[Chubs]

Hi Im 16 and I live in central PA and I shoot in the 4H program. I bought a Marlin .22 and I shoot it like it came out of the box. But my problem is I have a swinging target set up at 50 yards and paper target set up next to it. I can go 7 for 7 with it on the 1/4 inch swining target but when i shoot at the paper i seem to be all over it. Is this just a mental thing or what?

 

[Guest]

Seems like it must be mental, as any other explanation eludes me. I have a bolt-action Marlin model 25, and am surprised you can do so well on the swing targets! But back to the original quandary. No explanation, but come to think of it i have the same problem with my 10/22...I dunno.

 

[DarkShadows]

really i wouldnt be asking my self whats wrong with the rifle i would be asking my self what am i doing diffrently (i.e. shooting positions, how you are holding the rifle) you might also be thinking to much about how your group is going to be as opposed to firing the current shot. the other thing you might be doing is as you are working the bolt to chaimber the next round you might be taking your face off the stock and then repositioning in a slightly diffrent place. while it might not seem like much it definitely could be one of the reasons. also you could be jerking the trigger instead of a slow steady squeeze.

 

[Guest]

22 Rimfire Shooting Troubles

The problem is probably you. You may want to look at your breathing. On the swinging target, you are probably getting your shot off quickly and are not making the mistake of holding your breath for prolonged periods. A common mistake on fixed targets is holding your breath too long to take the shot and depriving your muscles of oxygen. This makes your hold unstable. Get to know your trigger by dry firing. DON"T dry fire a rimfire on an empty chamber, or you'll peen the chamber and ruin the gun. Leave a fired cartridge or a snap cap in place. Make sure the fired cartridge is indeed fired before practicing if you go that route. After you become familiar with your gun's trigger, try to time your release at a natural pause in your breathing. Concentrate on maintaining your sight picture before, through and after the release of the firing pin. Also, try keeping BOTH eyes open if you're using open sights. If you can pull all this together, your groups will shrink. It just takes practice. Good luck!

K2