Last month, we covered some of the fine-tuning and set-up aspects of training. This month, we take a look at some ways to maximise your training without ever firing a shot. First of all, let’s be clear: I like shooting, but shooting is not always the best use of your time. My first instinct on the range is to get my gear out and send some projectiles to an intended target. That feeling of punching neat little holes in the paper or ringing that steel is very rewarding - it makes you feel good. What I have come to realise, though, is that a little rehearsal will only add to your results, and pay dividends in your progression in riflecraft.
Sometimes, of course, it can be good to get shooting straightaway, the perfect example being your cold-bore shot or cold-shooter shot, as may be more to the point. Let’s dive down the rabbit hole of cold-bore. The whole idea here is that you have no warm-up; it is one shot, all in, hit or miss. Before you arrive at the range, decide on the distance of your cold-bore shot, and pick the size of your target. I referred to ‘cold-shooter’ earlier, and the reason I did so is that it can often be the shooter that causes the error in shot placement, and not the bore of the rifle. There are, of course, instances where the condition of your rifle bore can affect your fall of shot.