Horrible Shot?

[rvb]

first shot missed paper completely, all others grouped tight?
most likely flinched it into the dirt.
it's oh so tempting to try to blame the gun, isn't it?!

-rvb

 

[gglass]

This was a flinch pure and simple. The gun fired, and it was not a squib so that is out of the picture. Even a flyer will not fly too far from the POA from 7 yards when the rest of the shots are right on the nose.

A flinch is very hard to detect as the shooter, but very easy to see as an observer. I have instructed many shooters who have had a natural tendency to flinch, and every one of them would swear that they were not flinching. I even gave instruction to a German co-worker whose shots would hit the ground beneath the target when shooting at a poster-sized cardboard target at 7-yards... He didn't think he flinched either.

 

[HoughMade]

first shot missed paper completely, all others grouped tight?
most likely flinched it into the dirt.
it's oh so tempting to try to blame the gun, isn't it?!

-rvb

This was kinda my point when asking about the remainder of the shooting.

 

[Doublehelix]

Fair enough to chalk it up to a flinch. Never had one that bad before that I can remember. I shoot quite a bit of handgun. Over 6,000 rounds of 9mm already this year, and now 350 more of .45 in the last week with the new gun.

It just surprised me completely. I shot, and saw nothing. First shot of the day. I had to pull the target in just to verify because I could not believe my eyes, even at 7 yards!

 

[gmcttr]

I'd chalk it up to "sh*t happens" and/or "stacked tolerances" (aim a bit off + a little flinch + bad cartridge + the gods did not smile).

 

[Doublehelix]

I'd chalk it up to "sh*t happens" and/or "stacked tolerances" (aim a bit off + a little flinch + bad cartridge + the gods did not smile).

Haha! I love it! Great answer!

 

[rvb]

Fair enough to chalk it up to a flinch. Never had one that bad before that I can remember. I shoot quite a bit of handgun. Over 6,000 rounds of 9mm already this year, and now 350 more of .45 in the last week with the new gun.

It just surprised me completely. I shot, and saw nothing. First shot of the day. I had to pull the target in just to verify because I could not believe my eyes, even at 7 yards!

How good at you at calling your shots? When I miss a shot I either 1) call it as a miss or 2) failed to call it and didn't see enough of my sights at the time the shot broke to know where the round went. I'm of the opinion you can't both call your shots and flinch.

The number of rounds you shoot per year doesn't really have anything to do with flinching. Adding a new gun to the mix makes it even more likely.

-rvb

 

[Doublehelix]

How good at you at calling your shots? When I miss a shot I either 1) call it as a miss or 2) failed to call it and didn't see enough of my sights at the time the shot broke to know where the round went. I'm of the opinion you can't both call your shots and flinch.

The number of rounds you shoot per year doesn't really have anything to do with flinching. Adding a new gun to the mix makes it even more likely.

-rvb

I guess my point in posting those numbers was that if it was a flinch, it is a rare occurrence since I don't remember ever seeing one this bad in many 1000's of shots. I am not saying it was not a flinch, it sounds like it may very have been.

 

[Chewie]

It was a blank, someone snuck a blank into your mag when you weren't looking.