Improving your shooting,AND having FUN!

[pathfinder]

Not sure what happened to a post I wrote,hit submit and it dissappeared!

 Anyway,I recently went to a novelty shoot in Bridgeport,Mi and had a really good time. I went with my buddy,Jack Perry from Pigeon,Mi. Anyone who know's Jack know's he's one heck of a shot with more than his fair share of national match medal's.

Also at this shoot was another freind of mine and fellow TMA brother,Shootem32, Marty.
Shooting against a known good shooter is one way to improve your shooting. It has a tendencey to make you really concentrate on breath control,muscle control,and decision making.

Another way is what Marty does. After Jack and I shot the course with our rifles,I used "Pox",my Birdseye .50 cal flint Tenn,hit 17 out of 20,we shot it with our Trade Guns. Mine was a 1752 Brown Bess with a Colrain .77 cal barrel.

After I cut the card with my Bess,the next shot was a crayon held in a clothes pin. I hit it and the Marty say's,"I'll pick up the cripple". There was @ 1/4" left,and the only way he would be able to hit it was to go down @ 5 stations so he could have a shot without hitting the clothes pin. He pulled up,called his shot,AND HIT IT! I dont think I laughed that much in a long time. It was great!

I thought "I'll get him on this next shot." It was a straw held horizontialy in a clothes pin at @ 15yd's. When I shot I tried to get as close to the clothes pin as possable. I left @ 3/8" of the straw,looked at Marty and said "Ha!,Hit that!" I was TOTALLY suprised I hit the straw,let alone leaving only 3/8"! Well I wasn't done being suprised as Marty took out that last little bit of straw!

I have to tell ya that this isnt the first time Marty and I have done this sort of thing. On more than one occasion,we have had to have a shoot off to determine a winner,a really tough thing to do when your busy laughing and having fun! We one time ended up shooting at a quarter size target at @ 75yds,and it wasnt untill I finally missed on our third shot at it that Marty finally won. The club was going to split the prize but Marty and I wanted to shoot for it.

And I guess that's the "moral" of this little story. We have a lot of fun challenging ourselves AND coaching each other. We went on shooting the novelty course this way and I finished up hitting 17 again. Marty wasnt shooting for score. He was using the oppertunity to practice! And remember,it's NOT practice makes perfect,it's PERFECT practice makes perfect!

The other is HAVE FUN and RELAX! WE shoot because it's FUN! I have shot with some REALLY serious shooters and have to tell ya, I didn't like it one bit! It was as if every shot was life and death! Who hasn't been to the range and instead of a bull's eye down there,it was a British officer who just ordered the burning of a settlers farm! Or a charging Griz with YOU on his lunch menu! That's the only time it's life and death for me.

So next time your at a shoot with your bud,and you get the OK from the range officer and you adhere to ALL the saftey and range rules, Challenge each other,you WILL become a better shot!

[Bigsmoke]

Made me recollect back to the days when I first joined the Coeur d'Alene Muzzleloaders up in Idaho.
I had the priviledge of getting to know a fellow by the name of John Crumb.  I guess we were about on a par, shooting skill wise.  it seemed about a likely as not that we would wind up tied and had to have a shoot off to determine who had the higher placement.
Well, as things happen, John eventually drifted away from the group and another fellow, Tom Free came in and took John's place as my good shooting buddy and person I would have to have shoot offs with.
It really saddens me that they have both passed on to the great shooting range in the sky, so it's going to be a while before we can shoot tie breakers again.  And darn if they are not practicing up for me.  Every time there is a thunder storm, I hear them shooting.
John

[Caddo]

Good points and a nice read. I dont think I could hit a straw at any distance as the sight would cover the straw. I dont see how you guys do that  Does give me something to practice on.

[rickevans]

Thanks for the story Path. (You short-attention-span old fart. I been waitin' for this story for days now...)

You have hit the nail on the head. What better way to "up the ante" yet keeping the competition fun and very interesting. I can relate from my shooting at the last TRR. You guys are all better shots than I am, and I knew that I had to pay attention to my shooting just to hope to stay even.

[shootem32]

I am not a good shot, I just have good equipment.  For me the only thing I shoot for is good friendship to enjoy my day with.  If you get the chance to shoot with Pathfinder your day will be better and the memories will last forever!!!   Don't forget it's not the shoot that makes you a winner, but who your shooting with that makes you a winner.

[2 Locks]

Great Story Pathfinder!

If you get the chance to shoot with Pathfinder your day will be better and the memories will last forever!!!

So true.  I've shot with Path a couple of times now & I can definitely feel myself making better/smarter shots when he's around - and I didn't have more pressure, just more fun.

As for shooting with you Marty, I wish I could forget how bad you whooped me! :rotf
But honestly, If I could remember half of the good advice you've given me, my shooting might be worth half a damn.

Shining times, that's what it's all about

[Muley]

Wow! A quarter size target at 75 yds with open sights. I couldn't even see that when I had young eyes.

Good shooting.

[pathfinder]

It WAS hard to see! We were "coaching" each other during the match,"Yer aimin' too high","Yer not breathing right",ect.....

We were helping each other with shot placement,and how to pick a spot to shoot at,and basicly that's what we were shooting at, a spot where we THOUGHT the target was. Our "young" eye's left us YEARS ago!

[shootem32]

Young Eyes Ha Ha if i tack off my glasses they give me a dog to cross the street.

[Muley]

I'll tell you have bad my eyes are. In Colorado you have to use iron sights, no scopes. Well, they gave me a special licence to use a scope in ML season.

I still use a peep, because I don't want to use something that everybody can't use. I just get real close.  Sort of like bow hunting with a ML.

[huntinguy]

The other is HAVE FUN and RELAX! WE shoot because it's FUN! I have shot with some REALLY serious shooters and have to tell ya, I didn't like it one bit! It was as if every shot was life and death! Who hasn't been to the range and instead of a bull's eye down there,it was a British officer who just ordered the burning of a settlers farm! Or a charging Griz with YOU on his lunch menu! That's the only time it's life and death for me.

So next time your at a shoot with your bud,and you get the OK from the range officer and you adhere to ALL the saftey and range rules, Challenge each other,you WILL become a better shot!

Path: that is so very close to a conversation I had with a coworker yesterday and my sons last night.

I think in your post you did a very good job of defining a friend: Someone who pulls up along side and you joyfully work to get the best for each other, most of the time without even knowing it.  To have friends like that you are a very rich man.

I see it over and over again with members of this forum, helping, encouraging.

I left my sons with a quote from Pogo: I think the character Porky said it: Don’t take life so serious, son... It ain’t nohow permanent.

Thanks for the story.

[Hanshi]

I recently found a fool proof way to improve my rifle's groups.  What I do is hand it to another shooter and, "VOILA", smaller groups.  Seems to work every time.

[pathfinder]

I read this 10 minutes ago and I'm STILL laughing! Good job Hanshi!

Marty and I were both at the Linden shoot last weekend,and at the end of the festivities was an "Elimination" shoot. Everyone took turn's shooting at the same target in teams of 2. You kept shooting till you missed then your out. The last guy get's a very nice prize. This year a BEAUTIFUL hand made walnut dovetailed shooting box. Marty and I made SURE we weren't on the same team to make sure we didn't eliminate each other untill the last shot. Well,didn't work out that way,we both SUCKED and I was out after 5 shot's,and Marty made it to 7. Small squirrel at 100yd's and I mean SMALL!

We are going to try to come up with something for this years TRR,I may switch camp's and head to Marty's to make room at Swamp's for any "NEW" commers we may have,not sure yet. We are ALL TMA brothers and will figure this out. WE WILL HAVE FUN!!!!!!!

[Swamp]

This is a load of hogwash! I have had the priveldge of shooting with Pathfinder and Shootem32, and let me tell you, I shot horrible because I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard!

This is a tactic they use to be the best shooters out there! They make everyone laugh so hard that they cant see the targets!

 :rotf  :rotf  :rotf

All kidding aside, these guys are not only very good shooters, they are GREAT FRIENDS, who share a lot of shooting info with everyone around them! They have really helped me become a better shooter, and spending time with them has made me a better man as well! Thanks guys for putting the FUN in shooting!

[No Rod]

Well said Swamp! Just don't tell them we think so much of them... they'll be impossible to be around!