More Observations from Phoenix

On Friday in Phoenix, I could not hit anything when shooting other shooters’ guns. I was just having one of those days. I took this as a signal that I needed to train and shoot about 1000 targets when I returned. I’m planning to do that Sunday afternoon and on Monday. I have to shoot with a student on Wednesday and Thursday. And we are full at the OK Corral from Friday to Sunday.

Don’t Put Off Watching the Knowledge Vault Videos

The animations and ShotKam shots continue to be amazing. They really show shooters the concept of seeing the bird behind the barrel. They begin the process.

I just don’t know why more shooters don’t spend more time looking at them. I look at them every week. They are ingrained in my mind.

I’m still amazed at how few shooters really understand what it’s supposed to look like and how mesmerized they are when I show a dove or pigeon kill shot review. They just sit there with their mouths open in amazement. This tells me just how many shooters don’t have a clue what it looks like or is supposed to look like. It continues to be a huge mystery to me and is the reason for our system’s huge success in the DNR program and now the 4-H program.

I guess in some ways it’s like getting hearing aids. People put it off even when they know they need them. Because they can turn the TV up louder or talk louder or lean into whoever is talking, they just put off getting hearing aids and really miss out on much of life.

Shooters Don’t Know How to Practice

My point is as long as the gun is in front of the target, you have a fairly good chance to hit it – even if it’s not going the same speed. If it’s in front you have a really good chance to hit the target. But you will not be consistent.

Yes, you can lurch the gun into that space in front of the target, pull the trigger, and hit the target. And that’s what most shooters do. But they cannot visualize what they are trying to do before they get set and call “pull” because they don’t know what it’s supposed to look like.

My thinking now about why more people who are hunters don’t practice with their shotgun is they don’t know what to practice. All they know is they shoot two or three times at a bird and someone says “good shot!” and they pick up the bird. They don’t have a clue what it’s supposed to look like. And if they don’t know what it’s supposed to look like, why would they go pay money to practice what they don’t know?

They know the buzzwords or phrases. But then you press them about what it looks like, what they’re trying to do, or what do they see that tells them to pull the trigger, and they give you “that look.” It’s the look that says “I really don’t know, but I know I don’t look at the gun and am looking at the bird.” And then they sheepishly add that they have a hard time keeping the swing going. Or they keep stopping the gun.

You’re Not Damaged Goods

This past weekend, I had a shooter that for three years has been trying to look at the bird, look down the barrel, get the barrel ahead of the bird, pull the trigger, and hit the target consistently. He tried everything he could.

Now, the normal mantra is they have the glasses with and without the tape. They have the Muller chokes. They have the custom Wenig stock (that does not fit) and they have spent a ton of money trying to solve their “eye problem.” And they still don’t know what it is really supposed to look like and are anything but consistent.

You should see the look on their faces when they finally understand what it is really supposed to look like and that they are not damaged goods.