LOSS OF CONFIDENCE

[cbw 4]

OK, some are on here boasting about how good/acurate they are.... I am blooming shit hot I can shoot targets at 100 yrds like you would not believe but then i have done this since i was a child, however now give me a live target at 50 yrds, let alone 100 and I go to bits, why is this? In my air gun days I had no worries with a pigeon head shot at 50yrds now with a real rifle i am too scared about missing to even atempt it. I find myself either taking body shots or not taking the shot at all. I am really strugling with changing from air to powder. Richochet and back stops seem to be fore front in my mind and it just scares me. I am in my 40s and not blooming daft. Will this pass?? James

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

I am really strugling with changing from air to powder. Richochet and back stops seem to be fore front in my mind ..... Will this pass??

 

 

That bit, mate? I sincerely hope not.

[Fidgety 8]

I take it you have just moved to powder? What have you got .22rf? All sounds familiar.

[cbw 4]

I have gone from years of air to a 22rf and cannot believe what a huge difference it is! James

[Fidgety 8]

Me too. Shock was my reaction to, not only the differnce in range, but the size and weight of the bullet. First few plays with it, i found the bullet had travelled through the turf about 12 inches, popped out the other side and rattled off into the trees (safely as it happens) - and all this from a high position into a valley. After that, i tried shooting at a bag of peat at 60 yards, with a safe backstop, it went right through, and made a big dent in the backstop too.

So, the fear of missing what should be an easy shot is understandable because you dont know where the bullet will end up if you miss, or it passes right through (most likely)

You have not yet quantified the tool you have got.

All shooting land is very different - and mine is pants, livestock, roads, footpaths, houses....****trespassers....etc.

So, Ditch is right, ricochets and backstops are paramount and MUST be part of your risk assesment for every shot, last thing the shooting community needs is an accident. You are right to be nervous until you understand what the .22 is capable of....like you do with the air rifle.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Fidgety

[stubby 175]

I dont know if Im quailified to have my say here, as I dont as yet have FAC, but I would say, its more a question of what your shooting, and why

if your shooting from a pest control point of view, at rabbits, a shot to the upper body is In my eye's, as good as a head shot, its going to put the rabbit down, unlike an air rifle, where a head shot is needed, Ive been rimfire .22 shooting (under supervison) and quite a few of the shots were body shots at ranges between 30yds to 70yds,

if however the shooting of quarry was for re sale (butchers etc) then on rabbits I could understand the need for a headshot

[Guest JohnGalway]

Yes, it'll pass You have got pigeon fever A lot of people will get "the fever" during their time shooting. Periods of time where confidence is low and you're never quite sure of that shot. It can be really frustrating. The secret is to relax and get back to the basics. Pick a safe spot on your permission and shoot some novelty targets at different ranges. They can be ones you print out off the internet or objects like tin cans even (just not breakable, dangerous or too messy to clean up!). Since they're at different ranges you'll be checking for safe backstops automatically But, you're not going to be worried about injuring. Just figure out then which bits of the novelty targets you would like to shoot. I don't mean grouping shots in the beginning necesarily. Start slow, it's not an exercise in accuracy, it's about putting some fun back into your shooting. It's like anything, if you're frustrated and not enjoying it you won't do well, so you need to reverse that trend and start with the basics (trigger squeeze, good stable shooting platform, breathing...) and enjoying yourself first. Then when you feel good about it again you can try a bit of accuracy, when you're happy with that you can go shooting quarry again IMO.

 

Stubby touched upon the head shot issue. I would agree that if you don't need to take them, then taking heart/lung shots are the better option I don't need to take head shots on anything I shoot, unless asked for a few rabbits etc. I've always found the head to move too much for my liking, all the senses being there, sight, hearing, smell. It doesn't take much for the animal to start bobbing it around. If you really do need to take them then I would suggest getting a bit closer, again it's just to build confidence back up and not knocking your abilities. I moved from shotgun to .223 and for quite some time I restricted my range on purpose, even though I had a lot of people telling me I should be shooting farther. Walk before ya run

[SNAP SHOT 194]

First things first, do you know your bullet drops for the ranges you are sgooting at, what way the wind effects the bullet at different ranges.

If the ansewer is No then STOP.

Time spent on the range will bring you confidence back, If shooting a .22 lr for instance shoot at fifty yards until you feel you can hit the point you were aiming for, then proceed to 75 yards same thing look at the drop of the bullet then reach out until you find the accuracy going to pot or you can safely take the shot at say a 120 yard rabbit.

Then when you enter the field you will know roughly were the bullet will strike before you take the shot.........Good luck.

[Muntjac Man 0]

Some very good points above - as Snapshot says if you haven't already doen so, get very familiar with the trajectory chracteristic of your rifle, and your ability to judge distance to your quarry.

 

You are absolutely right to be concerned about ricochets and backstops whilst hunting. Unfortunately, whilst being a superb round for rabbits etc, the humble .22 riimfire is the most ricochet prone round there is. I can still remember the first time I had a rimmy ricochet - it scared me stupid.

 

Having been shooting .22RF for a long time, there are still times when I too decide on the body shot rather than the head shot, purely on safety grounds, and that is frequently after already moving around to get a safer line of fire. However, I suspect (and I stand to be corrected on this) that when the round exits from the body of a rabbit, it actually has more energy left in it than if it had been a head shot - only thin bones and soft tissue to impede its progress through the chest, instead of a thicker skull bone.

 

On many many occasions, if I don't think the shot is safe, I just don't take the shot, and the rabbit lives a few more days until my next visit. That is a fundamental of shooting rifles, and one which just has to be accepted.

 

One thing I would say at this time of year, is as the ground becomes progressively harder, you are right to be that little more cautious about the angle of incidence to the backstop. If the ground is wet and fairly soft, a shallower angle into the backstop will usually be ok (assuming there isn't a stone just below the surface!), whereas as the ground becomes harder, shallower angles into the backstop will start to produce ricochets.

 

On another note, on one occasion I did speak to Bill Harriman on the Basc stand at one of the game fairs. He said that whilst trying to avoid ricochets is the number one priority, with the .22RF if you do get a ricochet, it does lose its energy very rapidly - i.e. it won't travel as far or as fast as one straight out of the muzzle. HOWEVER, DON'T LET THIS DETRACT FROM YOUR ABSOLUTELY CORRECT APPROACH THAT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT BEFORE TAKING THE SHOT.

 

The upside of it is that the .22RF will be excellent experience for you in selecting safe shots, for if you ever decide to move up to larger calibres, as they are generally less ricochet prone than the rimmy.

 

However, as you become more familiar with the characteristics of the rimmy, your confidence should return - unfortunately it's a matter of experience - the more you shoot, the more confidence you get - just as you did with your air rifle.

 

As another thought, have you considered going out on one of your shoots with someone else who is more experienced with the rimfire, and talking about safe lines of fire etc to give you a bit more confidence?

 

Best wishes, hope you do regain your confidence soon.

 

MM

[Yokel Matt 918]

I found when i first started shooting .22LR i held over too much because i was so used to shooting an airgun. To me, the solution was simple. Get a brick of ammunition and set targets out on a range of distances so you don't have to move and fire away. Confidence comes with experiance. Practice, practice, practice.

Edited June 11, 2008 by Local

[rob reynolds uk 3]

its called buck fever .22 rimfire are dangers more care is need i say more power means less chance of a bullit bounceing down the field weres a high powed bullit will break up on inpact..make sure you are happy with the back stop you get no second chances with a bullit you may do with a pellet ..happy hunting

[Mr_Logic 5]

Depends on the type of high powered bullet - FMJ and so on might not break up as fast as you think!

[cbw 4]

Ok Guys,

 

Thankyou very much, some excellent input and as usual learned some new tips!

 

I have allready set targets at 60, , 100 and 120 and have worked out where this equates to on the turrets, I have placed discreet markers around my main rabbit field to help with ranges and I am going to force myself to take head shots only on my next trip out.

 

I will get my bloody confidence back!

 

It is just so frustrating to hit targets time and time again without a care in the world and then go to bits on the bunnies!

 

Once again thanks all.

 

James

[SNAP SHOT 194]

[stillair1 16]

When you start stretching the range, a laser range finder is invaluable as the .22lr has quite a loopy trajectory especially beyond 80yds with a 50yd zero.