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In this issue:
Opinions on Eley pellets?
Re: Proposed ISSF rifle rule changes
Re: Proposed ISSF rifle rule changes
Re: Proposed ISSF rifle rule changes
Re: Temperature and sight/rifle zero
New coaching group
Three way communications, coach-athlete-coach
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Opinions on Eley air rifle pellets?
Anyone have a view on the quality of Eley match pellets for air rifle relative to H&N Finale Match or similar? I have been able to get hold of them fairly cheaply (less than half cost of H&N Finale in New Zealand) but as a beginner air shooter I want to make sure I am using a decent pellet. Experience with them has been fine with the rifle (FWB 300SU) but poor with the pistol (Gamo Compact).
Matt Evans (keen beginner)
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in response to Chet Skinner's supporting the idea that clothing should be
pared back as too many shooters are reaching the top level of scores,
i would disagree if only for the reason that the physical demands on a
shooter's body in all positions make it absolutely necessary to wear
reasonably stiff and thick clothing to reduce the liklihood of permanent
physical damage to the body.
Many shooters today start as junior shooters when their bodies are still
developing, perhaps putting them at the greatest jeopardy of damaging their
bodies. To recommend a cut-back in clothing will only increase the
liklihood and earlier onset of damage.
When an athlete trains for years and years, firing thousands and thousands
of rounds, spending countless hours and hours in these awkward shooting
positions, there is bound to be long-term physical effect on certain joints.
Personally, i have difficulty with pain in my lower back while shooting air
rifle, and my right knee cartilage is damaged due to the pressure exerted on
the inside of the knee when sitting in the kneeling position. In prone,
the weight of the gun pulling on the sling and across my back causes neck
and shoulder strain, and i shoot a fairly light rifle compared to many
shooters! My left hand feels like hamburger some times from the pressure
against the handstop.
Now i know that Chet will wisely point out that if i'm feeling pain, i am
probably not doing it correctly. however, most shooters have to make
mistakes to learn this sport, sometimes over a long time period, before you
identify the problem.
But the danger is that some people make changes to the rules while sitting
back 'in the stands', not realizing the implications of proposed changes.
Never are the shooters polled as to what they may think of an idea before it
is implemented. We are just the rats in the cage....
Another example of this is the change by the ISSF to reduce the changeover
time between positions in Men's 3-position rifle from 15 minutes to 10
minutes. This has caused the 3-p match to become more of a 'race' than a
shooting competition. Shooters have to purposely shoot faster so that they
have extra time to change their equipment over, causing noise and
disturbance to their neighbors as they disassemble their rifles, scopes,
stands, etc to get ready for the next position. Is this what we want? Why
did they do this? how does saving a grand total of 10 minutes benefit
anyone? Why not simply reduce the shooting time allowed, and be honest
about what you want the shooters to do - and that is, to shoot faster!
Finally, we have finals competitions to break ties and determine the best
shooter. If you had 8 male shooters who shot 600 in air rifle in a
particular match, you would still be able to determine the winner, by means
of the Finale. Changing clothing rules because shooters are reaching
perfect scores is unfair to the shooter and robs them of support vital to
their long-term physical health.
Not to mention all the clothing that may be rendered obsolete by any
significant changes to the thickness rules!! Olympic Rifle hooters worldwide
would be furious.
I hope that anyone who has any influence on this area will stick up for the
shooters and recommend no changes to clothing rules.
Wayne Sorensen
Canadian Shooting Team
[Editor - Well said! I hope so, too. If everyone were shooting close to
perfect it would be one thing, but there are hardly any 600s even in the
prone match (where clothing isn't all that important anyway) so the
argument of scores being too high seems particularly weak to me.]
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Michael Ray wrote:
> argument of scores being too high seems particularly weak to me.
In addition to perhaps being not true, high scores are not necessarily a
detriment to the sport. The problem is that there are many shooters but only
one world champion, so why should the whole sport be changed for everyone
just to make sure the champion cannot make a perfect score? First, perfect
scores are really great, as long as they are not so easy that everyone does
it. And second, the vast majority of shooters do not want their own scores
reduced either, so the target should be designed for the more typical
shooter instead of the very few elite. Some people think the current targets
are already too difficult for most people, that beginners get discouraged
and quit before they have any chance to find out what their potential might
be.
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About: Proposed rifle rule changes (clothing)
I agree 100% with Wayne Sorensen. I have been a victim of the "shooting pains". For years I suffered a lot of pains: back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, elbow pain (Epicondilitis), wrist pain, arm pain, all related to my beloved sport. Last year during the Olympic Games in Sydney my L4 and L5 discs gave up, needing a terrible surgery of which I have not been able to recuperate. A change of the clothing rules will not make things any better, on the contrary, we will see a lot more injuries related to the shooting sport. That's not fair.
Sincerely,
Ralph Rodriguez
[email protected]
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Ben Fok wrote:
> Yesterday I was shooting my PH6 at the range. It was a cool day(~75F). I
> had my rifle sighted in a few weeks again what it was very hot(90F)
> All of my settings are off from 1/4" to 1". At 25 yard, I am off by 1/2".
> My question is, what is the best way to compensate for such a error? I am
> sure it is not my shooting and I am sure it is not my rifle. The only
> variation is the air in the tank.
firstly, the air pressure in the tank will vary a percent or two between a
hot and cold day, but it varies by *many* percent during firing as each shot
takes some air from the tank. So forget that, the rifle has internal
compensation and regulation to ensure the same pressure in the chamber,
regardless of the pressure in the tank.
There is one obvious thing you forgot .. the air on the range! .. the pellet
has to travel through 25m of air before it gets to the target and the
relative density of the air will be greatly changed by temperature and
humidty. the denisty of the air is proportional to the drag on the pellet,
the more drag, the more it slows down, the more it slows down, the lower it
shoots. cold day= denser air = more drag = shoots low.
-- Robin Szemeti
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[email protected]
New web page and group for ISSF Coaching
Chet Skinner, Coach
Entity Sports International
http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/dome/4512/index.html
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Things that makes you a good listener:
a. Open your arms and hands open.
b. Nod frequently and say things like 'Ok', 'Ahhh', or 'Mmmmmm.'
c. Sit in a nonthreatening environment (e.g. in a conference room and not
behind your desk.)
d. Stop working
e. Do not look at you watch.
f. Do not look restless or fidget.
g. Do not cross your arms ot legs (if a woman crossing of the legs is
permissible in a lady like manner if wearing a skirt.)
h. Put the phones on call forwarding or voice mail and turn off the ringer
if possible rather than answer the phone.
i. Do not talk over or interrupt other persons.
j. Do not let other people interrupt you conversations.
k. Above all maintain eye contact during the conversation or discussions.
If your guilty of violating three or more of the above, you are a very poor
listener, which means your friends or employees, athletes or coaches most
likely do not feel comfortable talking with you.
To become a competent instructor, coach, and mentor, you must balance your
need to get the information across to the athlete. The instructor can
achieve this balance by being assertive. The instructor will have a more
fulfilling relationship with the shooting athletes and fellow coaches plus
improving athletic and team productivity.
And, what of the qualification of a mentor...? Mentors must have
credibility with the shooting athlete and the team. If you are not
creditable, your athletes and team will neither seek or want your advise.
Listening is one of the traits of any mentor, instructor, and coach.
Chet Skinner, Coach
Entity Sports International
http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/dome/4512/index.html
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End of UIT Mailing List #5
Michael Ray - DBA & Systems Engineer
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach
UIT Shooting Page -
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm
