Help with how to quit point shooting everything?

[ULshooter2491]

  As the title says what can I do to quit point shooting every time the timer goes off?

  For a little background I’m a NSCA sporting clays&international skeet shooter who has probably shot close to 100k rds out of a shotgun strictly relying on trusting my hands to go where my eyes are looking. When shooting clays I never acknowledge my gun barrels. I have a hard focus on the bird and push my gun to the target. Subconsciously you know the gun is there but at no point am I actually looking at it or measuring lead.  
  Now with pistols(started USPSA in November) I’m subconsciously doing the same thing. I can dry fire practice and live fire practice looking for my front sight post as I draw and push to target and it’s fine. However when actually competing and the adrenaline kicks in my eyes are reverting back to what they know and only registering on the target. It works great for close stuff but as the cardboard  and plates start to extend to farther distances I can’t hit the broad side of a barn. 
  What can I do and incorporate into my practice to correct this or do I just need to shoot a 100k rounds of 40s&w and become the worlds best point shooter?

[Lastcat]

Start with the Barn at 20 yards, then a dumpster and finally a mailbox. 

 

Welcome and all kidding aside, it's just practice. I started in USPSA in 2016 and still working to get better every year. I found it really takes time to lose the flinch and keep your hands steady. Finally can say I'm there after maybe 20k rounds. Not saying you need to shoot 20k rounds, but it will come when you get the work in, it's all it is.

 

Most of the good shooters in this sport have shot many rounds and many Matches. They've worked out all the bugs. Good gun, ammo, sight (Iron or Dot), grip, mags, etc.... They've all put in the work. If you are having problems long distance 20-25 yards, start 10yds and work out to 20-25. Exam what you are shooting and what ammo. Try to hit a 2" circle at 10 yards.

 

Practice, keep your hands steady and don't flinch. Good luck. 

[MikeBurgess]

a couple thoughts for you.

 

Do your best to turn of or ignore the clock in your head, it will lie to you. Patience is key, missing fast is slower than taking the time to get hits.

 

Aim at a spot on the target not at the target, shooting at brown is a sure way to have horrible accuracy.

 

Segregate your stage tasks into those where time matters and those where it doesn't. think move fast, reload fast, close hoser target fast, challenging target NO time limit good shots only  (I use the term challenging because its vague and will change as your skills improve, to start think any target you cant hit 2As 90% of the time point shooting) now do your walk through and assign every target and task for the stage.

 

If shooting Iron Sights, with your clays background I would suggest that you teach yourself to shoot target focused, you are already trained to look at what you want to hit so why fight that. Look at the spot on the target you want to hit and align the blurry sights, for me a bright fiber makes this much easier. 

 

 

 

 

[ULshooter2491]

1 hour ago, MikeBurgess said:

 

 

 

 

Appreciate the advice. I do believe I will have to shoot target focused. There is to much muscle memory to overcome. I plan on swapping out my front red fiber to a green on my TSO to see if that will help make me acknowledge the slide is even there. I also need to make a more conscious effort to pick out a smaller part of the target to hard focus on. With a clay you are trained to focus on the rings and I will catch my self when shooting USPSA just focusing center mass and not a smaller portion of the A-zone. 
 

 I believe shooting an optics division would suit my style to a T since you are still focusing purely on the target but have something to verify your positioning. However I’m to far financially  invested into limited to make the swap now.

[joshdub84]

I had a somewhat similar experience getting started (though I was still seeing the sight - the color, at least).  When I started dry-firing, it really seemed to help.  There's still scenarios where I don't feel like I'm seeing the sight as much as I should but I'm feeling more confident with my shots.

[MattInTheHat]

On 3/31/2021 at 11:05 PM, ULshooter2491 said:

  As the title says what can I do to quit point shooting every time the timer goes off?

  For a little background I’m a NSCA sporting clays&international skeet shooter who has probably shot close to 100k rds out of a shotgun strictly relying on trusting my hands to go where my eyes are looking. When shooting clays I never acknowledge my gun barrels. I have a hard focus on the bird and push my gun to the target. Subconsciously you know the gun is there but at no point am I actually looking at it or measuring lead.  
  Now with pistols(started USPSA in November) I’m subconsciously doing the same thing. I can dry fire practice and live fire practice looking for my front sight post as I draw and push to target and it’s fine. However when actually competing and the adrenaline kicks in my eyes are reverting back to what they know and only registering on the target. It works great for close stuff but as the cardboard  and plates start to extend to farther distances I can’t hit the broad side of a barn. 
  What can I do and incorporate into my practice to correct this or do I just need to shoot a 100k rounds of 40s&w and become the worlds best point shooter?

I think you already identified it. USPSA, the targets generally don't move, so it's the opposite of what you are used to. You shoot the sight picture, not the target. It gets kinda boring, because you don't get to see the target get hit if you're doing it right, including reactive targets like steel. You should be seeing an appropriate sight picture, executing the shot, and already be making the next shot before you hear the "ding."