What's the next step?

[School Belle]

This is my second year of smallbore rifle silhouette competition and my first trip to the nationals at Raton, New Mexico. I managed to win the aggregate in the "A" class standard rifle with a CZ 452 American, a Leupold 6.5x20 efr scope, and CCI standard velocity (blue box). I am able to practice at home at least five times a week with my CZ 200 air rifle and at least once a week either indoors or outdoors. What do I need to add to my hardware or practice regimen to be competitive on the "AA" level?

Ebenezer!!!
Michelle

[shootingpaul]

just keep up the good work and scores will come with time, --- you know sometimes one has to put some time into shooting , just to buy the best there is does not mean that you will get into masters within a year or two,
Dont be discuraged - shooting is a tough sport and it takes some time to get better but when you will get better  - then you will enjoy it soooo much more
Good luck and a lot of patience
PS
if it would be soo easy then all of us would be Masters..............

[ajj]

Five times a week airgun? Sounds like you're doing the most important thing already. It's good to have the experience of the Nationals for some real "match seasoning." Keep doing what you're doing and shoot all the matches you can reach.

[scorlett]

You should come down to Fort Worth in September for the Texas State Air Gun Championships! I've seen your moniker on the weekly internet matches, had no idea you were from God's country! (by the way, sorry the involvement on in the web matches has been a little light this year... I've been doing all of my shooting outside.)

Come on down! If you need a sporter or target rifle I'll find you something you'd like to use!

Anyway, I think you've got two good rifles to work with. The air rifle should provide you with a minimal recoil rifle to see follow through, and the smallbore rifle with a 2lb trigger to learn to pull while you're still maintaining your sight picture. I think that improved my shooting about as much as anything. I feel it's also important to shoot some target style air rifle to develop a well defined, stable position.

I shot up at Red Castle once this spring, did I met you there? I'm very bad with names.

Sam Corlett
Fort Worth, Texas

http://www.curragh.com/pellets/tx03

[School Belle]

Do you remember a woman with a flower on her hat? That was me. And thanks for the invitation. I've been thinking about going down to that match. My problem is that I keep my S 200 set to the same 2 lb. trigger weight as my CZ 452 so my garage practices will feel like my range practices.

[scorlett]

Just come on down, there's nothing wrong with a 2lb trigger! You'd also be welcome to shoot any of my rifles, or I'm sure anybody elses. If you happened to be in by early Friday afternoon, the range will be open and you can try out/get used to some rifles.

I have new little R-9 that you might like shoot in the Sporter class, no guarantees, but it seems to shoot well. Of course I have a TX200 which is a little heavier and target and open class PCPs too.

It's always a lot of fun and good experience.

Sam

[tirador]

Michelle, congratulations for winning your class at the Nationals the bad part is that you are now hopelessly hooked    

My advice to you would be that unless you go to a lot of matches where you shoot hunter class matches you may want to get a Standard rifle class as well.  See, even good shots like Cathy or Agustin shoot two rifles, the potential for you to get a better score with a standard rifle is greater than with a hunter because you get a better fitting stock, a lighter trigger, etc. in other words easier to shoot.

The time you are spending practicing will help but only if you are applying and working on the right techniques.   Experiment with different holds and try to use bone support rather than muscles.  Watch pictures of people that are winning and try to imitate the way they hold their rifles, this will cut down on the time that is going to take for you to reach Master class.

It is very important that you work on the mental aspect of the sport, read books by Lanny Basham like “With Winning In Mind” and “The New Position Rifle Shooting” by Bill Pullum & Frank Hanenkrat that without a doubt is the best book about shooting that I have ever read.

Good luck in the future.  Tony Tello

[genphideaux]

Tony,

Thanks for the info on the books, just ordered them, I'm  two scores away from master class and I don't want to go in handicapped.

My problem is the change from a 1710 classic to the 54.18 in a mcmillan stock, you say it fits better, but to me it seems to ride my cheek to high, working stock issues now ie a Stith sporter stock inletted for a 54.18 or a 1710 hb stock bedded for a 54.18 action. Or is this all just me and I need to work with the normal stocks and get over it. Your advice appreciated

James

[tirador]

James, you are welcome, there are several makes and models of Standard after market stocks that you can buy, one of them should suit you.  

Mark Pharr is having one made in fiber glass by Robertson Composites (the ones that make the Nesika Bay Hunter) in Canada that holds like a dream.  I am just waiting for him to tell me he has them available.

The Nesika Bay Hunter and the Brown Precision Silhouette are both good choices for replacing the stocks in a hunting rifle and maybe using them in Standard rifle competition as well.

[CB]

excellent advice already given, this is just a little extra, keep a journal, diary or whatever you'd like to call it of each match attended. times-temps- rain-wind-direction-sight settings, and MISTAKES! over time you'll start to see repetitions in the MISTAKES. Eliminate one or two and your scores just went up at the same skill level, or maybe that is skill? I been told to keep same on practices and can see the value of that as well.
  Another training aid that's hard to get into but has helped me greatly in the stabilizing stress department has been visualization, see the line at Raton, see the shootoff, does calm the nerves when it acually happens.
 The Agustins of the world are there so much they get "reality visualization".Or maybe the're just having so much fun they forget to tense up?

[School Belle]

Hey, thanks for all the advice. I am hooked; I will be ordering the books; and I am keeping a diary. After shooting bullseye pistol for seven years, it's nice to be in a shooting discipline that I actually enjoy.