Resolved - Learn to shoot straight - citizenstuart

Resolved - Learn to shoot straight

Funny the things that pop into your head when you're doing routine chores. I was brushing my teeth the other day when I suddenly decided to enter at least one shooting competition with my Remington 1858 revolver before the end of next year. I suppose it must have been bubbling away in my subconscious, waiting for a moment when my conscious mind wasn't engaged in anything else to emerge. It does actually make logical sense. I've shot my Remy a few times since I got it working reliably, but I'm hardly a competent shot with it yet. I can just about reliably hit a politician-size target at 25 yards, so there's definite room for improvement. There's probably a combination of reasons why I'm doing so badly at the moment, but I think the two main reasons are:

1) The design of the grip. The Remington 1858 was designed for mid-19th Century people, who had smaller hands than moderns, so it's hard to get a grip on it that's both comfortable and secure.

2) My own lack of experience. The bang and flash from my Remy is a lot more impressive than the .357 Winchester I also shoot, let alone the .22 rifle or my air pistol. I might very well be subconsciously flinching, it's a common problem.

So it might be thought that entering a competition next year is over-optimistic, but to me it makes sense. The best progress I ever made in learning to shoot was a few years ago when I used to take part in air pistol matches over the Internet. The element of competition encouraged me to try that bit harder and practise regularly. I'm hoping this will have the same effect. I don't expect to turn into the next Mick Gault, but if I can learn to be a decent shot with my Remy, that'll satisfy me.

So I'm posting this as an aide memoire to myself. I'm going to improve my shooting with my Remy, take part in a competition next year, and so I get a decent score I'll take the following steps:

1) Shoot my Remington as often as possible. Not easy, as the gun club is only open a couple of nights a week and I'm on a shift system, but I'll do my best.

2) Shoot my air pistol in between times for practice, at least two or three times a week. It's not the same as the Remy, but at least I can practise sight allignment and follow-through.

3) Read up on the subject. There's plenty of written material on marksmanship around. Of course it does tend to make the boss curious when I'm reading the US Army Pistol Marksmanship training manual at my desk between phone calls...

4) Try and find the best way to grip the Remington given the undersized grips.

5) Exercise more, especially the fingers - a strong grip and improveded upper body strength's got to help.

6) Seek advice from people with more experience - the Internet's a really useful resource for this kind of thing.

If I can develop a proper training routine, I should be ready to take part in a competition in a few months. Maybe I'll go to the annual Phoenix Meeting in Bisley next May. Even if I don't do very well, at least it'll be fun!

This is a Reminton 1858. It's not mine, but it's similar. The main difference is that mine has adjustable sights.

16.8.04 12:15

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