Fighting Frustration

On September 11th, 2001, the world as we knew it changed forever when four commercial planes were hijacked and used as guided missiles. Two planes destroyed the New York’s Twin Towers, one plane crashed into our Capital’s Pentagon, and the 4th was grounded by the brave passengers on board, stopping the terroristic attack as it crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field.

Nineteen years later this week, the attack still stings. Only stories of the numerous brave acts help ease the pain associated with it. One such story I read involved the search and rescue dogs used to find possible survivors after the Twin Towers crumbled. Trained to find buried survivors, these dogs are, and were, heroes in their own right.

Unfortunately, there were very few survivors. In fact, the dogs became so depressed and discouraged, their handlers had firemen bury themselves in the rubble, letting the dogs find them, to keep their enthusiasm and morale high. Besides showing we’re not worthy of a dog’s love, this serves as a prime example of how frustration can affect any creature with a heartbeat.

By now, you’re probably wondering how this relates to guns and shooting. Sometimes, we all have bad days at the range — we get frustrated. Rather than waste our time (and money), here are a few tips for how to end things on a high note. These tips are especially helpful for new shooters and something to keep in mind when teaching someone how to shoot.

Tip: Move Closer

If your target looks more like a shotgun pattern than a well concentrated group, simply move closer to the target, or move the target closer to you. This is simple advice, especially for new shooters as shooting close helps build confidence. As skill level increases, you or the target can slowly back farther away, and before you know you’re your groups will be the same at 25 yards as they were up close.

The reverse is true for diagnosing your shooting form, as distance exaggerates poor habits. At distance, you’ll quickly see any weaknesses in your shooting form, but once observed, they’re easy to correct.

Tip: Go Bigger, Brighter

If you’re at a range where you can’t easily get closer to your target, simply use a larger target. Just hitting the target instills confidence and interest, especially when working with kids or new shooters.

Instead of using 3” bullseyes, use 12” targets. Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C and other targets that show hits with bright colors are also great, especially at longer distances or in low-light conditions.