what was your biggest rookie mistake when target shooting?

Everything is practice.

1. Download a chart to help you diagnose as to why you're drifting off target.
2. Learn how to properly grip the gun in a way that maximizes accuracy and feels natural to you (there are several good accepted grips).
3. Relax.
4. Make it second nature to look down the sights, before, during, and after the trigger pull.
5. Did I mention practice? Few people are naturals, most good shots have a lifetime membership at the range and operate from muscle memory.
6. Stay safe.
 
I've made all of those and still make soem of them again and again until I stop and think. I need to shoot every other day and get more proficient again.
 
DFrame that was a great post - me too!
Started out my firearms hobby with a brand new Glock23 (.40 cal) and thought that gun would make me a great shooter in a small time....WRONG.

I then moved to a Kimber Ultra Compact 1911 and developed VERY bad habits.

Good training and proper techniques with a smaller caliber gun like a 9mm go a long way. Glad I un-did all my bad practices in the first couple years. Now I can continue perfecting proper shooting until the groups get tight at 25 yards
 
Rookie just with regard to one particular gun - I limp-wristed a .44 auto mag, causing it to stovepipe or fail-to-feed, can't remember. Was shooting it off a sandbag because it was a heavy pistol and a fairly distant target, whereas my .45s and other semi-autos I always shoot with no rest. Felt like a real doofus. My buddy, the owner, was decent enough not to rib me too much about it.
 
I started with the 1895 Nagant Revolver cause it was cheap and I figured that if I could master that gun, let alone handle its trigger, I could handle anything. Now I can pick up just about anything and still impress my buddies. I did notice I had a bad habit of being to afraid of that cylinder gap. I adjusted my grip so much to where I was nowhere near it. It was really counter productive. I also tended to put way too much finger on the trigger. All the way up to the 2nd joint. It pulled the gun around alot on that heavy trigger pull.
 
focus

I did not understand sight focus........focus on the front sight.....target and rear blur.

These days, they all blur.........always.
 
All of the above, then overthinking the whole process, repeat all of the above, think some more, then fire off some shots in frustration without thinking.
 
Losing the front sight and too much trigger finger.

I tend to look at the target just as I shoot. That of course takes me away from the front sight. I shoot high when this happens.

I have long fingers it's easy and comfortable to loop my first knuckle over the trigger. Mostly that make me push the gun, sometimes I pull it.

In both cases the reason I make the mistake is lack of concentration.
 
1- Thinking just shooting more often would make me better

2- Not shooting with a purpose, not quantifying range results in order to measure improvements

3- Thinking I could learn it all myself, not attending training offered by professional shooters

4- Anticipating the shot, ball and dummy drills are great for this but you need two people

5- The wrong grip
 
1) Drinking soda up to a few hours before the match.
2) Shooting too fast/getting impatient.
3) Failing to do mental prep.
 
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