Zen and the art of shooting
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That is simply calling the shot. Don't about other shooting sports, but being in the zone while shooting IPSC is pretty hard to describe. I'll give it a shot (no pun intended). Think of being in the zone as experiencing pure shooting, devoid of judgement, conscious thoughts, and expectations, while remaining aware of everything happening in your realm of focus at the instant it happens. There is no trying, just doing.
Hocka Louis
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It is more than being "in the zone" methinks. That means you had a good day to most people.
It is an out of body experience. Not really hearing. Yes, you know where the shot is going to land. It is watching yourself shoot trap, knowing exactly how imperfect you were, but still not being able to miss. It is shooting highpower service rifle and smelling your skin burn from someone's case on your neck but not moving out of position. It is holding on a particular target at 600 yards that suddenly starts moving, taking a lead, following it perfectly, and then snapping a round that hits dead center. It is following a droping bird at 70 yards, breaking it just before it hits the ground, and honestly wondering why everyone laughs in astonishment.
It is an out of body experience. Not really hearing. Yes, you know where the shot is going to land. It is watching yourself shoot trap, knowing exactly how imperfect you were, but still not being able to miss. It is shooting highpower service rifle and smelling your skin burn from someone's case on your neck but not moving out of position. It is holding on a particular target at 600 yards that suddenly starts moving, taking a lead, following it perfectly, and then snapping a round that hits dead center. It is following a droping bird at 70 yards, breaking it just before it hits the ground, and honestly wondering why everyone laughs in astonishment.
SharpsDressedMan
member
"Be the bullet" 
CapnMac
Member
Ah, but if you can define it, it is not Zen.
Which can probably be beautifully written in Japanese, and less well in our brutish amalgam of anglo-saxon and old norman french.
Japanese archery (kyu-do, IIRC) takes as a premise that it is the art of shooting arrows without (the effort of) shooting them. Which is the product of a great deal of concentration, and thousands of repetitions.
A person who applies concentration and thousands of repetitions to any task will built up a "muscle memory" which, if allowed, frees up some portion of that person's perception. That freed-up perception will notice/focus upon new or previously unseen things.
In shooting, when you get to the point that the sight alignment is automatic; the front sight mostly a blur, you can "see" all sorts of other things going on.
This, from not being "busy" with the "Uh, there's the rear sight, where's the front sight; oh, it's to the left; where's the target now; wait, the sight is not aligned; shoot, this thing dances around a lot; where'd that sight go again" sort of hectic process.
Instead, it's
"Target in sight; draw; weapon comes up--note the mirage, is that a shadow on the target, etc.; arms and weapon come up; sights come on target; SHOT; see target, examine peripheral vision; see hole in target; repeat."
Or words to that effect, since no mere words can describe the sound of one hand clapping.
Which can probably be beautifully written in Japanese, and less well in our brutish amalgam of anglo-saxon and old norman french.
Japanese archery (kyu-do, IIRC) takes as a premise that it is the art of shooting arrows without (the effort of) shooting them. Which is the product of a great deal of concentration, and thousands of repetitions.
A person who applies concentration and thousands of repetitions to any task will built up a "muscle memory" which, if allowed, frees up some portion of that person's perception. That freed-up perception will notice/focus upon new or previously unseen things.
In shooting, when you get to the point that the sight alignment is automatic; the front sight mostly a blur, you can "see" all sorts of other things going on.
This, from not being "busy" with the "Uh, there's the rear sight, where's the front sight; oh, it's to the left; where's the target now; wait, the sight is not aligned; shoot, this thing dances around a lot; where'd that sight go again" sort of hectic process.
Instead, it's
"Target in sight; draw; weapon comes up--note the mirage, is that a shadow on the target, etc.; arms and weapon come up; sights come on target; SHOT; see target, examine peripheral vision; see hole in target; repeat."
Or words to that effect, since no mere words can describe the sound of one hand clapping.
BCRider
Member
It's funny but I often tell new or low time shooters that doing well with any handgun involves some Zen attitude.
Some days I'm "in the zone" and it feels like I'm in slow motion but do well. Then there's other times where I feel like I'm chasing the sights all over and did crappy but I end up with all "down 0's" in IDPA or all Alphas at IPSC. Seems like it's hard to call.
Some days I'm "in the zone" and it feels like I'm in slow motion but do well. Then there's other times where I feel like I'm chasing the sights all over and did crappy but I end up with all "down 0's" in IDPA or all Alphas at IPSC. Seems like it's hard to call.
The zone in shooting is allowing your subconscious to see the aligned sights appearing on the target and cuing the trigger press without a conscious mental command. You learn it through dry fire, check out the third link in my signature. It doesn't cost anything but time, not even ammo
If you know, you're not there...it isn't about the bullet, and it certainly isn't about hitting the target, it is about seeing the sight at the moment the shot breaks. Folks can call their shots by focusing on it...that isn't being in the zone. The zone is effortless
mortablunt
Member
Zen is the warmth in your fingers when you know you are perfectly on target.
Does anybody get to the state where using the gun seems to be instinctual, as in they didn't even have to be told, instructed, or think of what to do?
Does anybody get to the state where using the gun seems to be instinctual, as in they didn't even have to be told, instructed, or think of what to do?
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AethelstanAegen
Member
I'd always really enjoyed this aspect of archery (sort of a release when I somehow know it will my target) and I didn't think there would be much of it in shooting. I just somehow saw firearms are more mechanically aimed and thus less intuitively aimed than an arrow from a bow. I was incorrect. I think the muscle memory does play an important part but there it a certain amount of effortless concentration which is rather hard to describe. Perhaps it would be best described as very much focused on the present, with extraneous information ignored, and basically "at one" with the firearm. It's very different then concentration that seems to require effort...I think confidence seems to help as you're perhaps better able to trust in your muscle memory, etc. It's hard to describe but way cool when it happens.
Have only been "in the zone" a coupla times, but the only way I could describe it was like being The Terminator. I made myself a machine. It was just the gun and following every step to the letter to make each shot that perfect shot. To be sure, they weren't ALL perfect shots, but my score was much higher on those days. Front sight, front sight, slow squeeze, no flinching, BANG, trigger reset, repeat.
FROGO207
Member
Yep as was stated, like in CaddyShack "Be the ball." or as in our case "Be the bullet". It is the instantanious sight picture that you get with the bullet heading to the exact center of the target---or not, that you get when the firearm fires. Your mind records it--then recoil takes over.
Kingcreek
Member
I competed back in the 80's. shot a lot of everything I could get my hands on, had a personal rifle coach, trained with some high profile shooters. When it happens, its almost more like being a spectator than a participant in the action- things are almost happening on thier own with no effort. its not a diminished conciousnous but a hyper-conciousnous. I found that for me personally, it was easier to attain with a shotgun and flying moving targets. My shotgun coach was big on unanticipated targets. he controlled the launch as I shot, loaded, shot and the faster I hit and aquired, the faster we moved all over the skeet range and the faster the targets came until it was flowing.
Ah, being in the zone, yes. The ability to clear one's mind of all of the everyday problems and worries that plague us and just focus on the issue at hand. To put ourselves outside of our everyday existance and be the bullet.
The best example I can think of is that of bowling, I suck at that, but every now and then a calm takes over, and the musscles move on their own and someone other than me is in my body and the ball finds it's own way to the sweet spot amoung the 10 pins. A 300 game, well maybe a 230 game at best, but the feeling can not be explained.
Jim
The best example I can think of is that of bowling, I suck at that, but every now and then a calm takes over, and the musscles move on their own and someone other than me is in my body and the ball finds it's own way to the sweet spot amoung the 10 pins. A 300 game, well maybe a 230 game at best, but the feeling can not be explained.
Jim
You can also suddenlly be shooting poorlly, and it just clicks in. I did this recentlly when I realized I wasn't concentrating on what I was doing, just counting how many rounds till I could leave, "acording to my idea of what I needed to shoot". I just put everything down, and took a few breaths. Put 1 round in the gun, and suddenlly I knew it was going to split the number 10. It went exactlly where I had envisioned, at 20 yards. After that I realised I just wan't into it before I grasped the concept of why.
We humans are a complicated lot.
We humans are a complicated lot.
It is remaining still for twenty-two minutes (timed by observer) while standing, holding on the deer, waiting for it to present a more vulnerable body part when it finally decides you are not a threat. You think it is two minutes.
It is not showing breath to the observer on that cold, November day on the Wisconsin/Michigan border.
It means being so totally focussed on form and the release that recoil and muzzle report are not noticed while you watch the bullet fly to the fur. It means you don't think about technique because this shot is at the end of a string of roughly 10,000 you have made during the past ten months.
It means doing exactly what you intended: destroy the top of the heart and lungs for an immediate kill. The animal should not suffer.
It is a transitory state of mind wherein you return to typical perception of time and events as nirvanna evaporates.
My advisor says that I understand much more about Zen than my limited training would indicate.
It is not showing breath to the observer on that cold, November day on the Wisconsin/Michigan border.
It means being so totally focussed on form and the release that recoil and muzzle report are not noticed while you watch the bullet fly to the fur. It means you don't think about technique because this shot is at the end of a string of roughly 10,000 you have made during the past ten months.
It means doing exactly what you intended: destroy the top of the heart and lungs for an immediate kill. The animal should not suffer.
It is a transitory state of mind wherein you return to typical perception of time and events as nirvanna evaporates.
My advisor says that I understand much more about Zen than my limited training would indicate.
100% focus. Nothing more, nothing less. if you are good, and "in the zone", you will be tough to beat.
When shooting Benchrest, I knew I was concentrating well when, after shooting my group, I realized I had not heard to two people next to me shoot.
When shooting Benchrest, I knew I was concentrating well when, after shooting my group, I realized I had not heard to two people next to me shoot.
wanderinwalker
Member
Well, how it works for me when I'm having a good day at a rifle match, it seems like my brain is just off. I don't know any other way to describe it. When I'm on the rifle and knocking down 10s and Xs, my mind isn't really attached to what I'm doing. It's just sights, breath, trigger, "Down the middle" and repeat. The eyes and the trigger finger are working without the brain interfering.
Every once in a while I can shoot like that. What ruins it is when the higher brain says "Hey, look at that? We haven't even been thinking about anything. We need to do something about that." And then there goes the whole show. Sometimes I even think about shooting while I'm screwing it up...
Every once in a while I can shoot like that. What ruins it is when the higher brain says "Hey, look at that? We haven't even been thinking about anything. We need to do something about that." And then there goes the whole show. Sometimes I even think about shooting while I'm screwing it up...
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I shot at moving targets for the first time last weekend and something about that totally freed up my mind and I did better on those than on the fixed targets. I get the time-slowing-down thing when my adrenaline kicks in. Which is cool when shooting or driving, but not so cool when something potentially very injurious (but totally out of my control) happens. I have time to think about all possible outcomes. (This just happened to me yesterday when a large animal stepped on my arm for a half second. In my mind, my bones were crushed and I went to the ER and filled out an incident report during that half second)
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