For me this is still not a sure thing, meaning I don't always do it. But it's something everyone needs to learn and it will help you shoot better. For me, when I'm doing it, quite often it happens without me forcing myself to do it. It's hard to describe, but it's like a little voice in the back of my head speaks up while I'm shooting and says, "this is it, one shot for every breath, rapid fire."
At first you'll have to practice it. You'll probably need someone to help you "get in the groove" by calling out, "breathe in, breathe out, fire, breathe in, breathe out, fire, ....." while you do it.
There are several benefits to learning to do this. One is being able to finish even the 50 and 60 second stages of the QDAQT with time left over. That will mean higher scores if you are doing everything else right. I've heard (and found it to be true) that learning this can lead to tighter groups. Do you "fuss" over your shots? Does it take you a long time trying to make perfect shots (can't get satisfied with the way the sights line up on the target?) All/any of these will run you out of time even on the standing stage (2 minutes) if you're fussy enough (it has for me).
I finally found my camera so I could take some pictures of a target from a week ago. The target/shooting was for another project. However, while shooting two of the things that caught my mind/eye were, first, the little voice spoke up and told me on some groups I was firing "rapid fire" and second, when I walked to the target I noticed the rapid fire groups where much nicer groups than the other groups.
The target is the "target, rifle "D" (300 yd) reduced for 25 meter qualification and training (stage 3). Let me set this up by targets fired and bullets used:
Bottom right - Rem. Golden Bullets, 1st 5 shot group (worrying about group size) 1 & 1/4"
Top right - Rem. Golden Bullets, 2nd 5 shot group (the little voice told me I was firing rapid fire) 5/8"
Bottom center - Federal Value Pack, 1st 5 shot group (again, worrying about group size) 1 & 1/8"
Top center - Federal Value Pack, 2nd 5 shot group (the little voice) 5/8" (just under really)
Bottom left - Rem. Thunderbolts, 1st 5 shot group (fussing with group size again) 2 & 1/4"
Top Left - Rem. Thunderbolts, 2nd 5 shot group (by now the little voice was really happy and I was feeling good about it) 1"
I walked up to the target and was surprised to see that the top groups (rapid fire) for all three bullet types fired were the best groups of the two fired with each type.
This is not the first time I've seen that being fussy (taking too much time trying to make it perfect) can lead to worse groups than doing everything right and with a good "cadence".
Picture 1 is the right targets, Picture 2 is the center targets, picture 3 is the left targets.
Wow, these are some really lousy pictures when you "blow them up". I'll have to retake them with a different camera to insure they pixel count is high enough to make them clear when you double click on them. (added 06/25/07 1333 hrs.) Sorry.
M1A4ME,
You might try the shoot, breathe (In and Out), breathe (in and half out), shoot cadence.
It will still put out a 10 round string, including assuming the position and the reload, in 40 seconds or less, and it keeps your oxygen levels up much better. It also tends to slow the shots down just a little and gives the rifle a little more chance to settle back down from the last shot.
On some real "machine gunners" we have even used a three breath sequence between shots. The third breath is just a mechanism to slow them down a little more. Doesn't hurt anything, they still seem to retain the same or better rapid fire group.
Buckshot
M1A4ME,
If your rapid fire groups are tighter than your slow fire groups you are picking off your shots. This means that you line up your sights and then snatch the trigger when everything looks right. Snatching the trigger can be a very sophisticated thing. Almost everyone does it and some have become very good at it. Most shooters are very good at hiding it but you can't hide the results.
You don't have time to line everything up perfectly when shooting sustained fire (rapid fire) so you just try to maintain your alignment and press on the trigger (like you should be doing on slow fire).
You need to come over to my house sometime and spend some time shooting air rifle on my basement range. The long barrel time of the pellets will teach you what follow through really means.
Doug in Virginia
Quote from: VAshooter on June 29, 2007, 03:35:01 PM
You need to come over to my house sometime and spend some time shooting air rifle on my basement range. The long barrel time of the pellets will teach you what follow through really means.
Now, that's a definite understatement. A pellet rifle, or even a long barreled match .22 (to a much lesser extent) will teach you follow through.
Nickle,
The best shooter I know of for follow-through started out shooting a flintlock.
If a flintlock won't teach you follow-through, nothing will.
Sometimes you would think he goes to sleep between the shot and his recovery from it.
Buckshot
Thanks for the reminder. I've fired flintlocks before, and they make an air rifle seem FAST!