The Last Target

[ErikW]

I don't know why I shoot the last target of a course different than the others, but I do. I think part of it is rushing and part of it is not having to move the gun.

Last practice session had three targets: T1 on the left at 7 yards, T2 in the middle at 13 y, and T3 on the right at 7 yards, symmetrical. I shot left to right, reload, repeat. Splits on T1 and T3 before the reload were .22. Splits on T3 after the reload were .11.

Besides the faster split time on the last target, I often shoot the two shots very close together.

[Jake Di Vita]

I experience the exact same thing...my last shot in a position or before a reload is normally a very very fast split (been clocked under .10).

[Cameron]

Sounds like you are trusting your speed for the last target only. I seem to do this also. I am working on getting the "trust your Speed" from the moment the buzzer goes off in practice.

The sights told you shoot at .11, then why wait till .22? Fear of a Mike is a bad thing for all of us.

[Jake Di Vita]

I disagree because I am reading the sights for all of the shots....for some reason the last one is just faster. You know me...a fear of speed is definetely something I don't have.

[Flexmoney]

On the last shot...there is absolutely nothing left to do except make that shot.

[ErikW]

Yeah, you think it's maybe like the one-shot draw? Or one-target draw? No doubt I could draw on T1 in less than a second and shoot an .11 split on it if that's all there were. But in this drill, with the extra targets, it's about a 1.15-1.20 draw and around .22 split.

I found myself doing it again today, even before the reload. (Thanks a lot Jake!) But less rushed and more in control, and slower. (.15-.18 instead of .11).

[cautery]

I think Flex has it... Your mind is "task empty" on the last shot... Trick is to train your brain to not waste processing time queuing up tasks, so that you/body/mind are only doing the present task...

[ErikW]

I was shooting Smoke & Hope in 1-2-3-4 order today and my transitions from 3 to 4 (right side) were way faster than 1-2 (left side). Might be related.

[Flexmoney]

I think we saw something similar today on a stage at a local. It was a "how much can you get in between the activator and the drop turner".

A couple of guys were only getting one hit on the DT. They were shooting it in the first part of the stage. I was debating...thought about skipping it if I wasn't going to get the hits (saving a reload). Then a shooter got it with both hits...he shot it [the DT] last.

[BSeevers]

I think we saw something similar today on a stage at a local.  It was a "how much can you get in between the activator and the drop turner". 

A couple of guys were only getting one hit on the DT.  They were shooting it in the first part of the stage.  I was debating...thought about skipping it if I wasn't going to get the hits (saving a reload).  Then a shooert got it with both hits...he shot it last.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm If you ask Hunter my first instinct was to end on the dropper and I changed it at last minute. Might be something there

[Flyin40]

I think we saw something similar today on a stage at a local.  It was a "how much can you get in between the activator and the drop turner". 

A couple of guys were only getting one hit on the DT.  They were shooting it in the first part of the stage.  I was debating...thought about skipping it if I wasn't going to get the hits (saving a reload).  Then a shooert got it with both hits...he shot it last.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm If you ask Hunter my first instinct was to end on the dropper and I changed it at last minute. Might be something there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting thought, I shot it the same way as you did and I also had a miss on the drop turner. I shot steel then paper, paper then drop turner. On the last paper before the drop turner I had trigger freeze and called a miss and went on and shot the drop turner then came back to make up the shot. I figured my miss was more of rushing than anything.

I tried getting over to watch you guys shoot the other stages to see how you figured them out. Fun Match

BTW Bill that run was just freaking smokin. Maybe I just NEEDED WARMED UP before I shot it.

Flyin40

[ampleworks]

I don't always find my last target the fastest, but on say a stage that is 11/21/31 in 10+1, if I can finish at slidelock getting all of my hits, not only will I have a faster time, but my hits will be better, one shot per steel, and most of the time be all Alpha or Alpha/Charlie.

Or in a case like the 12 round course that Flex mentioned, knowing my hits had to count or I'd be forced to reload, I had all Alphas and was still under 10 seconds including one hit on the DT.

The saying goes if you're shooting all As, you're going to slow, nah, I'll keep my As

[Harmon]

i suffer from the "finish line syndrome"

from time to time ill get mikes on very easy targets but im trying to get done instead of shooting them..

this normally happens on either steel at the end of a COF or the last shot on the last paper target in a set of standard excercises