Saturday 5 March 2022

This week's report from Frank:- This Saturday it was bench rest air pistols 10 metres silhouettes and it was a tough day at the office. It seemed to be the turkeys that were the most problems. John jnr shot the chickens and the rams down only to miss the 7th turkey, bad luck John. Others barely got half way before getting a miss that was until Geoff stepped up and coolly knocked down the 40 silhouettes. Maybe it was something he had for breakfast. We all need some. Last week I said I would talk on breathing and in prone shooting it is so noticeable with the barrel rising and falling with our breathing. So at bench rest do we need to worry, well yes we do, it should be one of the processes in building up to a firing a good shot. By concentration on breathing deeply we help to slow the heart rate and steady any nerves. When we come to the shooting point we need to come early to set ourselves up and go through a preparation drill and what we do for the first shot should be the same for the last shot. I have lost count of how many good shoots by many shooters on the Full Bore range have been lost on that last shot. Nine bulls have been shot and one to go. Shooters behind are looking through scopes in anticipation and the pressure is building for one more bull. What goes through the shooters mind. It should be the same process as the first shot. But no , some times the brain thinks I have done this 9 times only one more. Bad thoughts, the shot is fired and the score is a 4. Or in air rifle the silhouette chicken stays standing. In conclusion whatever your processes they must stay the same until the last shot is fired. This coming Saturday its back to air rifles and coaching is always available, just ask. There are several shooters always available to help.