Top qualities of a competition shooter

[Karlandco]

Many of you come from a professional background. That is, in your line of work you bring skill and commitment to your job that others don't or can't. Its necessary to carry that over personally to a hobby to keep the pace level. I'd like to hear your top 3 traits of a competitive shooter that's hard to beat. Please state your discipline, I'm interested in answers from all of them. No secrets, or keep em, doesn't matter. Ill start..

F-Class
1. Know your ability, and expect to exceed it
2. Know your rifle, and expect it to perform
3. Know your plan, and expect to change it

Everybody's 3 likely are different but this may help some new guy's 'ahem' out with learning.

Thanks

 

[Acyr]

1. Practice
2. Practice
3. Practice

 

[Karlandco]

1. Practice
2. Practice
3. Practice

You know, I thought long and hard about practice before I typed. Definitely a big slice of the pie

 

[Acyr]

You know, I thought long and hard about practice before I typed. Definitely a big slice of the pie

If you practice religiously the 3 points you mention will fall into place.

 

[NA Woody]

F open-
1- practice in bad conditions.
2. Have a short memory. Move on to the next shot after a bad one and never give up!
3. make sure you are the weak link....not your rifle, scope or your ammo.

 

[Karlandco]

F open-
1- practice in bad conditions.
2. Have a short memory. Move on to the next shot after a bad one and never give up!
3. make sure you are the weak link....not your rifle, scope or your ammo.

I gotta work on the first one. I did shoot a ten shot group in 20-40mph gusts once. I'm not going to share the group.

 

[Karlandco]

If I was to add a forth it would be to watch the marketplace...damn those 105's and 180's

 

[marchx]

F-class
test your load in different conditions. Look for the most temperature stable powder.
Buy best rifle and a scope even if you cannot afford it. it will give you the confidence needed to win. Of course, less expensive setup could be also a winning one but you have to know ex ante that equipment is not a limiting factor.
Analyse your errors (in particular reasons for flyers). Make a plan to eliminate them one by one.
Train your wind reading ability. Check your guesses with Kestrel and make notes.
Practice a lot in heavy mirage.

 

[David Christian]

1. Outwork your competitors in bringing the best rifle and tuned load to the match.
2. Be more curious and grow your game more than your competitors.
3. Have more mental stamina and shoot YOUR match.

 

[Steve Blair]

Work on wind calls and condition recognition. There is a well known condition shooter who is deadly in moderate or consistent conditions. When conditions are tough and rapidly changing, he does not do well. Be prepared for both.

 

[Karlandco]

Work on wind calls and condition recognition. There is a well known condition shooter who is deadly in moderate or consistent conditions. When conditions are tough and rapidly changing, he does not do well. Be prepared for both.

In sailboating, one cannot count on the strength of the wind to win the race. They must perfectly adjust the sails in order to harness it. I imagine at your level, the guns become less of a place to look for advantage as do fine tuning condition recognition. Very well stated Steve, and applicable to many disciplines.

 

[Karlandco]

F-class
test your load in different conditions. Look for the most temperature stable powder.
Buy best rifle and a scope even if you cannot afford it. it will give you the confidence needed to win. Of course, less expensive setup could be also a winning one but you have to know ex ante that equipment is not a limiting factor.
Analyse your errors (in particular reasons for flyers). Make a plan to eliminate them one by one.
Train your wind reading ability. Check your guesses with Kestrel and make notes.
Practice a lot in heavy mirage.

I feel that if I'm confident with my development for a given load and it produces flyers, my ignition is a problem. That could be gun or load related. Sometimes determining which is troublesome but if my smith is reliable I'll change powder to verify. I don't know if you would agree with that and of course it can be shooter error. Eliminating flyers is the most frustrating and the most satisfying. ...thanks for the response!

 

[jpjulian]

Highpower
1-Always shoot with those who are better than you
2-Listen to what they have to say
3-Practice your worst position most, usually standing

 

[hogpatrol]

Watch and listen to the old timers. When they die, a library goes with them.

 

[Fuj]

Put it all in a blender, it mixes to one thing; Having your brain capable
to compute every detail of the moment just before breaking the shot.
Top shooters don't miss details.

 

[AlNyhus]

The ability to be brutally honest about your gear and yourself is right at the top of my list. If you can't do that...and not everyone can...find someone that can evaluate what you're doing honestly and without pulling any punches.

If I'm struggling with gun handling, follow through, keeping my head on the gun, etc., I take a break from 'practicing'. Too often, I would just find myself repeating and ingraining the same mistakes I was trying to fix. If I walk away from it for a bit, it makes things seem fresh enough when I go back to it that it makes me think about each step.

That's another reason I work with different types of rifles other than extreme accuracy BR guns. It keeps it fresh and makes me think.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[Matthew Schwartzkopf]

1. Practice
2. Practice
3. Practice

Practice is over rated

 

[jackieschmidt]

Practice is over rated

All kidding aside, the best practice you will ever get is at a Match.

 

[AlNyhus]

All kidding aside, the best practice you will ever get is at a Match.

Amen Jackie.

True story...a local friend of mine had 5 top end BR guns built over several years by a well know accuracy 'smith. I shot all of them and they were all killer good. All he would do was practice to get good enough to go to a tournament. He died having never competed in one single event.

 

[Matthew Schwartzkopf]

All kidding aside, the best practice you will ever get is at a Match.

Could agree more. Shooters often tell me they are not ready to shoot matches yet. I tell them the only way to improve and learn is to shoot matches.