How to improve follow-up shot accuracy?

[Al T.]

Tagged.

[Surf]

When things are going well, the front sight lifts on one plate and comes back down on the next, so it seems like it interrupts your rhythm more to go back and correct the mistake immediately. I hadn't really made a plan in advance of how to handle this, but looking back things worked out when doing what I just described and it felt like my transition at the end to the missed plate was barely different from the rest. Thoughts from the more experienced shooters?

Just so no one misunderstands, I am not talking about shot priorities or anything that relates to defensive shooting. The following is purely how I tackle this from the mindset of how to get the fastest hits on multiple plates.

I don't shoot in competitions but I do shoot a lot of transitional plates so what you mention is exactly how I handle the transitions and missed shots in a pure side to side plate rack type of situation. It ultimately takes me longer to stop, go back to the missed plate, then gain rhythm again. I will understand that I missed a plate and going back to that plate remains in a very similar rhythm and is handled like another transition and for me it costs less time overall.

[EricM]

Thanks Surf, I appreciate the feedback.

[SLG]

Mostly covered above, but in relation to your nalgene shaped group at 5 yards at speed...you are most likely pulling the trigger before the sights get settled (high shots) and also overcompensating for recoil and/or anticipating recoil and getting shot that are low. Don't do those things, and your vertical stringing will go away.

A good way to practice that is to have a small dot (2" or so) or a thick horizontal line, and use that as the target. NO shots below are allowed. Few shots above should be tolerated. Go lsow enough to accomplish that, then build up your speed so you can do it fast.

Any diagnosis really needs to involve watching the shooter and then the target, but that's my stab at it from here.

As far as the plate rack issue, I disagree with your ninja friend about when it is appropriate to work on multiple targets. It sounds like you shoot well enough to do that already. Plenty of good advice about how to do that above.

[Gio]

Mostly covered above, but in relation to your nalgene shaped group at 5 yards at speed...you are most likely pulling the trigger before the sights get settled (high shots) and also overcompensating for recoil and/or anticipating recoil and getting shot that are low. Don't do those things, and your vertical stringing will go away.

A good way to practice that is to have a small dot (2" or so) or a thick horizontal line, and use that as the target. NO shots below are allowed. Few shots above should be tolerated. Go lsow enough to accomplish that, then build up your speed so you can do it fast.

Any diagnosis really needs to involve watching the shooter and then the target, but that's my stab at it from here.

As far as the plate rack issue, I disagree with your ninja friend about when it is appropriate to work on multiple targets. It sounds like you shoot well enough to do that already. Plenty of good advice about how to do that above.

This.

Also, at a 10 yard plate rack (i'm guessing they were generous sized plates like 8-12"), it's likely not your fundamentals that caused you to miss. You were probably looking over the sights to watch the steel get hit/fall and missing as a result. Put the front sight in the middle of the plate so all you see is white steel around the outside of the sight, press the trigger, and move on to the next plate without watching it fall.