Effects of physical conditioning on precision shooting

B

bpeezer

New member
Physical conditioning was brought up in a recent post on pulse control and precision shooting. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480428 I was just wondering how much of a difference could it really make? I understand that being in better shape means lower pulse and generally slower breathing, but are there any other benefits of physical conditioning?

I'm not asking because I think it will make a difference for me, my physical condition is definitely better than my shooting ability :rolleyes: I'm just interested in whether or not you guys think it actually makes a difference.
 
Obviously good physical conditioning results in better physical and mental performance. The better you feel the better you preform.
The rifle is just a tool of your performance. Of course the better the tools, in most cases, the better the results.
You will hear 1000 methods about controling your heart rate and when to shoot during what part of your breathing cycle...don't fall into those hypes. What it comes down to is you finding what makes you shoot better, and being able to repeat it time after time. In other words you can listen to all the advise on here you want, but it all comes down to you putting lead down range.
If you increase your physical fitness along with range time you will see an improvement.
 
I would think the goal or main point with this is to be in good enoug shape that, when the situation calls upon you to perform in a possible high -stress situation, your physical fitness will not hinder your abilities. Enter Weight Watchers ad here
 
I do yoga. I focus on the breathing and being in the moment when I take the shot. I can stay in the space between the breath for as long as I need to, easily up to a minute or more. Yoga builds considerable strength (not bulk). Learning how to stay in a position for a long time has been very helpful in my shooting hobby.
 
...don't fall into those hypes
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. These are proven techniques used by the military and marksmen from many different civilian disciplines.

We could take anyone and put them in a batters box. They may hit .150. Teach them how to stand and they improve to .175. Teach them proper upper body positioning and they improve to .200. Teach them a proper grip and they improve to .225. Teach them a proper swing and they make it to .250. Get them in shape and they make it to the minors. (The numbers are arbitrary, but you get the drift.)

When I was a kid, I could shoot a squirrel. After I took Rifle and Shotgun merit badge in Scouts and learned about the natural rise and fall of the barrel with breathing, I easily doubled the distance at which I could shoot a squirrel. Stance improved it again. I still got a bump in performance when I was taught, even improperly, how to use a sling.

All these 'tweaks' make a difference in accuracy, some great and some very small, but they all make improvements. They make the difference between someone that can shoot and wound a squirrel and someone that can consistently shoot a squirrel in the head at 100 yards.

But to the point of physical conditioning, I can only make some parallels. When younger I was a significantly better than average fencer; placing well at the college level and even qualifying for Nationals. At one point in training I focused on strength conditioning, at the insistence of my coach. As I increased in strength, my accuracy (ability to control the tip of the blade) gained exponentially. I would find it difficult to believe the same would not hold true for marksmanship.

Regards,
Andrew
 
Physical conditioning can't hurt. It won't automatically make you a better shooter, but it will allow you to continue performing at a given level longer.

Example: I'm a Highpower rifle shooter and I ride bicycles in the summer. I don't have huge upper body mass by any stretch. But when I'm conditioned to be able to ride the bicycle for 50-60 miles in 70-80* temperatures, I survive a Highpower match more easily than when I am in "normal" shape. A Highpower match starts at 7:30 and runs for 4-6 hours normally. You're in position shooting, then scoring, then pulling targets, then shooting again and moving around as the day gets hotter. My opinion is that being in slightly better physical condition keeps my shooting from deteriorating at the end of the day.

But raw strength doesn't really enter into the equation from what I've seen. Not when I see 90-lb teenagers who can shoot bug-holes in 3-P without blinking. They just have good fundamentals.
 
"...lower pulse and generally slower breathing..."

Key points, particularly when trying to shoot between heartbeats.

Conditioning does not necessarily mean a bunch of strength. It generally means better endurance for what you have in the way of strength. Bicycling, running, swimming are good examples.

Upper body strength can help in shooting from an unsupported offhand position.
 
Interesting replies. One of the best "bench" shooters I know wears a O2 pack and walks with the aid of a walker. Obviously he could not compete in 3 gun, but he's deadly at the bench and with a service rifle.
 
Depends on type of shooting IMO,most of my life has been bench shooting as I grew older and begin pistol shooting noticed I had difficulty holding pistol any length of time without shaking/tremors so I begin doing push ups some minor weight lifting and my shooting improved plus it helped my bench shooting in controlling my breathing. So if you wish to be a better shooter physical conditioning can help and may also lengthen life.;)
 
Also consider performance under stress. A person whose body is accustomed to maintaining high level performance even in a fatigued state has the advantage in most physical endeavours. Physical conditioning also helps to improve the ability to maintain control in the midst of an adrenaline rush, which can certainly show up during a high pressure match, and is the root cause of "deer fever."
 
The best competitive shooters I have known worked out with weights and were always in top condition. A day at the range is exhausting and those in the best condition will prevail.
 
Since this was posted in the rifle forum I'll address it for rifles only:
Physical conditioning means little or nothing if we're talking about shooting off a bench. If we're talking about shooting off-hand it means everything. I spent a lot of my adult life shooting competitive handgun. You absolutely had to have good conditioning and upper body strength to compete and win. When I got into rifle shooting competition shooting off-hand, I found that physical conditioning was even more important than shooting a pistol. I always thought a rifle was the easier of the two disciplines to master. I was wrong. It was much more difficult to master the rifle off-hand. I was always in good shape and was very successful in handgun competition. I really noticed how much more effort I had to put into shooting the rifle to reach that higher level of performance. With the rifle you get your "edge" later and lose it earlier than you do with the handgun.
 
I'm on the "good shape" side too.

For me professionally and what I need to do with a firearm, the end result of practice and conditioning has been to improve my performance in the field or on the street where stress and fatigue can work against you quickly if you are not in shape.

Let me add to some of the comments above:

For a hunting, a climb up a mountain or walking miles of cornfields or desert all require a modicum of endurance for me to shoot well.

For an IPSC or action shooting, the agility required on some events demands good conditioning to perform well.

For National Match competition where it can be 90 plus, both temperature and humidity, conditioning will help me get through the 80 round course of fire while pulling targets between my relays and moving my equipment from 200 to 300 to 600 yards.

While all the above can be done without conditioning, I just think that I can do it all better the better shape that I'm in.

Weights, callisthenics and aerobic excercises are good for everyone not handicapped by health issues.
 
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Anyone who has shot in the hot, steamy weather of the National Championships knows that at the end of the day, physical condition is important.

For years I shot across the course at the Nationals and had to pull the 600 yard targets, for free, for the Long Range shooters. All 600 yards scores were counted toward the same aggregate in the long range championship, if you decided to shoot Long Range after the end of the across the course phase. The guys who shot Long Range had it great and had an advantage. You, if you shot across the course, you were on the firing line around 0600, put up your targets, pulled targets all day long, and by 2 pm in the afternoon, when all relays moved to the 600 yards line, you had already sweated out several gallons of water. The Long Range shooters got up around 9 or 10, had a nice leisurely breakfast, arrived at the range around noon, never broke a sweat as someone was pulling their targets. Of course their average 600 yard scores were much better than the pit pigs, because physical stress is all part of the game.

Around the turn of the century there were two complete relays of long range shooters on the line for every target point. But unlike back in the 80’s, internet forums allowed across the course shooters to express their opinions on pulling for these guys, (which were not exactly positive), someone noticed, and the decades long practice ended.

What came next was a separate day for three 600 yard relays which was considered part of the Long Range aggregate. This match was well attended, but the Long Range community decided that 600 yards was not far enough and the 600 yard segment eventually was canceled.
 
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Serenity -
I am not saying that pulse and breathing control is just hype...I am saying that it is not the "Golden Standard" of shooting. For some people shooting during the respiratory pause is prefered, some self pause halfway through their exhale. Some people don't don't even consider it and shoot when the trarget comes into the sight window during respiratory movement.
All I am saying is get on the range and do what is best for you. Try different breathing techniques and pulse control, if it helps great, but don't assume it is the total key to marksmanship.
In cases where you have time to wait for the right moment for your breathing and pulse, you are usually in a resting position. Try runing a course, and see if it matters.
Physical conditioning for shooting envolves much more than heart rate and resp rate.
How long can you hold a true aim, without a bench rest? Upper body strenght is important. Can you float a rifle in front of you for an extended time?
LEGS - shooting on the move, if your legs are not in shape then you will not absorb the impact of your steps correctly and cause you to have a very bouncy sight picture.
Lower back - try moving on the range with gear and proper body techniques and see if you can feel the effects.

So to summarize, overall better physical conditioning is more important IMHO, than pulse and breathing control in shooting mechanics.
 
I will only put in this. When I was boxing and shooting at the same time my rifle and pistol scores were never better and even after 3 weeks of not shooting because I was boxing the weekend after I came back from the All Navy championships I shot the New Mexico pistol championship at Albuquerque. I won my class, advanced to the next class and would have won it too if I had been in that class to begin with. I missed winning the whole match by 3 points being beat out by a civilian and two master class navy shooters. One of those shooters was my coach, he was double distinguished and a candidate for the Olympic pistol team. Getting beat by him was no dishonor. Hot, dusty, windy but I was able to stand there like a rock when all the fair weather shooters were gasping for air and water.

Fast forward 3 years and I am out of the Navy and in the Army Reserves shooting at All Army in Fort Benning. I was working for a living and there was no place for me to box so I put up a set of free weights in my basement and worked them for 20 minutes every night and 3 or 4 times a week would stuff my coat pockets full of ammo and make a fast walk around town. about 5 miles of a lot of up and down hill walking. Knee surgery made running to painful.

The year before I didn't lift and the results showed, the year I was lifting I was back in form. Practice is vital, concentration is vital but if you are not in great shape you won't be a great shooter. You need that steady platform no matter what gun you shoot. I saw a lot of out of shape shooters who were good but everybody on the winners list was in good shape.
 
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