Reflexions

[Doc_pafumo]

When you first get into this precision sport, you never really know what to expect—what kind of shot groups you should have or at what distance. There are no manuals, no absolute truths. You can buy the most accurate rifle on the market and expect to shoot hole-in-hole at 50 meters, but the reality is quite different... and then you buy another rifle, and another, and another… always chasing the dream of 10 shots landing in the same hole.


It's not a sport for people with OCD… or maybe it is, but you'll end up frustrated and spending a lot of money trying to achieve something that never quite arrives: absolute precision and going home with a satisfied look on your face. And if you're lucky, you come back the next day, do the exact same thing, and your groups have opened up… it’s the moderator, or the bad chemistry between the barrel and the pellet, like a marriage gone wrong.


In the end, this is a sport, a very entertaining hobby—but a very, very expensive one. And after a few months into it, learning a lot, I still don’t really know what a good group is at 25, 50, or 100 meters. And there's always something to blame when the group opens up… the wind, the rest, humidity, the moderator, the regulator pressure, the weather…


Maybe that's the beauty of this hobby—its a beauty "imperfect perfection".

 

[Ranchibi]

Nice write up! I think we all have gone thru or are going thru the accuracy inconsistencies! When I miss at close range, I know it's operator error sad to say....

 

[Gerry52]

Doesn't matter how much one pays for equipment if the hours of practice have not been put in. A technically bad shooter with a $3,000 airgun is still a bad shooter. The gun itself won't make him or her better by virtue of being expensive. I'm not rich (an understatement) but I've gotten by on inexpensive peripherals that are good enough for my standards & accomplish what I want. My guns are mid upper tier ($1700ish). I can hit a dime at 50 yards, a nickel at 75 & a quarter at 100. I can still miss at any of those distances . Honing my skills has been an 8 year journey & I still love every minute! I'm grateful & humbled for the people that have helped along the way. What an amazing & addictive sport!!!

 

[6gun]

When you first get into this precision sport, you never really know what to expect—what kind of shot groups you should have or at what distance. There are no manuals, no absolute truths. You can buy the most accurate rifle on the market and expect to shoot hole-in-hole at 50 meters, but the reality is quite different... and then you buy another rifle, and another, and another… always chasing the dream of 10 shots landing in the same hole.


It's not a sport for people with OCD… or maybe it is, but you'll end up frustrated and spending a lot of money trying to achieve something that never quite arrives: absolute precision and going home with a satisfied look on your face. And if you're lucky, you come back the next day, do the exact same thing, and your groups have opened up… it’s the moderator, or the bad chemistry between the barrel and the pellet, like a marriage gone wrong.


In the end, this is a sport, a very entertaining hobby—but a very, very expensive one. And after a few months into it, learning a lot, I still don’t really know what a good group is at 25, 50, or 100 meters. And there's always something to blame when the group opens up… the wind, the rest, humidity, the moderator, the regulator pressure, the weather…


Maybe that's the beauty of this hobby—its a beauty "imperfect perfection".

To me a good group is near the best ive ever done. Competition with yourself is often the most challenging imho. There will always be better shooters than me so I don't worry about being let down.

 

[trapdoor2]

Typical for any "competitive" hobby. There are people who enjoy the search for perfection and those who like to socialize with those seekers. There are "one gun Charlies" who don't seem to need anything but a slingshot and a pile of rocks to do well and others who need a different rifle for every 5° temp swing. All part of the spectrum. Much fun to be had no matter where you look.