The 2011 Season
The Scores
| Date | Location | Standing | Sitting | Rapid Prone |
Slow Prone |
Aggregate | |
| April 10 | Bonfield | 90-0 | 100-3 | 93-1 | 195-7 | 478-11 | 95.6% |
| April 17 | Bonfield | 97-4 | 98-1 | 100-4 | 198-7 | 493-16 | 98.6% |
| May 7 | Bonfield | 193-6 | 199-8 | 196-4 | 200-8 | 788-26 | 98.5% |
| May 28 | Lodi | 98-6 | 100-6 | 98-1 | 196-9 | 492-22 | 98.4% |
| May 29 | Lodi | 195-3 | 196-6 | 198-4 | 388-11 | 977-24 | 97.7% |
| June 4 | Milan | 194-5 | 196-7 | 192-3 | 196-6 | 778-21 | 97.3% |
| June 5 | Milan | 97-2 | 99-8 | 100-2 | 196-5 | 492-17 | 98.4% |
| June 11 | Wright City | 194-8 | 199-7 | 197-8 | 192-5 | 782-28 | 97.8% |
| June 12 | Wright City | 95-2 | - | 99-2 | 96-1 | 290-5 | 96.7% |
| June 12 | Wright City | 95-1 | 98-2 | 97-3 | 187-5 | 477-11 | 95.4% |
| July 9 | Lodi | 193-4 | 197-8 | 197-6 | 193-7 | 780-25 | 97.5% |
| July 10 | Lodi | 97-3 | 100-5 | 97-1 | 195-7 | 489-16 | 97.8% |
| July 23 | Van Meter | 97-3 | - | 98-0 | 97-4 | 292-7 | 97.3% |
| July 23 | Van Meter | 93-0 | 99-6 | 99-6 | 190-7 | 481-19 | 96.2% |
| July 24 | Van Meter | 194-3 | 200-13 | 198-10 | 192-9 | 784-35 | 98.0% |
| August 1 | Camp Perry | 98-3 | - | 99-3 | 98-2 | 295-8 | 98.3% |
| August 2 | Camp Perry | 93-0 | 99-2 | 96-5 | 195-8 | 483-15 | 96.6% |
| August 4 | Camp Perry | 94-1 | 100-5 | 98-1 | 196-9 | 488-16 | 97.6% |
| August 7 | Camp Perry | 99-2 | 100-6 | 100-6 | 193-6 | 492-20 | 98.4% |
| August 8 | Camp Perry | 98-4 | 100-2 | 100-7 | 192-8 | 490-21 | 98.0% |
| August 10 | Camp Perry | 190-4 | 200-10 | 196-7 | 196-9 | 782-30 | 97.8% |
| August 11 | Camp Perry | 191-7 | 195-5 | 199-3 | 198-10 | 783-25 | 97.9% |
| August 12 | Camp Perry | 196-7 | 199-7 | 196-3 | 192-6 | 783-23 | 97.9% |
| August 21 | Bonfield | 97-2 | 100-6 | 100-4 | 199-14 | 496-26 | 99.2% |
| September 3 | Milan | 194-7 | 198-9 | 199-1 | 195-10 | 787-27 | 98.4% |
| September 4 | Milan | 190-4 | 200-11 | 199-3 | 195-5 | 784-23 | 98.0% |
| September 24 | Bonfield | 194-8 | 200-12 | 198-7 | 200-13 | 792-40 | 99.0% |
| September 25 | Bonfield | 196-5 | 199-9 | 198-5 | 196-7 | 789-26 | 98.6% |
| October 2 | Bonfield | 195-6 | 200-5 | 198-9 | 197-11 | 790-31 | 98.8% |
The Stories
I was able to get a good jump on the highpower season this year. Almost all
of my work was in standing since that is where I can get the biggest potential
point gain. I picked up the rifle in February and did some initial dry-firing in
the sling supported positions before moving on to standing.
During the setup for standing I tried to be very conscious of how I acquired my
NPA. I would mount the rifle with my eyes closed, settle into the position, open
my eyes, and adjust if I wasn’t on the target. This, coupled with a good hold,
allowed me to focus on breaking good shots and I was able to have some success.
I'm hoping to carry this over the range and get a good start to the season.
April 10
Talk about things going wrong this morning. As is typical for the first match of the year, I'm out to begin getting zeros on a new barrel. Today was pretty warm for this time of year but it was also pretty breezy. While this wasn't too bad by itself I had some lower back pain from the previous day and it was still bothering me. Consequently I couldn't get into the standing position that I had been working on. To keep the pain to a minimum I had to keep a much more erect position and not allow myself to "settle" into the coat as I usually do. The taller position wasn't as stable and coupled with the wind provided me with a sight picture that was waving around the target. As I've noticed in previous years, when my hold is big my trigger control is correspondingly bad since I'm snatching at the trigger as the sights zoom past the target. Things didn't get any worse after my first record shot was a seven but I still couldn't get comfortable. My thoughts were centered more on just finishing the string and getting out of position rather than performing.
I finished sitting last year pretty happy with how I did. As I got into position before my prep today I realized that what was so easy six months ago now seemed quite foreign. My feet didn’t go where I wanted them to go, the rifle didn't want to sit where it should have, and I couldn't make up my mind what sling setting to use. My final position still didn't feel as good as last year. The score was a clean and the group was centered but it was big and I felt more lucky than confident.
Rapid prone was where I really paid the price for not being prepared to shoot. For some reason I felt that a tight sling setting was needed. Everything seemed fine with that in prep and my sighters were an X and a 10 so I thought I was good to go. When I started the string I was muscling the rifle between shots with my forward hand and nothing really felt natural. The group was strung out from the middle all the way out to the 8-ring on the left.
After the debacle in rapid prone I decided to let my sling out for slow prone to allow a more relaxed position. As I started the string this had the effect of lowering my position to the point where my head position was strained and I was forcing myself to look through the aperture. I tried to analyze the problem and finally stopped to readjust and tighten the sling but not as much as for rapid prone. This felt much better and being behind the rifle was more comfortable.
| Offhand: | 93-0 |
| Sitting: | 100-3 |
| Rapid Prone: | 93-1 |
| Slow Prone: | 195-7 |
| Aggregate: | 478-11 |
April 17
Cold, overcast, and windy. A reminder that winter is still around. During the week I worked on the positions that had problems at the last match, standing and prone.
Last weekend's back problems were solved with a little running during the week. For some reason the exercise helps a lot even though it hurts a little when I do it. The pain didn't completely go away but I had much more range of motion. This let me get the back bend I normally do and I could settle into my position. It worked so well that I was pleased with the limited motion in the rifle. The wind was only a little problematic. It would gust and lull and I tried to get centered up during the lulls. Of the three 9's that I shot one came just because I was pointing out at 10 o'clock and still pulled the trigger. The other two were off call as were several other shots. I'm still trying to get a good zero and the changed position meant that I was using more back bend (and therefore more cant) so I had to put more right windage on the gun.
My sitting position still needs work to get back to my expected performance level. I feel like I'm rolled up into a ball instead of a natural extended position. This translates into more motion through the sights as well as a strained head position. Today's group was not only big but also low with two shots out the bottom.
One of the keys to rapid fire prone success is to avoid steering the gun from the front. In other words, leave the support hand and arm without tension. Any adjustments to get the sights on target should be made at the back. This works when the rifle recoils and comes back pretty close to the target. Last week my position was so strained that the sights were all over the place and I had to muscle the gun back to the target. During some dry-fire sessions this past week I wanted a way to get behind the gun and have it recoil straight back into me. I found that if I get the top of the buttplate just underneath my collarbone I can bring my face in from the top of the rifle and get a good head position. My only concern was whether the butt would be too low and slide down in recoil. As it turns out this worked pretty well and I could concentrate on focusing on the front sight instead of trying to pull the rifle back to the target.
For slow prone I just tried to replicate a lot of the things I was doing for rapid prone. The same sling setting and then pressing the buttplate against my collarbone and sliding it down until the top of the buttplate rolled under the collarbone. This position was pretty relaxed although I did catch myself with tensed muscles in my left shoulder from time to time. Another potential improvement is that my scope wasn't positioned like I wanted it. I like the scope to be in such a position that I don't have to move my head off the gun when I look through it. The string felt pretty good and it wasn't too hard to get the front sight into focus. The group was big though and several shots came up right on the 10 line. Even so my first nine didn't come until shot 13 or so but I still need to bring that group size down more.
| Offhand: | 97-4 |
| Sitting: | 98-1 |
| Rapid Prone: | 100-4 |
| Slow Prone: | 198-7 |
| Aggregate: | 493-16 |
May 7
I thought we wouldn't get this match in as there was rain forecast for the whole day. Things stayed dry though, I got people registered, and was pretty happy with the good turnout including a number of new shooters.
The most memorable part of this offhand match was my inconsistent hold. On some shots I could put the rifle up and the hold was small while on other shots there was way too much wobble. My NPA was pretty good and my calls were fine. I just couldn’t get into a rhythm of shooting. I fired no more than three shots in a row without shooting a nine. My back bend and how the rifle comes across my chest is consistent when I'm dry-firing. But things change from shot to shot when I get out on the range.
After spending time working on sitting, I seemed to get a slightly better position but still not where I need to be. There isn't much pulse but the sights don't just sit there like they did last year. I muddled through the first string with a 5x clean but the second string had three separate groups. One at the top of the x-ring, one on the right edge of the 10-ring and another at the top of the 10-ring with a nine just above it. This is another point of focus for this week's work.
My sight picture was more of a problem than anything else in rapid prone today. Of course, an uncomfortable sling position didn't help matters. Looking through the sights seemed dark and I could have used more time to get things to look clearer. That time doesn’t exist in rapid fire and I had large groups that weren't even centered on the target.
I was certainly pleased with how slow prone went. My first sighter was a nine and I was pretty well centered after that. The part that stands out the most from this stage was that my eye stayed on the sights into recoil. As the hammer fell and the rifle fired, I was more aware of what was happening than sometimes in the past. That leads me to believe that I would be closing my eyes as I was firing the rifle. A less than relaxed position would then impart some movement to the sights as I fired and the wild shots would then appear. Still the x-count was a bit low with no more than two x's in a row. That group size still needs to shrink.
| Offhand: | 193-6 |
| Sitting: | 199-8 |
| Rapid Prone: | 196-4 |
| Slow Prone: | 200-8 |
| Aggregate: | 788-26 |
May 28
Team match on Saturday although we didn't have much of a team. After all the other teams were set there were only three of us so we shot as a three-man team. This meant that our pit rotations were different and we couldn't pair fire as we had to provide a scorer for another team.
Standing felt pretty good. I focused on getting a good NPA during prep and tried to keep a consistent position that brings the rifle across my chest. Things started well and I got into a rhythm of shooting as the first two record shots were X's. During the middle of the string I slapped the trigger and the rifle slid to the right as it fired for an eight. Fortunately those were the only points I dropped. That was too bad as I could have cleaned this if I only demonstrated a little more self control.
My sitting position felt good and stable. The rifle kept coming back to the target pretty well. Not much else to say.
The first sighter in rapid prone was a nine way up at 1 o'clock. Like a fool I actually corrected for this trusting the sighter more than my zero. After coming down three clicks the second sighter was an X. Since I expect my 300 sighters to be 10's at 12 o'clock I should have come back up a little but I was too pleased with the X and left the elevation alone. My group was low with two nines out the bottom. During the string I was also fighting a position that allowed the rifle to slip lower. Still, I should have not changed my elevation after that first sighter since my rapid prone group is never in the same place as the sighting shots.
The firing point at 600 had a bit of a depression in it that caused my support arm to be lower than normal. This meant that I had to bring the buttstock down to elevate the muzzle. Consequently I had to push my head down lower to look through the sights. I guess I was more concerned about getting initial 600 yard zeros than getting comfortable. The wind wasn't excessive and I concentrated on focusing on the front sight and holding elevation.
| Offhand: | 98-6 |
| Sitting: | 100-6 |
| Rapid Prone: | 98-1 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-9 |
| Aggregate: | 492-22 |
May 29
Sunday's Regional was run from the 600 yard line forward. Although there was fog early in the morning, it burned off by the time we started shooting. It was overcast for the whole day with a rain delay right before we shot 300 rapid.
After putting on what I thought was the right correction I fired my first sighter at 600 and there was nothing on the target. Thinking that I may have the wrong elevation I ran the wheel down to the bottom and then back to 66 clicks up. The second sighter was a six straight on the left side. I realized there must be something wrong with my windage and sure enough, I was a revolution off. I cranked back over for my first record shot and fired an X. The conditions were pretty steady for the first 600 yard match and I only had to have about three clicks of left on the gun. I couldn't see the mirage because of the overcast but any changes weren't drastic and I cruised through with one elevation shot and one windage shot.
My position felt different for the second 600 yard match. It wasn't something I could put my finger on but it certainly didn’t feel as natural as the first match. From the beginning I was plagued with corner shots. I would alternate between nines at 10 o'clock and 5 o'clock.
When I looked through the sights in prep for 300 I wondered who turned out the lights. It was one of the darkest sight pictures I've seen. Both sighters were X's but the first group was at the bottom of the 10-ring with one shot just off the line at 7. I came up a click for the second string and the group was relatively centered but it was big and had a nine out the top.
I knew that after giving up so many points at 600 the only way I could make up ground on the leaders was in standing. There was only a little bit of a breeze but it really didn't affect my hold. The wobble was pretty good with the rifle coming across my chest and having the right amount of back bend. After getting a good NPA the only thing left to do was having the discipline to stop my shot procedure when I held too long. The calls were mostly good and the bad shots came from too much movement during the shot break.
To avoid my brass hitting the shooter on my right in sitting, I moved over to the left side of my firing point. This put me on a high point in the ground and I felt like I was on the peak of a hill. To accommodate this peak my position rotated a little. I think this put my support elbow further to the left of the rifle instead of underneath it. This caused me to use more muscle tension to hold the rifle up. The resulting groups were just way too big. About 10-ring sized, not centered and I lost two points on each string.
| Offhand: | 195-3 |
| Sitting: | 196-6 |
| Rapid Prone: | 198-4 |
| Slow Prone: | 198-7 |
| Slow Prone: | 190-4 |
| Aggregate: | 977-24 |
June 4
A warm morning foreshadowed a much hotter afternoon. There was a lot of humidity in the air but I was looking forward to shooting and finally getting into a groove with matches on back to back weekends
The calls in standing were kind of hit and miss. I could call the X's well but the other shots weren't as easy. I kept having to put more left on the gun during the string for some reason. Shots 2, 3, and 4 were all 9's and it seemed hard to break that cycle. Another couple of 9's in the first half told me that I really needed to get my act together. The back half was much better with only one 9 in the middle of the string.
I keep shaking my head after every sitting string. What seemed so effortless last year has become a struggle. This morning I had more left-to-right wobble than I expect and it seemed difficult to get the sights back on target after each shot. The groups are about mid-ring 10 size which is still larger than I want but when you're shooting groups that big, they need to be centered otherwise you're dropping points. Both of today's groups were shifted towards one o'clock which tells me that I'm either forcing the front of the rifle in that direction or allowing the butt to slip and the rear sight is dropping left.
By the time we got to 300 the heat index was almost 100. The hot muggy weather was affecting me more than I'm used to. My first sighter was just off the 10 ring at 12. The second one was a mid-ring 10 at 11. Since I typically shoot a group lower than my sighters I left my elevation alone. During the string my buttplate slid down almost to my chest. Compounding the problem was the fact that I was holding my breath for too many shots. The group still wound up high with four shots above the 10 line. Afraid that if I came down too much I would be out the bottom, I only came down one click for the second string. The buttplate stayed put this time but I was still high with another four nines up top.
We shoot 600 at Milan across a valley and the targets are lower than the firing point. This hasn't really bothered me before but I had a hard time getting the rifle down to the target. I felt like I had to crawl up on the rifle to push the buttplate upwards. My first sighter was a 7 at 1 o'clock which I couldn't explain. I kept working my way down during the string but it wound up too little, too late.
| Offhand: | 95-2 |
| Rapid Prone: | 99-2 |
| Slow Prone: | 96-1 |
| Aggregate: | 290-5 |
June 5
Didn't get the heat of yesterday but we had a little drizzle in the morning. No big deal except for a wet rifle right before standing.
I tried to be systematic with my shots in standing but I didn't have the discipline that I should have. I broke three shots when I should have just stopped and started my shot process over again.
In sitting I didn't try to get a low position. I wanted to have a straighter back which brings the sights up to my face. This requires a taller support from my leg to the rifle and so my support arm is more vertical and is more directly underneath the rifle. The string felt fine with one shot that I felt like I yanked out because I moved the rifle as I pulled the trigger. There were two shots at the bottom of the X-ring, six shots at the top of the X-ring, another shot was a mid-ring 10 at 12, and the final one was just off the 10 at 12.
As I set up at 300 I tried to avoid having the buttplate too low. If it slips underneath the collarbone it might continue dropping during the string. Using the same elevation zero as I had yesterday my first sighter was in the upper part of the 10-ring. This is my normal location for 300 sighters. The second sighter was even higher and in the 9-ring. Just like yesterday I came down one click since I was afraid of throwing them out the bottom. I took my time during the string, shot methodically, and breathed every couple of shots. Even though it was at the top of the 10-ring I had a much better group than I've seen recently. This was enough evidence to move my elevation down a couple of clicks and see how centered the groups will be.
I was expecting more in slow prone since conditions were pretty mild. Regardless, I found I had to keep coming left during the string as I was building on the right. There was still no reason to have as much on the gun as I had. It looks like I'll be shifting my no-wind zero a couple of clicks to the left.
| Offhand: | 97-2 |
| Sitting: | 99-8 |
| Rapid Prone: | 100-2 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-5 |
| Aggregate: | 492-17 |
June 11
I felt like I hadn't been able to get into the rhythm of shooting so I drove down to St. Louis to shoot in their state championship. With an individual, a team, and a leg, there should be plenty of shooting to be done.
Offhand felt good and I started off fine. There was a nine on my 4th shot and another on my 8th shot. Then I shot three X's in a row. While lining up for shot 12, I let my mind wander. With my concentration broken I jerked the rifle to the right and then broke the trigger. The target came up with a 7 and I was angry at myself for letting that happen. A lapse in focus cost me half the points in this stage. I continued on though and had one nine later and finished with my last two shots being X's.
Sitting still doesn't feel right no matter what I do. My first string had a group that, if centered, would have easily cleaned the target. But it was on the right side and I lost one nine. The second string was well centered with six X's but it was tall with one 10 on the line at 12. Instead of being confident of shooting a clean I'm lucking into them.
Regardless of how much I bring my zero down for 300, I still wind up with high groups. Things look OK through the sights and I try to take my time and be deliberate with each shot but I still get groups up top. When this happens and the group is a little larger than it should be, I start losing points. Even when the group is centered for elevation, as it was on the second string, for some reason they open up to take up most of the 10 ring.
A heavily overcast sky made things look a little dark when normally looking out over the range. It was even worse when looking through a 0.040" aperture. Regardless of whether I could see the front sight, the target would come and go. None of the shots went past the nine ring but it was difficult to stay in the 10. It was a frustrating experience because I felt like my performance was out of my control.
| Offhand: | 194-8 |
| Sitting: | 199-7 |
| Rapid Prone: | 197-8 |
| Slow Prone: | 192-5 |
| Aggregate: | 782-28 |
June 12
A president's rifle course team match with no sighters.
An uninspired offhand performance and I just think I wasn't discriminating enough on the shots that I lost.
My group at 300 could have been smaller but at this point I'm not complaining too much since at least it wasn't high. It was on the right side though with one shot out.
I wanted to marry up some guns so we pair fired at 600. There was certainly more light than yesterday so that kept elevation shots to a minimum but we were adjusting back and forth on our windage. Hopefully we now have matching no wind zeros.
| Offhand: | 95-2 |
| Rapid Prone: | 99-2 |
| Slow Prone: | 96-1 |
| Aggregate: | 290-5 |
June 12
The leg match had pretty mild conditions.
The hold in standing wasn't great but I found I had a hard time getting the shot to break in the middle. Of the five bad shots, most seemed to be just outside the line.
Standing up before sitting and dropping back down wasn't the problem. It was my position after I started shooting. There was some movement in the sights but I didn't think the group was as big as it would turn out to be. There were two nines that were just off the line at 4 o'clock.
I used the same elevation for 300 that gave me a centered group in the team match. This time though the group was still high and there were three nines out in the middle of the ring. The rest of the group was actually pretty small.
The skies today had that same overcast as yesterday. While it was still dark looking through the sights it didn't seem quite as dark as yesterday. I fired my first shot and up came a 7 out the top. Trying to be bold, I cranked the elevation down 5 clicks and then shot an X. For the third shot I was rewarded with another 7 but this time out the bottom. By this point I didn't know what to do. Subsequent shots would sometimes be in the middle, then a few out the top, then back in the middle again. I walked off the line feeling old and tired.
| Offhand: | 95-1 |
| Sitting: | 98-2 |
| Rapid Prone: | 97-3 |
| Slow Prone: | 187-5 |
| Aggregate: | 477-11 |
July 9
After a four week break I was eager to get back to shooting. We're in the home stretch before the Nationals and there is only one more weekend of shooting after this one before I drive out to Camp Perry. It was warm today and I made sure to drink plenty of fluids.
The main theme in this morning's offhand is bad decision making. It's not that I wanted to make bad decisions it's just I wasn't concentrating enough on making good ones. My first record shot was an X and then I followed that up with an eight. There was another eight a few shots later. I sometimes get in these moods where I'm more eager to send some shots downrange instead of focusing on making good shots. I dropped five points in the first 10 shots and then decided to focus better. The back half was fine but I still had to dig myself out of the hole from the first half.
During the four week break I had been working on sitting but still hadn't found a position that I was really happy with. Today I tried to get the rifle a little higher in the hopes that pressing it against my face would give me better control. The two sighters in the X-ring gave me hope that I could keep the group small. The first string had a fair sized group but excessive cant had all the shots over to the right with two off the line. The second group was well centered but bad trigger squeeze put one out.
At 300 I put four left on the gun and the first sighter was still out the right. I didn't think the wind was worth more than that but I put an additional three left and the second sighter was in the 10-ring but on the right side. Not wanting to throw everything out the other side I only added one click for a total of eight. I took my time but worried that an inconsistent front sight focus would hurt me. I cleaned the first string but had a group that was about six clicks tall. I took just one click off for the second string but the wind let up a bit more and I had three out on the left.
After my last foray at 600 I wasn't sure what to expect. My main concern was throwing shots up and down. The afternoon sun made the targets a little harder to see but I could still see the front sight fairly well. Not all that happy with the performance but it wasn't the train wreck I was dreading.
| Offhand: | 193-4 |
| Sitting: | 197-8 |
| Rapid Prone: | 197-6 |
| Slow Prone: | 193-7 |
| Aggregate: | 780-25 |
July 10
Getting our team straightened out was as much work as shooting was. The morning brought some pretty muggy conditions until a thunderstorm moved in while I was shooting rapid prone.
I tried to not let bad decisions dictate today's standing like it did yesterday's. After a couple of 10's for sighters I shot two X's and then another two 10's. I tried to be methodical and would start my shot process over when I felt like I held too long. Sometimes I would take the rifle down and sometimes I would just look away from the sights and breathe.
I slid my elbows a little more forward and it gave me a slightly more upright rifle. This worked pretty well with most of the shots in a good group.
The rain started as I was shooting my sighters at 300. Then it started to come down as the targets were exposed for the string. I fired my first shot through a clear aperture and then it was covered in water. As I blew it out I was thinking about how I was going to manage doing that for each shot. After the magazine change I blew out the aperture one more time and it was fine after that. What wasn't fine was the position of my 8 o'clock group. Still, although misplaced, it was a decent size and I think I didn't do too bad considering the problems with the water and really dark skies.
When my first sighter at 600 came up a 7 out the bottom, I was worried. I followed that up with a 9 out the top. Keeping my elevation under control became my overriding concern. I wound up taking more time on each shot to make sure I had the top edge of that front sight in focus. There was an eight out the top in there for my worst shot and I finished without really having a lot of confidence in my slow prone.
| Offhand: | 97-3 |
| Sitting: | 100-5 |
| Rapid Prone: | 97-1 |
| Slow Prone: | 195-7 |
| Aggregate: | 489-16 |
July 23
There was a rain delay for this morning's team match. When we finally got started late in the morning the ground and air was heavy with humidity and the sun came out and started to beat on us. Van Meter is known for hot, humid weather and I've shot there in some pretty oppressive conditions. This year may not have been the worst but it may have come close.
Offhand went reasonably well. Since we were pair-firing I had more time to spend on each shot so it was easier to pick and choose when to break the trigger. Calls were pretty good and despite shooting an extra nine or two I felt things went alright.
Not only did we not shoot sighters, we stood up for the rapids. With no sighters the prep period went by quickly and I stood up and dropped down to the mat. The string felt alright but everything was above center in a crescent around the 10-ring. Additionally there were two nines. One just off the 10 at 12 and another one above it almost at the nine ring.
Pair-firing at 600 meant that I was in position longer and the heat was oppressive. I tried to stay focused but lost three shots.
| Offhand: | 97-3 |
| Rapid Prone: | 98-0 |
| Slow Prone: | 97-4 |
| Aggregate: | 292-7 |
July 23
The leg match started at about 3 o'clock and I was already drained. We moved back to the 200 yard line and I felt like I had already shot 10 matches today.
There just wasn't the flow that I wanted with offhand. The shot's weren't breaking as clean as they did this morning and I kept putting everything towards 2 o'clock. The wobble was too big and I didn't have the time to be too picky with shot selection.
Having my elbows a little more forward has helped quite a bit. Sitting feels more natural with a smaller wobble. With the wobble smaller I can get a cleaner squeeze of the trigger and that helped bring the group size down. I did lose one 9 out at 5 o'clock but I was pleased with the group size and how it was centered.
Rapid prone felt good while I was shooting it. I tried to be methodical. Relax the support arm, bring the front sight into focus, squeeze the trigger, repeat. The position felt good and I took my time despite the other firing points getting quiet at the end of the string. Despite my efforts the lone shot out was way out at 10 o'clock.
My relay got to 600 at about 6 o'clock in the evening. The light was lower but not really that bad. The wind was non-existent, a really good day to get a no-wind zero. I started off with a few good shots and then the wild ones were coming out. A nine out in the corner, an eight out the top. As the string wore on my frustration grew. I took my time lining up the final shot to get it right and broke it. The target came up with a seven at the top of the aiming black. That shot summarized my feelings as I dragged my stuff from my firing point.
| Offhand: | 93-0 |
| Sitting: | 99-6 |
| Rapid Prone: | 99-6 |
| Slow Prone: | 190-7 |
| Aggregate: | 481-19 |
July 24
At least today had milder temperatures than yesterday. It was still warm but most of the morning had an overcast sky that kept the sun from being too bad.
Taking my time and having discipline was the goal for offhand today. My hold started off pretty good and the rifle seemed to ease into the middle for the most part. Early on I only broke the shots that I wanted. Sometimes this happened on the first try. Other times I had to stop and start over several times. The front sight was easy to focus on and on several occasions the post would just drop below the top of the black and I would let the shot go. In the first half I only had one nine but I noticed that I wasn't gaining any time on the clock. During the second half the shots were harder to break and my wobble wasn't as small as it was earlier. I began to break shots that weren't the best and paid the price with five 9's.
Yesterday's sitting gave me confidence for today. My position felt stable and I didn't have to fight the rifle to get it back on target. The first string felt like it might be a clean and it was with 5 X's. While the second string didn't feel as good as the first one it was certainly a better group with 8 X's.
I was surprised that both of my sighters came up in the x-ring. Usually they are higher but I didn't care since I was pretty confident in my zero. The first string had only one click of right and was well centered. I called one shot to the left and wasn't sure if it would make it but the target came up clean with 6 X's. The second string didn't feel as easy as the first but still pretty good. The group was wider with each nine just barely off the line. One at 10 and one at 2. I found out later that these were the first shots I fired.
As bad as my slow prone has become at least I'm putting the first shot in approximately the right place. I didn't have to play with my elevation knob too much but I was still inconsistent. I would shoot a couple of X's and then an eight. I tried to really focus on the front sight and to concentrate on just gently squeezing the trigger. Sometimes I would see the brass flying out of the rifle so I knew I was keeping my eyes open. Still it's frustrating to see shots go up and out and not know what to do about it. There weren't any 7's today but I still had uncalled 8's.
| Offhand: | 194-3 |
| Sitting: | 200-13 |
| Rapid Prone: | 198-10 |
| Slow Prone: | 192-9 |
| Aggregate: | 784-35 |
I'm traveling out to Camp Perry feeling like I'm not as prepared or motivated as I have been in year's past. Part of this has to do with how I'm performing but it also has to do with a lack of rhythm in shooting matches. I haven't been able to get into a groove of shooting match after match.
August 1
No matter how many years I have shot the President's Rifle Match, I still step up to the line for offhand nervous and anxious about shooting. Today was no different and I almost felt like I couldn't shoot. It took me a few tries in prep to get the rifle down to a decent size hold. When I started shooting my NPA was good but the hold was still erratic. The first shot broke a little high but came up an X. A couple of 10's were next and then I shot one that I knew was out. It was a nine but still close to the line. I tried to settle down but the next one broke outside as well. Then things started working and I just took my time and stopped my process when things didn’t feel right.
The mirage was a boil at my end of the range and I decided I would still be safe by shooting straight away. I dropped into position, racked the charging handle and got on the sights. I had a pulse that would move the sights througout the 10-ring. The shots out of the first magazine broke a little wildly. I took more time for the remaining ones and tried to be deliberate about how I was squeezing off each shot.
A thunderstorm moved in before we shot 600 and we were told to evacuate the range. I came back later to finish the match and my thoughts were more on my slow prone elevation problems rather than the wind. What I didn't want was to start off the string with an 8 or 7 out the top. The first shot was a low 10 and I came up a click. The second shot was another low 10 and then I came up two and fired an X. The fourth was a 9 on the left but I clicked and tried to shoot as fast as I could while still taking good shots. My 9th shot was not a clean break and came up a 9 at 1 o'clock. The last one downrange went right in the middle.
| Offhand: | 98-3 |
| Rapid Prone: | 99-3 |
| Slow Prone: | 98-2 |
| Aggregate: | 295-8 |
I don't usually comment on winning or losing in these narratives because I prefer to focus on just my performance, but this is a special case. Coming out on top in the President's Rifle Match is something that seemed so distant and reserved for other shooters. After coming so close in 2009 I felt like I could do it again but with only one chance each year and my sub-par performances this season, I didn't know when I could get a legitimate shot at this success. While winning the match felt good, it was the honor of being associated with such a prestigious trophy and the congratulations that I have received from other shooters that really means the most.
August 2
The N.T.I. was a another warm, humid day. I was actually quite relaxed when I went to the line with the pressure of yesterday's win behind me I felt like I could just go out and shoot.
While I was relaxed in offhand I wasn't executing my fundamentals properly. My NPA was a little off and the shots were breaking to the right. I shot an eight and several nines and the whole string just felt like I was working too hard for the bad shots that I got. There were three nines that were so close to the line that if only the 10-ring had been slightly bigger…
I had more of a pulse in sitting than normal. Even though I shifted around in prep it was still there. The final group was tall as I was breaking shots within that pulsing, rocking motion. The group was to the left of center with one just out on the top.
My wind call at 300 was correct but the spotters on the target just confused me. There was a small group of six shots clustered around the top of the X-ring and another (much larger) group of four shots up high in the 9-ring. I never would have called the shots that high up.
Elevation was my main concern when I was getting ready to shoot 600. I just didn't want to have any wild shots out the top. Once I started shooting things worked out alright. I certainly didn't hold X-ring elevation but the front sight was in good enough focus that I could control how far up or down the shots were going.
| Offhand: | 93-0 |
| Sitting: | 99-2 |
| Rapid Prone: | 96-5 |
| Slow Prone: | 195-8 |
| Aggregate: | 483-15 |
August 4
The weather for the morning of the six-man team was a pleasant change from the last couple of days. The temperatures were mild and a steady breeze felt good. I felt good about our chances this year as everyone was motivated and was shooting at a high level.
I was on the last pair for standing and as we began to prep the wind was doing just enough to make it a challenge to get the sights in the middle. The hold was good during the lulls but the gusts meant having to wait for the right opportunity. I started with a nine and then followed that up with two 10's and then back in the nine ring. As it became harder and harder to get the sights to settle I got more and more frustrated. Shot five was out in the white for an 8. I fired two more 9's before we were done and only had one X. The score flatters the way I actually performed.
My position felt really good in prep for sitting. The sights were mostly still and I felt comfortable. We decided to go straight-away with wind. The shots broke alright and the final group was pretty good but a little low on the target. Another click or two of elevation and I could have pulled out a couple of more X's but I walked away satisfied.
After losing those shots out the top at 300 in the NTI, I wanted to focus on the front sight and squeeze the trigger. We went straight-away again here but during the string I had to favor to accommodate changing conditions. Because of the favoring the group was wide and a little low.
I had gained more confidence in my slow-fire prone this week and I was anxious to repeat my elevation control. We were light on the wind for the first shot and got a 7. After that it seemed pretty easy to stay in the middle with the only other point dropped being a 9 on shot seven.
| Offhand: | 94-1 |
| Sitting: | 100-5 |
| Rapid Prone: | 98-1 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-9 |
| Aggregate: | 488-16 |
August 7
The NRA 2-man team match is pretty enjoyable. A low-key day just relaxing and shooting. The weather today was great too with warm temperatures, sunny skies, and moderate humidity.
We were on second relay so the wind had picked up by the time we stepped to the line. The firing point was a little lumpy but I found a comfortable spot and tried to get a good NPA. Despite the breeze the rifle was hanging pretty well. I did have to come up during the string since I was breaking shots that I called high and they were lower than call. My only 9 was on shot four and that was on call. Overall the string seemed pretty easy since I was relaxed, took one shot at a time, and broke the trigger cleanly.
Sitting is a lot easier now that we don't have to stand up this week. The string was comfortable and the sights kept coming back on the target. A good group but a little low. Looks like I'll be bringing my zero up one click.
The wind had died down for 300 and we only used two clicks of left. We were good for elevation but there were some 10's that stretched out to the line on the left. Shooting this felt good with nice front sight focus and a firm grip on the rifle.
We started with 10 clicks of left at 600 but quickly moved up to 13. Instead of clicking I was favoring back and forth to protect against the slight changes. I didn't help matters by being sloppy with my elevation. Nothing drastic but wound up coming up a few clicks during the string. A bigger concern was the fact that most of our number board was covered by a berm downrange. I had to constantly try to count over from another target to make sure I was lined up on my own.
| Offhand: | 99-2 |
| Sitting: | 100-6 |
| Rapid Prone: | 100-6 |
| Slow Prone: | 193-6 |
| Aggregate: | 492-20 |
August 8
My last team match of Camp Perry is the Rumbold.
Once again, pair firing offhand was relaxing and the gun was holding very well. The shots were mostly on call except for the fact that I would call high 10's and the spotter would wind up in the X-ring.
The wind must have let-up from our sighters since my rapid sitting group was on the left side. Two shots were right on the line.
With both sighters in the X-ring we knew we had a good wind call. The group was centered side-to-side but low enough that I came up a click during the magazine change. Nothing was above center line but the group size was very good.
600 was another inconsistent effort. Sometimes I think I'm breaking good shots but the spotter shows something else. On other shots I call something high or low and the shot winds up in the X.
| Offhand: | 98-4 |
| Sitting: | 100-2 |
| Rapid Prone: | 100-7 |
| Slow Prone: | 192-8 |
| Aggregate: | 490-21 |
August 9
The first day of the NRA Championship had overnight rain and mostly clear skies. My assigned firing point had only three people so we were all moved to other firing points and other relays. I would be on relay 4 for today.
After the last couple of days I felt like I could perform well in standing. Today showed how wrong I could be. There was some wind but while it wasn't enough to move me into the 7 ring, there was enough to ruin several tries through my shot sequence. This meant that I had to start again more times than normal. This became draining mentally and made it easier to give up on some shots. Additionally, my trigger control was not very good on some shots and I jerked the rifle out of the 10-ring.
My sitting position felt good and I shot the first string with 4 clicks of left. The group was very tight and left of the X-ring. I took a click off and shot a larger group but it was still a clean.
Both sighters at 300 were fired with 7 left and were mid-ring 10's at 12. The first group though had four shots out on the right side. A frustrating turn of events with that many points lost. The wind must have taken pity on me since I was able to clean the second string but there was already a lot of damage done.
| Offhand: | 190-4 |
| Sitting: | 200-10 |
| Rapid Prone: | 196-7 |
August 10
The tempertures have really dropped today. Still t-shirt weather but putting on a sweatshirt wasn’t objectionable. There was wind all day today.
Despite the wind I was still trying to find the best time to break my shots. Getting that hold on to the target and shooting the shot without disturbing the sights. This was fine in the lulls but the gusts came much too soon. Despite my efforts there were way too many nines and the points just flowed away.
I was really looking forward to sitting since I feel like I've been performing well in this stage. The strings felt fine when I was shooting but the first one was not only a large group but it was out the right side with four 9's. I couldn't even clean the second string which only added to the frustration.
I put 14 clicks of left wind for 600 and my first sighter was an 8 on the left side. I took three off and shot an X. I proceeded to shoot 8 X's in my first 10 shots for record. A let-off pulled me back out in the 8 ring and I had a couple of 9's after that. While a 196 is better than I've been doing at 600, the fact that I was shooting good shots made me hope for a better score.
| Offhand: | 191-7 |
| Sitting: | 195-5 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-7 |
August 11
Even cooler temperatures this morning with blue skies and a very pleasant day to shoot.
My sitting now feels completely different than it did a few days ago. I don't know if it's the replacement sling or what but the position doesn't feel comfortable and I feel like I'm straining to put the sights on target. Both groups today were tall, wide and extended out the limits of the 10-ring. I honestly am pleased with only losing one point.
Group size wasn't a problem at 300 today but gauging the wind was. I saw the mirage running out the right so I put on three clicks of left wind. The first sighter was just off the 10-ring at 9 o'clock. That was a surprise since I didn't think the wind was that weak. I took off one click and got a mid-ring 10 for the second sighter. Since I couldn't bring myself to go to no wind, I fired the first string with one click of left. The group was decent but on the left side. No X's and a nine just barely out. Deciding to be bold I put on two clicks of right and shot a good group just a little low but still a clean.
I've been growing more and more confident in my slow prone, especially when the targets are well illuminated. The wind was mostly coming back in our faces and a little left. It wasn't much so I started shooting with just a few clicks of right on. I focused on the front sight and tried to break good shots. There were plenty of X's and I only had one elevation shot which was a 9 out the bottom. A reversal came along in the middle of the string but I caught it and had to put on left windage. I just rolled right along and it seemed almost easy.
| Sitting: | 199-7 |
| Rapid Prone: | 199-3 |
| Slow Prone: | 198-10 |
August 12
The last day of the NRA championship is usually the most challenging. Partly because we have two slow-fires and a 300 but mostly because shooting has become a grind after two weeks at Camp Perry. Today I knew that I had to shoot well to salvage something from the third aggregate. I made up ground in standing but dribbled it away again over the rest of the afternoon.
The conditions were good for standing this morning. I went to the line feeling relaxed but the rifle would not cooperate in prep. The hold was big so I at least tried to center it on the target. As I started to shoot I found that I had a hard time getting the rifle to settle in the middle. Despite the larger hold, my trigger control was working well and I could break the shots without pulling the sights off the target. The bigger challenge was getting the sights in the middle. Each shot felt different but most were inside of call. I couldn't really cruise through this one and I was pretty tired by the time it was over.
I brought my zero for 300 up one click because I have been shooting low all week. This was fine but for some reason my group was on the left side. The group size was great but off on the left side. I shot the second string with three more clicks of right. The group was wider but better centered.
Because I had some decent scores in the last two 600 yard matches I felt confident for this event. I started shooting but had problems early on with 9's. I tried to anticipate the wind changes and stay ahead of it but I was lost once the corner shots started showing up. Despite calling good shots I must have been doing something to keep poking the rounds up high.
| Offhand: | 196-7 |
| Rapid Prone: | 196-3 |
| Slow Prone: | 192-6 |
| Aggregate: | 2348-78 |
August 21
It was good to get back and shoot at Bonfield again. Because of this year's schedule and the weather in the spring, I haven't shot here since May. This probably comes closest to being my home range and I usually feel comfortable shooting here.
I had to work much harder in offhand than my score indicates. The hold on each shot felt different and I felt like I was struggling to get the sights to the target. When things weren't feeling right I would stop and start over but even then it was difficult to get the shots to go. Most of the time the hold would shrink but only when I was pointed outside of the 10-ring. I spent a lot of time just getting the rifle to come into the middle. This took a lot of concentration and it was a bit draining by the end.
My sitting has really gotten out of control. While this string was a clean, I shot it without confidence. My position did not give me a lot of vertical stability. So in recoil the rifle would leave the target and I would have to get it back down again. The clean was based more on luck instead of pure technique.
Although the skies have been clear all day, when I shot 300 rapid there were some light changes due to clouds. This meant that as I was firing the string I would have to strain to focus on the front sight because of the lack of light. The group was taller than I wanted and it was a bit on the left but I'll take it since I thought it would be even worse.
Slow prone didn't feel very natural and, despite calling them in the middle, I was never really sure of the result. Of course every shot in slow prone looks good right up until they come up as 8's. There weren't any 8's today and I was pleasantly surprised at how many X's I had.
| Offhand: | 97-2 |
| Sitting: | 100-6 |
| Rapid Prone: | 100-4 |
| Slow Prone: | 199-14 |
| Aggregate: | 496-26 |
September 3
A humid morning for our state service rifle championship.
Standing was comfortable enough but because of the height difference of the firing line and the targets, my vertical NPA was just above center. I would bring the rifle down to the target and the sights would settle at the top of the black. The rest of the shot sequence consisted of me trying to bring things down to the middle. Five of the six nines were above center because the rifle just wanted to sit there. I tried widening my stance to accomodate this and bring my NPA down. This helped a little bit but it compromised my wobble size.
The sitting groups were once again too big to be acceptable. There is a lot of movement and I can't seem to get stable enough to break clean shots. The first group had two shots out the bottom. I didn't call the two shots but I did call the large group. The second string was a clean but I used most of the 10-ring to get it.
My NPA and position in rapid prone is pretty good so the rifle comes back down on the target after recoil. The downside of this is that the sights are on target again so fast that I break the next shot without even breathing. The groups were decent but off-center. The first one was a little high with a crescent of 10's above the X-ring and one 9. The second was another crescent with only one X.
The clouds and rain came in for slow prone. That didn't cause a lot of problems but my shooting was pretty mediocre. Plenty of X's (at one point I shot 5 in a row) but multiple 9's straight out the right.
| Offhand: | 194-7 |
| Sitting: | 198-9 |
| Rapid Prone: | 199-1 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-10 |
| Aggregate: | 787-27 |
September 4
The no-sighters team match.
Once again my NPA in standing was at the top of the black and I had to work to bring the sights down. My hold was a little larger than yesterday and shots were off call. I dropped five points in the first five shots and was already shaking my head. I struggled through the string but in the back of my head I knew that it was going to be nothing special.
Before my first sitting string I tried to let the rifle fall into a more natural position rather than me pulling it where I felt it should go. This felt a lot better and the groups were much improved. At the beginning of the second string I pulled the trigger and it just clicked because the bolt wasn't closed all the way. Turns out a primer had come out of a case and gummed up the works. I still cleaned my alibil string.
I shot too fast again in rapid prone and didn't really breathe. The groups were about the same as yesterday although I managed a couple of additional X's.
There was a wind at 600 that didn't look like it was worth much but you could see it change drastically in the scope. It would be going in one direction, switch the other way and switch back very quickly. I didn't stay in the middle for long.
| Offhand: | 190-4 |
| Sitting: | 200-11 |
| Rapid Prone: | 199-3 |
| Slow Prone: | 195-5 |
| Aggregate: | 784-23 |
September 24
The weather forecast wasn't too promising this morning when I left the house. Since I was also running the match I had to be there regardless but I still wanted to remain dry. It turned out to be a decent day. There was some sunshine in the morning with heavy clouds coming in the afternoon.
If there was one thing that amazed me in offhand this morning it was my trigger control. So many times I will see movment during the actual shot break that I have almost come to expect it. Today was the opposite. The process of getting the rifle to go off was very smooth and I detected very little additional movement when actuating the trigger. It was as if I decided to break the shot, there was the normal delay as my mind executed the process, and the rifle went off with no movement. I started a little rough with three 9's in the first four shots but when I could see an X, that's where they went. Even the 9's didn't even go as far as mid-ring.
I was trying to find that natural sitting position that I had last time but it still seemed foreign to me. I did the best I could which was still not ideal. The good trigger control in standing was still with me here as the trigger squeeze was very fluid. The first group was a bit tall with shots close to the line but that was just bad aim that caused that. The second group felt better but still not an 8x which is what I got.
There was really no point in putting on any wind for 300. There was moving mirage downrange but the magnitude was slight. Both sighters were X's and were inside of call. The first group was good but shifted toward 8 o'clock. The second group was also in that lower left quadrant but much bigger with two 9's just off the line. I can't really discern why the second group opened up.
I was a little apprehensive when I had to shoot slow prone. Cloud cover had come in and made the range darker than I would have prefered. My position seemed relaxed but with the low light I had a hard time knowing where the correct placement of the front sight was on the target. Sometimes it would seem too high or to one side. On a couple of shots I was really sweating it out as the target was coming up since I didn't have a good call.
| Offhand: | 194-8 |
| Sitting: | 200-12 |
| Rapid Prone: | 198-7 |
| Slow Prone: | 200-13 |
| Aggregate: | 792-40 |
September 25
It was alternating between a fine mist and drizzle as I arrived at the range for the team match.
Wiping water off my rifle and a sciatica flare-up is not how I wanted to start offhand. Still, things looked pretty good in prep so I felt I could shoot well. My hold wasn't the best today and I didn't have the good trigger control that I had yesterday. But I took my time and stopped my shot process and started over again when I felt I held too long. Sometimes I would keep the gun mounted and just look away and breathe. Other times I would bring the rifle down and mount it again.
Sitting was the same it's been all season. Just a so-so hold as I'm trying to break shots in the middle. The groups are too big and I'm just squeeking by when I shoot a clean.
I'm not sure what I was looking at in rapid prone. Both sighers were X's but the first group was 10-ring wide with a nine just out on the left. The second group was smaller but still had a 9. The sights looked good when I broke the shots.
Although there was similar cloud cover as yesterday I still had a hard time in consistantly finding the center. When I started my position didn't feel quite right. It seemed too low and too loose. After a few nines I knew I had to stop and try to get something that felt better. I tightened the sling which seemed to help a little bit but it was still hard to shoot consistant X's.
| Offhand: | 196-5 |
| Sitting: | 199-9 |
| Rapid Prone: | 198-5 |
| Slow Prone: | 196-7 |
| Aggregate: | 789-26 |
October 2
October can be touch and go when it comes to weather sometimes. Today was a bit chilly in the morning but with clear skies and plenty of sunshine. The afternoon sky was just an endless expanse of blue.
I've been pretty pleased with my offhand recently so today I just stepped up to the line and performed like I expected. This was yet another case of staying disciplined and waiting for the best shot opportunity to come by. Nothing reallly out of the ordinary with regards to my hold, aim, or trigger control. Just trying to concentrate on each shot and stopping the process when the shot didn't want to go.
Even though the season is winding down I'm still looking for some kind of answer to my sitting problems. Today I tried to get more cheek pressure down on the stock and add a little more tension in the pistol grip. This helped somewhat because the groups were smaller than they have been. The first group was a little low and I was afraid of clicking up and putting the second group out the top. So I just held a little higher on the second group and had a high group.
Just like last Sunday both of my rapid prone sighters were X's. They were also on call which was a bonus. My sight picture was a little difficult to acquire for each shot. This made me slow down and it seemed like I was going to run out of time. In reality I still shot at a pretty good pace. The first group was a good size with a few 10's below center and a 9 out the bottom. The second group had one 10 on the line at 9 o'clock and another on the line 3 o'clock. Not much margin for windage error. The lone 9 was just off the line at 7. After shooting some pretty small groups this year, the errant shots are worrisome.
I was trying to understand why I dropped so many points in slow prone last Sunday. Today's position felt decent but as I started shooting the shots were coming up as wide 10's. When I can't shoot multiple X's in a row at this range there is something wrong. After half the string was over I noticed that I wasn't putting my face against the buttstock in the same way. Usually I have some soreness just above my upper right-front teeth after shooting because that's the part of my face that I force against the stock. The recoil spring vibrates the stock and causes the soreness over 20 shots. Once I positioned my face in that spot again things improved and of the last 10 shots, 8 of them were X's.
| Offhand: | 195-6 |
| Sitting: | 200-5 |
| Rapid Prone: | 198-9 |
| Slow Prone: | 197-11 |
| Aggregate: | 790-31 |
This year really lacked the consistancy of 2010. It seemed like I would shoot a match and then have a weekend or two with not shooting. Before I knew it, it was time to head for the Nationals. With gaps between match weekends it was difficult to gain the familiarity with my shooting that I used to have. Breaks are good but I have more confidence in my shooting when I get into a rhythm shooting matches.
I felt better about this year's offhand than I have in recent memory. Statistically last year was pretty good but this year I had more confidence about the kind of standing score that I could shoot. My hold hasn't been great but the key has really been my discipline in deciding which shots to take. When I take my time, remain patient, and stay disciplined on shot selection, I can shoot good standing scores.
Sitting was really the let-down stage this year. I had so much success with it last season that the drop off in performance was so drastic. The groups opened up and cleans seemed so much more difficult to get. From the beginning I never felt fully comfortable with the position. There was too much effort required to shoot small groups. I had a short streak during the Nationals where I had several cleans but that was the anomoly for the season. By the end of the year I was trying different things to try to get the groups smaller. Sometimes they worked but I couldn't get back to what I had last year.
The numbers show a slight decline in performance in rapid prone from last year but I didn't think there was much change. During the year I shot some good groups but it varied and I didn't take much away from the season in this stage. I still need to be more aware of taking my time and breaking the shot when I'm ready.
Slow prone was almost as much of a let down this year as sitting. Where in sitting the scores drastically fell, in slow prone I just dropped a few more points each time than I would expect. It got really bad at the leg match in Wright City where I could barely hold 7-ring elevation. Things got better but I had limited confidence in that position for most of the year. I may have turned a corner during the last match when I put a little more jaw pressure against the stock. I'll have to see if this has any affect next year.