TO THE "NEWBIES" (not-so-newbies, and others too)

I too enjoy the "journey" part of learning and practicing any skill like shooting or golf or other.....the end results are the fruits of this labor of love.

I like this post. Perhaps it will keep some overly enthusiastic people from dumping a bunch of cash into a new hobby they’re just beginning to explore. I’ve been guilty of it. With shooting in general my perforated paper targets are constant reminders of the gist of this post. 

lol yeah .. in these times everybody lives in fantasy land where they only show you the best of the best of their moments .. all smiles on a stellar vacation in tahiti more or less .. everybody looks at everybody else 'online' and 'how great' they are and all the fun they have and wonder why their stuff and life sucks so much .. thats what the modern 'media' has done to society, sunk it into a downward spiral of depression and materialism lol .. its all corporate propaganda more or less .. theres some talented people out there this i know, and some with lots of experince in this and that, but everyone has something to offer .. more and better 'stuff' somewhere out there is not going to do it for anybody though ... for me here on the farm a humble couple hundred buck prod and handpump is really all i ever needed lol ... i can shoot the wings off a fly at 30 with that thing lol ... do i think piles of equipment and cameras and thermal scopes and several multi thousand dollar guns and bottles and pumps and scopes and rangefinders etc etc is cool .. yeah .. but practical .. maybe in certain circumstances .. you dont need all that to get a decent setup for pest control or to have fun .. anybody can sit there all day with a target set up at 150 yards with their 5000$ 'look at me' super pellet gun and make a vid of how they can hit it lol .. yeah hit that jack rabiit thats running along the fance over there at 40 with that setup lol 'not' ... thats 'how good' most of them are .. some people may be that good they can just hit anything at any distamce with stallar equipment and be an actual pro .. doubt theyre flaunting it all over the net though .. really 'good' experts dont need to be validated like that ...

Nice post Gerry.... Thanks, but I'm certainly no hero on AGN. Like you, I've worked my way up in my proficiency - LOTS of practice and THOUSANDS of pellets/slugs downrange. 

I felt more like a ZERO finishing in the anchor position at the latest regular FT competition I shot at at Rio Salado. But that's a different stye of shooting, and it takes time to learn new things. Even though it was "Hunter" class FT, its nothing like real hunting...

I know how hard you've worked to become a better shooter, and I've seen your progress. I remember when we first started hunting together about 1 1/2 years ago you thought 75 yards was a very long shot. In the last six months we've double tapped ground squirrels at 130 yards, and you shoot that FX Boss as well as anyone I know. Hell, you even beat LD in your first (and only) 25M BR competition! I'm glad you posted the above. It is very true that many newbys think they can just buy a top shelf gun and pull the trigger, or that it'll come tuned perfectly from the factory to shoot slugs at 200 yards. Then they are disappointed when they can't hit a dime at 50 yards, quarter at 100 or a ground squirrel at 150. 

Great post...

@dizzums lotta truth in those words. I think I’ll subscribe to this thread. Comments ought to be gold. 

That journey is very real. I have been shooting airguns for a couple of years now, but before I started shooting firearms actually at an older age of 18. I was taught in the Marine Corps and was a natural (According to the Marines) and they sent me to schools to further that training. The reality is shooting isn't difficult. Learn the 5 fundamentals, Aiming, Breathing, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, and you'll be able to push your gun to the scientific capabilities it allows. 

When it comes to airguns. The fundamentals are only half the battle. Tuning correctly, understanding the tune, and understanding the variables of air, pellets, wind, temperature. Things that only matter to snipers at 1000 yards (and yes I have hit targets at 800-1000 yards) (hit successfully targets at 6-700 yards with just a AR 15 under fire in war) I give it to top shooters of airgunners there is a lot more variables because of the lack of extreme compression found in a normal bullet. I see a lot of people talking about disappointment in their gun but there is A LOT of work it is a long journey not to just get your gun shooting that SUB MOA/MOA at 100 yards but getting the gun to continue firing in that manner for long periods of time. A lot of people blame the company, Hatsan, FX, Daystate, etc... But it seems a lot of these expectations are somewhat misguided with airguns, these guns are not as easy as a firearm in a lot of aspects (as mentioned above). They also require a lot of maintenance. I love this forum because of the amount of support that comes behind this sport. 

Nice topic of the day Gerry lol. 

okay, my rambling is over haha. 

The struggle is real!!!! But thanks to internet and many great people sharing great information along with quality equipment the challenge isn’t what it use to be, still a challenge for sure and it’s what makes it fun. 

Nicely said Gerry. I might add a comment or two. First the old saying “the worse carpenter needs the best tools” might apply. Not to say I think starting with top notch equipment is the way to go. They are NOT the way to go mostly because with out some experience a person has no idea what FOR THEM is top notch There are trade offs . This applies especially to the ancillary equipment involved like scopes and compressors. It took me some time and experimentation to determine that I’m not especially fond of bull pup rifles. And that better scopes really are worth the money. Another real important consideration is TALENT . Most everyone can improve with practice but I know I for one will never achieve what some others will. I’ve shot with a fair number of shooters some good some bad and yes a few ugly ones as well. I shot with one fellow who just could not learn how to release a trigger and he did not seem to want to follow directions or at least not from me (former son in law). Needless to say he was probably the worse shot I’ve encountered. BUT he loved the AR platform and he could spray and pray with the best of them. I’ve also shot with several world class shooters and I have couple observations. To shoot well (really well) you have to be in good health and be physically fit. You also have to have a good mental attitude. NERVES do not help. Then you have to have the ware with all to practice and learn . Practicing is not enough you can practice bad habits and that’s a killer . You have to be smart. You have to learn how to read conditions and wind. You have to study. You need to understand ballistics and realize that there is much to this. But never forget talent. After years of effort and much money and time spent I’m amazed that a person with none of it can out shoot me with a little instruction and lots of talent. BUT and most importantly the only person you are competing with is yourself. If you can’t stand to be “beat” you probably don’t have the other things required to be a good shot. Finally some of what is posted on the WEB never happened. Shoot because you enjoy it . Invest the money and TIME you have and can justify . Remember if you try hard enough you can make anything into work. If it gets tiresome and tedious back off. FINALLY listen and learn from the experts and we have some that Gerry mentioned. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
Lots of this advice applies to things in life in general . Too bad it took me years to learn this and years to recognize that I wasn’t as committed as I needed to be to become a really good shot. Don’t get me wrong I do OK but like a lot of things in my life I could have done better. I’m just happy I can do what I can. I love to shoot at 2,3 and 400 yards with my 223 . I also love sitting and watching for groundhogs. I almost feel bad about killing them but it really helps my farmer friends . And I miss. Some times at distances which for many would be “gifts” but then I get to sit a watch for them again. HELPFUL hint groundhogs will usually be back out just at 45 minutes. I’d be interested in what others have to say about that. If I miss and have the time to wait I almost always get a second . Shot the first one of the year yesterday after missing twice. I was at about the limit of my 17HMR Do what you enjoy. I am. 

Excellent post Gerry52, and good summation bubblerboy64! Agree totally. I have a friend looking to start right now and he wants to start at the top. He can swing it, and I can't really tell him to work up to it. When you're older and retired you don't have the time or energy to jump through all of the hoops. I just think that you miss out on a lot of the process when you do. Time is short though.

I used to race bikes. ( road cycling - seemingly a thousand years ago . . . lol )

So -- now that I'm older and can splurge on that $7000 bike I've been looking at you're telling me I won't just be able to jump on it and win the Tour De France?! What???

( stomping off irritated . . . . ) (( lol ))

Shoot every day. Some days excellent others not. If it's a old bb gun or a expensive gun don't matter. It not usually the gun it's me. One of the great thing about this passion is you learn every time you shoot. You can have the most expensive equipment, but if you don't become proficient with it by practice. Cheap stuff or expensive you will not get better. 

So glad to see this post,I have thought the same thing a lot lately ,because of the new air gunners and their questions about what to get...Nothing beats practice,that said you should Try to start out with a known quality air rifle....I was lucky , my first springer was a R-7 after a couple of years I got a cheap but more powerful springer,it was trash....tried to make it better,did ,but not by much.....when I was able to spend more I got a R-9....lesson learned....again start with a good springer and practice and more practice.

PCPs I had to use a hand pump; some really great less than $400 PCP's..out there.They are accurate enough,like what was said practice,learn and listen.Having Fun does not need to cost a lot....

The topic started by Gerry52 needs to be repeated every now-in-then as it will always be great advice.

Great post, Gerry. You got my thinking going, and I’d like to contribute to your tread by asking all who replied, if there ever was a six week course at a designated camp where they taught you to be a better airgunner in all the levels and disciplines, from field target to speed silhouette, what pcp(I’m gonna add that the camp will introduce break barrels in these six weeks, also) platforms would they provide? The camp says don’t bring anything but yourself, they provide everything. 

If they guaranteed you that by the end of 6 weeks you’ll be a 1/2” MOA shooter or better at a 100, what gear would they provide in order to guarantee a high success rate?

To avoid brand favoring/bashing, how about we just call out the cost ranges of the gear.

Such is life. If you aren't willing to put in the work, and work the problems, then don't expect the top results.

Equipment is just stuff. The best shooters, or anything else, even with mediocre equipment will make top shelf equipped wanna be's look like the amateurs they are.

“I hope you shooters new & not so new will understand that what makes any equipment special is really the shooter behind it what knowledge & skill they bring to the table. Great gear makes it really special & easy but confidence in ourselves & lessons we've learned is what makes it WORK!!! I feel for people's disappointment when their new gear doesn't live up to expectations but you have to ask yourself, "When I had not so great gear could I live up to ITS expectations?" If the answer is NO, then don't expect stellar changes when that high priced rifle comes in the mail!”

Well stated Gerry. Case in point.

I got my first PCP three years ago; a new .22 Daystate unregulated Daystate Huntsman Regal XL. Next, a new RAW HM1000x .22 HP built by Martin. Then, new FX Royale .22 400 from SPAW ( Ken). This year a new DS Safari .22 and most recently a Taipan Long .22. All pretty nice high end guns. The weakest link in this chain is me, the shooter, and not the guns. The best equipment cannot substitute for constant practice, experience, listening/accepting mentoring from some of the folks you mentioned and an individual desire to want to improve. I started with high end guns, the opposite from you, but no regrets either. I did honestly get disappointed at times with the gun(s) performances, but soon realized it was me and not the gun. I can relate to your post. 

At the end of the day, skills acquired from many failures and mistakes, constant practice, continued focus on shooting techniques, wind reading, listening to smarter people than me; all of these and many other attributes I did not mention will help me improve. The equipment is just part of the package. 

I'd also like to add, that learning from the better shooters is critical. I'm a pretty decent shooter, but when I shoot with really good guys like Bobby Corcorran, Steve Montgomery, or John Tafoya, I pay attention to the things they do. And I try to incorporate those things into my routine. 

The most recent thing I learned from Bobby was at the TexTreme BR in October. I noticed that his routine is EXACTLY the same, for every shot, and that he treats each and every shot like its the one that will win him the competition. So those two things are what I have been concentrating on lately... We used to call it "grinding" in golf, but the concept is similar in shooting. 

It paid off for me in January at the Extreme Field Target where I started off missing 11 out of the first 12 targets (40 targets total). I didn't panic, just buckled down even harder. And ended up winning the slug class and tied the high shooter in the pellet class, who happened to be Bobby.