Bullseye #5

some good things, some bad things:

the good:
-did the slowfire using my new technique: since I'm shooting open sights, I seem to do better when I'm not setting up each shot individually, but since the gun is heavy (for a handgun), I can only shoot so many at a time before fatigue sets in and my hold becomes erratic. So I've started practicing shooting in short strings of 3 shots or less, which has been getting me my high shots-on-paper count. Tonight I did this for my slowfire and got a 166, which isn't worse (or better) than I did last week, when I was setting up each shot. The 'good' about this is that my technique works, and I'm not feeling stressed out by each shot now, either.
-In the timed fire I was doing much much better, actually using all 20 seconds to shoot each 5-shot string. This got me 187 points, 13 points up from last week.

the bad:
-in the rapid fire, I was taking almost too long to aim each shot, with the last shot of each 5-shot string coming at or right before the buzzer
-in the last string of rapid-fire, I didn't hear the start-buzzer, so I was confused when everyone let off at once, but then I figured that I had better start shooting or else I'd be forfeiting points, so I started pulling the trigger, double-action. This threw off my shots, and got me just 172 points, a whole 14 points down from last week. So in an interesting twist, my timed-fire became my best score this week (when usually it's the rapid-fire that does better). Had I actually made good shots for the last string (or practiced double-action) I might've had a better score.

Thus, I went 525/600 for the night, one point down from last week, and bringing my average down and my half-score to a 262, (whereas it was a 263 last week), meaning my handicap score was only 290 (last week it was 292). Not too bad, maybe within the top four shooters for my team, but I'm a little disappointed.

I shouldn't be, however. I can't expect to gain 35 points every week like I have been--there's only 75 points left to improve with. I'm probably going to plateau somewhere soon, too, especially given that I'm using A) a revolver and B) open sights. Still, with those challenges in mind, 525 out of 600 is a very respectable score, and one I'm quite pleased with: I've only been shooting for two years, starting with informal, large-caliber shooting and then generally settling down to .22LR and actual discipline, all with no formal training or coaching, other than my one firearms safety class back October/November 2006, and that was just shooting a revolver at a silhouette for hands-on, defensive work--nothing like the bullseye marksmanship discipline I apply myself to now.

Well, lessons learned:
-if I can't hear the buzzer, the first shot becomes my buzzer and I should start firing so I won't lose anymore time.
-I need to practice timed- and rapid-fire for timing, since I almost had a 4-shot string (rather than a 5 shot string)

I may also want to consider switching guns to my S&W 41, which is a far nicer pistol and better suited to target work. I'm also about to pick up a Ruger Mk. II Target, which should also be a more suitable pistol for this kind of shooting. If I start to plateau with the S&W 617 I use currently, I'll consider switching.

The guy next to me was using a very tricked-out Sig Hammerli Trailside and shot a beautiful all-in-the-black group during the slowfire. It had the anatomic grips and a pistol scope on it too, though--I'm currently trying to see how good I can get with the most challenging handgun I've got (having to thumb the hammer back makes it more challenging than my Ruger Mk. II Standard since there's an extra step before shooting, and loading it is a bit more annoying).

Once I max out, I'll consider using glass...and then I'll need to get one of those boxes they have, and a spotting scope, and...and...bah.

Good enough.