Baselining Personal Performance/Recognizing Trends

[USNAVYCHIEF(Ret)]

Is it important to baseline personal performance in relation to marksmanship?

I feel it is, for several reasons.

Appleseed seems to feel it is important as well.  Take the first target shot at every event, the Redcoat.  That is a baseline measurement of personal performance for that day, as it is also the last target shot.  Sure, sometimes the last Redcoat may be worse than the first, but that is not the norm.  If it is worse, often that is indicative of hydration/fatigue issues. 

As an instructor, I used to look at the Redcoat targets as a measurement of instructor effectivity.  How effective were the instructors during the event.  Also first time Rifleman qualification can be a measure of an instructors (or a particular group of instructors) effectivity.

In NRA/CMP competition, there are measurements as well.  That would be the competitors classification.  Just like Appleseed, with the 3 shots - once is luck, twice coincidence, 3 times skill - The NRA and CMP do not elevate one's classification after one or two stellar performances (typically it takes 240 shots/3 800 aggregate matches).  So classification is also a measurement.

Scores by position:  This is a way to take it to another level of scrutiny. 

I have taken my personal performance trending to another level.  I maintain a spreadsheet that tracks my performance by each position for both live fire and dry fire.  For dry fire data I am using the data that my SCATT system (electronic training system) captures. 

Another benefit of this, is I know exactly how many shots have been fired thru my barrels.  Barrel performance does degrade over time, and this helps me track when I need to replace them.  Similar to tracking when one's vehicle needs an oil change.
I can correlate performance and barrel round counts, if I see a downward trend, it may be time to replace.

I can also track throat erosion, I load my 600 yard ammo for the .223 a lot longer than magazine length.  It is well known that a barrels throat will erode about .010" per 1000 rounds.  I have found this to be spot on.  So, while I will reload all of my 300 yard and in magazine length ammo over the winter for the next year, my 600 yard ammo is loaded on an ad hoc basis, so I can ensure that I am maintaining that jump that particular barrel prefers.

All of the above is important to me, but not necessarily important at all to success.  It is just something I choose to do, I have the data, may as well use it.

What the data is excellent for is:

What if I want to try something different in a position?  How do I know if that was a positive or negative change?

Once the fundamental steady hold factors and 6 steps of firing a shot are mastered, I only recommend changing one thing at a time, to see if it works or not.  Too many variables can give erroneous results.

Also, do not count one session, attempt, match as decisive.  Just like mentioned up top here with the Redcoat, once luck, twice coincidence, 3 times...maybe skill.  Give whatever you are changing a chance to really show if it works or not.

Often times a change, will show a negative result in the beginning.  Because, it is awkward, not what you are used to, etc etc.

My daughter, I remember working with her to get her stock higher in her shoulder for standing.  She said "But this does not feel good, it felt better the other way", my response "The other way is not resulting in 10's on the target!" LOL...she conceded.

Maintaining a spreadsheet of sorts to trend performance is a good idea. 

An example of a change that you can trend over time with data:

Standing:  Say a coach/friend/very accomplished shooter suggested I change my support hand hold from "Stands with V", to "Stands with Fist".

OK, I try it, it is awkward, but I give it time.  For me that is at least 3 live fire matches (inclusive of dry fire sessions).  By the 3rd match I will know if it worked by my scores, but the data will reflect that also (especially the detailed data that the SCATT system gives me).

This trending stuff also works with equipment.  If I try say the "magic golden scope device"/ocular disc on my scope, how do I really know if that is working or not?  Trending data over time will absolutely let you know if it is of value or not.

On taking advice.  Be very wary on who you take that stuff from.  There are many "jacks of all trades, master of none" types out there.  My respect is given to those that can not only teach this stuff, but can personally demonstrate it.  That is why I really like the CMP/NRA classification system, it tells one "Who's who in the zoo" regarding performance.

With respect to instructor performance, you yourself can use this as well.  No spreadsheet needed.  You can try something different, focusing on something different with respect to your personal techniques, and see if that resulted in an increase in Rifleman made, or if the students scores are on the rise with a certain technique you have incorporated.  Obviously, staying within the boundaries of the Appleseed Instructor manual.  Taken a step further, you can also see if certain techniques work with respect to that 7th step of firing the shot "instructor recruitment".

R/
Chris