Practicing for Groups rather than Scores

[YippeeKiYoRed]

For NRA Precision Pistol (a.k.a. Bullseye) I've been trying to work on improving groups and not worrying about scores. Common advice is to flip a target around so you're shooting at a blank piece of paper. My problem is without something to aim at it just seems really hard to think about making good shots. But as soon as I put any kind of mark on the target to aim at, I start thinking in terms of how close I was to the mark, which is analogous to score. Maybe shooting at a blank piece of paper is the way to go and I'm just not getting it.

Anybody else spend time working on groups rather than scores? If so, how did you do it?

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[Certaindeaf]

I mainly shoot at the blank side of a paper target with handguns, getting a clean sight picture yields me good groups. However, If you're actually practicing for competition you should practice on that proscribed target.
Are you using a 6:00 hold? You probably should.

 

[Catfishmoon]

Most of my pistol shooting is at 25 yards at an 8" target, the current goal being get all rounds in the magazine inside the target (closer to the center the better), I then proceed with another full magazine at a fresh target. My focus is usually on limiting my "wobble", how steady can I hold the sights on the bullseye and avoiding the occasional pre-ignition flinch.
Most of the guns I do this with have a red dot sight or adjustable iron sights and I have sighted them on the bullseye while being bench-rested, so if I am grouping away from the center, there is an issue with something I am doing.
I think I should shoot better during slow-fire, but I shoot almost as well when shooting fast.
The black colored section of a NRA B8 target is 5.54", my efforts are to get more consistent from 8" down to this size...
I have heard it advised to shoot a a plain white target for training, but I have not tried it. I should also dry-fire more.

 

[oremike]

I shoot at paper plates. My eyes naturally see the center of the circle and I do shoot for a nice tight group there. Some will put a dot there but I find it easier to just aim at the center of the plate.

 

[Stomper]

I just draw a "T" on blank paper and practice hitting the T-zone…..

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I don't focus or worry 'bout a score or a group...
I just try to make my next shot better than my last shot.
I focus on where I want the bullet to land on the target.
Andy

 

[Stomper]

I don't focus or worry 'bout a score or a group...
I just try to make my next shot better than my last shot.
I focus on where I want the bullet to land on the target.
Andy

Focus you must, and BE the bullet you will, Andy….

 

[NeoBlackdog]

Focus on groups, Grasshopper, and your scores will follow...

When you get good groups then you have to adjust the sights to hit where your POA is.

 

[Mikej]

I just draw a "T" on blank paper and practice hitting the T-zone…..

I just know there's something funny here. I'll be darned if I can figure out what it is.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

I just know there's something funny here. I'll be darned if I can figure out what it is.

T-Zone;

 

[Longwalkhome]

I have found that if you can see where the bullet hits as you shoot the target then you reflexive try to correct your aim.

To get the best group it takes a black target set to a distance you can't see the hits then just use the same sight picture as you shoot.

Some folks use a regular black circle and set their sights at the bottom of the circle. If you shoot a red dot then center of the circle for aiming point.

Key factor in tight good groups is you can't see the group, only the sight picture.

Look into Bullseye competition, it was about groups.

 

[Pepe-lepew]

I good read is With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham.

You can only focus on one or two things simultaneously. Shooting takes doing multiple thing simultaneously so many parts of shooting you have to do subconsciously while focusing on another part of shooting. Repetitive practice moves things you consciously think about to the subconscious. You have to consciously work on each of those things to refine them. But once you practice enough it becomes automatic without thinking. You start to see this transition when things happen like focusing on sight alignment and your finger breaks the shot when the sights align, without your conscious mind telling it to.

In the process of focusing practice to certain parts of the shooting routine, it helps to eliminate other parts of the shot routine. So shooting at the center of a blank sheet of paper allows you to focus on things like trigger control and follow through without the distraction of sight alignment. I have also heard of guys watching TV while repeatedly pulling the trigger of their pistol to learn exactly the feel and break point of the trigger.

 

[Mikej]

T-Zone;
View attachment 1773758

Ah, got it. Not funny, but good to know!

 

[dangerranger60]

When I was learning to point shoot, I learned to focus all my attn on one part of the target. If I focus on a button hole my bullets would make a nice group.
If the group grew bigger, it was because my focus drifted off that spot.
If I caught myself looking at the last bullet hole my groups would get huge.
Find one spot on the target to aim for and focus there.
Aim small to shoot small. DR

 

[Stomper]

T-Zone;
View attachment 1773758

See? Neo gets me!

 

[NeoBlackdog]

See? Neo gets me!

Great minds think alike, Stomper. Evidently you and I do too!

 

[Capn Jack]

The main thing I did to improve my scores with my handguns is have all of my front sights replaced with an orange fiber optic. No more loosing my sight picture against a dark back ground.

 

[YippeeKiYoRed]

I good read is With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham.

You can only focus on one or two things simultaneously. Shooting takes doing multiple thing simultaneously so many parts of shooting you have to do subconsciously while focusing on another part of shooting. Repetitive practice moves things you consciously think about to the subconscious. You have to consciously work on each of those things to refine them. But once you practice enough it becomes automatic without thinking. You start to see this transition when things happen like focusing on sight alignment and your finger breaks the shot when the sights align, without your conscious mind telling it to.

In the process of focusing practice to certain parts of the shooting routine, it helps to eliminate other parts of the shot routine. So shooting at the center of a blank sheet of paper allows you to focus on things like trigger control and follow through without the distraction of sight alignment. I have also heard of guys watching TV while repeatedly pulling the trigger of their pistol to learn exactly the feel and break point of the trigger.

Thanks for all the responses, everyone.

Good advice Pepe. Yeah, I knew there was some learning aspects to the exercise I was missing but didn't know what they were. This helps.