Cheep Eley and trigger control

[Jerry G]

I have been working on my trigger control by trying to shoot small groups off the bench and I think it is helping. Back to the basics of just squeezing the trigger and not worring about my wobble. Somehow I have developed a bad tgrigger jerk.

I have been using that cheep no-name Eley and out of 16, 5 shot groups at 50 yds I only had one group larger than 1 minute. I guess I need to try it at 100m. I am guessing the groups will open up a bit.

[atomicbrh]

Jerry,
Are you seeing your pulse off the bench?
For my entire life I had a vertical pulse in the standing position. It is easy to shoot with that up/down pulse.
In the Fall of 2017 I lost that normal pulse and it changed to a right and left pulse. That is both in the standing position and on the bench on a good rest. Before the Fall of 2017 I never saw any pulse off the bench. It is most noticeable at the 40 meter distance. That is why my chicken hits are way down from normal. I have tried different kinds of vests, different rifles, different scope heights and I cannot get rid of that right to left/left to right pulse. That crazy pulse is there with all three air rifles and the smallbore rifle. It is not in my shoulder, face, or neck. It must be in my hands. It is difficult to test ammo with that pulse or zero rifles. I cannot come up with a solution. This is the most frustrating thing to happen in all the years I have shot silhouette.

[Jerry G]

My at rest pulse is around 45 so it isn't much of a problem. I have learned how to slow it down. I am beganning to think my high blod pressure is part of my problem. I do jerk my trigger which is a bad habit learned from shooting in the wind.

[DavidABQ]

Jerry, you have developed an affinity for jerking it have you?

I don't really have a solution except to maybe dry fire and concentrate of squeezing instead of jerking. After the shot I need to remember to keep depressing the trigger for a full 2 seconds of follow through.

[Jerry G]

The bench time seems to be helping. I am going to spend more time on the bench prior to a match.

Dave, muscle memory needs more reinforcement than a few 'dry fire' shots.

As a friend of mine once said, "practice until you can't get it wrong."

[DavidABQ]

Dave, muscle memory needs more reinforcement than a few 'dry fire' shots.

Just train yourself to an hour long dry fire session. That should provide plenty of opportunities for muscle memory.

[Jerry G]

You are right Dave, it is repitition that counts. It is called muscle memory and it works.

[Another Dang 9]

Muscle memory is a term we use but its not the muscles in our arms and back but the one I our head. Neural pathways in our brain are why we have so called muscle memory. And yes its done by repetition. That's why bad habits can come back. Its been hard wired in our heads already.

[atomicbrh]

I believe that shooting silhouette creates new neural pathways that are very different from the neural pathways used to participate in other endeavors thus staving off dementia until much later in life than would normally occur. Either that theory is true or people who are not genetically predisposed to develop dementia are more attracted to silhouette. There was a book published in 2012 called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg that explains how neural pathways are created and influenced. We do not seem to have as many silhouette competitors with dementia as the general population.

[Another Dang 9]

Then why can't I find my frigging keys!!!

[Jerry G]

That's funny 9.... I have the same problem.

You are right on the muscle memory thing but training the brain to react is the key to a lot of things. That along with 'quiet eye' in most any sport.

[Another Dang 9]

I even had the opportunity to prove that to myself when a guy I know bought an AR15. Haven't picked one up since 1985. Still was able to disassemble it and reassemble it with my eyes closed.

[Another Dang 9]

Quiet eye...not familiar with that term. What does it mean?

[Jerry G]

Focus on a spot in any sport you are in. A point on the rim of a basket, A blade of grass when you putt, a specific point in a goal when playing hockey, etc.

[Another Dang 9]

OK. Understood.