Low/High Power Shooting

[Allen Roberts]

It seems my consistent groups at 100 yds. only happens using 3-4 power. My friend is an excellent shot at 9x. Is it just me? We need some chatter, this site is going dormant. The new midget format is painful.

[Bigs28]

new midget format?

[mdram]

difference in scopes?

[VASCAR2]

On Lower power you see much less weapon movement through the optic. As long as you have a good sight picture with consistent trigger release you should be in the mean radius of the group with iron sights or low power optic. I find the higher magnification I use the harder to reduce the movement of the rifle while trying to break the trigger. The rifle is moving on the lower power but it is just not as perceptible.

The same thing happens to me when shooting a handgun off hand. If I try to use a handgun with a magnified optic the movement of the handgun can be distracting when trying to make a precise shot looking through the magnified optic. When shooting a red dot sight I try to get into a rhythm where I anticipate the movement/moment I’m on target with the weapon RDS and release the trigger. As I’m recovering from recoil I’m moving the optic or iron sight back down on target, taking up the slack on the trigger trying to use movement and timing to beak the shot the moment the sights are aligned on target.

For me the theory of aim small miss small with a magnified optic holds true. For me to make accurate shots I need to see the target well enough to see I’m getting the exact same sight picture while trying to get a clean precise break on the trigger. Another advantage of lower power optic is the mirage is less noticeable on hot days.

[kmon]

The higher power the scope< the more you see your movements and can lead to something in archery referred to as target panic. Simple explanation is the shooter becomes "afraid" they will miss which leads to an actual miss. I have seen archers quit shooting because of it.

As shooters we are usually the weakest link to shooting in the shooting system of Shooter, rifle, ammo and sights. If we become afraid to screwing up from something we will.

Some days we shoot better than others and that is just the way it is, but we are the ones in control of our actions. Fatigue, caffeine, over anxious,rushing, not following our routine.... can lead to inconsistency and consistency is key to better groups.
If the gun and ammo are good shooting for others or us on a given day or change in one thing like scope power as in the OP case there is something in us that kicks off target panic.

Some it helps to go back the basics of our routine, if something does not feel right back off and start over, calm yourself and go through your normal process for taking an accurate shot, be that rifle archery, golf.... Watch golf sometimes you will see pros back off a shot then go through their routine again before hitting the ball. They have learned if something does not feel right the shot will not be right. You ingrain that ability to recognize it through practice and practicing with purpose of concentration on the shot and all that leads up to it and the follow through after the shot.

Or just keep shooting on lower power as long as it is working for you. Try to relax with your shooting, I do not always hight exactly where I want but I can tell you where the "miss" is when I do.

[Sinclair]

Magnification is not your friend. As the posters above have already stated, consistency is everything. There are military riflemen that can shoot better scores with iron sights than the typical lay person can with a riflescope. Relax and focus on the fundamentals! I went with a fixed power scope because deciding on what power to use on a variable was too distracting, and besides I usually ended up somewhere mid range around 10x anyway. Do not beat up on yourself, what is one man's junk is another's man's treasure. Forget that your friend is doing, find what works for YOU, then practice, practice, practice until you can feel by the check weld if the shot is going to be a hit or a miss. I have an acquaintance that doesn't shoot groups any more. He only shoots one shot at a time. He may shoot that one shot 50 or a hundred times in a day, but each one is the only one he is concerned about as he is shooting it and he is very good. Think of it this way, that is not a paper target out there it is a fat doe and your family is starving. Whether your family eats or goes hungry depends on you getting everything right the first time.

[Allen Roberts]

Thanks for all the help. I’ll keep working on my fundamentals and concentration.

[kmon]

You might try some dry fire practice from your shooting position, basically where the crosshairs are when you break the sear is where your bullet will go (perhaps not exactly but very close) Saves ammo allowing you to get trigger time and control without recoil keeping you from seeing where the crosshairs were at the time of the shot

[FLshooter]

Really depends on the shooter. I was using an 8-32x56 NF Brenchrest scope yesterday.I had to zero in my scope at 100 yrds before going to the 600 yrd range.I did it on the lowest power. And when I went to the 600 yard range ,I believe I set it at maybe 20 power. I don’t really pay attention ,I just adjust it where it looks best to me. And when there is a mirage, (Which is most hot summer mornings here in Florida)I can’t go much past 10 power.

[Sinclair]

And when there is a mirage, (Which is most hot summer mornings here in Florida)I can’t go much past 10 power.

Mirage is why I choose a straight 10x scope. Out on the desert we could not go above 20x on our spotting scopes. Magnification is not your friend. I understand that sometimes it is great to be able to crank the scope up 24x, but I have never found not being able to as a disadvantage. If I cannot see it at 10x, then I might just be a little too far to make a clean kill. Just my experiences with scopes and shooting rifles.