I could use an air rifle coach... (Hillsboro OR)

[Frank RW]

Howdy group!

In search of a 10M air rifle coach for a couple (or more?) visits. Need some fine-tuning and advice. Hillsboro. Would like to verify my positions are good and work on my off-hand balance. Using an Air Arms T200 and official targets. On the roster for 2017 State tournament. I need help doing better than I am. Books and YOUTUBE help, but of course it's not the same.

Willing to pay for the expertise. Message or call is fine.

thanks for looking! f
PM, email ravcon at outlookdotcom, or cell/text five0three 8oh7-869one

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[tac]

You need a club.

Private coaches for something as esoteric as 10m air rifle shooting are likely to cost you mega-bucks.
What official targets are they? If they are American-type/size then I can't help you much, if at all. They look like the .22cal benchrest targets shot here in Yoorup at 50m. Trying to shoot non-standard ISSF/ISU/UIT targets with the diopter set-up that you have on your rifle is a pure waste of time because of the target size/diopter aperture ratio, especially for a beginner.

You might think that getting a good hit on such a small target is sign of an improving shot technique, but the real ISSF/ISU/UIT target is

a. a lot larger than that, with

b. a 0.5mm dot in the middle.

THAT is your target - the large 'outer' is there to concentrate/fool your eye into 'seeing it.

You need to be able to consistently hit the centre of the larger target in order to eventually hit nothing but the exact centre of it.

Got flat shoes, and I MEAN flat? Wear them. No raised heels like most Niké-type stuff has. You are trying to STAND still, not run.

Got a TIGHT-fitting jacket? Or one that you can cinch up tight? Put it on to support your back.

Got a shooting glove? NOT a 'tactical' glove, but a real target shooting glove - it's rigid, not flexible. If so, wear it. If not, get one, with advice from your club coach, depending on which left-hand support style you adopt. and speaking about which....what method do you use to rest the gun on the left hand?

A big V - thumb and index-finger?

Or rest the gun on the back of the hand?

Or bend the hand forward, palm-up, like a Siamese dancer?

All are perfectly acceptable, but all need trying to see which is most comfortable - and here's the thing - none of them really are.

Watch some Youtube of the last Olympics, glasshopper.

Wish I lived nearer, me.

tac

 

[Frank RW]

zero air gun clubs around me. and i've looked. i could drive hours, but that's not practical. i have a range, just need a coach. and less so as time goes on.

using ISSF 10M targets. "sporter", street clothes basically, not support gear other than a glove and roll. both of which i have, both are regulation.

thanks for the very nice reply! if i were a kid, there would be a lot more opportunities! but at 50, apparently that's too old for anyone to take seriously.

 

[tac]

'kay. What's the roll for? Three position 10m? Can't help you there, since all the 10m I do is standing only.

Age means nothing to a coach, trust me. I coach and am still coached, even though I'll never see 70 again.

I'm really sorry that there is nobody near you [prepared] to help.

Do you have any metallic silhouette shooters in your circle of friends/acquaintances? Their style of standing/shooting is zackly the same as 10m rifle shooting.

tac

 

[etrain16]

I don't know if this would help to translate for your 10M air gun, but I am wondering, based on reading what @tac had to say, if Appleseed wouldn't be helpful? They shoot iron sight .22lr rifles at fairly small targets. That may have something to offer and Appleseed events are found around the area. I've been told if you want to improve marksmanship, for any type rifle, it's a great way to learn. I'm getting a .22lr set up with tech sights right now in the hopes of doing some Appleseed events down the road.

I don't know, maybe @tac knows if Appleseed would translate to better airgun shooting?

 

[Frank RW]

roll is for 3-position, kneeling part. one of the postal events i'm in is 3x20 and the 2nd, 60 off-hand. sporter class. bag is similar to this one:
Champion's Choice

the postal event: Aces Postal - Civilian Marksmanship Program

although i've only been at shooting since Oct last year, it's been a lot of days and hours. It's convenient of course having the range 20 feet away and always open. i've taken several classes on firearms, which helps.

helps the other way around too. skills i pick up at home (or mistakes) show immediately on the range. 1st time i fired a rifle since the 80s (Army M-16), my .308, just a couple months ago. Although there's a "bang!", I was still nailing the silhouette and great groups. Did well enough I was given a Pass on my rifle range exam before I even took it.

lots of good info on the web, like this one:
Coaching Resources - Civilian Marksmanship Program

but having a background in martial-arts, i know it's important to not let the details slip by in refining your sport. and just reading from a book or watching videos doesn't give me the pair of eyes i need.

honestly, could probably just use a regular "shooting buddy" to hang out here and we can work on each other's improvment. still being fairly new, it's hard to find someone excited enough to commit to a couple hours a week, at least.

i'll find someone, hopefully before any bad habits permanently cement.

anyway, just my random thoughts on it... Many thanks for the input tac!

f

 

[Certaindeaf]

That's a good idea.. to a certain degree.
Any competition, especially one close to your focus is valuable training.
You can be the best shooter in the world alone and then absolutely choke given any sort of pressure. This is very important.
Good luck.
I'd say to do that, shoot a lot in the proper way, dry fire a lot (I think you have a bottle gun?) and visualize a lot.

 

[tac]

I'll bow out at this point. As you guys know, there is no CMP here, nor anything like it.

THIS is THE book on training - Books - AIR RIFLE TRAINING AND COMPETITION

Here in yUK we get it cheaper....from Edinkillie Sports in Scotland.


Air Rifle Training & Competition
[MEC5026103]
£36.00




A new edition for 2015, brought to you by World Class coaches Gaby Bühlmann & Heinz Reinkemeier, translated into English by Andrew Wood and two-times Scottish Commonwealth Games team member Graham Rudd, and featuring our own European Championships silver medallist Seonaid McIntosh!

This book focuses primarily on 10 metre air rifle shooting, but also covers three-position shooting and supported shooting.

Contains everything you need to know about air rifles in a compact but comprehensive format.

If YOU buy it from them, you get 20% sales tax remission, too.

tac

 

[tac]

Heinz Reinkemeier - YouTube

tac

 

[Frank RW]

yeah, i love his work. the only two books i have on the subject are his, one of them this:
http://amzn.to/2aWvtNd the other i don't have the link handy, but it's title is Air Rifle Training & Competition 2009. Which I must say I like better only because it's in color.

ah heck, i had the camera handy, so i went ahead and snapped a shot. i'm sure you and most know what i mean, but in case anyone else is reading...

Gotta love technology!

 

[Joe13]

Appleseed would probably be of benefit.

Air guns are just another version of a rifle.

Maybe pick up an old C&R gun and do some of the local comps to increase your competing time.

Your also likely to make some contacts that could help with the improvement parts.

 

[tac]

You gots 'em already! :O

tac

 

[BloodStripe75]

If a may throw my 2 cents in, as a primary marksmanship instructor (PMI) in the Marine Corps, we had the opportunity to shoot in the Marine Corps matches using the M16 at distances from 200 yards to 500 yards, standing, sitting, prone.

Like previously mentioned we had tight and i mean tight fitting jackets for the support and ridged gloves that only allowed the rifle to sit in the V of the hand. We used our old flat soled jungle boots. I wear zero foot bed shoes as a normal shoe as the sport heels in most tennis shoes hurt my feet, so if your looking for flat shoes Ultra, Barefoot toe shoes or VivoBarefoot have some really comfortable barefoot shoes. The other thing was the sling that was leather, tight and high on the bicep for maximum control. The biggest thing we were taught was the step by step process. Doing the same motions each and every time to build the repetition. I mean everything from foot placement, to how the rifle was set down, to how may seconds you stayed up while looking at the target to finger placement on the trigger. Mind you it was open iron sights and the 6 ft by 6ft target stand with a bull target was 200 yards away and we were shooting for a hit closest to the center, not a dime sized target by any means.

 

[PDXKevin]

Have you looked into the Appleseed Project? they may be able to point you in the right direction. Project Appleseed | Project Appleseed

 

[bbbass]

@PDXKevin, though this is probably not an old enough thread to be considered a dinosaur thread, the OP is probably long settled his needs or may even be gone. Nice of you to make the effort to be helpful tho.

 

[Frank RW]

I've since gone to Virginia for the NRA smallbore/air-rifle coaching certification. And a bunch of other classes & certs since then. Competed in last year's Oregon State Championship. There I realized I had reached as far as I can go with the time and skill I have.

Meanwhile, both of these excellent and recommend air-rifle books are up for sale...



Well over $50 retail each... both yours for $40.

I also have other shooting books if you want to come by and get some great reading material before I take them to Powell's.

Text me 503-807eightsixnineone or email via here if interested!

Thanks all for the great advice.

 

[DLS]

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