How do you break out of a shooting slump?

[Thumbcocker]

I have been in a shooting slump for several weeks now. Shooting known good guns with known good loads I am not hitting for beans. I have been dry firing and going to the range more or less weekly but results are still poor. So what do you all do when you are in a slump?

[ShooterAZ]

I'm in a different kind of slump here. All the forests here are closed to shooting due to fire danger, and it really sucks. I have good days when all my groups are cloverleafs, and other days... not so much. I just keep at it, because even on an off day I still enjoy getting out and shooting. The "monsoon" season is getting close now. Once we get some decent moisture, they will reopen the forests so I can go shooting. Come on rain!!!

[crowbuster]

I have had good days and bad but never lots of bad with no good. Not to be a smart aleck but have you had an eye exam lately ? May not hurt ?

[Bullshop]

Review the basics.

[500MAG]

A day at the range is always a good day. The guns I prefer to shoot require an outdoor range and the closest one tends to get very crowded. I use to have a weekday off and that was perfect. Now, stuck with weekends and waiting.

[nagantguy]

Yep bad days after 3 times shooting experfbin the corp I almost uncked which means failed to qualify. Went through the next rely shot a 220,again. This year missed a huge tom at known range on a gimme shot. Then a few days ago got a chicken/duck/turkey killing fox 6 for 6 with the .22 while he was running. Good days and bad, I'm afraid my eyes are getting a little weaker. Keep at it shoot some cans, some dirt clods a popper anything really really reactive and close so you can focus on the basics. Stance, grip, sight alignment sight picture, breathing control and the all important Trigger press.

[osteodoc08]

Getting eyes checked is a must.

if reloads with boolits, have they been properly stored? If allowed to sit in a humid hot area the lube can run affecting powder burn and accuracy.

when in a slump, I find myself gravitating to another area of shooting for a bit. I'll cast for a week or two and return to reloading or shooting or whatever.

[Artful]

back to basic's and a good 22LR - it will show your faults most adequately

[GhostHawk]

A Back to basics.

B Confidence is king

C Go light rounds, light recoil, and short distances until you are back on track.

D Then start working your way back up.

E I prefer if at all possible to shoot some every day, even if it is only a spring BB pistol in my basement computer/reloading room.

I'm now shooting nickles in my 20 foot airgun range. A miss means I put 5 more down range. 3 consecutive hits resets. On a good day I can run 5 in a row, on a bad day I'll miss one. My idea is to just keep it challenging enough to keep it interesting.

Range days don't happen near often enough to keep my eye's sharp and my muscles tuned.
Find something that works and run with it.

Good luck

[Firebricker]

Take a break go to something different for a while. If your slump is with handgun go shoot a few rounds of skeet and relax. The usual thought is to work through a slump but I think a break to another shooting sport for a little bit will help. FB

[wv109323]

Sounds like you are shooting some type of competition. Explain a little more about what you are shooting and what is your specific problem?
A good place to start(if it is pistol) is the USMC training manual or Army MTU book.
If you are in competition practice with fellow shooters. A coach is worth a 1000 rounds.

[Sweetpea]

Ralph, I'd take a break from the handguns for a while, pick up a shotgun or rifle, and just let the handguns go unused for a little while.

I'd bet when you go back to them, without the frustration, it will all come right back...

[L Ross]

When I start getting misses when I thought my hold was good it is almost always from jerking the trigger. The cure? Skip loading a revolver. When a shooting partner is having a tough time hitting, skip load a revolver and watch the muzzle dip on an empty. As Yogi said, half the game is 90% mental, or something like that.

[MOcaster]

I only know of one thing that might be a problem. You didn't invite ME! :)

[Thumbcocker]

I have never fired a round in competition so that is not the problem. When I miss it is usually high or low I am almost always dead on for windage. I have been shooting at cans and things with guns sighted in on paper. I consider solid hits on a soda can at 50 yards to be my standard. 4.2" SP101 and a 4 5/8" superblackhawk are what I have been shooting lately. Working on not chasing the sights. It seems harder to get a good sight picture with the fiber optic sight on the sp101. The SBH sights were a bit fuzzy until the sun came out. I will try again this weekend with a Bisley with a Bowen sight. May be time to get the trifocals checked.

[fecmech]

I will try again this weekend with a Bisley with a Bowen sight. May be time to get the trifocals checked.
You probably don't want to hear this but it may be time for a dot sight. I fought it for a couple years in my 50's."Darn things have no place on a hand gun" only with stronger language. "If you can't see the sights you can't hit". My guess is even though fuzzy you can still center the front sight well but a fuzzy top does not lend itself to precise placement, hence the vertical dispersion you are encountering. At 71 shooting Hunters Pistol Silhouette with a dot sight I average in the high 20's with occasional scores in the 30's. I couldn't get anywhere near that with irons.

[SeabeeMan]

Everything above is good advice and I'll echo Art. Pull out a box of 22 and a rifle you know is decent, and start punching holes at 25 or 50 yards. Bring a buddy and have them watch for flinching, anticipation, poor trigger pull, etc. Confidence can be everything and a back-to-basics reboot with something that is low recoil and forgiving might just do it.

[ole 5 hole group]

I don't know of any reason for "real" bad days from a consistently good shooter. Shooting 97X100 is a bad day if you're usually shooting 100x100 but shooting 90X100 usually means your hardware is failing. Now, if you can't see very well - then like fecmech advised - go to a red dot. If you detest red dots then open up the rear notch and thin the front blade.


Good Luck and any day on the shooting line is a good day in my book.

[shooter2]

Clean the guns and be sure they have a good amount of rust protection. Grab a fishing rod and go fishing for a couple of months. Sometimes you simply cannot shoot your way out of a slump.

[Echo]

I suggest 'Ball & Dummy' practice. Have someone else load the gun (rifle, pistol, whatever) either with one cartridge, or NO cartridge. Man, will it ever show when a jerk/flinch/whatever has shown up! And also have eyes re-checked...

[daniel lawecki]

I never go to the range in a rush. Always remember breathing sights relax and squeeze. Keep relaxed and make it fun. I start out shooting my .22cal then .38 then .44mag. I had a slump a year ago it was stress at work that kept my shooting in the sh***er. Now I shoot 6-7 guns each time out everything is fine relax.

[TCLouis]

STOP SHOOTING1 ! ! !

Every shot recently that was off is UNIMPORTANT, THEY ARE DOWNRANGE.

The ONLY important shot is the NEXT one you send down range.

FORGET any previous shots they are in the past.

[jmsj]

I have never fired a round in competition so that is not the problem. When I miss it is usually high or low I am almost always dead on for windage. I have been shooting at cans and things with guns sighted in on paper. I consider solid hits on a soda can at 50 yards to be my standard. 4.2" SP101 and a 4 5/8" superblackhawk are what I have been shooting lately. Working on not chasing the sights. It seems harder to get a good sight picture with the fiber optic sight on the sp101. The SBH sights were a bit fuzzy until the sun came out. I will try again this weekend with a Bisley with a Bowen sight. May be time to get the trifocals checked.

Thumbcocker,
A while back I was experiencing the exact same thing you are going through. My groups started vertically stringing and then through frustration the groups started widening out. I posted a thread regarding my struggle.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?153815-I-can-still-shoot-I-just-can-t-SEE-!!!
Not sure if this is what you are going through but it fixed me up and restored my confidence.
Good luck, jmsj

[brtelec]

I find with the wife and kids, if they are holding good windage but hitting Hi and or low. They are not controlling their breathing. So as mentioned before, back to the basics.