Coaches Corner…first in a series

Coaches Corner—Edition 1
by Erik Hoskins 

This is the first in a series of articles I will be writing about my performance, thoughts, and experiences in smallbore rifle shooting. My hope is that you might find some of my writings useful in your own endeavors in smallbore and if not, perhaps you will at least find the stories entertaining. Enjoy!

On September 28th, 2008 I awoke in an Econo Lodge in downtown Schenectady, NY at 6:30 am. I had a chair stuffed under the doorknob, just for safety sake. I was here for a rifle match, and I was determined to beat the well-known record of Ronald Wigger who 2 years ago posted a 3200 in one day at this particular event. My morning started well-hangover free-and I headed off to a range I have never been to before. After plugging in the waypoint on my GPS, I headed out of the “Lodge.” When I arrived, I was greeted by fellow teammate and venerable prone shooter Terry Glenn. The host, Ron Michon, is one heck of a nice guy and makes everyone feel welcome. The weather was great, 68 degrees, no wind, and overcast. The range had a nice…even, flat light on the targets and wind breaks on both ends of the range with overhead baffles to keep stray bullets from getting away.

The match was scheduled to commence at 8:30am, but at 8:27 a shooter drove in, and Ron suggested we wait-like I said, Ron Michon, is one heck of a nice guy. We all agreed, but made the argument amongst ourselves, “I hope you wait for me the day I am late.” Two more shooters came in 10 minutes later, and we got underway at 10 minutes of 9.

The day before, Justin Tracey posted a very good 1600-133x and he too had Ron Wigger’s score in his sights. Having shot irons the day before, Justin was shooting scope, and I was shooting Irons for 160 shots in the morning and scope for the remaining 160 shots in the afternoon. After the 50 yard match, I posted a 400-34 and was feeling good, Justin shot a 400 as well, 3 more stages go for him, and 7 more for me. The meter match came and went, and I posted a 400-32, while Justin had a 399 and said the shot went right were it should have gone, because the Dot in his scope was sitting in the hole that was left on the paper. Today was going to be a day of execution, as the conditions were better than shooting on an indoor range. In the Dewar match, a 400-32 for me and another 400 for Justin. In the 100 yard match-I, like Justin had at meters–placed a shot where it should have been, just not where I wanted it to go. I then proceeded to do it 2 more times. All three shots were right on the 10 ring line, not even a half a bullet’s width from being in, but for sure, would plug out. I had flash backs to the meter match at Camp Perry this year, when I shot my way out of the top 10, and right off the Dewar team. My plans of besting Ron were gone, the reason I left home at 8pm the night before, leaving my wife and three boys to head to Schenectady on a dark rainy night were for naught! I sat with my head hung low for the 45 minutes that we broke for lunch, examining my mental state, and reviewing my physical position, trying to figure out just what went wrong. Why didn’t I stop after the first plugger and “problem solve?” Why didn’t I go back to the sighter, why didn’t I break position, and re-set myself, why didn’t I do any of the things that I coach others to do, what is wrong with me, why cant I succeed?

It came to me, remembering a match strategy class that I had taken from Neil Johnson in 1993 when he was the Assistant Rifle Coach for the US Shooting Team. I was attending a 4 day training event at the OTC just before the Championship of the Americas team tryout in Chino, CA. Neil taught me about “Outcome Goals” and “Performance Goals”. I had left my family, during my Father-In-law’s birthday party, to risk life and limb, by driving through the remnants of a hurricane, just to beat someone else’s score! What was I thinking? I was thinking exactly the same thoughts at Camp Perry this year, when I shot myself off the Dewar team. I was thinking about going to England with the Robert’s team, again, another outcome goal.

We started the second 1600 at 1pm, I had a new strategy in my mind, and the determination to prove something to myself. Precisely like at Camp Perry this year, I can come back from adversity and kick a prone match in the ASS! 50 yards, 400-39x, 50 meters, 400-39x and 2 Aleve for the pain in my left hand and pectoral muscle–the long day was starting to kick in. Ron kept the match pace going, which is real nice, but tough on an out of shape desk jockey! The wind was still non-existent and the light was flat and gray. My plan was working, and working well. I was focusing on my breathing, my pulse, and my shot release. It was all coming together, and I had no outcome to think about. I was working on performing a good shot. The Dewar match came and went with another 400-39x, I was really humming now. My rifle and ammo combination is great and I am doing my job well. The first 100 yard target, and I lost one X to follow through and another to shading a little less than I should have. As we were hanging targets for the 16th and final time of the day, a very large, and dark sky came blowing in. For sure the rain was going to finally catch up with us so we all closed up are trucks and hid everything under cover. It was now blowing 15-20 MPH and pouring rain. I was thinking in my head, only 20 more X’s and we can get out of here. The wind was straight at our backs, fish tailing through the artificial tunnel and rolling off the overhead baffles. I bared down and held center, and made it out with my second ever 1600, and this time, I did it with 151 X’s. Wow, was I happy, not with the score, but with my performance. I proved to myself that performance oriented shooting lends itself well to outcome oriented goals.

Justin won the match, with an awesome 3199-274x. I was second with a 3197-275x, and a Junior shooter, Dave Brummond (who Justin is coaching) shot his first ever 1600 and finished up in third with a 3196-249x.

I sucked it up, figured it out, and performed to the best of my ability. 

-Erik Hoskins