 3” sticker at 50 yards and rested across a tree limb I was hitting the sticker at 100. The hardest gun to hit with is what I could hit with. Very frustrating.

Rhino 200ds- first time out and I love it. 10 yards I was cutting a hole the size of a half dollar shooting double action at a decent pace. Single action I was 2 inches left and a smaller group, but I really like the gun and will be keeping it.

UTAS Xtr12. Magazine issues. I have 3 mags but only brought 1. It has issues with extraction but with magazine removed it slings the hulls about 30 ft away. I really like this gun. It needs an optic, trying to figure out what I want to put on it.

I just really wish I wasn’t so shaky anymore. A lot of it is that I don’t get much practice anymore but I’m shakier than ever which is a side effect of my medications (asthma, allergies, etc).

 

[skeeterfogger]

Be that way sometimes. Perhaps you were a bit excited since you haven't been out in a while. Sometimes when I haven't been out much I plink with a scoped pellet rifle at home. No, it's not the same but It does provide an opportunity to keep shooting posture in check.
Try some relaxation meditation for the shakes. A little chance to slow your body down. Regulate breathing to a relaxed state and get the heart rate down.

 

[Outlaw75]

You had an off day, everyone does. I went last week after a month's layoff and hit the 10 ring on my first shot with my M&P Shield. I pulled the second shot and then spent the rest of my time over thinking, over compensating and managing to hit just about everything on the range but the target. Don't psych yourself out!

 

[brasscollector]

It's been too long since I've been out. With the range being closed at times, the whole run on ammo/components I spent most of the summer enjoying other hobbies. First time back out will likely be with a new 300PRC boomer, so I imagine I will be all over the place too. Either way, it will just be nice to be back at the range behind a scope.

 

[doubleh]

You had an off day, everyone does. I went last week after a month's layoff and hit the 10 ring on my first shot with my M&P Shield. I pulled the second shot and then spent the rest of my time over thinking, over compensating and managing to hit just about everything on the range but the target. Don't psych yourself out!

I'll agree about the off days and I will point out that the older you get the more of them you will have. I have found that just taking a little break, drinking some coffee, and relaxing helps sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. If it's just one of those days when things aren't going right and nothing helps I just quit and go home. Frustration just makes things worse and there is no use in wasting ammo.

 

[Thomasss]

Actually I read if you want to relax, sip some beer. Problem is if you drink too much it can has the opposite affect.

 

[Obturation]

Actually I read if you want to relax, sip some beer. Problem is if you drink too much it can has the opposite affect.

I don't recommend it .

We all have off days. Breathe deep a couple minutes and relax your grip, shoot something light to get warmed up and take your time. I don't shoot well if I'm trying to do too many things. I get shakey when I'm getting tired, I get tired from shooting hard recoiling guns, I do that last typically. I'm no pro shooter though so I may be way off

 

[bikerdoc]

At 72, I found out I need to do a few reps of curls and other arm exercises with a 2 lb weight in each hand every day to keep that from happening

 

[whughett]

I’ve be shaky for years. I don’t try to hold the target just keep focused on the point of aim and squeeze the trigger slowly until the gun fires. With hand guns it’s the front site, Reddots the dot and cross hairs on a scope. I find if I chase the bullseye it’s just worse.

 

[Hartkopf]

I hate to go down the eat like a hippie road but I’ve had SEVERE allergies and Crohn’s disease. (asthma as a kid) Gluten free reduces inflammation and my system is also chemical sensitive so I eat organic chicken, egg and beef. No processed meat ever. No artificial colors ever. I’ve been off of all meds for many years now. It takes a couple of years of commitment but lots of problems can be solved when you don’t eat processed crap.

 

[AK103K]

At 72, I found out I need to do a few reps of curls and other arm exercises with a 2 lb weight in each hand every day to keep that from happening

Dry fire every day, and with a number of different things, goes a long way at helping keep those "shooting muscles" in tone. Especially those trigger muscles.

We all have off days, no matter how much you shoot. It is what it is, and its also a learning expereince. Most of the time I do something wrong, I know I did it, right when it happened, and it wasnt the guns fault.

Those Rhinos are something, arent they.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Yes, my shooting has been off lately. Reviewed all the steps, sight alignment, breath control, trigger control, etc.
Then the lightbulb started to glow. Found my appointment card for my last eye exam. It was in 2001.

 

[JR24]

I always bring a rifle and a pistol. If I'm shaky on the rifle, I usually have a great pistol day. If I'm off with the pistol, I'm usually dead on with the rifle.

Rarely am I poor (or great) with both on the same day, for whatever reason.

 

[Riomouse911]

We all have good range days and bad range days. I will say that the lack of regular range visits does amplify my errors quite a bit .

Stay with it, your next trip will be better!

Stay safe.

 

[792mauser]

Shooting my 22s at 100 yds really brings into focus what I've been neglecting.

 

[WestKentucky]

Thanks guys. It’s hard not having a place I can shoot regularly. I need to work on cardio as well because walking the target line 30 times or so had me winded. I was rushed and made a dumb decision to allow extra operator error by not using a bench or a shooting stand. Since I’m hunting I wanted to shoot tested off trees and whatnot like I will when actually hunting. My next chance to shoot may be thanksgiving so I have some work to do til then. The 22 I can shoot at home with colibri ammo will get me back in the trigger game. 22s will be used in place of the centerfires until I can get rifles truly sorted out properly.

 

[mmb617]

I'm not a hunter so if I'm not terribly accurate it's not a big deal. I do get a lot of range time and usually go once a week but I'm well aware that I'm no marksman. I just enjoy shooting and of course I want to do it well but I don't get down on myself if I don't have a particularly good day. At 69 my eyes aren't too good and I'm not real steady, that's just how it is. I thought I was doing ok shooting my AR at 100 yds so I tried some shots at 200 and 300 yds. Let's just say there's lots of room for improvement in those longer ranges.

I rarely shoot my pistols at more than 10 yds and if I can get all my shots on an 8" plate at that distance I'm happy. If I ever had to actually defend myself it would probably be at close range and I'd hope the thousands of rounds I've sent downrange with my pistols would lend me a familiarity with the weapon that would work in my favor.

 

[jhb]

I always had a kinda shaky grip. the older I get the worse it gets. is what it is. luckily my arthritis hasn't stopped me from shooting yet, but I can see that coming down the pipe.