First, what is a stressful situation? This can cover a really big field.
I think of Combat then self defense. These may be the pinnacle of stressful.
What about hunting; the whole Buck Fever thing? Stress right?
I think competition can allow stress to sneak in and foul a shot.
Even shooting a 5 shot group can be stressful.
You know, the 1st 4 rounds are sitting at a negative moa group size and the last round opens it up to 10 moa. Stress man!
Do you train for this? Do you think it's necessary or helpful?
What do you do or techniques do you employ?
I think of the usual suspects. Repetition, muscle memory.
Being Military I love "Train like ya fight, fight like ya train"
Today I filmed an exercise that was conjured to hit all the senses that are involved in a shot and to document the results. Within the ability that I have here at the farm.
In the Military they used simulators, deprivation, and schools like SERE even bumped that up a notch.
Do we need that for deer hunting? I say yes even more emphatically after today's little run i did.
The best way to explain how i think of it would be compared to sand.
One grain alone is nothing but stack trillions and you make a temple.
Today I created a Mockup Hostage Situation.
Starting from building the round, making the simulators, plotting the ballistis, inducing stress by exercise, to setting up and making the shot.
I found the results pretty shocking. Watching the video I noticed things that I did instinctively, scope tuning, breathing control even when winded, tuning out distractions and my process of placing the reticle on the Tango.
Believing in the calculations was also interesting. You gotta trust in it or that itself will ruin a shot.
I employ these techniques each time I go out but never really link them into a continuous string.
Lastly I ask; what do you think to be a more "True" Marksman? One who is happy with a ragged hole 5 shot group 6" away from P.O.A or one who hits the P.O.A with one shot.
Give it a little though or maybe better, what would you prefer? Yes I know, BOTH!
Just some thoughts there but that's kinda what my video was designed to do.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ljGA7Pj2rH0
Hope ya'll liked!!
Vic