While competition shooting is a nerve-wracking, extremely intense experience, the people who have done it have felt it was well worth it. Here are some competitive shooting tips from our own BB Pelletier, who has participated in many regional shooting competitions.
Perfect Your Stance
Focus on adopting the perfect stance to maximize the support from your skeleton while minimizing muscle movement. Tense your legs by rotating your toes inward and adjust your foot positioning until you naturally align with the target, ensuring a stable foundation.
Stay Very Still
Once you establish your stance, aim to minimize unnecessary movements to maintain a steady and accurate shot.
Anchor Your Free Hand
You only use one arm for pistol shooting, so you’ll keep your non-dominant hand still by anchoring it to a pocket, waistband, or belt loop.
Align Your Grip with the Target
Ensure your grip on the pistol is positioned correctly to align the sights with the target and maintain vertical stability, enhancing your control.
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Master Your Rifle Hold
Rest the rifle on your supporting hand and anchor your elbow against your ribs to keep the sight level with the target with minimal muscle movement.
Breathe and Align the Sights to the Target
Develop a breathing rhythm while shooting, align the sights with the target, and focus intently on the front sight to ensure consistent accuracy.
Concentrate
Eliminate all distractions from your mind, and notice the minute details of your body, the sight, and the target to keep them aligned.
Practice
Regular, disciplined practice is crucial for honing your shooting skills and steadily improving your accuracy, ultimately aiming for higher scores and proficiency in marksmanship. Engaging in daily practice, starting with dry-fire exercises, refines your technique. Progress from dry-fire exercises to live-fire exercises, making sure to use the same techniques.
Watch Champions Compete
With the 2024 Summer Olympics coming up, you have the opportunity to see world-class athletes compete. By watching these elite athletes, you can learn the keys to successful shooting.
- Their intense focus and concentration show the importance of maintaining a clear mindset.
- Noticing how champions visualize their performance before they take their shot teaches you the power of mental preparation and building your confidence.
- Their dedication and resilience in overcoming challenges highlight the value of persistence.
- Studying their skill emphasizes the importance of practice, skill development, and attention to detail.
- Witnessing their commitment to excellence inspires setting high standards and striving for greatness.
Use these lessons to motivate you to adopt a growth mindset, refine your skills, and pursue your goals with determination and focus.
BB Pelletier provided these shooting tips in a series of blog posts about 10-meter competitive shooting.
Learn more about 10 meter competitive airguns in our buying guide.
BB and PA
This is what I call a really productive blog, as simplified some may find it.
Congratulations on the idea and presentation.
Thank you, we’re glad to be of service.
Yes, that’s it!
I always have to lough when hear some rookies talking how easy is to hit at 10meter distance 🙂
My biggest issue is my shaking. And I can’t always drink wine when shooting 🙂
While 10-meter shooting is a simple process, it is far from easy. As someone in the comments pointed out, in the case of rifle shooting, you’re shooting at the period in a sentence. The slightest vibration from your pulse or breath can throw off your shot.
Exactly. And your mind is your enemy. It is enough to shortly think about something else to be distracted and shoot the moon. Once I thought about my boss during my 10m training and I almost shot my window 🙂
My daughter shot 10M air in HS and now shoots NCAA in college. You have to shoot 10’s to be any good. To get a 10 you have to hit the exact same size as the period at the end of this sentence. Again, look at the period at the end of this sentence. 60 shots off hand. Those who are good at it are more or less shooting a one hole group, no fliers. My daughter is good at 10M air and regularly scores a 594-596 out of 600 (54-56 “10’s” out of 60 shots). She has yet to get the perfect 600 but did shoot a 599 (meaning 59 “10’s” out of 60) at the Junior Olympics a month ago. I dabble in 10M and am a known good shot in general. I am no where remotely close to being able to do what my daughter does. It is difficult and takes a lot of time and practice to get good. Her high school team pretty much shot the entire school year, 5 days a week for a couple hours each day. Now in college they shoot 6 days a week but they also shoot 3 position smallbore in addition to 10M air.
Thanks Brazos, for your comment. Was there much time left for any other extra-curricular activities? If you don’t mind, what college/university, and did it give scholarships for the women’s shooting team?
She really didn’t have much time for other school activities. She was in the MCJROTC as part of the rifle team and they did stuff. College rifle teams do not get full rides from just rifle. NCAA allows something like 3.8 full scholarships for a rifle team. That 3.8 gets divided between the 8-12 kids on the team at the coach’s discretion. So kind of figure a 1/3 scholarship as a general rule but have heard of extremes from nothing to full ride so it just depends. There is a lot to this and more than I can type here. If you want to know more we should just talk on the phone if you are interested.
I applaud her for her skill and dedication.
OK guys in PA. No need for the Insyder to reply/comment just for the sake of saying something. It most certainly looks distant and Ai motivated. Sometimes silence is better…