6 Common Mistakes New Competitive Shooters Make
When you embark on the gunsmithing or shooting journey, whether it is for a hobby or a professional route, it can be a daunting task. Like everything, practice makes perfect, and it is no different when it comes to using a weapon. For competitive shooting, there is an added layer of pressure as you are using your skills in a competitive environment.
Before finding any success and professional growth when handling a firearm, a new shooter must identify any common errors that occur and then correct them. This article divulges the most common mistakes new shooters make and how to fix them, so you don’t have to.
One of the first things a new shooter needs to do is become comfortable with firing a weapon. If you are embarking on a journey that includes competitive shooting, then this is essential.
1. Safe Handling of Firearms
Safety. Before we get into the mind games of shooting for competitive shooters, safety is the main priority for everyone. When you are at the beginning of your shooting journey, you can sometimes forget the basics of safety. Some basic safety instructions to keep in mind include keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, handling the gun when the action is still in use, and checking the chamber. It is best practice to always treat a gun as if it were loaded. By adhering to these rules, you will keep yourself and others safe and quickly build your confidence.
Once you have the safety aspects of competitive shooting covered, let’s look at a shooter’s mindset.
2. The Anticipation of the Shot
The most common error when getting used to firing your gun is the anticipation of the shot. When the shooter is in the mindset of anticipation, they will automatically dip the muzzle of the gun down and will not hit their intended target. Practice will help you become comfortable with the anticipation. A good tip is balancing a coin on the weapon’s foresight; it will keep the gun fixed on the target until you learn to balance the gun automatically.
3. Fear of the Shot
Another feeling that new shooters will have is fear. When the bullet is first released from the weapon, there is a strong recoil and a loud bang. While this would not faze a seasoned pro in competitive shooting, it will throw off a new shooter and cause slight gun shyness. This again will reduce the more you are exposed to shooting, and if the feeling still persists, having lessons with an expert can also propel your levels of comfort with a firearm quickly.
4. Frustration From Lack of Accuracy
If you are finding competitive shooting hard and are frequently missing your target, then frustration will also come into play. This feeling is natural for everyone learning a new skill or career. Like many skills, there are several key elements to it, and if you get any wrong, then you will not perform to the best of your ability. For shooting, grip, stance, sight picture, trigger squeeze, and sight alignment are all imperative to having a successful shot. If one of these is misaligned, then it can cause accuracy issues. If you feel like you are having problems with one of these, then get a seasoned shooter to watch you shoot a few rounds. They will be able to identify the problem, and you will then know where to focus your practice. Competitive shooting takes a village, and don’t be afraid to use it.
5. Preparation is Key
While we have talked about the mindset needed for competitive shooting, it is all down to preparation. Shooting aimlessly and practicing without a definitive plan is not the best practice. To know if you’re on the right trajectory, you need to log every session, and during practice sessions, having a plan and using marked targets will set you up for success.
Also, when practicing at a shooting range, it is worth completing some sessions with dry fire, which is shooting without ammunition. This is a great preparation exercise that focuses on trigger control, sight picture, and draw practice.
6. Stance and Balance
Along with safety, mindset, and practicing, having the incorrect stance and balance is the foundation of every shot. Many people who are new to shooting lean back or place their feet too close together, which reduces the control they have over the gun. Standing correctly, feet shoulder-width apart, distributing your weight evenly, and leaning slightly into the shot will improve your accuracy and reduce shooter’s fatigue. You will also absorb the gun’s recoil naturally.
From this article, it is clear to see that while there are several common mistakes that new shooters can make in competitive shooting, a lot can be fixed and improved on through knowledge, like this article and plenty of practice. If you are looking to expand your knowledge on shooting, then look no further than MGS Trade School, where they have an extensive library about everything guns and several very informative e-courses that can be completed at your own place. Go to MGS Trade School Today!
Written by: Ryan Clancy, Mechanical Engineer
