Let’s make strategy planning for the Air Rifle really easy: Stay in the center and don’t dare miss paper. Simplistic, yes, but it’s exactly what’s required. And once you know what’s required, you just have to cipher out how to get there.

Looking back though Regional scoring through 2009 (when the pop-up targets were added), you had to average an 8.7 over the 10 shots just to be in the top 10 of this discipline. Typically, you needed to be in the top 10 in each of the four events to advance to Dogwood Canyon.

Breaking it down further, how do you stay in center mass with these targets rising and falling every 7 to 8 seconds? First, you must have the basics in place. But you have already proven that you can hold the rifle, aim, and squeeze properly in the Quals, so let’s move on to shooting stance.

You may be asked to shoot prone, standing, kneeling, or standing on your head juggling kittens. Be ready to be comfortable in any style that you are asked to perform. There’s no time to get comfortable when the targets start, practice enough that it’s just second nature.

Keeping ahead of the targets will give you the time to steady your aim and squeeze. Throwing up the rifle and just getting a shot off because the target is falling is not the way to a great score. Learning a loading method that is quick, and allows you to minimize the length the barrel travels, is key to utilizing time between targets.

Eliminate the time wasting barrel from shooting position, to body, back to shooting position. The closer the barrel stays to shooting position during reload, the better.

This little time saver will keep you on paper and in center mass.

Comments (2)

from gautrey wrote 1 year 2 weeks ago

Just be ready for anything. Remember NO two regionals are alike. You can shoot prone at one regional and then shoot backwards using a mirror to aim with at the next. You can never tell what John and the TOC crew will throw at ya. Isn`t that right John!!

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from tyler chubb wrote 1 year 1 week ago

when r the scores qualifier scores going to be posted????

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from gautrey wrote 1 year 2 weeks ago

Just be ready for anything. Remember NO two regionals are alike. You can shoot prone at one regional and then shoot backwards using a mirror to aim with at the next. You can never tell what John and the TOC crew will throw at ya. Isn`t that right John!!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tyler chubb wrote 1 year 1 week ago

when r the scores qualifier scores going to be posted????

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.