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Advice for improvement before I lose heart

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GridNorth

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I've shot about 10 x 25 metre BR targets over the last couple of days. I'm using an AA S510TR, a Vector Optics Sentinal-X 10-40x50 and the Smart Loader bench rest front and rear. No matter what I do I can't get past 234. Even when I shot 5 x 10's on the top row with 3 of them X's everything then went to pot and I ended up at 233. I can shoot sub 1/2" tight groups as well as anybody at that and greater ranges but the level of precision needed for BR seems to be beyond me.

Al
 
This may sound daft but I've hit the same problem sometimes when I've been shooting the Br20 cards for fun. I changed and rather than doing good scores from the beginning and as you get further on you get a sort of bunny fever, I started shooting the targets in a random number order. .............dom
 
It could possibly be the movement you make from one target to the next. Shooting the top row you are only making a lateral movement, the next row you've had to make a vertical movement as well.
Rather than shooting targets in a logical order, shoot them in a random order ie top left followed by bottom right followed by top right and so on. This will force you to make sure your position is correct for each shot rather than your position getting gradually worse without you noticing.
 
Are you doing it for fun, challenging yourself 🤔, if so, good, it’s when you get down and the frustration kicks in, it’s a downhill slope. Been there, still there bud, so keep at it, take a break, take out the frustration on some other fun targets for example, no disrespect to the comp. Shooters or anyone else for that matter, but don’t get anal about it, pellet washing weighing etc, in your present state of mind, you’ll be pulling your hair out, mine went a long time ago 😂😉😉😉😂😂ATB, Don’t let it beat you 👍
 
I've not done BR but something a do find with guns on some rests is the "settle point", as in if the gun was allowed to settle for 20 minutes, that POI is smack on the target variations will be equal +/-, if you have just moved right, for example, and the settle point is till a bit left, it is easier to default to the left.
I could be talking out of my behind here but if you move right, use the aim point like backlash on a lathe, got a bit further than the target and come back, let it settle, feel if any part of the setup wants to default a bit off.
 
Are you adjusting your front rest for each row?
I get lined up and shoot the top row.
Then reset the front rest down to the second row and shoot them, then reset again for the next row and so on. When I then change cards I shoot from the bottom row up advising each time.
 
Keep at it! Just think of the disappointment as part of the road to a perfect score. It's there, right at the end of that road. From what you've said, it may just be around the next corner or over that rise.
 
Cinimod said:
You could wind the magnification back a bit as the higher the mag the more any twitch or heart beat shows through the sight...........dom
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I don't buy into that argument. The muzzle is moving the same amount regardless. My POA seems to be static when I shoot and I control my breathing. I'm beginning to think it's trigger pull that's the issue although I am not detecting any movement.
 
I have 50 cards. If I have not improved by the end of those I will give up. Patience is not my best virtue although shooting has improved it somewhat. I don't expect to be "the best" but I do like to be above average when I take something up. My main hobby has been climbing and Alpinism, 55 years in fact. Luckily and not wishing to brag I showed early signs of being above average and have maintained that all of my life performing at the highest levels but never quite "the best" although I have climbed with many of them.

Al
 
GridNorth said:
I don't buy into that argument. The muzzle is moving the same amount regardless. My POA seems to be static when I shoot and I control my breathing. I'm beginning to think it's trigger pull that's the issue although I am not detecting any movement.
Click to expand...
If using magazines try a single shot loader, also a half inch group will be scoring 7 and 8s at the extremes, you really need to be down to half that size , it may be worth weighing your pellets as the variations on some tins can be quite wide, zero and shoot one weight.
BR is probably the most critical of disciplines to shoot, I hear so many people say its 'easy' and get a shock when they try! Practice lots and lots and lots!! You've a good starting score to progress from as and when you get the "bug" 😁👍
 
Mark Palmer said:
If using magazines try a single shot loader, also a half inch group will be scoring 7 and 8s at the extremes, you really need to be down to half that size , it may be worth weighing your pellets as the variations on some tins can be quite wide, zero and shoot one weight.
BR is probably the most critical of disciplines to shoot, I hear so many people say its 'easy' and get a shock when they try! Practice lots and lots and lots!! You've a good starting score to progress from as and when you get the "bug" 😁👍
Click to expand...
I'm using a good quality SSL, Rowan I believe. I'm that typical all the gear and no idea.
 
How's the trigger? The triggers are S5/400s biggest let downs IMO, I've never been able to get a light enough second stage to prevent pulling shots without modifications. It's not that noticable plinking or shooting groups, but it became apparent when I set my MPR up for BR.

Assuming the gun is accurate enough (should be, with the right pellets), my money is on the trigger or head position.
 
GridNorth said:
I'm using a good quality SSL, Rowan I believe. I'm that typical all the gear and no idea.
Click to expand...
With a 2mm bullseye as on BR, everything becomes critical, breathing, heartbeat, trigger technique, eye relief, pellets, it's the nature of the beast, my advice would be to wind off the magnification as eye relief becomes less critical and you wont be so aware of your heart beat, I'd be inclined to pellet test and see how small a group you can achieve, the 9 ring is about 8 or 9 mm across, ideally you need every pellet inside that 9, there is no quick fix as a huge amount has to come from yourself. If you have the facility to clamp your gun to a bench and shoot 25 yards indoors, you will see what the gun and pellet combination you have are achieving if it's still a half inch group, then I'd suggest you need to find a better pellet, if it's less than half an inch, then it's your input causing the variance, so you need to work on your consistency, this is how I did it, 3 years ago my first session produced a best of 188 (indoors but I use diopters) my PB with that gun and sights is now 246 at 25 yards, independently scored. It takes time , effort and practice
 
There have been some good suggestions here, however so fear that if you dont have patience and willing to try different things then maybe BR isn’t for you.

The magnification makes a huge difference - you need to find the one you are Comfortable at - mine is 36x

The gun - it could simply be the gun isn’t up to the job. Can you try someone else’s setup who has scored higher than you?

Is there a pattern on the cards I.e similar targets you are scoring 9’s on - Could be adjustment or cant
 
GridNorth said:
I don't buy into that argument. The muzzle is moving the same amount regardless. My POA seems to be static when I shoot and I control my breathing. I'm beginning to think it's trigger pull that's the issue although I am not detecting any movement.
Click to expand...
Trigger pull is a possibility, are you missing in the same place on the target, e.g. left of the target. There is an image somewhere that gives an indication of which shooter error causes the position of the miss (if that makes sense 😆).......dom
 
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