5th Round Flyer Phenomenon

[PigButtons]

We all have a physiology to deal with, and adrenaline rush is part of the mix. Adrenaline makes fine motor skills sluggish and decreases sensitivity, making it difficult to get the same "feel" and "execution" as you have without it. There are two keys to overcoming those negative effects, put yourself in the situation and practice compensating for it, and have a bullet proof routine that you never vary from. The routine should include a mental trigger that helps you start the mental focus of doing the entire task. An example would be to tap the bolt handle with your trigger finger. From there it's all business until the shot breaks. If something interrupts, you should start over from the bolt tap, just like it was the first time.

 

[CharlieNC]

When I shoot fclass it's never the 5th shot that's the problem, but the 20th.

 

[usmc 0311 rvn 67-68]

A few years back was shooting at a local state range having a good day,don't recall what I was shooting but was shooting real well. When the load work was done I had 6 rounds left over,not wanting to go home with partial box to reload I decided to shoot the last six. First five went into one small hole, asked the range officer who was watching me shoot if he thought I should shoot the last one into the group, he said noooo, but I had to know so I shot it, went a quarter inch high.

 

[JimPag]

I was talking to Tony Boyer about this. Last year Speedy sold me a Teddy actioned rifle that was Tony's way back around 1990. Tony said that it would shoot the absolute smallest groups then once in a while there would be one flyer in a 5 shot group. He said that rifle drove him crazy. He changed barrels, he changed scopes, he changed stocks 3 times and still every once in a while a flyer. When Tony sold it to Speedy, Speedy said that it was fixed because he put a 15 pound spring in the bolt. Tony didn't like or think that was the answer to the problem at all. Well Speedy was shooting a match in Texas and the same thing happened and Speedy said to a fellow competitor, Tony said it would do that. I mean what else could it be but the action itself?

 

[spudgun]

This topic brings back bad memories for me too.

3 years ago I decided to build a .224 Valk for 600 yrd shooting.

The Valk would shoot bug holes at 100, 200 yds.

Everytime I shot on the 600 at steel I would hit, then move over to paper targets and shoot 5 at 2 targets and only 4 holes on each...

Haven't shot that gun in 2 years now....

 

[Big Mc]

We have all been there many, many times. 4 rounds go into the same hole and then that last one just screws the group. I am of the thinking this is a psychological issue, rather than a load harmonics issue. I now compile my group analysis over multiple groups and discount those flyers. Superimpose 3-4 different days of the same load. Thoughts?

Dont wish the last round into the group . Just my to cents Tommy Mc