Good and bad days at the range

[jeff_gibbons]

Just curious to learn the experiences of this group. I know I’m nuts, but have you ever had a range session with a great rifle and load that sprinkled rounds around the paper for no reason than the knucklehead behind the trigger?

Today I shot my favorite rifle with a known combo and could not group!!! Too much coffee? Too early?? Full moon?

I bagged it and switched to the 22lr to fight another day.

Guess it’s like golf, some days it feels right and works. Other days - not so much

 

[Dsnow9]

Yes, it happens to me more often when shooting pistols but does with the rifle as well.

If I’m all over the place with the rifle I usually bring out the front and rear bags, settle down and walk through all my steps and do a couple empty chamber trigger pulls. I put one in the chamber and let it fly after walking through the process slow and calm. I don’t think it’s ever not hit its mark after that.

I then put the rifle away and go home. Knowing that I was just having an off day. Shooting a scoped rifle does not come naturally to me. I grew up shooting iron sites and didn’t use a scope till my 20s. I need a minimum of 100 rounds down range a year and a lot of empty chamber trigger pulls to feel confident going into hunting season with a scoped rifle. I can’t explain it.

I can pull out an iron site gun like my 30/30 and hit targets out to 100 though without even thinking about it or prep. Something about scopes and I just don’t get along.

Something about focusing on the crass hairs instead of the target…

 

[LuketheDog]

Just curious to learn the experiences of this group. I know I’m nuts, but have you ever had a range session with a great rifle and load that sprinkled rounds around the paper for no reason than the knucklehead behind the trigger?

Today I shot my favorite rifle with a known combo and could not group!!! Too much coffee? Too early?? Full moon?

I bagged it and switched to the 22lr to fight another day.

Guess it’s like golf, some days it feels right and works. Other days - not so much

It's too much coffee for me. The range I like is an hour away and I'd pound coffee on the drive down. I found when shooting longer ranges I could see my heartbeat making the crosshairs hop all over the target, even when shooting on a concrete bench. I limit myself to one cup of coffee on range days now.

 

[nrpate05]

I can pull out an iron site gun like my 30/30 and hit targets out to 100 though without even thinking about it or prep. Something about scopes and I just don’t get along.

Something about focusing on the crass hairs instead of the target…

I can relate to this. I think it is because when shooting iron sights I don't expect to be super precise. If I can shoot a softballish group from field positions at 100 or so yards with my muzzleloader I call that a success. It always seems much more casual for some reason. When I'm shooting my scoped rifles I obsess over the bullet landing exactly where I want it and that anxiety can hamper my shooting. Like Maverick said in Top Gun..."If you think, you're dead." I always try to remember that.

 

[Sheltowee]

Just curious to learn the experiences of this group. I know I’m nuts, but have you ever had a range session with a great rifle and load that sprinkled rounds around the paper for no reason than the knucklehead behind the trigger?

Today I shot my favorite rifle with a known combo and could not group!!! Too much coffee? Too early?? Full moon?

I bagged it and switched to the 22lr to fight another day.

Guess it’s like golf, some days it feels right and works. Other days - not so much

I'd suspect the loose screw behind the trigger is to blame for most of my bad range days.

 

[noharleyyet]

Just curious to learn the experiences of this group. I know I’m nuts, but have you ever had a range session with a great rifle and load that sprinkled rounds around the paper for no reason than the knucklehead behind the trigger?

Today I shot my favorite rifle with a known combo and could not group!!! Too much coffee? Too early?? Full moon?

I bagged it and switched to the 22lr to fight another day.

Guess it’s like golf, some days it feels right and works. Other days - not so much

I hear ya...chased & only surrounded the bull for about 40 bucks worth of loads yesterday with my most accurate rifle.

 

[Forkyfinder]

I have worse pistol days than rifle. . . Sometimes it happens.

One thing ive noticed - different things can be hard to shoot for different people. All of my rifles are either braked or heavy enough theres modest recoil. Changing platforms can be tough too. Most of my "off days" were scopes not holding together.

Always good to bring a 22lr for practice and another centerfire you trust.

 

[Treeshark]

I then put the rifle away and go home. Knowing that I was just having an off day.

I do this same thing with my bow, especially later in a session when I’m getting tired.

“Alright, it was you- the bow is still on target. Let’s go home.”

 

[jeff_gibbons]

Thx all. I’m going to experiment with reduced coffee next trip.

 

[noharleyyet]

I hear ya...chased & only surrounded the bull for about 40 bucks worth of loads yesterday with my most accurate rifle.

It came to me yesterday what I was doing wrong...and it was something very elementary.

*spinning a CDS dial expecting 1/4"/click

 

[Cogreeny]

Yes, it happens to me more often when shooting pistols but does with the rifle as well.

If I’m all over the place with the rifle I usually bring out the front and rear bags, settle down and walk through all my steps and do a couple empty chamber trigger pulls. I put one in the chamber and let it fly after walking through the process slow and calm. I don’t think it’s ever not hit its mark after that.

I then put the rifle away and go home. Knowing that I was just having an off day. Shooting a scoped rifle does not come naturally to me. I grew up shooting iron sites and didn’t use a scope till my 20s. I need a minimum of 100 rounds down range a year and a lot of empty chamber trigger pulls to feel confident going into hunting season with a scoped rifle. I can’t explain it.

I can pull out an iron site gun like my 30/30 and hit targets out to 100 though without even thinking about it or prep. Something about scopes and I just don’t get along.

Something about focusing on the crass hairs instead of the target…

Same. My old man wouldn’t buy scopes so we used irons as kids. Killed deer and elk just fine didn’t know any better. Turned 18 moved out and started using glass. Kinda miss those days though.

 

[FairWeather]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but just had this happen to me over the weekend. Nice to know I’m not alone.

What I’ve found is after a certain round count, I’m just kinda shot out. My shoulder gets sore and I start anticipating the recoil, causing me to jerk the trigger. Also by time this is happening I notice my heart beat causes the rifle to move (presumably mostly a problem because I’m a left handed shooter).

I try to put at least 20 rounds through my 308 every time I hit the range, and after having shot my 3 other rifles before pulling the 308 out, I just couldn’t shoot well. Ended up calling it quits after about 15 shots.

 

[El Jason]

Thx all. I’m going to experiment with reduced coffee next trip.

Man, I drink coffee like a drunk goes through booze and I cannot tell the difference.

I would suggest the increased wobble, whether it exists or you’re just more acutely aware of it, is causing a poor trigger press because of shooter anxiety.

 

[El Jason]

What I’ve found is after a certain round count, I’m just kinda shot out.

Shooter fatigue is very real. There is value in learning to fight through it mentally, but it’s hard to do without a coach there.

 

[El Jason]

Something about focusing on the crass hairs instead of the target…

Then try focusing on the target. Keep both eyes open if you can.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Man, I drink coffee like a drunk goes through booze and I cannot tell the difference.

I would suggest the increased wobble, whether it exists or you’re just more acutely aware of it, is causing a poor trigger press because of shooter anxiety.

I consume too many stimulants.. adderall and cold brew in the morning and I usually shoot just fine UNLESS there is some adrenaline too then I find the stimulants push me over the edge.

I’ve had some of my best match days shooting when I forgot to take or was out of ADD meds or operating on little sleep. I say match days because being on the clock adds some additional edge that makes it harder to settle down. I’ve heard Jon Pynch say some of his best shooting was after a long day of working outside because his muscles were tired/loose. More relaxed, not so twitchy - it helps! But just going to the range and shooting off a bench with a resting heart rate.. yeah, I can be close to caffeine heart attack and shoot fine

 

[Sheltowee]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but just had this happen to me over the weekend. Nice to know I’m not alone.

What I’ve found is after a certain round count, I’m just kinda shot out. My shoulder gets sore and I start anticipating the recoil, causing me to jerk the trigger. Also by time this is happening I notice my heart beat causes the rifle to move (presumably mostly a problem because I’m a left handed shooter).

I try to put at least 20 rounds through my 308 every time I hit the range, and after having shot my 3 other rifles before pulling the 308 out, I just couldn’t shoot well. Ended up calling it quits after about 15 shots.

Get practice reps in with a .22 (ideally set up similarly to your hunting rifle) or try to find a suppressor for your rifle. You'd be surprised how much suppressors decrease perceived recoil and, by hanging an extra pound on the rifle (or an extra 10-15% of weight), felt recoil too.

 

[FairWeather]

Get practice reps in with a .22 (ideally set up similarly to your hunting rifle) or try to find a suppressor for your rifle. You'd be surprised how much suppressors decrease perceived recoil and, by hanging an extra pound on the rifle (or an extra 10-15% of weight), felt recoil too.

I’m figuring to look into a suppressor whenever the $200 tax stamp goes away. I think that’s after new years? Just as well, my barrel isn’t threaded and it’ll cost about $200 to get it done.

 

[Sheltowee]

I’m figuring to look into a suppressor whenever the $200 tax stamp goes away. I think that’s after new years? Just as well, my barrel isn’t threaded and it’ll cost about $200 to get it done.

Yeah, I think it goes into effect 1/1. Several online suppressor dealers are covering the cost of the $200 stamp now if you order before the tax goes away, though.

 

[utah400elk]

I am sure it happens to all of us. Some days for me are fing magic and some days (thankfully not too often) are more of a sh!t-show.

I shot this 5 shot target the other day with open sights from a muzzleloader @ 100 yards…this was one of my FM days where I could do no wrong!

It was 79°
81% humidity
30.11 pressure
And elevation of about 650’

Average velocity was 1916 with 100 grn (volume, 77 grain weight) BH 209 shooting 270 grn BOR lock. This gave me a BC of .167 (JBM BC Caluclation based on LabRadar Velocity between Muzzle and 99 yard).