Do you reach a plateau?

M

Monkeyleg

New member
As I've mentioned in other posts, I got back into shooting pistols offhand after a 15 year hiatus. I've gone through six or seven thousand rounds of .45 now and, as I look at the targets from a few months ago, I see that I'm shooting about the same. Twenty five shots at 50 feet, with two to four outside the 4" black, two hands. Usually I'll get a cluster of six to ten shots in one ragged hole about 2" or so. Is it possible that I've reached my "plateau" considering my age and eyes, or is there something I can do to get those groups to close up more?

Thanks for any replies.

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
I think the best thing to do when this happens, as it does to everyone in every endeavor, is to reevaluate your practice regimen and shooting technique.

Practicing bad shooting techniques just reinforces the wrong muscle memory. A session with a trainer or coach in marksmanship may help you spot your weak spots. A book may give you a fresh perspective on how to use your practice time. There are military marksmanship manuals available online.

I salute your efforts to continue to improve,

Ledbetter

[This message has been edited by Ledbetter (edited July 20, 2000).]
 
If you are now pleased with your accuracy and don't feel that you can improve any more i guess you should try to do those same groups faster. make the time between each shot a little less each range session but try to keep the groups the same size. if the groups start to get bigger then stop speeding up for a while.
 
i don't keep my targets like i used to. back when i did i had an old shooter stop by my reloading shop to drop off a bucket of brass he had picked up for me at the local range. he looked at a target i had on the wall. it showed a fantastic group i had shot from 25 yards. it was signed and dated. i had shot the group as a test of the gun/ammo combo i was using. he looked at it and said "Do you shot groups like that all the time?" i streached the truth and said sure. then he stung me with a little reality. he said "Looking at that group and the distance listed i will be willing to bet you were shooting too slow or you were not moving while shooting or not shooting from cover!" "Bullseye" he said "means very little in the real world of self defense. It is more a test of the gun and ammo than the shooter's real world skills"
you know that really woke me up. two or three solid hits FAST on the move that hit the kill zone of a target mean much more than small groups shot from the perfect stance, slowly. if you think you have leveled out shooting, start shooting while backing up, moving to the side, from cover. try shooting targets that move like swinging gongs or targets that pop up suddenly then you shoot. when you have mastered that start on your smooth, fast draw and shoot against the timer for speed, accuracy and control, safety.
you may already be doing all this but if you are not you have a long way before you really plateau.

------------------
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch.
Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the outcome of the vote.
Let he that hath no sword sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22-36
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. Song of Solomon 3-8
The man that can keep his head and aims carefully when the situation has gone bad and lead is flying usually wins the fight.
 
Monkeyleg,
Have you tried shooting that distance from a bench and if so were your results the same? Are you keeping the frontsight crisp?
Ive lost quite a bit with age and eyesight that has been continually going south. Ive found that I generally can get 5 or so shots before my eyes start to blurr and thats with tri-focals.....basically my bullseye shooting days are in the past. I have to go back to the basics and refresh from time to time, although it sounds like you've already done that. The practical defense stuff is still possible even with poor eyesight. Have you considered trying different sighting configurations? Perhaps that will enable you to get back to shooting one hole groups. ....fubsy....
 
Do you shoot by yourself or with another shooter? A bet on the next 6 of Old Frothandslosh will help on making the groups smaller. Especially after buying the last 8 or 10 six packs. Friendly competition helps.

------------------
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Hello. First, I cannot shoot as well as I could 10 years ago due to aging eyes and that my brain and trigger-finger don't seem to be quite as intimate as at the earlier time. But, yes, I find myself as well as students hitting plateaus. Were we graphing this, we'd see a steady rise with perhaps an occassional up or down, like a stock chart, and then just sideways. Often after just revisiting the basics of marksmanship, one sees the rise to yet another plateau. How much higher than the previous is, of course, dependent upon the individual. If practice or habits deteriorate, we see sinking, but generally not below some plateau. Practice basic marksmanship every so often and do some one-handed shooting as well. Go for 10 "perfect" shots rather than just blasting away. I'll bet you see a rise in your "graph." Best.
 
I got back into pistol shooting this spring after a 10 year "retirement". I am struggling with a "plateau" right now. When I do my drills technically correct so all of the hits are in the A zone on an IPSC target, my time doesn't seem to be improving. I met with an old mentor, shooting friend, and coach about it this morning and we both know the problem is that I practice alone, have no resource to draw upon locally and no coach.

On the other hand, Oleg might be right, maybe you have just "hit the wall" and reached your limit. For example, I have been practicing my draw from surrender position on 8 inch plates at ten yards for several months. I improved quickly at first, but now I seem to be making no head way at all. I think I have just reached my limit considering my age and physical ability.
 
Monkeyleg, if your primary goal is developing your self defense skills, then Riddleofsteel's advice is right on target.

If your goal is to develop your marksmanship skills, then you still have room for improvement. Have you checked to be sure that the accuracy of your pistol and ammo aren't limiting your performance?
 
You could go out to 25 yards and do some work out there (it might begin with eating humble pie like it did for me), and then perhaps the 50 foot results would improve. I benefitted from this approach; hope this helps.

------------------
2cats

Glock 19
Colt Police Positive .38 Special
Smith & Wesson Model 41
Browning Hi-Power Standard (9mm)
 
Everyone's accuracy progresses on a lessening scale. High at first, slowing as you get better.
There have been some good ideas here. One very good idea is to increase the range. Another is to speed up the rate. However, multiple shots into the same target are more of a stunt than a defensive skill.

It also depends on what you are trying to achieve: Are you a hunter, a target shooter (to include IPSC and such), or a self defense student? The standards and goals are very different.

I am in the 50 and up group now, and my eyes are suitably harder to manage. I am also rather out of shape. So I found myself a optometrist I trust and am now embarking on a physical activity program...

Another old adage from bullseye target shooters: "You are only as good as your competition."

Competing against yourself, always doing better, is a worthy goal. But being the best is also a worthy goal.

------------------
Archie
 
I would add 50 yard shooting from kneeling or such. I don't use the bench except for checking zero or load development.

The greater the range the more your errors will be visible and easier to correct.

You can also try shooting a gun that is harder to shoot well [ie shorter site radius or more recoil or etc.].

Try using a target 1/2 the size that you currently do you might be surprised.
 
Man, that's a lot of good responses! To answer some questions and points: I have shot my reloads off a sandbag rest and get groups about an inch or so from the best loads; I'm shooting the full-size GM to try to be more accurate, although I do shoot my compact .45 using IPSC targets for self-defense practice;
I don't have the $$ for a coach, but good shots at the range are giving me their best advice.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll give each suggestion a try. And I'll keep on shooting!
For today's range session, I tried to call the shots just after I pulled the trigger and before I saw the hole in the target. I was right most of the time. I _did_ blow out the x-ring on one target; it was the other 10 shots that made the target look bad ;)

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
I had to come back and put one more suggestion on here.....Ive found that when I decrease the size of the target area, my errors become more obvious. Im forced to slow down and concentrate.....take the standard bullseye target and ignore the silouette and concentrate on the smaller one in the upper left corner of the target, That might be something you can do to experiment with during your regular sessions. luck to ya...fubsy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top