Looking for Feedback

[BPicker]

I am trying to improve my offhand and bench rest results over the winter and looking for feedback. I shoot daily on a measured 10 meter home range. I use a used Daisy / Avanti 853 that I bought through the CMP program refinished the Monte Carlo stock and put new seals in the rifle. I don't know what the muzzle velocity is but believe it is within specs (480 500 fps?). I shoot Meisterkuleln Professional Line 8.2 grain wad cutter pellets. I installed an Avanti target diopter rear sight, the upgraded one with black rubber eye cup. I shoot five shot groups and at this point working to get tight groups. I am 62 and wear glasses and wear an old snug fitting leather motorcycle jacket zipped tight for support  when shooting offhand. I measure groups (closest 3 or more shots ) with calipers. My results so far are:

Offhand Position:
430 shots

Ave. #shots in Group 74.90% (3.74 rounds)
Standard Deviation 7.54%
(My goal here is 90%)

Average Group size C-T-C  8.17mm
Standard Deviation 1.33mm
(My goal here is <10 mm)

Bench Rest:
135 shots

Ave. #shots inn Group 100%
Standard Deviation 0.00%

Average Group Size C-T-C  6.40mm
Standard Deviation  1.42mm

What can I do to improve my group size with the equipment I have? Any other things I should be measuring? How far off the norm am I in terms of results?
Thanks in advance for your help...

[ac12]

There are 2 books that I have:
- Ways of the Rifle, by MEC (this one came out first)
- Air Rifle Shooting, by MEC

I recommend you get the "Air Rifle Shooting" book.
I wish I had that book when I first started shooting.

Pay attention to the stance and how the rifle is held.  The stance in the book is the "European" stance (it is a German book), vertical front leg with most of the weight on the front leg.  The US stance is both legs evenly spread, with 50/50 weight.  Neither is better, just different, use which ever works for YOU.  I started with the US stance and changed to the European stance, as the European stance just worked better, for ME.

I wear progressives, and that did NOT work for shooting.  I had a pair of bifocal glasses made for shooting.
Right lens with a RX on top that let me see the front sight SHARP/in focus as well as being able to see the target well enough to aim at it.  This is a compromise RX, I think it was distance Rx + 0.5 diopter.
Left lens was distance RX. 
Bifocal was for reading, so I could see and inspect the pellet, and see the stuff on the bench.
I got mine in with a yellow tint.
Get as large a lens as you can, to protect your eyes.  I had a pellet fragment hit my face from hitting the side of the trap at 5 meters.  Scared the CR@P out of me.
Get it at Costco, much cheaper than from your eye doc.

I replaced the wood stock on my 853 with the plastic stock of the 953.  The heavier plastic stock is easier for me to hold steady than the lighter wood stock.  In target shooting, weight is your friend.

If your 853 has not had a trigger mod, then do that.
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=39648.msg370084#msg370084

Experiment with different size front apertures.  The current trend is to leave a lot of light around the bull.  Too little light sometimes leads to jerking the trigger.  I was taught to size the front aperture large enough that the bull stays visible most/all of the time.  The more I wobble, the larger the aperture I use.  To do this, I replaced the barrel weight on the 853 with a 753/953 barrel weight and a Gamo/753 front sight (with interchangeable inserts).

Get a pair of shoes with FLAT bottoms.  Any curve, especially under the heel, will reduce the stability of your feet to the floor.  Like a house foundation, if your feet are not stable, you will not be stable.  And don't wear those shoes any place else, or you will wear a curve into them.

I would use a "light" pellet with the x53 rifles, since they don't have much velocity to begin with.  But use whatever pellet works for you.

Experiment with shooting at different times of the day.  I found my best shooting was in the morning. 

Cut back on the coffee and other caffeine drinks.

A trick that my AR coach used with me was to step my goals.
- All shots inside the 1 ring.  Yeah I was REALLY bad in the beginning.
- All shots inside the 2 ring.  Then gradually go ring by ring smaller.
- All shots inside the BLACK.  This was a major milestone for me.
- Again gradually ring by ring until you are down to the 9 ring.
The score did not matter, the goal was to keep all the shots INSIDE the specific ring that you were going for.  An easier alternative is to shoot so you score the desired ring score.  And if the target got shredded too much with 5 shots to see the individual hits, shoot 3 or 2 shots per target.

CONCENTRATE on the front sight and holding it on target.  If at any point of your hold you are aware of your trigger finger, you are NOT concentrating 100% on the front sight and the sight image.  This high concentration on the front sight is how you get the magical "surprise release."  You get on target, initiate the trigger pull, then HOLD the sight image.

Get your shot off within 6 seconds on coming on target.  The longer you hold, the worse your wobble gets.  Most shooters will have a period of greatest stability at some point inside this 6 second window.  You need to find YOUR point.  This point will change as you get better, so expect this change.  For many of us, in the beginning you may need someone to time you, as thinking about the clock is just another distraction that you do not need.

Learn to ABORT the shot.  If you are holding too long, if your wobble gets bad, if anything does not feel right . . . ABORT.  For me learning to ABORT was the HARDEST thing to learn to do.  But, pushing through and firing, usually results in a poor shot.  That was the flyer in the 3 ring.

You have x many minutes for a match of 40 or 60 shots.  Check the rules.  Space your shots out and rest/break as needed.  I think the old rules was 90 minutes for 60 shots.  I would sometimes break and walk a bit or sit down, and shake my arms so they don't cramp.

Your biker jacket would not qualify for regulation competition.  Too tight.
But for casual home shooting, who cares.

gud luk

[BPicker]

ac12
Thank you so much for the advise. I appreciate the time you took to respond and I know by reading that there is a ton of good information in your post. Much obliged.

[patseale]

ac12, I also want to thank you for posting that detailed response to BPicker's question. I'm just returning to air rifle shooting after a long absence and want to try and get a good grounding in 10 meter target shooting as I startup again.

[ac12]

Since looking at pix is easier to understand than text, here are a fex pix from the Sydney Olympics to show you stances.

Note how the support arm rests against the body, not floating in mid-air.

Note how the front leg on the men is almost vertical.
Then note the American female with the evenly spread legs, in the 2nd pix.
2 different styles, neither better than the other, just different.

[ac12]

I forgot another tip.   I have an excuse to forget often, I qualify as a sr. citizen.   

Make a translucent blinder for your non aiming eye.
Mine is made from a plastic milk jug.
- I cut a piece about 1 inch x 4 inches.
- Then cut a hole that is a snug fit around the screw of the rear sight iris.
- - Unscrew the iris from the rear sight and make the hole so the iris is a tight fit.
- When you shoot the blinder will block your non-aiming eye from seeing the target.  This way, you don't have to hold the eye shut when you aim, and have less tension in your face muscles.  The eye can also see around the blinder, making it easier to keep your balance, than if you closed that eye.

[ac12]

Another tip.

When you shoot a target DEAD CENTER on the 10 ring. 
KEEP THAT TARGET.
When you are not shooting well, look at the target and know that 'you CAN do it.'

But, if you are really having a BAD day, just stop.
Sit down and think about what might be the problem.  Are you too tired, are you stressed out from work, . . . .
Did you just forget something and your stance is not right, is your shoe worn and you are rocking, . . . .?
If it is something that you cannot fix, just pack up and call it a day.  You do not want to keep shooting and reinforce BAD practice.

Practice make perfect, but only if the practice is GOOD practice.

[patseale]

ac12: Thank you very much for the added tips.

I notice that they all seem to be wearing a glove on the support hand. Have noticed that before and have wondered about the reason?

Thanks again for your time.

[ac12]

Pat,
There are a few reasons for the glove.  Two of them are:

- The padding helps to isolate the pulsing in the blood veins from the rifle.  This is more so for the shooters who hold the rifle in their palm.

- If you rest the rifle on your fist, like the shooter in the top right pix, the padding on the glove helps to protect the knuckles.  I shoot like this and I can tell you an 11 pound rifle resting on unpaded knuckles HURTS.  I shot without a glove ONCE, then immediately got a glove.  Pain is a good motivator to change.

[patseale]

AC,

Thanks very much for the explanations. Grand to know the reason. Two more things added to my list, the making of a blinder for blocking the non sighting eye so I don't squint and now a glove for isolating the heart effects in the supporting arm or comfort for the knuckles, depending on the support choice. Sitting here thinking about it, with some testing of position, I think I want to learn to rest the rifle on my knuckles. Seems to me to be a more natural rest. Starting to pull at the bit for the weather to start coming around up here so I can get outside and start practicing . Kind of hard to get use to after spending a good part of my life in Arizona and southern California. 

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

[ac12]

Resting the rifle on the palm or knuckle depends on your body.  I have to use the knuckle, cuz on the palm, I cannot hold the rifle high enough to aim on the target.  So it will be one of those where you have to try it to see which way works for YOU.

If you have a pair of ski gloves, that would work also.  It has enough padding to do the job.  Then you can take your time with the shooting glove.

And get the book, Air Rifle Shooting.
IMHO, if you don't have a coach, it is the next best thing.

[patseale]

I do have some ski gloves so I'll try with one of those.

I've been searching for the Air Rifle Shooting book but have not located a copy as yet.

Update; Looks like Cortana just located the book for me at Champion Shooters Supply.

[ac12]

I do not know what is the latest edition of "Air Rifle Shooting."
I got the first edition.  I think they are on 2nd or 3rd edition.

If you are curious, there is another book "Ways of the Rifle." 
This was the first book out.  And is aimed at small bore/.22 Three-Position and air rifle. 

[air max]

The most important thing is to keep practicing. Everyone shoots different develope your own style and keep practicing

[patseale]

I do not know what is the latest edition of "Air Rifle Shooting."
...................................

I've been jumping around and right now I'm into the section "Shooting with a support: a stable trend Different ages, different ambitions?" (page 59)

Interesting read and great to see that at least in Europe they have consideration for the more mature age groups.   

[ac12]

Yup, as you get older, handling an 11 pound target rifle becomes more difficult.
In fact, just standing straight is difficult for some.  And once the body starts to bend, it becomes difficult to support weight properly.

Also when one is into a hobby/sport it can be hard to let go.  This allows an older person to keep shooting and competing, and the related social activity which helps keep them active.

I can see the day when I have to switch to a supported pistol and rifle, if I want to keep shooting.